The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1833-02-05 00:00:00

THE LIVERPOOL STANDARD.

VARIETIES.

REFLECTIONS ON WAR.—War encourages, for the moment,
certain branches of industry, while it stops others; when peace
comes, the first cease immediately, whilst the latter revive but
slowly. War gives rise to a few rapid fortunes, made Heaven
knows how, and.we meet., therefore, with minds base enough
to invoke war in the hope of being among the favoured fey.
There are also minds of a higher stamp, who will approve of
war for national interests. But the morals of men, in general,
are not improved by war, which is besides decidedly opposed to
.the precepts of Christianity. The Society of "Christian Mor •
ality" in France, and that "for Universal Peace," at Geneva,
co-operate with those in England to diffuse anti-warlike princi-
ples. The President of the Geneva Society, M. Solon, re-
ceived last year a letter from the King of Prussia, expressing
the interest that monarch takes in the proceedings of the so-
ciety, and his intention to favour its object by his external policy.
The society received similar communications from the King of
the French, and from the late M. Perier. It is painful, how-
ever, to reflect that many obstacles will yet interfere between
these wishes and their fuifilment.—Arricabene on the Charitable,
4T., Institutions of England.
THE FA LL OF THE LEAF.—It is not enough, to account for
the fall of the leaf, to say it falls because it is weakened or dead;
for the mere death of a leaf is not sufficient to cause its fall, as
when branches are struck by lightning, killed by a bleak wind,
or die by any similar cause, the dead leaves adhere tenaciously
to the dead branch. To produce the natural fall of the leaf,
the branch must continue to live while its leaves die and are
thrown off by the action of its sap vessels. The change of tem-
perature from hot to cold seems to be one of the principal cir-
cumstances connected with the death and fall of the • leaf.
Hence it is that European trees, growing in the southern he-
misphere, cast their leaves at the approach of winter there,
which is about the same period of the year that they put them
forth in their own climate. The native trees of the tropics are
all evergreens, and, like our hollies and pines, have no general
fall of the leaf, though there is always a partial fall going for-
ward, and at the same time a renewal of the Ioss.—PROFESSOR
RENN IE : Notes on WHITE'S Natural History of Selborne.
PHILOSOPHY OF JACOBINS.—WhiIe at Brussels, the author
(Sir A. B. Faulkner,) saw the nearly sole living monument of
the reign of terror in France :—Barrere, the man who presided
over the tribunal that sent Louis the Sixteenth to the scaffold,
and who ordered Lyons to be razed to the ground. He was
introduced to this remarkable man as he was walking up and
down the streets of Brussels. "He was dressed in a blue sur-
tout, with a black silk handkerchief round his neck. He is
cadaverously pallid, about middle size, his hair almost white,
eyes grey, and, 1 need scarcely add,, infirm at the age of
seventy-five. Barrere is now a poor man : he lives here in a
small lodging, attended, I believe, by a single domestic. When
he started in_ life he was the Marquis. de Vieussac, with four
hundred thousand francs, three hundred thousand of which he
sacrificed in the revolution." In the course of a long conver-
sation, he exhibited a calm and philosophical mind, and phi-
lanthropic views. In particular, he argued strongly against
the punishment of death! We have react, in some recent book
of travels, a very similar account of the infamous Santerre.
Thus, we see, those human tigers, who deluged their country
with blood, can, with one foot in the grave, look back upon
their crimes without either shame or remorse. So easy it is to
stifle the voice of conscience; and so little ought any man to
trust to the silence of that negligent monitor !

REMINISCENCES OF A WIIEN.—Last year I had reared three
cocks (of the yellow wren breed) from the nest, and in July I
wished to set one of them at liberty. Having let it out of the
cage, which stood near a window which was opened, it conti-
nued for a long time hopping and flying about the top of the
cage, and sitting upon the pots upon the ledge, and on a bar to
which the roses were tied across the window. At last it began
to travel up the creep ers against the house, and getting upon
the roof it flew over the buildings, and I did not expect to see
it again; but two hours after returued exceedingly hungry,
and lit upon the upper bar of the middle pane of the lower sash
of the same window, and pecked hard for admittance. It was
let in, and fed heartily froth my hand, after which it took its
leave. I saw no more of it for two days, when it returned again
for a short visit in very good case, and not appearing at all
pressed for food. About a week after it returned to the same
pane of glass, pecking as before ; but I was occupied with a
stranger, on business, and could not attend to it, and it departed
for the see.on. On the 2111..0f July, iu the following summer,
I was standing at the same window, when a fine stout cock of
this species lit upon the bar of the same pane, close to my face,
and began to peck as before for admission. Neither alarmed
by my voice, nor my little boy's jumping up from his seat to
look at it, it flew down upon some of the cage-pans which hap-
pened to be on the lede of the window, and began pecking
them as if to get food from them. It quickly departed again.
But this is so contrary to the habits of the wild bird, that .1 con-
sider it quite certain that the bird was my own nursling, which
had returned, after its trip to Africa, to look at the window
where it had been reared in its nest. The visit was a very plea-
sant little incident. How many things, which Europeans in
vain desire to see, had my little wanderer witnessed since last
he pecked at my window. Perhaps he had sung his plaintive
notes near the grave of Clapperton, or peeped into the seraglio
of the King of Timbuctoo, since we had parted.—HERBERT
Notes on MITE'S Natural History of Selborne.

CAPTAIN BACK'S ARCTIC EXPRDITION.—This expedition,
to which a personal interest is attached, superior to any within
our memory, is now about to leave our shores; and we per-
form a grateful duty, on the eve of its departure, in laying a
brief account of it before our readers. From previous state-
ments in the Literary Gazette, they are aware of the circum-
stances attending the public meeting,_ and of the subscription
entered into, to place £5,000 at the isposal of a committee,' in
order to carry into effect the humane, patriotic, and gallant
proposition of Captain Back, who offered to conduct an expe-
dition to the northern coast of America and the Frozen Ocean,
in search of Captain Ross and his brave companions. Of this
sum Government gives £2,000, and every facility which could
ensure success ; the remaining sum has been voluntarily sup-
plied by individuals, and the whole placed at the disposal of an
intelligent and efficient committee, at the head of which was
Sir George Cockburn, till his recent departure from England.
As one of the most gratifying and cheering circumstances con-
nected with this expedition, we have to mention his Majesty's
gracious notice of it and its author. Captain Back was com-
manded to wait upon the King at Brighton, and was honoured
with a long interview, in which his Majesty inquired minutely
into all the means and objects of the undertaking, and took a
lively concern in the plan as it was explained. When told
that Captain Back was to be accompanied by four men, his
Majesty asked if they were sailors ? It was stated that three
of them were landsmen, who had been with Captain Back on
Franklin's expedition ; but that the fourth was a sailer, and
new to the enterprise. This led to some conversation respect-
ing the medical gentleman, Mr. King we believe, who also
accompanies Captain B. (making the whole party six) ; and
his Majesty expressed great surprise at learning, in answer to
his questions, that neither, naval nor military surgeon had
offered their service on the 'occasion. Mr. King is highly re-
commended by medical persons of celebrity, and is, we under-
stand, every way fitted for the exploit by scientific attainments
and enthusiasm. Captain Back must naturally, feel greatly
honoured and encouraged by the royal condescension and kind.-
ness, and will, we doubt not, have his own noble zeal aug-
mented by this favour, as well as by 'the compliments paid
him by the Duchess of Kent and -Princess Victoria—the latter
of whom sent him a beautiful mounted compass with a hand-
some inscription. He leaves us on the 9th of February, as
originally appointed, and will sail from Liverpool a week
after. He proceeds to New York, and thence takes his north-
ern route with a number of Canadians, engaged to go along
with him, and assist in the expedition. lie has seen a chart
left by Ross, in which the course he proposed to take is laid
down ; and this may guide him to the spot, if such there be,
where our gallant countrymen may happily be found, and
rescued from sufferings and death. Should they unfortunately
have perished, still the attempt will save the character of Eng-
land from the reproach of forgetting and neglecting those
daring spirits who have ventured all for her sake ;,and will
serve to incite future adventurers to heroic deeds in her cause.
At all events, provided as he is with instruments of the most
perfect kind,* geography and general science must receive
great benefit from his toils; and earnestly do we hope to hail
his safe return, laden (if not with the blessings of the appar-
ently lost, whom he has saved), at least with many things
wherewith to adorn his own name and the literature of his
country. We have much pleasure in adding, that the Hud-
son's Bay Company have acted in 'the most liberal manner,
adopting every precaution to promote the success of the expe-
dition, and giving Back a commission in their'service, which
'will place very essential assistance at his disposal throughout
the whole North American continent. For provision he takes
hardly any article but penimecan—the most portable'and nutri-
tive. Beads, trinkets; tobacco, Sr.c. &c., are a!sciCarried out, as
gifts for the natives ; and when we remember the past experi-
ence of this truly noble character, we may confidently assure
'him that the best prayers of his country go with him.—Literary
Gazette.

• A recent invention by a general officer is mentioned as of the
utmost value ; and ardent expectations are formed that Captain B.'s
observations will enable us to extend our knowledge effectually re-
specting the magnetic poles and tho northern lights.—Rd. L. G.

TIME AND ETERNITY.—As is a moment compared to the
life of man, so is the life of man compared with the continuance
of-the world; and the world's continuance is but a moment, in
respect of eternity--Jeremy Taylor.
COMMERCIAL WEALTII.—The merchants of Antwerp were at
one time the most wealthy body of men in Europe. As an illus-
tration of this, a story is told of one John Dacus, who lent to
Charles the kith a million of gold, to enable him to carry on
his wars in Hungary, for which he obtained the royal bond.
The Emperor, on his return, dined with the merchant, who,
after a most sumptuous entertainment, produced the bond, not,
however, for payment, but to burn it, which he is said to have
done in a fire made of chips of cinnamon.—Tour through Holland.
RUNNING WATER.—It has been proved by experiment, that
the rapidity at the bottom of a stream is every where less than
in any part above it, and is greatest at the surface. Also that
in the middle of the stream the particles at the top move swifter
than those at the sides. This slowness of the lowest and side
currents is produced by friction; and when the rapidity is suf-
ficiently great, the soil composing the sides and bottom gives
way. If the water flows at the rate of three inches per second,
it will tear up fine clay; six inches per second, fine sand;
twelve inches per second, fine gravel; and three feet per second,
stones of the size of an egg.—Lyell's Geology.

THE LATE LORD ERSKINE-At the time when Erskine had
reached the top of his profession, and possessed an extent of
business which would have weighed down a common mind, he
was uniformly lively and playful in conversation, invariably
cheerful, and unceasingly entertaining. I never saw him grave,
but with a constant flow of animal spirits he enlivened those
who surrounded him, with whimsical conceits, and jokes on
what was passing. Drawn from this fund, his jeux d' esprit were
of daily creation. I had a full share of them, as my place in
Court was directly at his back. Lamb, of Gray's Inn, sat next
to me. In the course of conversation, Erskine observed how
much confidence in speaking was acquired from habit and fre-
quent employment. " 1 protest I don't find it so' " said Lamb ; "for
though nave been a good many years at the Bar, and have had
a good share of business, I don't.tind my confidence increased;
indeed, rather the contrary." " Why," says Erskine, "it is
nothing wonderful that a Lamb should grow sheepish.— Frazer' s
Magazine: Art. "My Contemporaries, by a Retired Barrister."

Lone ERSKINE'S JOKES.—He was fond of indulging in a
joke at the expense of a witness, but not in any way to offend
or affect his character, unless he was so instructed. A witness
was put into the box, who travelled to get orders for the plain-
tiff's house in London. This description of persons go indis-
criminately by the name of riders and travellers, but they most
affect the latter title. Erskine got up to cross-examine him :
You are, I understand, a rider ? ' " A traveller sir," was the
reply. " Pray, sir," said Erskine, "are you addicted to that
falling usually imputed to travellers ? "—lt he was induced to
make a personal observation on a witness, he divested it of as-
perity, by giving it in the dress of a joke: Iu a cause at Guild-
hall, brought to recover the value of a quantity of whalebone, a
witness was called of most impenetrable stupidity. There are
two descriptions of whalebone, of different value, the long and
the thick. The defence was, that the plaintiff had delivered
that of inferior quality, and yet charged it at the price of the
best. When the witness was put into the box, Erskine, who
was counsel for the defendant, tried to prove his case by his evi-
dence. His stupidity baffled every attempt to prevail on him
to do so. Ile confounded thick whalebone with long in such a
manner, that Erskine was forced to give it up, "Why, man,"
says he, " you don't seem to me to know the difference between
what is thick and what was long. Now, I'll tell you the differ-
ence : you are a thick-headed fellow, and you are nut a long-
headed one."—Fraser's Magazine : Art. "My Contemporaries, by
a Barrister."

AN EARLY LESSON.--Children are very early capable of im-
pression. I imprinted on my daughter the idea of Faith, at a
very early age. She was playing, one day, with a few beads,
which seemed to delight her wonderfully. I said—" My dear,
you have some pretty beads there.". Yes, papa!' "And you
seem to be vastly pleased with them." 'Yes; papa!' "Well,
now throw 'em behind the fire."—She looked earnestly at me,
as though she ought to have a reason for so cruel a sacrifice.
" Well, my dear, do as you please; but, you know, I never told
you to do any thing which I did not think would be good for
you." She looked at me rather longer; and then, summoning
up -all her fortitude—her breast heaving with the effort,—she
dashed them into the fire.—" Well," said I, " there let them
lie: you shall hear more about them another time; but say uo
more about them now."—Some days after, I brought her a box
full of larger beads, and toys of the same kind. When I re-
returned home, I opened it, and set it before her. She burst
into tears of ecstasy. "Those, my child," said 1, "are yours;
because you belieyed me whin i told you it would be better
for you to throw those two or three paltry beads behind,
the tire. Now, that has brought you this treasure. But now,
my dear, remember, as long as you live, what Faith is. I did
this to teach you the meaning of Faith. You threw your beads
away when I bid you, because you had faith in me that I never
advised you but for your good. Put the same confidence in
God ; believe every thing that he says in his Word. Whether
you understand it or not, have faith in him, that he means you
good.—Cecil.
NATURA I. AFFECTION OF ANIMA LS.—I have always great
pleasure in seeing the affection which animals have for their
offspring, and which sometimes shows itself in an extraordinary
and' incongruous manner. A hen who has hatched young
ducks, wilt follow them in her agony into the water, and will
sacrifice her life to preserve the lives of her chickens. A fox,
or rather a vixen, has been known to carry one of her cubs in
her mouth, when she has been pursued by hounds; and who-
ever has seen a dog break into a covey of young partridges,
will have had one of the strongest proofs I know, of the force of
natural•affection.—An instance of parental affection in a bird
was recently. related to me, which gave me much pleasure. A
gentleman, in my neighbourhood, had directed one of his wag-
gons to be packed up with sundry hampers and boxes, intend-
ing to send it to Worthing, where he was going himself. Fur
some reason his going was delayed, and he therefore directed
that the waggon should be placed under a shed in his yard,
packed as it was, till it should be convenient for him to send
it. off. While it was in the shed, a pair of robbins built their
nest among some straw in the waggon, and had hatched their
young, just before it was sent away. One of the old birds, in-
stead of 'being frightened away by the motion of the waggon,
only left its nest from time to time, for the purpose of flying to
the nearest hedge for food for its young, and thus alternately
affording warmth and nourishment to the nest till it arrived at
Worthing. The affection of the bird being observed by the
waggoner, he took care in unloading not to disturb the robins'
nest; and my readers will, I am sure, be glad to hear that the
robin and its young ones returned safe to Walton Heath,
being the place whence they had set out. Whether it was the
male or female robin which kept with the waggon I have not
been able to ascertain, but most probably the latter, as what
will not a mother's affection induce her to perform. The dis-
tance the waggon went in going and returning, could not have
been less than one hundred miles.—Jesse's Gleanings.
ANECDOTE OF THE PRESENT KING OF PRUSSIA.—There was
near Potsdam, in the reign of Frederick the Great, a mill which
interfered with the view from the windows of Sans Souci. An-
noyed by this eye-sore to his favorite residence, the king sent
to inquire the price for which the mill would be sold by its own-
er. For no price," was the reply of the sturdy Prussian;
and in a moment of anger Frederick gave orders that the mill
should be pulled down. " The king may do this," said the mil-
ler, quietly folding his arms, "but there are laws in Prussia;"
and forthwith he commenced proceedings against the monarch,
the result of which was that the court sentenced Frederick to
rebuild the mill, and to pay besides a large sum of money as
compensation, for
was mortified, but had the magnanimity to say, addressing him-
self to his courtiers,—" I am glad to find that just laws and up-
right judges exist in my kingdom." The above anecdote is
well known to every render of Prussian history, but it is neces-
sary' to be related here as an introduction to that which follows.
About three years ago the present head of the honest miller's
family, (his name his Frank), who had in due course of time
succeeded to the hereditary possession of his little estate, find-
ing himself, after a long struggle with losses occasioned by that
war, which brought ruin into many a house besides his own, in-
volved in-pecuniary difficulties that had become insurmounta-
ble, wrote to the present king of Prussia, reminding him of the
refusal experienced by Frederick the Great at the hands of his
ancestor, and stating that if his majesty now entertained a simi-
lar desire to obtain possession of the property, it would be very
agreeable. to him, in his present embarrassed circumstances, to
sell the mill. The king wrote immediately, with his own hand,
the following reply :—" My dear neighbour, I cannot allow you
to sell the null; it must remain in your possession as long as
one member of your family exists; for it belongs to the history
of Prussia. I lament, however, to hear that you are in circum-
stances of embarrassment; and I therefore send you 6,000 dol-
lars (about 1,0001. sterling) to arrange your affairs, in the hope
that this sum will be sufficient for that purpose. " Consider
me always your affectionate neighbour,
"FREDERICK WILLIAM."
This anecdote has been communicated to us lately' from
Prussia; and we beg the English reader to ask himself which
of our own or of the French Jacobins would have acted thus ?
Frederick William is one of those absolute monarchs whom we
arc accustomed to hear described as the embodiment of unfeel-
ing and unsocial despotism ;—we only wish that deeds like these
were more frequent among the shouters after liberty.—New
Anti-Jacobin, or South of England Magazine, No. 11.