last five years, according to German | sibility and an endless sleep. When statistics, ninety-two German vessels the rime was on the trees, and the were lost in Danish waters, with up- thermometer below zero, nothing was wards of seven hundred lives. It is more pathetic than to mark the tameestimated that some forty-five thousand ness of wild birds, denoting as it did vessels annually double Cape Skagen, that starvation-point was reached, and of a total of about sixteen million tons, that little bird-hearts were beating and the Germans expect to attract feebly in painful want. about one-half of that traffic to their new ship-canal. If they do so, a moderate impost for dues should yield a fair return on the capital invested, after paying working expenses.

Feeding birds (to those who love them) became a science as the frost continued, and well has the labor been repaid for taking as a single instance a garden that the present writer knows But in Germany the undertaking is of where the birds have been well regarded less as a financial investment cared for, blackbirds and throstles than as a national enterprise. By abound in plenty (they begin singing means of the canal, the coal-owners of their love-sougs at five o'clock in the Rhenish-Westphalia hope to secure the morning) and the titmice don their Baltic markets at present supplied from best plumage, their splendid condition England and Scotland; and other com- attracting the attention of all visitors. mercial advantages are expected for Outside the windows on the lawn the other industries of the empire. The top of the village Christmas-tree was strategic importance of the canal, how-planted in the snow, and the boughs. ever, is that which gives it its highest hung with suet and bones and walnutvalue in German eyes; and from one point of view, the new water-way may be regarded as a peaceful device for sweeping Denmark out of the path of Germany as a naval power.

From The Spectator.
BIRD-LIFE IN SPRING.

shells, while a space in the snow was cleared, and this was strewn half-adozen times a day with bread-crumbs and hemp-seed, wheat, chopped-up meat, and such-like delicacies. On a little table close to the window were nuts for the nut-hatches, pretty bluebacked birds with soft chestnut breasts,. who became quite tame, flying off with their treasure to their "cache" in the Now that spring is gently creeping old wall "under the beech-tree;" and over the land-is the time to note on the swept path rape-seed was scatwhat visible effect the long, tireless tered for the linnets and gold-finches.. frost of 1895 has had on the feath- In fact, all the birds became so tame ered host haunting garden, copse, and that when their host went outside to hedgerow. News comes to us from replenish the supplies and whistled a many parts of the country that song- well-known call, they flew across the sters are scarce, and the lovers of birds | lawn towards him, and the shrubs close mourn as they think of the blackbirds by instantly became alive with guests.. and throstles who crept into the rabbit- Now and then a squirrel came and burrows to die of cold and starvation, made sad havoc in the tree and demoland whose bodies are now being found ished the nuts on the table; but he daily by ferreters in many districts in had notice to quit, and hurried off in a Surrey. If this mortality has extended passion, making up his mind to reover other parts of the country in the venge himself on a feast of lily-bulbs same proportion, there is little room and daffodils; and his place was at for wonder at the unusual silence of once filled by the nut-hatches again, the season, the absence of "the a one-legged chaffinch who hopped charm of birds." Luckily, it is only gaily about apparently not at all inconthe first stage of being frozen to death venienced by the loss of a limb, hedgewhich is painful, the end is only insen-sparrows, blackbirds, robins, and.

a

thrushes, with all the different titmice, | is more welcome; and as we listen to who spent most of their time balanc-him-glad to hear his greeting ing upside-down on the walnut-shells, flock of fieldfares fly overhead, uttering which were filled with tempting lard, a clatter of good-bye on their way to and suspended by threads to the tree Norway; whither Wolf, the great aniand verandah. In the woods the bodies mal and bird painter, and Gould folof defunct rooks were found hanging lowed them to study their ways and to boughs and lying on the ground, habits. So the ways of the migrants having been starved to death; for the cross, and set one thinking of ships only food within miles was frozen that pass in the night, of the order that turnip-tops, which had to be burrowed daily changeth, and the study of birdfor under the snow, - and indigestible life becomes more and more absorbing. food enough it was, hardly keeping In the same letter of Addison's quoted body and (may we say ?) soul together. above from "The Spectator," he writes: Coming home to roost over the woods, "The cheerfulness of heart that springs they had to stop and rest from sheer up in us from the survey of Nature's weakness, a thing they would never works, is an admirable preparation for think of doing in an ordinary way. gratitude. A grateful reflection on the Now the scene is changed, and the Supreme Cause produces it, sanctifies rookery is the centre of noisy family it in the soul, and gives it its proper life, a great deal of chattering and fuss- value. Such an habitual disposition of ing is going on among the nests high mind consecrates every field and wood, up in the fir-trees, and the jackdaws turns an ordinary walk into a morning seem to be quarrelling over their do- or evening sacrifice, and will improve mestic arrangements, and are disturbed those transient gleams of joy which and upset in their minds by a hawk who insists on crying in the air overhead, and, just to annoy his neighbors, has chosen to build this year in the rookery. A yaffle laughs the hawk to scorn, and flies off to find a convenient tree where he can bore a hole and make his nest while he recalls the first day of the thaw, when he spent hours on the edge of the lawn boring into an ant's nest, and revelling in a feast he had not enjoyed for weeks, and caring little in his greediness whether his crimson head was covered with dirt or not.

naturally brighten up and refresh the soul on such occasions, with an inviolable and perpetual state of bliss and happiness." A study of nature's works must bring us into touch with the Creator, and the "struggle for the life of others " cannot be more perfectly illustrated, even to Drummond's satisfaction, than in the bird-life of springtime.

The birds are, some of them, courting in pairs over the garden; now the catkins cover the hazel, and the palm is in bloom, and they are ready to give their lives for their nestlings, the beautiful nests being tangible proofs of untiring love. Over the woods a soft green is creeping, and a blush of purple buds is visible at last. The heart of spring is throbbing with life, everywhere the brown earth is pierced by green shoots, and the bare boughs are bursting into life. The heart of spring is throbbing, it is heard in the garden, in the woodland, on the moor; and though the dead gorse and heather and burnt shrubs remind us that the deadly frost laid his hand upon the earth, the cold is forgotten in the glorious awakening of nature.

From Daheim.

ARMORIAL BEARINGS, OLD AND NEW.

who bore them, and transmitted to the heirs. The courtiers now and then

THE growth of the cities and their complained, but without effect, alpolitical power, which forced the citi- though the emperor threatened to punzens to defend themselves with sword ish those who adopted a coat-of-arms and shield against similar armed without imperial sanction. Since the knights, led to the adoption of armorial middle of the last century it became bearings as early as the fourteenth cen- the practice of all better-class families tury, and this blazonry soon became to adopt armorial bearings. Even the hereditary in the best families. The great poet Goethe chose one and innobles did not regard this with any formed his prince [the Duke of Saxedispleasure, for long before that time Weimar] of the fact in 1775. The the golden spur and the sword-belt had emperor afterward confirmed this coatbecome the distinguishing marks of of-arms when he knighted Goethe. In Prussia the authorities never hinnobility. They did not dream of regarding these citizens as their equals, dered the adoption of armorial bearings although they often called in the help as long as they did not collide with of the citizens and paid them knightly those of the nobles. This did, howhonors. About 1400, however, the first ever, happen at times, and King Fredfamilies of the free cities began to be erick William I. endeavored to raise a recognized as noble. Until that time little money for his giant regiments by every coat-of-arms was a free inven- inflicting fines upon those who used tion, transmitted from father to son. illegitimate coats-of-arms. But PrusEach man took care, to the best of his sian law does not prevent any citizen ability, to adopt a blazoury different from adopting such ensigns and transfrom that of every one else. The year mitting them to his heirs. It is to be 1400 brought a revolution in heraldry. hoped that better-class families will The German emperor began to grant again return to this practice instead of armorial bearings to commoners. The the meaningless and insipid monofirst was given to the sons of Folze grams now in use. The right of a citiEyermenger, a citizen of Mainz, and zen to adopt armorial bearings is an dates from St. Hieronymus's Day (Sep-historical one, and only the uneducated tember 30), 1400. . . . The recipients will deride it; and only malevolent of such coats-of-arms were described as persons will regard its exercise as a "comrades in arms" of the knights, species of self-aggrandizement. and therefore their equals. Later, however, a distinction was made between patents of blazonry and patents of nobility. The older patrician families took care to have their blazonry recorded and confirmed.

In North Germany the civic right to adopt armorial bearings developed quite spontaneously. Patrician families in the possession of such coats-of-arms were found at a very early date in the cities of Königsberg, Stettin, Danzig, Elbing, Thorn, Cologne, Düsseldorf, Berlin, etc. The free cities Hamburg, Bremen, Lübeck, and Frankfort had many families whose nobility was confirmed by imperial patents. There is no doubt that nine-tenths of such blazonries were invented by the first

HANDEL'S EXPRESSIVE PATHOS.-When Handel was blind he composed his "Samson," in which is the most touching of songs, "Total Eclipse." He sent for Beard, then the most popular singer of the day. "Mr. Beard," he said, "I have made a song, which I cannot sing as it ought to be sung, but I can tell you how it ought to be sung." But then he sang it with most expressive pathos. Beard stood listening it was ended, he said, with tears in his in silent wonder and admiration. When eyes, "But, Mr. Handel, I can never sing it like that!" This anecdote, not recorded in common biographies of Handel, used to be told by the late Edward Fitzgerald, whose letters have recently been published.

}

No. 2655.-May 25, 1895.

From Beginning,
Vol. CCV.

CONTENTS.

I. THE PROGRESS OF CANADA,

II. IN HONOR BOUND. By George Gissing,. English Illustrated Magazine, 470
III. IN MITYLENE WITH THE LATE SIR
A Ramble in the

CHARLES NEWTON.

Interior,

IV. SOME THOUGHTS ON FENELON,

V. THE STRANGE ADVENTURE OF PARSON
TRUSSBIT. By R. Pardepp,

VI. "MADAME,'

VII. COURT DRESS AND THE SPEAKER'S

DINNER,

504

511

Longman's Magazine,
Temple Bar,

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