which much thought is condensed. For this he finds a text in Dryden's remark concerning Shakespeare, that all the images of nature were still present to him, and he drew from them, not laboriously but luckily.' We call thoughts and expressions of peculiar force and beauty, 'happy' and felicitous,' as if they were products of the writer's fortune rather than his toil. But as worm-eaten apples, no less than ripe, fall of themselves, so in ease of execution the falsest work may agree with the best.

Our author quotes again from Dryden, who, not having the fear of Locke before his eyes, says, Shakespeare was naturally learned,' and affirms that if a soul has not been to school before entering the body, it is late for it to qualify as a teacher of mankind. Then follows this fine thought, which must be expressed in his own words:

Perhaps it is common for one's happiest thoughts, in the moment of their apparition in words, to affect him with a gentle surprise and sense of newness; but soon afterwards they may come to touch him, on the contrary, with a vague sense of reminiscence, as if his mother had sung them by his cradle, or somewhere under the rosy east of life, he had heard them from others. A statement of our own which seems to us very new and striking, is probably partial

But it is of prime importance to observe that the afore-mentioned mature fruit, which so falls at the tenderest touch into the hand, is no sudden, no idle product. It comes, on the contrary, of a depth of operation more profound, and testifies to a genius and sincerity in Nature more subtle and religious, than we can understand. This apple that in fancy we now pluck, and hardly need to pluck, from the burdened bough, think what a pedigree it has, what æons of world-making and world-maturing must elapse, all the genius of God divinely assiduous, ere this could hang in ruddy and golden ripeness here! Think too what a concurrence and consent of elements, of sun and soil, of ocean-vapours and laden winds, of misty heats in the torrid zone and condensing blasts from the North, were required before a . May not the above considerations go far single apple could grow, before a single blossom to explain that indifference, otherwise so astoncould put forth its promise, tender and beautiful ishing, with which Shakespeare cast his work amidst the gladness of spring!—and, besides from him? It was his heart that wrote; but these consenting ministries of Nature, how the does the heart look with wonder and admiration special genius of the tree must have wrought, on the crimson of its own currents? making sacrifice of woody growth, and, by marvellous and ineffable alchemies, co-working with the earth beneath and the heaven above! Ah, not from any indifference, not from any haste or indolence in Nature, comes the fruits

of her seasons and her centuries!

We should be unwise, he continues, to forget the antiquity of a pure original thought; it has a genesis equally ancient, earnest, and vital with any product of Nature, and relationships no less cosmical, implying the like industries, veritable and cious beyond all scope of affirmation.

pre

With the birth of the man himself was it first born, and to the time of its perfect growth and birth into speech the burden of it was borne by every ruddy drop of his heart's blood, by every vigour of his body, nerve and artery, eye and ear, and all the admirable servitors of the soul, steadily bringing to that invisible matrix where it houses their costly nutriments, their sacred offices; while every part and act of experience, every gush of jubilance, every stifle of woe, all sweet pangs of love and pity, all high breathings of faith and resolve, contribute to the form and bloom it finally wears. Yet the more profound and necessary product of

is in some degree foreign to our hearts; that which one, being the soul he is, could not do otherwise than say, is probably what he was created for the purpose of saying, and will be found the most significant and living word.

6

Within the last two or three years Emerson has seemed to turn his attention mainly to poetry. We are now looking for every month to bring us his next book, which it is understood is to be a volume of Poems, of which the chief piece is a Spring Song,' a song of many variations, now evolved from the first breath of the willow on his farm, and now from the strain of an Æolian harp. There will, I doubt not, be included in it some lyrics, given from time to time to the Atlantic Monthly, which are in form improvements on the verses of his early volume of Poems. One of the best of these is The Titmouse.' The overbold poet, far away from home, his bones turning to marble under the arctic cold, the frost-king tying his feet, finds life hemmed in with narrowing fence:

Well, in this broad bed lie and sleep,
The punctual stars will vigil keep,
Embalmed by purifying cold.
The wings shall sing their dead-march old,
The snow is no ignoble shroud,
The moon thy mourner, and the cloud.

At Paris, on the opening of the Interna- | beautiful contrasts of land, wood, water, tional Exposition, I found many Americans and island, the western yacht squadron ashamed of the poor display made by their there in movement over against the citadel country. The department seemed a wilder- or under Staddon Heights, have shown ness, broken only by a few tubes of petrole- scenes almost unrivalled, and during a sucum, and some small unopened boxes that cession of years have made a distinguished promised little. But I could not share their feature in our maritime tendencies. Defychagrin. Indeed, I was rather glad to have ing rivalry, as they assumed, in the security my countrymen taught, even at the cost of of their own superiority, our yacht owners some humiliation to national conceit, that had forgotten that nothing stands still. An protectionists cannot change the order of American rival crossed the Atlantic, and the world, nor make America excel in works convinced them, as all the world has been that can be done better and more cheaply convinced in other matters, that there is no elsewhere. Not for fine cloths and cutlery truce to be made with improvement. Man would I see the duplicates of Sheffield, of is not to rest while he lives. "Onward!" Manchester, and the Black Country, in is the word. Science has overcome superAmerica. Let the banner of stars float over stition. The world does move, the denial empty spaces in the Exhibition, until it can of priestcraft notwithstanding. To-day wave over original products instead of need- may be only second best to to-morrow. less fac-similes, which only divert hands that No justification by present excellence will might be developing new resources. Let be admitted to supersede future advance. Europe make our knives and boots, and welcome. Yet America is not unrepresented at Paris. At the end of the section were Bierstadt's picture of the Rocky Mountains, Church's Niagara, and close to these a fine portrait of Emerson; and I felt that this group of physical grandeurs, and the best head to match them, constituted the fair symbol and true exposition of that splendid possibility which America is.

From The New Monthly Magazine.
YACHTS AND YACHT-SAILING.

Fash

The appearance of an American rival in our own waters is a tale that need not be repeated. It should have operated, in the case of the American a little time ago, as a spur to our diligence, a reproof for the vainglorious reliance of our sires upon an assumed superiority, that will soon set us in our place again. Englishmen love to be foremost in the race of amusement-in everything. Yachting is a manly sport, not a lubber's race after innocent hares. ion, amidst all its vagaries, never originated one amusement that was rational or in keeping with the national character-"yachting," to coin a word, is closely allied with an arm of the national defence, both in a naval and commercial sense, which has long been the pride of the people under the name of " boating." At least it had the merit of being within the reach of individuals of small pecuniary means, healthful, and full of wholesome excitement. For once, humanity, amusement, and reason were adopted by fashion. Yacht clubs are modern institutions. The first was formed at Cowes in 1815, and the second at Plymouth about ten years subsequently.

WHAT can be more attractive to vision than the cerulean hue of the sky and ocean between the main and the Isle of Wight in fine summer weather? A few light fleecy clouds set off the face of the heaven, reflected in a sea scarcely disturbed by a ripple. Both shores bathed in gorgeous sunshine, all light, and life, and love. Vessels here and there dotting the road in a tranquillity like that of the blest, or clustered in particular localities. Some their sails There is an exception in regard to Ireloose, hanging in festoons from the yards, land. It is stated that a club of the same others dressed in flags of different colours, kind existed there in 1720, and that there are show their "gaily gilded trim, quick glan- extant its rules and regulations, printed in cing to the sun." Here umbered hulls sleep 1765. This was called the Water Club, and like southern infancy on the bosom of north- was formed at Cork. It appears to have ern beauty, and afar, towards the sea-line, been a sort of "boat club" only, and limited white sails, having caught the breeze, move to twenty-five members, of which six formgently forward on their destination. In ed a committee for business. It had an adtruth, nothing imparts more delightful sen- miral in chief and a vice-admiral. The clubsations to a stranger than the prospect. house was upon Halbouline Island. Some The Isle of Wight, with the yacht squadron of the rules and regulations lead to the beoff its shores, and Plymouth Sound, with its lief that, like the regal elections at Dalkey,

FOURTH SERIES. LIVING AGE. VOL. V. 142.

It

The modern Cork Yacht Club was engrafted on the above, so it is stated, perhaps to give it pre-eminence in age. The former must be of a very different character in its details from the old one. The yacht clubs of Ireland are four, of which Dublin and Cork are the principal. There are two in Scotland- one in the Clyde and the other at Leith; one in Wales; and ten in England - seventeen in all. An eighteenth was forming at Lowestoft, where " yachting" commenced with much spirit. There are said to be four hundred sail of yachts in these clubs. The club at Cowes admits no yacht under thirty tons; that at Plymouth none under ten. In the other clubs the tonnage used not to be limited. The largest measured four hundred tons, and the smallest five. These clubs have all flags of their own, and privileges conceded by the Admiralty. Thus the Royal Yacht Squadron at Cowes carries the white ensign of the Navy, and the Plymouth the blue. The yachts have permission to visit the ports of most of the European nations free of port charges. They may also make fast to the Admiralty and coast-guard buoys.

in the Bay of Dublin, of which the celebra- | emptory." There was one provision, someCurran was so active a member, the meet- what Irish, or at least superfluous- -"each ings kept an eager eye upon the good cheer member entertains in his turn" (it is presumof the table in all seasons. The merry- ed some stranger), "unless out of the kingmakings of those times were not always re- dom," or did it mean entertain the club ? strained within the limits of prudence. The aquatic part of the institution found its strongest support in the conviviality of the members: perhaps was only an excuse for it. That such an idea is not uncharitable, the annals of social life in the sister kingdom in those days may be appealed to in proof. appears that the boats really sailed some distance from the land. The admiral was annually elected, and received due honours, and his fleet was painted and gilded in a mode that would do honour to a lord mayor's barge, although inferior in choice edibles. There were regulations to prevent any member going ahead of the admiral if ever so good a sailor, and if" any one was very sick on board the fleet," the captain of the vessel might signal the admiral for leave to take the sufferer to the island- a striking proof of the tenderness with which the members and their friends were treated when young in seamanship, and a singular contrast to a modern trip to the Straits. Forfeits of halfa-crown were paid for offences, which money went to supply the fleet with powder! Those who had guns on board were to fire them as signals "when they could," and if they could not, flags were to be used instead. So much for the more striking rules at sea. On shore, the regulations were more characteristic of the surmise above expressed regarding the convivial manners of Irish yachtsmen. Admirals were not permitted to bring for good cheer more than two dishes, or two dozen of port wine to the club, as their share of a treat. No long-tail wigs, large sleeves, or ruffles were allowed to be worn at sea by any member. Any of the club who should venture" to talk of sailing after dinner" was to be fined a huge bumper, all business being considered settled before sitting down, whether it was or not. Non-attendance was punished by a fine of five shillings, "to buy gunpowder for the fleet." There was a chaplain appointed to the institution, whether an Irish bishop for they were then without number. -a refinement not yet introduced at Cowes, Plymouth, or Harwich, we believe - does not appear. What a pity that spiritual corps should ever have been reduced! Members were elected by ballot. When the company did not exceed fifteen, no one was allowed for his share more than one bottle of wine, not even with benefit episcopalian, " and a per

This brief detail will afford an idea of the extent of these institutions, their strength and importance. Our southern harbours are exceedingly well adapted for the class of vessels of which they mainly consist. Our numerous islands from Scilly to Shetland

offer every variety of scenery to attract the yachts and their companies. A number of excellent seamen are thus employed. Many private individuals obtain in these yachts a degree of nautical knowledge they could not acquire in murdering hares and rabbits. In their sailing matches a generous emulationis exerted, which calls out the higher scientific faculties of the mind. Many yacht owners, it is true, confine their cruises to the shores of the Isle of Wight mere fox or hare killers, and such-like small geer. On the other hand, there are others that make our island coasts familiar through a large part of their extent, and prolong their cruises to the coast of Portugal, and even up the Mediterranean. But none dared to cross the Atlantic like our American sons.

The American yacht, named the America, some time ago by its unexpected superiority,

*We do not know what a "peremptory" may be, unless an extra bottle for the benefit of clergy.