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diff --git a/36952-h/36952-h.htm b/36952-h/36952-h.htm new file mode 100644 index 0000000..40e5d4c --- /dev/null +++ b/36952-h/36952-h.htm @@ -0,0 +1,5013 @@ +<!DOCTYPE html + PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Strict//EN" + "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-strict.dtd"> +<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en"> +<head> +<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=US-ASCII" /> +<title>Addresses & Papers / Collectanea, by Peter Eade</title> + <style type="text/css"> +/*<![CDATA[ XML blockout */ +<!-- + P { margin-top: .75em; + margin-bottom: .75em; + } + P.gutsumm { margin-left: 5%;} + P.poetry {margin-left: 3%; } + .GutSmall { font-size: 0.7em; } + .gutindent { margin-left: 5%; } + H1, H2 { + text-align: center; + margin-top: 2em; + margin-bottom: 2em; + } + H3, H4, H5 { + text-align: center; + margin-top: 1em; + margin-bottom: 1em; + } + BODY{margin-left: 10%; + margin-right: 10%; + } + table { border-collapse: collapse; } +table {margin-left:auto; margin-right:auto;} + td { vertical-align: top; border: 1px solid black;} + td p { margin: 0.2em; } + .blkquot {margin-left: 4em; margin-right: 4em;} /* block indent */ + + .smcap {font-variant: small-caps;} + + .pagenum {position: absolute; + left: 92%; + font-size: small; + text-align: right; + font-weight: normal; + color: gray; + } + img { border: none; } + img.dc { float: left; width: 50px; height: 50px; } + div.gapspace { height: 0.8em; } + div.gapline { height: 0.8em; width: 100%; border-top: 1px solid;} + div.gapmediumline { height: 0.3em; width: 40%; margin-left:30%; + border-top: 1px solid; } + div.gapshortdoubleline { height: 0.3em; width: 20%; + margin-left: 40%; border-top: 1px solid; + border-bottom: 1px solid; } + div.gapdoubleline { height: 0.3em; width: 50%; + margin-left: 25%; border-top: 1px solid; + border-bottom: 1px solid;} + div.gapshortline { height: 0.3em; width: 20%; margin-left:40%; + border-top: 1px solid; } + .citation {vertical-align: super; + font-size: .8em; + text-decoration: none;} + img.floatleft { float: left; + margin-right: 1em; + margin-top: 0.5em; margin-bottom: 0.5em; } + img.floatright { float: right; + margin-left: 1em; margin-top: 0.5em; + margin-bottom: 0.5em; } + img.clearcenter {display: block; + margin-left: auto; + margin-right: auto; margin-top: 0.5em; + margin-bottom: 0.5em} + --> + /* XML end ]]>*/ + </style> +</head> +<body> +<pre> + +The Project Gutenberg eBook, Addresses & Papers / Collectanea, by Peter +Eade + + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + + + + +Title: Addresses & Papers / Collectanea + + +Author: Peter Eade + + + +Release Date: August 2, 2011 [eBook #36952] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ISO-646-US (US-ASCII) + + +***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK ADDRESSES & PAPERS / COLLECTANEA*** +</pre> +<p>This ebook was transcribed by Les Bowler.</p> +<h1>COLLECTANEA</h1> +<div class="gapspace"> </div> +<p style="text-align: center"><i>DE DIVERSIS REBUS</i></p> +<div class="gapspace"> </div> +<h1><a name="page3"></a><span class="pagenum">p. +3</span>ADDRESSES AND PAPERS</h1> +<p style="text-align: center"><span class="GutSmall">BY</span><br +/> +SIR PETER EADE, M.D., <span class="smcap">Lond.</span></p> +<p style="text-align: center"><i>Fellow of the Royal College of +Physicians</i>; <i>Hon. Fellow of King’s</i><br /> +<i>College</i>, <i>London</i>; <i>Consulting Physician to the +Norfolk and Norwich</i><br /> +<i>Hospital</i>, <i>to the Jenny Lind Infirmary for Sick +Children</i>, <i>and</i><br /> +<i>to the Norwich Dispensary</i>; <i>Honorary Freeman of</i><br +/> +<i>the City of Norwich</i></p> +<div class="gapspace"> </div> +<p style="text-align: center">LONDON<br /> +JARROLD AND SONS, 10 AND 11, WARWICK LANE, E.C.</p> +<p style="text-align: center"><i>All Rights Reserved</i></p> +<p style="text-align: center">1908</p> +<h2><a name="page5"></a><span class="pagenum">p. +5</span>CONTENTS.</h2> +<table> +<tr> +<td><p><span class="GutSmall">CHAPTER</span></p> +</td> +<td><p> </p> +</td> +<td><p style="text-align: right"><span +class="GutSmall">PAGE</span></p> +</td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td><p style="text-align: right"><span +class="GutSmall">I.</span></p> +</td> +<td><p><span class="GutSmall">ON RECREATION GROUNDS FOR +NORWICH</span></p> +</td> +<td><p style="text-align: right"><span class="indexpageno"><a +href="#page9">9</a></span></p> +</td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td><p style="text-align: right"><span +class="GutSmall">II.</span></p> +</td> +<td><p><span class="GutSmall">ON TEMPERANCE AND AIDS TO +TEMPERANCE</span></p> +</td> +<td><p style="text-align: right"><span class="indexpageno"><a +href="#page15">15</a></span></p> +</td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td><p style="text-align: right"><span +class="GutSmall">III.</span></p> +</td> +<td><p><span class="GutSmall">ON TORTOISES</span>—<i>With +Illustration</i>, 1908</p> +</td> +<td><p style="text-align: right"><span class="indexpageno"><a +href="#page29">29</a></span></p> +</td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td><p style="text-align: right"><span +class="GutSmall">IV.</span></p> +</td> +<td><p><span class="GutSmall">A FURTHER NOTE UPON +TORTOISES</span></p> +</td> +<td><p style="text-align: right"><span class="indexpageno"><a +href="#page38">38</a></span></p> +</td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td><p style="text-align: right"><span +class="GutSmall">V.</span></p> +</td> +<td><p><span class="GutSmall">MY CHRISTMAS GARDEN +PARTY</span></p> +</td> +<td><p style="text-align: right"><span class="indexpageno"><a +href="#page44">44</a></span></p> +</td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td><p style="text-align: right"><span +class="GutSmall">VI.</span></p> +</td> +<td><p><span class="GutSmall">MY CITY GARDEN IN “A CITY OF +GARDENS”</span></p> +</td> +<td><p style="text-align: right"><span class="indexpageno"><a +href="#page53">53</a></span></p> +</td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td><p style="text-align: right"><span +class="GutSmall">VII.</span></p> +</td> +<td><p><span class="GutSmall">PRESIDENTIAL ADDRESS TO THE NORFOLK +AND NORWICH NATURALISTS’ SOCIETY</span></p> +</td> +<td><p style="text-align: right"><span class="indexpageno"><a +href="#page72">72</a></span></p> +</td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td><p style="text-align: right"><span +class="GutSmall">VIII.</span></p> +</td> +<td><p><span class="GutSmall">ON ST. GILES’S CHURCH AND +PARISH, NORWICH</span></p> +</td> +<td><p style="text-align: right"><span class="indexpageno"><a +href="#page90">90</a></span></p> +</td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td><p style="text-align: right"><span +class="GutSmall">IX.</span></p> +</td> +<td><p><span class="GutSmall">THE TOWER OF ST. GILES’S +CHURCH</span>—<i>With Illustration</i></p> +</td> +<td><p style="text-align: right"><span class="indexpageno"><a +href="#page99">99</a></span></p> +</td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td><p style="text-align: right"><span +class="GutSmall">X.</span></p> +</td> +<td><p><span class="GutSmall">ON SIR THOMAS +BROWNE</span>—<i>With Portrait</i></p> +</td> +<td><p style="text-align: right"><span class="indexpageno"><a +href="#page121">121</a></span></p> +</td> +</tr> +</table> +<h2><a name="page7"></a><span class="pagenum">p. +7</span>PREFACE.</h2> +<p>The following Addresses and Papers on various subjects have +been selected from many others contributed by the Author, as +thought to be possibly of sufficient interest in their respective +spheres to justify their reproduction in a collected form. +They are very diverse in their character, and embrace a great +variety of topics.</p> +<p>It has been well said that all men are delighted to look back; +and the Author, whilst thus recalling past work, can only express +the hope that some of these Papers may have contributed, however +infinitesimally, each in their own way and at their respective +times, to help forward the appreciation of the then present, or +the progress of the world’s welfare or knowledge in the +future.</p> +<p> <i>Norwich</i>, 1908.</p> +<h2><a name="page9"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 9</span>I.<br /> +PROPOSED PROVISION OF RECREATION GROUNDS FOR NORWICH.</h2> +<p class="gutsumm">Condensed Report of Speech in Norwich Town +Council, 1880, reprinted from the <i>Norwich Mercury</i> of +October 23rd, 1880:—</p> +<p>Dr. Eade, pursuant to notice, rose to call attention to the +question of recreation or playgrounds for the children of +Norwich.</p> +<p>He reminded the Council that four or five years ago, after +some considerable talk with leading citizens, he ventured in the +public Press to call attention to the deficiency which existed in +Norwich in respect of recreation or playgrounds, and also of +public baths. Ever since that time the question had, more +or less, started up at intervals, while certain steps had been +taken, which, in the course of time, would probably result in +something being achieved. But, as time went on, the city +was growing rapidly, open spaces were built upon, and he and +those who were anxious to see something done were passing +away. He had, therefore, taken upon himself once again to +call attention to the subject, and to ask the Council to take +action upon it.</p> +<p>After remarking upon the great importance now generally +attached to questions affecting the public health, sanitation, or +preventive medicine—for these were synonymous +terms—and the intimate connection <a +name="page10"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 10</span>now +everywhere recognised between the general welfare of the +population of our great cities, and the absence of disease, with +the consequent reduction in the death-rate, Dr. Eade said that it +was entirely from the point of view of the public health that he +wished to call attention to this subject. The physical +growth, the physical well-being, and the physical development of +the population formed a large branch of this subject; and he was +afraid that, with regard to this, Norwich could not be said to be +in the forefront of progress. Even since he first mooted +the question many of the open spaces which he then believed +available for the purpose had been built over or otherwise dealt +with.</p> +<p>Norwich, once a city of gardens, was rapidly becoming a +cramped and over-crowded city—at least, in its older +portions; and in the new portions no provision was made for the +physical welfare of the population, and no opportunities were +given for the physical development of the children. Not in +a single instance had a good wide roadway been opened up in the +new districts; on the contrary, he was sorry to see in one or two +of the most populous districts roads which ought to be great, +wide thoroughfares, nothing better than narrow lanes. One +most remarkable instance was Unthank’s Road, which was +being built up at the lower part where it was extremely narrow, +so that instead of being made a great artery for the traffic of +the city, it was converted into a mere lane, and it ought to be +called Unthank’s Lane—not dignified by the name of +road.</p> +<p>No doubt before many years were over the city would have to +incur a large expenditure in widening that and other roads. +How short-sighted, then, was the policy of allowing such +encroachments to go on!</p> +<p><a name="page11"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 11</span>To show +what bearing these points had on public opinion long ago, Dr. +Eade pointed out that even in Shakespeare’s time the +question was raised, as was seen in “Julius +Cæsar.” Mark Antony, in his speech to the +citizens, first asks—“Wherein did Cæsar thus +deserve your love?” and then the reply comes (by his Will) +“To every Roman citizen he gives seventy-five +drachmas;” and afterwards—</p> +<blockquote><p>“Moreover, he hath left you all his +walks,<br /> +His private arbours, and new planted orchards<br /> +On this side Tiber; he hath left them you<br /> +And to your heirs for ever; common pleasures,<br /> +To walk abroad and recreate yourselves.”</p> +</blockquote> +<p>Dr. Eade proceeded to say he wished there were Julius +Cæsars at the present time desirous of making wills for the +benefit of Norwich. He then quoted the opinions of Lord +Shaftesbury and the <i>Lancet</i> as to places of public +recreation and their influence upon the physical and moral +welfare of the population, and added, that he fully agreed with +the writer in the <i>Daily Press</i>, signing himself “C. +I. T.,” when he wrote—“The city expects the +authorities to guard the health and lives of the humbler +population at all costs.”</p> +<p>Other towns had done and were doing that which he wanted them +to do in Norwich. Towns as large as Birmingham and as small +as Falmouth, had provided public parks, and many had more than +one. Birmingham had seven parks and recreation grounds, +Sheffield four, and Bradford three, while the latter town had +lately spent £150,000 in carrying out what he was now +advocating. Norwich had a population of 90,000, and was +rapidly increasing and spreading on almost all sides—open +spaces being constantly taken up for building purposes. +Though <a name="page12"></a><span class="pagenum">p. +12</span>they had playgrounds attached to School Board schools, +he was sorry to find they were not available to the juvenile +population—that they were only open to the children +attending the schools during school hours, or a few minutes +before and after school.</p> +<p>Norwich stood the very lowest on the list of the towns of +England with regard to this question of recreation grounds. +They had waited and waited until the difficulty of providing such +places had greatly increased, while if they waited longer these +difficulties would become almost insuperable. When he first +started in this matter he could have found, or had the offer of, +several open places, but those were now built over. He, at +that time, took a great deal of trouble in the matter, but soon +found that notwithstanding the support given him by several +prominent citizens, it was far too large a matter for a single +individual to carry through; but now he had the honour of a seat +in the Council he claimed their attention, and, if possible, +their powerful sympathy and support. They might ask where +was the demand for recreation grounds. He asked those who +had children to bring up whether they would allow them to play in +narrow streets and crowded courts breathing impure air? +What was the reason of there being so many puny, delicate, and +small children? He ventured to say this was almost entirely +due to the unwholesome surroundings in which they were brought +up. He mentioned that in Glasgow recently, one medical man +lecturing in that city said that in one year he had treated 330 +cases of children with deformed bones—bent legs, bent +thighs, knock-knees, etc.—which deformities were entirely +due to the want of proper development and to their unwholesome +surroundings. Much superior in many respects as Norwich was +to Glasgow, he ventured <a name="page13"></a><span +class="pagenum">p. 13</span>to say that the same condition of +things existed here. But the demand for places of +recreation was, he contended, proved by the fact that whenever a +plot of ground was cut up for building purposes, children crowded +there from all parts of the city to play, and this they continue +to do until driven away by the advance of bricks and +mortar. Then, too, Chapel Field, when it was open, was +often taken advantage of by 500 and 600 children and others, who +went there for play and enjoyment.</p> +<p>After making other observations as to the need of such places, +Dr. Eade said there were two ways in which the want might be +supplied. Playgrounds could not be taken close to every +door; but in every new district care should be taken to secure +the setting apart of a certain amount of space for the +children. One plan he would suggest was that at various +points in the city a field should be purchased and thrown open to +the children; and another plan was to purchase or hire a large +space which might be converted into a people’s park, with a +small portion set apart for the use of children.</p> +<p>It might be said that such places would really be used by the +rough portion of the population; but he contended that it was for +just this portion of the population they were most +required. Let the rough children be brought up to know the +worth of fresh air, what it is to have healthy frames, so that in +after life they may not be poor and puny and miserable. The +very fact that the rough children of the poor would use these +places was an argument in favour of their provision. A +healthy body meant not only a healthy mind, but a contented mind; +and with recreation grounds for their use the children might be +expected to grow up amenable to proper and right feelings, and in +every sense better members of the community.</p> +<p><a name="page14"></a><span class="pagenum">p. +14</span>Believing as he did in the doctrine of <i>salus populi +suprema lex</i>, he earnestly recommended the Council to take +some steps in the direction he had indicated.</p> +<p>He concluded by moving—“That this Council, +recognising the duty of providing recreation grounds for the +children of Norwich, appoints a special committee to consider and +report as to the best means of carrying out this +resolution.”</p> +<p>A Committee of the Council was then at once appointed.</p> +<div class="gapspace"> </div> +<p><span class="smcap">Note</span>.—At this date there were +practically no public recreation grounds. At the present +time we have the following:—</p> +<p class="gutindent">Mousehold Heath, 150 acres.</p> +<p class="gutindent">Chapel Field Gardens.</p> +<p class="gutindent">The Castle Gardens.</p> +<p class="gutindent">The Gildencroft.</p> +<p class="gutindent">Waterloo Park.</p> +<p class="gutindent">South Heigham, 6 acres.</p> +<p class="gutindent">The Woodlands Plantation (given by Mrs. +Pym).</p> +<p class="gutindent">Lakenham and St. Martin’s Bathing +Places and Grounds.</p> +<p class="gutindent">Eaton Park, 80 acres.</p> +<p>Besides the numerous smaller spaces and churchyards which have +been re-arranged and planted, and made both pleasing and (many of +them) suitable for outdoor use or rest. For the promotion +and carrying out of these, we are most largely indebted to Mr. +Edward Wild, Mr. W. E. Hansell, and the Rev. J. Callis, with one +or two others.</p> +<p>This and the next following Address were the outcome of the +very strong impression produced upon the Author by observing the +puniness or physical inferiority of much of the poor population +with whom he had to deal as Physician to the Norwich Dispensary, +when first coming to Norwich, as compared with that of the +neighbouring country district where he had formerly +resided. It appeared to him that want of outdoor exercise +and the public-house habit were the main causes of this +difference. And hence these two subjects of Recreation and +Temperance at once engaged his attention, as they have continued +to do ever since.</p> +<p>How such views have now developed, and also that of the +necessity of good air and exercise for the young, in order to +normal adult health and vigour, is patent to all.</p> +<h2><a name="page15"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 15</span>II.<br +/> +ON TEMPERANCE AND AIDS TO TEMPERANCE.</h2> +<p class="gutsumm">An Address given at the Parochial Hall, South +Heigham, in March, 1879, at a meeting held for the purpose of +forming for the parish a branch of the Church of England +Temperance Society, the Rev. J. Callis, Vicar, presiding.</p> +<p class="gutsumm">Reprinted from the <i>Norwich Mercury</i> of +March 5th, 1879.</p> +<p>The evils of excessive drinking are vast and widespread. +As doctors, we are constantly being brought face to face with +them—in injured health, in wasted life, in ruined +homes. Much has been said, and will doubtless be said again +to-night, on these points; and the desirability of a Temperance +Society for this, as for other parishes, will be enforced. +But believing that our object is to promote temperance in every +possible way, I shall to-night allude to some of those social +conditions which necessarily have a great bearing upon this +important question.</p> +<p>Now, it is well known that much difference of opinion has +existed as to the influence exerted by fermented liquors when +taken in small or reasonable quantities, some thinking that in +these small quantities they are pleasant and practically +harmless; others holding that in no quantity are they either +necessary or even free from injurious effects. Whatever may +be the absolute truth of either of <a name="page16"></a><span +class="pagenum">p. 16</span>these opinions in reference to a +limited use of these liquors, I think all are of one mind as to +their pernicious effects when taken in any considerable +quantity. All are agreed that drunkenness is a vice, +baneful to the individual, hurtful to his friends; while doctors +and physiologists are unanimous in asserting it to be positively +proved that a too free use of them not only produces the +outwardly injurious effects with which we are so familiar, but +also gradually induces such degenerative disease of various +internal organs as undermines the health and materially shortens +the existence of the individual. With such a conflict of +opinion still existing, our society wisely declines to decide +that which science has been unable to settle, and opens wide her +doors, and asks both these classes of thinkers to come in. +She invites one section of her members to do no violence to their +views of what constitutes temperance, or of the right way of +influencing their neighbours. She merely asks them to join +this society, and simply pledge themselves to practice and +encourage that temperance as to which everyone may agree. +But she tries to speak more mildly to those who are travelling in +the well-trod road of Intemperance, which leads to mental and +bodily ruin; and she entreats them to embrace the only means yet +known which can save them from their destructive course. +She asks them to pledge themselves to endeavour, by entire +abstinence from the destroying drink, to save themselves from the +miserable end to which they are hastening.</p> +<p>Speaking for myself and of myself, although a very moderate +and small drinker, I am not an abstainer. <a +name="citation16"></a><a href="#footnote16" +class="citation">[16]</a> <a name="page17"></a><span +class="pagenum">p. 17</span>But though believing that many +persons may take a small quantity of fermented liquor without +being the worse for it, I also know that to many persons even a +small quantity is more or less injurious; whilst as to others, I +can but repeat what has been so often said before, and I do it +with the greatest possible emphasis, that to many alcohol is a +positive poison, unsuited to their temperaments, destructive to +their health, and productive of the worst evils, both morally and +physically. It is curious to notice, in passing, not only +that the use of wine is alluded to through a large part of the +Bible history, but also that the injurious effects of it seem +always to have been precisely the same in character as those +which are so much dilated on in the present day. Dr. +Richardson, perhaps the greatest living exponent of the +physiological properties of alcohol, and the greatest denouncer +of its habitual use, speaks of its effects according to the +increased quantities in which it is used. He describes its +influence thus:—“In the first stage of +alcoholism,” <i>i.e.</i>, in small quantity, he says, +“it tends to paralyse the minute blood vessels, producing +their relaxation and distension, illustrated by the flush seen on +the face of those who have (in familiar language) been drinking, +by the redness of the eyes and nose,” etc., etc. This +stage of excitement, he describes as being followed—if the +quantity be increased—by some loss of muscular power, with +disturbance of the reasoning powers and of the will; whilst again +a further quantity produces a complete collapse of nervous +function, when the drunken man, who previously, perhaps, had been +excited, talking loud, and staggering in his walk, becomes +stupid, helpless, and falls into a heavy sleep. And are we +not all familiar with the quotations:—“His eyes shall +be red with wine”; “Wine is a mocker; strong drink is +<a name="page18"></a><span class="pagenum">p. +18</span>raging”; “They are out of the way through +strong drink, they err in vision, they stumble in +judgment”; “They shall drink and make a noise as +through wine”; “Who hath woe? Who hath +sorrow? Who hath contentions? Who hath redness of +eyes? They that tarry long at the wine.” +“At the last it biteth like a serpent, and stingeth like an +adder.”</p> +<p>Those who have taken the trouble to read Dr. +Richardson’s lectures on alcohol, will see that the effects +of wine, as thus described long ages ago, are identical with +those which he found experimentally to result from alcohol at the +present day; and the redness of the eyes, the contentions and +quarrelling, the loss of judgment, and the ulterior disastrous +results to the health, spoken of in the infallible Word, are only +too familiarly known at the present day. Nor let it be said +that wine is not the beverage of the multitude at the present +time. For this point has also been experimentally +investigated by Dr. Richardson, and he found that whatever the +alcoholic drink, or whatever the adulterations, the effect of +these variations was insignificant, and that the real evil +results of drinking were always due to the alcohol contained in +the fermented liquors, whether these were wine, beer, or ardent +spirits. But the subject of drinking and its evil +influences, both physical and moral, has now been so long and so +often placed before the public, that I shall gladly employ the +short time left to me in alluding to some suggestions which have +been made, with a view to assist in remedying the drinking habits +of the people, and to enable them to wean themselves from these +where no hope of voluntary or total abstention on a large scale +can reasonably be hoped for. These suggestions have been +very numerous. The first and most sweeping suggestion is +the well-known one, which ignores every <a +name="page19"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 19</span>other +consideration but the evil effects of the excessive use of +alcohol, and proposes to get rid of drunkenness by rendering it +impossible to get the drink. Legislation tending to this +end was tried, as is well known, in America, under the title of +the Maine Liquor Law, but its success has not been such as to +induce other localities to follow the example. Again, +systems of partial restriction, such as are known as the +Gothenburg system, have been tried, or proposed, in the form of a +Permissive Bill, such as has been advocated by Sir Wilfrid +Lawson; but neither of these have commended themselves to the +judgment of mankind as being the right solution of this +question. The fact is social man and mankind constitute a +large question. Over indulgence is not limited to the +cravings of the stomach. Vice would not be eradicated by +the simple removal of beer, however much assisted by it, and man +would not be at once raised to the desired moral level were +public-houses at once abolished. And so out of this +conviction have arisen the various efforts which have been made, +and are being persistently made, to attain, or assist in +attaining, the wished-for results by more gradually acting moral +means. These means, or aids to temperance, as I would call +them, embrace several distinct influences, all of which such a +temperance society as this is calculated to exert. They +consist, primarily, in diffusing among the population, by +meetings, by speeches, and by writings, a thorough knowledge of +the personal evil which such habits necessarily and inevitably +produce; (1) By bringing to bear the influence which +friends and neighbours, so instructed, can exercise; (2) By +forming public opinion and rendering it so forcible that the +general mass of individuals must needs bow to its dictates; and, +lastly, by these and all other assisting <a +name="page20"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 20</span>means, +endeavouring to strengthen the personal control of self, and to +make the individual himself contribute entirely to, not only his +own good, but, by his improved example, to that of his neighbours +and the community at large. I trust that through the force +of public opinion it will soon be thought by the working classes +as vulgar and as low to get intoxicated, as it now is by those +with more advantages of means and information.</p> +<p>Much has been said and written about the influence which +<i>education</i> is likely to exert in the future upon the habits +of the people. There can be no doubt, I think, that the +influence which will be gradually so exercised will be very +great. A mind trained to better things will abhor and +revolt at the gross pleasure which it would otherwise have +tolerated or enjoyed. And we all (I am sure) rejoice to see +that education is being spread abroad in our land, and that the +rising generation will all, in greater or less degree, have their +minds trained sufficiently to prevent their slumbering in the +lowest abysses of non-development, and to awaken them, and to +lead them to the knowledge at least that there are better +enjoyments in the human body and the human mind than the false +and injurious excitement of incessant alcoholic +stimulation. But, unfortunately, education is like a +tree. It takes a long time for its development, and the +circumstances of the time are too urgent to wait in dependence +alone upon this agency. For all the while that we are +talking, the world is living and acting, and living under such +conditions that, if present customs are to be changed, others and +better ones must be found and provided in substitution for +them.</p> +<p>There is a population to deal with, a people largely and often +exhaustively occupied during the day, and so occupied, that a +large portion of it requires some relaxation <a +name="page21"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 21</span>in the +evening, after the hours of toil shall have passed away. In +the country districts the difficulty is less; but in the crowded +districts of our large towns, where often many houses, without +any surroundings, exist, and these, when present, often not the +most wholesome or commodious, some means of passing the evening +in reasonable recreation are absolutely necessary. The +richer classes even, in large towns and cities, have felt the +need of their <i>clubs and meeting places</i>, and gradually, +also, working-men have followed this example, and have, in many +places, set up their clubs of various kinds. If anyone +would like to know the demand that exists for evening places of +resort, I would ask him to observe the throngs of people who pour +out of the public-houses on their closing at the hour of eleven +at night. It is not to be supposed that all the frequenters +of these houses of entertainment are drunkards, are even lovers +of strong drink, although, from the constitution of these houses, +they must necessarily drink to pay for the accommodation they +receive; but they use them as clubs, as the only places open to +them in which they can spend their evenings, and in which they +find the light, the warmth, the company, the newspapers, the +interchange of speech, which they crave, and which are there +alone obtainable. This view of the uses to which the +public-house parlour is applied, is confirmed by observation of +what happens when a well-appointed circus or other similar place +of outdoor amusement is located in such a town as Norwich. +For although no drink, good or bad, is sold in the building, yet +it may be seen for weeks together to be nightly thronged by a +company of one, or, perhaps, two thousand people.</p> +<p>Acting upon this idea, and on this principle, there have now +been established in many places public-houses without those +elements which render them undesirable. The <a +name="page22"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 22</span>Café +Company’s houses, like to that recently opened in Norwich +(and to which, I am sure, we all wish good speed), in which +provision is made for amusement, for food, and for +non-intoxicating drinks, are of this class, and so are the +establishments of the London Coffee Public-house Association, and +the Coffee Tavern Company, and others. But a recent writer +(Mr. Moggridge, <i>Macmillan</i>, October, 1878) goes much +further, and suggests the trial of the plan of retaining the +present public houses, while keeping their attractive features, +throwing the sale of drink so far into the background that it +shall be the least prominent and important part of the +establishment.</p> +<p>At present, of course, the public-houses exist only or chiefly +in the sale of fermented liquors, and not for the benefit of the +frequenter, whose primary object is often, at least at first, the +enjoyment of the public parlour and its society. The writer +above mentioned proposes, at least for a time, to convert them +into veritable clubs, where fermented drinks can certainly be +obtained, but where they shall by no means be the great and +prominent part of the refreshment provided. He thinks that +then it might be possible gradually to wean a large portion of +their frequenters from their drinking habits, and gradually also +to introduce a better and more harmless system than now +prevails. Whether or not such a scheme as this is +practicable, or even desirable, it appears certain that in any +attempt to close the present houses of public resort, other and +more suitable ones must be provided.</p> +<p>Before quitting this part of the subject, I would desire to +call attention to the laudable attempts already made in two +adjoining parishes to furnish a sort of evening club room for the +use of the poorer parishioners. In <a +name="page23"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 23</span>one of these +parishes, I believe, the mission room is open for use every +evening, and in the other a commencement has been made by opening +the schoolroom on Saturday evenings. For these, newspapers, +or reasonable games, are essential, and it is probable (as man is +both a hungry and thirsty animal) that if they are to be +permanently successful both food and harmless drinks must be +obtainable; but whether tea and coffee will be sufficient, or +whether some of the various unfermented drinks are required, +which are described in a little book called, “A Book of One +Hundred Beverages,” I must not now stay to consider.</p> +<p>In England and countries of similar climate, the recreation +difficulty is much greater than in more favoured countries, where +the climate, in a larger portion of the year, admits of the +evening hours being passed in the open air. Here, for +months together, the evenings’ relaxation must needs be +within doors, and in many towns there is literally no place of +indoor resort but the public-house, and, perhaps, the +theatre.</p> +<p>A great aid to temperance will doubtless be given when, under +the operation of the Artisans’ Dwelling Act, or other +similar legislation, the character of the worst localities of our +towns improves. It is notorious that the narrower the +streets, the more crowded the courts, and the worse the houses, +the more do gin-palaces flourish, and the more does the +population give itself up to the artificial stimulus of fermented +liquors. And the reason is not far to seek, for if there be +an absence of all comfort at home; if the house be small, and +crowded, and dirty; if the water be bad, and perhaps unsuited for +drinking; if there be no bit of garden in which to lounge, and to +grow a few things in which interest can be taken; if there be +nothing in <a name="page24"></a><span class="pagenum">p. +24</span>home to render this agreeable—then, as a matter of +course, recourse is had to that neighbouring house where nearly +all these conditions are reversed, and dirt, and squalor, and +crowding are exchanged for light, and brightness, and space.</p> +<p>I have said that an English climate is less adapted than many +others to <i>out-of-doors’ recreations</i> and +amusements. Yet there is, even in England a very +considerable portion of the year in which the existence of public +parks and recreation grounds would contribute very largely to the +promotion of temperance by providing pleasant spots in which to +pass the hours unabsorbed by labour. But, I am sorry to say +that our old city of Norwich has sadly degenerated from the time +of Pepys, and enjoys an unenviable pre-eminence in the entire +absence of these most desirable public spaces within its +boundaries. With the exception of Chapel Field, we have not +a single open public space. There is not a spot where the +lads can play at cricket or football, or where their seniors can +lounge away an evening hour; while as to a public park, the +chance of this appears to grow dimmer and dimmer as the +population of the city spreads and increases. I have +ventured on more than one occasion to call attention to the need +of such places for Norwich, and I have pointed to Mousehold Heath +as a place which should, at all costs, be preserved for the +city. But time passes. Several available spots for +public recreation grounds have, one by one, been absorbed for +building purposes, and Mousehold Heath—a space which +appears to have been specially provided for the health and +salubrity of future Norwich, and whose beauties and capabilities +must surely be unappreciated by our citizens—is being +gradually devoted to gravel pits, to brick kilns, and—to +destruction. And let it not be supposed that <a +name="page25"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 25</span>the +temperance of a population has no relation to its health and its +general welfare. Beyond the attractions of a fresh and open +spot, as a counter attraction to the public-house, the growth of +a strong and healthy population tends powerfully in the direction +of temperate habits, for the feeble and weakly will naturally +seek indoor resorts, whilst the strong and the muscular will +equally surely seek the open air. I wish I could think that +Norwich was not suffering from this cause. But whoever +observed the generally puny appearance, the poor <i>physique</i>, +and the frequently strumous aspect of many of the children and +youth received into our schoolrooms during the late flood, and +many of whom came from the most crowded parts of the city, must +have been struck with the evidence they afforded of the want that +existed for them of light, of air, and of healthy exercise.</p> +<p>Lest I should be thought to be dwelling too long on a subject +of little importance, or little bearing upon this night’s +proceedings, let me read over to you a list of those places in +England (and I am not sure that it is a complete list) which, +during the past two or three years, have either had presented to +them or have felt it their duty to provide public parks and +recreation grounds for the use of the residents:—Reading, +Birmingham, Dublin, Wigan, Leicester, Limerick, Lancaster, +Heywood, Derby, Wolverhampton, Leeds, Longton, Torquay, +Sheffield, Swansea, Newcastle, Exeter, and Falmouth.</p> +<p>The only other aid to temperance, to which I will now allude, +is that of <i>public galleries of art and natural history</i>, +and so forth. These are but small aids, but still they are +appreciable ones, and I would gladly see such in Norwich. I +do not know how far the disused gaol would be convertible to such +public purposes, but it has struck me that the site is an +admirable one, and the space ample <a name="page26"></a><span +class="pagenum">p. 26</span>for the collection in one spot, of an +art gallery, museum, free library, popular lecture rooms, and for +any other purposes which might properly come under the heading of +popular instruction. The former city gaol has long been +used as a public library. It would be a happy change if the +late one could now be devoted, not to the punishment but the +prevention of crime; not to the expiation of the results of +indulgence in drink, but to the better training of men’s +minds, so as to teach them, by instinct and by culture, to avoid +the destructive paths of vice and of excess.</p> +<p>I think, sir, I have said enough to show how large is this +temperance question, in which we are all, in which, indeed, the +whole community, is so greatly interested. In proof of its +recognised importance, we may point to the fact that doctors, +physiologists, ministers of religion, peers of the realm, and +even a Prime Minister, have raised their voices in opposition to +the progress of the crying evil of drunkenness. Many +earnest men have striven, by the influence of their continued +advice, and by the example of their personal abstention from +intoxicating liquors, to help on the good work; and many others +have done so in various indirect ways, and especially by efforts +to ameliorate the condition of the people, and provide for them +alternative means of harmless and rational occupation or +amusement. These efforts are so persistent and now so +general; they are founded upon such complete knowledge, and such +recognised necessity, that they cannot fail rapidly to produce +good fruit, and I believe they have already produced some good +fruit in Norwich. But as social knowledge ripens, as +acquaintance with the means of securing the general well-being +increases, so we may hope that the difficulties attending the +reformation of evil habits will lessen; and <a +name="page27"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 27</span>although we +may not hope to see established a condition of houses, of +streets, of towns, of food and drink, of labour, and of all those +conditions which would render human life and surroundings ideally +perfect, yet continuous efforts must be made to realise for the +community such moral and physical surroundings as shall conduce +to their welfare in the highest possible degree. And to +this end, let us be sure that nothing will contribute so much as +that soberness and temperance which it is the object of this +Church of England Society to encourage and inculcate.</p> +<p style="text-align: center"><a name="page28"></a><span +class="pagenum">p. 28</span> +<a href="images/p28.jpg"> +<img alt= +"Sir Peter Eade with tortoises" +title= +"Sir Peter Eade with tortoises" +src="images/p28.jpg" /> +</a></p> +<h2><a name="page29"></a><span class="pagenum">p. +29</span>III.<br /> +ON TORTOISES. <a name="citation29"></a><a href="#footnote29" +class="citation">[29]</a></h2> +<p>I have almost to apologize for bringing before so learned and +critical a Society as this, the few notes and observations I have +made upon the “manners and customs” of my pair of +common land Tortoises, partly because I feel that much of what I +have observed must also have been observed by other members of +this Society; and still more because (as is well known) that +incomparable master both of observation and +expression—White of Selborne—has already noted, and +placed upon record, the most interesting of the habits of these +creatures.</p> +<p>Mine is thus necessarily a “twice-told +tale.” I can only hope that the never flagging +interest which naturalists take in the observation or record of +the habits of animals, will suffice to make them bear with me for +the short time I shall detain them.</p> +<p>I have in my garden two of the common land Tortoises +(<i>Testudo Grœca</i>), and these have been in my +possession three and four years respectively.</p> +<p>I purchased them from the barrow of a hawker in Norwich +streets, in two following years—one being a little larger +than the other, and they are in consequence <a +name="page30"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 30</span>known by the +names of the <i>old gentleman</i> and the <i>young +gentleman</i>.</p> +<p>Although selected as the best from a number of others, I am +sorry to say that they both appeared to be ill or greatly +injured, and it was a considerable time before they recovered +sufficiently either to begin to take food, or to move about with +their proper freedom, or with the well-known liveliness of +Tortoises!</p> +<p>Another Tortoise, which I purchased, did actually die a short +time afterwards, having lived in a state of semi-stupor for the +intervening period; and I fear that the capability of these +creatures for suffering is not much recognised in the usual +methods of their conveyance and treatment.</p> +<p>The two Tortoises which survived have, as I said, now lived on +my premises and thriven for three and four years. They have +become almost pets. They most evidently recognise the place +as their home. They know the various localities of the +garden perfectly. They know the sunny spots to which to go +at suitable times to bask. They know where to find sun, and +where to find this and shade combined, when they so desire it; +and they return, afternoon after afternoon, to the same cosy, and +dry, and sheltered spots, under the dry ivy of the wall, or +elsewhere, which they have often previously selected as their +night’s abode.</p> +<p>It is very plain that they have some recognition of +individuals. For instance, if Lady Eade and myself are both +preparing to feed them, they will constantly leave me and walk +off to her—doubtless because she is more in the habit of +bringing them their favourite kinds of food than I am.</p> +<p>They appear to be quick of <i>sight</i>, but show very little, +if any, sign of having any impressions conveyed to them by <a +name="page31"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 31</span>the sense of +<i>hearing</i>. They evidently possess a full sense of +<i>taste</i>, for they discriminate instantly between food they +like, and that which is less palatable to them.</p> +<p>The daily <i>habits</i> of these creatures are certainly very +staid and methodical, and vary but little, except as the season +of the year, and the warmth of the day, vary.</p> +<p>They are often, in the height of summer, quite early risers, +and on sunny mornings will often be up, and perambulating the +garden, and nibbling the little trefoil leaves found amongst the +grass, by seven or six o’clock, or even earlier. But, +I must say, that these early habits are quite limited to the very +finest weather; and it has seemed that in the matter of early +activity, these animals always err, if at all, on the side of +care and caution. They never leave their beds, or the +neighbourhood of cover, if there is the slightest appearance of +cloudiness or rain, at least until the day is well up; and for a +large portion of their year the time for coming forth is not +until eight, nine, or ten o’clock.</p> +<p>In electrical weather they are never lively, even though the +day be intermittingly hot and bright; and at such times they are +often almost lethargic, and show great indifference as to +feeding.</p> +<p>They appear to have an extreme and instinctive objection to +rain. Cloudy weather makes them dull. A passing cloud +will make them discontinue eating. And the passage of a +person or object suddenly between them and the sun will cause +them as suddenly to draw in their heads. The dislike of +clouds and their accompaniments is therefore a very marked +instinct with them.</p> +<p>If not fed, they will go and help themselves, not to grass, +but to some white Clover growing with the grass in the garden; or +in default of this, to some of the garden plants—by +preference the fleshy-leaved ones, such as the <a +name="page32"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 32</span>Echiveria or +Sedum—after which they will retire to some warm place, and +bask in the sun. They have a special liking for the warm +vine-border in front of my greenhouse; and if the day be not too +hot, they will tilt themselves up edgeways against the south wall +of the greenhouse, or upon the edge of some tuft of flowers; or +if the sun is too warm, they will then cover their heads up with +leaves or earth on the bed, leaving their backs uncovered and +exposed to the heat. (In this respect they seem to remind +us of the habits of the tiger in his jungle.)</p> +<p>But they appear greatly to prefer being fed, and having their +food found for them; indeed further, one, at least, much prefers +to have his food held up to him, and almost put into his mouth +when he opens it.</p> +<p>They take their food with a snapping movement; masticate it +little if at all; and when feeding themselves, cut or tear it +with the sharp-hooked anterior portion of the upper jaw.</p> +<p>In the hottest weather their appetites are very fine (thus +they will eat several large Lettuce leaves at one time), and they +bear a close relation to the warmth and clearness of the day, and +the period of the year.</p> +<p>Their favourite foods are—besides Trefoil, already +mentioned, and garden flowers—Lettuces, Dandelions, French +Beans, etc. They are much attracted by yellow blossoms, and +greedily eat those of the Dandelion and Buttercup. One of +my creatures is very fond of sliced Apple, though the other will +not eat it.</p> +<p>But the vegetable of which they are most fond is the Green +Pea. Both of them will leave all other food for this, and +they will consume at a meal a very considerable number of these +Peas. Indeed, so fond are they of them, that they will +follow a person accustomed to feed them <a +name="page33"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 33</span>with them +about the garden, and will even try to clamber up his legs to get +at them.</p> +<p>After sleeping and basking, they will again eat, and then +again sleep once or twice more during the day; but in cooler or +doubtful weather, they usually eat only once a day, and sometimes +not at all.</p> +<p>Although those who hawk Tortoises about the streets will often +tell purchasers to put them into their kitchens that they may eat +Beetles and Cockroaches, I believe it to be well understood that +they are intrinsically vegetable feeders; a position well put by +Frank Buckland, who says that Tortoises put into a kitchen to eat +Beetles will in due time die of starvation, and then most +probably the Beetles will eat them. Certainly ours never +eat anything but vegetable food. But a Tortoise in a +neighbouring garden does every morning consume a very substantial +quantity of bread and milk, or rather bread well-soaked in milk, +and he appears to thrive well upon it. Our Tortoises never +drink water, and are decidedly not tempted to drink by milk being +offered to them.</p> +<p>Whatever the season, the Tortoises retire very early to +bed. The warmth and sunniness of the day appear to regulate +the exact time, but they rarely remain up after three or four +o’clock, and in the cooler seasons, or on dull days, they +retire much earlier.</p> +<p>They will go day after day to the same warm and leafy nook; +and they have a habit on rising in the morning of simply turning +out of bed, and lying for a time just outside of their bed-place, +with their heads stupidly stretched out, or staring vacantly up +into the air, before entering upon the serious business of the +day. <a name="citation33"></a><a href="#footnote33" +class="citation">[33]</a></p> +<p><a name="page34"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 34</span>I +should say their <i>Memory</i> is very strong. I have said +they remember persons. They remember places they know, and +if carried away will march straight off and back again to the +place they wish to go to; and what is more remarkable, when +brought out in the spring after seven or eight months’ +hybernation, they do exactly as they did the day before they went +to sleep; and will march off as direct to the old spots as if +they had only had one day’s interregnum.</p> +<p>As a further instance of memory or intelligent knowledge, we +are constantly in the habit, in the cooler weather, of putting +them to bed under a mat in the greenhouse; and we very constantly +find them, in the morning, waiting by the greenhouse door to be +let out, clearly remembering that this is the place by which they +will have to pass into the open air.</p> +<p>They do not appear to care much for each other’s +society—(I believe they are both males)—but they do +not fight. Neither are they respecters of each +other’s persons, for they walk over each other’s +backs in the most indifferent way, if either happens to be in the +direct road of the other’s progression.</p> +<p>One of the creatures is certainly fond of climbing. We +have several times found him mounted (when shut up in the +greenhouse) upon the other’s back; or upon an inverted +flower-pot; and once we found him in a most pitiable condition +through the exercise of these scandent aspirations. He had +evidently been endeavouring to climb up some flower sticks placed +slantingly against the wall, and in doing this he had turned over +upon his axis; and when we found him he was reclining upon his +back against these sticks, and standing upon one hind foot, +whilst with the other, and with his fore feet, he was making +frantic efforts to reinstate himself <a name="page35"></a><span +class="pagenum">p. 35</span>in a more comfortable position. +As so placed he reminded us irresistibly and ludicrously of a +huge toad held up by a fore leg.</p> +<p>Our Tortoises have certainly got tempers. They hiss when +they are meddled with. They resist and try to scratch, or +otherwise hurt, when lifted up from their place of repose; and +they exhibit distinct petulance, and will jerk themselves forward +out of your hand when you are again placing them upon the +ground.</p> +<p>They are also very particular when going to their evening +places of repose, and most distinctly refuse to go to rest in the +place in which you try to place them, however comfortable this +may appear to be, even if they have previously selected this spot +for themselves day after day.</p> +<p>Mr. Darwin speaks of a large kind of Tortoise which is reputed +to be able to walk at the rate of sixty yards in ten minutes; +<i>i.e.</i>, three hundred and sixty yards in the hour, or four +miles a day. I have twice timed the rate of progress of one +of my Tortoises. Once it walked ten feet in the minute, and +another time twenty feet in the minute. This latter is at +the rate of twelve hundred feet, or four hundred yards, in the +hour; or of a mile in between four and five hours. This +truly is not quite the ordinary rate of the hare’s +progress, but I think they can cross a certain small distance of +ground much more rapidly than we should at first suspect.</p> +<p>Once more. These creatures distinctly grow in size from +year to year. Our two measure respectively seven and seven +and a half inches in length. And they must have elongated +fully an inch in the three and four years of our possession.</p> +<p>I weighed them this year, on May 29th, soon after their waking +up for the summer, and again on September 8th. <a +name="page36"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 36</span>They weighed +in May, 2 lbs. 7½ ozs. and 2 lbs. 3½ ozs.; a +fortnight ago they weighed 2 lbs. 10 ozs. and 2 lbs. 5 ozs.; +having thus gained in weight through their summer feeding +2½ ozs. and 1½ ozs. respectively. <a +name="citation36"></a><a href="#footnote36" +class="citation">[36]</a></p> +<p>When the due period arrives in which they naturally bury +themselves, and so surround themselves with earthen bulwarks, and +then retire for the winter into their carapace castles, we put +them down into a cupboard in the cellar.</p> +<p>Mr. White remarks that his Tortoise did not bury itself into +the ground before November 1st, but ours are cold and torpid, and +quite ready to hybernate by the first week in October. +Probably the different latitude and longitude of Selborne and +Norwich may account for this difference of time.</p> +<p>In this cellar cupboard, the Tortoises remain until the end of +April, when, though still dull and stupid, the weather is getting +sufficiently warm for them to enjoy the sun for a portion of the +day. But the frosts and cold of this period of the year are +still dangerous. And a relative of mine lost both of his +old friends (who for years had taken care of themselves in the +winter in his garden) during the cold weather of this spring, +after they had duly survived the far greater cold of the winter +in the ground places in which they had buried themselves.</p> +<p>From October to April—fully seven months—they rest +from their labours of eating, of breathing, shall I say, of +thinking? (or nearly so, for they occasionally stir a little, and +are found to have moved a little from under their straw). +But they neither eat nor drink, nor see light, nor <a +name="page37"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 37</span>(I believe) +open their eyes. And when touched during this time they +feel of a stony coldness, and certainly appear to have none of +their faculties in operation.</p> +<p>But with the warmer weather, they again gradually resume the +precise habits of the preceding year. Gradually, their +bright little eyes resume their intelligence; their memory +re-awakens; and they return to the ways, and the habits, and the +places of the preceding season, as if their sleep of seven months +were but a single night, and last summer verily but as +yesterday.</p> +<p>They are in many respects both curious and remarkable +animals. We find them to have enough of intelligence, +enough of quaintness, and apparently enough of affection, to give +them considerable interest in the eyes of their owners, and to +raise them out of the level of despised reptiles. Whilst +their remarkable construction, and mysterious power of +hybernation, render them specially worthy of study and +contemplation.</p> +<p>These specialities and peculiarities must be my much-needed +excuse for having troubled you so long with these few details of +their personally observed habits and ways.</p> +<h2><a name="page38"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 38</span>IV.<br +/> +A FURTHER NOTE UPON TORTOISES. <a name="citation38"></a><a +href="#footnote38" class="citation">[38]</a></h2> +<p class="gutsumm">In the year 1886 I read before this Society a +paper in which I recorded some of the observed habits and +peculiarities of a pair of Tortoises which I had then kept in my +garden for three and four years respectively. This paper +was afterwards published in our Society’s +“Transactions” (Vol. iv. p. 316), and will probably +be remembered by some of our members.</p> +<p>I would like this evening to say a few further words upon +these creatures, which are still living and in my +possession—more particularly with reference to their +<i>rate of growth and increase</i>.</p> +<p>The two Tortoises have now been in my possession ten and nine +years respectively. Six years ago I reported to this +Society that <i>they measured</i>, the one 7½ and the +other 7 inches in <i>length</i>. Now at the end of six +further years their antero-posterior measurements are 9½ +and 9 inches respectively—the measurements being made from +before backwards over the convex surface of the carapace. +They have, therefore, each of them, thus measured, increased +exactly two inches in length in the last six years, or at the +rate of exactly one-third of an inch per year.</p> +<p><a name="page39"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 39</span>(The +under flat surface of the shell now measures 6½ and +6¼ inches from before backwards. These Tortoises are +said not usually to exceed 10 inches in entire length.)</p> +<p>Then as to their <i>weight</i>. I have now kept an exact +record of their respective weights in the spring and autumn of +each of the past seven years, <i>i.e.</i> their weight on +commencing to hybernate in October or November, and again their +weight on returning afresh to light and more active existence in +April or May of the following spring. And it is interesting +to notice how almost continuously they have increased both in +size and weight; and also how corresponding are the alterations, +or otherwise, in the consecutive years, both of spring and +autumn, of the two animals.</p> +<p>In my former paper, I mentioned that during the summer months +of 1886, when I first weighed them, <i>i.e.</i> from May to +September, my Tortoises had gained in weight, the one 2½ +ounces, and the other 1½ ounces; whilst each of them +became lighter in the following winter by 2½ ounces. +Since that time the spring and autumn weighings have been +regularly continued, and the result is shown in the following +table.</p> +<table> +<tr> +<td colspan="9"><p style="text-align: center">WEIGHT</p> +</td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td><p> </p> +</td> +<td colspan="4"><p style="text-align: center"><span +class="smcap">Of Larger Tortoise</span>.</p> +</td> +<td colspan="4"><p style="text-align: center"><span +class="smcap">Of Smaller Tortoise</span>.</p> +</td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td><p> </p> +</td> +<td colspan="2"><p style="text-align: center"><span +class="smcap">April</span>.</p> +</td> +<td colspan="2"><p style="text-align: center"><span +class="smcap">October</span>.</p> +</td> +<td colspan="2"><p style="text-align: center"><span +class="smcap">April</span>.</p> +</td> +<td colspan="2"><p style="text-align: center"><span +class="smcap">October</span>.</p> +</td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td><p><span class="smcap">Year</span>.</p> +</td> +<td><p>lbs.</p> +</td> +<td><p>ozs.</p> +</td> +<td><p>lbs.</p> +</td> +<td><p>ozs.</p> +</td> +<td><p>lbs.</p> +</td> +<td><p>ozs.</p> +</td> +<td><p>lbs.</p> +</td> +<td><p>ozs.</p> +</td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td><p>1886</p> +</td> +<td><p>2</p> +</td> +<td><p>7½</p> +</td> +<td><p>2</p> +</td> +<td><p>10</p> +</td> +<td><p>2</p> +</td> +<td><p>3½</p> +</td> +<td><p>2</p> +</td> +<td><p>5</p> +</td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td><p>1887</p> +</td> +<td><p>2</p> +</td> +<td><p>7½</p> +</td> +<td><p>2</p> +</td> +<td><p>10</p> +</td> +<td><p>2</p> +</td> +<td><p>2½</p> +</td> +<td><p>2</p> +</td> +<td><p>5</p> +</td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td><p>1888</p> +</td> +<td><p>2</p> +</td> +<td><p>10</p> +</td> +<td><p>2</p> +</td> +<td><p>13½</p> +</td> +<td><p>2</p> +</td> +<td><p>5</p> +</td> +<td><p>2</p> +</td> +<td><p>8¼</p> +</td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td><p>1889</p> +</td> +<td><p>2</p> +</td> +<td><p>13</p> +</td> +<td><p>2</p> +</td> +<td><p>14</p> +</td> +<td><p>2</p> +</td> +<td><p>8</p> +</td> +<td><p>2</p> +</td> +<td><p>8½</p> +</td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td><p>1890</p> +</td> +<td><p>2</p> +</td> +<td><p>12½</p> +</td> +<td><p>3</p> +</td> +<td><p>0½</p> +</td> +<td><p>2</p> +</td> +<td><p>7½</p> +</td> +<td><p>2</p> +</td> +<td><p>12</p> +</td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td><p>1891</p> +</td> +<td><p>2</p> +</td> +<td><p>15½</p> +</td> +<td><p>3</p> +</td> +<td><p>2</p> +</td> +<td><p>2</p> +</td> +<td><p>10</p> +</td> +<td><p>2</p> +</td> +<td><p>12½</p> +</td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td><p>1892</p> +</td> +<td><p>3</p> +</td> +<td><p>1</p> +</td> +<td><p>3</p> +</td> +<td><p>3½</p> +</td> +<td><p>2</p> +</td> +<td><p>12</p> +</td> +<td><p>2</p> +</td> +<td><p>14½</p> +</td> +</tr> +</table> +<p><a name="page40"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 40</span>In the +seven years, therefore, 1886 to 1892, the larger Tortoise has +increased in weight from 2 lbs. 10 ozs. to 3 lbs. 3½ ozs.; +and the smaller Tortoise from 2 lbs. 5 ozs. to 2 lbs. 14½ +ozs., giving a total increase of weight in this period of exactly +9 ounces for each animal, or an average annual increase of about +1 ounce and 5½ drachms (avoirdupois).</p> +<p>The general result also of the above weighings is to show +that, in average seasons in England, these creatures gain from 2 +to 2½ ounces in each summer, and lose again a varying but +considerable portion of this increase during the ensuing six or +seven months of hybernation; but, on the whole, showing an +average gain of a little more than one ounce in the +year—the average gain of weight per month in summer working +out at about 6 or 7 drachms, with an average loss in the winter +months of about 4 or 5 drachms per month. This last fact +scarcely agrees with Cuvier’s statement that “during +winter . . . their loss of substance amounts almost to +nothing.”</p> +<p>It will be noted that the foregoing table shows certain +variations in the increases and decreases of weight in the +several years; also that in two of the years there was but little +change between the autumn and spring weights—this period of +stagnation occurring in both animals simultaneously. +Probably several causes for this were at work, but I have little +doubt that the variability of our English seasons is by far the +largest factor in the case; and that the variations in the +gainings and losings of the different summers and winters depend +very largely upon the special character of these seasons. +Thus, when the summer months are hot the Tortoises eat much more +abundantly and constantly, and consequently put on (or rather put +inside their skeletons) much more <a name="page41"></a><span +class="pagenum">p. 41</span>flesh than in colder seasons. +On the contrary, a warm autumn, with the temperature not +sufficiently cold to make them go early and thoroughly to sleep, +must conduce to greater loss, or rather waste, of their flesh, +for it is well known that these animals cease to eat many weeks +before they finally retire to rest for the winter; and +necessarily during this period, especially on sunny days in which +(even at this season) they are often moderately lively and +active, they are doubtless breathing and consuming some of the +material which has been stored up for winter consumption. +Whilst again, in a very mild winter or spring they will, as is +well known, frequently wake up from their dormancy, and of +course, on each such occasion will make further inroads upon +their reservoir of nutrient material.</p> +<p>It is therefore pretty certain that hot summers and cold +winters are most conducive to their rapid increase in size and +weight; whilst of course the contrary conditions would have an +exactly opposite result.</p> +<p>Cetti says that the common Greek Tortoise seldom weighs above +3 lbs. My larger one now weighs 3 lbs. 3½ ozs., and +is still growing. But there is a Tortoise now in this city +which weighs as much as 6 lbs. 5 ozs. I judge, however, +from its size and form, that it may be a variety of the common +Tortoise. This creature must be not only “an old +inhabitant of this city,” but thoroughly naturalised into a +British subject, as it is known to have lived in Norwich for at +least thirty years.</p> +<p>I have little to add to what I previously said (and to what +White has said) as to Tortoise habits and manners. These +appear to be very uniform, and to be guided by a most definite +instinct; and it is very noticeable and very remarkable how the +two Tortoises will constantly <a name="page42"></a><span +class="pagenum">p. 42</span>both do the very same thing at the +very same time, often almost at the same moment of time. +For example, when feeding, even when apart from each other, they +will constantly suddenly leave off eating almost at the same +instant; or they will in like manner, when basking in the sun, +both at once get up and walk off to some other place; or they +will both all at once suddenly get up and march off to their +evening place of shelter and rest—and this without any +definite atmospheric or other cause that is appreciable.</p> +<p>Cuvier has well called the Tortoise “<i>un animal +retournèe</i>,” an animal inverted, or “turned +inside out, or rather outside in.” And it is said +that the large Land Tortoise, when withdrawn into its shell, +“can defy the whole animal world except man, from whom +nothing is safe.” And with reference to this point I +have observed that our Tortoises, when retiring to rest, always +take the greatest care to protect their noses and the anterior +opening of their shells. When they burrow, their head is of +course covered up by the earth. But when, as is often the +case in the warmer weather, they simply go to sleep in some +sheltered place, they habitually place their heads close against +the wall, or under the projecting roots of a tree or shrub, so as +not to leave this part exposed. I presume, therefore, that +they are conscious of some insecurity, and it would certainly +appear that their heads would otherwise be open to the attack of +rats or other predaceous animals.</p> +<p>Professor Forbes describes the peculiar way in which he has in +Greece observed the Tortoises to do their courting, <i>i.e.</i> +the method by which the male Tortoise seeks to attract the +attention of his lady-love, namely, by repeatedly knocking his +shell violently against hers. I have noticed the same +process in my own garden. Both my animals are, I <a +name="page43"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 43</span>believe, +males. But I have observed one of them, when in an amorous +humour, to strike the other several times in succession a +sounding blow on its shell; and this he does by suddenly +withdrawing his head into his shell, so as to be out of +harm’s way, and then as suddenly throwing his body forward +by a sort of butting process against the shell of his +fellow. This proceeding causes a very considerable, and +indeed, comparatively speaking, quite a loud and resounding +noise; and at first sight these sudden and severe blows would +appear to be more calculated to cause corporeal discomfort or +injury than to excite affection. These very marked +attentions are usually followed by the utterance of a quick and +soft, or almost whining cry.</p> +<p>I will only add that my Tortoises show an increasing +familiarity and sense of being at home as years roll on.</p> +<div class="gapspace"> </div> +<p><span class="smcap">Addendum</span>.—On November 2nd, +1905, after a further interval of thirteen years, these Tortoises +had respectively attained to a weight of 4 lbs. and half an +ounce, and 3 lbs. 13½ ozs. as compared with weights of 2 +lbs. 10 ozs. and 2 lbs. 5 ozs. in 1886. They are therefore +still growing in size and weight. In October of last year +(1907) they weighed respectively 4 lbs. 2½ ozs. and 4 +lbs.</p> +<h2><a name="page44"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 44</span>V.<br +/> +MY CHRISTMAS GARDEN PARTY. <a name="citation44"></a><a +href="#footnote44" class="citation">[44]</a></h2> +<p>Norwich is proverbially a City of Gardens, and many of the +houses in St. Giles’s Street, including my own, are +fortunate enough to share in the advantage of possessing one of +these valuable urban appendages.</p> +<p>As regards the birds that frequent these gardens, the +neighbourhood of Chapel Field, with its trees and shrubs, is, or +should be, an additional attraction to them; but I am bound to +say that I have not observed so great a congregation, or so large +a variety of birds, in Chapel Field Gardens as might have been +expected.</p> +<p>My own garden consists of a plot of grass of fair size, with +one large apple tree in its centre, a double laburnum tree close +by, and with several other trees of good size on its +confines. Some of the boundary walls are covered with +ivy. In my neighbours’ gardens are also both trees +and shrubs, whilst Chapel Field is in the immediate vicinity, +just beyond my stable yard.</p> +<p>There is thus a considerable variety of shelter for the birds, +and, doubtless, a proportionate variety of food for them at the +proper seasons.</p> +<p><a name="page45"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 45</span>In +ordinary years, and in average seasons, the following birds come +into my garden:—</p> +<p>1. Our constant town friends, the Sparrows.</p> +<p>2. Blackbirds and Thrushes (a pair of each of which +usually build and hatch with me, though I am sorry to say that +their labour and pains are usually devoid of result, as the young +birds are got by the Cats, either in the nest, or as soon as they +leave it).</p> +<p>3. Starlings.</p> +<p>4. Robins.</p> +<p>5. Jackdaws (occasionally—from the neighbouring +church steeple).</p> +<p>6. At rare intervals I see a little Wren, or Tom-tit, +busily engaged on the above-mentioned laburnum tree, evidently +getting a good meal from what it finds in the bark.</p> +<p>7. In the prolonged frosty or snowy weather the garden +is occasionally visited by the Missel-thrush, and now and then +also by</p> +<p>8. A Rook.</p> +<p>In the ordinary way, and in open weather, the <i>number</i> of +my bird visitors is not large, but in the cold winter weather, +and in response to my invitation, this number very considerably +increases, so that at times I must have had as many as +thirty-five or forty feeding in my garden at the same time. +The increase of numbers is chiefly made up of extra Sparrows and +Starlings; and when it occurs the scene is often a very lively +one; the whole of the thirty or forty birds being often assembled +very closely together in active movement; and the grass or garden +path on which they collect is sometimes quite black with their +feathered life.</p> +<p>The prolonged frost of the past winter is fresh in all our +memories.</p> +<p><a name="page46"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 46</span>On +January 6th, when I specially noted the assemblage of my bird +friends, we had had intermitting frost and snow for about five +weeks, almost continuous snow (with occasional yieldings of the +frost) for a fortnight, and a complete snowy covering up of the +garden ground for a week, with sharp frosts, and often low +temperatures at night. There had been no sun, and, +therefore, no melting of the snow by the wall, or by the hedge +edges, and, consequently, doubtless the natural animal food of +the birds was very scarce and difficult to obtain. Some +food had been thrown to them daily during the greater portion of +this severe weather; but for the preceding week they had been fed +pretty regularly twice daily.</p> +<p>My usual <i>times for feeding</i> had been about 9.30 (after +my breakfast), and about 2 p.m. (after luncheon).</p> +<p>When first fed, the birds—beginning with the +Sparrows—seem only to find the food thrown out by accident, +and would drop down by ones and twos, as their instinct or sense +of far-sight appeared to show them that there was food to be +had. But very soon they seemed to remember these fixed +hours, and many of them, especially Starlings, would then be seen +collected on neighbouring trees, or elsewhere, before these +times, evidently ready and waiting for what they were +expecting.</p> +<p>The Sparrows would be chirping in the ivy. The Starlings +would be seen sitting on the watch on a neighbouring tree or +trees, and as soon as the food was thrown down they would +immediately begin to descend upon it.</p> +<p>Yet not all at once, or without due and proper precaution and +inspection. First, the Sparrows—as the +boldest—would drop down singly, but in rapid +succession. Then the Starlings would draw nearer one by <a +name="page47"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 47</span>one, and +carefully look down and inspect the ground. And when one +had summoned courage to descend, the rest would quickly +follow. But, of course, the slightest noise would make the +whole flock suddenly flutter up again into the trees, or into the +next garden, as quickly to return when the alarm was found to be +groundless.</p> +<p>After a little further time, a Thrush or a Blackbird or two +would join the group. Later still, always late, a little +Robin—quiet, silent, and pathetic—with its half timid +and half confiding manner, would come into view. Again, +after a further interval, occasionally one of the Jackdaws would +appear upon the scene. And now and then, last of all, a +huge Rook would suddenly descend and carry off some large crust +which the smaller birds had left uneaten—reserved for more +deliberate pecking at when the crumbs and smaller portions of +food were disposed of.</p> +<p>The manners of these various birds differed strikingly. +The Sparrows, of course, would be first and boldest, and +everywhere.</p> +<p>The Starlings would often form a compact group around the +outspread food, one of them occasionally darting off with a big +morsel or savoury bone.</p> +<p>The Thrushes and Blackbirds would arrive quietly from over the +wall; they would hop about usually on the furthermost outskirts +of the crowd, and as near as possible to their habitual +corner. And the Blackbirds would waggle their tails in +their own quaint manner, and perhaps give their peculiar cry, +whilst both Thrushes and Blackbirds would evidently indicate +their consciousness of superior manners and their greater +dignity, if not their actually more retiring dispositions.</p> +<p>The little Robin, solitary and observant, would come <a +name="page48"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 48</span>nearer to the +house than the other birds; but his advent was usually too late +for anything but the bare dry remains of the feast left by the +rapacious Sparrows and Starlings.</p> +<p>The Jackdaw would fly straight to the apple tree, perch upon +it, then suddenly descend and seize upon the biggest remaining +morsel; then as quickly fly up again into the tree and try to eat +it there. In this respect, in marked contrast to the Rook, +which in the worst weather would occasionally suddenly arrive and +help himself to the biggest crust left, but he would always at +once fly away with it in his capacious maw.</p> +<p>I am sorry to say that my garden party friends have displayed +a very considerable amount of selfishness. Each kind of +bird, of course, selects first the kind of food most appropriate +to it. But there is clear indication that the law of force +prevails amongst them, and that might carries the day against +fairness and right. And it is most clear that neither +Communism, nor Socialism, nor Equality with Fraternity, is a +doctrine in favour with them—at least in practice. As +long as there is a good supply of the best eatables, my friends +are most communistically amiable to each other. But as soon +as the available supply begins to run short, then the most +barefaced selfishness is the order of the day. The strong +sparrows drive away the weaker ones, or pursue them and steal +from them any dainty little morsel they may have secured and +flown away with. The Starlings dart at each other and +scream, or go through continual “fluttering duels” in +their efforts to steal their neighbours’ goods; whilst the +Jackdaws and Rooks have no reserve in displaying their views as +to their practical agreement with Rob Roy’s well-known +maxim.</p> +<p><a name="page49"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 49</span>I have +not observed either the Blackbirds or Thrushes to fight for their +food as the Sparrows and Starlings do.</p> +<p>The Starlings exhibit some other very peculiar ways. +Before descending to feed they will sit upon neighbouring trees +in an attitude of pensive watchfulness—one irresistibly +reminding one of an old man leaning his head upon one side and +resting it upon his hand. Their peculiar waddling walk or +run and extreme liveliness of manner are well known; but when all +the food is gone, and they return for a short season to their +trees, they will often resume their philosophic or contemplative +attitude—very soon, however, to disappear to “other +fields and pastures new,” or in plain English, to some +neighbouring and equally hospitable garden. And their +capacity for food appears to be very great.</p> +<p>The <i>kinds of food</i> which I have thrown to my feathered +friends have been bread and large crusts, oats, the refuse of +meals, scraps of meat, bones of fish or fowls, herring skins, +cheese rinds, portions of fat; and I have found that the animal +matters are very greedily seized upon by nearly all of them, +scarcely excepting the Sparrows. And it is remarkable what +large bones of fish or fowl are rapidly and entirely disposed of; +whilst still larger bones from a joint are picked and cleaned to +the last available particle. Like bird-cannibals that they +are, I observed that some bones from my Christmas Turkey thrown +out to them, appeared to be very specially and particularly +relished by them. When very hungry, not only will Sparrows +eat some kinds of animal food; but Robins, Starlings, and +Jackdaws will all eat bread crumbs and bread crusts.</p> +<p>It is sad to think what a mixed world this is even <a +name="page50"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 50</span>for birds; +and that even such a happy and interesting town gathering as I +have described is not without its drawback, and this a very +serious one.</p> +<p>Whilst the birds are making the most of their opportunities, +gratifying their natural tastes, and exhibiting their +peculiarities, a Nemesis, or vengeful fate, is constantly hanging +over them, ever ready to overtake them in case of any relaxation +of their habitual watchfulness, in the case of our own or +neighbours’ Cats. For these fat and feline creatures +seem to be on the watch for their own good Christmas bird cheer; +and with crouching, stealthy steps, and wagging tails, they +actually do now and again succeed in stealing upon their +unsuspecting victims, and in illustrating the inexorable law, as +to food, of animal-feeding creatures.</p> +<p>It is pitiful to see a Sparrow or a Blackbird thus hopelessly +engaged in the clutches of a Cat; and it is a sad interruption or +ending of the scene of joy, if not always of harmony, I have just +described.</p> +<p>Our own pet Cat, though over fed, cannot resist the temptation +of thus stealing upon these birds when the chance occurs, and its +excited movements when watching them through a window, but unable +to get out, are a study in themselves.</p> +<p>To a certain extent the Starlings have now and then a sort of +sentimental revenge; for when very hungry these bold birds will +descend into the kitchen yard close to the house, and carry off +bones and scraps placed there for the use of the said Cat, who +has been seen to watch their theft of its food through the +kitchen window in a state of trembling but helpless excitement, +and evidently of intense disgust.</p> +<p>During all the time of my feedings I could but notice the +wonderful instinct which the birds exhibit, of <a +name="page51"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 51</span>discovering +the presence of food. Sparrows are everywhere, and +therefore it is not surprising that our home friends should be on +the alert, and should quickly descend upon the feast prepared for +them. But how do their neighbours and more distant friends +so quickly know of it? How do the Starlings, who are not +usually so near at hand, discover the good things available for +them? How does the Jackdaw in the steeple learn of the meat +or bones thrown upon the garden path? Or the Rook in the +distant tree or field of the large crust which the lesser birds +have been unable to dispose of?</p> +<p>It is clear that neither sight nor sound, as we understand +them, would be sufficient to inform and direct them; and that the +most delicate sense of such perception would be insufficient to +enable them to perceive food placed, say, behind a garden +wall.</p> +<p>I have observed that the birds usually arrive pretty +constantly in the following order:—Sparrows, Starlings, +Thrushes, Blackbirds, Robins, Jackdaws, Rook; though sometimes +neither Jackdaws nor Rook will appear, and often the little Robin +is so extremely late in his arrival that all the suitable food is +eaten up.</p> +<p>The Tit, or Wren, or occasional Finch, seen now and then in +the garden does not condescend to join or associate with such a +mixed Christmas party as I have described, but comes at his own +time, and in his own way. But these little birds have +lately been such rare visitors, that I have not had the +opportunity of making any exact observations upon their manners +and customs in the parish of St. Giles.</p> +<p>I should scarcely have ventured to read these very simple and +very superficial notes to this Naturalists’ Society this +evening had I not had reason to believe that they would form the +starting-point of far more <a name="page52"></a><span +class="pagenum">p. 52</span>scientific information about birds +from one or more of its members now present.</p> +<div class="gapspace"> </div> +<p><span class="smcap">Note</span>, 1907.—Some other birds +have occasionally visited my garden, such as Nuthatches, +Redwings, Blackheaded Gulls, and a few others. As to the +Gulls, in January, 1907, after a very heavy and prolonged fall of +snow, some fifty or sixty of these birds, in their winter +plumage, visited my garden and greedily fed upon food (bread or +animal) thrown out to them. And almost filling, as they +did, the grass plot, they formed a very beautiful sight. +Some of these birds in their food-hunting would come almost up to +the drawing-room window.</p> +<h2><a name="page53"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 53</span>VI.<br +/> +MY CITY GARDEN IN A “CITY OF GARDENS.” <a +name="citation53"></a><a href="#footnote53" +class="citation">[53]</a></h2> +<p>Norwich has long been known by the designation of a +“City of Gardens.” How long I know not, but we +do know that Evelyn, on his visit to Norwich in 1671, spoke of +the “flower gardens in which all the inhabitants +excel.” He also wrote in his diary that at this visit +he went to see Sir Thomas Browne, whose “whole house and +garden was a paradise and cabinet of rarities.” This +garden, I believe, at that time extended from his house in the +Market Place (where the late Savings Bank stood) to at least as +far as the present Orford Hill, but no portion of it now +remains.</p> +<p>It is much to be regretted that so many of the old Norwich +gardens have fallen a prey to the requirements or encroachments +of the builder; and that where ample space and air for flowers +and shrubs, and even trees, formerly existed, there is now +nothing but manufactories or houses with small back premises, or +at the most, little gardens so surrounded by walls as to be +little more than wells, with stagnant air and frequent showers of +chimney blacks. Still, in spite of the rapid increase of +the city, and the gradual absorption of building spaces, we are +<a name="page54"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 54</span>glad to +know that—even in the central parts of the city—some +of the old gardens do yet remain, and that they are still able to +produce much floral beauty, and in many other ways to contribute +to the interest and pleasure of those who are fortunate enough to +possess them.</p> +<p>Of course, my present reference is only to gardens situated in +the older parts of Norwich. Those who live in our suburbs +will doubtless be able to cultivate and utilise their present +gardens as the citizens of Norwich did theirs in the “good +old times.”</p> +<p>I am glad to say that I (in common with others dwelling in St. +Giles’s Street and on St. Giles’s Plain) am still one +of the residents in older Norwich with a garden of considerable +size. And in my case this advantage is considerably +enhanced by the immediate proximity of Chapel Field. For +this large open space of seven acres not only provides a great +circulation of air, and so a more healthy vegetation, but +also—by its numerous and lofty trees—invites a large +amount of varied and varying bird-life.</p> +<p>As I have now been a dweller in St. Giles’s for many +years, it has occurred to me that a few current +notes—however imperfect and superficial—on the +capabilities and possibilities of such a central city garden, as +illustrated by these, might possibly be an acceptable +contribution to the proceedings of this our Norwich +“Naturalists’ Society.”</p> +<p>The real object of the paper is to show in a simple way what a +large field these home city gardens, according to their size, may +still afford for observation and intelligent amusement; and how +even in the limited space and depreciated air, which naturally +belong to many of them, they yet afford great opportunities for +the observation of both vegetable and animal life. The +simple grass-plots <a name="page55"></a><span class="pagenum">p. +55</span>themselves, however small, when carefully tended and +shaven, are in themselves a constant source of pleasurable +satisfaction; whilst the very worms which inhabit them, and the +birds which feed on these, afford much room for study of some of +nature’s methods and instinctive tendencies.</p> +<p>Doubtless the larger space which I possess gives wider +opportunities than smaller gardens. But these must be small +indeed which do not offer full repayment for observation of the +varied life which exists within them, or which may be imported +into them.</p> +<p>My garden is about 60 yards in length, by about 26 yards in +width. It runs nearly north and south. It has walls +of varying height on its several sides. Near to the house +these are covered on one side by trained wisteria and white and +yellow jessamine, but the greater part of the other portions is +covered with ivy. The area of the ground is principally +laid with grass, with a broad gravel walk around it.</p> +<p>Under the east wall is a long terraced rockery, well covered +with suitable plants; and along the west wall runs a broader bed +devoted to very small shrubs and to flowers. The south end, +under a stable wall, contains some very ancient and still +productive apple trees, also two or three beech trees, and an old +pink May-tree, under the shade of which some of the commoner +ferns flourish abundantly.</p> +<p>A vinery, and a verandah utilised as a summer conservatory, +complete this note of the arrangements of my city garden, and +from this brief record it will be seen that an effort has been +made to make every use of the available space and of its several +possibilities.</p> +<p>I do not propose to detain you with any detailed account of +the flowers and plants which can be grown, <a +name="page56"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 56</span>or which +flourish fairly at the present date in this limited city +garden. There are many which are hopeless by reason of the +city air and city soil. And I have found the more delicate +flowers to be so uncertain as to be scarcely worth the trouble of +planting out. Others again fall inevitable victims to the +myriads of autumn slugs. But spring bulbs, the autumn hardy +flowers, and some annuals, as well as the robuster ferns, do +well, and fully repay the trouble of cultivation.</p> +<p>As to ferns, in my former and more open garden higher up the +street, I once had as many as forty different varieties growing +abroad; but, of course, these gradually died out, so that at the +end of four or five years only the common and hardier sorts +remained. Some of these, which were removed, are still very +fine specimens, and have lasted in their new home, as such, for +many years.</p> +<p>It would have been very interesting had any list or catalogue +of Sir Thomas Browne’s “paradise” of vegetable +rarities been left to us, for a comparison of the possibilities +of a city garden two hundred years ago with those of the present +day, but none such is known to exist.</p> +<p>I have mentioned the fact that several old apple trees exist +in my garden, possibly as old as the house itself, which is +understood to have been built 160 or 170 years ago. And I +would just mention here that beyond the roof of my stable +buildings, and seen conspicuously from my garden, +rises—nay, towers up towards the sky, that grand old +Aspen-poplar, which is, perhaps, the greatest ornament of the +adjacent Chapel Field, though I think scarcely adequately +appreciated. This tree has a girth of some 15 feet about a +yard above the ground, is 90 to 100 feet high, and was so +remarkable even fifty-eight years ago as to have been then +pictured by Grigor, in <a name="page57"></a><span +class="pagenum">p. 57</span>his “Eastern Arboretum,” +as one of the most notable trees in this district. In its +later state a photographic sketch of it is given in my book on +St. Giles’s parish, published in 1886, although I fear that +this scarcely adequately pictures its grandeur. <a +name="citation57"></a><a href="#footnote57" +class="citation">[57]</a></p> +<p>Blomfield states that the great avenue of elm trees in Chapel +Field, also partly visible from my garden, was planted in 1746 by +Sir Thomas Churchman, who is understood to have then lived in my +present house, and who, I believe, then hired the open Chapel +Field of the Norwich Corporation. It may be interesting to +state here that some three or four years ago one of the largest +of that row of elm trees was blown down in a gale. When +this tree was sawn across, I took the trouble to count the rings +which this section displayed. The outer ones were so thin +and irregular that it was not possible to tell their number quite +exactly, but as nearly as I could count the total number was +between 140 and 150. This number, added to the few which +would exist on the young tree when planted, would give a date +approximating very closely to that assigned by Blomfield. +This is an interesting historical fact, though, perhaps, somewhat +irrelevant, and its mention will, I hope, be excused on this +ground.</p> +<p>In my own garden the various trees appear to be healthy, but +some of them increase very slowly. A small pear tree +planted against the ivy-covered wall some twenty years ago is +scarcely larger than when planted there, even although it every +year sends out a full quantity of fresh green shoots. And a +pink thorn tree, transplanted <a name="page58"></a><span +class="pagenum">p. 58</span>into it a few years ago, actually +remained perfectly quiescent, as if dead, for a whole year, and +then resumed vitality and growth. It is now a vigorous +healthy tree, sending forth every year its normal shoots and +blossoms.</p> +<p><span class="smcap">Animal Life</span>.—Such a garden as +mine affords a considerable opportunity for observing the ways, +and habits, and manners of many <i>animals</i>, none of which are +uninteresting. Shall I weary you by mentioning the +<i>cats</i>, which so often make it their playground, and their +afternoon as well as their nightly meeting-place? Although +I cannot say that <i>caterwauling</i> is harmonious, or +equivalent to the strains of the bands which so agreeably +discourse music in the adjacent Chapel Field on summer evenings, +yet there is much of interest, as well as amusement, to be +derived from noting the varied yet distinct language, and from +watching the very curious customs of the cats themselves, +familiar as these may be to all of us. I am favoured with +visits of cats of all sizes and all colours—black, grey, +cyprus, sandy, grey and white, and almost all intermediate +shades. And it is certainly curious to watch the +manifestations of their loves and their hates, their friendliness +and their jealousies, their sunny enjoyments and their predatory +instincts, and their methods of attack and defence. These +latter, though often very noisy, by no means necessarily consist +in open fighting, but are very commonly carried on by what Mr. C. +Morris calls the mentality of latter-day life. These +hostile cats (as you have probably observed) will very constantly +settle their relative superiority, not by biting and scratching, +or actual fighting, but by what is actually a “staring +match,” in which the influence of mind over matter is well +demonstrated. They place themselves a few feet apart, and +stare at each other, until one of them confesses <a +name="page59"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 59</span>himself +beaten, by slowly backing away from his opponent, and then +suddenly turning round and running away. This is a form of +duelling which might well be copied in human life; and, still +more, might properly be adopted in the case of nations, where +“mental” arbitration, from a steady calculation of +strength, would take the place of bullets and bayonets.</p> +<p>As with Cats, so with <i>Sparrows</i>; it may be said that +they are constant friends that are always with us. Yet, +though so common, they are a never failing source of interest in +a city garden, if only because they always provide some +conspicuous life and motion; and in mine, because they may nearly +always be heard chirping or quarrelling in the ivy, which covers +so much of the garden walls.</p> +<p>I am sorry that Miss Ormerod gives them such a bad character +as to their appetites. But not being personally engaged in +agriculture, I can only rejoice that nature has provided them +with such strong constitutions, and healthy and active +digestions. Beyond this, it is certainly a pleasure to a +townsman to note their chatterings, their amicable, if noisy, +contentions for the best places in the ivy, their demonstrative +courtships, their dust-baths in the dry ground, or their +water-baths in the pans provided for them for this purpose, and +their evident love for the neighbourhood and companionship (at a +properly regulated distance) of mankind.</p> +<p>What a contrast there is between the active, fluttering, often +noisy <i>House Sparrow</i>, and its quiet, retiring, and +gentle-mannered neighbour, the <i>Hedge Sparrow</i>.</p> +<p>This was well illustrated in the early part of last December, +in this way; the Hedge Sparrow (or Dunnock or Accentor) does not +often visit my garden, but one of these pretty birds did come at +this time, and having <a name="page60"></a><span +class="pagenum">p. 60</span>incautiously entered the open door of +my greenhouse, got shut up in it. Next morning, on my +entering, it was, of course, somewhat frightened. But +instead of violently fluttering about, and dashing itself against +the window, as the House Sparrow will do in like circumstances, +it very quietly and gently flew away from me, and then at once +dropped down behind the brick flue, where it remained quiet and +concealed, in spite of my efforts to find it, as I desired to do +in order to give it its liberty. The same thing exactly +happened on some following mornings; and being fed regularly, it +has remained there to the present time, <i>i.e.</i> the date of +this paper.</p> +<p>There are plenty of other birds whose visits and whose +peculiarities would provide abundant material for a paper much +longer than I can venture now to inflict upon you. But they +are all welcome for the sake of the varieties of life and habits +they present—as well as for what Tennyson so prettily +describes as their “singing and calling.”</p> +<p>My grass-plot is the feeding-ground of the greedy and +quarrelsome <i>Starlings</i>, which will often come for their +meal of worms or other food at quite regular hours, usually at +ten or eleven o’clock in the morning, and three to four in +the afternoon. And occasionally the <i>Jackdaws</i>, from +our neighbouring church-steeple, where they live and breed, will +venture—most carefully and cautiously—to alight on +the grass in search of food. Whilst even the Norwich +<i>Rooks</i> will, when hard pressed in bad weather, occasionally +dart down from a tree for crusts of bread or other edible matter +obtainable in the garden.</p> +<p><i>Thrushes</i> and <i>Blackbirds</i> are chiefly in evidence +during the nesting season; and it is noticeable how tame or <a +name="page61"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 61</span>rather +incautious they appear to become during this period. It +would almost seem as if the sitting process produced in them (as +has been noted of other birds) a dullness or partial stupor of +intelligence. Whilst after hatching, the urgent and +continuous calls of their young ones for food evidently renders +their desire to satisfy these imperative and destructive of +prudence. This very year a full-grown Blackbird ventured +along the grass in search of worms almost up to the house +verandah, in which, unfortunately, a cat lay basking; and, as a +matter of course, the bird was instantly pounced upon. She +escaped, however, almost by a miracle, but she left nearly the +whole of her feathers behind her, and almost in a state of +nudity.</p> +<p>It is curious to observe how the Blackbirds and Thrushes will +not only provide worm-food for their nestlings, but how they will +prepare these worms and make them fit for swallowing down the +young throats. They will often, when they have tugged a +worm out of the grass, proceed to peck it into small and suitable +lengths, and will then carry these, arranged in their mouths in +suitable bundles, to the nest.</p> +<p>Blackbirds appear not to gain knowledge by experience, at +least in some particulars. I witness almost every year a +repetition of what I may term “the tragedy of the +Blackbirds.” Evidently the same old birds will yearly +build a nest in almost the same portion of the ivy on one of the +walls, and not more than six or seven feet from the ground. +Well, this is all right so long as the old birds are merely +sitting and make no noise, so as to attract feline +attention. But as soon as the young birds are hatched, and +begin to make vocal demonstrations, of course they fall victims +to their natural enemies and “bird-fanciers,” and the +nests <a name="page62"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 62</span>and +their occupants are ruthlessly dragged out from their positions +and destroyed. This occurs year after year. I believe +that then the birds will sometimes build again elsewhere. +But they certainly return to almost the same locality in the +following spring, and their offspring again become victims of the +inappropriateness of their selected homes.</p> +<p>Plenty of other birds also come to the garden at various times +and seasons, and add to its life and +interest—<i>Robins</i>, <i>Bluetits</i>, <i>Nuthatches</i>, +<i>Redwings</i>, <i>Missel-thrushes</i>, and others—but of +their behaviour in the winter season, and when habitually fed, I +have already discoursed to this Society, so will not further +trouble you now with their noticeable peculiarities.</p> +<p><span class="smcap">Reptiles</span>.—Perhaps it would +scarcely be expected that the <i>Reptile</i> race would provide +much of interest for a city garden. Yet it may be truly +said that this class of creatures has done almost more than any +other to provide my garden with material for this.</p> +<p>As this Society will know from my previous communications to +its “Transactions,” I have long kept two <span +class="smcap">Tortoises</span>, and year by year noted their +habits and most remarkable peculiarities. These have been +already fully described in the Society’s records, and I can +only now add to what I before stated, that they still continue to +increase in size and weight, and at about the same rate of +progression as twelve or thirteen years ago. They still +gain 1½ to 2 ounces in weight in each summer, and lose +about 1 or 1¼ ounce in weight during each winter +hybernation. The total result is, that whilst they weighed +respectively 2 lbs. 10 ozs. and 2 lbs. 5 ozs. in September, 1886, +they weighed in October last 3 lbs. 13 ozs. and 3 lbs. 8 ozs., +having thus each gained in weight during this period 1 lb. 3 +ozs., or on an average about one ounce and a quarter in each +year.</p> +<p><a name="page63"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 63</span>Other +reptilians which I have tried to domesticate (for observation) in +my garden are <span class="smcap">Toads</span> and <span +class="smcap">Frogs</span>. But I am bound to say that I +have not been successful in preserving them in any numbers for +more than a brief period. Their appearance and +disappearance has at times been very mysterious and inexplicable, +but on the whole those which I have imported have, as a rule, +soon either died or been otherwise disposed of. Is it not +probable, I would suggest, that they, or at least the smaller +ones, have fallen a prey to Jackdaws, Rooks, or even +Starlings?</p> +<p>Of the <i>Frogs</i> which I brought home, only one survived +the second year. But this one appeared to thrive in a +remarkable degree for several years. It would apparently +lie dormant for many months, and would then reappear, lively, +fat, and much grown, for a few weeks in the late summer or early +autumn; after which he would be no more seen until the following +year.</p> +<p><i>Toads</i> are more interesting than Frogs; and, indeed, in +a city garden, by no means produce that feeling of loathing which +is popularly supposed to be inherent in them. On the +contrary, they quickly become tame, and almost assume the +<i>status</i> of garden pets. And as a matter of fact, I +entirely disagree with Shakespeare, who calls them “ugly +and venomous.”</p> +<p>At first the Toads which I imported would come out regularly +on suitable evenings, and sit or hop about on the damp grass or +flower-borders. And they exhibited a most special tendency +(as has been observed by others) to come down to the house as if +desiring an entrance. Indeed, when the door was open they +would not unfrequently walk in. And I have more than once +found one of them in my study or other room, sitting up in a +corner, looking happy and comfortable, and <a +name="page64"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 64</span>quietly +staring at me with its bright eyes, as if I were the real +intruder.</p> +<p>The direction of my rooms from the garden is from south to +north. I do not know if this was possibly expressive of any +migratory instinct.</p> +<p>Like the Frogs, of a number of Toads which I introduced into +my garden, only three or four remained in the following year; and +soon all disappeared, except one, whose end was peculiar and of +dramatic interest. It occurred in this way: A neighbour +kept in his adjacent garden some other reptiles, namely, some +non-poisonous snakes. One of these seems to have escaped +from its cage and got over the dividing wall into my garden, and +on one summer morning was discovered by me on my grass-plot, with +this Toad (about a half-grown one) in his mouth, which he was +trying to kill or swallow. I suppose the Toad was too large +or too lively, for the snake was making very serious exertions, +and was actively agitating its body in a linear direction. +When seen at a distance, it looked like a stout piece of cord or +fine rope agitated by the wind, with a movement like that of a +carpet when it is flapped and shaken. The Toad had been +seized by the hinder part of its back, as shown by the two +bleeding punctures afterwards found.</p> +<p>When the snake saw me advancing towards it, it rapidly +wriggled or undulated away towards the ivy-covered wall, where it +was lost. But it retained its hold of the Toad almost to +the last, and until I had got quite close up to it.</p> +<p>This incident is not only interesting, but it also shows that +these reptiles must have some instinctive power of knowing of the +neighbourhood of comparatively distant prey; for the rockery +stones from which it was taken <a name="page65"></a><span +class="pagenum">p. 65</span>must have been at least thirty to +forty yards from its own domicile. Such an instinct would +seem to be the equivalent of that well known to be possessed by +birds of prey. I regret that this poor Toad did not long +survive his fright and bad usage.</p> +<p>My Toads have exhibited the usual tendency of these animals to +hide away beneath stones or earth, and in unfrequented +corners. When discovered it is curious to watch their +half-frightened expression, and their peculiar mode of breathing +by their under jaw, which appears at once to increase in +rapidity. They do not resist much when handled, but it is +curious to note how they continue to swell their sides out, until +they produce a very prominent rotundity of their body. +After the episode of the Snake and my Toad, the idea suggests +itself that this is intended to make themselves as large as +possible, not from envy of the Ox, as stated in the fable with +reference to the Frog, but to make themselves too large a morsel +to be swallowed by the lesser of those animals which prey upon +them.</p> +<p>These “Toads in holes” would come out from their +retreat in dry weather, a few hours <i>before</i> rain, after +which they would again disappear, often for a long season.</p> +<p><span class="smcap">Insects</span>.—There are plenty of +these in every garden, however small; and Bees, Flies, Beetles, +and especially Spiders, would afford a never ending source of +interest. The only insects which I have specially watched +are <span class="smcap">Ants</span>, nests and colonies of which +appear and reappear every summer upon my garden paths, or upon +the adjacent portions of the grass-plots.</p> +<p>We all know of the very numerous observers of and writers upon +these little creatures; and their works, from Huber down to Sir +John Lubbock, will be more <a name="page66"></a><span +class="pagenum">p. 66</span>or less familiar to us all. +Their industry, their building powers, their gregarious nature, +their division of labour, their apparent working for the common +good, their devotion to the young, their colonizing instincts, as +well as some of the changes which their insect forms undergo, are +all there recorded.</p> +<p>And many of these things are easily to be observed by anyone +who takes the trouble.</p> +<p>I can only venture here to make one or two brief notes on +their proceedings in St. Giles’s Street.</p> +<p>Both the small brown and the small black Ants are to be here +seen, but they occupy different positions; and not only do not +seem to be on neighbourly terms with each other, but fight at +once if experimentally placed together.</p> +<p>The brown Ants are the more numerous, and in the summer months +display an enormous amount of activity. Doubtless there is +a good reason for their incessant movements, but to the ordinary +observer these often seem to be purposeless and merely the result +of restlessness and excess of energy.</p> +<p>The favourite situation for their little Ant-hills is +decidedly along the edge of the gravel path, where this abuts +upon the grass sward, and it is noticeable that almost the whole +of these are placed on the easterly edge of this. From +these nests, or centres, very little use is made of the adjacent +grass territory, but from nearly all a track is made across the +gravel path to its opposite (westerly) side, where either a hole +is made into a small fresh home, or a semi-tunnel is made through +the grass edging on to and into the earth of the flower-border +beyond. There appears to be no attempt to tunnel in the +firm gravel path, but the incessant racing backward and forward +in the same <a name="page67"></a><span class="pagenum">p. +67</span>line very soon (as Sir John Lubbock, now Lord Avebury, +has pointed out) makes a well-trodden road, along which they +follow each other in rapid succession.</p> +<p>As to their hour of rising in the morning for work, I cannot +speak from personal observation. But as Solomon holds them +out as an example to those inclined unduly to keep their beds, I +conclude that their motto is, “Early to rise.” +But I can say that the opposite half of this proverb, namely, +“Early to bed,” does not apply to them, for, at least +in the warm weather, they do certainly often work until late at +night.</p> +<p>It is very interesting to watch these Ants at work, and to +note their activity and energy and strength. An Ant is +“but a little creature,” but he is certainly able to +perform a large amount of physical work. And especially is +this seen in the way he builds up those little heaps of earth +known as Ant-hills. I have had many of these under +observation, and the rapidity with which they reappear after +injury by pressure or a heavy rain-storm is very +remarkable. Twenty-four hours, or even less, being often +sufficient for their complete restoration. They are of +varying form, but some are perfectly conical, with a circular +hole at the top exactly like that of some Norfolk +“kilns” used for the burning of bricks. Others +are irregular, or flattened and spongy, with several holes. +But it would seem that the varying shapes are largely due to the +special conditions under which they are made.</p> +<p class="gutindent">* 1907. I have noted that this year +the brown Ants have varied in colour, or have been replaced in +their more usual spots on my gravel walk by others that are +nearly if not quite black. And I have also noticed that +their habits are somewhat different. The little conical +Ant-hills which they make are much smaller, but more numerous, +than those of their predecessors, and they seem to burrow more in +the <a name="page68"></a><span class="pagenum">p. +68</span>adjacent grass lawn. But they keep to almost the +same spots. In their daily workings and activities also +there is a decided difference. They are very active in the +early mornings, but often can scarcely be seen all the mid-day or +afternoon, instead of racing about above ground almost the whole +day, as the others did. But they may have been influenced +in this by the continued cool and showery weather of the +season.</p> +<p>One very warm day about noon, in the early part of September, +I witnessed some of the proceedings at one of the well-known +“wedding ceremonials” of Ants. The whole body +of the Ants were swarming on the grass above the nest, and racing +about in evidently a great state of excitement. Amongst +these were five large winged (Queen) Ants, constantly moving +about, though more quietly, and in and out of the nest +opening. Also in the group were some forty or more smaller +winged (Male) Ants, also moving about upon the ground. None +of the winged Ants were flying far about. I watched this +state of commotion for some time, then left, and returned in +about an hour, when the whole body of these insects had +disappeared, presumably into the nest. Whether the brides +and bridegrooms were about to take their wedding flight, or +whether (as appears most probable) they had just returned, I am +unable to state; but I saw no further commotion outside later on +in the day.</p> +<p>I have often watched these little creatures at work upon their +“heaps,” and have noted how these are gradually built +up of aggregations of single grains of earth or sand, which +evidently have been dug out grain by grain from the earth, where +the excavation is going on, and are then brought in the +Ant’s mouth to the surface, and to the top of the rising +earth-heap. They are then dropped over its edge, and the +Carrier Ant at once races back into the hole presumably for a +fresh burden. This process is a very remarkable one, and +the way the Ant brings his grain of earth in his mouth and drops +it over the edge of the rising Ant-hill, irresistibly reminds one +of a railway navvy who wheels his barrow full of earth and tilts +it over the edge of the embankment upon which he is at +work. The number of single grains in even a small Ant-heap +must be very large, and must amount to many <a +name="page69"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 69</span>thousands, or +perhaps to hundreds of thousands. What, then, must be the +untiring energy of a small Ant colony, which can reproduce such a +granular heap in less than twenty-four hours?</p> +<p>It does not always seem clear what the streams of Ants from +the parent nest are so constantly occupied in. They may be, +to a certain extent, colonizers, but they certainly do not, with +me, raise secondary Ant-hills to any great extent at the end of +their runs. They make holes in the ground there, and +possibly they may be engaged in their proverbial custom of +securing and storing up food for the winter. To the +uninstructed eye these holes look very much like Colonial +outposts.</p> +<p>The activity of these Ants entirely ceases with the advent of +autumn, and their Ant-hills in my garden entirely disappear until +the following season.</p> +<p>As we all know, this instinct of storing up food for winter +use has been largely denied, but from Sir John Lubbock’s +account it certainly exists in some species, though its extent +varies greatly. As he says that many of the Ants live +through the winter, some food would seem to be required.</p> +<p>Speaking of Ants generically, we all doubtless accept King +Solomon’s authority upon this point, and we shall not +forget that the Roman poet, Virgil, writing just before the +Christian era, expressed himself to the same effect.</p> +<blockquote><p>“Ac veluti ingentem formicæ farris +acervum<br /> +Cum populant, hyemis memores, tectoque reponunt.”</p> +</blockquote> +<p>Whilst Cicero says:</p> +<blockquote><p>“In formica non modo sensus, sed etiam mens, +ratio, memoria.”</p> +</blockquote> +<p><a name="page70"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 70</span>Lastly, +did time and inclination permit, I might have found endless +interest in observing the habits of the vast quantities of <span +class="smcap">Worms</span> (again with the aid of Sir John +Lubbock) which inhabit my grass-plot; or those of the <span +class="smcap">Snails</span>; or of the <span +class="smcap">Slugs</span>, which exist in equally innumerable +quantities in the garden soil. Both these latter classes of +animals appear to be made to be eaten, as they largely furnish +food for the birds. They prefer damp or wet weather, and to +some degree are excellent weather-glasses or weather +prophets. As we all know, they roam or sail about on rainy +evenings. But it is curious to observe also the special +instinct by which in dry periods the Snails will become aware of +watered or damp earth at a considerable distance, and how they +will in the night cross a large breadth of dry, or even dusty +earth, to reach a spot of ground where plants have been watered +on the previous evening. I need scarcely remind you that +these land mollusks, the Snails, and still more the Slugs, are +creatures with super-excellent appetites for the garden +plants.</p> +<p>I have now, in conclusion, not only to apologize to this +Society for the length of my paper, but, perhaps, also for having +brought it before you at all.</p> +<p>I did not venture to do so until I had asked our excellent and +experienced Secretary whether he considered that a few such +popular or surface notes, even if containing little that is new, +would be acceptable, or even appropriate, to such a learned +body. My real object has been less to state what I have +personally observed than to show what a large field still exists +in our city centres (as indeed everywhere) for a naturalistic use +of whatever out-door opportunities are present; and to illustrate +the principle that even in the <a name="page71"></a><span +class="pagenum">p. 71</span>smallest and least promising city +gardens or spaces, the materials for interest and +self-instruction are ever present, and practically inexhaustible; +that here, as elsewhere, and everywhere, we may “read, and +read again, and still find something new; something to please, +and something to instruct.”</p> +<h2><a name="page72"></a><span class="pagenum">p. +72</span>VII.<br /> +PRESIDENT’S ADDRESS. <a name="citation72"></a><a +href="#footnote72" class="citation">[72]</a></h2> +<p><span class="smcap">Ladies and Gentlemen</span>—Another +of our Society’s years has come to a close this day, and it +devolves upon me to say a few final words before yielding up this +presidential chair. In doing so, my chief desire is to +repeat my thanks to the members for having placed me in so +honourable a position, and for their kindness in sustaining me +throughout the various evening meetings of the session.</p> +<p>It is a matter of much congratulation that these meetings have +continued to be well attended, and that the Society itself has +continued thoroughly to fill that position of scientific +usefulness which was hoped for it at its first inauguration, now +eighteen years ago. Such a lapse of time gives the +opportunity of seeing how much good work has in the aggregate +been done. And though, no doubt, in looking back through +our volumes it will be found that different years have produced a +varying amount of work judged by its importance, yet on the +average we have reason to be well satisfied with what the +successive numbers show us, seeing that the total represents a +very <a name="page73"></a><span class="pagenum">p. +73</span>important collection indeed of natural history facts and +information. The work of the present year has, I think, +fully maintained the good average attained in other sessions.</p> +<p>The Society too, has, as a whole, continued to prosper, and +appears to be effectually carrying out the initial programme set +forth on the first page of each volume of its +“Transactions.”</p> +<p>On looking back to some of our earliest annual reports, I find +that our numbers have doubled and trebled themselves since that +time; and further that the list now embraces the names of many +both at home and afar off, whose reputations are well known to +science, and who are powerful additions to our Society’s +strength. As compared, too, with those earlier times, the +increased plumpness of our yearly volume tells of the greater +amount of matter that is now every year contributed.</p> +<p>So, too, if prosperous finance is any test of success, we may +look to the larger figures in our balance sheet, and the +sufficiently satisfactory state of our “balance at the +bank” further to fortify the favourable position which I +desire to point out to you.</p> +<p>We have had an accession of twenty-one new members during the +year, whilst seventeen have been removed by death, resignation, +or other causes. But though the total losses from these +causes have been but few, and those from death not above the +average, yet these latter include some well-known names—the +names of members of valued attainments, and of men whom the +Society could ill spare.</p> +<p>Especially do we note with regret the premature loss, in only +middle life, of one who had been a member of this Society from +its commencement, who was also a life member of the Zoological +Society, and whose death would <a name="page74"></a><span +class="pagenum">p. 74</span>have claimed attention from us as +Norwich men, were it for no other reason than that he bore a name +the very sound of which is instinct with ideas of Norfolk Natural +History; one who was also a member of a family to which this +Society, and the neighbouring Museum, owe a long and +ever-increasing debt of gratitude.</p> +<p>Although the late Mr. John Gurney’s talents were never, +I believe, especially directed to our class of study, yet his +tastes for the bright and the beautiful were well known. +And though his affliction had of late years debarred him from the +complete visual enjoyment of the beauties of nature, yet his +devotion to the improvement of the rural charms of his own home, +and his public-spirited expenditure upon the scheme for the +laying out of Mousehold Heath, and its appropriate development, +showed that he had in him that form of mind out of which the true +lover of nature’s creatures, as well as nature’s +charms, necessarily arises.</p> +<p>But this side of Mr. Gurney’s mind will come home to us +as naturalists much more forcibly when we recall the great act of +his life, in which he was so heartily and so earnestly engaged +when death removed him so suddenly in the midst of his useful and +public-spirited career. I, of course, allude to his great +Castle-Museum scheme for the removal of our grand Museum +collection, with its surroundings, to a new and larger and more +appropriate position on the Castle Hill. We all know the +generous liberality with which he sought to ensure this grand +scheme being carried out. We have all noted the quiet and +business-like sagacity with which the various steps necessary for +the effective doing of this work were taken under his +inspiration. And I am sure we recognise how he was actuated +not only by a desire to raise the scientific <i>status</i> of the +county and city generally, but also to assist those <a +name="page75"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 75</span>Norfolk +workers in nature’s fields whose accumulated results are +now to be seen under this roof.</p> +<p>His large and increasing views for the good of this city, and +its general welfare, have been so thoroughly and so publicly +appreciated on all sides, that it is not necessary for me to add +one word more. His name will remain as that of a public man +at once generous and right-minded. And I can only hope on +behalf of this Society, and that of other kindred ones, that +nothing will occur to prevent the full development and carrying +out of that Castle scheme, which, if effected, will, in my +opinion, have a large and important influence not only upon the +future scientific progress of Norfolk generally, but also upon +the intellectual position which our famous old city will hold in +the time to come.</p> +<p>Mr. Hampden G. Glasspoole, who has also recently died, had +been a member of this Society from its commencement, and had +contributed two papers to its proceedings. These were +entitled “Biographical Memoirs of some Norwich +Botanists,” and “Memoir of Lilly Wigg.” +He had also published several papers in <i>Science +Gossip</i>. He was for several years a member of the late +Norwich Microscopical Society; and of the London Quekett +Club.</p> +<p>Mr. Glasspoole was an accomplished botanist. For many of +the later years of his residence at Ormesby, he was honorary +curator of Botany at the Norwich Museum; and after his removal to +London he held, for a short period, the office of botanist to the +Alexandra Palace.</p> +<p>He will be remembered by us all as kindly, gentle, and genial; +ever ready to help others with his time or his knowledge; and +with all his stores of information, modest and unassuming.</p> +<p><a name="page76"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 76</span>He +added one species to the British Flora, <i>Carex trinervis</i>, +Devgl; and two species to our county list, namely, <i>Ammophila +Baltica</i>, Leak, and <i>Sparganium neglectum</i>, Beeby.</p> +<p>As is well known, he was the eldest son of the late Capt. R. +Glasspoole of Ormesby, who had himself presented many +<i>curios</i> to our Museum, and who published a most interesting +account of his experiences whilst a prisoner in the hands of +Chinese pirates.</p> +<p>The Ornithology of Scotland has, in the death of Mr. Robert +Gray, which took place at Edinburgh in February last, lost one of +its ablest exponents. Commencing with “The Birds of +Ayrshire and Wigtonshire,” which appeared in 1869, Mr. +Gray, two years later, published the more important “Birds +of the West of Scotland,” and at the time of his death was +engaged on a similar work treating of the birds of the Eastern +district of his native country. In this latter work he was, +I believe, associated with Mr. William Evans of Edinburgh, who, +it is to be hoped, will bring their joint labours to a successful +issue.</p> +<p>Mr. Gray commenced public life in the City of Glasgow Bank, +and it was whilst acting as Inspector of Agencies for that +establishment that he was enabled to collect the information +which so enriched his work on the “Birds of the West of +Scotland.” Subsequently Mr. Gray entered the Bank of +Scotland, and at the time of his death occupied the position of +its chief cashier. Since his residence in Edinburgh, he has +taken a prominent position in the scientific institutions of that +city, and was a Vice-President of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, +and Secretary of the Royal Physical Society. He did not +become a member of our Society until 1884, but has been long +known by several of its members, and highly valued as a +correspondent or friend.</p> +<p><a name="page77"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 77</span>The +only other member of this Society whose death we have to deplore +is Captain Philip Hamond, who has for some time left this city, +but who will be well remembered as having resided for awhile at +Mousehold House, Thorpe. He showed much interest in the +natural history of Norfolk, and also in its antiquities; and he +left a valuable collection of books relating to Norfolk.</p> +<p>During the past session we have had many valued <i>papers</i> +contributed to our Society; besides some notes—shorter, but +not necessarily less interesting, or of less value.</p> +<p>We have also had several specimens exhibited. And, in +addition, we have had a considerable number of members who have +taken part in the various discussions.</p> +<p>I need scarcely remind you how varied these contributions have +been; and how birds, beasts, fishes, insects, and smaller +creatures; as well as seeds and plants, great and small; have all +received illustrations during the year. Distant parts of +the globe, too, have helped to supply us with the material which +has been brought before us, notably by our late President, +Colonel Feilden.</p> +<p>Many of the papers will be published in the forthcoming +“Transactions” of the Society; and to these I need +scarcely allude, as they can all be read by us very +shortly. But I should scarcely like to omit to mention the +beautiful botanical specimens exhibited by Mr. Long, of Wells, at +our last meeting. The rarity and interest of some of them, +the beauty and finish of the mountings, and the true scientific +intelligence displayed in all, can but make us desire that so +competent a collector would not only further explore his +district, but also enrich this Society by the exhibition of the +fruit of his researches.</p> +<p>As to the contributions which will not appear in our +“Transactions”:—At the May meeting, Mr. F. +Sutton read some interesting notes on Strawberry growing. +In October, <a name="page78"></a><span class="pagenum">p. +78</span>Mr. Southwell read extracts from the records of the +Whaling s.s. “Eclipse” in the Greenland seas. +Mr. Southwell’s notes referred more particularly to the +natural history occurrences of the voyage; the birds and animals +met with. And he exhibited several forms of Whale and Seal +food, consisting of Crustacea and various minute organisms; as +well as the skulls of two Greenland Seals, two Ringed Seals, and +a Polar Bear, sent him by Mr. Robert Gray—all which latter +he has presented to the Norwich Museum. He also exhibited a +very rare little fish of the genus <i>Scopelus</i>, likewise +taken by Mr. Gray.</p> +<p>At the same meeting, our most valued and efficient member, Mr. +Geldart, read a paper on the <i>Calanus finmarchicus</i> or Rice +Food of Whales, from the West Coast of Spitzbergen, and +illustrated by it the natural law of gradation in feeding, +showing that whilst some Whales themselves eat this food, others +devour the Cod and Herring, which eat these little crustaceans, +which again eat the diatoms, found floating in such enormous +numbers on the surface of those seas.</p> +<p>My own humble contribution to the proceedings of our last +meeting, in the shape of a paper on the habits of some of our +town birds, entitled “My Christmas Garden Party,” has +been recently published in <i>extenso</i>, and therefore need not +be further alluded to here.</p> +<p>There has been only one <i>Excursion</i> made during the year, +but this appears to have been full of interest and +enjoyment. I have received a lively and detailed account of +the day’s proceedings from Mr. Bussey, but I regret that +time only permits me to note the principal features of the +occasion.</p> +<p>The visit was made to the Salhouse and Wroxham Broads, and the +neighbouring district, including the Broomhills, St. +Benedict’s Abbey, and portions of the <a +name="page79"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 79</span>river +Bure. It is unnecessary to say how ample is the material in +this district for the study of both the animal and vegetable +kingdom; and as the day was fine, the opportunities afforded were +fully availed of. As usual, this occasion for field study +fully repaid those who took part in it, for their devotion of the +day to this pleasant combination of research and recreation.</p> +<p>The field over which “Natural History” extends is +a very wide one, and properly includes the study of all organised +beings, living and dead. At one end the ground is, to a +very considerable extent, occupied by the Geological Society, +which exists in Norwich; yet even in this department we have had, +as I have said, some very valuable contributions during the +year. But at the other end, which embraces the study of +minute or microscopic life, not only have we had no contributions +during the past session, but I find, on looking over the past +numbers of our “Transactions,” that the papers +dealing with this part of the world’s life have been both +few and far between. There have been, as we know, some +great and valuable exceptions, such as the papers read by Mr. +Kitton, the address by Mr. Plowright, a portion of the address +read by the President, Mr. Sutton, two years ago, and, perhaps, +one or two others. Still the small part which microscopical +records and observations play in our annals is both noticeable +and regrettable—the more so, because in consequence of the +decease of the old Norwich Microscopical Society, I believe that +no public or systematic work in this direction is now being +carried on in this city. And yet, partly in consequence of +the larger forms of life having now been so largely studied, but +still more in consequence of the new views as to the universality +and far-reaching importance of microscopic living +beings—there is probably no phase of natural history which +is now more engaging general <a name="page80"></a><span +class="pagenum">p. 80</span>attention, or which is being more +eagerly studied and investigated elsewhere.</p> +<p>Mr. Sutton, in his presidential address of 1884–85, gave +a most learned and interesting description of some of the +microscopical researches which had been carried on up to that +time, and further gave us a most lucid account of the influence +which micro-organisms had been shown to exert in the process of +nitrification in soils, an influence which had formerly been +considered to be due to purely chemical action. <a +name="citation80"></a><a href="#footnote80" +class="citation">[80]</a></p> +<p>I trust I may be forgiven if I recall your attention for a few +moments to this subject of Germ life, more particularly as it +branches out and develops in a more vital direction; in other +words as it affects human and animal life.</p> +<p>This portion of the subject has, during the past two or three +years, deepened and strengthened in interest; our knowledge of it +has largely increased; and the recognition of its vital +importance has called forth, both in Europe and America, a host +of eager and capable workers. It is scarcely too much to +say that its wide and far-reaching issues are probably the most +important to mankind of any that have been studied in recent +times. Foremost amongst the workers in this department may +be recalled to you the well-known names of Koch and Pasteur, +abroad; and of Lister, Watson-Cheyne, and Crookshank, in this +country. But the names of other eminent investigators will +almost necessarily occur to your minds.</p> +<p><a name="page81"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 81</span>It has +long been known what potent factors were microscopic Germs in +producing changes in the constitution of decaying matter; and how +they were, in all probability, the useful scavengers of nature, +definitely resolving into their constituent elements failing and +dying organic tissues. But it has become more and more a +matter of knowledge, that by their parasitic habits and their +power of invading and living upon and within other living +tissues, they are also the sources of many so-called diseases of +both vegetables and animals.</p> +<p>With regard to vegetable parasitic growth I will not now +detain you. The blights, and the mildews, and the ergots, +as well as minuter forms, such as algæ and micrococci, are +well known; and no doubt much more is still to be learned from +their further investigation; whilst by analogy it seems highly +probable that the circulating fluids of higher members of the +vegetable kingdom may be found to be invaded by parasitic beings +in the same way as their animal compeers.</p> +<p>But it is to Germ life in animal bodies that I wish now +specially to allude. I have said that our knowledge in this +direction has, even in the last two or three years, made enormous +strides, and it is now almost a matter of certainty that all +contagious or infectious disorders, as well as many others, are +but the expression of the fact that minute living bodies have +made a resting-place for themselves in or upon other living +tissues; and that the development of the phenomena of these +morbid states is but an indication of their presence and +reproductive activity—either as cause, or as an +accompaniment of these disease manifestations. And this +applies not only to the human species, but to lower classes of +animals, between whom and man many of these diseases are +interchangeable.</p> +<p>Such knowledge necessarily invests the life history of <a +name="page82"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 82</span>these minute +Germs with intense interest, seeing that it is probably one step, +and that a long one, towards the discovery of the means of +prevention, if not also of cure, of many of our most fatal and +dreaded diseases.</p> +<p>Examples of such diseases are:—Scarlet Fever, +Diphtheria, Small Pox, Cholera, Yellow Fever, Tuberculous +Disease, Ague, Hydrophobia, Cattle Plague, Anthrax; and many +others might be enumerated whose dependence upon parasitic Germs +is almost conclusively proved. But these are sufficient to +show the deep interest of this branch of study.</p> +<p>Not only are these Germs found in the solids of the body in +some of these diseases, but in others their presence is easily +and constantly recognisable in the blood or other fluids, and +even within the corpuscles which the blood so largely +contains. And not only so, but the forms which these +micro-organisms present are so constant and so definite in the +different disorders, that it is now almost possible in some +instances to diagnose what diseased condition we have to deal +with by an examination of the fluid or tissue in which they are +contained.</p> +<p>It is, perhaps, but right here to say that some of our most +cautious observers consider that it is as yet hardly +<i>proven</i> that the differing Germs found in the various +diseases are their actual and efficient cause; but their +definiteness in the various disorders, and the constancy of their +presence, leave little doubt that this will hereafter be +conclusively shown to be the case.</p> +<p>Some of these Germs seem to have a short life and rapid +development, and then we have acute disease. Others seem to +have a more prolonged or continuing career, and then we have +chronic disease. Whilst others seem to have an intermitting +development, and then we have paroxysmal disease.</p> +<p><a name="page83"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 83</span>Many +curious facts have been observed in reference to the forms, or +multiplication, or life-history of some of these parasitic +beings. Thus, for example, in one class (<i>Filaria +sanguinis</i>) it was noticed that the minute embryos of this +little blood-worm could only be discovered in the evening or +during the night, and not during the day; and the reason of this +has appeared to be that it is necessary that they should come +within reach of the Mosquito Gnat, which is a night-feeding +animal, in whose bodies one stage of their development appears to +take place.</p> +<p>One of the latest discoveries in this department of natural +history is that of the blood germs, which co-exist with the +various forms of ague and malarious disease, and upon which they +would appear to depend. Dr. Osler, of Pennsylvania (now +Regius Professor of Medicine, at Oxford), has recently described +and figured these little bodies in an elaborate paper full of +interest.</p> +<p>Such facts as these, when regarded merely from the point of +view of a member of the Medical Profession have their deep and +<i>special</i> significance. But I am here to-night as a +member of the Naturalists’ Society, and by all of us, in +that capacity, they are first to be regarded, not as +illustrations of disease, but of the life history of some of +nature’s creations—creations which are no doubt as +important, as definite, and which play as large a part in the +general scheme of life, as do many of the larger forms of +animated beings.</p> +<p>Some of these little bodies, especially those of the bacillary +and bacterial class, are extremely minute, and are best examined +with powers ranging from one-tenth to one-twenty-fifth of an +inch; and it is impossible to ignore the fact that their study +requires not only good instruments, but much patience and skilled +attention. Nevertheless, such study fairly comes within the +scope <a name="page84"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 84</span>of +this Society’s work, and will most certainly repay any of +its members who may be induced adequately to undertake it.</p> +<p>Nor let it be said that minuteness is any reason for lack of +interest on the part of the naturalist. For many of these +micro-organisms have already been shown to be as varied, and to +have as definite a structure, and as special a life history, as +any of the larger types of beings; whilst, of course, we all +recognise that apparent size is as nothing, that it is a mere +accident, a question of the construction of our enquiring eyes, a +condition that is at once altered and rectified by a magnifying +glass.</p> +<p>If it be true that the invasion and presence of various small +organisms in the blood or tissues is the cause of the various +specific diseases to which I have alluded, then the application +of such knowledge as naturalists can obtain, as to the food and +other conditions necessary to their existence; their mode of +ingress to the body; their development and multiplication, +becomes clear and obvious. It opens up to our minds +possibilities both of prevention, and of either mitigation or +cure. For it is evident that if we can starve these Germs +of their necessary nutriment, or make their new habitation +unsuitable for their healthy and vigorous development, their +career as invaders will necessarily either be cut short, or be +rendered feeble and impotent; and therefore the disease-changes +which they can produce less violent and less lethal.</p> +<p>Something of this kind appears naturally to have taken place +in those persons in whom some of the zymotic diseases (of which +Measles, Scarlet Fever, Whooping Cough, etc., may be taken as +familiar types) have once run their course; in those, that is, +who are popularly said to have already had these diseases. +And although the <a name="page85"></a><span class="pagenum">p. +85</span>exact abiding change which is produced has not been +ascertained, yet it is well known, and quite understood, to be +one which renders the fluids or tissues partially or wholly +unsuitable for their future healthy growth.</p> +<p>This theory, too, is the well-known explanation of the +protective power of the Cow Pox, which once having permeated a +human system, has rendered it unsuitable for the future healthy +and vigorous development of its greater relation—the Small +Pox.</p> +<p>In default of available means of destroying the Germs of other +malignant diseases, prolonged efforts have been made (and notably +by the great French pathologist, Pasteur) so to diminish the +intensity of the destructive force of some of these specific +Germs, that they may be safely inoculated into human bodies +without danger to life, and yet be potent enough in their effects +to anticipate and render abortive the invasion of the more +virulent diseases. This has been attempted by repeated +cultivations of the Germs in proper media, until after several of +such generations the broods shall have acquired the requisite +diminished vitality—in fact, until that diminution of +virulence which the Small Pox Germ has sustained in passing +through the Cow has been obtained by these artificial means.</p> +<p>We are all familiar with the attempts which have recently been +made by Pasteur in this direction, in regard to that most fatal +disease Hydrophobia. It remains to be seen how far he has +been successful in solving this preventive problem; and how far +this may be the true method by which to utilize our knowledge of +bacterial life. Medical men are diligently working at this +subject from their own point of view. There is much to be +done by microscopic naturalists in unravelling the life-history +of these little beings; and we are glad to <a +name="page86"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 86</span>recognise the +kind of results which may be hoped for in the future.</p> +<p>Such considerations as these are fraught with matter for deep +reflection, and tend to open our minds to the far-reaching +possibilities not only of this special knowledge, but of that +which we are gaining in many other branches of science. +Each fresh item of knowledge is like a new step upon a ladder, +and raises us to a fresh height from which we can take a wider +survey, and which we can assume as a loftier and broader basis +for further enquiry. Scientific thought is ever as to what +may next be done, and how to do it. For, as Sir James Paget +has recently said: “Every increase of knowledge brings +before us a larger and clearer view of the immeasurable quantity +which is still to be gained. The more we know, the more can +we see, if we will, how much more there is that we do not +know.” And of this we may be sure, that it is by +minute and exact work only that in the future our store of +knowledge is to be increased and made sure. If no other +example to prove this were at hand, it would be sufficient to +quote the recent observations of the Rev. Dr. Dallinger on the +subject of the conjugation of the nuclei of some minute forms of +cell life: observations which bring us nearer to some definite +knowledge of this particular matter than any hitherto made upon +higher classes of creatures.</p> +<p>Dr. Dallinger has spoken of the “vast area of activity +and research in this direction;” and Professor Huxley has +said, “that those who have toiled for the advancement of +science are in a fair way of being overwhelmed by the realisation +of their wishes.”</p> +<p>We appear indeed to be still only on the threshold of +knowledge, to have merely touched the fringe of the vast and +infinite life-history which the living world, that <a +name="page87"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 87</span>inexhaustible +stream of life which we see everywhere around us, contains. +We are proud of the amount of our natural history +knowledge. We think to have accumulated a large store of +information as to that especially of our own district. We +can point to the lists of animals and plants which the research +of the members of our Society, and others, has so laboriously +gathered together. And we can look to the stores of our +Museum as illustrations of what has been done. And yet a +little further consideration at once shows us how small a part +this is of what is yet to be known. We know the gross form +of the specimens; we know something of their habits during life; +and yet how little is this of what there is to be known about +them. Who is there of the most learned who can properly +explain the meaning of one hundredth part of what these creatures +present in form, size, colour, and intimate structure? We +have a general idea that their special peculiarities have +relation to the two primary essentials of life—the daily +bread, and the perpetuation of the species—but we are +largely unable to explain the <i>raison d’etre</i> of many +of the commonest facts which they present. It will be a +great day when we can also explain the object or utility of all +the variations which they present.</p> +<p>Of course I do not forget the powerful impulse given by the +researches of Darwin in the direction of explaining the why and +the wherefore. I only indicate how large a portion of this +explanatory field is yet untilled.</p> +<p>In this county a Naturalists’ Society will never lack +either for material to work on, or for variety and interest of +subject. Much, even in its grosser form, still remains to +be learned. And the vast variety presented by the county, +in respect of climate, soils, strata, heath, woodland, marsh, +stagnant and running water, as well as the proximity <a +name="page88"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 88</span>of the great +ocean with its shore—presents an almost unexampled field +for the work of the scientific naturalist—a field, too, +which is constantly changing in accordance with the physical and +other changes steadily going on in the district.</p> +<p>With these great natural advantages, and with the great love +for natural science, which is inherent in Norfolk men, I make +bold to hope and prognosticate for this Society a prolonged and +continuously useful career. We are glad to see its library +growing, and its journalistic interchanges increasing. We +are glad of the increasing importance of the position which it +holds amongst kindred societies. We are all, I am sure, +looking forward to the time when this, our Society, will meet in +a handsome airy room on the top of the Castle Hill; <a +name="citation88"></a><a href="#footnote88" +class="citation">[88]</a> when any student of any particular +branch of this natural history will be able (on repairing to our +Museum) to see not merely inaccessible specimens ranged three or +four deep, but so displayed as to be available for study and +examination; when lectures and demonstrations will be possible, +because there will be sufficient room space to contain both the +lecturer and his audience; in short, when we in Norwich shall +have a scientific centre worthy of the Museum and of the great +reputation which this district has always held.</p> +<p>What a happy change, too, when the old Castle of +Norwich—the last of our three city prisons—shall +exchange its human prisoners for forms, imprisoned indeed, but +not human; and intended only to enlarge and instruct and make +more free the mind of man. And when Science and Art and the +cultivation of the intelligence shall tend year by year, and ever +more and more, to render real <a name="page89"></a><span +class="pagenum">p. 89</span>prisons less and less required. +And when the moral sense and the force of cultivated public +opinion shall suffice to reduce crime and ill-doing to its +minimum. We gladly recognise how much has already been +done, and we look forward with hope in both these directions to +the good time coming.</p> +<p>In now resigning this chair to my learned and distinguished +successor, I can only trust that he will find his year of office +as pleasant, and as profitable to himself, as the Members of this +Society, and their excellent Secretary, have rendered mine to +me.</p> +<h2><a name="page90"></a><span class="pagenum">p. +90</span>VIII.<br /> +THE PARISH OF ST. GILES’S, NORWICH, AND ITS CHURCH. <a +name="citation90a"></a><a href="#footnote90a" +class="citation">[90a]</a></h2> +<p>The parish of St. Giles’s, though relatively not large, +yet has always in later periods occupied an important position in +the City of Norwich. It formerly—as is usual with +parishes dedicated to Saint Giles—lay upon the outskirts of +the city, though not <i>necessarily</i> within the city proper +previously to 1253 <a name="citation90b"></a><a +href="#footnote90b" class="citation">[90b]</a> (as Mr. Hudson has +pointed out), when the city was enclosed with a fosse. In +recent times Norwich has expanded largely in the direction of +Earlham and Heigham, and St. Giles’s is now completely +overlapped by these populous suburbs.</p> +<p>Blomefield describes the parish as having been part of a new +portion of Norwich called the New Burgh, originally settled in +the time of Edward the Confessor, but much increased at the +Conquest by the Normans or Frenchmen settling in it. He +says they chose and took this position as being the pleasantest +part of the city; but it may also have been that they selected it +as being merely the best ground as yet unoccupied by earlier +settlers.</p> +<p>St. Giles’s parish is broadly triangular in form, with +its base along Chapel Field Road and St. Giles’s +Hill. It <a name="page91"></a><span class="pagenum">p. +91</span>covers (according to Ordnance Survey) a space of +22·952 acres, and comprises within its area rather more +than half of Chapel Field. Its western boundary is along +the site of the old city wall, and of St. Giles’s Gate, +whilst on the eastern or city side it extends as far as +Fisher’s Lane and a little beyond. The population in +1881 was 1,438.</p> +<p>A main city street runs through it, now known as St. +Giles’s Street, but formerly called Inferior Newport, +Nether Newport, or Lower Newport; Bethel Street being then called +Over or Upper Newport.</p> +<p>This street is handsome and well-built, and contains several +large and important houses or mansions. Of late years +several of these have been converted into the homes of public +institutions, and the “Young Men’s Christian +Association,” “Gilman’s Insurance +Offices,” and the “Masonic Association,” now +occupy some of the largest of them.</p> +<p>On the north side of this main street, near to Fisher’s +Lane, formerly stood a <i>Domus Dei</i>, or Almshouse, but this +was pulled down about 150 years ago. Browne, writing in +1814, says: “On the south side of this street is the office +of Mack’s London Waggons, which go and return to and from +London every week.” These waggons continued to ply +for many years; and “Mack’s yard,” which +adjoined what is now Mortimer’s Hotel, was a business +centre of considerable importance.</p> +<p>In olden times, <i>Fisher’s Lane</i>, which extends from +St. Giles’s Broad Street to Pottergate Street, was believed +to have been so called as being the road to a fish-quay, which +formerly existed there; but this is now thought to be very +doubtful. The other principal thoroughfares are <i>St. +Giles’s Plain</i>, in which was formerly an open +pit—seen and mentioned by Kirkpatrick, but long since +filled up; <i>Rigby’s Court</i>, leading from it, formerly +called <i>Pit Lane</i>, <a name="page92"></a><span +class="pagenum">p. 92</span>but now known as Rigby’s Court, +from the eminent Dr. Rigby, who once lived at its St. +Giles’s end; and <i>Willow Lane</i>, noteworthy for having +for a time been the residence of the Rev. Francis Blomefield, the +Norfolk historian, and of George Henry Borrow, the celebrated +writer.</p> +<p>The principal <span class="smcap">Public Buildings</span> +are</p> +<p class="gutindent"><i>The Church</i>,</p> +<p class="gutindent"><i>The Church Schools</i>, built in +1862,</p> +<p class="gutindent"><i>The Roman Catholic Chapel</i>, erected in +1828, and</p> +<p class="gutindent"><i>The Volunteer Drill Hall</i>, erected in +1865–6.</p> +<p>Until quite recently the City Prison stood immediately outside +the Gate of St. Giles; but the site of this prison is now +occupied by the Roman Catholic Church, now in process of +erection.</p> +<p>In earlier times a <i>Leper-house</i> existed just beyond the +gate.</p> +<p>Also until recently there existed just beyond the gate a +series of remarkable and ancient <i>chalk vaults</i>, or +excavations. They are described by Mr. Woodward +(“Archæologia” vol. xxiij., p. 411), who showed +a plan of them made by John Bond in 1571. Woodward thinks +they were galleries made to obtain the chalk flints for building +purposes, whilst Mr. Rye says “they were probably worked by +the masons of the Castle and Cathedral for the sake of the +chalk.” They are now filled up.</p> +<p><i>The City Wall</i>, built between 1294 and 1319, surrounded +the outer and western margin of this parish; and St. +Giles’s Gateway, the “Porte de Newport,” or +Gate of Newport, stood at the western end of St. Giles’s +Street. Over this gate, at one time, lived an hermit. +It was pulled down in 1792. In 1867 the greater portion of +this part of the City Wall was also taken down; only a small +portion near the southern end of Chapel Field, <a +name="page93"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 93</span>with one of +the towers, being left standing. A photograph of this +remnant is given in my book on St. Giles’s parish; as well +as views of the Gateway as it existed in 1720 and 1792. The +latter were sketched by the Ninhams, and published by Mr. Fitch +in his work on the Gates of Norwich.</p> +<p><i>Chapel Field</i>, whose history is so strongly interwoven +with that of Norwich, lies on the southern side of St. +Giles’s. It takes its name from a Chapel of St. Mary, +which formerly stood where now is the building used as a High +School for Girls. More than half of it lies in this parish +(4·790 acres out of a total of 8·994 acres). +It was formerly known as Chapel Field Croft; and its ancient +owners are stated by Blomefield to have been the Prior of +Buckenham, the Prioress of Carhowe, and the Dean and College of +the Chapel in the Fields. But it appears to have been +acquired by the City during the sixteenth century, after the +dissolution of the monasteries. Chapel Field was at one +time a sort of <i>Campus Martius</i> of the city, and was used +for the musters and training of the local trained bands, as well +as for military reviews. After its acquirement by the +Corporation, the Field was for a long time usually let out on +lease.</p> +<p>In 1707 it was first railed in. In 1746 its main avenues +of trees were planted by Sir Thomas Churchman. In 1792 a +large portion of it was used for the construction of the +reservoir of the old Norwich Waterworks. In later times it +has been used for the drilling of Militia or Volunteers; as well +as for Volunteer reviews; also for the holding of fêtes, +flower shows, bicycle meetings, and horse shows. The +well-remembered Fisheries Exhibition was held in the Drill Hall +in 1881.</p> +<p>In 1866 the Prince and Princess of Wales each planted a +Wellingtonia tree in the Field, but these did not flourish, <a +name="page94"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 94</span>and have been +removed. In the same year the Field was enclosed with its +present handsome iron palisading, and it has since then been +transformed into the delightful Chapel Field Gardens, as we now +see them, with their special beauties, and the handsome iron +Pavilion in their midst.</p> +<p><i>The Church</i> of St. Giles, dedicated to the Saint of that +name, stands on the north side of Upper St. Giles’s Street; +and is a striking object as we pass up the street, as well as +from many other points of view. It occupies a commanding +position, overlooking much of the surrounding district, and was +anciently called St. Giles’s on the Hill.</p> +<p>Blomefield says it was founded by Elwyn the priest, and given +by him to the Monks of Norwich, after he had procured an +indulgence of twenty days’ pardon for all who should come +and offer here on St. Giles’s Day, or within seven days +after, and it was rebuilt in the time of Richard II. The +chancel, which appears to have been a very long one, was +demolished in 1581, and was not rebuilt until the general +restoration of the Church in 1866, when it was restored mainly at +the cost of the Rev. W. N. Ripley (now Canon Ripley) who was then +Incumbent.</p> +<p>The Church is a fine perpendicular flint-work structure. +The tower is large and well proportioned. It is +battlemented and crowned with a small bell-cot and +weather-cock. It is rather more than 113 feet high, and the +hill upon which it stands is 85·8 feet above the level of +the sea. From its height and conspicuous position, it was +selected in 1549 for placing a cresset, for a fire beacon, upon +its top. There was formerly a Cross and Image of the +Trinity in a niche on the west side of the steeple +(Blomefield). It has a clock on its eastern face, and +contains eight bells, one of which is rung as a Curfew every +evening <a name="page95"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 95</span>at +eight o’clock, as has been the case for more than four +hundred years, in accordance with a benefaction of one John +Colton, in 1457.</p> +<p><i>The Belfry Chamber</i> contains five large steeple-boards, +with many names of ringers.</p> +<p><i>The Porch</i> has a fine groined vault, with fan tracery, +and a rich parapet and cornice.</p> +<p>Kirkpatrick (1712) says of it: “There is a neat porch of +freestone on the south side of the Church for entrance, with a +chamber above it. On each side of the window, which is in +the front, is a niche (with) spired top. On each side of +the arch of the door, cut in stone, is a cherub with an escocheon +before him. That on the east side has two pastoral +staffs. On the (west) a Pall, and at the top of the porch a +border of carved work whereon you see the letter G of the antient +form with a crown upon it and an escocheon with vine branch of +various small ones denoting St. Giles, to whom +dedicated.” (These three niches are now empty.) +“On the north side of Church there is no porch, but only a +door opposite to that of the south.” (This doorway no +longer exists.)</p> +<p>The Church itself consists of new Chancel, Nave, and North and +South Aisles. The whole building is about 120 feet long, +and the nave with its aisles is 48 feet across. The roof is +of good open woodwork, supported by “Angels bearing +shields, emblazoned with the Arms of England, France, and +Castile” (Bayne). And Taylor says the Arms of Norwich +Priory are (or were) seen in this roof. The columns +supporting it are light and elegant. They are four in +number, with a pilaster at each end, and they divide the nave +from the aisles. The clerestory windows have been +modernised. They are five in number, and closely correspond +to the larger windows in the walls of the north and south +aisles. Of these there are five in <a +name="page96"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 96</span>the north +side, and four (and the porch) on the south side.</p> +<p>Blomefield says that “In the west end of the south aisle +there was formerly a chapel, altar, and image of St. Catharine, +with a light burning before it; and against one of the pillars +there was a famous rood called the Brown-rood. There was a +Gild of St. Mary kept before the altar of the Virgin of +Pity. The west window in the north aisle was adorned with +the history of Our Lord’s passion; and there were lights +burning before the images of St. Mary, St. John Baptist, St. +Christopher, St. Unkumber, and St. Wilegesartis; besides those +that continually burned before the Holy-rood, or cross, the Holy +Sepulchre, and the Sacrament.”</p> +<p>Mr. Hudson says that S. Uncumber and S. Wilegesartis, or +Wylgefort, were the same person, and in the <i>St. Peter +Mountergate Parish Magazine</i> for February of this year (1891) +he has thus briefly given her history: “She was a beautiful +maiden who was ordered to marry a man to whom she had a great +aversion. While she was at her wits’ end to know how +to avoid her fate, she was delighted to discover that in the +course of a few hours she had become adorned with a full-grown +and very ugly black beard. This, of course, disposed of the +gentleman. Wylgefort lived to be a happy old maid, and when +she died was honoured as a Saint . . . She was thought to +have some special power to uncumber (<i>i.e.</i> disencumber, +make free) discontented wives from disagreeable husbands. +Hence her popular name.”</p> +<p>The remains of a colossal fresco painting of St. Christopher +and two consecration crosses were discovered on the wall of the +north aisle in 1723.</p> +<p>At the lower end of the Church stands an ancient stone +<i>Font</i>; the upper part, or basin, evidently of much older <a +name="page97"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 97</span>date than the +base, which consists of a pedestal and two steps. The outer +part of the basin has eight facets, carved with shields and +flowers, and below these are eight cherubs’ heads, with +flowers between. The pedestal is carved out on its sides +into niches, having cusped tracery heads. There was +formerly a cover, which has been lost. Standing within the +large basin is a small leaden vessel and cover, a rough miniature +copy of the font itself, made about fifty years ago by Mr. +Culyer, then parish clerk.</p> +<p><i>The Communion Plate</i> <a name="citation97a"></a><a +href="#footnote97a" class="citation">[97a]</a> consists of six +pieces, silver gilt, and presented by Robert Snell in 1738, and +of two brass bowls, presented by Mr. John Gurney in 1869.</p> +<p>The reading desk and pulpit, the organ, the oak fittings, and +the vestry room were all added in 1866, when the whole Church was +restored, and the Chancel rebuilt. <a name="citation97b"></a><a +href="#footnote97b" class="citation">[97b]</a> The building +is thoroughly heated by hot water. The Communion rail was +added about five years ago.</p> +<p>The Church contains several monuments, besides mural tablets +and inscribed stones. The principal of the former are those +of</p> +<p class="gutindent">Adrian Payne, 1686, the founder of +Payne’s Charity.</p> +<p class="gutindent">Robert Snell, 1738, who gave the Communion +Plate.</p> +<p class="gutindent">Alderman Churchman, 1742.</p> +<p class="gutindent">Dr. Offley, 1767.</p> +<p class="gutindent">Sir Thomas Churchman, 1781.</p> +<p class="gutindent">Dr. John Beevor, 1815.</p> +<p class="gutindent">The Stannard Family, 1838.</p> +<p class="gutindent">Slabs to the memory of Henry Crossgrove, +printer, 1744, who published the first Norwich newspaper in 1706; +and <a name="page98"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 98</span>to +Elizabeth, wife of Colonel Cobbe, of Sandringham Hall, 1698, may +also be mentioned.</p> +<p>There are several brasses, the two principal represent Robert +Baxter, Mayor of Norwich in 1424 and 1429, with his wife; and +Richard Purdaunce, Mayor 1422 and 1433, with his wife. Both +of these are figured in Cotman’s “Brasses of +Norfolk.”</p> +<p>Other and smaller brasses are inscribed with the names of John +Smith, Elizabeth Bedingfield, Margaret Landysdale, Thomas Hervey, +and Rachel Spendlove.</p> +<p><i>The Room over the Porch</i> contains some church standards +of former St. Giles’s Mayors; also a dilapidated +‘Parish Umbrella’; and the parish +‘Watchman’s Crake,’ or rattle.</p> +<p><i>The Parish Registers</i> date from 1538, and are very +perfect. The Burial Register shows distinct evidence of the +presence of unusual mortality in some of the well-known +pestilence years. The first part contains a very remarkable +illustrated dedication.</p> +<p><i>The Churchyard</i> was altered and enclosed with a wall and +iron railing in 1866–7. Taylor says that a Hermitage +formerly existed in its south-west corner.</p> +<p>There are several and important parish <i>Charities</i>; their +proceeds being partly for Church purposes, and partly for the +benefit of poor parishioners.</p> +<p>The incumbency has an endowment of about £70 a +year. It was formerly a Perpetual Curacy, and is now a +Vicarage. It is in the gift of the Dean and Chapter. +A vicarage house for the minister has been purchased quite +recently.</p> +<p style="text-align: center"> +<a href="images/p99.jpg"> +<img alt= +"The Tower of St. Giles’s Church" +title= +"The Tower of St. Giles’s Church" +src="images/p99.jpg" /> +</a></p> +<h2><a name="page99"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 99</span>IX.<br +/> +THE TOWER OF ST. GILES’S CHURCH,<br /> +<i>And some things in relation thereto</i>. <a +name="citation99"></a><a href="#footnote99" +class="citation">[99]</a></h2> +<p class="gutsumm">By “relation thereto” I mean that +my paper will first speak of myself—my personality and my +belongings—and then recall to your memory a few of those +changes and events of interest which have taken place in my +neighbourhood and surroundings.</p> +<p>Perhaps I ought to apologize for bringing before such a +learned branch of the Church of England Young Men’s +Society, as is this its Literary Class, so many familiar facts +and events as are here alluded to. But nevertheless, I have +thought that there might be some considerable interest in +grouping and recalling to our minds a few such items connected +with one city centre, and especially as they might be supposed to +be noted by such an eyewitness as I have suggested myself to +be. A knowledge of our city, of its specialities, its +changes, and developments, is always good mental store. And +although it might be said—are not many of these things to +be found recorded in the City Archives, and in the volumes of +City History? yet almost certainly many of the members of this +class will not have studied these. And therefore, it may +fairly be hoped that this little paper may stimulate the +historical <a name="page100"></a><span class="pagenum">p. +100</span>bump of some of the brains here present, and arouse in +them a desire to further study such archæological facts and +local histories.</p> +<p>And here let me quote some lines of the Suffolk poet, Bernard +Barton, in reference to the survey or study of past events or +history. He says:—</p> +<blockquote><p>“No useless, or ignoble toil,<br /> +To him who in ‘the past’ delights,<br /> +Seems it—from dark Oblivion’s spoil<br /> +To cull whate’er our taste invites,<br /> +Of by-gone legends, parted rites,<br /> +In earlier days believ’d as true;<br /> +And bid our old ‘Historic Sites’<br /> +Peopled afresh, to charm anew.</p> +<p>“That is no true Philosophy<br /> +Which does not love at times to trace,<br /> +With glowing heart and moisten’d eye,<br /> +Time honoured haunts, whose chiefest grace<br /> +Is to have been <i>their</i> dwelling-place<br /> +Whose names in history’s page are shrined,<br /> +Whose memories time can ne’er erase<br /> +From many a fond admiring mind.”</p> +</blockquote> +<p>Well—my <i>name</i> and <i>title</i> is</p> +<p style="text-align: center"><span class="smcap">The Tower of +St. Giles’s Church</span>,</p> +<p style="text-align: center"><i>and as such I shall speak of +some of the many things which I have seen</i>.</p> +<p>As you may suppose, from the prominent position which +I—the Tower—have for so many centuries occupied in +this old city of ours, I have long since ceased to suffer from +the undue modesty which so often accompanies equally deserving +but less conspicuous merit. I can only hope that you will +agree with my reasons for anticipating <a +name="page101"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 101</span>from you +some of that appreciation and interest which I certainly take in +myself. And I propose to introduce my subject in the novel +way of speaking of myself as personal, and as having noted, +during my long life, various matters to which I shall call your +attention.</p> +<p>As an introduction, I am proud to think that I need only say, +once again, that I am the Tower of St. Giles’s Church, +Norwich. And surely there cannot be many of our citizens +who are in the habit of passing up our broad street, St. +Giles’s (the lower Newport as it used to be called), who +have not been struck with the fine proportions of my structure, +standing as I do at the head of this fine thoroughfare, and +looking and being an object of admiration for my beauty and my +striking position. Many are the beautiful views which I +present to the passer-by in the varying lights of the day, but my +beauty and grandeur are, I think, seen best of all, when in the +evening the sun is setting behind me in the west, or the moon +with her paler light throws down along the length of the main +street of St. Giles, those shadows, which—produced by my +intervening tower—are so well worthy of the admiration of +all who have eyes to see, and minds to appreciate, the glory of +evening views. <a name="citation101"></a><a href="#footnote101" +class="citation">[101]</a></p> +<p>Let me say here in passing that Saint Giles, the saint after +whom I am named, appears to have lived in France; and history +relates that he was adopted as the typical <a +name="page102"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 102</span>Patron of +the crippled portion of humanity from his being himself lame, and +from his having been said to have effected a miraculous cure of a +sick beggar. As such Patron, parishes which, like mine, +were located on the outskirts of towns, have frequently been +given the name of St. Giles, as having had the duty, in the olden +time from their position, of contributing to the needs of passing +wayfarers, and of those requiring Christian charity. And +thus, in Norwich, not only was my own parish named after this +saint, but the so-called “Old Man’s Hospital,” +in Bishopgate Street, at the other end of the city, was also +formerly called St. Giles’s Hospital.</p> +<p>Well, I am the Tower of St. Giles’s Church, and I have +stood in my present position for at least five hundred years, +having been built (or rather rebuilt) in the time of King Richard +the Second (who ceased to reign in 1399). I am twenty-six +feet square, and I am also one of the tallest church towers in +Norwich. And not only so, but I stand in one of the most +conspicuous positions in the city, on the top of St. +Giles’s Hill. I am a square Tower, built like the +adjoining Church, largely of flint stone, nearly 120 feet high, +battlemented at the top, and having also a small cupola or +bell-cup in the centre of my roof, with a conspicuous +weather-cock above this. In earlier times, in consequence +of my height and conspicuous position, I was used as a +Beacon-tower, <i>i.e.</i> a pail containing fuel was hung at one +of my corners, ready to be lighted as a danger signal in case of +invasion or other serious emergency. Such a beacon, as you +may know, was often called a “Cresset,” from the +French “<i>Croisette</i>,” which was a pail with a +cross on its top.</p> +<p>I am proud of my public spirit and loyalty, for on royal and +other special occasions, I raise on my summit a tall flag-staff, +and float from it a large and handsome flag. In <a +name="page103"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 103</span>this, I am +sorry to say, I have too few imitators or companions amongst our +church towers, perhaps for the reason that even such loyalty as +this is expensive, and costs, I am told, some few shillings for +each such display. Amongst my various public uses, you have +probably all seen soldiers from the barracks on my roof +practising flag-drill in connection with others in Chapel +Field.</p> +<p>I have said that I am largely built of flint stone, which is +of a very enduring nature. In consequence I am thankful to +say that I have a very excellent constitution, and have stood the +wear and tear of a long life without requiring much fortifying or +repairing. I can only venture to hazard the bold suggestion +that my excellent health may also, in some mysterious way, have +been due to the near presence of so many Norwich doctors, +residing as they have so largely done in the neighbouring Bethel +and St. Giles’s Streets!! At any rate, for a long +time past I had scarcely wanted professional assistance, until +about two years ago, when two of my windows (or eyes, as I call +them) needed technical help and repair.</p> +<p>Speaking of flint for building, we all know that some of the +finest flint work in the kingdom is to be seen in this city, +notably in St. Miles’s Church, and in a wall in Bridewell +Alley. My flint work is inferior to these, but still +handsomely faced. No doubt the large use of flint stone in +building our Norwich churches was due to the abundant supply of +this material which has existed in the neighbourhood. And +with regard to myself it may well have been that my flints, or +some of them, may have been extracted from the ancient chalk +excavations which until lately existed just beyond St. +Giles’s Gates. Mr. Walter Rye, as you perhaps know, +has also suggested that flints from these caves may have been +used in the building of both the Cathedral and the Norwich +Castle.</p> +<p><a name="page104"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 104</span>As +curiously illustrating local specialities, one of my parishioners +has told me that when travelling some few years ago in Cornwall, +where granite and other hard rocks prevail, but no gravel or +flints, he asked one of the residents whom he met, if she knew of +flint stones, to which she replied, “Oh! yes, I know +flints, I have seen one in the Museum at Torquay.” I +much fear that not even one flint is to be seen in our grand +Museum on the Castle Hill!</p> +<p>Whilst on the subject of myself (the Tower), I may mention +<span class="smcap">the Clock</span>, which has so long existed +on my eastern face, and which, judging from the constant +reference made to it by the passing throngs, is an undoubted +public boon. To the parish it is a source of some +expense.</p> +<p>This Clock was restored and re-coloured at the general +restoration of the Church in 1865–6, when the figure of +<i>Old Time</i>, holding a scythe in his hand (as many of us will +remember), was removed. The Clock face and Clock hands do +not look to the passer-by to be very large; but I find, on +measurement, that the diameter of the Clock face is 10 ft., that +the Roman letter numbers on it measure 1½ ft., that the +length of the large hand is 6 ft. 5½ in., with a weight of +21 lbs., and that of the small hand 3 ft. 4 in., with a weight of +8 lbs. My Clock has belonging to it a special Clock +Bell.</p> +<p>Then, as to my contents. As this is an Autobiography, +and as all Autobiographers are necessarily egotistical, you must +allow me to dwell a few minutes more upon my personal +specialities. And first, as to my <i>Peal of Bells</i>, +eight in number, which are naturally of great interest to myself, +and which hold a high place among the various peals of +Norwich. These, according to the high authority of the late +Mr. L’Estrange, were placed in me between the years <a +name="page105"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 105</span>1593, or +earlier, and 1738, and they were renovated and restored in 1870, +at the expense of Messrs. Browne, Bridgman, and Firth, +parishioners of St. Giles. (One of these bells is what is +called a <i>Gabriel</i> Bell—the “Angel Gabriel +brought the good tidings to the Virgin Mary.”) And +think for a moment what phases of life these bells have taken +part in during all these hundreds of years. I find that +since 1538, when our parish registers begin, some 2,524 entries +of <i>marriage</i> have been made in them. And it is +reasonable to suppose that at a fair proportion of these, +especially in earlier times, my bells have rung out their merry +chimes, and in their special language have wished all joy and +happiness to the newly wedded pairs. You remember how Byron +speaks of this: “And all went merry as a marriage +bell.”</p> +<p>On the other hand, during the same period, or, rather, up to +1856, when interments in the Churchyard ceased by Act of +Parliament, <i>i.e.</i> in 318 years, nearly ten thousand (9,770, +as roughly counted) entries of <i>burials</i> here are made in +the parish register books. And it is almost certain that +one of my bells has announced first the fact of the death, and +then that of the mournful ceremony of interment, in each of these +cases. Just think, as I do, of all these ten thousand dead +lying at my foot, waiting, as Baring Gould has so beautifully +said, for the “Resurrection morning,” when +“soul and body meet again.” Such an +accumulation of mortal remains in so limited a space may well +arouse much and solemn reflection. How well a Suffolk poet +reverently describes such a disused graveyard as mine now is, +where he says:—</p> +<blockquote><p>“The gathered ashes of long centuries +rest;<br /> +A few <i>white</i> tombstones and a few <i>dim-gray</i>,<br /> +Mark names that have not yet quite passed away.”</p> +</blockquote> +<p><a name="page106"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 106</span>Nor +can I fail to quote to you Gray’s beautiful words, so +applicable to such a disused churchyard:—</p> +<blockquote><p>“Hark! how the sacred calm, that breathes +around,<br /> + Bids every fierce tumultuous passion cease,<br /> +In still small accents whispering from the ground,<br /> + A grateful earnest of eternal peace.”</p> +</blockquote> +<p>The graveyard of St. Giles, which lies beneath and around me, +is, as I have already said, no longer used for burials. It +is quite full and crowded with graves and many memorial +tombstones. The names upon these, as far as legible, are +fully and completely given in the book which has been published +by a parishioner of mine, <a name="citation106"></a><a +href="#footnote106" class="citation">[106]</a> upon the +“Parish of St. Giles.”</p> +<p>It is historically interesting to know that the burial +registers, by the increased number of interments in some of the +long past years, point unmistakably to the prevalence in Norwich +at those times of the dread Pestilence or Plague, which is +recorded as having ravaged the city from time to time. +Thus, in 1603, no less than 112 persons were buried here; and in +1666, some 79—both of these “Plague +years”—instead of a normal average of twenty or +thirty. As you may suppose, I (the Tower) shared acutely in +the distress which then reigned in the city, intensified as it +was to me by the fact of three or four burials occasionally +taking place here in the same day. In some other years, an +increase of burials may probably have arisen from this place of +mortal rest having been a favourite one, and, therefore, selected +for the interment of some who had not been resident in the +parish. This was certainly so in the fifty years preceding +the closure of the churchyard, when fifty, sixty, or seventy were +often annually interred here.</p> +<p><a name="page107"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 107</span>But +to return to my bells. The perpetuation of the old custom +of ringing each night what is called the <i>Curfew Bell</i> in my +Tower is well known to us all. This Curfew ringing is now +an anachronism, but it doubtless was a great boon at the time of +its foundation, seeing that so many legacies were left in various +places, as here, for the purpose of having a “Curfew” +rung each night in perpetuity.</p> +<p>My Curfew Bell, instituted and endowed in 1457, by Mr. John +Colston, and who was buried in St. Giles’s Church, has now +rung continuously for some 450 years. And although some +people may think this evening tolling of a bell for a quarter of +an hour a nuisance, it has in this particular case this merit, +that it acts, or has done, as a sort of daily almanac, seeing +that the day of the month is told at the end of the quarter of an +hour’s ringing, each evening, by a number of strokes on a +different bell, corresponding to the day of the month.</p> +<p>The name “Curfew,” you doubtless know to be +derived from the French <i>Couvre-feu</i>, or cover fire. +And also that the custom in olden times of a public ringing of a +bell, or sounding a horn, for the putting out of fires and +retiring into houses for the night, arose from the out-door +dangers of those less civilised times, and from the inflammable +nature of many of the wooden and thatched houses then +existing. One such fire in Norwich (in 1507) is said to +have destroyed seven hundred houses, including many in my own +parish. Who does not know Gray’s lines on this Curfew +custom?</p> +<blockquote><p>“The Curfew tolls the knell of parting +day,<br /> + The lowing herd winds slowly o’er the lea;<br +/> +The ploughman homeward plods his weary way,<br /> + And leaves the world to darkness and to +me.”</p> +</blockquote> +<p><a name="page108"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 108</span>And +we doubtless also remember Longfellow’s beautiful verses on +this old custom:—</p> +<blockquote><p>“Solemnly, mournfully,<br /> + Dealing its dole,<br /> +The Curfew Bell<br /> + Is beginning to toll.</p> +<p>“Cover the embers,<br /> + And put out the light;<br /> +Toil comes with the morning,<br /> + And rest with the night.</p> +<p>“Dark grow the windows,<br /> + And quenched is the fire;<br /> +Sound fades into silence;<br /> + All footsteps retire.</p> +<p>“No voice in the chambers,<br /> + No sound in the hall;<br /> +Sleep and oblivion<br /> + Reign over all!”</p> +</blockquote> +<p>With all this, and what I have now said, I think I may claim +that I—the Tower—have fully discharged the general +duty of public usefulness, and am a great public +benefactor. My beacon pail is no longer required; but by my +weather-cock I tell the direction of the wind; by my clock I tell +the time of day; and by the final strokes of my curfew bell at +night, I act as an almanac, and tell the day of the +month—for the benefit not only of my neighbours, but to the +great multitude of the passers-by. <a name="citation108"></a><a +href="#footnote108" class="citation">[108]</a> And let it +not be forgotten that all this implies not only the discharge of +public duty, but also <a name="page109"></a><span +class="pagenum">p. 109</span>the expenditure of money, necessary +to keep the various arrangements for these in correct and working +order—money which has to be provided by the parish of St. +Giles.</p> +<p>Opinions as to the desirability of the ringing of the +<i>Church Bells</i> in towns differ, as we know, +considerably. And every now and then we read a letter in a +newspaper in condemnation of them. But I believe that those +who think thus are in a very small minority. I have said +how well they emphasize such occasions as weddings, and +funerals. And I think they most appropriately add to the +expression of public rejoicing on such occasions as the election +of a new Mayor, or a royal visit, or a royal anniversary—or +especially on the eve of such a great Christian festival as +Christmas or Easter. But beyond all this, I (the Tower) +consider that they are in the best sense public music, and that +when well rung this music is of a very high order indeed. +Who does not recognise the grandeur of the great twelve-bell peal +of St. Peter Mancroft, as rung by the skilled ringers of that +church, or the solemnity imparted to a public mourning by the +muffled peal occasionally rung, on the departure from this world +of some great local or national citizen?</p> +<p>In country villages I know that the possession of a good peal +of church bells is usually very highly appreciated, and the +practice of the ringing cannot be otherwise than an excellent +musical training for the young men of the parish.</p> +<p>It is curious how little regard <i>Jackdaws</i> pay to the +noise of clanging bells. In my tower, as elsewhere, they +habitually build their nests, and rear their young, apparently +quite free from alarm at the noise. From their constant +selection of church towers as breeding <a +name="page110"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 110</span>places, may +we not suppose that these birds have ears for music, or may even +practice singing amongst their family parties, to the +accompanying chimes?</p> +<p>I have windows on all four of my sides, and until lately +(1866), when the Church was so thoroughly restored, I had an eye +in my lower eastern portion which enabled me to view the changes +which have taken place in the interior of the Church. Long, +long ago, I noted the dilapidation of the Chancel, and its final +demolition and removal (in 1581), on a bargain being made by +which the parish was allowed to take all the remaining lead, +stone, and other materials (for some parochial charity) belonging +to it, on condition that the Dean and Chapter were no longer to +be held liable for its repair. This <i>Chancel</i> I had +the pleasure of seeing rebuilt in 1866, mainly through the +beneficence of Rev. Canon Ripley, then incumbent of the vicarage, +when also the Church was finely restored, and reseated.</p> +<p>You are aware that the years 1903–4 represent the +five-hundredth anniversary of the giving of a Mayor to the City +of Norwich. Several St. Giles’s inhabitants have held +this important office, as well as that of Sheriff, during all +those centuries, but I will only specially mention the names of +<i>Richard Purdaunce</i> and of <i>Robert Baxter</i>, who were +very early Mayors, in 1420 and 1424 respectively, and who were +interred in the nave of this Church, with brasses over their +tombs. These still remain, and are of considerable interest +as showing the costumes of the period.</p> +<p>And now as to the parish of St. Giles itself, in which I +stand, I cannot but recall with satisfaction the large number of +residents who have been in their day most important and +influential citizens in various departments of life. As +public men I will only mention the <a name="page111"></a><span +class="pagenum">p. 111</span>names of a few such departed +neighbours whose careers and public services I have +watched. Let us only recall the names (given +alphabetically) in public life of such examples as Baxter, +Beevor, Bolingbroke, Cadge, Chapman, Churchman, Cole, Crosse, +Day, Foster, Herring, Kinghorn, Johnson, Lubbock, Offley, +Purdaunce, Ranking, Rigby, Suffield, Taylor, Wilkins; or as +ornaments of the literary and artistic world, such names as +Brand, Blomefield, Borrow, Crossgrove, Charlotte Elizabeth, +Daniel, Ninham—and now we may add that of Bateman. +This, you will agree with me, is a goodly list, and marks out St. +Giles’s parish as having been one of the most important +residential districts in the city, and as having largely +contributed to its welfare and general reputation. And in +this regard we may well regret that so many of the fine parish +residences have been or are being absorbed by public companies or +other bodies; and that in consequence, the most actively +important men of the city are gradually being driven to other and +more distant localities. And we may even note here how the +neighbouring and almost historical old “Norfolk +Hotel” has been swept away, and its site occupied by a +modern variety theatre.</p> +<p>Further, as a sign of the times, I may mention to you a spot +in St. Giles’s Street, situated behind +“Mortimer’s Hotel,” which was long known as +“<i>Mack’s Yard</i>.” Mr. Mack was for a +long period the enterprising proprietor of some carrier waggons, +which made a weekly journey to and from London, carrying parcels +and goods. This was in the days when the stage coaches to +London occupied two days in the journey; and when the starting of +these coaches, as well as of Mack’s waggons, was an +interesting incident of Norwich life.</p> +<p><a name="page112"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 112</span>So +much for my immediate personal relations. Let me now look a +little further around and beyond me.</p> +<p>No doubt, almost everyone present this evening, when crossing +Mousehold Park, or when passing along the roads on the outskirts +of the city, will have noted how I—the Tower—stand +out more prominently than any other object than the Castle or the +Cathedral spire. And, on the other hand, those of our +younger citizens who may have ascended to my summit, can bear +testimony to the wide and expanded views from it of the +surrounding country. In fact, I command a view, not only of +much of the city, but also of the neighbourhood for many miles +around. And this commanding position has enabled me to note +most of those great changes, and improvements, which have taken +place—by slow degrees and with many fluctuations—in +the city generally. And, of course, I have keenly felt the +change in my own position which the recent spread of the city all +around me has produced. Not so very long ago I was situated +in its very outskirts, and very close to the boundary City +Walls. Now, I am almost in the heart of Norwich, and from +my summit I can see the lines of houses extending a mile or more +beyond me, and, I fear, detracting by their extent from the +conspicuous dignity of the position which I had so long +enjoyed.</p> +<p>Of the many more distant but important Norwich events of the +past centuries, which from my lofty position I have been enabled +to witness, I will only mention two or three which have specially +impressed me, thus:—</p> +<p>In King Edward VI.’s reign, I was able to note many of +the incidents connected with Kett’s Rebellion.</p> +<p>A little later, I saw the reflection of the fires at the +Lollard’s pit, when Bilney and others were there burnt for +their religious opinions.</p> +<p><a name="page113"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 113</span>I saw +the processions attending the visits to Norwich of Queen +Elizabeth, and of King Charles II. And you will remember +that it was on this latter occasion that our distinguished +citizen, Sir Thomas Browne, to whom we have so recently erected a +statue, received the honour of Knighthood from his Sovereign.</p> +<p>Then again, I was cognizant of the blowing down of the +Cathedral spire, during a great storm, in 1601; and of the spire +of the St. Andrew’s Hall tower.</p> +<p>And, shall I say, with how much regret in quite later times, I +witnessed the riotous and disgraceful scenes which took place at +some of the Parliamentary elections held in +Norwich—followed, as we know, by the exciting but not too +pleasant “Chairing” of the elected candidates.</p> +<p>In my more immediate neighbourhood I have watched the +foundation (in 1714) and the subsequent career of that beautiful +example of Christian charity, the well-known Bethel Hospital for +the poorer class of insane patients. We all know that in +those earlier times, simply to remove from the general community +and to house those suffering from mental derangement, was all +that was known to be able to be done for those thus +afflicted. But I have been charmed to note from my +window-eyes how greatly their treatment has been improved in +latter times, and to watch with pathetic interest the great +changes which have been made, and are still continually being +made, for the comfort and recreation and general welfare of the +patients in this beneficent institution. <a +name="citation113"></a><a href="#footnote113" +class="citation">[113]</a></p> +<p>Very numerous and historically important are the changes and +advances and improvements which have <a name="page114"></a><span +class="pagenum">p. 114</span>taken place in our city during the +last 150 years, and which I have witnessed from my lofty +summit.</p> +<p>In 1770, I saw the first <i>Norfolk and Norwich Hospital</i> +built, and I have seen the old building replaced (in +1879–1881) by a larger and handsomer structure.</p> +<p>In 1792, I saw our <i>St. Giles’s Gate</i>, along with +many others, taken down and removed; whilst, in 1867, I saw much +of the neighbouring <i>City Wall</i> demolished, only a small +piece of it being left in the Chapel Field Road, and in the +adjacent “Duck Lane.”</p> +<p>You will remember that this defensive wall was built around +the city between the years 1294 and 1319, and was broken down +between the St. Stephen’s and St. Giles’s Gates by +Earl Warwick’s army, in the time of Kett’s +Rebellion.</p> +<p>Then I have seen numerous churches and chapels, factories, and +other large buildings, arise in various parts of the +city—these latter including the Norwich Union Workhouse, +the Jenny Lind Infirmary, and (in the far distance) the Hellesdon +Asylum.</p> +<p>I have also witnessed the laying-out of the new Norwich +Cemetery, and its more recent enlargement. And at my very +foot I have noted the erection of our Volunteer Drill Hall, and +the removal of the old City Gaol. The closure of this +latter, and of the Castle as a prison, and their replacement by a +single model prison on Mousehold Hill, marking the advances of +the times and the progressive development of political +humanity.</p> +<p>Of the grand Castle Museum, which is in my full view, I need +say nothing. Its influence in spreading knowledge, and in +developing the higher and better faculties of the mind, are +obvious to all. I am pleased to learn of the interest taken +in it by the public, as shown by the visiting of it by the more +than 100,000 persons who annually resort to it.</p> +<p><a name="page115"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 115</span>If I +do not weary you, I would now like to claim your attention for a +very few minutes to what may fairly be termed my “Home +Circle,” that is, to the events which I have witnessed +immediately around me in <i>recent</i> times. Several of +these have been closely connected with the neighbouring +“<i>Chapel Field</i>,” formerly a real and open +field, but now a charming recreation garden, and one of the +beauty spots of our city, with the present handsome palisading +around it, erected in 1866. The avenues of trees which +adorn this field are, or were, one of its great features.</p> +<p>And it is worth noting that Norwich history relates that the +main west avenue was planted in 1746 by Sir Thomas Churchman, +then a resident in St. Giles’s parish and an important +citizen. The ordinary age of elm trees is (I believe) not +greatly more than a century and a-half, and consequently some of +these trees have decayed in their branches or trunks. But +until a few months ago a long row of the elms towered up to their +eighty or ninety feet of height, in great beauty and apparent +vigour. I need not say with what pain I looked down upon +the process of lopping and topping which was carried out upon +these, or how I grieved over such a dire necessity for this +operation as was alleged to exist.</p> +<p>One other example of tree grandeur existed until the other day +in the northern avenue, namely, a splendid specimen of the +<i>Aspen Poplar</i>, towering nearly one hundred feet high, and +an object of extreme beauty to all who could appreciate such +arboreal grandeur. Even so long ago as 1841 this tree was +figured by <i>Grigor</i> in his work on “The Remarkable +Trees of Norfolk,” as a fine example of this poplar. +And we may well feel how the further sixty-three years of its +life had added to its size, its dignity, and its grandeur. +I greatly regret that <a name="page116"></a><span +class="pagenum">p. 116</span>since the late great gale it has +been thought necessary to remove several of its upper branches, +and so destroy all its grandeur. But the old line, +“Woodman, spare that tree” for the greatest possible +length of time was, I hope, fully in the minds of those who +presided over its fate.</p> +<p>The splendid <i>Horse-Chestnut</i> tree near the centre of the +field is familiar to us all, and I have watched its growth and +circular uniformity with pleasure and interest.</p> +<p>This Chapel Field, as you may know, takes it name from a +Chapel of St. Mary, which formerly existed on the site of the +present Theatre and High School buildings. At that time the +ground was really an open field; and it seems to have been +acquired by the Corporation in the sixteenth century.</p> +<p>Probably few, and perhaps none, of those present in this room, +can remember as I do the big water reservoir of the proprietors +of the Norwich Water Works of that date, which formerly existed +in Chapel Field, near its centre, on ground leased by them from +the Corporation. This reservoir was large, nearly three +hundred yards in circumference, and had on its north side a +tower, into which water was forced to gain height for supplying +the higher portions of the city. It remained here from 1792 +until 1852, just sixty years, when the lease of the ground was +surrendered, the works demolished, and the new and enlarged +reservoirs of the present Norwich Water Works Company, at +Lakenham, were substituted.</p> +<p>I may mention here a rumour which reached me, and which I have +no doubt was true, that in April, 1852, the Corporation of +Norwich proposed to place the statue of Lord Nelson, which had +just then been executed for Norwich, “on an elegant +fountain pedestal <a name="page117"></a><span class="pagenum">p. +117</span>in the centre of this reservoir,” which was then +about to be disused. <a name="citation117"></a><a +href="#footnote117" class="citation">[117]</a></p> +<p>I have, of course, noted many public events which have taken +place in the Chapel Field—martial, agricultural, and +otherwise. But naturally, a great impression has been made +upon me by observing the historical visits of their Royal +Highnesses the Prince and Princess of Wales (now our gracious +King and Queen) in 1866 and 1884, on both which occasions they +entered Norwich by St. Giles’s Gates. The visit of +1866 was, as you will remember, the first they had paid to +Norwich, and they were then entertained by Lord and Lady +Stafford, at Costessey Hall. The royal party then included +the Queen of Denmark (mother of the Princess), and the Duke of +Edinburgh; and the procession entered our street under a +<i>triumphal arch</i> erected on the site of the old St. +Giles’s Gate. They then attended a morning concert of +the Musical Festival then being held; and afterwards returned to +Chapel Field, where the Prince and Princess each planted a +“Wellingtonia” tree, and afterwards formally opened +the new <i>Drill Hall</i>.</p> +<p>In 1884 they again attended our Musical Festival, and entered +and left the city by St. Giles’s Street.</p> +<p>On both these occasions I noted with great pleasure the large +crowds of citizens who lined the route of the processions, and +the enthusiastic manner in which they welcomed our royal +visitors.</p> +<p>All will remember the recent visit of T.R.H. the Duke and +Duchess of York (now the Prince and Princess <a +name="page118"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 118</span>of Wales), +when they came to open our new Castle Museum. But my views +of the royal procession were from my position unfortunately +considerably limited. I am glad, however, to know that one +of my parishioners was Mayor of Norwich, and as such had the +honour to receive and entertain the distinguished party.</p> +<p>I—the Tower—have several eyes, but no proper ears, +only vibratory sensations, and consequently can only hear +indistinctly the sweet sounds of the various bands and singers +that now delight so many thousands of Norwich citizens during the +summer season in Chapel Field. But that these musical +entertainments are appreciated, I can <i>see</i> by the large +numbers of persons who attend the concerts and listen to the +music provided for them. It is not to be doubted that these +frequent musical treats constitute a veritable branch of mental +education.</p> +<p>In the city generally, I have during the last half century +noted the opening of several parks and public recreation grounds, +and I have watched with pleasure the gradually increasing numbers +of citizens, old and young, who avail themselves of the +opportunities which these afford for obtaining fresher air, +exercise, health, and vitality. Amongst these, you may be +sure of the special and daily delight I take in watching the +games and gymnastics of the children, in the corner of Chapel +Field just below me, which has been allotted to them, and which +was so kindly fitted up for them by the late Mr. Henry +Birkbeck.</p> +<p>I will only further say, of the many vast changes and items of +social progress in latter years, that I have seen with wonder and +astonishment the advent of steam carriages, and the opening in +Norwich of three railway stations, receiving trains, some of +which have travelled more than fifty miles an hour. Also +that as an illuminant, I was long familiar only with the use of +oil, shedding its feeble light, <a name="page119"></a><span +class="pagenum">p. 119</span>this being superseded by the gas +derived from coal. But, quite recently, I have opened my +eyes to their widest to observe the lighting of our windows and +streets with electric light, and the working of tram carriages +upon rails through our main streets (including my own street of +St. Giles) by means of the electric current.</p> +<p>Norwich generally, like other cities and towns, has in the +centuries marched along the line of steady and continuous +developments. Such a brief mention as I have made of some +of these is all that can now be given. To give a larger +<i>local</i> history of these latter eventful times would occupy +us too long, and would not only be tedious to such an audience as +this, but would be beyond my present purpose. I shall be +more than satisfied if, by the little I have said, I have shown +how much of interest there is in the study of even one locality +in an ancient city like Norwich, and in recalling some of the +half-forgotten facts connected more or less intimately with it; +and if, as a secondary result, it should create, or revive, in +the members of this literary class a wish to include amongst its +contributed papers and subjects for future consideration and +discussion, that branch of literature which is included under the +name of local Archæology. For we must not forget that +past history includes the study, not only of work done and +changes executed, but also a consideration of the men, the human +minds, through whose agency this work and the resulting changes +were carried out. And I trust that we shall all agree with +Dr. Johnson that “Whatever makes the past, the distant, or +the future, predominate over the present, advances us in the +dignity of human beings.”</p> +<p>And I would venture here to quote the following from a late +learned writer on Norwich (Mr. Mark Knights), who has said: +“Wonderful is the amount of thought enveloped <a +name="page120"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 120</span>in the +buildings and history of Norwich. Would that every citizen +had the power to evoke from the monuments of the past the spirit +which gave them form, that they might read their +story.”</p> +<p>Let me conclude by quoting the following opinion from the +well-known pages of “Gilbert White of Selborne,” with +reference to such a local and parochial history as I have +ventured to place before you this evening. This great +authority expresses very strongly the view that “stationary +men should pay attention to the districts in which they reside, +and should publish their thoughts respecting the objects that +surround them.” And again, that a writer upon these +(as he himself so learnedly was), if he should “have lent a +helping hand towards the enlargement of the boundaries of +historical and topographical knowledge; or if he should have +thrown even some small light upon ancient customs and manners, +his purpose would have been fully answered.”</p> +<p>Gentlemen, it is for you to judge whether I have succeeded in +placing before you any interesting facts “respecting the +objects which surround us,” and have “contributed to +the enlargement of the boundaries of (<i>your</i>) historical and +topographical knowledge.”</p> +<p>I have expressed some opinions, and placed before you many +facts. I hope these may provoke some profitable comments or +discussion.</p> +<p style="text-align: center"> +<a href="images/p120.jpg"> +<img alt= +"Sir Thomas Browne" +title= +"Sir Thomas Browne" +src="images/p120.jpg" /> +</a></p> +<h2><a name="page121"></a><span class="pagenum">p. +121</span>X.<br /> +SIR THOMAS BROWNE.</h2> +<p class="gutsumm">A Paper read at a Meeting of the C.E.Y.M.S. +Literary Class, on Monday, March 12th, 1894. <a +name="citation121"></a><a href="#footnote121" +class="citation">[121]</a></p> +<p>I am glad to redeem my promise to read a paper before this +Literary Class, during this present session, upon one of our most +noted British Authors, and I have thought that I could not do +better than to bring before your notice one of those who +literally resided at our very doors; and whose works—if not +so generally read as those of many other writers—are not +the less deserving of careful study, and will well repay any time +spent upon their perusal. In fact, I make bold to say that +the more they are studied, the more does the great learning +displayed in them impress itself upon us, and the more also does +the high moral nature of the Author make itself felt. I +could well have wished that this brief notice had been more +elaborate and more worthy of the Author, but I may well plead the +great public demands which have recently been made upon my time; +and which often have been so numerous and so continuous, as to +leave but little time for literary work or thought, or indeed for +anything but the ordinary duties of <a name="page122"></a><span +class="pagenum">p. 122</span>each day as it comes round. +The Author whom I have selected for notice this evening is <i>Sir +Thomas Browne</i>, long a resident in this city, for many years a +practising physician here; a gentleman who enjoyed the highest +reputation even in his own lifetime, as a man of high character +and great literary attainments; who enjoyed personal and literary +acquaintanceship with many of the greatest men of his day; and +whose works attracted the notice of the learned and the great +from the first moment of their public appearance.</p> +<p>The house in which Sir Thomas Browne resided is the one +immediately opposite to the entrance to this building; and a +portion of it is now the Norfolk and Norwich Savings Bank, just +across the street. I am unable to say how far Sir Thomas +Browne’s house extended at the time of his occupation of +it; undoubtedly many of the buildings to the north and east of it +have been erected since his time; and as we are told of his +extensive garden adjoining it, it is probable that this latter +extended far up to, or possibly even on to Orford Hill. It +is also believed that he had another garden somewhere upon +Mousehold.</p> +<p>Sir Thomas Browne was not a native of Norwich, for he appears +to have been born in London in 1605. He settled in practice +here in 1634 or 1636, and continued to reside here until 1682, +when he died at the age of 77 years. He was buried in the +chancel of St. Peter Mancroft church in this city, and a tablet +to his memory hangs on the adjoining wall, with a notable +inscription, which any of you can go and see for yourselves, but +which is too long for me to reproduce here.</p> +<p>I am able to show you an engraving from a portrait of him +which long hung neglected in the Vestry Room of St. +Peter’s, but which now occupies a more worthy position on +the walls of the Board Room of the Norfolk and Norwich <a +name="page123"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 123</span>Hospital. +<a name="citation123"></a><a href="#footnote123" +class="citation">[123]</a> I can also show you a copy of +the 7th edition of his works, dated 1686.</p> +<p>Sir Thomas Browne was knighted in 1671, on the occasion of a +visit of King Charles II. to this city. The King at first +offered to confer this honour upon the Mayor of Norwich, but his +worship declining the compliment, Dr. Thomas Browne was knighted +in his stead.</p> +<p>I have said that Sir Thomas Browne was buried in the Chancel +of St. Peter Mancroft Church. Here he appears to have +rested in peace for nearly two hundred years, when in +1840—as recorded by Mr. Fitch—(Proceedings of the +Archæological Institute, 1847) “Some workmen who were +employed in digging a vault in the Chancel of the Church of St. +Peter’s Mancroft, Norwich, accidentally broke, with a blow +of the pick axe, the lid of a coffin, which proved to be that of +one whose residence within its walls conferred honour on Norwich +in olden times.” “The bones of the skeleton +were found to be in good preservation, particularly those of the +skull; the hair profuse and perfect, of a fine auburn colour, +similar to that in the portrait presented to the parish by Dr. +Howman” (who in later times occupied his house, now the +Savings Bank).</p> +<p>The coffin plate bore a Latin inscription, which was +translated by the late Mr. Firth, of this city, +thus—“The very distinguished man, Sir Thomas Browne, +Knight, Doctor of Medicine, aged 77 years, who died on the 19th +of October, in the year of our Lord, 1682, sleeping in this +coffin of lead, by the dust of his alchemic body transmuted it +into a coffer of gold.”</p> +<p>You are all, doubtless, familiar with the fact that the skull +of this great man was then taken away, and finally presented to +the Museum of the Norfolk and Norwich <a name="page124"></a><span +class="pagenum">p. 124</span>Hospital, where, along with a lock +of his hair, it still remains, carefully preserved and held in +high honour. And you have doubtless heard and read of the +efforts which have recently been made to re-obtain possession of +it and again consign it to its mother earth. The numerous +letters and papers which have appeared in the public press, +discussing this question, are also fresh in all your minds, and +give nearly every aspect of the matter. One good thing at +least they have affected, and that is, to bring Sir Thomas +Browne’s name into greater prominence than for many long +years. And I have no doubt that this incident, together +with a reviving interest in the works of this great Norwich +writer and thinker, have resulted in his being more famous to-day +in Norwich than at any former period since that of his actual +residence here and of the years immediately following his +decease.</p> +<p>Much has been made, during this discussion, of a paragraph in +Sir Thomas Browne’s disquisition on urn-burial. He is +said to have, almost prophetically, described this incident of +the removal of his own skull from his tomb, when he wrote +“to be <i>knaved</i> out of our graves, to have our skulls +made drinking bowls, and our bones turned into pipes, to delight +and sport our enemies, are tragical abominations escaped in +burning burials.” But, I think the whole force of +this extract is removed by turning to Wilkin’s edition, +where this passage runs, “to be <i>gnawed</i> (not knaved) +out of our graves,” which clearly gives it a very different +meaning.</p> +<p>Sir Thomas Browne married a few years after settling in +Norwich (in 1641), a daughter of Edward Mileham, Esq., of +Burlingham St. Peter, in this county, and granddaughter of John +Hobart, Esq., by whom he had ten children. Of these ten, +his eldest son, Dr. Edward Browne, became very eminent in his +profession. He practised in <a name="page125"></a><span +class="pagenum">p. 125</span>London, where he was made Physician +to King Charles II., and he was afterwards appointed Physician to +St. Bartholomew’s Hospital, and later became President of +the Royal College of Physicians.</p> +<p>Sir Thomas Browne appears to have enjoyed for many years a +very considerable practice in this city. But he was also an +archæologist, a naturalist, a studier of plants and +animals. He had as personal friends or literary +correspondents such men as Sir Robert Paston, Sir Hamon +L’Estrange, Sir Kenelm Digby, John Evelyn, Sir William +Dugdale, and Bishop Hall, and he appears to have found time to +carry on a very large literary correspondence. He lived in +Norwich from 1634 to 1682, which included the dangerous times of +the Stuarts, of the Long Parliament, and of the +Commonwealth. But he appears to have been a staunch +Royalist. He was knighted, as I have said, by King Charles +II., on the occasion of his visiting Norwich in 1671.</p> +<p>Later in this year he was visited by the well-known Evelyn, +whose oft quoted passage respecting him runs thus—“My +Lord Henry Howard . . . would needs have me go with him to +Norwich, promising to convey me back after a day or two; this, as +I could not refuse, I was not hard to be persuaded to, having a +desire to see that famous scholar and physitian, Dr. T. Browne, +author of the ‘Religio Medici,’ and ‘Vulgar +Errors,’ etc., now lately knighted.” And he +adds, “Next morning I went to see Sir Tho. Browne (with +whom I had some time corresponded by letter, tho’ I had +never seen him before). His whole house and garden being a +paradise and cabinet of rarities, and that of the best +collections, especially medails, books, plants, and natural +things. Amongst other curiosities, Sir Thomas had a +collection of the eggs of all the foule and birds he could +procure. . . . He led me to see all <a +name="page126"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 126</span>the +remarkable places of this ancient citty being one of the largest, +and certainly, after London, one of the noblest of England, for +its venerable Cathedrall, number of stately churches, cleanesse +of the streetes, and buildings of flints, so exquisitely headed +and squared, as I was much astonished at. . . . The Castle +is an antique extent of ground, which now they call Marsfield, +and would have been a fitting area to have placed the ducal +palace on. The suburbs are large, the prospects sweete, +with other amenities, not omitting the flower gardens, in which +all the inhabitants excel. The fabric of stuffs brings a +vast trade to this populous towne.”</p> +<p>Sir Thomas Browne was, as is evident from even a cursory study +of his works, a great student. He understood most of the +European languages, Latin and Greek critically, and a little +Hebrew, and it is quite certain that he must have studied +carefully, not only the Christian Scriptures, but also the works +of many of the ancient fathers of the Christian Church. His +memory of what he had read must have been prodigious. But +though he was so learned a man, a traveller, a student of +languages, a naturalist, a medical practitioner, and in many +respects doubtless ahead of his time, yet a sad blot exists upon +his generally great character, and scientific acumen. I +allude to the evidence which he gave at Bury St. Edmund’s, +in 1664, at the trial before Lord Chief Baron Hale, of two women +for witchcraft. Sir Thomas appears to have been a firm +believer in witches and witchcraft, and the declaration which he +made to this effect “was thought to have had no small +influence in occasioning the condemnation of the wretched +victims, whose execution was one of the latest instances of the +kind by which the English annals are disgraced.”</p> +<p>After his death his widow resided in his house until her <a +name="page127"></a><span class="pagenum">p. +127</span>death. Then it was occupied by Dr. Howman, who +presented the portrait of the knight to St. Peter’s +Mancroft. A large portion of his letters and manuscripts +passed into the hands of Sir Hans Sloane, and are now in our +National Library at the British Museum.</p> +<p>During this present century the house has been dismantled and +converted to its new purposes, and its fittings dispersed. +A handsome carved mantel-piece, removed from one of the rooms by +the builder, is now in the possession of Mr. Henry Birkbeck, of +Stoke; and the very keys of the house were long treasured as +relics by the late Mr. Barker, of Thorpe Hamlet.</p> +<p>But I must not dwell longer upon his personality and personal +history, interesting though they be, in the light of his being a +Norwich man, and the most famous of Norwich authors. If you +wish to know more of his biography, you will find it all +excellently given in the memoir of him written by Dr. Samuel +Johnson, and which, together with a supplemental memoir by Simon +Wilkin, is prefaced to the edition of his works in three volumes, +published by Bohn in 1852, and edited by Wilkin.</p> +<p>We must next consider to what Sir Thomas Browne owes his great +literary fame, and upon what his claims rest for being one of +this city’s most eminent citizens.</p> +<p>Sir Thomas Browne was a very voluminous writer, and he touched +a great variety of subjects. The greatest of his works, the +one which was published soon after his settling in Norwich, was +undoubtedly that to which he gave the name of “<i>Religio +Medici</i>”—the religion of a physician; implying +thereby, not “that physicians have a religion to +themselves, but that physicians have religion as well as other +men.” It immediately attracted the attention of the +most learned in the land, and it is certainly the production upon +which his literary fame most largely <a name="page128"></a><span +class="pagenum">p. 128</span>depends. It is quaintly +written, full of odd phrases, original thoughts, and +peculiarities of diction, but equally full of fine sentiments and +expressions of confident religious faith. It is a work +often so quaint in its diction, so stilted in its modes of +expression (as indeed was common in those days), and so +interlarded with specialized or new-coined words, that it is +somewhat difficult to read and understand. But its high +qualities and beauties are so great that it richly repays the +trouble of mastering its style; and I venture to assert that the +greatness of its sentiments and thoughts grows upon one by +perusal, and that the oftener it is read the more greatly will it +be appreciated.</p> +<p>To show what was thought of it from the first, it had, by the +year 1736, passed through fourteen editions, and had also been +translated into Latin, French, Dutch and German.</p> +<p>Now let me briefly quote a few passages from this +“<i>Religio Medici</i>,” to show the views and +opinions upon the Christian religion which are therein set +forth.</p> +<p>First, Sir T. Browne says, “I dare without usurpation +assume the honourable style of a Christian, not that I merely owe +this title to the font, or any education . . . but that having in +my riper years and confirmed judgement, seen and examined all, I +find myself obliged by the principles of grace, and the law of +mine own reason, to embrace no other name but this.”</p> +<p>Again, whilst professing himself a member of the reformed +faith, he shows the great charity of his mind by saying “I +could never divide myself from any man upon the difference of an +opinion, or be angry with his judgement for not agreeing with me +in that from which perhaps within a few days I should dissent +myself.”</p> +<p>And speaking of Death, he says “I hold the same conceit +(of the soul) that we all do of the body, that it <a +name="page129"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 129</span>should rise +again,” and in all humility he adds “so that I might +enjoy my Saviour at the last, I could with patience be nothing +almost unto eternity.”</p> +<p>As for the many difficulties and mysteries of our religion, he +expresses an almost blind faith in all that is written. He +writes “I desire to exercise my faith in the difficultest +point: for to credit ordinary and visible objects, is not faith, +but pursuasion;” again, he craves by faith “that +greater blessing pronounced to all that believe and saw +not,” adding “God hath not made a creature that can +comprehend him; ’tis a privilege of his own nature. +‘<i>I am</i>, <i>that I am</i>,’ was his own +definition unto Moses; and ’twas a short one to confound +mortality, that durst question God, or ask him what he +was.”</p> +<p>Speaking of natural, as a confirmation of revealed religion, +he says “there are two books from whence I collect my +divinity. Besides that written one of God, another of his +servant nature, that universal and publick manuscript, that lies +expansed unto the eyes of all.” . . . “Nor do I +so forget God as to adore the name of nature, which I define not, +with the schools, to be the principle of motion and rest, but +that straight and regular line, that settled and constant course +the wisdom of God hath ordained the actions of his creatures, +according to their several kinds.”</p> +<p>And as a comfort to the comparatively weak, he says, in +speaking of Christian martyrs, “’Tis not in the power +of every honest faith to proceed thus far, or to pass to Heaven +through the flames. . . . Yet men may, notwithstanding, in +a peaceful way, truly adore their Saviour, and have, no doubt, a +faith acceptable in the eyes of God.”</p> +<p>These extracts are quite sufficient to show you the tone in +which this great work was written; and to disprove the <a +name="page130"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 130</span>allegation +made by some against Browne of having written an Atheistical +book. It is remarkable that it was placed by the Roman +Church in the <i>Index Expurgatorius</i>.</p> +<p>Sir Thomas Browne wrote yet another religious or +semi-religious book, which was entitled “<i>Christian +Morals</i>.” It is very different in style from the +one just mentioned, and the manner is more that of proverbs or +aphorisms.</p> +<p>He commences by saying “Tread softly and circumspectly +in this . . . narrow path of goodness; pursue virtue virtuously; +leaven not good actions, nor render virtue +disputable.” Again, “In this virtuous voyage of +thy life . . . let not disappointment cause despondency, nor +difficulty despair.” “Rest not in an ovation, +but a triumph over thy passions. Let anger walk hanging +down the head; let malice go manacled, and envy fettered after +thee.”</p> +<p>“Be charitable before wealth make thee covetous, and +lose not the glory of the mite. If riches increase, let thy +mind hold pace with them, and think it not enough to be liberal, +but munificent. Though a cup of cold water may not be +without its reward, yet stick not thou for wine and oil for the +wounds of the distressed.”</p> +<p>“Let not the law of thy country be the <i>non ultra</i> +of thy honesty. . . . Join Gospel righteousness with legal +right.”</p> +<p>“Let not the sun go down upon thy wrath, but write thy +wrongs in ashes. Draw the curtain of night upon injuries, +shut them up in the tower of oblivion, and let them be as though +they had not been. To forgive our enemies, yet hope that +God will punish them, is not to forgive enough.”</p> +<p>“Think not that always good which thou thinkest thou can +always make good, nor that concealed which <a +name="page131"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 131</span>the sun +doth not behold. There is no darkness unto conscience; +which can see without light, and in the deepest obscurity give a +clear draught of things, which the cloud of dissimulation hath +concealed from all eyes.”</p> +<p>As final quotations from “<i>Christian Morals</i>” +let me give these sentences, “Bright thoughts, clear deeds, +constancy, fidelity, bounty, and generous honesty, are the gems +of noble minds,”—and</p> +<p>“Live happy in the Elysium of a virtuously composed +mind. . . . Tranquility is better than jollity, and to +appease pain than to invent pleasure. . . . Forget not the +capital end, and frustrate not the opportunity of once living. . +. . Think every day the last, and live always beyond thy +account.”</p> +<p>I want neither to tire you, nor to read you a sermon at +second-hand. So having now shown you the religious side of +Browne’s character, let me give you some idea of his +learning and acquirements and general industry.</p> +<p>In his grand treatise on <i>Hydriotaphia</i> or +<i>Urn-burial</i>, which he wrote consequent upon the discovery +of some ancient sepulchral urns at Old Walsingham, in Norfolk, he +exemplifies the great stores of knowledge which by his reading +and memory he had accumulated. He quaintly prefaces this +treatise by saying, “Who knows the fate of his bones, or +how often he is to be buried? Who hath the oracle of his +ashes, or whither they are to be scattered?” And then +he goes on to describe the various modes of disposal of the dead +in various ages, and among different nations. For instance, +he says that “Carnal interment or burying was of the elder +date,” as shown by the older examples of Abraham <a +name="page132"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 132</span>and the +Patriarchs. “But the practice of burning was also of +great antiquity, and of no slender extent.” And he +illustrates this by the Grecian funerals of Homer; the funeral +pyre of Hector; and by early records of the practice in various +countries of Asia, in Rome itself, and in different countries of +both Europe and Africa.</p> +<p>Touching the various modes of disposal of the dead, he says, +“The Indian Brachmans thought it the noblest way to end +their days in fire.</p> +<p>“The Chaldeans abhorred fire.</p> +<p>“The Egyptians objected to the merciless consuming of +their bodies by fire, but preserved them, by precious embalments, +depositure in dry earths, or handsome enclosure in glasses.</p> +<p>“The Scythians, who swore by wind and sword, declined +all interment, and made their graves in the air.</p> +<p>“The Icthyophagi, or fish-eating nations about Egypt, +affected the sea for their grave.</p> +<p>“The Chinese, without cremation of their bodies, made +use of trees, and much burning, while they plant a pine tree by +their grave.</p> +<p>“The Jews usually buried their dead, but occasionally +admitted cremation, as when Jabesh burnt the body of Saul, and as +was their practice in times of pestilence.</p> +<p>“The Christians have preferred the practice of the +Patriarchs, returning their bodies, not to ashes, but to +dust.”</p> +<p>He then goes on to discuss the various customs in this respect +of the successive inhabitants of England; and he concludes his +learned and interesting treatise by saying, as to the hopes of +Christians, and the comparative unimportance of the mode of +sepulture, <a name="page133"></a><span class="pagenum">p. +133</span>“To subsist in lasting monuments, to live in +their productions, . . . was large satisfaction unto old +expectations. But all this is nothing in the metaphysicks +of true belief. To live indeed is to be again ourselves, +which being not only a hope, but an evidence in noble believers, +’tis all one to lie in St. Innocents’ Churchyard, or +in the sands of Egypt. Ready to be anything, in the ecstasy +of being ever, and as content with six foot (of earth) as the +<i>Moles</i> of Adrianus.”</p> +<p>But I must hurry on, and next very briefly call your attention +to another of his great works, that which he styled +<i>Pseudodoxia Epidemica</i>, or “Enquiries into many +received tenets and presumed truths, which, examined, prove but +vulgar and common errors.”</p> +<p>These “errors,” which he treats of in papers or +treatises of various lengths, are very numerous, and for even a +cursory knowledge of them I must refer you to the book +itself.</p> +<p>To give you an idea of the subjects, I will only mention a few +of the titles of the errors which he proceeds to +refute:—</p> +<blockquote><p>That crystal is nothing else but ice strongly +congealed,<br /> +That an elephant hath no joints,<br /> +That a pigeon hath no gall,<br /> +Of the Phœnix,<br /> +Of the Basilisk,<br /> +That a Salamander lives in the fire,<br /> +That an ostrich digesteth iron.</p> +</blockquote> +<p>Or, to take another class of subjects—</p> +<blockquote><p>That snails have no eyes,<br /> +Of the picture of Moses with horns,<br /> +That the forbidden fruit was an apple,</p> +</blockquote> +<p>and so forth.</p> +<p><a name="page134"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 134</span>But +though his tracts on these “vulgar errors” may, in +many instances—and looked at by the light of our present +knowledge (and we must never forget the immense difference in the +scientific knowledge of the seventeenth and nineteenth +centuries)—appear not only quaint, but almost trivial, yet +even where the conclusion to the question discussed may appear to +be self-evident, and the reasoning thrown away, we often see an +amount of learning and research displayed which strikes us as +quite remarkable. For example, in discussing the +“vulgar error,” <i>that the ostrich digesteth +iron</i>, he quotes the following writers in reference to +it:—Rhodiginus, Johannes Langius, Aristotle, Oppianus, +Pliny, Œlian, Leo Africanus, Fernelius, Riolanus, Albertus +Magnus, and Ulysses Aldrovandus—a list which may well make +us stand astonished at the extent of his studies, and cause us to +say of him, even in such small matters, “<i>Nihil tetigit +quod non ornavit</i>.” It is almost needless to add +that in this case Sir Thomas arrived at the common-sense +conclusion that although ostriches may swallow iron they do not +digest it.</p> +<p>His greatest works were undoubtedly those which I have already +mentioned. But he wrote also a very noted book, entitled +the <i>Garden of Cyrus</i>, in which he discussed learnedly, and +often fancifully, numerous questions connected with the vegetable +world. He reviewed the practice of Horticulture, and the +arrangements of gardens even from the first garden +mentioned—that of Eden in Paradise. He makes +reference to the hanging gardens of Babylon; the classical +gardens of the Hesperides and of Alcinous; and to the gardens and +orchards, with their pools of water, of King Solomon. And +he discusses the various forms <a name="page135"></a><span +class="pagenum">p. 135</span>in which ancient gardens were +presumably laid out—dwelling largely upon the quincuncial +<a name="citation135a"></a><a href="#footnote135a" +class="citation">[135a]</a> arrangements probably adopted. +The whole book teems also with allusions, showing his minute +acquaintance with vegetable phenomena.</p> +<p>As to King Cyrus, he says, “All stories do look upon +Cyrus as the splendid and regular planter.”</p> +<p>Sir Thomas Browne also wrote <i>Some account of the tombs and +monuments in the Cathedral Church of Norwich</i>; and many papers +on the birds, and fishes, and vegetable life of Norfolk and other +parts. <a name="citation135b"></a><a href="#footnote135b" +class="citation">[135b]</a> But I should indeed weary you, +were I merely to enumerate to you the bare titles of the long +list of tracts and papers which his fertile brain produced.</p> +<p>Amongst his <i>Letters</i>, those to his sons, which will be +found in Wilkin’s Edition of his works, are worthy of +mention as illustrating the special bent of his mind, his wide +range of thought, the peculiarity of his advice, and the strength +of his family attachments.</p> +<p>The stilted and complimentary, as well as roundabout, +epistolary style of those days is well known. Thus, in +writing to Mr. Evelyn, he begins: “Worthy Sir,—In +obedience unto the commands of my noble friend, Mr. Paston, and +the respects I owe unto so worthy a person as yourself,” or +again, addressing Dr. Merritt, he commences: “Most honoured +Sir,—I take the boldness to salute you as a person of +singular worth and learning, and whom I very much respect <a +name="page136"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 136</span>and +honour,” or again, “Honoured Sir,—I am sorry +that I have had diversions of such necessity, as to hinder my +more sudden salute since I received your last.”</p> +<p>To his sons he writes many letters. In these he +addresses his eldest son Edward as “Dear Sonne,” or +“Dear Sonne Edward;” but those to his younger son +Thomas, always commenced “Honest Tom” or +“Tom” only.</p> +<p>Much of his advice to “Honest Tom” is peculiar +although essentially sound and practical. Thus he advises +him, when a young man in France, in this fashion: “I would +be glad you had a good handsome garb of your body, . . . and take +up a commendable boldness, without which you will never be fit +for anything.” “Live soberly and temperately, +the heat of the place (Xaintes) will otherwise mischief you, and +keep within in the heat of the day.” “You may +stay your stomach with little pastrys some times in cold +mornings, for I doubt sea larks will be too dear a collation and +drawe too much wine down.”</p> +<p>Again, later on, he writes: “Bee sober and +complacent. If you quit periwigs it would be better, and +more for your credit.” “Hee that goes to warre +must patiently submit unto the various accidents +thereof.” And that this “Honest Tom” was +a worthy son and a fine English sailor we learn from a passage in +another letter to him at a latter period, when a lieutenant of +his Majesty’s ship the “Marie Rose.” He +writes to his son: “Mr. Scudamore, your sober and learned +chaplaine, in your voyage with Sir Jeremie Smith, gives you no +small commendations for a sober, studious, courageous, and +diligent person; that he had not met with any of the fleet like +you, so civile, observing, and diligent to <a +name="page137"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 137</span>your +charge, with the reputation and love of all the shippe; and that +without doubt you would make a famous man and a reputation to +your country.”</p> +<p>We can only regret that this promising son did not live to +fulfil the high expectations formed of him.</p> +<p>Finally reference may be made to a <i>Letter</i>, because +stated to have been previously unpublished, which may be found in +the “Eastern Counties Collectanea,” in which he +exhaustively discusses the nature of <i>a large fish-bone</i> dug +up at Cunnington, and which had been sent to him for his opinion +upon it.</p> +<p>To sum up—Sir Kenelm Digby writes to Sir T. Browne, of +the <i>Religio Medici</i> as “Your excellent piece, . . . +of so weighty subjects, and so strongly penned.”</p> +<p>Dr. Johnson says of him “There is no science of which he +does not discover some skill; and scarce any kind of knowledge +profane or sacred, obstruse or elegant, which he does not appear +to have cultivated with success.”</p> +<p>Carlyle says “The conclusion of the essay on urn burial +is absolutely beautiful; a still elegiac mood, so soft, so solemn +and tender, like the song of some departed saint flitting faint +under the everlasting canopy of night—an echo of deepest +meaning from the great and mighty nations of the dead. +Browne must have been a good man.”</p> +<p>Evelyn, as I have already quoted, writes of him as “That +famous scholar and physician.”</p> +<p>And to come nearer home, the late Captain Blakiston, in a +paper read before the Archæological Institute, in Norwich, +in 1847, writes of him as a “Great Antiquarian and eminent +citizen; . . . a quaint and original thinker;” and as +“Leaving behind him a shining reputation.”</p> +<p>By general consent Sir Thomas Browne was recognised, <a +name="page138"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 138</span>not only as +a “curious thinker,” but as a man of remarkable and +original talent even in his lifetime, and the same reputation +continued after his death. His works have always been +regarded as those of a strong and original thinker, and they have +never been held in higher estimation than at the present +time. And I think I may fairly repeat that the more his +writings are studied the more does their learning and power +impress itself upon our understanding. With many faults, +with many shortcomings—as judged by the standard of the +present day—they yet remain the monument of genius, and +worthy to be classed amongst the highest productions of great and +cultivated intellects.</p> +<p>Norwich may be well proud of so great a citizen—of one +whose memory is held in higher and yet higher esteem, and who is +justly regarded as one of the greatest of her literary men.</p> +<p>Perhaps the only drawback to our satisfaction is the fact that +he was not a native of Norwich. And in this sense we cannot +claim him as our own, as we are proud to claim so many of our +citizens, who have distinguished themselves in literature, in +science, in botany, in departments of natural history, in +medicine, and in painting. But Norwich can look upon him +with pride as an adopted son, as one who elected to live the +whole of his working life in this city; and who identified +himself so absolutely with it, that his name is inseparable from +it, and who will be known for all time as Sir Thomas Browne, of +Norwich.</p> +<div class="gapspace"> </div> +<p><span class="smcap">Addendum</span>.—On October 19th, +1905, the admirable statue by Mr. Henry Pegram of Sir Thomas +Browne, erected in the Norwich Haymarket, was unveiled by Lord +Avebury, in the presence of the Mayor and other city officials +and of a numerous company. This date was the tercentenary +of the birth of this great philosopher, and he was both born and +died on the 19th October.</p> +<div class="gapspace"> </div> +<p style="text-align: center"><a name="page140"></a><span +class="pagenum">p. 140</span><span class="smcap">Jarrold & +Sons</span>, <span class="smcap">Ltd.</span>,<br /> +<span class="smcap">Printers</span>.<br /> +<span class="smcap">The Empire Press</span>, <span +class="smcap">Norwich</span>.</p> +<h2>NOTES.</h2> +<p><a name="footnote16"></a><a href="#citation16" +class="footnote">[16]</a> 1908. For the last five or +six years I have practically been an abstainer, and my health has +greatly improved in consequence. I am now eighty-three +years of age.</p> +<p><a name="footnote29"></a><a href="#citation29" +class="footnote">[29]</a> Read September 28th, 1886, and +reprinted from the “Transactions of the Norfolk and Norwich +Naturalists’ Society,” Vol. iv.</p> +<p><a name="footnote33"></a><a href="#citation33" +class="footnote">[33]</a> It is noticeable how they both do +the same thing, in a precisely similar way, at the same time, and +this applies even to the attitudes they assume.</p> +<p><a name="footnote36"></a><a href="#citation36" +class="footnote">[36]</a> April, 1887. They have just +been again weighed, after their winter’s hybernation; and +their weight now is, respectively, 2 lbs. 7½ ozs. and 2 +lbs. 2½ ozs. Thus each of them has lost 2½ +ozs. in the seven months of quietude.</p> +<p><a name="footnote38"></a><a href="#citation38" +class="footnote">[38]</a> Read November 29th, 1892, and +reprinted from the “Transactions of the Norfolk and Norwich +Naturalists’ Society,” Vol. v.</p> +<p><a name="footnote44"></a><a href="#citation44" +class="footnote">[44]</a> Read before the Norfolk and +Norwich Naturalists’ Society, February 22nd, 1887, and +reprinted from Vol. iv. of the Society’s +“Transactions.”</p> +<p><a name="footnote53"></a><a href="#citation53" +class="footnote">[53]</a> Read before the Norfolk and +Norwich Naturalists’ Society, January 30th, 1900, and +reprinted from Vol. vii. of the Society’s +“Transactions.”</p> +<p><a name="footnote57"></a><a href="#citation57" +class="footnote">[57]</a> A further photographic view of +this grand tree is given in the second edition of this book, +published in 1906: but before this time the tree had been topped +and shorn, and had lost the grandeur and beauty which had made it +so remarkable.</p> +<p><a name="footnote72"></a><a href="#citation72" +class="footnote">[72]</a> Read by the President, to the +Members of the Norfolk and Norwich Naturalists’ Society, at +their Eighteenth Annual Meeting, held at the Norfolk and Norwich +Museum, March 29th, 1887.—Reprinted from Volume iv. of the +Society’s “Transactions.”</p> +<p><a name="footnote80"></a><a href="#citation80" +class="footnote">[80]</a> It is now known that the nodules +found upon certain growing plants are caused by germ growth, with +the production of Nitrates and thereby a fertilization of the +soil. And it is worth noting that at the present time +(1908) it is being endeavoured to utilise this knowledge of +aerial nitrification by certain plants, by artificially applying +a liquid preparation of the germs which are the active agents in +the process to the seeds of these plants or to the growing +crops. The results of such applications, so far, are +alleged to be effective and commercially advantageous.</p> +<p><a name="footnote88"></a><a href="#citation88" +class="footnote">[88]</a> This grand Castle Museum was +opened by their Royal Highnesses the Duke and Duchess of York +(now Prince and Princess of Wales) on October 23rd, 1894; and +this Society’s meetings are now held in it.</p> +<p><a name="footnote90a"></a><a href="#citation90a" +class="footnote">[90a]</a> A Paper read at the Church in +May, 1891, before the Norwich Archæological Society.</p> +<p><a name="footnote90b"></a><a href="#citation90b" +class="footnote">[90b]</a> Kirkpatrick’s Streets and +Lanes of Norwich.</p> +<p><a name="footnote97a"></a><a href="#citation97a" +class="footnote">[97a]</a> Described by Mr. Manning in Vol. +x. of Archæological Society’s +“Transactions.”</p> +<p><a name="footnote97b"></a><a href="#citation97b" +class="footnote">[97b]</a> The large East Window of the +Chancel has recently been filled with a handsome design of +stained glass, by Clayton and Bell, of London, and presented by +the Author.</p> +<p><a name="footnote99"></a><a href="#citation99" +class="footnote">[99]</a> Read before the “Literary +and Debating Class” of the Church of England Young +Men’s Society, on March 7th, 1906.</p> +<p><a name="footnote101"></a><a href="#citation101" +class="footnote">[101]</a> Mr. T. West Carnie, in a little +volume entitled, “In Quaint East Anglia,” speaking of +Norwich by night, says, “If Norwich is beautiful by day, +with the August sun kissing its red roofs, it is as lovely by +night under the beams of the harvest moon.” +“Under the moonbeams Norwich makes a pretty picture from +whichever point it is viewed; and the effects in some of the +narrow streets are very wonderful. I mind me of one special +‘set,’ if I may so call it, namely that in which, +from St. Giles’s lower end, the street entirely in shadow, +you look out westward upon the lofty church tower sheeted in +moonlight against a clear sky.”</p> +<p><a name="footnote106"></a><a href="#citation106" +class="footnote">[106]</a> The writer of this paper.</p> +<p><a name="footnote108"></a><a href="#citation108" +class="footnote">[108]</a> Further, it may be noted, that +my clock is a striking clock, and as such is of considerable +value to the large body of workers who live within sound of the +bell, and who have to begin or return to their employments at +fixed times.</p> +<p><a name="footnote113"></a><a href="#citation113" +class="footnote">[113]</a> A very handsome and illustrated +volume on the history of this Bethel Hospital, by the late Sir +Frederic Bateman and Mr. Walter Rye, has recently (in 1906) been +published.</p> +<p><a name="footnote117"></a><a href="#citation117" +class="footnote">[117]</a> Those who have read Mr. +Hooper’s and Mr. B. Prior’s admirable souvenir of the +Nelson Centenary, so recently published, will remember how it is +there stated that this statue was at first placed in St. +Andrew’s Hall; then after a year or two was located in the +Market Place, near the Guildhall; and then in 1856 was removed to +its present position in the Upper Close.</p> +<p><a name="footnote121"></a><a href="#citation121" +class="footnote">[121]</a> Reprinted from the +Society’s Journal.</p> +<p><a name="footnote123"></a><a href="#citation123" +class="footnote">[123]</a> This Portrait was reclaimed by +and returned to the Churchwardens of St. Peter’s in +1900.</p> +<p><a name="footnote135a"></a><a href="#citation135a" +class="footnote">[135a]</a> Quincunx—a square with a +central object, as of five trees arranged thus—</p> + +<p> x +x</p> + +<p> x</p> + +<p> x +x</p> +<p><a name="footnote135b"></a><a href="#citation135b" +class="footnote">[135b]</a> Since the above was written, an +admirable volume has been published by Mr. T. Southwell, upon +Browne’s “Notes on the Natural History of +Norfolk.”</p> +<p>***END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK ADDRESSES & PAPERS / COLLECTANEA***</p> +<pre> + + +***** This file should be named 36952-h.htm or 36952-h.zip****** + + +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: +http://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/3/6/9/5/36952 + + + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. Special rules, +set forth in the General Terms of Use part of this license, apply to +copying and distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works to +protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm concept and trademark. 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