ic might defy us but for
thee. What were wells and windlasses without thee? useless as
corkscrews to empty bottles. Thou art the strong arm of the pulley and
the crane. Gravitation itself, that universal tyrant, had bound all
things to the earth but for thy opposition. The scaffolds were thine
from which grew the _Colosseum_, and the Pyramids have arisen in thine
arms. The kite of science, which went cruising among thunder-clouds to
bring down to a modern Prometheus the spark which ignites the storm,
was held by fibres of thine. The _diver_ and the _miner_ cling to thee
for safety, and they that hunt the wild-bird's egg on the sea-shaken
cliff, as they swing over the frightful abyss. With the lasso the bold
Matador, like the _Retiarius_ of the ancient arena, makes the cast
that is for life. Then the fine arts!--Carrara sends her block for the
Laocoon by aid of thine; and what were all the galleries in Europe but
a collection of gilt frames, but for thy backing and support. By thy
subserviency alone (for what were _panel_ or _laminated copper_ for
such gigantic works?) did Raffaelle bequeath so many legacies of his
immortal genius. It is the strength of thy fibres that is the strength
of the loaded supper-tables of Paul Veronese; and the velvets, the
furs, the satins of Titian and Vandyke, are quilted upon thee. Nor
disdainest thou to render to man, who bruises thee to try thy virtue,
a thousand humbler services. Thou preservest our horses from flies,
our fruit from birds; and who has not felt how thou cheerest the weary
length of continental travelling, by the crack of thy whipcord at the
approach of a new relay?

Here our friend _Anamnesis_ seemed fatigued, as if he thought he had
spun a sufficiently _long yarn_ on the subject; so we prevailed on him
to prosecute the walk, as evening was beginning to close in--not,
indeed, without apprehension that he would make a stand at several
other interesting plants on which it might suit him to prelect!

Hemp, when cut, is left to dry for a week; it is then immersed for an
other week in water; after which it is flayed of its skin--a process
which is conducted either by the hand, leaving the stem in this case
entire; or by subjecting the whole plant to a bruising process,
conducted by a machine.

Besides the above-mentioned grain, the ground produces plenty of
vegetables, but of an inferior quality, as are all Italian fruits, and
most of the leguminous productions also, from w