sible that if the French had finally succeeded in their attempt, its only effect, on the Oriental and African nations, would have been the exchange of one species of despotism for another. There is, however, a great difference between an ignorant and an enlightened tyranny. The French expedition was accompanied by men skilled in every department of knowledge, and, if they had been permitted to remain, some beam of light from these luminaries of science must have radiated in every direction. But that eternal obstacle to the civilization of Asia and Africa, the mutual jealousy of the powers of Europe, interposed its influence, and all the possible consequences of this extraordinary scheme were in a moment rendered abortive. As citizens of the world, we cannot but lament the interference, though it is not to be condemned on the principles of sound European policy. It may be urged, that even if the French invasion had produced the happy effect of introducing the arts and refinements of Europe into the East, these gifts would have been presented at the point of the sword. Such would, most probably, have been the case; but it may be doubted whether even the horrors of war and conquest be not a happy exchange for the mournful repose of slavery. The fetters which bind these unfortunate countries are too strong to be shaken off without a violent concussion. After what has been said, it is scarcely necessary to remark the fallacy with which Mr. Hume concludes his argument: "Upon the whole," says he, "it seems impossible to assign any just reason why the world should have been more populous in ancient than in modern times. The equality of property among the ancients; liberty, and the small division of their states, were indeed circumstances favourable to the propagation of mankind. But their wars were more bloody and destructive; their governments more factious and unsettled; commerce and manufactures more feeble and languishing; and the general police more loose and irregular." This summary conclusion may be answered in the same style; for some of his premises are plainly false, and others inconclusive. In those regions of the earth which were the great scenes of ancient population, the governments were not more factious and unsettled; commerce was not more feeble and languishing; and the general police was not more loose and irregular. The comparison is only valid, as be tween the nations of ancient times and the countries of modern Europe. Between the former and present state of Asia and Africa, every parallel is in favour of antiquity. That the ancient wars were more bloody and destructive, must indeed be admitted; but this makes very little for the general argument. It is found by repeated experience that population advances to its habitual standard, after any casual waste, with surprising rapidity. A permanent decline can only be produced by the influence of causes which uniformly operate. If then, as was observed in the beginning of these remarks, the progress of nations in the arts of wisdom and happiness is usually concomitant with the increase of their people, we are forced upon a conclusion of a very saddening aspect. At first sight we should be induced almost to despair of the fortunes of the human race. The sanguine speculations of philosophers, it would appear, have, thus far, proved illusory, and instantly sink before the sober contemplation of facts. From the rapid march of a few countries, in a remote corner of the world, in science and humanity, we are apt to receive an impression that the human race has reached an advanced post beyond all the attainments of former ages. Assuredly our exultation has begun too soon, but there is, however, little to appal, and much to cheer us in the prospect of the future. The great discoveries and inventions of modern times, which have given to some parts of Europe such an immense superiority over all other ages and nations, and which secure us for ever from the return of barbarism, are yet in the first stage of their operation. Every thing will be accomplished in the fulness of time. The machine which is to raise the world has found a fulcrum, and though, like the mechanical powers, it may lose in time what it gains in force, its work is steady and unintermitting. The tyranny of ignorance and prejudice is not easily broken, but we may be satisfied that its overthrow is progressive and ultimately inevitable. 104 An Account of a new Genus of Plants, named Macræa.-By John Lindley, Esq., F.R.S., &c. &c. In the number of this Journal for January, 1827, will be found some remarks upon the orchideous plants of Chili, founded upon an examination of a large herbarium, from that country, in the possession of the Horticultural Society. From the same rich mine I have now selected a small set of unpublished plants, both on account of their intrinsic singularity of structure, and also for the sake of commemorating the deserts of the excellent collector by whom they were first discovered. The plants, which are the subject of the following observations, are small arid shrubs, natives of high land, in the interior of the western side of South America. Their leaves are opposite, without stipulæ, beneath glandular, and densely covered with very thick tomentum. The flowers are axillary and terminal ; the calyx five-toothed, and strongly ribbed; the petals unguiculate, persistent, and unfading; the stamens hypogynous, and twice the number of the petals; the ovarium superior, threecelled, with two ovula in each cell, one of which is ascending, the other suspended from a small common placenta in the middle of the axis; and the stigmata are three. The capsule is enveloped in the persistent calyx and petals, and divides half way into three loculicidal valves, which separate from the axis. The seeds are unknown. Such are the most prominent features in the structure of the three known species of Macræa, the characters of which it will be convenient to define, before any attempt is made to determine what affinity they bear to other plants already known to botanists. MACREA. Calyx inferus campanulatus 5-dentatus, costis cuique laciniæ tribus quarum duæ marginales sub sinu confluentes. Petala 5, toro brevi inserta, unguiculata, arida, persistentia, immutata, æstivatione contortiva. Stamina 10, apici tori brevis inserta; filamenta filiformia; antheræ innate anticæ biloculares longitudinaliter dehiscentes. Ovarium superum triloculare; ovula cuique loculo duo: altero ascendente, altero suspenso; placenta parva in medio ovario ad basin axeos. Stylus brevis; stigmata tria, linearia marginibus reflexis. Capsula vestita papyracea 3-locularis semitrivalvis ; valvis loculicidis ab axi secedentibus usque ad placentam. Semina . . . . . . . . Suffrutices arida (Chilenses). Folia opposita, exstipulata, pube simplici, subtus lanata. Petala alba, v, rosea. 1.—M. grandifolia; foliis subtus griseis glandulosis: venis prominentibus, Sponte crescentem juxta vicum Colina, urbis Santiago finitimum legit 2.-M. parvifolia; foliis subtus niveis glandulosis: venis obscuris, ramis Cum præcedente legit M'Rae (v. s. sp.) 3.-M. rosea; foliis distantibus subtus niveis eglandulosis, ramis pubescentibus, pedunculis elongatis. Ad Cumbre, Andium claustrum, Novembre floridam legit M'Rae (v. s. sp.) In the absence of information respecting the structure of the seeds of Macræa, it is not practicable to arrive at any certainty as to its affinity. Its structure, indeed, is so peculiar, that it may be doubted whether, even with the seeds before us, its station, in a natural system, would be positively determined. In many circumstances it bears much resemblance to Caryophylleæ, with which it agrees in its opposite leaves, terminal and axillary flowers, five-toothed monophyllous calyx, unguiculate petals, with a twisted æstivation, and stamens inserted into a torus ; but it is at variance with the whole order in habit, single style, and trilocular oligospermous capsule, the valves of which separate from the axis. With Lineæ it has nearly the same points of resemblance and difference. To Cistineæ it has a striking resemblance, in the nerves of its calyx, which are remarkable, and also in the variation of its opposite exstipulate leaves: its anthers have also a similar insertion; but the monophyllous calyx, unfading petals, definite stamens inserted on a torus, and three-parted stigma, are all at variance with the essential diagnostics of Cistineæ. With Frankeniaceæ, Macræa agrees, in having a monophyllous ribbed calyx, and arid habit, and also in several other points of structure; and with this order I was at one time disposed to place it, but a further consideration of the great difference between their fruit has led me to abandon that opinion, especially upon a consideration that the similarity, supposed to exist in the ribbing of their calyx, is more apparent than real. In all the species of Frankenia that I have examined there have been, to each division of the calyx, two collateral broad costa placed on each side of the axis, which, therefore, as well as the space between the sinuses and base of the calyx, was ribless. But, in Macræa, on the contrary, each division of the calyx has three costa, one occupying the axis, and one running along each margin, and becoming confluent beneath the sinuses. In Frankenia, therefore, the cost of the calyx occupy the place of the intervenia of Macræa. Having thus instituted comparisons with those orders, to which Macræa bears the greatest apparent resemblance, I must next proceed to advert to another natural assemblage, to which it offers, indeed, no primá facie characters of affinity, but near which it is, nevertheless, probable that it will ultimately be arranged; the order to which I now allude, is Geraniaceæ. It is true, that the elastic coccus, the lobed leaves, the succulent habit, and thickened joints, of Geraniaceæ, are all absent in Macræa, as well as a number of subordinate points of structure; but there are others in which they remarkably agree. If we understand the axis of the capsule of Macræa to be an elongated torus analogous to that of Geraniacea, and such an opinion may be entertained with little difficulty, we have then a fruit of a sufficiently similar structure to be compared to that of Geraniaceæ, Rutacea, and other neighbouring tribes. In the venation of the calyx there is also so material a similarity, that if the distinct sepals of Geraniacea were to cohere for half their length, thus losing their membranous margin, we should have a calyx little different from that of Macræa. The petals of both have the same æstivation, are equally unguiculate, and their principal veins, in like manner, bend inwards, and become confluent with each other within the margin. The stigmas also are several, and the insertion of antheræ is not materially different. For these reasons it may be concluded, in the absence of more complete evidence, that the affinity of Macræa is far from close with any of the known orders of plants; that it probably occupies an intermediate place between those whose fruit is destitute of axis, as Frankeniaceæ and others, and those whose fruit consists of carpella, adhering to an elongated axile torus, as Rutacæ, Geraniaceæ, &c., and that its greatest apparent relation is with these last. |