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NOTES AND QUERIES.
as they can well be. Beckford, who in
Vathek ' has produced one of the greatest
works of the imagination, and who was clever
enough to write it in a foreign language, is
quite commonplace when he abandons prose.
Washington Irving, who is charming in prose,
is insignificant in verse. It is perhaps not
feasible, and would not be wise, to attempt
to judge of the present generation, but, ex-
cluding that from consideration, one may say
that most of the best prose writers of the last
two centuries in England were poets. Addi-
son, Gray, Goldsmith, Cowper, Byron, are
examples. Swift and Fielding, though
versifiers, were hardly poets. Defoe, who has
written one of the most popular prose books
in the English language, wrote also much
lame verse ; but it can hardly be said that
his style was good. E. YARDLEY.
Sir Joshua Reynolds has this definition, or rather description of it :
" Style in painting is the same as in writing, a power over materials, whether words or colours, by which conception or sentiments are conveyed." -' Discourses,' London, 1778, p. 50.
When Mr. Clement Shorter says that "Mr. Leslie Stephen has no style," I presume that he means that he has no " mannerism " in his mastery over words. Those who have noticed the imitations of great speakers will recog- nize the difference. ED. MARSHALL.
Mr. Clement Shorter, like many another, is unable to distinguish between style and a literary manner. Style consists in perfect in- evitability of expression, with harmonious col- location of syllables and balanced ordering of phrases into sentences, the sentences them- selves into paragraphs. This is equivalent to saying that no man has a perfect style ; but it may be generally said that poets are more suc- cessful than prose writers. Shakespeare and Milton in their poetry are practically perfect in just harmonious expression. Lyly and Shaftesbury are good examples of literary " mannerists "; that is, whatsoever matter they may be writing of, they do not fail to introduce a certain trick of phrasing or literary gesture. Amongst the younger writers of to-day one can reckon many such "mannerists." Ruskin and Stevenson at one time will give us passages in perfect style, and at another present them with an abund- ance of unsuitable gesticulation ; this especi- ally applies to the latter. I am inclined to think that of English prose writers Landor approaches the nearest to perfection of style. De Quincey has claims, if one omits his more outrageous pieces of journalism ; so have Berkeley and Swift. G. S.
CEDAR TREES (9 th S. ii. 187, 214). There is
a legend at Twickenham that some seeds of
the cedars of Lebanon were sent to Pope by
Lady Mary Wortley Montagu. This legend
may have been invented to account for the
splendid cedars near Pope's Villa, but it
derives some support from the existence of
very ancient cedars at Navestock, a seat of the
Earls of Waldegrave. Another tradition
refers their introduction to Evelyn.
ISAAC TAYLOR.
It is not known for certain who introduced the cedar of Lebanon into England. The tree is not mentioned in the work of Turner, one of our earliest herbalists, nor yet in that of Gerarde, which was published in 1636. Parkinson, in his ' Treatise on Botany ' (1640), observes of the cedar, " The leaves, some say, all grow upright, but others straight," which looks as if he had not himself seen it. And Evelyn, in an article on the cedar in his ' Silva ' (1664), asks, " Why, then, should not the cedar thrive in Old England? I know not, save for want of industry and trial." " But," he goes on, "I have frequently raised it from the seeds and berries." To Evelyn, therefore, the honour is assigned of having introduced the cedar into England. Some big cedars (that still flourish, I believe) in the Apothecaries' Garden at Chelsea, which Evelyn visited, were planted in 1683. Another cedar was planted at Enfield by Dr. Uvedale, a schoolmaster, in 1665. It may not be in- appropriate to add that the Deodara, or Himalayan cedar, was not brought to England till 1822. T. P. ARMSTRONG.
The Rev. C. A. Johns, in ' The Forest Trees of Britain,' for S.P.C.K., 1849, observes :
"I cannot, therefore, agree with Loudon, that Evelyn introduced the cedar, especially as there is no traditional existence of any tree planted by him. That it was introduced soon afterwards, and perhaps in consequence of his recommendation, there can be no doubt ; for in 1683 four cedars were planted in the Chelsea Gardens, two of which are yet standing."
ED. MARSHALL.
Some years since I was shown at Bretby Park, near Burton-on-Trent, what is said to be the oldest cedar in England. This tree was planted in 1676; and though earlier attempts to grow the cedar in England had been made (notably by Evelyn), they are said to have been unsuccessful. C. C. B.
Louclon's ' Encyclopaedia of Plants,' 1872, says, " The cedar of Lebanon was introduced into England before 1683, the Cedrus deodara, or Indian cedar, in 1822."
JOHN RADCLIFFE.
