Chapter X

Ryde.—Handsome Shops.—Binstead.—Wootton Bridge.—Newport.—East
Cowes.—Horse Ferry.—Steam Boat.—Arms of the German Empire.—Return
home.

_Fig. 33._

RYDE PIER.
]

RYDE, the Guide-books tell us, was only a few years ago a small fishing village; but if this really was the case, it seems almost to have rivalled Aladdin’s palace in rapidity of growth, for it is now a large and flourishing town. The streets are wide, and the shops are splendid. The pier is also long and large; and the view of Portsmouth, with its harbour full of shipping, and Spithead with its numerous men-of-war, is very striking. Agnes was, however, most pleased with the shops full of shells, which she found near the hotel; the shells being marked at prices so low as to be quite astonishing. Some very nice specimens of Haliotis, or Sea-ear, were marked only a penny each, and others were equally cheap. Above all things, there were numerous specimens of articles from the Royal George, a very large ship, which everybody knows sunk while lying at anchor at Spithead, about sixty years ago, and the remains of the wreck of which have been lately brought up by the exertions of Major-General Pasley. The Bazaar at Ryde reminded Agnes of the Burlington Arcade; and everything in the town appeared so comfortable, and in such a superior style to any other place they had seen in the island, that Agnes at last said she thought she should like to live at Ryde almost as well as in London. She was also very much delighted with a stroll on the beach, where she picked up some shells, though she found nothing very valuable. At last she found a mussel-shell that she was sure was not common, as it was quite different from anything she had ever seen before; and, on showing it to her mother, she was delighted to find that it was indeed very rare.

_Fig. 34._

RIBBED MUSSEL (_Myrtilus crenulatus_).
]

“It is a native of the West Indies,” said Mrs. Merton; “and must have adhered to some ship from that country, which has chanced to come into Portsmouth Harbour.”

Agnes now admired her treasure more than ever, for, like many persons much older than herself, she valued things by their rarity rather than their beauty.

The party did not leave Ryde till rather a later hour than usual, and when they did they took the road to Newport as Mr. Merton thought it necessary to return to that town for his letters. The first place that attracted their attention on their road was Binstead, where they bestowed a passing glance on a lovely little thatched cottage which stood embosomed in a wood, and nestling in the hollow formed by an old stone quarry, from which, it is said, the stone used in building Winchester Cathedral was taken. The church at Binstead is very pretty, but they did not stop to visit it; and they passed also, without stopping, the turn which led to the ruins of Quarr Abbey, once the richest and largest monastery in the Island, its walls having enclosed a space of thirty acres in extent. They now saw at a distance what appeared to be a very large lake, or rather inland sea, which, when they approached, they found was crossed by a bridge along which lay their road. The lower part of this noble sheet of water forms a broad estuary, called Fishbourne Creek, which spreads out from the bridge, gradually widening till it reaches the sea: but the part above the bridge, which is known by the name of the Wootton river, looked like a vast mirror set in a verdant frame. Nothing could be more calm and still than this broad expanse of water, reflecting in its glassy bosom the sloping banks which rose on each side; here covered with a carpet of smooth turf, and there sprinkled with trees with spreading branches, hanging down to the water’s edge. The rich verdure of this part of the Isle of Wight affords a striking contrast to the naked and barren rocks at the back of the island; and Agnes gazed at the present scene with the more pleasure, as she liked naturally the luxuriant and beautiful, better than the wild and grand.

They had scarcely crossed the bridge when one of the traces broke which fastened the horse to the carriage. The accident was of no great consequence, as the driver had some string with him, with which he told them he could easily contrive to tie the broken parts together; but as they found the operation would take some time, Mrs. Merton and Agnes agreed to walk on. The country they were now passing through looked somewhat barren, as, in fact, it formed part of Wootton Common; but Agnes did not dislike this, notwithstanding her love for verdant scenery, as it reminded her of the moors of Scotland and their fragrant heather; and though she was an English girl (having been born at Bayswater) she loved everything Scotch, as she had many dear friends in that country. She therefore ran gaily to and fro, gathering wild flowers and bringing them to her mother, who walked more steadily and slowly along the regular path. In one place Agnes had made rather a longer excursion than usual, and she returned slowly, holding something carefully between her two hands.

“What have you there?” asked her mother, when she approached near enough to be heard.

“Oh! mamma,” cried Agnes, “I have found some of the most beautiful beetles I ever saw in my life. Do look how brilliantly they are marked with scarlet and white! They must be something very rare and curious, I should think.”

“No, they are by no means uncommon; and they are called Tiger beetles, from their savage nature; for they are carnivorous, and devour all the weaker insects that fall in their way.”

“How sorry I am to hear that! Who could have thought that such beautiful creatures could be cruel? But may I put them in a piece of paper, mamma, and take them home?”

“I am afraid you would then be as cruel as the beetles, and with less excuse; as they devour other insects for food, and you would torture them for no purpose, but to gratify a passing wish.”

_Fig. 35._

TIGER BEETLES (_Cicindela_).
]

“But, mamma, Aunt Jane and Aunt Mary both have collections of insects; and I am sure they are not cruel; and you know I have some moths and butterflies at home that Aunt Mary gave me.”

“Your aunts are both entomologists, and have made collections of insects for scientific purposes; besides, they know how to kill the insects they take without giving them much pain; but you would only torture these poor beetles by keeping them alive a day or two without food, or, at any rate, in a miserable place of confinement.”

“Very well, mamma,” cried Agnes; “then I will set them free, and take them back to where I found them;” and she ran off as fast as possible. When she returned, almost out of breath, her mamma laughed at her for taking so much trouble. “If you had put the beetles down here,” said she, “they would soon have found their way back, if they had wished to do so; for they are remarkably active, and their legs are so long, in proportion to their bodies, that, I think, they can even run faster than you can. So you have given yourself quite unnecessary trouble.”

“Oh! I don’t mind that,” cried Agnes; “I like running.”

“So I perceive,” said Mrs. Merton, smiling; “for you are like a little spaniel, you run two or three times over the same ground.”

Mrs. Merton had scarcely finished speaking when Agnes darted off again, like lightning, and soon came back, bringing with her some shells. “Now, mamma,” said she, “I think I have really found something that is rare: you always say the things I find are so common; but I am sure these snails are very different from any I ever saw before.”

“I am sorry to say, however, that they are found, in great abundance, in many places; and sometimes they appear so suddenly, and in such immense quantities, as to give rise to the idea that they must have fallen from the clouds. I do not know their popular name, but naturalists call them _Helix virgata_. They are remarkable for the thinness of their shells, and they are so small that two or three have been found adhering to a single blade of grass.”

“Ah! mamma,” cried Agnes, laughing, “one might almost fancy you saw me pick up these very shells; for I found them both sticking to one blade of grass, and I was quite delighted with their thin, delicate shells. I am only sorry they are so common.”

“To console you, I must add that they are only common in the South of England, in warm, open situations; and they are generally found in company with the other little shell you have in your hand. That is called _Bulimus articulatus_: and both kinds are found in such quantities on the downs in the South of England, that they are said to give the sheep that feed on the downs their peculiar flavour; as the sheep eat them with every blade of grass they take.”

_Fig. 36._

_a, b. Helix virgata._ _c, d. Bulimus articulatus._
]

“I remember the name of _Bulimus_,” said Agnes. “I think we saw some shells called by that name in the splendid collection of Mr. Cuming, that you told me laid eggs as large as a pigeon’s; and, indeed, we saw some of the eggs.”

“That was a species of _Bulimus_ only found in the torrid zone; but the genus is a very extensive one, and, I believe, contains nearly a hundred and fifty species.”

They now heard the wheels of the carriage, and stood still till it overtook them. They were soon seated, and advanced rapidly over a very fertile country, till they came in sight of the Medina; which looked like a silver riband, winding through the country in a broad line of shining light. Agnes was delighted to see this river again, as it appeared to her like an old friend. “I am quite satisfied, now,” said she, “that we have been all round the island; for here, I find, we have arrived at the same point from which we set out.”

“The Medina,” said Mr. Merton, “rises at the foot of St. Catherine’s Down, near Black Gang Chine; and it divides the island so nearly into two equal parts that it is said to derive its name from the Latin word _media_, which signifies the middle.”

“And it is very singular,” observed Mrs. Merton, “that, as the Medina forms a central line of division across the island from north to south, so there is a central chain of hills which stretches across it from east to west, and cuts off what is called the back of the island from the northern part. Newport is the capital of the whole, and is now the only place in the island which returns members to Parliament; though formerly Newtown, which is a hamlet, and Yarmouth, which, you know, is only a very small town, returned also two members each.”

They now arrived at Newport, and while Mr. Merton was enquiring for his letters, Mrs. Merton informed Agnes that in the school-room of the Free Grammar School of this town, the conferences were held between Charles I. and the Commissioners appointed by Parliament, which lasted forty days, and ended in the determination of the Commissioners to bring that unhappy King to the scaffold.

“Did the Isle of Wight suffer much during the civil war?” asked Agnes.

“No,” replied Mrs. Merton, “but it was remarkable at this period for the heroism displayed by the Countess of Portland, whose husband had been Governor of the Island, and who defended the Castle at Carisbrook against the militia of Newport, who were directed by the Parliament to assail it.”

As soon as Mr. Merton had finished his business at Newport, they took the road to East Cowes, following the course of the Medina, and passing by East Cowes Castle on their route. As soon as they arrived at the ferry at East Cowes, the driver hailed the horseferry boat, and Agnes had an opportunity of seeing the manner in which it was worked by a rope across the river. They drove into the boat without getting out of the carriage, and drove out again in the same manner, when they reached the landing-place at West Cowes, and proceeded immediately to the pier, where they found a steam-boat just ready to start. While Mr. Merton was paying the driver, and Mrs. Merton was superintending the removal of the luggage, Agnes’s attention was attracted by the appearance of the young Londoner whom they had first met with at Freshwater, and afterwards seen shipwrecked at Black Gang Chine; but he was wonderfully changed since they saw him last. He was now pale and exhausted, and sitting on a chair, in which he was carried on board by two men, and immediately taken down into the cabin, where he remained during the voyage. He was followed by his Newfoundland dog, who also looked sadly changed since the day Agnes patted his head on the beach at Freshwater, where she had seen him first. Agnes was so deeply interested in watching this young man and his dog, that she did not perceive that her mamma had gone into the packet-boat, and Mrs. Merton, who was afraid lest Mr. Merton would over-fatigue himself, did not perceive that she was standing on the shore; and thus Agnes was in imminent danger of being left behind, for the men had actually began to remove the board, when she saw her danger and cried out to them to stay. The men laid down the board again, and Agnes ran hastily down it, but the steam-boat was already in motion; and Agnes would have been precipitated into the sea, if one of the seamen had not caught her in his arms and lifted her on board. The wind and tide were both in their favour, and the steam-boat proceeded so rapidly, that when Agnes had sufficiently recovered herself to think of looking for the sea-nettles, she found that the packet was going too fast for her to see one of them. They soon arrived at Calshot Castle and passed it close by; and, as they now proceeded a little more leisurely up the river, Agnes began to look round at her fellow-passengers. Immediately in front of her, sat an old gentleman with a small book in his hand; and when he opened it, several engravings flew out. Agnes instantly ran to pick them up; and when she returned them to the old gentleman, he thanked her, and asked her if she knew what one of the engravings represented.

Agnes answered that she saw it was a coat of arms, but she did not know to whom it belonged.

“It represents the arms of Austria,” said the old man, “and it is now just a thousand years since the present family ascended the throne.”

“Indeed!” exclaimed Agnes.

“Yes,” said the old gentleman. “The German monarchy dates from the treaty of Verdun, signed in 843, by which the dominions of Charlemagne were divided amongst his three sons; but these arms were not assumed all at once; on the contrary they contain an epitome of the history of the German Empire if understood rightly. Shall I explain them to you?”

Agnes gladly assented, and he continued. “The eagle has been, from the earliest ages, the emblem of the German monarchy; and there is an old tradition which states that at the battle of Teutoburg, two Roman eagles were taken, one black and the other white. The Germans retained the black eagle in memory of their victory, and gave the white one to their allies the Poles; and hence the arms of Poland bear the white eagle to this day.”

“But why has the eagle two heads?” asked Agnes.

“That is an emblem that Italy was added to Germany, and thus the eagle is represented with two heads and with two crowns. The eagle also bears in one claw a globe, signifying that it wields imperial power, surmounted by a cross, the emblem of Christianity; and in the other a sceptre headed by a lance-head, the emblem of power and might.”

_Fig. 37._

ARMS OF GERMANY.
]

“But why are there so many coats of arms on the eagle?”

“The German empire was elective, and the arms borne on the eagle are those of the seven electorates out of whom the emperor was to be chosen. Three of them are archbishops who possess regal power in their separate dominions, and their arms are contained in one shield; and the other four are counts of the empire, or kings, and their arms are in the other shield. The archbishops are those of Mentz, Treves, and Cologne; and the temporal lords are the Count of Brandenburg, the King of Saxony, the Elector Palatine, and the King of Bavaria.”

“And what is the meaning of their arms?”

“The first Archbishop of Mentz, whose name was Willige, was the son of a wheelwright; and one day a person thinking to mortify him, drew a rude picture of a wheel on the door of his palace and wrote under it:—

‘Forget not Willige,
What thine origin is!’

“‘Forget it,’ cried the worthy prelate, ‘No, I don’t wish to forget it, and what’s more no one else shall;’ and he ordered a white wheel on a black ground to be adopted for his arms; and this wheel has been borne in the arms of the Archbishops of Mentz ever since.”

At this moment Mr. and Mrs. Merton approached, and thanked the gentleman for his kindness to their little daughter.

“But I have not explained all the coat of arms to her yet,” said he; “and when I have done I will give her one of the engravings to keep that she may remember what I have told her.”

Agnes thanked him, and he continued. “The arms of the Archbishop of Treves exhibit a red cross on a white field, in remembrance of the fiery cross which is said to have fallen from Heaven into the middle of the city of Treves, a representation of which, in stone, still adorns the market-place; and the arms of Cologne are a black cross on a white field, in commemoration of the first Archbishop of Cologne having come from the East, a black cross being borne by the Eastern priesthood. This finishes the arms of the spiritual lords.”

“That is, the archbishops,” said Agnes.

“Right; but I am sorry I cannot explain the others so fully: the arms of Brandenburg have a red eagle on a white field; those of Saxony two crossed swords on a black and white ground; those of the Palatinate a red lion on a golden field; and those of Bavaria chequers of blue and white.”

“What do the two flags mean?”

“They are the banners of Germany, and they are black, red, and golden yellow. The red was first adopted by the immediate successors of Charlemagne, whose body-guards were clad in that colour; the black was added by the House of Saxony, when it attained imperial honours, the family colours of Saxony being black and white; and the golden yellow alludes to the Swabian emperors, whose dynasty has been called the golden age of the German empire.”

The old gentleman here concluded, and Mr. Merton complimented him on the knowledge he possessed of the subject.

“I am interested in it,” said he, “because I am a native of Germany, though I have now lived a long time in England. It is more than thirty years since I saw my native land; but still my heart warms whenever I hear anything relating to the scenes of my youth.”

“We can sympathize with you,” said Mr. Merton, “for Agnes has an uncle and two aunts in Poland, who no doubt feel the same when they hear anything of Great Britain.”

They were now interrupted by the arrival of the steam-boat at Southampton, or “Souton,” as the sailors called it, and getting a porter to carry their luggage they proceeded directly to the terminus of the railway. A train was just going off; so they took their places and in about three hours reached London. Another half hour carried them to Bayswater, where they found Aunt Jane waiting for them; and when she heard Agnes recount the various things she had seen, she felt, like her little niece, that it was difficult to believe so much could possibly have happened in so short a space of time.

THE END.

LONDON:
PRINTED by S. & J. BENTLEY, WILSON, and FLEY,
Bangor House, Shoe Lane.

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=MRS. LOUDON’S NEW WORK.=

FACTS FROM THE WORLD OF NATURE,

ANIMATE AND INANIMATE. Part 1. THE EARTH. Part 2. THE WATERS.