A VISION IN THE CRYSTAL PALACE. [From the "Illustrated London News."]

New Zealander, Volume 8, Issue 609, 14 February 1852, Page 3

A VISION IN THE CRYSTAL PALACE. [From the " Illustrated London News."]

Fob many hours I had wandjered through its gorgeous mazes, till my 'mind felt nearly as bewildered under the excitement 'of scenes so novel and splendid, as my limbs were weary. It was with a feeling of inexpressible satisfaction, that I at length dropped into a beat Avithin sight of those' green, ancient elms, so still above the moving throng, while at the same time my eyes fell upon the sweet refreshing waters flowing from the crystal fountain, and on the delicate flowering shrubs disposed with so much taste amidst the splendid ornaments and statues of this glorious Palace; the swelling tones the magnificent organs, added to the fascinating influences of the place, rose and fell on my senses like the songs of distant angels. I thought upon all the wondrous Avorks of art which I had beheld throughout that long day, and felt that man had indeed richly availed himself of the bountiful gifts of the great Creator —of that " rough produce," of those " raw materials," without which none of these splendid works of man's art could have sprung into existence. I looked on the crystal fountain, that amazing specimen of human skill and ingenuity. What a wonderful combination ! sand —flint — alkali! Can these substances indeed have produced that fairy structure, as well as this light airy dome over my head ? Then my eyes glanced on the liquid crystal, the pure, cool, flowing waters —what would that fountain be after all, without its bright streams ? O fons Bandusiaj! splendidior vitro ! (0 fountains of Bandusia ! more brilliant tban crystal!) And yet of the millions who may frequent thi 8

Palace, how many will only look upon these as secondary adjuncts, to set off the skill of the architect of the fountain ; and those beautiful shrubs and flowering plants of various hues, with those glorious old trees, will they be con ,idered by the masses otherwise than as helps to decorate the splendid scene formed by the hand of man ? ****** When this long day of excitement was over, and sleep at last visited my eyelids, it was not surprising that my sleeping thoughts borrowed their imagery from my day reverie at the fountain * ° * *•* * * It was a clear moonlight night, and I was wandering about the precincts of the fairy -looking Palace and admiring its brilliant appearance, as it glittered in the bright beams of the moon. I could see within distinctly. All was silent and deser* ted. There I beheld the flags, and the embroidered tablets marking out the compartments allotted to the various nations of the earth, and there lay all their treasuries in rich {profusion. By that strange faculty of locomotive power which we often seem to possess in our dreams, I passed onwards, right through the glassy barrier and found myself once more standing by the fountain. At first, all looked desolate, and a feeling of awe stole over my mind ; but gradually a clenrj subdued light filled the place, composed of the lovliest blue and white, the silvery beams which it threw around penetrating to the remotest bounds. "What was my amazement, no longer to behold any of the works of man ! All had disappeared ! The elms still rose, silent and majestic ; no waving branches gav<* signs of life, nor betokened any 1 stir in the air ; the silvery walls of the Palace, with its arched transept, glittered round and above me ; but, as I gazed, to what an extent — 1 10 what a height — did they spread out! Even while mine eyes were looking on them, the more and more the expanse grew. 'Twas all dreamy, vast, and solemn ! . . .What a Palace would this be in "which to display the works of the great Creator ! If man would assemble here some little portion of His great and marvellous works, would not the nations of the earth rejoice to come and behold them ? •To what a holy purpose might this vast structure be consecrated ! even to the praise and glory of Him of whose marvellous acts there is no end ; and if our hearts could be touched to feel their beauty, as well 'as our understandings enlightened to comprehend their worth, what years upon years (instead of days and weeks) might we pass here, and never feel satiated. With a start of glad surprise, I once more looked around! Where in the daytime I had seen banners of crimson cloth inscribed with letters of gold, I now beheld inscriptions of the purest white light on a ground of lovely azure, like the soft clouds, floating along the heavens on a calm bi-ight day, when you can gaze upwards into the blue ether — " the deep serene." On one of these angelic banners, I read — lie bath given us richly all things to enjoy. On another : — By him were all things made, and for His pkasure they are and were created. On anoth°r :—: — The earth is full of His riclies. And again :— How manifold are His works, in wisdom He hath made them all. And again : — He doetlj great things, past finding out, and wonders without number. And so on, and on, all along those interminable vistas, waved the angelic banners : long I wandered, reading their bright inscriptions ; but as Iretraced my steps towardsthe Transept—wonder upon wonder ! — I walked upon a verdant carpet of the softest green velvet, lovely flowers springing up all around me — the flowers of childhood's delight the "wee, modest, crimson-tipp'd daisy," with its " silver crest" and '"eye of gold," with bright yellow buttercups, and " Hope's gentle gem, the sweet forget-me»not." But what a glorious sight beneath the dome of of .that transept ! There I beheld, in stately order all the trees which delight the sons of men — " every tree which is pleasant to the sight" and good " for food" — the stately spreading eedar — the towering palm, with Us plume-like foliage — the banyan and the tamarind, the plane tree and the olive ; then, again, the tapering fir and pine tribe — the drooping willow, the fluttering aspen, and the silver birch ; and then, again, the oak, the sycamore, the elm, and the beech, the Spanish chestnut, with its white spiry blossoms standing up so firm, and the limes and lilacs and laburnums, with their gracefully pendent clusters. Father thy hand Hath rear'd these venerable columns ; Thou Didst weave this verdant roof; thou didst look down Upon the naked earth, and forthwith rose All these fair ranks of trees ; they in Thy sun Budded, and shook their green leaves in Thy breeze, And shot towards Heaven * * • Thou hast not left Thyself without a witness, in these shades, Of Thy perfections : grandeur, strength, and grace Aie here to speak of Thee. This mighty oak, By whose immoveable stem I stand, and seem Almost annihilated Wears the green coronal of leaves with which Thy hand has graced him. Nestled at his root Is beauty, such has blooms not in the gJare Of the broad sun. That delicate forest flower, "With scented brealb, and look so like a smile. Seems, as it issues from the shapeless mould, An emanation of the indwelling life — A visible token of the upholding love That are the soul of this wide universe — Bryant. It seemed as though years andyearswere passing over my head while I wandered amidst these marvellous works, aud meditated upon the wondrous contrivances which were so beautifully displayed in the adaptation of the varied kinds of trees to the climes of which they were the natives. I thought that an eternity might well be spent in contemplating their elegant 'symmetry, their diversified foliage, their beautiful adaptation to the wants and comforts of the races who wandered beneath their shades— when my senses were arrested by a fragrance so delightful, that words must fail to convey an idea of the soft perfume which, like incense, floated around me — that sweet incense mentioned by the poet — ■ The breezy call of incense-breathing morn, which aeemed to convey " a blessing in the air." Beneath that airy dome, on one side; I beheld, rising to the, utmost height, a ( fc>rilliant glowing heap, a radiant mountain, composed of all the brightest and loveliest flowers of the earth, as if just plucked from their stems and thrown there in wild and graceful profusion. Bright tropical flowers of all shapes, and hues, and sizes — roses of various tints, from the purest white to the deepest red — lilies, heartseases, geraniums, verbenas, tulips, hyacinths, carnations, all kind of bright, spreading, twining, creeping, pendent, blossoms, were there "expanding their light and soul-like wings." Then I turned and beheld another beautiful pile—the lovely wild flowrets of the earth— gems that are " born to blush unseen, and waste their sweetness on the desert air." Weeds — weeds— l have always marvelled why we call any of God's works " weeds." To me they have always been mysteries. How beautiful they are, those bright little starry blossoms peeping out here and there, white and blue, and pink and yellow— " vernal flowers, with their quaint enameWd eyes." Ye field flowers, the gardens eclipse you, 'tis true; Yet, wildings of Nature, I dote upon you, For ye waft me to summers of old, When the earth teem'd around me with fairy delight, And when daisies and buttercups gladdened my sight, Like treasures of silver and gold. — Campbell. But see what gifts are still showered down for our use — lo ! another golden Crimson-purple hefap ! All the fruits of the various climes clustered together in rich luxuriance. What provision is here for the wants, the comforts, the luxuries of man 1 JSTot a month passing over our heads without bringing rich gifts in its train. Pine*

apples, melons, oranges, limes, lemons, bananas— for whom are all these glorious purple and golden fruits —the vine, "with a blessing in its clusters," the ripe bursting figs, juicy peaches, nectarines, apricots, and plums ; transparent bunches of currants, white and red, how beautiful they are ! mulberries, strawberries, raspberries, and all the nut tribe, what thought, what contrivance is manifest here ! the cool juicy fruits for the hot and thirsty races of men, the fleshy firm products for the more temperate climes, and see Over these wondrous gifts floated the angelic " Banner of Love," inscribed at one end thus :— " Thou crownest the year with Goodness ;" and at theother, " Heaven and Earth are full of the Majesty of thy Glory." Truly, indeed, hath the curse been removed; "Thorns and Thistles shall it bring forth to Thee." Has that sentence been carried out? say, ye children of a kind and merciful Father ? think of that first sad and dreary day on earth, when all the glorious trees and flowers, and fruits of Paradise, were lost to our parents, and they stood alone on the barren earth that was cursed for their sikes. Now, indeed, doth the desert rejoice, and blossom as the rose." " Instead of the thorn, behold the fig tree ! instead of " the briar doth come up the myrtle tree." But the wonders I beheld seemed to multiply at every turn; the waving ears of corn, the golden grains, the delicate green feathery grasses, who shall tell their numbers or their tribes. Through all this long dreamy night I felt as if my life was passing on, on ; but I knew not what it was to feel old or weary. Alone I was, but so absorbed in joyful adoration that I considered not that no other living creature passed by me, till suddenly there came a "change o'er the spiiit of my dream," and oh, what bright and lovely living things I beheld ! The feathered tribes, the songsters of the groves, trilling their loveliest notes ; birds of paradise, with their graceful-bending plumage; bright, jewel-like humming-birds ; peacocks, with their gorgeous spreading tails ; stately ostriches, with their heavy -waving plumes, The ground and the air, too, were teeming with life : all kinds of brilliant golden and green creatures, creeping, flying, rejoicing. "Some shone like gold, others were of the colour of silver or brass, some spotted, some striped, blue, green, brown, lilac. The heads of some were rounded like a turban, those of others drawn into the figure of a cone ; here it was dark as a tuft of black velvet, there it was spotted like a ruby. There was not less diversity in their wings ; in some, they were long and brilliant, like transparent plates of mo-ther-of-pearl; in others, short and broad, resembling network of the finest gauze. All had different modes of disposing and managing their wings ; some disposed them perpendicularly, some horizontally, some few spirally, and they seemed to take a pleasure in displaying them."* It was a delight to see the birds floating hither and thither, some among the branches of the trees, some to the fruits, while out from among the flower-heaps what lovely transparent creatures flew; it seemed as though the very blossoms themselves were suddenly endued with life, and were about to float away in the air. Butterflies of all the varied hues of the rainbow, bright, sparkling, joyous creatures, full of light and life; azure, golden, lilac, crimson, white pink, and blue and silver. Oh ! who hath painted all these dclioate wings with such exquisite taste and beauty? Take a wing from a butterfly, a feather from a bird, a petal from a flower (say a hearts-ease or geranium), even a leaf from a tree. What delicacy of texture ! what elegance of design ! what beautiful pencilling. Had each of these only been of one simple colour, truly they would have been marvellously beautiful; but who hath • touched and retouched all these with such delicate shades and contrasts ? Here a spot, and there a streak. Truly "for his pleasure they are and were created." For whom ? for angels or for men ? Surely we are not worthy to possess the humblest flowret that springs from the earth ; had not the curse been removed in mercy, surely the very lowliest would never have gladdened the eyes of man. Wondrous truths, and manifold as wondrous, God hath written in the stars above, But not less in the bright flowrets under us Stands the revelation of his love. Bright and glorious is that revelation, Written all over tins great world of ours, Making evident our own creation. In these stars of earth, these golden flowers ; And with childlike credulous affection, We behold their tender buds expand, Emblems of our great resurrection, Emblems of the bright and better land. Longfellow. But I had not yet seen all the treasures this wonderful Palace contained. Another heap, and yet another— beautiful shells and corals. What elegant graceful forms, what delicate designs, what wonderful contrivances are manifest here ! And behold again those sparkling gems — diamonds and topaz and amethysts, sapphires and rubies, jasper, and opal, and emeralds ; and look again here— precious metals and ores, gold and silver, and minerals— what forms and colours and strange varieties are here ! Still my dream continued, my life seemed passing slowly away— long long years, and I distinctly felt that I never could satiate my eyes with the objects before them, never could fully comprehend all their mysteries. All along those interminable aisles, on both 6ides, I beheld the four footed animals of the creation passing along, from the largest and stateliest of antediluvian growth down to the very tiniest little creature that burrows in the earth. Far, far beyond the glassy precincts the won- [ drous procession onwards passed ; and through its transparent walls on one side I beheld the waters of the ocean rolling on, and bearing along on its waves all that have their being -within its bounds; while on the other side flowed a calm shining river, through whose blue transparent j waters were visible the bright inhabitants of that | fresh element. Oh, that peaceful, lovely scene ! —may I never forget the sweet vision ! Then, indeed did I seem to behold those beautiful objects sotouchingly painted by the inspired writers. '• How goodly the ligne aloes by the water side ! how lovely the trees planted by the rivers of water, bringing forth their fruit in dve t season, the fig-trees • putting fourth their green figs, and the vines with the tender grapes giving a good smell, and the pomegranates budding forth." And beyond these what a goodly land, " A land of brooks of water, of fountains and depths, that spring out of valleys and hills ; a land of wheat and barley, of vines, figs, and pomegranates ; a land of oil, olive, and honey. 11 And far, far, beyond, in blue and purple mists rising up to heaven, "the everlasting hills.' 1 Above, below, around, everywhere, life, in all its multiplied forms, and provision for every living thing! Down far into the bosom of the earth— far, far into the xmfathomable depths of the ocean — far above in the unseen heights of the air — all is thronged with living beings. Life under an infinite variety of forms, adapted to a variety as infinite in the qualities of the material things which surround it, permeates these mighty regions."* But more : " There are unseen living things whose shadows only the most perfect appliance of artificial vision has yet reached ! ' As I pondered on these wonderous works, and gazed out on the beautiful landscape, the same hurried impulse by which I forced my way into the Palace seemed to urge me on. I passed out in thought^ into the cool fresh air : millions of worlds, visible and invisible, were rolling on in their silent courses ; all, all, doubtless, as full of life as this sphere below ; all as radiant with glory and beauty ; and my heart felt awed within me. Gradually the bright orbs paled away until they disappeared, and brilliant golden and roseate beams announced the rising of the glorious orb of day : the visions of night and the realities of day became blended together, and I awoke as the bright beams of the rising sun shone through nay un curtained wiudow. J. W. XL