to pursue his literary avocations in
comparative privacy. His "English Botany" is a work consisting of
thirty-six octavo volumes, and contains 2592 figures of British plants.
It is a curious and melancholy coincidence, that the fourth volume of his
"English Flora" reached him on the very last day he ever entered his
library; and he thus had the gratification of seeing the completion of a
work which, in his own estimation, was calculated, beyond all the other
labours of his pen, to establish his reputation as a botanist, and
confirm his erudition as an author.

St. Giles, the next in order of the saintships, in addition to its
architectural beauties, with which we pretend not to "meddle," presents a
few legendary claims to our notice. The effigy of St. Christopher, of a
monstrous size, with his staff sprouting by his side, was originally
painted over the north door, as the patron saint of children presented
for baptism, who generally were brought in at that door. In most
churches where a north door existed, this image or painting of St.
Christopher was wont to appear, depicted on as large a scale as the wall
would permit, in conformity with the legend that he was a saint of noble
and large stature. In the aisle once stood a chapel, altar, and image of
St. Catherine, with a light burning before it, and against one of the
pillars stood a famous rood, called the Brown Rood.

St. Benedict, the patron of monks, has his monument in the form of a
little ancient church with a little tower, round at the bottom and
octagonal at the top, where three little jingling bells give notice of
the hours of prayer.

St. Swithin, that famous prophet of wet weather, has his memorial, too,
not far distant. More have heard the old adage, "If it rain on St.
Swithin's day, there will be rain more or less for forty succeeding
days," than may have cared to trace its origin, which seems involved in
some mystery. One authority tells us that St. Swithin was Bishop of
Winchester, to which rank he was raised by Ethelwulf, the Dane; and when
he died in 865, he was canonized by the pope. He had expressed a desire
to be buried in the open church-yard, and not, as was usual with bishops,
within the walls of the church: his request was complied with; but upon
his being canonized, the monks took it into their heads that it was
disgraceful for a saint to lie in the open church-yard, and resolved to
remove his body into the choir, which was to be done