[1] [1] the gardens and menagerie of the zoological society delineated. vol. i. the second cut represents the tunnelled communication between the two gardens, beneath the carriage-road of the park. above, the archway is a pediment, supported by two neat columns, and a terraced walk, with balustrades. the whole is handsomely executed in cement or imitative stone. the decorative vases are by austin, of the new road. a lions head, in bold relief, forms an appropriate key-stone embellishment to the arch. the sloping banks are formed of mimic rock-work profusely intermingled with plants and flowers. the third cut is the monkey house, of substantial iron-work, with dormitories and winter apartments in the rear. in fine sunny weather the monkeys may be here seen disporting their recreant limbs to the delight of crowds of visiters. their species are too numerous but for a catalogue. among them are the negro and sooty monkeys,the mone monkey: the name of _monkey_ is supposed to be derived from the african appellation of this species, _mone_ corrupted into _monachus_. bonneted, pig-tailed, and capuchin monkeys; the last named from their dark crowns, like the capuch or hood of a capuchin friar; and black and white-fronted spider monkeys, named from their great resemblance to large spiders. by the way, there is an abundance of still life in the gardens at this ungenial season. we find the elephant, the antelopes, and the zebra, in their winter quarters, and their mightinesses, the large cats, as the lions, tiger, and leopards, accommodated with a snug fire. the tropical birds, as the parrots, maccaws, &c., have been removed from the extremity of the north garden to warmer quarters; and the hyaenas, leopards, and a host of smaller carnivorous quadrupeds have taken their places. the upper end is occupied by four roomy dens, with a lordly black-maned lion and a lioness, from northern africa; above them are a fine lioness and a leopard from ceylon: these we take to have been among the recent arrivals from the tower menagerie. fragments on human life. (_for the mirror._) call not earth a barren spot, pass it not ungrateful by, tis to man a lovely lot. there is no subject on which such a variety of opinions exist, as on the question whether man is happy; and that it is not easy to be settled, is certain. many persons have been so far contented with their lot as to wish to have their life over again, and yet as many have expressed themselves to the contrary. dr. johnson, who always spoke of human life in the most desponding terms, and considered earth a vale of tears, yet hope, not life from pain or sorrow free, or think the doom of man reversed for thee declared that he would not live over again a single week of his life, had it been allowed him.[2] such was his opinion on the past; but so great is the cheering influence with which hope irradiates the mind, that in looking forward to the future, he always talked with pleasure on the prospect of a long life. [2] chamfort observes, that the writers on physics, natural history, physiology, and chemistry, have been generally men of a mild, even, and happy temperament, while the writers on politics, legislation, and even morals, commonly exhibited a melancholy and fretful spirit. it is to be expected that an inspection of the beauty and order of nature should affect the mind with peculiar pleasure._gaieties and gravities_. when he was in scotland, boswell told him that after his death, he intended to erect a memorial to him. johnson, to whom the very mention of death was unpleasant, replied, sir, i hope to see your grand-children. on his death-bed he observed to the surgeon who was attending him, _i want life_, you are afraid of giving me pain. it has been supposed that this question had been settled by the authority of scripture. man is born to trouble, says job, as the sparks fly upward. in turning over a few pages more, we find ourselves in doubt again. _the latter end of job was more blessed than his beginning_; for he had 14,000 sheep, and 6,000 camels, and 1,000 yoke of oxen, and 1,000 she-asses. he had also seven sons and three daughters. so job died being old and full of days. it may not be unpleasant to place before the reader the opinions of several celebrated men, on life, that he may choose his side, and either like the bee or the spider, extract the poison or gather the honey. we will begin with sterne, one who well knew the human heart. what is the life of man? is it not to shift from side to side! from sorrow to sorrow! when i consider how oft we eat the bread of affliction, when one runs over the catalogue of all the cross reckonings and sorrowful items with which the heart of man is overcharged, tis wonderful by what hidden resources the mind is enabled to stand it out, and bear itself up, as it does, against the impositions laid upon our nature._t. shandy_. a man has but a bad bargain of it at the best._chesterfield_. no scene of human life but teems with mortal woe._sir walter scott_. in opposition to these sentiments, franklin, in writing on the death of a friend, gives us his opinion, _it is a party of pleasure_, some take their seats first. and lord byron, describing sunrise, in the second canto of _lara_, says but mighty nature bounds as from her birth, the sun is in the heavens, and life on earth; flowers in the valley, splendour in the beam