I am unable, however, to say who adapted these words to Franklin's career. Was it Condorcet?
"Eripuit coelo fulmen, sceptrumque tyrannis"
under Franklin's portrait, was written by Mirabeau.
When Mr. Wilkin, in the year 1836, gave to the world an edition of the works of his illustrious townsman, Sir Thomas Browne, the critics were unanimous in their praise both of the undertaking and of the manner in which the editor had executed his task. It was felt that the writings of so great a man--of one on whose style Johnson is supposed to have formed his own--and whose _Religio Medici_ he eulogized for "the novelty of the paradoxes, the dignity of sentiment, the quick succession of images, the multitude of abstruse allusions, the subtlety of disquisition, and the strength of language" to be found in it, ought to be made better known; and Mr. Wilkin's endeavour to make them so was lauded as it deserved. That attempt, however, was but feeble compared with the one now making by Mr. Bohn, who has undertaken to reproduce Mr. Wilkin's excellent edition of _The Works of Sir Thomas Browne_ in his _Antiquarian Library_. The first volume, containing Four Books of his _Enquiries into Common and Vulgar Errors_, has been issued; and, we need scarcely add, forms one which is not surpassed for learning, interest, or instructions, by any other in the very cheap and useful series to which it belongs.
One of the most popular branches of botanical study at the present day is that of our British Ferns, from the very obvious causes--that they are objects of exquisite elegance--not very numerous, nor difficult to be procured--and, lastly, which may well account for their popularity with the dwellers in towns, who yet love to "babble of green fields" and be reminded of them--they are for the most part easily cultivated, and of all others are perhaps best adapted to parlour or window culture. Who then can doubt that, in preparing _A Popular History of the British Ferns and the allied Plants, comprising the Club-Mosses, Pepperworts, and Horse Tails_ (with its fifty admirable coloured representations of the most interesting species), Mr. Moore has done good service to the numerous fern growers already existing, and much to promote the further study of this highly interesting division of the vegetable world. Messrs. Reeve and Benham deserve great credit for the way in which they have seconded Mr. Moore's efforts, by the admirable manner in which the book has been got up.