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AN INTRODUCTION TO
PROGRAMMING AND COMPUTER SCIENCE
WITH PYTHON
CLAYTON CAFIERO
An Introduction to
Programming and Computer Science
with Python
Clayton Cafiero
The University of Vermont
This book is for free use under either the GNU Free Documentation License or
the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 United States License. Take
your pick.
• http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html
• http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/us/
Book style has been adapted from the Memoir class for TEX, copyright © 2001–
2011 Peter R. Wilson, 2011–2022 Lars Madsen, and is thus excluded from the
above licence.
Images from Matplotlib.org in Chapter 15 are excluded from the license for
this material. They are subject to Matplotlib’s license at https://matplotlib.o
rg/stable/users/project/license.html. Photo of Edsger Dijkstra by Hamilton
Richards, University Texas at Austin, available under a Creative Commons CC
BY-SA 3.0 license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/.
No generative AI was used in writing this book.
Manuscript prepared by the author with Quarto, Pandoc, and XƎLATEX.
Illustrations, diagrams, and cover artwork by the author, except for the graph
in Chapter 17, Exercise 2, which is by Harry Sharman.
Version: 0.1.8b (beta)
ISBN: 979-8-9887092-0-6
Library of Congress Control Number: 2023912320
First edition
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2
Printed in the United States of America
For the Bug and the Bull
Table of contents
Table of contents i
Preface v
Acknowledgements ix
1 Introduction 1
5 Functions 75
5.1 Introduction to functions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
i
ii Table of contents
6 Style 97
6.1 The importance of style . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
6.2 PEP 8 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
6.3 Whitespace . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
6.4 Names (identifiers) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
6.5 Line length . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
6.6 Constants . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
6.7 Comments in code . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
6.8 Exercises . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
10 Sequences 183
10.1 Lists . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 184
10.2 Tuples . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191
10.3 Mutability and immutability . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 194
10.4 Subscripts are indices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198
10.5 Concatenating lists and tuples . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 199
10.6 Copying lists . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200
10.7 Finding an element within a sequence . . . . . . . . . . . 201
10.8 Sequence unpacking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 203
10.9 Strings are sequences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205
10.10 Sequences: a quick reference guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . 206
10.11 Slicing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 207
10.12 Passing mutables to functions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 210
10.13 Exceptions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 212
10.14 Exercises . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 213
16 Dictionaries 311
16.1 Introduction to dictionaries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 311
16.2 Iterating over dictionaries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 316
16.3 Deleting dictionary keys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 318
16.4 Hashables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 319
16.5 Counting letters in a string . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 321
16.6 Exceptions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 322
16.7 Exercises . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 323
17 Graphs 325
17.1 Introduction to graphs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 325
17.2 Searching a graph: breadth-first search . . . . . . . . . . . 327
17.3 Exercises . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 330
Appendices 333
A Glossary 333
This book has been written for use in University of Vermont’s CS1210
Introduction to Programming (formerly CS021). This is a semester long
course which covers much of the basics of programming, and an intro-
duction to some fundamental concepts in computer science. Not being
happy with any of the available textbooks, I endeavored to write my own.
Drafting began in August 2022, essentially writing a chapter a week over
the course of the semester, delivered to students via UVM’s learning
management system. The text was revised, edited, and expanded in the
following semester.
UVM’s CS1210 carries “QR” (quantitative reasoning) and “QD”
(quantitative and data literacy) designations. Accordingly, there’s some
mathematics included:
v
vi Preface
Contact
Clayton Cafiero
The University of Vermont
College of Engineering and Mathematical Sciences
Department of Computer Science
Innovation E309
82 University Place
Burlington, VT 05405-0125 (USA)
[email protected]
https://www.uvm.edu/~cbcafier
To the student
vii
Acknowledgements
ix
Another Random Scribd Document
with Unrelated Content
often heard of their (the gypsies) abode here, and with them Mr. James Bosville, their
king, under whose authority they conducted themselves with great propriety and
decorum, never committing the least theft or offence. They generally slept in their
farmers' barns, who, at those periods, considered their property to be more safely
protected than in their absence. Mr. Charles Bosville (but how related to the king does
not appear,) was much beloved in this neighbourhood, having a knowledge of
medicine, was very attentive to the sick, well bred in manners, and comely in person.
After his death, the gypsies, for many years, came to visit his tomb, and poured upon
it hot ale; but by degrees they deserted the place,—(These circumstances must yet
hang on their remembrance; as, only a year ago, 1821, an ill drest set of them
encamped in our lanes, calling themselves Boswell's.)—These words in the
parentheses came within my own knowledge.”
In quoting this, I by no means assent to the statement that Gypsies are Egyptians.—
They are of Hindostanee origin.
The Grammar school was next door to Peter Hopkins's, being kept in
one of the lower apartments of the Town Hall. It was a free school
for the sons of freemen, the Corporation allowing a salary of £50.
per annum to the schoolmaster, who according to the endowment
must be a clergyman. That office was held by Mr. Crochley, who had
been bred at Westminster, and was elected from thence to Christ
Church, Oxford in 1742. He came to Doncaster with a promise from
the Corporation that the living of Rossington, which is in their gift
and is a valuable benefice, should be given him provided he had fifty
scholars when it became vacant. He never could raise their numbers
higher than forty-five; the Corporation adhered to the letter of their
agreement; the disappointment preyed on him, and he died a
distressed and broken-hearted man.
Yet it was not Crochley's fault that the school had not been more
flourishing. He was as competent to the office as a man of good
natural parts could be rendered by the most compleat course of
classical education. But in those days few tradesmen ever thought of
bestowing upon their sons any further education than was sufficient
to qualify them for trade; and the boys who were desirous to be
placed there, must have been endued with no ordinary love of
learning, for a grammar school is still any thing rather than a Ludus
Literarius.
Two or three years before the Doctor's marriage a widow lady came
to settle at Doncaster, chiefly for the sake of placing her sons at the
Grammar School there, which though not in high repute was at least
respectably conducted. It was within five minutes walk of her own
door, and thus the boys had the greatest advantage that school-boys
can possibly enjoy, that of living at home, whereby they were saved
from all the misery and from most of the evil with which boarding-
schools, almost without an exception, abounded in those days, and
from which it may be doubted whether there are any yet that are
altogether free. Her name was Horseman, she was left with six
children, and just with such means as enabled her by excellent
management to make what is called a respectable appearance, the
boys being well educated at the cheapest rate, and she herself
educating two daughters who were fortunately the eldest children.
Happy girls! they were taught what no Governess could teach them,
to be useful as soon as they were capable of being so; to make their
brother's shirts and mend their stockings; to make and mend for
themselves, to cipher so as to keep accounts; to assist in household
occupations, to pickle and preserve, to make pastry, to work chair-
bottoms, to write a fair hand, and to read Italian. This may seem
incongruous with so practical a system of domestic education. But
Mrs. Horseman was born in Italy, and had passed great part of her
youth there.
The father, Mr. Duckinton, was a man of some fortune, whose
delight was in travelling, and who preferred Italy to all other
countries. Being a whimsical person he had a fancy for naming each
of his children, after the place where it happened to be born. One
daughter therefore was baptized by the fair name of Florence, Mrs.
Horseman, was christened Venetia, like the wife of Sir Kenelm Digby,
whose husband was more careful of her complexion than of her
character. Fortunate it was that he had no daughter born at Genoa
or at Nantes, for if he had, the one must have concealed her true
baptismal name under the alias of Jenny; and the other have
subscribed herself Nancy, that she might not be reproached with the
brandy cask. The youngest of his children was a son, and if he had
been born in the French capital would hardly have escaped the
ignominious name of Paris, but as Mr. Duckinton had long wished for
a son, and the mother knowing her husband's wishes had prayed for
one, the boy escaped with no worse name than Deodatus.
FRAGMENT OF INTERCHAPTER.
[The timbers were laid for a Chapter on wigs, and many notes
and references were collected.—This Fragment is all that
remains.]
Bernardin St. Pierre, who with all his fancies and oddities, has been
not undeservedly a popular writer in other countries as well as in his
own, advances in the most extravagant of his books, (the Harmonies
de la Nature,) the magnificent hypothesis that men invented great
wigs because great wigs are semblables aux criniers des lions, like
lion's manes. But as wigs are rather designed to make men look
grave than terrible, he might with more probability have surmised
that they were intended to imitate the appearance of the Bird of
Wisdom.
The Doctor wore a wig: and looked neither like a Lion, nor like an
Owl in it. Yet when he first put it on, and went to the looking-glass,
he could not help thinking that he did not look like a Dove.
It was not such a wig as Dr. Parr's, which was of all contemporary
wigs facile princeps. Nor was it after the fashion of that which may
be seen in “immortal buckle,” upon Sir Cloudesley Shovel's
monument in Westminster Abbey——&c.
FRAGMENT OF INTERCHAPTER.
An extract from the Register of Cat's Eden has got abroad, whereby
it appears that the Laureate, Dr. Southey, who is known to be a
philofelist, and confers honours upon his Cats according to their
services, has raised one to the highest rank in peerage, promoting
him through all its degrees by the following titles, His Serene
Highness the Arch-Duke Rumpelstilzchen, Marquis Macbum, Earl
Tomlemagne, Baron Raticide, Waowlher and Skaratchi.
The first of these names is taken from the German Collection of
Kinder und Haus-Märchen. A Dwarf or Imp so called was to carry off
the infant child of the Queen as the price of a great service which he
had rendered her, but he had consented to forego his right if in the
course of three days she could find out what was his name. This she
never could have done, if the King had not on the first day gone
hunting, and got into the thickest part of the wood, where he saw a
ridiculous Dwarf hopping about before a house which seemed by its
dimensions to be his home, and singing for joy; these were the
words of his song,
“The Cats of Diorigi are celebrated all over Greece, for nowhere are
to be found cats so pretty, so vigilant, so caressing and well-bred as
at Diorigi. The Cats of the Oasis in Egypt, and of Sinope are justly
renowned for their good qualities, but those of Diorigi are
particularly fat, brilliant, and playing different colours. They are
carried from here to Persia, to Ardebeil where they are shut up in
cages, proclaimed by the public criers and sold for one or two
tomans. The Georgians also buy them at a great price, to save their
whiskers which are commonly eaten up by mice. The criers of
Ardebeil, who cry these cats have a particular melody to which they
sing their cry in these words,
Singing these words they carry the cats on their head and sell them
for great prices, because the inhabitants of Ardebeil are scarce able
to save their woollen cloth from the destruction of mice and rats.
Cats are called Hurre, Katta, Senorre, Merabe, Matshi, Weistaun,
Wemistaun, but those of Diorigi are particularly highly esteemed.
Notwithstanding that high reputation and price of the Cats of Diorigi,
they meet with dangerous enemies in their native place, where
sometimes forty or fifty of them are killed secretly, tanned, and
converted into fur for the winter time. It is a fur scarce to be
distinguished from Russian ermelin, and that of the red cats is not to
be distinguished from the fox that comes from Ozalov.”1
1 EVLIA EFFENDI.
Their own old Cat, who had been sitting, as was her wont, on the
elbow of her Master's chair, kept her station very quietly, till he came
to the description of the chief Mourner, when, to the great surprize
and consternation of the old couple, she bounced up, and flew up
the chimney exclaiming—“Then I am King of the Cats.”
DEAR MASTER,
Let our boldness not offend,
If a few lines of duteous love we send;
Nor wonder that we deal in rhyme, for long
We've been familiar with the founts of song;
Nine thorougher tabbies you would rarely find,
Than those who laurels round your temples bind:
For how, with less than nine lives to their share,
Could they have lived so long on poet's fare?
Athens surnamed them from their mousing powers,
And Rome from that harmonious MU of ours,
In which the letter U, (as we will trouble you
To say to TODD) should supersede ew—
This by the way—we now proceed to tell,
That all within the bounds of home are well;
All but your faithful cats, who inly pine;
The cause your Conscience may too well divine.
Ah! little do you know how swiftly fly
The venomed darts of feline jealousy;
How delicate a task to deal it is
With a Grimalkin's sensibilities,
When Titten's tortoise fur you smoothed with bland
And coaxing courtesies of lip and hand,
We felt as if, (poor Puss's constant dread)
Some school-boy stroked us both from tail to head;
Nor less we suffer'd while with sportive touch
And purring voice, you played with grey-backed Gutch;
And when with eager step, you left your seat,
To get a peep at Richard's snow-white feet,
Himself all black; we long'd to stop his breath
With something like his royal namesake's death;
If more such scenes our frenzied fancies see,
Resolved we hang from yonder apple tree—
And were not that a sad catastrophe!
O! then return to your deserted lake,
Dry eyes that weep, and comfort hearts that ache;
Our mutual jealousies we both disown,
(Scratch'd) Content to share, rather than lose a throne.
The Parlour, Rumples undisputed reign,
Hurley's the rest of all your wide domain. RUMPLESTITCHKIN,
Return, return, dear Bard κατ᾽ ἐξοχήν, HURLYBURLYBUS.
Restore the happy days that once have been,
Resign yourself to Home, the Muse and us.
For as much, most excellent Edith May, as you must always feel a
natural and becoming concern in whatever relates to the house
wherein you were born, and in which the first part of your life has
thus far so happily been spent, I have for your instruction and
delight composed these Memoirs of the Cats of Greta Hall: to the
end that the memory of such worthy animals may not perish, but be
held in deserved honour by my children, and those who shall come
after them. And let me not be supposed unmindful of Beelzebub of
Bath, and Senhor Thomaz de Lisboa, that I have not gone back to
an earlier period, and included them in my design. Far be it from me
to intend any injury or disrespect to their shades! Opportunity of
doing justice to their virtues will not be wanting at some future time,
but for the present I must confine myself within the limits of these
precincts.
In the autumn of the year 1803 when I entered upon this place of
abode, I found the hearth in possession of two cats whom my
nephew Hartley Coleridge, (then in the 7th year of his age,) had
named Lord Nelson, and Bona Marietta. The former, as the name
implies, was of the worthier gender: it is as decidedly so in Cats, as
in grammar and in law. He was an ugly specimen of the streaked-
carrotty, or Judas-coloured kind; which is one of the ugliest varieties.
But nimium ne crede colori. In spite of his complection, there was
nothing treacherous about him. He was altogether a good Cat,
affectionate, vigilant and brave; and for services performed against
the Rats was deservedly raised in succession to the rank of Baron,
Viscount and Earl. He lived to a good old age; and then being quite
helpless and miserable, was in mercy thrown into the river. I had
more than once interfered to save him from this fate; but it became
at length plainly an act of compassion to consent to it. And here let
me observe that in a world wherein death is necessary, the law of
nature by which one creature preys upon another is a law of mercy,
not only because death is thus made instrumental to life, and more
life exists in consequence, but also because it is better for the
creatures themselves to be cut off suddenly, than to perish by
disease or hunger,—for these are the only alternatives.
And “first for the first of these” as my huge favourite, and almost
namesake Robert South, says in his Sermons.
When the Midgeleys went away from the next house, they left this
creature to our hospitality, cats being the least moveable of all
animals because of their strong local predilections;—they are indeed
in a domesticated state the serfs of the animal creation, and
properly attached to the soil. The change was gradually and
therefore easily brought about, for he was already acquainted with
the children and with me; and having the same precincts to prowl in
was hardly sensible of any other difference in his condition than that
of obtaining a name; for when he was consigned to us he was an
anonymous cat; and I having just related at breakfast with universal
applause the story of Rumpelstilzchen from a German tale in
Grimm's Collection, gave him that strange and magnisonant
appellation; to which upon its being ascertained that he came when
a kitten from a bailiff's house, I added the patronymic of Macbum.
Such is his history, his character may with most propriety be
introduced after the manner of Plutarch's parallels when I shall have
given some previous account of his great compeer and rival
Hurlyburlybuss,—that name also is of Germanic and Grimmish
extraction.
When you left us, the result of many a fierce conflict was that Hurly
remained master of the green and garden, and the whole of the out
of door premises. Rumpel always upon the appearance of his
victorious enemy retiring into the house as a citadel or sanctuary.
The conqueror was perhaps in part indebted for this superiority to
his hardier habits of life, living always in the open air, and providing
for himself; while Rumpel (who though born under a bum-bailiff's
roof was nevertheless kittened with a silver spoon in his mouth) past
his hours in luxurious repose beside the fire, and looked for his
meals as punctually as any two-legged member of the family. Yet I
believe that the advantage on Hurly's side is in a great degree
constitutional also, and that his superior courage arises from a
confidence in his superior strength, which as you well know is visible
in his make. What Bento and Maria Rosa used to say of my poor
Thomaz, that he was muito fidalgo is true of Rumpelstilzchen, his
countenance, deportment and behaviour being such that he is truly
a gentleman-like Tom-cat. Far be it from me to praise him beyond
his deserts,—he is not beautiful, the mixture, tabby and white, is not
good (except under very favourable combinations) and the tabby is
not good of its kind. Nevertheless he is a fine cat, handsome enough
for his sex, large, well-made, with good features, and an intelligent
countenance, and carrying a splendid tail, which in Cats and Dogs is
undoubtedly the seat of honour. His eyes which are soft and
expressive are of a hue between chrysolite and emerald.
Hurlyburlybuss's are between chrysolite and topaz. Which may be
the more esteemed shade for the olho de gato I am not lapidary
enough to decide. You should ask my Uncle. But both are of the
finest water. In all his other features Hurly must yield the palm, and
in form also; he has no pretensions to elegance, his size is ordinary
and his figure bad: but the character of his face and neck is so
masculine, that the Chinese who use the word bull as synonymous
with male, and call a boy a bull-child, might with great propriety
denominate him a bull-cat. His make evinces such decided marks of
strength and courage that if cat-fighting were as fashionable as
cock-fighting, no Cat would stand a fairer chance for winning a
Welsh main. He would become as famous as the Dog Billy himself,
whom I look upon as the most distinguished character that has
appeared since Buonaparte.
Some weeks ago Hurlyburlybuss was manifestly emaciated and
enfeebled by ill health, and Rumpelstilzchen with great magnanimity
made overtures of peace. The whole progress of the treaty was seen
from the parlour window. The caution with which Rumpel made his
advances, the sullen dignity with which they were received, their
mutual uneasiness when Rumpel after a slow and wary approach,
seated himself whisker-to-whisker with his rival, the mutual fear
which restrained not only teeth and claws, but even all tones of
defiance, the mutual agitation of their tails which, though they did
not expand with anger, could not be kept still for suspense and lastly
the manner in which Hurly retreated, like Ajax still keeping his face
toward his old antagonist were worthy to have been represented by
that painter who was called the Rafaelle of Cats. The overture I fear
was not accepted as generously as it was made; for no sooner had
Hurlyburlybuss recovered strength than hostilities were
recommenced with greater violence than ever, Rumpel who had not
abused his superiority while he possessed it, had acquired mean
time a confidence which made him keep the field. Dreadful were the
combats which ensued as their ears, faces and legs bore witness.
Rumpel had a wound which went through one of his feet. The result
has been so far in his favour that he no longer seeks to avoid his
enemy, and we are often compelled to interfere and separate them.
Oh it is aweful to hear the “dreadful note of preparation” with which
they prelude their encounters!—the long low growl slowly rises and
swells till it becomes a high sharp yowl,—and then it is snapt short
by a sound which seems as if they were spitting fire and venom at
each other. I could half persuade myself that the word felonious is
derived from the feline temper as displayed at such times. All means
of reconciling them and making them understand how goodly a thing
it is for cats to dwell together in peace, and what fools they are to
quarrel and tear each other are in vain. The proceedings of the
Society for the Abolition of War are not more utterly ineffectual and
hopeless.
All we can do is to act more impartially than the Gods did between
Achilles and Hector, and continue to treat both with equal regard.
And thus having brought down these Memoirs of the Cats of Greta
Hall to the present day, I commit the precious memorial to your
keeping, and remain
FRAGMENT OF INTERCHAPTER.
1 MART. EPIGR.
Ὁ μὲν διάβολος ἐνέπνενσέ τισι παρανόμοις ἀνθρώποις, καὶ εἰς τοὺς τῶν βασιλέων
ὕβρισαν ἀνδριάντας.
My dear daughter,
I undertake this becoming task with the more pleasure because our
friend Mrs. Keenan has kindly offered to illustrate the intended
account by drawings of both Statues,—having as you may well
suppose been struck with admiration by them. The promise of this
co-operation induces me not to confine myself to a mere description,
but to relate on what occasion they were made, and faithfully to
record the very remarkable circumstances which have occurred in
consequence; circumstances I will venture to say, as well attested
and as well worthy of preservation as any of those related in the
History of the Portuguese Images of Nossa Senhora, in ten volumes
quarto,—a book of real value, and which you know I regard as one
of the most curious in my collection. If in the progress of this design
I should sometimes appear to wander in digression, you will not
impute it to any habitual love of circumlocution; and the speculative
notions which I may have occasion to propose, you will receive as
mere speculations and judge of them accordingly.
Many many years ago I remember to have seen these popular and
rustic rhymes in print,
With or without such assistance, but certainly con amore, and with
the aid of his own genius, if of no other, Glover went to work: ere
long shouts of admiration were heard one evening in the kitchen, so
loud and of such long continuance that enquiry was made from the
parlour into the cause, and the reply was that Mrs. L.'s man was
brought home. Out we went, father, mother and daughters, (yourself
among them,—for you cannot have forgotten that memorable hour),
My Lady and the Venerabilis,—and Mrs. L. herself, as the person
more immediately concerned. Seldom as it happens that any artist
can embody with perfect success the conceptions of another, in this
instance the difficult and delicate task had been perfectly
accomplished. But I must describe the Man,—calling him by that
name at present, the power, æon or intelligence which had
incorporated itself with that ligneous resemblance of humanity not
having at that time been suspected.
Yet methinks more properly might he have been called youth than
man, the form and stature being juvenile. The limbs and body were
slender, though not so as to convey any appearance of feebleness, it
was rather that degree of slenderness which in elegant and refined
society is deemed essential to grace. The countenance at once
denoted strength and health and hilarity, and the incomparable
carpenter had given it an expression of threatful and alert
determination, suited to the station for which he was designed and
the weapon which he bore. The shape of the face was rather round
than oval, resembling methinks the broad harvest moon; the eyes
were of the deepest black, the eyebrows black also; and there was a
blackness about the nose and lips, such as might be imagined in the
face of Hercules, while he was in the act of lifting and strangling the
yet unsubdued and struggling Antæus. On his head was a little hat,
low in the crown and narrow in the brim. His dress was a sleeved
jacket without skirts,—our ancestors would have called it a gipion,
jubon it would be rendered if ever this description were translated
into Spanish, gibão in Portuguese, jupon or gippon in old French. It
was fastened from the neck downward with eight white buttons, two
and two, and between them was a broad white stripe, the colour of
the gipion being brown: whether the strype was to represent silver
lace, or a white facing like that of the naval uniform, is doubtful and
of little consequence. The lower part of his dress represented
innominables and hose in one, of the same colour as the gipion. And
he carried a fowling-piece in his hand.
The woman was in all respects a goodly mate for the man, except
that she seemed to be a few years older; she was rather below the
mean stature, in that respect resembling the Venus de Medicis;
slender waisted yet not looking as if she were tight-laced, nor so thin
as to denote ill health. Her dress was a gown of homely brown, up
to the neck. The artist had employed his brightest colours upon her
face, even the eyes and nose partook of that brilliant tint which is
sometimes called the roseate hue of health or exercise, sometimes
the purple light of love. The whites of her eyes were large. She also
was represented in a hat, but higher in the crown and broader in the
rim than the man's, and where his brim was turned up, her's had a
downward inclination giving a feminine character to that part of her
dress.
Many remarkable things were now called to mind both of the man
and woman;—how on one occasion they had made Miss C.'s maid
miscarry of—half a message; and how at another time when Isaac
was bringing a basket from Mr. C.'s, he was frightened into his wits
by them. But on Sunday evening last the most extraordinary display
of wonderful power occurred, for in the evening the woman instead
of being in her place among the pease, appeared standing erect on
the top of Mr. Fisher's haymow in the forge field, and there on the
following morning she was seen by all Keswick, who are witnesses of
the fact.
You may well suppose that I now began to examine into the
mystery, and manifold were the mysteries which I discovered, and
many the analogies in their formation of which the maker could
never by possibility have heard; and many the points of divine
philosophy and theurgic science which they illustrated. In the first
place two Swedenborgian correspondencies flashed upon me in the
material whereof they were constructed. They were intended to
guard the Garden. There is a proverb which says, set a thief to catch
a thief, and therefore it is that they were fir statues. Take it in
English and the correspondence is equally striking; they were made
of deal, because they were to do a deal of good. The dark aspect of
the male figure also was explained; for being stationed there contra
fures, it was proper that he should have a furious countenance.
Secondly, there is something wonderful in their formation:—they are
bifronted, not merely bifaced like Janus, but bifronted from top to
toe. Let the thief be as cunning as he may he cannot get behind
them.—They have no backs, and were they disposed to be indolent
and sit at their posts it would be impossible. They can appear at the
kitchen door, or on the haymow, they can give the children and even
the grown persons of the family a jump, but to sit is beyond their
power however miraculous it may be; for impossibilities cannot be
effected even by miracle, and as it is impossible to see without eyes,
or to walk without legs,—or for a ship to float without a bottom, so
is it for a person in the same predicament as such a ship—to sit.
EPILUDE OF MOTTOES.
BISHOP JEBB.
LORD BERNERS.
THOMAS LODGE.