The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1862-11-11 00:00:00

LITERARY NOTICES.

CHAMBERS'S.—This popular periodieal for the pre-
sent mouth contains about the average number of
articles on miscellaneous subjects, the most interesting •
of which are "Something of Italy," " Byron at New.
stead Abbey," " Hebrew Legends," "A Night of
Terror," " How shall we treat our aoldiera?" " Fond
Plants, and the lemons which they teach," "My Wed. -
ding, by an old Bachelor," " Professor Sandstone and
his young friends," "lb. Old House at Brocklelinrst,''
and "Health." A chapter headed "News",gives us
some idea of the way in which news was disseminated
in the dark ape. On the great roads leading te places.
of particular sanctity or wealth, pilkrinis and pedlars,
no doubt, disseminated a sufficiency of rumours and
lassertions, more or less than based mike* ; but the in.
habitants of remote'districts were often lift for years in
ignorance of the most important eventa. and even the
decease of a reigning sovereign was but slowly recog-
nised in the more distant parte of hie dominions.
Monarchs and great nobles, however, though, hada.
ferent to the accommodation of the nation, atlirep,
set a high value on early intelligence when theitvosin
welfare was at stake. On this account the be/strand
pursnivant were held sacred in any feud or war;. thee
Pope's nuncio, then • real bearer of news, was to be,
seen on every European highway, and no reward wa,.
thought too great for good tidings swiftly canted..
Sometimes the courier was a knight, spurring fierce,.
over weary leagues of road ; sometimes a sleek eocle-
elastic on ambling mule and anon • barefooted monk,.
with rope girdle and wallet, or • palmer with scallop.
shell and staff, se speed or security might be desired.
luau amusing article on "Railway Adventures," is •
passage which will undoubtedly come home to the feel-
ings of many of our readers travelling in first or second
class carriages. "There is an insane conviction in the
minds of most men who get into an empty railway
carriage, that that carriage is theirs, and if anybody
attempts to share it with them, their coantenanee and
manner express abundantly enough their sense of the
intrusion. This is certainly independent of any desire
to be alone for the purpose of indulging in the vice of
smoking. Clergymen—who, of course never touch
tobacco—are as tenacious of their solitary di it se
guardsmen; lawyers look as if they carried the &ed in
their pocket which transferred the vehicle from the
company to themselves for their sale urn; the card-
sharper alone is anxious to secure a travelling Coss.
panion, and smiles blandly out of a window at all ap-
parently eligible persons. To walk on • railway plat-
form down • line of carriages about to 'tart, with •
Bradshaw in your hand, and a travelling-cap on your
head, is to receive a broadside of indignant and repel.
hog glances." The 'ciente, and arts for the moath,
and some poetry niche up an exeellent member.
THZ 1300 K OF DAYS has now relished the tenth part,
bringing down the date to May 18th, so that two mom,
parts will conclude the first volume, forming s reeowl
of the most remarkable events of past times during the
first six months in the year. When completed the two.
volumes will be an inexhaustible mine of entertaining
reading, which cannot fail to be acceptable to all ohm*
in the kingdom.

HANDBOOK TO THE COOKTX COUlT.—Weymonth :
Butcher, stationer.—This handbook will prove ais
unerring guide to the county court, sad every person
having business therein, whether as plaintiff or slefen.-
dant, would do well to consult its pages. It is de-
cidedly the best work we have seen on the subject.