The Sun.
London, England, 1867-12-31 00:00:00

PALESTINE EXPLORATION FUND.

The Dean of Westminster preached on Saturday
afternoon at the church of St. Lawrence, Jewry, to
a crowded and attentive congregation, in aid of the
Palestine Exploration Fund. The Dean chose his
text from Isaiah li. 1—" Look unto the rock whence
ye are hewn, and the hole of the pit whence ye are
digged." After referring to the earliest exploration
of Jerusalem, which had taken place shortly after
this prophecy first appeared--that by Nehemiah,
when he arrived from Babylonia, and in the dead
of the night had gone through the ruins of the city
and the Temple--the Dean spoke of the charac-
teristic tendency of the age to investigate and
probe everything to the bottom, to go down to the
native rock, and reach the living source of history,
tradition, or topography, a tendency of which the
present exploration of Palestine was the natural
and inevitable result. Much as the Holy Land had
been visited from the West, its accurate investiga-
tion was a thing of very recent existence. It had
begun, in fact, only with that lamented member of
the American churches, Dr. Rubinson, who was
the first to travel there with his eyes open to what-
ever there was to see and hear, in connection with
sacred topography, and of whose labours, we may
add in passing, so brilliant and profitable a use has
been made by Dr. Stanley himself. What had been
done already for the upper surface and the general
aspect of the country it was now intended to do for
its original soil, long buried beneath the accumula-
tions of so many ages, races, and generations—to
do, in fact, what has already been done at Pompeii,
Rome, Egypt, and Nineveh. Of such investiga-
tions Jerusalem was the natural centre, and here
the Dean mentioned three results which he thought
might reasonably be hoped from the present un-
dertaking :-1. A monument of the Old Testa-
ment of peculiar and special interest, the catacomb
containing the tombs of David and the Rings of
Judah, the prototype of the royal tombs of the mo-
dern world. It alone of all tombs was permitted
to be within the walls of the city. In it, around
the central cell of the founder, were grouped nearly
all the kings of his line—his wise son Solomon, his
great successors Asa and Jehoshaphat, with the
iligh Priest Jehoiada, the one personage of hum-
bler rank who had been allowed a place there.
Apart from anything that might be found in the
tombs, its discovery would be of immense value as
fixing the position of the " City of David." The
last time it was seen was when Herod the Great
broke into it in search of treasure ; but there could
be no reasonable doubt that it was still buried
beneath the rubbish, and still recoverable. 2.
Another monument was the " Holy Sepulchre.'
The church in which this was shown had been the
centre of pilgrimage and crusade for many a century,
but latterly the feeling had very much cooled to-
wards it. Many considerations tended to throw
doubt on the present position, and the question
ought to be cleared up, which it would only be by
excavation of the course of the walls. 3. There
were the natural features of the old Jerusalem, and
here the Dean spoke of the discovery which had been
already made by the Palestine Exploration Fund,
by which the enormous depth of those sacred walls
had been for the first time revealed, the accuracy of
Josephus substantiated, and a new force given to
the narrative of the temptation of Christ. TliC Dean
then went on to urge the importance of proceeding
with the undertaking. The men were there. They
were practised in their work and alive to all the bear-
ings on the subject. The Imperial Government of
the East was favourable; everything encouraging.
Let the opportunity slip and it might never return, or
if it did the whole trouble and cost incurred would
have to be repeated. Never let it be said that in
his Bible-loving country a work had been relin-
quished that bore so closely on that Book which
was called in the Coronation service " the most
valuable thing which the world contains." " Let
us show a hundredth part of the spirit of our fore-
fathers in this matter, and we shall possess the Holy
Land in a far truer sense than they did. We are
not fulfilling the mission of our age as long as we
allow hole or corner of that land or city to remain
unexplored." The Dean concluded an eloquent
and forcible appeal by a touching reference to the
late Duke de Luynes, a nobleman who by his own
unassisted efforts had done more for the elucida-
tion of the geography of Palestine than all the con-
tributions of this country.

A New Year's Plea for the Epileptic and

Paralysed.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.

SIR,—At this season of the year your columns
are kindly opened to appeals on behalf of the sick
poor. I trust you will allow me to solicit aid on
behalf of the epileptic and paralysed.
Those unfortunate people, though struck down
by disease, and rendered incapable of mental or
bodily exertion, are ineligible for admission into
general hospitals.
The Infirmary for Epilepsy and Paralysis in
Charles-street, Portman-square, W., which has
been founded exclusively for the treatment of
patients suffering from these and other nervous
affections, has during the last few years been the
means of relieving large numbers of poor sufferers.
The council of this charity are now under the
necessity of delaying the:numerous applications for
admission from want of funds.

Timely medical treatment is of the greatest
importance in such cases, and many patients be-
come incurable or insane from the want of it at the
early part of their disorder. Help is, therefore,
needed for this institution. Contributions will be
thankfully received by the bankers, Messrs. Glyn,
Mills, and Co., Lombard-street; Messrs. Drum-
mond and Co., Charing-cross ; the President, Lord
Wharncliffe ; or the secretary, at the offices, 46,
Coram-street, Russell-square, W.C.
I am, sir, your obedient servant,
CHARLES H. MILLS, Treasurer.
67, Lombard-street, 28th Dec., 1867.

STOPPAGE IN THE IRON TRADE.—We (Bir-
mingham Gazette) are informed that Messrs. Motley and
Co., of the Russell's Hall Furnaces, Dudley, have ceased
operations. The liabilities will be but trifling, the firm
having been so short a time in existence.

OYSTERS.—OId custom has prescribed the trans-
mission of a barrel of oysters by the London agent to each
of his country clients on Christmas-day. We doubt if it can
be continued, at least it will impose a very grievous burden
upon the giver. Oysters are scarce, and their price almost
prohibitory. The barrel formerly charged at 5s is
now 245. In such circumstances the country solicitors
will excuse their agents if the package should not arrive
as usual. A turkey would be literally sending coals to
Newcastle. Is there nothing else ? Yes. The grocer
will supply the most tasteful baskets of dried fruits, and
that would be no unwelcome substitute.—Law Times.

ST. ALBANS OPEN STEEPLECHASE.—Chimney Sweep was
struck out of this race at 11.35 a.m., and Northern Light at
1 p.m., on Friday last.

CRYSTAL PALACE.—One Shilling Day, Monday,
Dec. 30. —Admissions on payment, 4,002 ; ditto by
season tickets, 1,693 —total visitors, 5,695.