The Sun.
London, England, 1866-02-08 00:00:00

"FOR LIFE,"

We are all familiar with the reply of the over-
tasked " maid of all work," who, when condoled
with the hardship of her lot, replied that fortunately
it was " only for life," her belief in some subse-
quent compensating arrangements being apparently
a sufficient consolation to her. There is, however,
another bargain, which is also "for life," in which
no such compensation exists—we allude to Life
Assurance. There is something absolutely marvel-
lous in the easy unsuspecting way in which many
persons, otherwise shrewd enough, arc induced to
pay their premiums, year after year, and entrust
the whole earthly future of their wives and families
to Assurance Companies, of which they absolutely
know nothing. An active agent, a friend, who is
" interested in the office," has spoken to them on the
subject, and, without a word of enquiry, they have
bound themselves to a bargain which is necessarily
" for life," but in which the other party to the con-
tract is shrouded in darkness.

If you ask him " Did you look well into their
balance-sheet ?" the reply is, " Oh, they do not
issue balance-sheets." " Do you know anything of
their management, or their system of business?"
No, but there are some members of Parliament,
some military and naval officers, and even a
"Lord" on the Board, so that I assume
that is all right." The effects of this blind
confidence may be seen in the fact which
is too little known that within the last 20 years,
while 670 assurance compunies have been projected,
and 321 actually founded, no less than 287 have
ceased to exist.

If " the reason why" of this excessive mortality
among the offices be asked, the answers must in
nearly every case be the same—" Extravagant ex-
penditure and reckless management."
The principles of life assurance are so well under-
stood—its practice and theory harmonize so per-
fectly, that with even ordinary care the dictum of
one of the first actuaries in the kingdom may be
held as infallible, viz : " There can be nothing ap-
proaching the security of a well-managed mutual
life assurance association." But in those words
" well managed" is the petitio principii.
These remarks have been called forth by the
report elsewhere detailed of an institution which
we have for twenty-five years past watched with
considerable interest, and whose annual meetings
have been during that period constantly reported
in our columns ; we allude to the Provident Clerks'
Mutual Life Association, which has just completed
its fifth quinquenniad, and which now exhibits to
its 9,000 members an income of some £63,000 per
annum, and a reserve wanting but little of £300,000.
The perfect simplicity and intelligibility of its
balance sheets (which it was one of the first to
publish and circulate) leave no room for mystifica-
tion. Be the results of the year good or bad they
are there disclosed, and the public at large as well
as the members have the power of judging for
themselves how the office is progressing. In
his memorable speech on the Government
Annuities Bill, Mr. Gladstone referred to the
difficulty of compelling the existing offices to pub-
lish a reliable or intelligible balance-sheet. With
the pattern referred to before him, we do not be-
lieve the difficulty would be found insuperable, and
how much the system would be welcomed by the
offices of standing and character, or how valuable it
would be to intending assurers we need not say.

The operation of the Government Act does not
appear to have interfered with the progress of the
" Provident Clerks," as not only has the office re-
ceived a larger number and amount of proposals
than in any previous year, but the very class of
policies 'to which the Government office is restricted,
those of £lOO and under, have shown by far the
largest proportion of the increase. It may be that
the presence of so powerful a competitor acted as a
stimulus to their energies ; but from whatever cause
we must pay the directors the compliment of saying
that they appear to have found and well understood
the secret of success. There is no class of her
Majesty's subjects, we are informed, who are not
represented among the assurers of the " Provident
Clerks," and if there be any truth in figures, there
is none in which they may assure with greater
safety.

DEATH OF LORD IVIONTEAGLE.—We regret to
learn that Lord Monteagle expired on Wednesday morning
at his seat, Mount Trenchard, Limerick. Lord Monteagle's
health had for some time been in a failing state.
INNER TEMPLE READERSHIP.—The Benchers of
the Inner Temple yesterday evening elected the Rev.
Alfred Aingor, late Scholar of Trinity Hall, Cambridge, to
bb Roeder v the Waal* Much.

Her Majesty's Speech yesterday was transmitted
to Paris yesterday in eleven minutes, five wires being
simultaneously employed in its transmission. By
two o'clock in the afternoon a complete copy was
in the hands of the Minister for Foreign Affairs,
and it was published in the evening papers. They,
however, did not appear till much beyond the usual
hour of publication. The iloniteur has no remarks
upon the document, and it will not be till to-mor-
row that the other Paris newspapers will give their
comments upon it.
Accounts have been received in Paris from
Ta-native, dated January 3, which announce the
serious illness of the Queen of Madagascar. In the
fear of a fatal termination of the disorder measures
had been taken for the establishment of a regency
during the minority of her Majesty's adopted son.
At the time of the latest news her Majesty was
better. The amount of the indemnity claimed by
France had been paid.
The Gazette (la Midi has an article in reference
to the extraordinary mildness of the winter, and
supplies statistics of the years when the weather was
still more like summer. In 1172, 1289, 1421, and
1527 birds' nests were seen in the trees, which were
in full foliage. In 1538 the flowers were in bloom
in the gardens near Paris, and country excursions
and swimming matches took place. A curious fact
is connected with the winter of 1763. It was very
rigorous throughout France except in the small vil-
lage of Sables d'Olonne (Vendee), and there within
a circle of 20 miles the temperature was high. So
severe was the cold in other parts of France that the
mouth of the Loire was frozen, a very unusual cir-
cumstance. The fact is proved by the testimony of
the learned Condamine, who was at Sables d'Olonne
at the time, and the attention of learned men
was called to it, but they could not discover
the cause of the phenomenon. In 1807, 1822,
and 1853 the winters were mild, but the harvests
were abundant, a circumstance which ought to
allay the fears of agriculturists, who now in France
at least begin to manifest some apprehensions on
the subject.
An amusing work has just appeared, " Les
Theatres en Robe de Chambre," by Messrs. Zveling
Ram Band and E. Coulon, which professes to de-
scribe the domestic habits of the actors of the pre-
sent day. The anecdotes may be more or less true.
As many French and other foreign actors are un-
known to fame in England, I content myself with
a sketch or two relative to the principal ones.
Faure, a leading singer at the Opera, was a chorus
boy at St. Roch. He is decorated with several
Spanish orders. Marot is a first rate billiard
player, and Mario an expert angler. Mario has a
magnificent chateau at Florence, which abounds in
works of taste and art. He has the most valuable
violins in the world. The book tells us that he is
continually beset by an English lady, who is
madly in love with him. Leon Achard, of
the Opera Comique, possessed a large fortune
before he went upon the stage. Battaille, the
bass singer, is remarkable for a terrible appetite,
which enables him to eat an omelette composed of
half a hundred eggs for his breakfast. (Perhaps he
can swallow such a repast more easily than the
reader will swallow the account of it.) Montjauze,
the Rubini of the Theatre Lyrique, is a Knight of
the Order of Isabella of Spain. Paul Deshayes, of
the Theatre du Chatelet, is spoken of as a man
" who dearly loves a joke." Lafont, the eminent
violinist, who is 71 years old, and does not look 40,
has been all over the world. Among the comic
actors are Regnier, one of the authors of " Made-
moiselle de la Sergliere ;" Corquelin, Thiron, who
travelled with Rachel and Lebel and Williams. The
latter played together 3,000 times in the " Pillules
du Diable." Lesnour gave lessons to Prince Metter-
nich, who was studying the part of a Cossack for
a grand amateur performance to be given by Ma-
dame de Castellane. Pradeau is said to be the best
whist player in Paris. Hyacinthe was a hair dresser.
Brasseur is a millionaire, and Priston a watch-
maker. Sallerin, 1020 ;: Kiug- salmon
in the curious fish spectacle in the " Biche au Bois,"
which has just been played for many consecutive
months at the Porte St. Martin, was once a passable
actor, and played with Tahna. Of the actresses
the book says little that would interest. Mdlle.
Fionetti is described as a lady of " religious
purity." Dejazet has for a motto upon the seal,
the words, " The heart on the hand."
A German poet and dramatist of some note,
Frederic Ruckert, has just died at Neuses, near
Cobourg, aged 77. He was celebrated as a linguist.
His chief dramas were---" Saul et David," and
"Herod et Marianne."

A -letter from Rome in a Paris paper says :
" Pius VIII. was the only Pope who had not a
tomb in the church of St. Peter. Thanks to a
legacy from Cardinal Albani, one has been con-
structed which has just been inaugurated with due
solemnity in the presence of Pius IX. Pius VIII.
is represented in the monument kneeling, the hands
clasped at the moment of appearing before the
Eternal Judge. Above is our Saviour, who holds
out his hand to the Pope. St. Peter and St. Paul
present the Pontiff to Jesus Christ. At the base of
the monument, Prudence and Justice are sculptured
in relief."

The French painters are beginning the works
which they intend to send to the Great Exhibition.
Among the subjects already decided upon are a
"Scene in the Life of Tobias," by Lehmann ; " The
Reverie," by M. Gigoux ; the " Holy Angels for
the Church of St. Eustache," by M. Cambon ;
" Centaur and Centauress," the " Marriage of Rea-
son," " A Recollection of the Town of Mentone,
near Nice ;" two landscapes by M. Blin ; " A
Drunkard," and The Wedding Interrupted," by M.
Lundt ; a "Jew and his Daughter," by M. Dus-
sand ; " The Muses Weeping over the Ruins
of Pompeii," by M. Hamm ; the " Re-
turn to the Island of Batz " (women
returning from Market) ; " A Dream on
a Summer's Night at Pompeii," by M. Curzon ;
and a " View of Sorrente," by M. Harpignies.
Among other works of art worth mention is a
bronze statue in imitation of Michael Angelo's
" David," just executed at Florence by Papi.
Criminals in France generallyundergo the punish-
ment of death immediately after the rejection of
their appeal to the Court of Cessation. Each morn-
ing since the rejection of M. Poncet's appeal,
crowds have repaired to Varseilles in the hope (that
is real word to use) that they would have the en-
joyment of the spectacle of his execution. The
cause of delay is said to be that he has written his
memoirs, which contain some extraordinary revela-
tions in regard to his doings while a convict at
Cayenne. The memoirs were sent to the Procureur
Imperial, at whose suggestion, it is reported, the
execution was delayed. Crowds have assembled
round the Palais de Justice at various hours of the
day, and the Hotels Verara crowded as soon as it
was known that Poncet :was condemned. Alas !
for English taste ! Many of the visitors are our
countrymen.

FUNERAL OF A ROMAN CATHOLIC BISHOP.—The
late Dr. Hogarth, Roman Catholic Bishop of Hexham and
Newcastle, was buried with great pomp at Ushaw College,
near Durham, on Tuesday. The funeral was attended by
seven bishops, a considerable number of the higher digni-
taries of the Roman Catholic Church, and several of the
leading Roman Catholic laymen in the North. Dr. Ulla-
thorne delivered the funeral oration.
Last evening a ball, in aid of the Janior Philan-
thropic Society, for apprenticing Jewish boys and girls,
took place at the Queen's Concert-rooms, Hanover-square.
It was under the immediate patronage of the Right Hon.
the Lord Mayor and Lady Mayoress. There were also
present the members of his lordship's family, and the
Countess D'Avigdor, Mr. Julian Goldsmid, Mr. F. D.
Mocatta, Mr. and Mrs. passoon, Mr. L. D. Phillips, the
president ; Mr. Albert Engel, the hon. secretary ; Mr. J.
S. Solomon, Mr. H. H. Collins, &c. The financial results
of the evening proved very successful, more than £3OO
having been given as donations.

UNIVERSITY COLLEGE, LONDON.—At the SeSiiioA
of Council held on the 3d inst. Dr. Sankey was appointed
Lecturer on Mental Diseases. An offer made by the Royal
Institute of British Architects of a silver medal struck in
commemoration of the retirement of Professor Donaldson
from the chair of Architecture at that college, to be com-
peted for annually by the students in the class of architec-
ture, WAN accepted with thanks.

FRANCE.

BOURSE, Feb. 7.—Three o'clock—The market
has closed on the following quotations:—
Roman 6B 50
Ottoman Fives 39 60
Mexican Loan 45 75
Do. Bonds 3OO
Russian —
Austrian
Spanish Threes
Home Debt
Deferred

41 per Cents 9B 65
Do. end month —
3 per Cents. 6B 75
Do. end month 6B 30
Credit Mobilier 680
Do. end month
Bank Shares 3735
Credit Fonder 1315
Italian Loan 6l 70
Do. end month 6l 87i-
RAIL'

Orleans
Northern
Lyons and Mediterranean
Southern
`Western
Eastern
Sardinian .
Austrian
Lombard
North of Spain
Saragossa
Ditto to Barcelona
Roman

Cash. Acct.
~.. ... 855
..„ ... 1115
~. 860
.••• .... 546 25

"-- '-''' • • •

- - ... 532 50
- - ... 162 50
- ... 407 50
- - ... 407 50
... 171 25
... 216 25
97 50
- - ... 120 -

MONTHLY PERIODICALS.

- s

DUBLIN UNIVERSITY.—" The Outdoor Spectacles
of Old Paris" present us with some entertaining
sketches, that reveal many glimpses of the doings
of an earlier time. It is truly said here that the
" exhibition and entertainments forming the subject

of this paper are interesting to the social antiquary ;

much of the spirit and character of a people, and of their
standard of morality, may be learned from their customs and
pastimes." " Not Wisely, but too Well" is rather dull in this

instalment: It tells us of James Stanley's stern self-discip

line, and Kate's self-indulgent apathy, but there are few
events recorded. The scene between George and his cousin
is well described, with the willingness to tell on one side,
and unwillingness to understand on the other. " Number
Five Brooke-street" is continued in its animated style, and
we again meet with the sharp-witted Mrs. Lepell, who
contrives to humbug Sir John Digby completely. An
amusing account is given of the style in which Lord John
extricated himself from the dangers in which he was
placed by the horses running away, when he left a lady
the sole occupant of the sleigh. " Three Cynical Spec-

tators" again appear to attract the curious reader. There
is great truth in some of the remarks here made upon
"Satire." It is declared to be "a natural propensity of
man ; it is a weapon which may be right nobly used ; it is
a powerful remedy against evil, meanness, and vulgarity.
Wielded by true and virtuous power, satire enlarges the
heart and mind, and shows how men can be rebuked, not
with fanaticism and hatred, but by the superior thought
of men who had in them a brighter spark of the Divine
nature than that ordinarily vouchsafed to mortals." "Gulli-
ver," " Candide," and " Teufelsdrockh" are the instances
here cited of the power of this gift. The lovers of the
mysterious and romantic will be glad to find a new story
is commenced by the author of " Guy Deverell," &c. It is
called " All in the Dark," and presents us with some of
those domestic sketches for which the writer is so famous.

'' Imposture and Credulity" is the title of a sketch which

furnishes us with some most remarkable occurrences in
that line. The interesting accounts of " Glastonbury
Abbey" are continued in the same spirited style, and in the
same impressive language. " The Opening Session" takes
a very unpromising view of the prospects of the Govern-
ment. It is said with truth that after the general election
the supporters of Ministers laid great stress upon their
majority of thirty, but that now they are very reserved on
the subject. It seems to be inferred from this article that

there will be a regular split between those in the Liberal
ranks, and a sort of a medium party formed. Whether
this be true or not, no doubt many and great are the
trials that await the new Government, and certainly if
they fail it will not be for want of kind friends to tell
them of their shortcomings and to point out their defi-
ciencies.

FRASER'S MAGAZINE.—There are several subjects
of great importance discussed in this number, be-
ginning with Miss Cobbe's essay on " The Indigent
Class—their Schools and Dwellings." Although
this topic has never yet assumed its proper dimen-
sions, it has lately attracted more and more of the
attention of thoughtful men, and all who feel any interest
in the well-being of our population will be glad to hear
what Miss Cobbe has to say on the subject. After speak-
ing of the degraded tendencies of the very lowest classes,
Miss Cobbe says very justly, that to leave this class any
choice at all between healthy and unhealthy habitations
is to prolong the mischief of the slums for ever. The
great end to be attained, as she very forcibly points out,
is the total demolition of our fever nests, and the effectual
clearance of the pestilential districts of the great towns.
This work, quite bayond the scope of private benevolence,
belongs, as Miss Cobbe argues, to the national Exchequer.
In support of this she observes that the fulfilment of this
obvious duty would be really a wise economy. " England
spends many millions annually on workhouses, gaols, and
hospitals. Would it bo bad economy to cut off one of
the main sources of poverty, crime, and disease ? We do
not grudge the price of an ironclad ship to be ready to
defend us in case of a war, which in all probability will
never arise till she has rusted away. Should we
grudge a similar sum to build• a whole street of
healthful dwellings, and so defeat an enemy
who is sure to invade us ere long—a more cruel enemy
than all the battalions of France—even cholera ?" The
next article will be certain to attract attention, for it is on
Jamaica and the recent insurrection, written by a late re-
sident in the island. It is not a little significant, as
showing the views of educated and intelligent men,
who really know the facts, that the writer, expressing
the opinion of the whites, does not seem to be aware
of any suspicion attaching to the manner in which the
rebellion was put down. "A. K. H. B." reappears in
this number, though not in the old form ; still his con-
tribution will be welcome to many. " Elements of the
Military Balance of Power in Europe" is a useful sta-
tistical paper. The "Report of the Capital Punishment
Commission" is reviewed at some length, and we have
also a paper on " Sundays, Ancient and Modern," which
is thoughtful and sensible, and enters into the real merits
of the question.

THE UNITED SERVICE.—The United Service is
full of variety for this month, and devotes a consi-
derable space to the interests of either service.
" Medals and 'Distinctions of the- English Army"
enters into the history of giving these marks of
distinction from the earliest period. They were prevalent
in the Eastern armies long before the glories of Rome wero
being commemorated by symbols of honour. The coro-
net or torques are said to have been common in the days
of Cyrus, and from that source were derived the crowns
of honour (corona) in use among the Greeks and Romans
in later times. The practice even reached to Celtic na-

tions. The arms of the Errol family are an ancient and
good example in point. When the Danes invaded Scot-
land in 980 there was a battle at Longearty, near Perth, in
which the Scotch King Kenneth the Third was routed.
John de Luz and his sons (the ancestors of the Earls of
Errol) were ploughing in a field hard by. Seeing the
Scots flee, John and his sons put themselves in a narrow
pass and stopped them with ox-gear, bidding them turn
back for loons and cowards. They did so ; and the
Danes, thinking it was a reinforcement, turned and fled.
Kenneth gave John de Luz as much land as a falcon flying
from his wrist in Gowrie should measure before it perched.
Hence the Errol mint is a falcon, and the supporters two
husbandmen carrying ox-yokes. Similar memorials
were bestowed on othor families for deeds of valour by
different kings in other and more recent times. That of
the Devonshire family is recorded in the capture of
Boulogne, in the days of Henry the Fifth, when Lord
Howard's fifth son, being asked how he took the tow;
said " I tripped up the walls ;" " and Tripp shall be thy
name !" said the King, "Howard no longer," and ho
honoured him with a scaling ladder for his bend or arms.
Other marks of honour are described for particular ser-
vices, but now they are more general, such as our Victoria
Cross, for chivalrous deeds, and they will serve to stimu-
late the brave to glorious achievements. "Non-commis-
sioned Officers" is a sensible paper on the value of these
men, as forming the connecting link between the higher
officers of an army and the ranks in general. They form
undoubtedly the moving spirit of the, men, and deserve
well of their country, indeed far better than they get. But
we believe great improvements have taken place of late
in tlie# condition. "Jean Ilaynioncl" continuto hi

chequered career, and our "National Expenditure" may be
left to the safe keeping of the Chancellor of the Exche-
quer, who promises to cut down every sixpence in his
power. "Musketry Practice," we are sorry to hear, has
been lately in a sort of abeyance, for what cause it does not
exactly appear. " The Oar" is a practical paper, executed
in a seamanlike spirit, and meriting the attention of all
seafaring people. It seems that fir oars have always been
considered the most desirable for lifeboats, as they do not
bend so much as ash oars, and as they float so much lighter
in the water, and afford a better support in the event of
accident. But from experiments made by the National
Lifeboat Institution, it was ascertained that an oar made
from a good white Norway batten, or from a white Baltic
spar, will bear in point of strength as great a strain as any
other, each being as free from knots as possible. The
length of an oar must be proportioned to the width of the
boat, and should not be less than five inches wide in the
blade. The height of the thowl, or rowlock, in which the
oar works on the gunwale, should be sufficient to enable
the rower to lift the blade well above the waves by depress-
ing the loom, or handle; but it must not be so high as to
require him to raise his arms above the level of his chest
in rowing, for in so doing he will have less force, and be
sooner fatigued. A new description of a swivel crutch for
holding- the oar has been invented by Captain J. R.
Ward, R.N., the Inspector of the National Insti-
tution for their lifeboats, an excellent sketch of
which is given in a page of the magazine, well
deserving of being generally applied to other boats.
"Our Military Establishments in the West Indies" are
considered to be valuable lives sacrificed for the sake of
doing very doubtful good to most unquestionable savages.
A well-organised strong police force, liberally supplied
with well-paid European inspectors, would answer every
purpose, and be incomparably more efficient at one-eighth
the expense of European soldiers. The apprehension of
danger from the police making common cause with their
friends in case of disturbance is considered to be absurd,
for " the negro has no natural affections, and would as
soon stick his bayonet into his father or brother as into a
stranger." Had that plan been followed years ago the late
outbreak in Jamaica would not have occurred, for there is
no danger of black troops making common cause with the
natives ; and the outbreak shows of how thin a varnish is
composed the Ohristianity and civilisation of these black
darlings of Exeter Hall. " The Recent Storms, or the
Readings of the Barometer, by Mr. Glaisher," is an excel-
lent paper, with a diagram exhibiting the barometric va-
riations, and a table showing the force and speed of the
wind, varying from 130 to 320 miles in 24 hours. A good
barometer is invaluable, while a bad one is worse than
useless. It is a death-warrant to those who put their faith
in it.

COLBURN'S NEW MONTHLY MAGAZINE.--The
first thing that we meet in this number is a paper
on " Modern Greece," which it:describes as " the
smallest of European kingdoms ; it barely com-
prises one million, two hundred thousand inhabi-
tants, and its revenue does not exceed twenty mil-
lions of francs." The writer says a little further on that
Greece pays heavily in the present day for the exaggerated
enthusiasm excited in her cause in 1821. Those who be-
lieved that on the establishment of Grecian independence
all the old herioc virtues and classic genius would spring
forth were so grievously disappointed by the event that
they rushed into the opposite extreme, and declared there
was nothing to be found but deceit and cowardice. This
view our author declares to be just as mistaken as the
other, and asserts :that—" Just as we see in America the
quiet influence of the socially respectable party crushed
by the noisy clamour of less reputable partisanship, so the
positive virtues—domestic, social, and political—of the
educated Greeks are entirely lost sight of in the turbu-
ence of a few discontented yet ambitious persons."
Francis Jacox contributes an essay on " Jago and Motive-
less Malignity." Cyrus Redding gives a very long, and, to
tell the truth, somewhat tedious article on " Capital
Punishment," which is not yet concluded. Lieut.-Col.
Miles recounts his adventures and experiences during
a voyage from sea to sea through the Isthmus of Suez.
For fiction we have the conclusion of Mrs. Bushby's very
objectionable story of " Woodbury," and the continuance
of two other tales. " Lilian's Inheritance" is a
well-written tale of Mexican life, with a thread of
domestic interest running through it. " Idalia," a more
ambitious romance, from the pen of the brilliant though
not always reliable author of " Granville de Vigne," pro-
ceeds with vigour. The present instalment describes an
exciting scene, the surprise of the festive assembly at the
gay and courtly masquerade by the Royalist soldiers,
when " the music and the laughter and the festivity were
broken in upon by the tread of armed men, when gorgeous
robes and laces were dabbled in blood, and the beautiful
gardens and chambers of the Italian noble's palace became
the scene of hopeless struggle and reckless spoliation, be-
cause he loved his country's liberty better than his safety."
The worshipped Idalia is captured by the soldiers, and in-
deed it is against her that the whole attack is principally
directed. The result of the crisis we shall probably learn
in the next number.

BENTLEY'S MISCELLANY.—The eventful and che-
quered career of the Conetable de Bourbon lends
Mr. Ainsworth every opportunity for displaying his
capacities for historical romance. " The Gipsies" is
a paper on that singular race, which is now said to
be dying out fast. " The Monuments in Westminster
Abbey" is the title of an article discussing chiefly the diffi-
culties of want of space. The writer suggests that some
of the cumbrous monuments and tablets erected
to the memory of very worthy but unknown indi-
viduals which now block up the windows in the nave and
other conspicuous parts should be removed to the cloisters.
This is a very sensible and practical suggestion, which has
the more force, because many of these intrusive memorials
refer to persons really buried in the cloisters or other
places. "Mrs. Ranby Typically Considered" refers= co a
character which is not uncommon in fiction, though the
Coelebs of Hannah More, in which Mrs. Raub), originally
appears, is now no longer read. There are other tales and
stories of various kinds, so that there is no lack of light
reading.

THE ST. JAMES'S.—" The Lady's Will" is con-
tinued at some length, and it is very important in
this instalment. Poor Cecil is not very happy in
her new position as O'Boyneville's wife ; she is
gloomy and deserted—far happier in all proba-
bility than her friend Florence is likely to be, how-
ever, for she makes a wretched marriage with Mr. Lobyer,
and we have many hints thrown out that she will reap the
whirlwind. Poor Philip Foley is much to be pitied, but
yet he is well free from Florence, for she is unworthy to be
the companion of an honest man. A fine passage is that
in which the old painter seeks to raise the dormant energies
of his young friend and send him out to work as the best
cure for melancholy. Philip was rather lapsing into
nothingness on the plea of the failures he has met with,
and Mr. Cranford exclaimed, " You will never be a great
painter, Foley, while you think of your air disappoint-
ments, your air failures ; you must learn to merge your
identity into the mighty abstraction. If they refuse your
picture at the Academy to-day, go home and begin a better
to-morrow, and before the month is out you will
rejoice that your rejected picture is unhung. The
story of Lot's wife has a moral for painters,
never look back. What are the failures of the past and
the present ? A little wasted canvas, a few tubes of colour
more or less, and it is across Vie failures of the present that
brave men march to the triumphs of the future. What
hot-headed fellows the young men of the present day are."
The second part of the " State Trials during the Reigns of
Elizabeth and the Stuarts" brings us to the days of the
notorious Judge Jeffries. "Supposed to be Haunted" is
a chapter for lovers of the marvellous, and is, in truth, a
ghost story with a moral. "On Lake Leman" is a plea-
sant paper, descriptive of a sojourn by the beautiful Geneva
lake, which, unfortunately, like many other beautiful
things, feels the invading effect of civilisation and its at-
tendant railroads. " The Village Doctor," by the author
of "Shirley Hall," proceeds with interest. "Strong-
minded Women" is a plea for amuch-abused band of ladies,
though it refers rather to the really strong-minded and
sensible, not to those who are generally dignified by that
title. Among the remaining papers are " Diana and the
Poets," "Mr. Gray's Ruin," and last, not least, the con-
clusion of M. Feval's singular and complicated romance of
" Working in the Dark."

CORNHILL.—" The Claverings" is commenced
this month, and promises to be a very effective
story as it proceeds. The author of the ‘, Small
House at Addington. " is not likely to present any
tale to the public that is not worthy of notice, but
in this he has allowed himself more scope. Marriages for
money and position are so common in the present day
that we do not wonder the most successful no-
velists are prone to choose these alliances for
the theme of their discourse and the plot of their narra-
tives. "Armadale" has now become very exciting in its
description, and "Miss Gwilt" is nearly outwitted, despite
her cleverness, and her destined marriage is not likely to
take place. It is difficult to decide which is the most im-
prudent of the two friends, Allan and Midwinter, in rush-
ing into extremes and forming acquaintances with they
know not whom. They also seem to possess the gift of
quarrelling in a great degee. "To Esther" is a very inte-
resting story, which is told in a simple style, that renders
it more effective. It is curious to contrast the absurd
fancies of Mrs. Penton and the affectation of " Olga" with
the unstudied demeanour and artless grace of the young
widow. " The Ceremonies of the Jewish Religion" is an
article that will no doubt prove of interest to many, who
will thus have an opportunity afforded to them of inform-
ing themselves respecting the peculiar rites of that strange
people. It is said that to the " many ceremonies attached
to the observance of the Jewish religion may bo ascribed
in a great measure that steadfast adherence to the faith
which so pre-eminently characterises the Hebrew nation."
There are some impressive lines met with entitled
"The Jews' Wailing Place, Jerusalem." "Catherine de
Bourbon" is one of those sketches that is sure to attract,
since they put before the reader a very fair resume of the
career of those who were notable in their generation, if
they did not gain much renown after their less fitful fever
was over. "My Experience in a Greek Quaraptine " re-
.ozds some of the annoyances that were felt by the crew