The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1857-12-12

London Morning Post has an interesting
letter from its Tuscan correspondent, giving
an account of the disinterment OF the cele-
brated Medici family Of Florence, who for
50 long a period were the absolute rulers
of that country. We make the following
extract:
The whole dynasty of the Medici was dis
inferred. 1t was found that the wooden cof-
fins in the vaults of San Lorenzo were moul
dering away, so orders were given to have
them replaced; and the whole family, from
Giovanni dele Bande Mere, and his son, the
first Duke Cosmo, to John CASTOR, the last
of the royal house, all, about sixty In num-
Der, the seven soyereigns, with their wives,
children, brothers-all in short, that have
ever been consigned to the tomb at San
Lorenzo, with only two exceptions, were re-
moved from the old preparatory to being
placed in new collins. Of these collins some
twenty were opened for the first time. Flea
nor of Toledo, the wife of COsmo the First,
and his son and successor, Francis the First,
the husband of the Inflated Blanca Capello,
we're fresh as if they had only yesterday
been placed in the sepulchre, where they
have lain for much more than two hundred
and fifty years. Indeed, the wonderful pre-
seryation of the corpse of Francis seems to
strengthen the theory that he died from
some strong arsenical poison.
4 Good Erample.---The United Presby-
terrain Church of Scotland, not the Estab-
lished, nor the Free Church, but a much
smaller body, has raised ninety thousand
dollars for fund for Gagged and lnfrm
Minister'S
THE Israelites IN HiadOstan.-The Is
raeltes in England have sent an address to
their brethren in the Bombay army, eXhort-
inc them to remain true to the interests OF
the British Grown. Apropos of this, the
Abcnd@citung of New York publishes the
following extract from Hasseps Geography:
"In Malabar alone there are twenty thou
sand Jews, and in the remainder of the pc
ninsula their number sprOportionably great.
They date their presence in lindostan from
the period of the Babylonian Captivity.
They assert that portion Of the tribe OF
Manassas, after three years wandering
finally settled in India, to the number OF
twenty thousand families. Growing in ia
yor among the Hindoos they in a short time
increased to eighty thousand families, and
were soon powerful enough to establish the
kingdom of Cranganore, upon the coast of
Malabar. Here they fourished for some
years, under republican form of govern
ment, presided over by two chiefs. They
still retain their chronicles in the Hebrew
language, which are said to commence with
the reign of Nebuchadnezzar. This people
are known as the white Jews There are
also black Jews in India, supposed to have
descended from slaves of the former, who
were converted by their masters to the Mo
sale faith
Il French ric,c Of tie English Fast Day
The French Univers thus comments on the
Day of Humiliation observed in Great Bri-
tain, Oct. Z;
England offers to the world at this mo-
ment magnificent andnoble example. An
entire nation is doing penance, and is hum
bling itself before God, imploring His par
don for its faults, confessing that its sins
have brought about the evils which afiict it.
and duplicating Him for victory This is
certainly a grand spectacle, and is solemn
lesson for the world. England that naughty
nation whose vessels cover the seas, whose
empire extends over immense countries, and
over nearly three hundred millions of souls
humbles herself before the Almighty, and
promises to act in future in more Chris
tian manner. This is certainly grand eX-
ample, and we recognize in such acts that
the seeds of Christianity still exist among
that nation; we forcsee the glorious and
admirable deeds it might accomplish were it
to devote the immense resources it derives
from its daring and perseyering genius to
the cause of truth and justice. England of
the 7th of October, 1857, is Christian Eng
land.
In one of the cities of Germany native
said to a gentleman who sat beside him at
dinner, "Have you seen the theatre herel"
"No," care you going tonight 1t is one
of the finest in Europe."-"I never 60 to
the theatre" ''How is that? Are you a
misanthrope-tha is, 'hater of man., l
should support the theatre, for it does much
harm to man." "Harm! what possible
harml' -"It encourages bad men, bad wo-
men, bad passions, and bad thoughts, at
bad hours. 1t discourages good men, good
thoughts, and good things" But surely
when you are travelling you may go once
or twice7"-'I find my bodily health most
valuable when travelling, and my spiritual
health then most tried, and that is the very
time most of all that one needs to be careful
of the soul, and to keep it from poisonous
air. 'You cannot see the people or know
what history swithout the theatre. "-"You
cannot know the smallpox without catching
it, and therefore you ought to court infec-
tion--is that argument The wisest peO-
pie frequent the theatre, and we must have
some relaxation. People are not wise who
support that which ruins the foolish; and as
for relaxation it is most common to hear a
man, yawning in the morning, say he is tired,
because he was so late at the play.
Cor. tie London Record.
Arrival of the America.
I'M