New-York tribune., 1869-01-02

nweu, what was his answerr "He said that he had
been keeping the pig for and that he" mo, no
he did say tathe could not have said It, He spoke
IN tho first person." 81 the first person that spoke,
my lord" ~ mean ths-don't bring in the third per-
son-repeat ls exact words" "There third per-
son my lord only him and me-" "Look here, my good
feow-he did say he had been keeping the pig, lie
said have been keeping it," II yOu, my lord,
there mention OF your lordship at all We on
two different stories, lord There third per-
son and IL anything had been said about your lorship,
l must have heard it,
The game of "cento verses" was formerly
very popular England. but has been generally
introduced iuto this country. Tho word "cento" means
Il garment made Of patchwork and "centO verses" arc
sauzas composed OF lines from different authors so
arranged to express new and ludicrous meanings.
Tho gamo calls upon the memory and can be played
only by persons familiar with the poets The anciens
enjoyed this game and Aus0nus Roman poet OF the
fourth century, laid down the rules TO he observed in
composing these verses. The lines he says, may be
taken from The poet from several; and verses
may be used entire divided in two onoha to he con
nected with another half TO bo taken elsewhere; two
consecutive verses employed together.
This poet composed centos which celebrated
I'm his own time one was a nuptial cento from Virgil
The Empress EudOsia in the fifth century wrote life OF
Christ in ceuos taken from Homer putting eonstruc-
ton upon the lines totally different from their original
meaning. Other old authors have also given curious
examples Of this kind Of writing
A marine insurance case is now being tried
In England which involves serious question as to the
power Of a sword.fsh to in1ict damage aud endangeF
lives. The ship Dreadnought, an East Indiaman was
recently taken into port leaking badly from small
hole below the waterlne. Her demand the cost
Of repairs from the insurance company claiming that
the hoo was made by swordhsh. II 1t was not maze
by some external force nothing can bo collected Inc
insurance company answers that there instance on
record in which swOrd.sh having punctured tho side
Of vessel has escaped without leaving his sword In the
hole The plaintiffs prove that few hours before the
discovery OF tho Leak tho had seen very large
swordnsh the and had tried to capture 1t with
| lines and hooks. Professor Owen delivered scicn-
fife lecture on the swordSh from the witnessbOx during
the trial The sword Of this sh, he sad Is the hardest
bony material known; 1t has sheath harder than the
enamel OF human teeth within his personal experience
sides two ships have been pierced by this suba
rine stileto the blade usually left In the wound
while the hit or. in other words, the fish i.se broke
away He quoted examples Of this wonderful weapon
being driven through fourteen inches OF copper sheath
ing felt deal. oa his evidence simply demonstrated
tho enormous power Of the formidable monster In the
case before him, Prof owen admitted that the fish,
having passed It's dagger through only three inches OF
wood might possibly have withdrawn it. precisely
similar illustration presented TO him several years
ago except that the sword broRen and actually
stopped leak which might otherwise have been fatal TO
| the ship.