The Kenilworth Advertiser. — 1876-07-22 (Kenilworth, Warwickshire, England)

QUEEN ELIZABETH AND THE DEAN.—Sampson, Dean of Christ Church, who preached before Queen Elizabeth one New Year's Day at St. Paul's, having gotten from a foreigner several fine cuts and pictures representing the stories and passions of the saints and martyrs, had placed them against the epistles and gospels of their festivals in a Common Piayer-book. This book he caused to be richly bound, and laid it on the cushion, for the Queen's use, in the place where she commonly sat. When she came to her place, she Opened the book and perused it, and saw the pictures, but frowned and blushed, and then shut it, and, calling the verger, bid him bring her the old book wherein she was formerly wont to read. After sermon, she went straight to the vestry, and applying herself to the I Dean, thus she spake to him. Q. Mr. Dean, how came it to pass that a new service-book was placed on my cushion? To which the Dean answered— D. May it please your Majesty, I caused it to be placed there. Q. NTherefore did you so ? D. To present your Majesty with a New Year's gift. Q. You could never present we with a worse. D. Why so, madam? Q. You know I have an aversion to idolatry, to images, and pictures of this kind. D. Wherein is the idolotry, may it please your Majesty? Q. In the cuts representing angels and saints; nay, grosser absurdities, pictures resembling the Blessed Trinity. D. I meant no harm, nor did I think it would offend your Majesty when I intended it for a New Year's gift. Q. You must needs be ignorant then: have you forgot our proclamation against images, pictures, and Romish relics in the churches? Was it not read in your deanery' D. It was read; but, be your Majesty assured, I meant no harm when I caused the cuts to be bound with the service-book. Q. You must needs be very ignorant to do this after our prohibition of them. D. It being my ignorance, your Majesty may the better pardon me. Q. lam sorry for it, yet glad to hear it was your ignorance rather than your opinion. D. Be your Majesty assured, it was my ignorance. Q. If so, Mr. Dean, God grant you His spirit and more wisdom for the future. D. Amen, I pray God. Q. I pray, Mr. Dean, how came you by these pictures? Who engraved them? D. I know not who engraved them. I bought them. Q. From whom bought you them? D. From a German. Q. It is well it was a stranger. Had it been any of our subjects, we should have questioned the matter. Pray let no more of these mistakes, or of this kind, be committed within the churches of our realm for the future. D. There shall not. This important dialogue is not nearly so well known as it deserves to be—in these days especially. Oh that those in high authority would bring to task those traitors in our beloved Protestant Church of England who are introducing Popish symbols and practices, instead of preaching the blessed gospel of Jesus Christ.—The Rock.  Michael and Mary Riordan, an aged couple, have been tried at Limerick for the murder of their daughter-in-law, Bridget Riordan, at Mlfinane, on June 3. The jury being unable to agree were discharged without a verdict. The prisoners will be again tried at the next Assizes.  -During the present year a large number of noncommissioned officers and men of the Royal Engineers, who enlisted during the Crimean war, will take their discharge on the completion of their service, and an unusual flow of promotion among the rank and file of the army will in consequence be created.