Chapter XVIII: Part 18

With the early Egyptians the love of flowers seems to have been almost a passion; they appear to have been in constant request in offerings to the gods, and as ornaments of the person, as decorations of furniture; as graceful additions to several entertainments, they occur at every turn. Flowers were painted on walls, furniture, dresses, chairs, boxes, boats, and, in short, on whatever was wished to be ornamental. Wreaths and chaplets were likewise in common use among the Egyptians, and artificial flowers were not uncommon.

STATE OF THE MIND DURING SLEEP.

The following is an instance of phantasms being produced by our associations with bodily sensations, and tends to show how alive our faculties continue during sleep to the highest impressions:--

The subject of this observation was an officer in the expedition to Louisburg in 1758, who had this peculiarity in so remarkable a degree, that his companions in the transport were in the constant habit of amusing themselves at his expense. They could produce in him any kind of dream by whispering in his ear, especially if this was done by a friend with whose voice he had become familiar. One time they conducted him through the whole progress of a trial, which ended in a duel; and when the parties were supposed to have met, a pistol was put into his hand, which he fired, and was awakened by the report. On another occasion they found him asleep on the top of a locker in the cabin, when they made him believe he had fallen overboard, and exhorted him to save himself by swimming. They then told him that a shark was pursuing him, and entreated him to dive for his life. He instantly did so, and with so much force as to throw himself from the locker upon the cabin floor, by which he was much bruised, and awakened of course. After the landing of the army at Louisburg, his friends found him one day asleep in his tent, and evidently annoyed by the cannonading. They then made him believe that he was engaged, when he expressed great fear, and showed an evident disposition to run away. Against this they remonstrated, but at the same increased his fears by imitating the groans of the wounded and the dying; and when he asked, as he often did, who was hit, they named his particular friends. At last they told him that the man next himself in his company had fallen, when he instantly sprung from his bed, rushed out of the tent, and was only roused from his danger and his dream by falling over the tent-ropes. A remarkable thing in this case was, that after these experiments he had no distinct recollection of his dreams, but only a confused feeling of oppression or fatigue, and used to tell his friends that he was sure they had been playing some trick upon him. It has been observed that we seldom feel courageous or daring in our dreams, and generally avoid danger when menaced by a foe, or exposed to any probable peril.

MUSIC OF THE SEA.

The mysterious music that is heard in the bay at West Pascagoula, is described by those who have listened to it as being singularly beautiful. "It has, for a long time," says Mrs. Child, an American authoress, "been one of the greatest wonders of the south-west. Multitudes have heard it, rising, as it were, from the water, like the drone of a bagpipe, then floating away, away, away, in the distance, soft, plaintive, and fairy-like, as if AEolian harps sounded with richer melody through the liquid element; but none have been able to account for the beautiful phenomenon. There are several legends touching these mysterious sounds; but in these days few things are allowed to remain mysterious." These strange sounds, which thus assume the beauty and the harmony of regular music, are stated to proceed from the cat-fish. A correspondent of the _Baltimore Republican_ thus explains the phenomenon:--"During several of my voyages on the Spanish main, in the neighbourhood of Paraguay and San Juan de Nicaragua, from the nature of the coast, we were compelled to anchor at a considerable distance from the shore; and every evening, from dark to late night, our ears were delighted with AEolian music, that could be heard beneath the counter of our schooner. At first I thought it was the sea-breeze sweeping through the strings of my violin (the bridge of which I had inadvertently left standing); but after examination I found it was not so. I then placed my ear on the rail of the vessel, when I was continually charmed with the most heavenly strains that ever fell upon my ear. They did not sound as close to us, but were sweet, mellow, and aerial, like the soft breathings of a thousand lutes, touched by fingers of the deep sea nymphs, at an immense distance. Although I have considerable "music in my soul," one night I became tired, and determined to fish. My luck, in half-an-hour, was astonishing. I had half filled my bucket with the finest white cat-fish I ever saw; and it being late, and the cook asleep, and the moon shining, I filled my bucket with water, and took fish and all into my cabin for the night. I had not yet fallen asleep, when the same sweet notes fell upon my ear; and, getting up, what was my surprise to find my cat-fish discoursing sweet sounds to the sides of my bucket! I examined them closely, and discovered that there was attached to each lower lip an excrescence, divided by soft wiry fibres. By the pressure of the upper lip thereon, and by the exhalation and discharge of breath, a vibration was created, similar to that produced by the breath on the tongue of the Jews' harp."

THE ROCK OF CASHEL.

Any work which professed to be a record of what is rare and curious, would surely be incomplete if it did not contain an account of the celebrated Rock of Cashel; for the venerable buildings which crown its summit are, from their number, variety, preservation, and site, decidedly the most interesting ruins in the Emerald Isle, and, to use the words of Sir Walter Scott, "such as Ireland may be proud of." Cashel, which is distant about one hundred miles from Dublin, appears to be a place of high antiquity, and was long the residence of the kings of Munster; but as its early history is involved in much obscurity, it is uncertain at what period it became a diocesan site. It is stated that previous to the year 1101 the buildings on the Rock were occupied as a royal residence, and that in that year the hitherto royal seat was dedicated solely to ecclesiastical uses.

Rock of Cashel.]

The buildings consist of a round tower, Cormack's chapel, cathedral, castle and monastery; the latter is a few yards detached, and the least remarkable of the number; all the former are closely connected. The Round Tower, the date and uses of which are in common with those of all other similar structures involved in much obscurity, raises its tall and yet scarce dilapidated head far above its younger and more decaying companions. It is fifty-six feet in circumference, and ninety feet in height. Cormack's Chapel, which, with the exception of the Round Tower, is the most ancient structure of the group, was built by Cormack M'Carthy, king of Munster, in 1136. It is roofed with stone, and in its capitals, arches, and other features and details, the Norman style is distinctly marked. The numerous ornaments, grotesque heads, and other curious sculptures, which adorn the arches, columns, and pilasters, are all in uniformity of style. The building altogether is a perfect gem, and the architectural antiquary and the artist will find in it a most valuable addition to their studies. The cathedral is a noble remnant of what is usually termed the pointed Gothic, and contains many interesting relics.

The rock, which is here presented as it appears from the plain below, has the buildings we have just mentioned on its very summit; it rises abruptly from a widely extended fertile country, to a considerable height above the town, and from many parts at a distance it forms a very striking object. On the top of the rock, and around the ruins, an area of about three acres has been enclosed, which is open to the public.

INSTANCE OF INCREMATION.

Last night (26th September, 1769), say the chronicles of the day, the will of Mrs. Pratt, a widow lady, who lately died at her house in George Street, Hanover Square, was punctually fulfilled, by the burning of her body to ashes in her grave, in the new burying-ground adjoining to Tyburn turnpike.

THE HAWTHORNDEN SWORD.

The great antiquity of the Scottish claymore is proved by its being figured in the sculptures both of Iona and Oronsay, with considerable variety of details. In some the blade is highly ornamented, and the handle varies in form, but all present the same characteristic, having the guards bent back towards the blade. A curious variety of this peculiar form is seen in a fine large two-handed sword preserved at Hawthornden, the celebrated castle of the Drummonds, where the Scottish poet entertained Ben Johnson during his visit to Scotland in 1619. It is traditionally affirmed to have been the weapon of Robert Bruce, though little importance can be attached to a reputation which it shares with one-half the large two-handed swords still preserved. Our engraving is a correct representation of it.

Hawthornden Sword.]

The handle appears to be made from the tusk of the narwhal, and it has four reverse guards, as shown in the cut. The object aimed at by this form of guard, doubtless, was to prevent the antagonist's sword glancing off, and inflicting a wound ere he recovered his weapon, and, in the last example especially, it seems peculiarly well adapted for the purpose.

INSTINCT IN A CAT.

The following anecdote almost places the cat on a level with the dog:--"A physician of Lyons was requested to inquire into a murder that had been committed on a woman of that city. In consequence of this request he went to the habitation of the deceased, where he found her extended lifeless on the floor, weltering in her blood. A large white cat was mounted on the cornice of a cupboard, at the far end of the apartment, where he seemed to have taken refuge. He sat motionless, with his eyes fixed on the corpse, and his attitude and looks expressing horror and affright. The following morning he was found in the same station and attitude, and when the room was filled with officers of justice, neither the clattering of the soldiers' arms, nor the loud conversation of the company, could in the least degree divert his attention. As soon, however, as the suspected persons were brought in, his eyes glared with increased fury, his hair bristled, he darted into the middle of the apartment, where he stopped for a moment to gaze at them, and then precipitately retreated under the bed. The countenances of the assassins were disconcerted, and they were now, for the first time, abandoned by their atrocious audacity."

A TRANCE.

Mrs. Godfrey, sister to the Duke of Marlborough, had nearly been buried alive; the physicians all declaring that the breath of life was irrecoverably gone. Her husband, Colonel Godfrey, had, however, the pleasure to see her revive, seven days after (that day week, and same hour), and what is more, she never knew till the day of her death the length of her trance, or sleep.

THE NUMBER SEVEN.

The number is composed of the first two perfect numbers, equal and unequal, 3 and 4; for the number 2, consisting of repeated unity, which is no number, is not perfect, it comprehends the primary numerical triangle or trine, and square or quartile conjunction, considered by the favourers of planetary influence as of the most benign aspect. In six days creation was completed, and the 7th was consecrated to rest. On the 7th day of the 7th month, a holy observance was ordained to the children of Israel, who feasted 7 days, and remained 7 days in tents; the 7th year was directed to be a Sabbath of rest for all things; and at the end of 7 times 7 years commenced the grand jubilee. Every 7th year the land lay fallow; every 7th year there was a general release from all debts, and all bondmen were set free. From this law may have originated the custom of our binding young men to 7 years' apprenticeship, and punishing incorrigible offenders by transportation for 7, twice 7, and three times 7, years. Every 7 years the law was to be read to the people. Jacob served 7 years for the possession of Rachael; and also other 7. Noah had 7 days' warning of the flood, and was commanded to take the fowls of the air in by 7, and the clean beasts by 7. The ark touched ground on the 7th month; and in 7 days the dove was sent out, and again in 7 days after. The 7 years of plenty, and 7 years of famine were foretold in Pharaoh's dream by 7 fat and 7 lean beasts, and the 7 full and 7 blasted ears of corn. Nebuchadnezzar was 7 years a beast; and the fiery furnace was 7 times hotter to receive Shadrach, &c. A man defiled was, by the Mosaic law, unclean 7 days; the young of both animals was to remain with the dam 7 days, and at the end of the 7th was to be taken away. By the old law, man was commanded to forgive his offending brother 7 times; but the meekness of the revealed law extended his humility to 70 times 7: if Cain shall be avenged 7 times, truly Lamech 70 times 7. In the destruction of Jericho, 7 priests bore 7 trumpets 7 days; on the 7th they surrounded the wall 7 times; after the 7th, the walls fell. Balaam prepared 7 years for a sacrifice; and 7 of Saul's sons were hanged to stay a famine. Laban pursued Jacob 7 days' journey. Job's friends sat 7 days and 7 nights, and offered 7 bullocks and 7 rams, as an atonement for their wickedness. In the 7th year of his reign, King Ahazuerus feasted 7 days, and on the 7th deputed his 7 chamberlains to find a queen, who was allowed 7 maidens to attend her. Miriam was cleansed of her leprosy by being shut up 7 days. Solomon was 7 years in building the Temple, at the dedication of which he feasted 7 days; in the Temple were 7 lamps; 7 days were appointed for an atonement upon the altar, and the priest's son was ordained to wear his father's garments 7 days. The children of Israel eat unleavened bread 7 days. Abraham gave 7 ewe-lambs to Abimelech, as a memorial for a well. Joseph mourned 7 days for Jacob. Naaman was cleansed of his leprosy by bathing 7 times in Jordan. The Rabbins say that God employed the power of this number to perfect the greatness Of Samuel, his name answering the value of the letters in the Hebrew word, which signifies 7; whence Hannah his mother, in her thanksgiving, says, the barren hath brought forth 7. In Scripture are enumerated 7 resurrections: the widow's son, by Elias; the Shunamite's son, by Elisha; the soldier who touched the bones of the prophet; the daughter of the ruler of the synagogue; the widow's son of Nain; Lazarus, and our Lord. The apostles chose 7 deacons. Enoch, who was translated, was the 7th from Adam; and Jesus Christ was the 77th in a direct line. Our Lord spoke 7 times on the cross, on which he was 7 hours; he appeared 7 times; and after 7 times 7 days sent the Holy Ghost. In the Lord's prayer are 7 petitions, contained in 7 times 7 words, omitting those of mere grammatical connexion; within this number are concealed all the mysteries of apocalypse revealed to the 7 churches of Asia. There appeared seven golden candlesticks and 7 stars in the hand of him that was in the midst; 7 lambs before the 7 spirits of God; the book with 7 seals; the lamb with 7 horns and 7 eyes; 7 angels with 7 trumpets; 7 kings; 7 thunders; 7,000 men slain. The dragon with 7 heads and 7 crowns; and the beast with 7 heads; 7 angels bearing 7 plagues, and 7 vials of wrath. The vision of Daniel was of 70 weeks and the elders of Israel were 70. There were also 7 heavens, 7 planets (query), 7 stars, 7 wise men, 7 champions of Christendom, 7 notes in music, 7 primary colours, 7 deadly sins, and 7 sacraments in the Catholic church. The 7th son was considered as endowed with pre-eminent wisdom; and the 7th son of a 7th son is still thought to possess the power of healing diseases spontaneously. Perfection is likened to gold 7 times purified in the fire; and we yet say you frightened me out of my 7 senses. The opposite sides of a dice make 7, whence the players at hazard make 7 the main. Hippocrates says the septenary number, by its occult virtues, tends to the accomplishment of all things, to be the dispense of life, and fountain of all its changes; and, like Shakespeare, he divided the life of man into 7 ages; for as the moon changes her phases every seven days, this number influences all sublunary beings. The teeth spring out on the 7th month, and are shed and renewed in the 7th year, when infancy is changed into childhood; at twice 7 years puberty begins; at three times 7 the faculties are developed, and manhood commences, and we are become legally competent to all civil acts; at four times 7 man is in full possession of all his strength; at five times 7 he is fit for the business of the world; at six times 7 he becomes grave and wise, or never: at 7 times 7 he is in his apogee, and from that time decays; at eight times 7 he is in his first climacterick; at nine times 7, or 63, he is in his last or grand climacterick, or year of danger; and ten times 7, or three score and ten, has, by the royal prophet, been pronounced the natural period of human life.

SUPERSTITIOUS LEGEND.

We are told that when St. Helena, of pious memory, had discovered the true Cross of Christ, she permitted various fragments to be taken from it, which were encased, some in gold, and some in gems, and conveyed to Europe, leaving the principal or main part of the wood in the charge of the Bishop of Jerusalem, who exhibited it annually at Easter, until Chosroes, king of Persia, plundered Jerusalem in the reign of the emperor Phocas, and took away this holy relic.

Before this fatal event we are taught to believe, by Rigordus, an historian of the thirteenth century, that the mouths of Christians used to be supplied with 30, or in some instances, no doubt according to their faith, with 32 teeth; but that _after_ the Cross was stolen by the infidels no mortal has ever been allowed more than 23!

ORAEFA MOUNTAIN IN ICELAND.

This mountain, which is the loftiest in Iceland, has been rendered celebrated by an eruption which took place about a century ago. Nothing can be more striking than the account given of this calamity by the aged minister of the parish. He was in the midst of his service on the Sabbath, when the agitation of the earth gave warning that some alarming event was to follow. Rushing from the church, he saw a peak of the neighbouring mountain alternately heaved up and sinking; till at last, the stone, of which this portion of the mountain was composed, ran down in a melted state into the plain, like melted metal from a crucible, filling it to such a height, that no more of the mountain, which formerly towered to such a height, remains, than about the size of a bird; volumes of water being in the meantime thrown forth in a deluge from the crater, and sweeping away whatever they encountered in their course. The Oraefa then broke forth, hurling large masses of ice to a great distance; fire burst out in every direction from its side; the sky was darkened by the smoke and ashes, so that the day could hardly be distinguished from the night. This scene of horror continued for more than three days, during which the whole region was converted into utter desolation.

THE SETON SWORD.

Seton Sword.]

The two-handed sword, which was introduced later than the claymore, though still so familiar to us, is perhaps the most interesting, in an archaeological point of view, of all the military relics pertaining to the Medieval Period. The huge, ponderous, and unwieldy weapon, seems the fittest emblem that could be devised, of the rude baron of the thirteenth century, who lived by "the good old rule" of physical force, and whose hardy virtues, not unsuited to an illiterate age--are strangely mistaken for a chivalry such as later ages have not seen. Calmly reasoning from this characteristic heirloom, we detect in it the evidence of just such hardy, skilless, overbearing power, as history informs us was the character of the medieval baron, before the rise of the burgher class readjusted the social balance by the preponderance of rival interests. The weapon figured here is a remarkably fine and unusually large specimen of the old Scottish two-handed sword, now in the possession of George Seton, Esq., representative of the Setons of Cariston. It measures forty-nine inches in the blade, five feet nine inches in entire length, and weighs seven and a half pounds. But the chief interest of this old relic arises from the well-authenticated family traditions which associate it with the memory of its first knightly owner, Sir Christopher Seton of that Ilk, from whom some of the oldest scions of the Scottish peerage have been proud to trace their descent. He was married to Christian, sister of King Robert the Bruce, whom he bravely defended at the battle of Methven. He was shortly after taken prisoner by Edward I., and basely hanged as a traitor.

STYLE OF LIVING IN THE SIXTEENTH CENTURY.

The most perfect notion of the living and domestic arrangements of the old English nobility and gentry will be found in the entries of what were called the Household Books of the times. One of the most celebrated of these records is the _Northumberland Household Book_, being the regulations of the establishment of the fifth earl of Northumberland, at his castles of Wrenill and Lekinfield, in Yorkshire, begun in 1512. No baron's family was on a nobler or more splendid footing. It consisted of one hundred and sixty-six persons, masters and servants; fifty-seven strangers were reckoned upon every day; on the whole two hundred and twenty-three. During winter they fed mostly on salt meat and salt fish; and with that view there was a provision of one hundred and sixty gallons of mustard per year; so that there cannot be any thing more erroneous than the magnificent ideas formed of "the roast beef of _Old_ England." On flesh days, (that is, when meat was not forbidden by the Catholic religion), through the year, breakfast for my lord and lady was a loaf of bread, two manchets, a quart of beer, a quart of wine, half a chine of mutton, or a chine of beef boiled. On meagre days (or when meat was forbidden), a loaf of bread, two manchets, a quart of beer, a quart of wine, a dish of butter, a piece of salt fish, or a dish of buttered eggs. During Lent, a loaf of bread, two manchets, a quart of beer, a quart of wine, two pieces of salt fish, six baconed herrings, four white herrings, or a dish of sprats. There was as little variety in other meals, except on festival days; and this way of living was, at the time, high luxury. There were but two cooks to dress victuals for two hundred persons; and fowls, pigeons, plovers, and partridges were prohibited as delicacies, except at my lord's table. The table-cloth was washed about once a month; no sheets were used; and only forty shillings were allowed for washing throughout the year. The family rose at six in the morning, dined at ten, and supped at four in the afternoon; and the castle gates were shut at nine. Mass was said in the chapel at six o'clock, that all the servants might rise early. The earl passed the year at three country seats, but he had furniture only for one: he carried every thing along with him, beds, tables, chairs, kitchen utensils; and seventeen carts and one waggon conveyed the whole: one cart sufficed for all his kitchen utensils, cooks' beds, &c. There were in the establishment eleven priests, besides seventeen persons, chanters, musicians, &c., belonging to the chapel. No mention is made of plate, but only of the hiring of pewter vessels. Wine was allowed in abundance for the lord's table, but the beer for the hall was poor indeed, only a quarter of malt being allowed for two hogsheads. The servants seem all to have bought their own clothes from their wages. Every thing in the household was done by order, with the pomp of proclamation; and laughable as it may now seem, an order was issued for the right making of mustard, beginning "It seemeth good to us and our council."

ANECDOTE OF A TERRIER.

A terrier, known to Professor Owen, was taught to play at hide and seek with his master, who summoned him, by saying "Let us have a game;" upon which the dog immediately hid his eyes between his paws, in the most honourable manner, and when the gentleman had placed a sixpence, or a piece of cake in a most improbable place, he started up and invariably found it. His powers were equalled by what was called a fox-terrier, named Fop, who would hide his eyes, and suffer those at play with him to conceal themselves before he looked up. If his play-fellow hid himself behind a window-curtain, Fop would, for a certain time, carefully pass that curtain, and look behind all the others, behind doors, etc., and when he thought he had looked long enough, seize the concealing curtain and drag it aside in triumph. The drollest thing, however, was to see him take his turn of hiding; he would get under a chair, and fancy that he was not seen; of course, those at play with him pretended not to see him, and it was most amusing to witness his agitation as they passed. When he was ill he had been cured by some homoeopathic globules, and ever after, if anything were the matter with him, he would stand near the medicine box, and hold his mouth open.

CUTTING A WIFE OFF WITH A SHILLING.

In the year 1772, died at Lambeth, J---- G----e, Esq. In his will was found the following remarkable clause:--"Whereas, it was my misfortune to be made very uneasy by Elizabeth G----, my wife, for many years, from our marriage, by her turbulent behaviour; for she was not content with despising my admonitions, but she contrived every method to make me unhappy; she was so perverse in her nature, that she would not be reclaimed, but seemed only to be born to be a plague to me; the strength of Sampson, the knowledge of Homer, the prudence of Augustus, the cunning of Pyrrhus, the patience of Job, the subtlety of Hannibal, and the watchfulness of Hermogenes, could not have been sufficient to subdue her; for no skill or force in the world would make her good; and, as we have lived several years separate, and apart from each other eight years, and she having perverted her son to leave and totally abandon me; therefore I give her one shilling only."

WEALTH OF THE JEWS.

About the year 1707, the Jews offered Lord Godolphin, Minister of Queen Anne, to pay L500,000, (and they would have made it a million,) if the government would allow them to purchase the town of Brentford, with leave of settling there entirely, with full privileges of trade, &c. Lord Godolphin did not comply with the request, and a curious reason is assigned by Dean Lockier, because it would provoke two of the most powerful bodies in the nation, the clergy and the merchants. The Jews had better success with Oliver Cromwell: they offered him L60,000 to have a synagogue in London. He took the money, and they had their temple.

GAMBLING EXTRAORDINARY.

The following instance of frantic or drunken gambling appeared in the _Times_ of April 17, 1812:--

"On Wednesday evening an extraordinary investigation took place at Bow Street. Croker, the officer, was passing the Hampstead Road; he observed at a short distance before him two men on a wall, and directly after saw the tallest of them, a stout man about six feet high, hanging by his neck from a lamp-post, attached to the wall, being that instant tied up and turned off by the short man. This unexpected and extraordinary sight astonished the officer; he made up to the spot with all speed, and just after he arrived there, the tall man who had been hanged, fell to the ground, the handkerchief with which he had been suspended having given way. Croker produced his staff, said he was an officer, and demanded to know of the other man the cause of such conduct; in the mean time the man who had been hanged recovered, got up, and on Croker interfering, gave him a violent blow on the nose, which nearly knocked him backward. The short man was endeavouring to make off; however, the officer procured assistance, and both were brought to the office, when the account they gave was, that they worked on canals. They had been together on Wednesday afternoon, tossed up for money, and afterwards for their clothes, the tall man who was hanged won the other's jacket, trowsers and shoes; they then tossed up which should hang the other, and the short one won the toss. They got upon the wall, the one to submit, and the other to hang him on the lamp-iron. They both agreed in this statement. The tall one who had been hanged said, if he won the toss, he would have hanged the other. He said, he then felt the effects on his neck at the time he was hanging, and his eyes was so much swelled that he saw double. The magistrates expressed their horror and disgust, and ordered the man who had been hanged to find bail for the violent and unjustifiable assault upon the officer, and the short one for hanging the other. Not having bail, they were committed to Bridewell for trial."

OLD BOOKS.

The Pentateuch and the history of Job are the most ancient books in the world; and in profane literature the works of Homer and Hesiod. The first book known to have been written in our own vernacular was "The Confessions of Richard, Earl of Cambridge," _temp._ 1415; and the earliest English ballad is supposed to be the "Cuckoo Song," which commences in the following style:--

"Sumer is icumen in
Lhude sing cuccu,
Groweth sed, and bloweth med,
And springth ye wede nu:
Singe cuccu."

FOSSIL REPTILE; THE PTERODACTYLUS.

The pterodactylus was a flying animal. It had the wings of a bat, and the structure of a reptile; jaws with sharp teeth, and claws with long hooked nails. The power which it had of flying was not by means of its ribs, nor by wings without fingers, as in birds, but by wings supported by one very elongated toe, the others being short and furnished with claws. The remains of this animal were brought under examination by M. Collini, director of the Museum of the Elector Palatine at Manheim. There was at first some discussion as to the actual character of the animal. M. Blumenbach supposed it to be a bird, and M. de Soemmering classed it among the bats. M. Cuvier, however, maintained that it was a reptile, and showed that all its bones, from the teeth to the claws, possessed the characters which distinguish that class of animals. But still it differed from all other reptiles in possessing the capability of flying. It is probable that it could at pleasure fold up its wings in the same manner as birds, and might suspend itself on branches of trees by its fore toes, though it possessed the power of sitting upright on its hind feet. This is the most anomalous of all the fossil reptiles.

TIGER CAVE AT CUTTACK.

The geographical distribution of the rock-cut caves of the Buddhists in India is somewhat singular, more than nine-tenths of those now known being found within the limits of the Bengal Presidency. The remainder consist of two groups, those of Behar and Cuttack, neither of which are important in extent, in Bengal; one only, that of Mahavellipore, in Madras; and two or three not very important groups which have been traced in Afghanistan and the Punjaub.

One of the most remarkable of these caves is that at Cuttack, which is called the Tiger cave--being in fact a large mass of rock, carved into a form intended to represent the head of that animal, whose extended jaws form the verandah leading into a small apartment excavated in the interior of the skull: our engraving is a correct representation of it.

Tiger Cave at Cuttack.]

Generally speaking, these single cells have a porch of two pillars to protect the doorway, which leads into a small room, 10 or 12 ft. square, constituting the whole cave. Buildings on precisely the same plan are still very common in India, except that now, instead of being the abode of a hermit, the cell is occupied by an image of some god or other, and is surmounted by a low dome, or pyramidal spire, converting it into a temple of some pretensions. The lower part, however, of these small temples is very similar to the rock-cut hermitages of which we are speaking.

THE JEWS IN ENGLAND.

William the Conqueror permitted great numbers of Jews to come over from Rouen, and to settle in England in the last year of his reign. Their number soon increased, and they spread themselves throughout most of the cities and capital towns in England where they built synagogues. There were fifteen hundred at York about the year 1189. At Bury, in Suffolk, is a very complete remain of a Jewish synagogue of stone in the Norman style, large and magnificent. Hence it was that many of the learned English ecclesiastics of those times became acquainted with their books and their language. In the reign of William Rufus, the Jews were remarkably numerous at Oxford, and had acquired considerable property; and some of their Rabbis were permitted to open a school in the university, where they instructed not only their own people, but many Christian students in Hebrew literature, about the year 1094. Within 200 years after their admission or establishment by the Conqueror, they were banished from the kingdom. This circumstance was highly favourable to the circulation of their learning in England. The suddenness of their dismission obliged them for present subsistence, and other reasons, to sell their moveable goods of all kinds, among which were large quantities of all Rabbinical books. The monks in various parts availed themselves of the distribution of these treasures. At Huntingdon and Stamford there was a prodigious sale of their effects, containing immense stores of Hebrew manuscripts, which were immediately purchased by Gregory of Huntingdon, Prior of the abbey of Ramsey. Gregory speedily became an adept in the Hebrew, by means of these valuable acquisitions, which he bequeathed to his monastery about the year 1250. Other members of the same convent, in consequence of these advantages, are said to have been equal proficients in the same language, soon after the death of Prior Gregory, among whom were Robert Dodford, Librarian of Ramsey, and Laurence Holbech, who compiled a Hebrew Lexicon. At Oxford a great number of their books fell into the hands of Roger Bacon, or were bought by his brethren the Franciscan friars of that university.

GAME PRESERVES AT CHANTILLY.

The establishment at Chantilly, which formerly belonged to the great family of Conde, included 21 miles of park, and 48 miles of forest. The horses, when the family were at that place, were above 500. The dogs, 60 to 80 couple: the servants, above 500. The stables the finest and best in Europe. We shall now present to the sporting and un-sporting reader, for both will lift up their eyes, a list of game killed, year by year, through a series of thirty-two years--beginning with the year 1748, ending with the year 1779:--

_List of the Game._
54,878 24,029 37,209 19,932
37,160 27,013 42,902 27,164
58,712 26,405 31,620 30,429
39,892 33,055 25,994 30,859
32,470 50,812 18,479 25,813
39,893 40,234 18,550 50,666
32,470 26,267 26,371 13,304
16,186 25,953 19,774 17,566

Now let us give (of birds and beasts) their bill of mortality; that is the numbers, in detail, of each specific description, registered as below, and detailed to have been killed at Chantilly, in the above-mentioned series of years. Hares, 77,750; rabbits, 587,470; partridges, 117,574; red ditto, 12,426; pheasants, 86,193; quails, 19,696; rattles (the male quail), 449; woodcocks, 2,164; snipes, 2,856; ducks, 1,353; wood-piquers, 317; lapwings, 720; becfique (small birds like our wheatear), 67; curlews, 32; oyes d'Egypte, 3; oyes sauvage, 14; bustards, 2; larks, 106; tudells, 2; fox, 1; crapeaux, 8; thrushes, 1,313; guynard, 4; stags, 1,712; hinds, 1,682; facons, 519; does, 1,921; young does, 135; roebucks, 4,669; young ditto, 810; wild boars, 1,942; marcassins (young boars), 818. A magnificent list of animal slaughter, carefully and systematically recorded as achievements.

BRITISH PEARLS.

The river Conway, in North Wales, was of considerable importance, even before the Roman invasion, for the pearl mussel (the _Mya Margaritifera_ of Linnaeus) and Suetonius acknowledged that one of his inducements for undertaking the subjugation of Wales was the pearl fishery carried forward in that river. According to Pliny, the mussels, called by the natives _Kregindilin_, were sought for with avidity by the Romans, and the pearls found within them were highly valued; in proof of which it is asserted that Julius Caesar dedicated a breastplate set with British pearls to Venus Genetrix, and placed it in her temple at Rome. A fine specimen from the Conway is said to have been presented to Catherine, consort of Charles II., by Sir Richard Wynne, of Gwydir; and it is further said that it has since contributed to adorn the regal crown of England. Lady Newborough possessed a good collection of the Conway pearls, which she purchased of those who were fortunate enough to find them, as there is no regular fishery at present. The late Sir Robert Vaughan had obtained a sufficient number to appear at Court with a button and loop to his hat, formed of these beautiful productions, about the year 1780.

FUNERAL ORATION OF FRANCIS THE FIRST.

Pierre Duchatel, in a funeral oration on the death of Francis I., published 1547, took upon himself to affirm, that the soul of the king had gone _direct to Paradise_. This passing over of purgatory gave offence to the doctors of the Sorbonne, who sent a deputation to warn him of his error. The prelate being absent, one of his friends received them, and, in reply, gaily said--"Be not uneasy, gentlemen, every one knows that the late king, my master, never stopped long in any one place, however agreeable. Supposing, then, that he went to purgatory, be assured that his stay would be very short." This pleasantry disarmed the severity of the doctors, and the affair went no farther.

GRAVES OF THE STONE PERIOD.

Stone Chambers, which once formed places of interment, are frequently discovered within large barrows of earth raised by the hands of man. They are to be referred to the period of the Danish Invasion, which is generally termed among antiquaries the "Stone Period," because the use of metals was then in a great measure unknown; and while a few are to be found in Great Britain, there are many more of them in Denmark. These tombs, which are covered with earth, have most probably contained the remains of the powerful and the rich. They are almost all provided with long entrances, which lead from the exterior of the mound of earth to the east or south side of the chambers. The entrances, like the chambers, are formed of large stones, smooth on the side which is turned inwards, on which very large roof-stones are placed. The chambers, and even the entrances, which are from sixteen to twenty feet in length, are filled with trodden earth and pebbles, the object of which, doubtless, was to protect the repose of the dead in their graves, and the contents which are found in them consist of unburnt human skeletons (which were occasionally placed on a pavement of flat or round stones), together with implements and weapons, and tools of flint or bone, ornaments, pieces of amber, and urns of clay. In some cases smaller chambers have been discovered, annexed to one side of the passage which leads to the larger chamber, and one of these smaller chambers we have engraved as a specimen of the sort of tombs we are now describing.

Stone Chamber in a Barrow.]

The above sketch represents a chamber which was discovered in a barrow, situated near Paradis, in the parish of the Vale, in the island of Guernsey. On digging into the mound, a large flat stone was soon discovered; this formed the top, or cap-stone, of the tomb, and on removing it, the upper part of two human skulls were exposed to view. One was facing the north, the other the south, but both disposed in a line from east to west. The chamber was filled up with earth mixed with limpet-shells, and as it was gradually removed, while the examination was proceeding downwards into the interior, the bones of the extremities became exposed to view, and were seen to greater advantage. They were less decomposed than those of the upper part; and the teeth and jaws, which were well preserved, denoted that they were the skeletons of adults, and not of old men. The reason why the skeletons were found in this extraordinary position it is impossible to determine. Probably the persons who were thus interred were prisoners, slaves, or other subordinates, who were slain--perhaps buried alive--on occasion of the funeral of some great or renowned personage, who was placed in the larger chamber at the end of the passage; and this view of the case is considerably strengthened by the fact that the total absence of arms, weapons, or vases, in the smaller chamber, denotes that the quality of the persons within it was of less dignity or estimation.

WAR CHARIOT OF ANCIENT EGYPT.

This chariot, which is mentioned in various parts of Scripture, and more especially in the description of the pursuit of the Israelites by Pharaoh, and of his overthrow in the Red Sea, was a very light structure, consisting of a wooden framework strengthened and adorned with metal, and leather binding, answering to the descriptions which Homer has given of those engaged in the Trojan war.

War Chariot.]

The sides were partly, and the back wholly open; and it was so low that a man could easily step into it from behind; for there was no seat, the rider always standing in war or hunting, though when wearied he might occasionally sit on the sides, or squat, in eastern fashion, on his heels. The body of the car was not hung on the axle _in equilibrio_, but considerably forward, so that the weight was thrown more upon the horses. Its lightness, however, would prevent this from being very fatiguing to them, and this mode of placing it had the advantage of rendering the motion more easy to the driver. To contribute further to this end, the bottom or floor consisted of a network of interlaced thongs, the elasticity of which in some measure answered the purpose of modern springs.

The Egyptian chariots were invariably drawn by two horses abreast, which were richly caparisoned; it is, perhaps, to the extreme elegance and magnificence of their trappings, no less than to their own beauty, that allusion is made in the Song of Songs (1-9), where the royal bridegroom addresses his spouse thus: "I have compared thee, O my love, to a company of horses in Pharaoh's chariots." The chariot of Egypt ordinarily carried two persons, one of whom acted as the warrior, the other as the charioteer. Occasionally we find three persons in a chariot, as when two princes of the blood, each bearing the royal sceptre, or flabellum, accompanying the king in a state procession, requiring a charioteer to manage the reins.

PEACOCKS.

India, says Mr. Pennant, gave us peacocks, and we are assured by Knox, in his "History of Ceylon," that they are still found in the wild state, in vast flocks, in that island and in Java. So beautiful a bird could not be permitted to be a stranger in the more distant parts; for so early as the days of Solomon (1 Kings, x. 22) we find among the articles imported in his Tarshish navies, apes and peacocks. A monarch so conversant in all branches of natural history, would certainly not neglect furnishing his officers with instructions for collecting every curiosity in the country to which they made voyages, which gave him a knowledge that distinguished him from all the princes of his time. AElian relates that they were brought into Greece from some barbarous country, and that they were held in such high estimation that a male and female were valued at Athens at 1,000 _drachmae_, or L32 5s. 10d. Their next step might be to Samos, where they were preserved about the temple of Juno, being the birds sacred to that goddess; and Gellius, in his "_Noctes Atticae_" commends the excellency of the Samian peacocks. It is, therefore probable that they were brought there originally for the purposes of superstition, and afterwards cultivated for the uses of luxury. We are also told, when Alexander was in India, he found vast numbers of wild ones on the banks of the Hyarotis, and was so struck with their beauty as to appoint a severe punishment on any person that killed them.

Peacocks' crests, in ancient times, were among the ornaments of the kings of England. Ernald de Aclent (Acland) paid a fine to King John in a hundred and forty palfries, with sackbuts, _lorains_, gilt spurs, and peacocks' crests, such as would be for his credit.--Some of our regiments of cavalry bear on their helmets, at present, the figure of a peacock.

ROMAN THEATRE AT ORANGE.

One of the most striking Roman provincial theatres is that of Orange, in the south of France. Perhaps it owes its existence, or at all events its splendour, to the substratum of Grecian colonists that preceded the Romans in that country. Its auditorium is 340 ft. in diameter, but much ruined, in consequence of the princes of Orange having used this part as a bastion in some fortification they were constructing.

The stage is tolerably preserved. It shows well the increased extent and complication of arrangements required for the theatrical representations of the age in which it was constructed, being a considerable advance towards the more modern idea of a play, as distinguished from the stately semi-religious spectacle in which the Greeks delighted. The noblest part of the building is the great wall at the back, an immense mass of masonry, 340 ft. in extent, and 116 ft. in height, without a single opening above the basement, and no ornament except a range of blank arches, about midway between the basement and the top, and a few projecting corbels to receive the footings of the masts that supported the velarium. Nowhere does the architecture of the Romans shine so much as when their gigantic buildings are left to tell their own tale by the imposing grandeur of their masses. Whenever ornament is attempted, their bad taste comes out. The size of their edifices, and the solidity of their construction, were only surpassed by the Egyptians, and not always by them; and when, as here, their mass stands unadorned in all its native grandeur, criticism is disarmed, and the spectator stands awe-struck at its majesty, and turns away convinced that truly "there were giants in those days." This is not, it is true, the most intellectual way of obtaining architectural effect, but it is the easiest and the most certain to secure the desired result.

A PISCATORIAL DOG.

Mr. Jukes, in his "Excursions in and about Newfoundland," speaks of a dog which appeared to be of the pure breed, and which he thought to be more intelligent than the mixed race. This animal caught his own fish, for which purpose he sat on a projecting rock, beneath a fish stage, on which the fish were laid to dry, watching the water, the depth being from six to eight feet, and the bottom quite white with fish-bones. On throwing a piece of cod-fish into the water, three or four heavy, clumsy-looking fish, called in Newfoundland _sculpins_, would swim to catch it. The instant one turned his broadside towards him, he darted down, and seldom came up without the fish in his mouth. He regularly carried them as he caught them to a place a few yards off, where he deposited them, sometimes making a pile of fifty or sixty in the day. As he never attempted to eat them, he appeared to fish for his amusement.

PHENOMENA OF SOUND.

In the gardens of Les Rochas, once the well-known residence of Madame de Sevigne, is a remarkable echo, which illustrates finely the conducting and reverberating powers of a flat surface. The Chateau des Rochas is situated not far from the interesting and ancient town of Vitre. A broad gravel walk on a dead flat conducts through the garden to the house. In the centre of this, on a particular spot, the listener is placed at the distance of about ten or twelve yards from another person, who, similarly placed, addresses him in a low and, in the common acceptation of the term, inaudible whisper, when, "Lo! what myriads rise!" for immediately, from thousands and tens of thousands of invisible tongues, starting from the earth beneath, or as if every pebble was gifted with powers of speech, the sentence is repeated with a slight hissing sound, not unlike the whirling of small shot passing through the air. On removing from this spot, however trifling the distance, the intensity of the repetition is sensibly diminished, and within a few feet ceases to be heard. Under the idea that the ground was hollow beneath, the soil has been dug up to a considerable depth; but without discovering any clue to the solution of the mystery.

ANTIQUE WATCH.

Antique Silver Watch Shaped Like a Duck.]

The above engraving represents a fancy silver watch of the time of Queen Elizabeth. It is shaped like a duck; the feathers chased. The lower part opens, and the dial plate, which is also of silver, is encircled with a gilt ornamental design of floriated scrolls and angels' heads. The wheels work on small rubies. It has no maker's name. It is preserved in the original case of thin brass, covered with black leather, and ornamented with silver studs, as represented in the woodcut below. It forms one of the curiosities in the Museum of Lord Londesborough.

Watch in Original Case.]

HORSES FEEDING ONE ANOTHER.

M. de Bossanelle, captain of cavalry in the regiment of Beauvilliers, relates in his "Military Observations," printed in Paris, 1760, "That, in the year 1757, an old horse of his company, that was very fine and full of mettle, had his teeth all on a sudden so worn down, that he could not chew his hay and corn; and that he was fed for two months, and would still have been so had he been kept, by two horses on each side of him, that ate in the same manger. These two horses drew hay from the rack, which they chewed, and afterwards threw before the old horse; that they did the same with the oats, which they ground very small, and also put before him. This (adds he) was observed and witnessed by a whole company of cavalry, officers and men."

CROSS OF MUIREDACH.

Cross of Muiredach.]