the empire. In the preceding century they had gone on deteriorating in good sense, and most probably, therefore, in moral worth, and had made no such rapid progress in numbers as to imply that by the mere process of conversion hey would ever Christianise the empire. We may say, in some sense, that the Christian soldiers in Constantine's armies conquered the empire (that is. the imperial appointments) for Christianity. But Paganism subsisted, even in spite of Imperial allurements, until at length the sword of Theodosius violently suppressed heathen worship. So also it was the spear of Charlemagne which drove the Saxons to baptism, and decided the extirpation of Paganism from Teutonic Europe. There is nothing in all this to distinguish the outward history of Christianity from that of Mahommedism. Barbarous tribes now and then, venerating the superiority of our knowledge, adopt our religion; so have Pagan nations in Africa voluntarily become MussulBut neither we nor they can appeal to any case, where an old state-religion has yielded without warlike compulsion to the force of heavenly truth,-" charm we never so wisely."

mans.

Answer.-If the Imperial armies "which conquered the

empire for Christianity" were to any considerable extentand it must have been ex hypothesi to a prevailing extentcomposed of Christians, Christianity had made at least equal progress in the ranks of civil life . . . Supposing Constantine a political convert, it could only be because he saw that Christianity had done its work to such an extent as to render it more probable that it would assist him than he could assist it.... Is it not plain that Christianity must in some fashion have conquered its millions before Constantine, or any other man was likely to attempt to conquer the empire for Christianity, or to succeed in doing so if he had. Is there an instance on record of a people suddenly, at a moments notice, changing its religion, or rather-for this is the true representation-of many different nations changing their many different religions at the simple command of their sovereign, and he too an upstart? In two cases, and in only two it may be done; first by an unsparing use of the sword, the brief, simple alternative of Mahommed, Death or the Koran; the other when a new form of belief has con

verted the bulk of a large portion of the nation; of which, in this case, the conversion of the army is a tolerably significant indication.

The answer in this case is equally bare, although efficient so far as it extends; but the grand reply is, that Christianity declines the use of the sword, and ever stigmatises it as sinful.

Kirby and Spence's Entomology. Seventh edition. Seventh edition. London: Longman, Brown, Green, and Long

mans.

THE seventh edition of this valuable work came into our possession in the winter season, when it is scarcely possible to study entomology out of doors. Circumstances have now changed, and most people are more or less acquainted with some genera of insects; for they are the more numerous class of the world's inhabitants. Messrs. Kirby and Spence commenced the study of British insects nearly sixty years ago. They continued to communicate mutually the results of their researches into the habits and history of insects for forty-four years. Mr. Kirby suggested the idea of an English work on British entomology nearly fifty years since, and they agreed to work together. Few partners have been ever more steady or successful, in the pursuit of any profession, than they

were in the pursuit of science. It is not to be expected that the results of their labours, although peculiarly pleasing to themselves, were equally profitable with those of ordinary business; but, even in that sense, the text-book of British entomology for so many years must have been productive. The seventh edition of the work has been published in one volume, at a remarkably cheap price, or, in the words of the note at its commencement, "One-sixth of the price of the sixth edition." An appendix, containing the history of the rise and progress of the work, furnished by Mr. Spence, to Mr. Freeman's "Life of Mr. Kirby," is attached to this edition. A volume of this character requires no notice from the press. Its merits have been acknowledged by the public for forty-two years; although they have accumulated with successive editions, for a new edition by no means implies the repitition of all matter. The work remains divided into different chapters beginning with the direct and indirect injuries caused by insectsthe direct and indirect benefits which they confer - and their habitations-societies--food-means of defence, and other characteristics. These subjects are discussed in an admirable and perfect manner. The injuries inflicted by insects on mankind have been far greater than those committed by any other living beings. The beasts of the forest have never caused the destruction of life to mankind achieved by insects. The eastern plague has been traced to vast numbers of dead locusts, whose bodies have corrupted the atmosphere. It cannot be doubted that from some cause the terrible visitations of this scourge have been less mischievous in modern than in previous times. And as mankind are spreading over all the earthrooting out or subjugating the wild animals, the insect world also will be brought in a great mea sure under their power. Still, the following passage, from many, shows our weakness against the smaller of our natural enemies :

An ant also makes a lodgment in the interior of the sugar cane in Guiana, and destroys it. Another species of the latter genus does not devour it, and is, therefore, improperly called fornica saccharivora, by Linnè; but, by making its they become unhealthy and unproductive. These insects nests for shelter under the roots, so injures the plants that

about seventy years ago, appeared in such infinite hosts in in the island of Granada, as to put a stop to the cultivation of this plant, and a reward of £20,000 was offered to any one who should discover an effectual mode of destroying them. Their numbers were incredible. They descended from the hills like torrents, and the plantations, as well as every path and road for miles, were filled with them: Many domestic quadrupeds perished in consequence of the plague. Rats, mice, and reptiles of every kind, became an easy prey to them, and even the birds, which they attacked whenever they alighted on the ground in search of food, were so har rassed as to be at length unable to resist them. Streams of water opposed only a temporary obstacle to their progress, the foremost rushing blindly on to certain death, and fresh armies constantly following, till a bank was formed of the waters, and allow the main body to pass over in safety below, carcases of those that were drowned sufficient to dam up th Even the all-devouring element of fire was tried in vain.

When lighted to arrest their route, they rushed into the blaze in such myriads of millions as to extinguish it. Those

that thus patriotically devoted themselves to certain death for the common good, were but as the pioneers, or advanced guard, of a countless army, which, by their self-sacrifice, was enabled to pass unimpeded and unhurt. The entire crop of standing canes was burnt down, and the earth dug up in every part of the plantations; but, in vain was every attempt of man to effect their destruction, till, in 1780, it pleased Providence to annihilate them, by the torrents of rain which accompanied a hurricane most fatal to the other West India islands.

The benefits direct or indirect of insects are beautifully described by the authors of this work. Thus gnats or mosquitoes are the plague of Europears and even of natives in all tropical, and in many temperate countries. If stagnant water, either in cisterns or other places, is not allowed near the house, the gnats will not appear; but if stagnant water be allowed to remain it is better that men should suffer from gnats, than from the poisonous qualities that it would develope rapidly without the larvæ. The insect dyes are the finest that men employ. The insect cloth is the finest that mankind wear. The insect food Jonathan on the mountains of Palestine found to be the most nourishing in his hour of faintness that he could have used. To an insect we are indebted for the ink with which we write; for the propagation of many seeds, for the removal of many nuisances—and indeed they are the great army of scavengers employed to cleanse the earth.

This edition of the Entomology should render the science more popular with that very numerous class to whom the cost of many scientific works is an affliction.

Clara Woodward and Her Day Dreams. 1 vol. Pp. 186. London: Knight and Son. THIS is one of a numerous class of little works on religious subjects. It is a biography not completed, for the subject thereof is left in comparative happiness and health. She desired to be

383

rich, and accepted the invitation of an aunt and uncle, Mr. and Mrs. Lambert, to visit with them in Edinburgh. They are represented as fashionable, mercantile, rich- and we must say, rather unlike the well to do mercantile people of Edinburgh-for they are careless even of the outward forms of religion, patronise the opera, and even the theatre. We are inclined to suppose that Edinburgh has been written by mistake for London. Our object in noticing the little book is to quote the description of the manner in which Miss Clara Woodward spent her first morning in Edinburgh, and then say something upon the reflections of the author thereupon:

A large rosewood desk, standing on a chiffonière, in one corner of the room, attracted her attention; and she remembered her aunt had told her that there was a compartment inside the chiffomère, where she might put away her books, and that it already contained a number that might be

interesting to her, if she was fond of reading. She un

locked this, and, after carefully disposing of the few volumes she had brought from home, began to look over the others. The first selected was evidently a novel, and this she laid aside, as she recollected having received a caution about the evils of novel-reading. She took up another, which looked harmless and inviting, and seating herself upon a comfortable sofa, began to read.

Very soon her whole attention was absorbed in the narrative, which, though not above a silly romance, was full of adventures, and, entirely unconscious of anything else, she

read on for two whole hours, and then started to hear her aunt's voice close beside her, exclaiming,

Why, Clara, you look as if you had dressed, I don't know how long; yet you were so very quiet, that I expected to find you in bed."

"You know, aunt, I have been used to getting up early at home; so I awoke a long time ago, and since then I have been reading this book."

The writer of this extract must have surely forgotten that we find it in a novel; that Clara Woodward is a little novel, and that all novels depend for character upon their object. The major moral of the book is to act out religion; the minor, to stop at home, lead a quiet life, and avoid frivolous company.

HER ROYAL HIGHNESS THE DUCHESS OF

GLOUCESTER.

IN the number for last month appeared a notice of the death of the last link which had united the great literary characters of the last with those of the present generation; it now happens that this month's publication contains the announcement of the decease of the last surviving child of George the Third, at the ripe age of 81 years.

The Princess Mary was the fourth daughter and eleventh child of King George and Queen Charlotte, and was born on the 11th April, 1776, a few months after her cousin, and ultimately her husband, the Duke of Gloucester, whose birthday was the 15th January in the same year. When children they were thrown much into the society of each other, the result of which was an affectionately mutual attachment, which, however, for state reasons, was not

brought to a successful termination until their marriage on the 23rd July, 1816. The Royal Duke-who vied with his brothers-in-law, the Dukes of York, Kent, Sussex, and Cambridge, in personal exertions and pecuniary assistance in behalf of the charities of the kingdom, and who, as each of them dropped off, at last divided that labour with the late Duke of Cambridge-died in November, 1834, since which time his widow has not appeared more frequently before the public than state necessity required, but spent the greater part of her time at her residence, Piccadilly, and her seat at Bagshot, in the neighbourhood of both of which places her charity was munificent and unostentatious. Her fondness for children was remarkable, and being from age compelled to observe early hours, her greatest enjoyment for many seasons past was to collect around her the juvenile branches of the nobility at Gloucester House.

Her Royal Highness was buried on the 8th ult., in a vault beside her husband, at St. George's chapel, Windsor, with, according to her will, as little ceremony as was consistent with her rank.

The Royal Marriage Act, which is so frequently quoted, was originally passed to prevent similar marriages to that contracted by the parents of the late Duke, and of the Duke of Cumberland, brothers to George the Third, the former of whom married a Countess-Dowager of Waldegrave, and the latter a Mrs. Horton, Independent of state considerations, there were in either case personal circumstances which rendered these alliances most undesirable. Up to within the last twenty years there was a person causing great annoyance to the Royal family, who claimed to be the offspring of the Duke of Cumberland, and who, although married to a journeyman painter of the name of Serres, claimed and assumed the title of "the Princess Olive of Cumberland." By this, and dressing her servants in the Royal liveries, she obtained credit to a large amount, and was subsequently relieved by the Insolvent Debtors' Court. To prevent a recurrence of similar events, the Bill in question was passed, and by its clauses enacts, that none of the descendants of George the II. shall marry without the consent, of the Crown, provided they be under 25 years of age, or should it be refused when above that age, without the consent of the Privy Council, who cannot act unless the applicant wait a year to learn if Parliament be averse to the proposition. The law has ever since been acted upon, though the late Dako of Sussex set it at defiance by marrying twice. By Lady Augusta Murray he had two children, who upon the death of William the Fourth, claimed to have the marriage recog nised in Hanover, in case of failure in the male heirs of the late king, when the Chambers fully admitted their title, and they were accordingly placed on the list of names belonging to the Royal family of that kingdom.

MAJOR CALDER CAMPBELL,

LATE of the II.E.I.C. service, died, on the 13th May, of angina pectoris, in the 59th year of his age.

This officer greatly distinguished himself upon several occasions while in India, but for the last quarter of a century has been known in literary circles as one of the most. pleasing writers of the day. While resident in India, and now twenty-six years ago, he published a volume of poetry, under the title of "Lays from the East," which were favour. ably received by the public. He published, many years afterwards, Recollections of Rambles at Home and bread," which were, we believe, also successful. A short time since we noticed "A Soldier's Recollections of Burmah and the East," also written by the deceased gentleman. After his return from India, Major Calder Campbell generally resided in London. He was a frequent contributor to the periodical press. Many of his sonnets have appeared in this Magazine, to which, for several years after its com mencement, he was a regular contributor. Few men have written more and better, among the many Anglo-Indians who have recently attained a distinguished place in our literature. He also frequently wrote for the professional periodicals, and in nearly every monthly work of note. Major Calder Campbell was a son of the Rev. Mr. Campbell, minister of Ardeseir; and by his mother's side he was a cousin of Admiral Sir Robert Calder. He served in the first Burmese war, under the late Sir A. Campbell, the father of Sir John Campbell, who was killed at the Redan before Sebastopol. Major Calder Campbell was much esteemed among a numerous circle of literary persons whose acquaintance he had formed in London, and many of his old Oriental friends will deeply regret his death. By many of our readers the name is well remembered, for daring a long period few of our numbers were published without its appearing in them, attached always to lines wor, hy of being read and remembered.

LORD RADSTOCK.

Ox the 11th May, at his house, Portland-place, London, the Lord Radstock, in the 71st year of his age. H

Lordship's death was rather sadden, for he was aked unwell only the Saturday preceding.

Before his succession to the title he, as was his father, was well known for many brilliant exploits as the Hon. Captain Waldegrave, especially in leading several desperate attacks upon the coast of Italy, at the time that country was in subjection to Trance For these and many other services appointment as one of Her Majesty's naval aidé de-camps. But in later years he will be more remembered by his title as being among the foremost who devoted their time to pious and charitable pursuits. No opportunity was missed of doing good by personal exertion, persuasion, or by pecuniary assistance, especially on behalf of those societies which have the moral welfare of sailors, or the education of youth, for their especial object.

he was honoured with the order rher of the Bath the Bath and with the

The peerage was first granted to Admiral George Waldegrave, a younger brother of the fourth Earl of that name, for his successes against the French in 1797. The late peer who succeeded his father, is succeeded by his only son, now the third Baron Radstock.

GENERAL SIR JAMES MACDONELL

Tuis gallant officer, who died on the 25th of May, was the. third son of Duncan Macdonell, Esq., of Glengarry. He entered the army in 1796, as ensign, and immediately be came lieutenant of the 101st foot, but afterwards joined the Coldstream Guards, with which regiment he saw very much service, and participated in the honours which that galleat, regiment won. With his first regiment he was in the es pedition to Calabria in 1805 and 1806, and with the Guards, went through the campaigns in Portugal, Spain, and France. As Waterloo was his last battle, so was it the most brilliant of his many brilliant achievements To him, in conjunctions with the late Lord Saltoua, was confided the defence of the chateau Hougoumont, the key of the Duke of Wellington's, position; and the determined stand there made by the British troops against every attempt of the French to capture the place, has now become a portion of history. For this service the Duke thanked him most sincerely after the battle.

That his exploits were great and appreciated, is fully. demonstrated by his rewards: Knight Commander of the Bath, Knight of the Order of Maria Theresa, Knight of St. Vladimir, and Knight of the Hanoverian Guelphie order. In addition to these, he wore a gold medal for the battle of Maida, a silver one, with four clasps, for the victories of Salamanca, Vittoria, Nivelle, and the Nive,-and the Waterloo medal. In 1830, he was made a major general; in 1841, a lieutenant-general, and general in 1851; and in 1819, he was nominated Colonel of the 71st Highland' Regiment.

MR. ROBERT BURNS. 1 THE eldest son of the poet died at his residence, Damfries, on the 14th of May, in the 71st year of his age.

Mr. Burns inherited much of his father's talent; bat, from his previous occupation under Government, hal bat, few opportunities of displaying it before the public eye. For some years he lived in quiet retirement upon a superannua tion, meritoriously earned by lung and faithfal services. Ilis conversational powers were the delight of all who had the pleasure of mixing with him in society, His love of knowledge, combined with an extraordinary amount of reading, great application to sift what he read, and as unusually great power of retaining the most salient points, caused him to be greatly sought after by such as wanted ins formation upon bygone days.

Two sons of the poet still survive.

EDINBURGH

MAGAZINE.

WHEN farmers visit the markets to buy guano, they ask a certificate of its quality, because nothing is more common than mixtures of substances under the name, but without the virtues, of the great Peruvian manure. Small fortunes have been made by successful imitations of guano. The artist who first produced the appearance of diamonds in paste, probably gained less money by the forgery than the man who first made common ingredients take the colour, form, and smell of guano, obtained out of his imposition. All other substances have the fate of this common fructifier. Any article under the misfortune of having something very like it of less value than itself, is certain of being mixed up with its inferior. The aristocracy of goods is no longer safe and recognised. This epidemic for mixing extends to all liquids-from brandy down to milk. Amongst the tippling community, a foolish question is asked often-" What will you drink?" Who could answer it? Any person might say what he wished to drink, but what he will drink, or get to drink, is quite a different matter. Many hospitable hosts, proud of their cellars, ask their friends to drink wine with them at dinner, who have not a drop of wine to offer them, and who never had a bottle of wine under their rooftree. This bottle is cobwebbed, dusty, and has been in the cellar for twenty years. It was one of a lot bought at 42s. per dozen, and, with compound interest, has now cost 100s.; but that makes no difference to the wine. A lie cannot be made truth by being bottled up out of sight for twenty years, and wine has no prescriptive right unattached to anything besides.

The wine question has annoyed the members of the temperance societies ever since we remember them. They have produced many reasons, and some of them unsatisfactory, against the common, daily use of wine, but they have overlooked the great fact that the fairies have been at the cradle

of all the wines commonly sold in Britain or Ireland-or, literally, at the cellar-and have left a changling for an old port or a dry sherry. "Absti nuit. . vino, quoth Horace—and a difficulty existed in his day and villa in abstaining; but no such difficulty exists here, and now. The great wine question has a stave knocked out of its barrel by the great wine merchants. The juice of logwoodan astringent, we suppose; and of junipers-native fruit of first quality; the berries of rowan trees-boiled to protect consumers from witchcraft; and many similar infusions, are used in the production of "good wine." The mysteries of the trade are a multitude, and the uninitiated cannot solve them: but the great wine question is mythical. No real question could ever have existed in this country on the subject; for we have pure wine in very limited quantities-if we have any and the effort to impede the temperance reformers with a pretended juice of the grape, was only one of those clever devices that occur sometimes to disputants.

Even our native drinks are not sold in a genuine and pure state. Some of them invite dilution by their original strength. They require to be diluted for use by the hardest stomachs. In these cases, details may vary. One dealer may consider conscientiously that the Excise permits rather strong applications to his customers, and may adroitly mend the character of the dose. A retailer, with these benevolent intentions, deserves to be paid for entertaining them. The public cannot have good things for nothing, and even the philanthropical behind a bar expect to be rewarded.

We remember a very good story on the point. A taverner of the United States was discussing the demerits of the Maine liquor law, which some excellent persons struggled to introduce into his State. He opposed it, as a measure calculated to obstruct the great social reform on which he had bent his heart. He had for some time-so he

Y

said-mixed his spirits very carefully, always increasing the dose pure aquæ by small quantities, but putting a drop more to the gallon in one month than last, and he expected gradually to win over the community to perfect sobriety, until the zealots arose, and put out of order all his little schemes.

This was a licensed victualler of the philanthropic sect, endowed with acquisitiveness large, and benevolence lumpish. Therefore he used water with zeal himself, combined with discretion, and needed no other dealers in the limpid liquid for his district, parish, townland, or whatever else was the name of the region over the sherry-cobblers of which presided this squire.

When Dr. Normandy was under examination before the committee of the House of Commons on the cooking of gin, exactly two years ago on the 20th of the present month-and we beg forgiveness because we have mentioned such a low compound of diabolisms as gin-Dr. Normandy said diabolical; none of our readers ever tasted gin, and we never did never; but when that gentleman, on the aforesaid day, was being examined on gin, he said that many of the customers in London "come to the bar, drink a glass of gin, and go"-and we have been at the trouble to write this conglomeration of a sentence merely to trace, for the benefit of future "Notes and Queries" the origin of the slang phrase "a go of gin;" for it began clearly with Dr. Normandy, on the 20th of July, 1855, when he also stated that an intoxicating power had to be mixed with the water put into spirits with the view of keeping up their strength. For this purpose grains of paradise-and the botanist, if alive still, who gave them that name should be pilloried-along with cocculus indicus, which we trust is not another name for them, are used. also is oil of vitriol-and that we know to be a tough affair for any stomach-and oil of almonds, more commonly known as prussic acid-and many other poisons are employed to flavour water. were repeatedly tempted long since almost to buy a "go" of pine apple rum, but thanks to Dr. Normandy, notwithstanding its pretty name, we have no trouble with a ticklish conscience on the subject now; for this pine apple hypocrisy is made from rotten cheese, sulphuric acid--again the vitriol-and bichromate of potash-an extract of the algae, the sea tangles, and weeds. Having a strong dread of vitriol under any of its names-we look upon pine apple rum as we should do upon a cobra capella, or a scorpion, or a rattle snake or a "go" of Styx.

So

We

The brewers were acquitted of fraud in their trade by Dr. Normandy, but the licensed victuallers were heavily taken down on malt liquor. Thus quassia often occupies the place of hops, being a cheap bitter. Strychnine was said to be used, but of course that was false, and would have been too bad. That cocculus indicus again is necessary for the trade, and is direct poison; and it is only nux vomica, you know, and not strychnine, that some

people employ. There is a difference, of course, the sort of difference existing between butter and milk, or flour and grain-and all such other similarities in nature, but not in shape. Foote's sugar comes also into play. Who is Foote? Where does he dwell? What is he? Certainly he is neither a planter nor a refiner, nor in any way concerned in the manufacture of what our children know as sugar. Foote's sugar is unknown in Mincing-lane, so far as we hear is never quoted now-and we don't believe that any grocer ever acknowledges to the possession of a single bag of it. It is the sediment of sugar shipped in a peculiar state, very brown indeed-but by no means the worst ingredient of bad beer. The fact is, that Foote is no man at all, but a descriptive adjective. Next there is liquor ammonia, and sulphuric acid, of course. It-the acid-is in everything people drink by "goes" or out of pewter pots.

One lady wants essence of jargonelle—a very agreeable perfume, very genteel, too, under that name; but it is hydrated oxyde of amyle, or fusel oil, in reality, and has nothing more to do with jargonelle pears than the vine with two-thirds of the wine, which unfortunate people, biting their lips as they know what's being done to them, are compelled to swallow.

They retreat to the drawing-room, and should be safe with the cup that cheers but not inebriates, and among ladies-but this is a blunder, an utter mistake. This tea is all a myth again. It may be sloe leaves, but not very likely. It may be old leaves from the early breakfast coffee-houses, re-dried and re-produced. It may be some kind of leaves from China, which nobody knows anything of, except that they are cheaper and more common than genuine tea. It may be lye tea, one half of which consists of an earthy matter ground together by the villains under the command of Yeh; and it goes all to powder when exposed to hot water. We have seen quantities of that black powder at the bottom of teacups lately, and the grocer said it was all owing to the peculiar fineness of the tea, whereas it all originated in a lie-that is to say, it was lye tea-black earth, burned bricks, diamond dust, emery filings, freestone, granite, old red sandstone, an oolite in powder, or a piece of trap-trap-unquestionably trap, at four and eightpence per lb. And the Government charged one shilling and sixpence, with five per cent duty! And the grocers-the wholesale,-but we cannot be trusted with their fate. It would be unjust to them or the China men to commit them to the outraged prejudices of a tea drinker, who has been taking oolites ever so long into his stomach for orange Pekoe, and trap-trap-rocks instead of Twankay.

The evidence given to the House of Commons two years since, is that Prussian blue, turmeric, and sulphate of lime are the ingredients of what we are pleased to consider "green tea." These items, perhaps, are not so bad as others found in