Poets' Corner*

liking that occupation , he was afterwards put to the making of shoes . At this trade he worked until he was twenty years of age , and during all that time he was untiring in his efforts to improve himself in every species of learning . Often did the poor young shoemaker devote to his books

hours that should have been given to rest ; and the reward of his industry and perseverance came at last . A surgeon of his native town , Ashburton , noticed his industry , and recognized his great talents . He sent him to Oxford University , where

he soon distinguished himself , and from that time forward his life was a series of literary triumphs . He was the author of those great satires the " Basviad" and Majviad , of which , perhaps , you may have heard . We pass over several monuments which are not strictly proper to the Poets' Corner , as they are raised to the memory of persons

who did not achieve any distinction in the world of literature . We need not pause until we come to the fine statue of Joseph Addison , which stands upon a circular stand . Of course you have heard of Addison , the greatest of our essayists , and the writer of

the purest and most graceful English in all our literature . He was a poet , too ; but the unrivalled beauty of his prose writings diverted attention from his talents in that line . Close to the statue of Addison is the

grave of Lord Macaulay , the delightful historian and essayist . But we daresay our young friends will recognize him more readily as the author of those splendid ballads , the " Lays of Ancient Rome , " or better still , as the author of the glowing

"Battle of Ivry , " In our boyhood this was a favourite piece for recitation at our school , and we remember how earnestly we used to roll out the

lines" Press where ye see my white plume shine amid the rank of war , And be your oriflamme to-day the helmet of Navarre . " There is a bust of him upon the left of the

statue of Addison . On the other side of the same statue is another bust of the deeply-regretted and noble-souled writer , William Makepeace Thackeray .

Notes On Literature, Science And Art.

NOTES ON LITERATURE , SCIENCE AND ART .

BY BRO . GEORGE JIARKHAJI TWEDDELL , Fellow of the Royal Society of Northern Anti quaries Copenhagen ; Corresponding Member of the Royal Historical Society , London ; Honorary Member of the Manchester Literary Club , and of the Whitby Literary and Philosophical Society & c , &> c .

R . VAN REICHENBACH proposes the following methods of smelting iron ores : — 1 . For the older lignites , a blast furnace of moderate hei ght , with a very hot blast , to prevent a sintering of the coal . 2 . With the more recent lignites , to dry them

so as to expel all hydroscopic and chemically combined water , and to use these also in low furnaces . 3 . To carry on further experiments as to the coking of the lignites . 4 . Where there are large quantities of fine coalto use this in one shaft

, for the reduction of the ore , which is then to be smelted in another shaft with the coarser coal . 5 . In case the preceding methods are not successful , to try a partial or total treatment of the ores with the gas produced from the li gnites in generators .

The difference between the traffic receipts on a fine week and a wet one on the South Eastern Railway alone during the excursion season is £ 3 , 000 at the least ,

showing how anxious the people are to take advautage of the train for visiting their friends , or scenes of interest , when reasonable charges for travelling enable them to do so . My own opinion has lonsr been that trains run frequently at low fares ~ would

not only help on civilisation materially , but also pay the shareholders better than high fares . Even a penny a mile is prohibitory to poor people in long journeys for pleasure or for health , and can only be undertaken when necessity compels .

We are too apt , in these peaceful times in Britain , to forget to be thankful to the G . A . U . for the privileges we enjoy compared _ with those of our fore-eldeis . " Until the middle of last century , " says Mr . Jenkinson in his reallPractical

, y Guide to Carlisle , Gilsland , Roman Wall and Neighbourhood , "Carlisle had kept up the appearance of a formidable p lace ; sentries were stationed at each of the gates , at the commanding officer ' s house , the