Obituary.

to the Universal Parent , and implore his blessing on every zealous endeavour to promote peace and good will , aud we pray for our perseverance in these principles of piety and virtue . The great Creator having been pleased , out of his mercy , to remove our esteemed Brother Close from the cares and troubles of a transitory life to a state of eternal duration , and thereby to weaken the chain by which we are united man to man

; may ¦ we who survive him anticipate our approaching dissolution , and be more strongly cemented in the ties of union and friendship ; that during the short space allotted for our present existence we may wisely and usefully employ our time , aud in the reciprocal course of fond and friendly acts mutually promote the welfare and happiness of each other . Unto the grave hath been consigned the mortal remains of

our much-respected Brother Close , there to remain until the general resurrection , in favourable expectation that his immortal soul may then partake of joys which have been prepared for the righteous from the beginning of the world . And may Almighty God , of his infinite goodness , at the tribunal of unbiassed justice , extend his mercy towards bim and all of us , and crown our hope with everlasting bliss in the expanded realms of a boundless eternity ' . This we beg for the honour of bis nameto whom be

, glory now and for ever . Amen . The grand honours were given . The AV . M . then impressively read the following select verses : — Man's days are as grass , as the flower of the field so he fiourisheth ; the wind passetb over it and it is gone , and its place shall not be known again .

As a dream lie flieth away and is not found : yea , he is chased as a vision of the night . Man born of woman , few of days , full of trouble , like a flower cometh forth and is cut off . Flieth away like a SIVMLOW anil continueth not . AVhat is man , that he should be deemed pure ? the born of woman , that he should be accounted righteous ? What is manthat thou takest note of him ? the son of man

, , that thou regardest him ? Man is like unto vanity , his days as the passing shadow . The Lord hath given and the Lord hath taken away : blessed be the name of the Lord . Glory be to God on high ! on earth , peace ! good-will towards men .

Public Amusements.

PUBLIC AMUSEMENTS .

LYCEUM THEATRE . The drama in three acts entitled the " "Watch-Cry , " produced by Mr . Eechter ou the reopening of the Lyceum Theatre , is , in our opinion , and notwithstanding the unfavoui'able criticisms of some of the daily and weekly -journalsa great success , and has as

, intelligible a p lot as any other three act drama of the same school . . Notwithstanding , too , the very funny and Avould-be amusing notice of the " "Watch-Cry , " the alleged mystery and heaviness of plot , Avhich Punch charges against the adapter of the piece , and the imperfect delivery by Mr . Eechter of his part

, Ave could discover nothing to justify such criticisms . Mr . Eechter does not cry from the Avindow of the d'Albizz . 1 Palace " Arshiers of the Palais "Wash , " or any such nonsense ; on the contrary , nothing can be clearer or more distinctly correct than Mr . Eechter ' s delivery of the Avords of the watch-cry , " Archers of

the Palace Watch , " and those who have alleged the contrary have been unfortunate in their fault-finding . Altogether , it is au excellent performance . The drama is full of interest , and thoroughly Avell sustained from the rising of the curtain to the conclusion of the third act . The consummate acting

of Mr . Eechter , as Leone Salviale , is ably supported by that of Mr . S . Emery , as Judael , and sustained hy the quaint , serio-comic personation of Mosca Capponi by Mz \ H . "Widdicoiab . The parts of Bianca

Public Amusements.

Albizzi , by Miss Elsworthy , and Cosmo de Ifedici , by Mr . C . Horsman , are -well filled ; indeed , there is a oneness in the character of the performance of the several parts that , in our opinion , gives the " "Wateh-Cry " rank among the most successful of the dramas in which Mr . Eechter has appeared . As to the

manner in which it has been put upon the stage , the scenery and mechanical contrivances , the dresses and accessories , nothing can possibly he better . ISTo pains nor expense seems to have been spared . The " "Watch-Cry" is preceded by the farce entitled the " Day after the ATedding , " and is followed by the farce of " Nursery Chiekweed . " The band performed Avith admirable effect during the evening .

Meetings Of The Scientific And Learned Societies For The Week Ending December 9th.

MEETINGS OF THE SCIENTIFIC AND LEARNED SOCIETIES FOR THE WEEK ENDING DECEMBER 9 TH .

Tuesday , December Sth . INSTITUTION OT CIVIL ENGINEERS , at 8 . Wednesday , December 6 fch , at 8 . " On the Graphotype : a Process for producing , from Drawings , Blocks for Surface Printing . " By Henry Eitz Cook , Esq . GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF LONDON . Thursday , December 7 th . CHEMICAL SOCIETY , at 8 .

The Week.

THE WEEK .

THE Corar . —The Queen , the Crown Prince and Princess of Prussia , Princess Helena , Princess Louise , and Princess Beatrice ,, and the Ladies and Gentlemen in IVaiting , attended Divine service on Sunday morning in the Private Chapel . The Rev . II . . 1 . Ellison officiated . On Monday Mr . G . G . Adams , sculptor , had the honour of submitting for her Majesty ' s inspection the bust of the late Viscount Palmerston . Their Royal Highnesses

the Crown Prince and Princess of Prussia , and her Royal Highness Princess Helena , honoured the performance of the Sacred Harmonic Society , Exeter Hall , with their presence on Tuesday night , and afterwards returned to AVindsor Castle . The Queen held a Council on Wednesday at one o'clock , at which were present Earl Granville , Earl Russell , Earl De Grey and Eipon , and the Right Hon . Sir George Grey . Mr . Goschen was introduced and sworn in a member of the Privy Council . Karl Busse ! l and Earl Granville had audience of the Queen .

GEXEEAL ItatE JSEWS . —Tbe health of the country is improving . According to the return of the Registrar-General forlast week the deaths in the eleven chief towns were twenty-nine in the 1000 . As usual , Liverpool reaches the highest number , or 41 , in . which , however , it is joined by Manchester . Londonand Dublin are lowest , or 25 . It is noteworthy , too , that in Liverpool and Manchester the deaths for tbe week are more

numerous than the births . The total number of deaths in London is 1 , 471 , or 93 below the ten years' average . The birthswere 1 , 926 , whicli is also slightly below the average . A great Reform meeting was held at Bradford on AVednesday night , - Nov . 22 nu , tho requisition for calling which was actually signed by upwards of two thousand five hundred persons . The

speech of the evening was delivered by Mr . AV . E . porster , the member for the borough , who expressed his strong conviction that the Government would submit a Reform Bill to the new Parliament . A memorial praying that Lord Russell would , frame a thorough measure of Reform , and protesting against any further postponement of the question , was unanimously