Notes On Literature, Science, And Art.

NOTES ON LITERATURE , SCIENCE , AND ART .

TUB University of London has published regulations for the degrees in science , bachelor and doctor . The candidates must first matriculate , and then pass two examinations . But bachelors of arts need only pass the second of the special examinations . The candidate for the electorship must be a bachelor of science of tiA'o years' standing . It thus appears that the Senate of the University of London do not consider tho full education for a degree in arts necessary for cither of their degrees iu

science ; and we hope that the young aspirants theinsolvcs will show move sense than their guides , and will make thoir B . A . degree their road to the B . Sc . There is quite enough of science in the second examination , and they will do Avell . 3 tr . Redding , whose " History and Description of Modem Wines " of nil nations is well known , is about to publish " France and its Vinous Productions . "

At the council meeting of the Society of Arts , last \ i-eek , the guarantee deed for raising a sum of not less than £ 250 , 000 , on behalf of the Exhibition of 1 S 02 , was approved . The Earl Granville , lord president of tbe council ; the Marquis of Chandos , chairman of the London and . North Western Railway ; Thomas Baring , Esq ., M . P ., aud C . Wentwoi-tli Dilke , Esq ., commissioners of the Exhibition of IS 51 ; and Thomas Fairbaii-n , Esq ., chairman of the Executive Committee of the Manchester

Art-Treasures Exhibition , ivere named as trustees of the' fund / Another and concluding volume of scarce and valuable economical tracts has lately been printed at the expense of Lord Overstone for distribution among his friends . Like the'two former issues , it is edited bv Mi-. M- 'CuUoch . By an overwhelming majority of votes , tho people of Birmingham havo adopted absolution to found a free library in that town ,-to be

supported by a loeal rate . The l / lit . sfrated London News says— " It is a curious coincidence that at fche A-ery moment AA-hen the literary Avorld is shocked by the exposure est" an unparalleled series of fabrications in connection with the life and times of Shakspeare , some legal documents of unimpeachable authenticity relating to the poet ' s family aud property have been brought to 1 ight . The precise nature and interest of those papers we are not in a

position to unfold . All that we at present knoiv is that such documents have been discovered during fche recent repairs of the Rolls Chapel , ancl r , hat , by direction of the Right Honourable the Master of the Rolls , the duty of making them public has been entrusted to Mr . Staunton , iidio is well known to be UOAV engaged on an edition of Shakspeare ' s works . " The King of Bai'aria has offered a prize of 2 , 000 florins for a Manual of German Antiquities up to the time of Charlemagne ; a prize of 10 , 000 florins tor an erudite Manual of German History , from the first beginning of historical knowledge doivn to the nineteenth century—or , if

a smaller compass should be preferred , to the fifteenth century , in which case the prize should be reduced to 5 , 000 florins ; a prize of 3 , 000 florins for the Biography of a Distinguished German , anel one of equal amount for the Biography of a Celebrated Bavarian . The competition works for the first prize must be delivered at the Academy of Sciences ( it Munich , on the 1 st of January , ISO'S ; those for the last two prizes on the 31 st of March , 18 C 1 . The Manual of German History , in its

first part at least , up to the fifteenth century , must be delivered on the 1 st of January , ISfliJ . On the llth instant , tho . Syro-Egyptian Societj- ' s meeting was presided over by Dr . J . Lee . On this occasion Mr . Bonomi exhibited a drawing taken from an Egyptian funereal tablet sculptured during the reign of Rnmeses the Second , n . e . 1250 . In the centre of this tablet was a rude female foreign divinity , Cliiun , having in her right hand tho

well known Egyptian divinity , Khem , to whom she presents a noso » av of lotus flowers , emblem of life and pleasure ; anel on her loft , a rarely occurring divinity , also of foreign extraction , to whom she presents tivo serpents , emblems of pain and death . Mr . Bonomi demonstrated that these figures were identical with Cliiun , mentioned in Amos , and ivifch Kemphan , substituted for Cliiun iu the Septuagint version , and Avhose image and quality had not hitherto been determined by commentators .

From the relative position of these foreign divinities , and from their association with Khem , it ivas inferred that Beumhau was merely ,-m impersonation of the attribute of Chhm ' s left hand , or Death . Mr . Bonomi argued that Reniphan was substituted for Cliiun by the Seventy as being the attribute of that deity most extensively propitiated , and as more closely connected ivith the particular superstitious practices of tho Jews afc the period alluded to by Amos . Mr . Sharpe made a communication to the effect that he had discovered on the mummy cases in the British Museum , the figures of the Phamiciau gods , the Cabeiri ,

who were worshipped at Memphis . They hold iu their hands swords , snakes , and lizards , as instruments of torture to the wicked after death , Their name iu Coptic means the " Punishers , " and from the same root is derived the name of the dog Cerberus , who , in the original pictures , is a hippopotamus , and AVIIO acts as accuser " of the deceased before the judge Oriris . With the figures of the Cabeiri are usually placed the lake of fire , into AA'hich tho wicked were to be thrown , and the pigmy

god Pthah , AA'hom Herodotus describes as the father of tho Cabeiri . Sometimes there is a fish with them , who may be the Dagon of the Phoenicians , so named from tho Coptic , Tako , '' to destroy . " The mother of the Cabeiri , would seem to be the " foreign Venus" of Memphis , also mentioned by Herodotus . On other tablets she is called Chiun , from the Coptic , Koun , " shame . " "With the Cabeiri also is the Vulture , named Thmei , Justice , whence the Greeks took the name of

Themis , the Goddess of Justice . The Geographical Society met on the 13 th of February , the chair being taken hy Sir Roderick Impey Murehison , V . P . Several gentlemen were elected felloAi-s of the Society , and T . H . Brooking and E . O . Smith , Esqs ., ou the part of the Council , aud the Rev . Dr . Worthington and T . Lee , Esq ., on the part of the Society ,, were elected auditors for the year . The paper read was , " China : Notes of a Cruise in the Gulf of Pe-che-li

and Leo-tung , in 1 . S 59 , " by Mr . Miekie . The author commences with a description of the country on the coasts of Shan-tuug and Leo-tung , on opposite sides of the Yelloiv Sea , mountainous in character , and in a measure connected by the Maitas chain of islands , ivhich extend , with short intervals , from Leo-tung promontory to Tang-chu-fu . The coast ine of both provinces is high and bold , and , some eight or ten miles inland , beyond the range of hills that form it , fine valleys exist , which ,

after the rains of June and July , are pretty and picturesque . Near Che-fu fresh water is scarce , bufc before the end of June , peas , Indian corn , and millet are sown . The hill sides are cultivated in terraces , and , a fortnight after the rains , look green , and the valleys rich in fertility . Iu Leo-tung the improvement is more striking still . The supply of water iu Shan-tung is tolerably plentiful throughout the year , but iu

Nuchwang , during the dry season , it is precarious . The tow'ii of Nu-chwang s on a mud flat , destitute of fresh water , the river on ivhich it is situated beiug salt for a long distance beyond ifc . Generally the roads are rugged , and adapted only for mules and donkeys . The Chi-le province , near the Peiho , is flat , but where it borders with Leo-tung , near the terminus of the great Avail , the land is elevated ancl sparely wooded . .. The climate during spring and summer is good , the heat never oppressive .

In the gulf the spring is changeable , ancl at times very cold , even in May . The greatest heat is experienced off Peiho in July . In winter the cold is intense , necessitating fires tinder tho beds . The buildings in these parts are substantial , but without ornament ; tho streets clean and compara' tii'ely Aviele . The inhabitants appear strong and hardy , and simple in their habits . Good bread is made iu Yeu-tai , Fu-chu , and Leo-tung , but n Nu-chivaiig of an inferior quality . No foreigner had landed at

Tuiigtu-ku before . At first the natii'es were alarmed and suspicious , but soon became friendly , visiting the ship for provisions . Agriculture and fishing are their chief support , and they keep large flocks of goats , and are decidedly industrious in thoir habits . Yeu-tai is becoming more a place of trade , which is carried on also on the south and west side of the Shantung promontory . There are several riA'ers to the westward of HaichoAi ' , and on one of them , He-tsiu , the greatest coal producing place in

these waters- is situated . The author furnishes a list of the different trading places , and concludes ivith a notice of the weather , navigation , and supply of provisions . The National Portrait Gallery has acquired a very effective portrait of Sir William Hei-sehel , the famous astronomer to George the Third , and father of tho present distinguished Sir John . Ifc is one ofthe best ancl most spirited productions of Abbot , AVIIO is chiefly ICUOAVII as the painter

of Lord Nelson . He is represented in a reddish brow-n coat , ancl poAvdered wig , looking upwards with a someAvhat strained or theatrical expression . The Background is very dark . The painting is free and simple , little beyond sketching on a near view' ; bufc at a little distance it acquires remarkable completeness , and a vividness of character . The picture was found in a house at Bath .

VACATINCJ TIIK CIIAIII . —If a TVoi-slnpful Master who has been regularly installed should be rendered incapable of attending in his place to execute the duties of the office , by cause unavoidable , such an involuntary absence would not disqualify him from enjoying the privileges of iv Past Master on his return ; for his rank is so far permanent . But if he spontaneously resign the office b 3 ' leaving the chair unoccupied before the expiration of his tevm he will forfeit those rights , —Oliver .