Notes On Literature, Science, And Art.

Prince Albert has founded a military library at Aldershot , for the nse of officers in the camp . The books are of a military character ; being , with maps and plans , calculated for the professional improvement of the officers . It was the opinion of Camden and other writers that the Romans never penetrated into Cornwall . This opinion , however , must now give way . Traces of Roman occupation have been discovered on the north coast of Cornwall , near Padstow , and an inscription , bearing the name of the Emperor Constantius , has been found built into the wall of a church near Penzance .

At a sale of rare coins in London the other day , a penny of Cunohelinus sold for £ 30 10 s . ; a penny of Offa , JS 1 < __ 10 s . ; a penny of Ecgbearht , £ 4 . 12 s . ; a penny of Alfred the Great , £ 9 ; and one of Ceolnoth , Archbishop of Canterbury , £ 13 10 s . A beautiful coin of Panormus reached £ 70 , an ' d a very rare Tetradrachm of Segasta brought £ 71 . The report that the Great Exhibition of 1862 has been put off is entirely without foundation .

The Bury Times says : — " AA ' e are extremely sorry to see a respectable English journal like the Athenamm doing the wicked work of the slaveholder , by denouncing the too truthful pictures of American slave rule given by the gifted and pious Harriet Beecher Stowe , as 'the romantic exaggerations and extravagant misrepresentations of Uncle Tom ' s Cabin . ' Mr . Hepworth Dixon , if we are rightly informed , has sprung by merit to his present

honourable position from the lowly position of a poor lad employed for half-a-crown a-week as scavenger in a Manchester cotton mill . We honour him all the more for this ; it is more honourable to him than to be bred from the loins of kings . But it would be well for men like Mr . Hepworth Dixon now and then to think how different must have been their fate , even in the great

republic of the United States , had they been the property of the planter ; and we really should have given a man of Mr . Dixon's high attainments credit for better judgment than to libel the thrill of horror and holy indignation whicli animated the breasts of the men and women of England when they read , as most of them dill , the pages of Uncle Tom ' s Cabin , as—a ' morbid appetite for

scenes of cruelty . ' The Atlienantm must speak in other tones than this on the great question of slavery , if it wishes to be the exponent of British feeling in tlie days of Queen Victoria . " In the Lectures on the History of the Church cf Scotland , from the Reformation to ihe Devolution Settlement , by the late \ ery Rev . John Lee , D . D ., LL . D ., Principal of the University of Edinburgh published under the editorship of his son , the Rev . AVilliam Lee , we have the following picture of religious persecution -. — - " Dr . Alexander

Leighton , a Scotcn divine , father of the Bishop , having written and published a work entitled An Appeal to the Parliament ; or , Zion ' s Plea ayainsf Prelacy , which contained some strong expressions against the bishops , the canons , and the ceremonies , was tried by the _ Star-Chamber for 'framing a book , so full of most pestilent , devilish , and dangerous assertions , to the scandal ofthe King , Queen , and peers , especially the bishops . ' The words which were particularly charged against him were : * We do not read of greater

perse cution of God ' s people than in this our island , especially since the death of Queen Elizabeth . ' He confessed the words , and said that the thing was too true , by the prelates taking away life and livelihood from many ministers and private men , of whom many were pined to death in prison , and many wandered up and clown , their families being desolate and helpless ; that , besides this , the blood of souls had been endangered by the removal of the faithful shepherds from the flockThe court unanimousl

. y decreed that the Doctor should be ' committed to the Fleet Prison for life , and pay a fine of £ 10 , 000 to the King ' s use ; that the High Commission should degrade him from his ministry ; that he should then be brought to the pillory at AVestminster , while the court was sitting , and be whipped ; that , after his whipping , he should be set on the pillory a convenient timeand have one of his ears cut one side of his

, , nose slit , and be branded in the face with the letters S . S ., signifying Sower of Sedition ; that then he should be carried hack to prison " and after a few days be carried to the pillory in Cheapside on a market-day , and be there likewise whipped , and have the other side of his nose split , and his other ear cut oil ; and then he shut up in prison for the remainder of his life , unless his Majesty be graciously

Notes On Literature, Science, And Art.

pleased to enlarge him . ' While this unjust and unmerciful sentence was being pronounced , Bishop Laud , throwing himself into a devout attitude , aud pulling off his cap , gave thanks to God for his righteous judgments . No part of the crusl doom was remitted . That it was rigidly executed we learn indeed from * the Bishop's own journal , in which he has inserted a minute and circumstantial account of the whole transaction , as if he had delighted to dwell on the contemplation of a fellow-creature ' s sufferings . "

Mr . AV . H . Marshall , in his Four Tears in Burmah , thus describes a Burmese wrestling match which he saw at Rangoon , during the time he was editing the Rangoon Chronicle : — " Ivo-Phoo and the negro entered the arena first , and commenced operations . The preliminary manoeuvres between tlie opponents were exceedingly amusing . It appeals to me that Sambo did not exactly comprehend the kind of warfare in which he was to engage , for he commenced

sparring out after the most approved fashion , as if he were expected to take part in a pugilistic encounter . The Barman kept about him at a little distance , dodging round with a peculiar kind of hop , with his body slightly bent towards his antagonist , and thrusting out his hand and drawing it back again with a motion as if he wanted to touch the other's flesh , bat durst not for fear of getting burnt . Sometimes he would , with amazing quickness , thrust his face pretty closely within the other ' s reach , when the negro would

make a hit straight out , but would bo sure to miss his object , amidst screams of laughter from the spectators . Amusing as this sort of fun was , we were beginning to think it monotonous , when the Burman made a quick and sudden motion , seized Sambo near the hip with one hand , and with a manceuvre executed with such suddenness and dexterity as to be unobservable to any but the most attentive spectator , threw him over his head , and brought him flat on his back upon the sawdust . This was evidently a different sort of

thing from what Sambo had bargained for . He arose before the plaudits announcing Ko-Phoo's victory had ceased , and resolutely sparred out again . He made a blow at the champion , which that individual luckily contrived to avoid , or he would probably have been hurt , and ' followed up the attack vigorously . ICo-Phoo , however , watched his opportunity , ancl repeated the achievement , this time flinging Sambo with such force upon the ground that he was glad to retire from the arenaleaving Ivo-Phoo to his prize of

, silk and muslin . The artilleryman came next . He was a tall , stout , muscular Irishman , and apparently a scientific wrestler ; but he , too , turned out no match for Ko-Phoo . He was , however , to do him justice , a far more formidable opponent fo the Burman than was the negro , ancl Ko-Phoo seemed to appreciate the fact . He was unequal to the Burmau in skill , notwithstanding , and he also had to endure the mortification of defeat . "

Correspondence.

CORRESPONDENCE .

[ THE EDITOR does not hold himself responsible for any opinion entertained by Correspondents . " ] THE EOYAL AECH DEGREE . TO THB EDIIOI- 01 ' THE _ . 1 U __ : __ AS 0 ; . S _ . _ AG . IZI _ . E AXD MASONIC MII-ROn . DEAB . SIR AND BKOTIIEE , —In reply to your correspondent ,

" One who esteems the Hol y Eoyal Arch Degree , " page 67 , January 26 , 1861 , of your invaluable Magazine , I beg to state that the province of North and East Yorkshire has a flourishing Provincial Grand Chapter , of ivhich our highly esteemed and M . E . Comp . George Marwood is Superintendent . That most expert and able companion formed a Provincial Grand Chapter at Yorkin April , 1859 , and

in-, stalled his Prov . G . Officers there for the current year . In 1860 , the Provincial Chapter was held at Hull , in the Humber Chapter House ( 65 ) . I can most cordially bear my testimony to the value of our Prov . G . Chapter , as by its means , and through the untiring self-denying zeal and liberality of Comp . Marwood , cur chapters in this province are much revived and encouraged . I trust that thc

example thus exhibited will induce other provinces to folloiv in our steps , being satisfied that one great means of strengthening and extending the knowledge of the most hol y rite would be the establishing throughout the empire of Prov . G . Chapters , thus giving an impetus to that degree , ivhich every true companion should feel to be the choicest part of our Ancient and Accepted Order .

Should any of your correspondents wish for further information , I shall he glad to stive them all in my power . JOHN COATSTTOETH , Past Prov . G . D . C , N . and E . Yorkshire , and S . E . Humber , 65 . Hull , 2 nd February , 1861 .