Notes On .Literature-. Science And Art.

North was more inspired , wed , moulded , than the South by Oriental elements . Onward from the vast Asiatic centres deluge after deluge of the barbarians had rushed . They brought with them whatsoever . Asia had that was wild , fantastic , colossal , incredible . By the Romanic nations , on the contrary , the mitigating empire of Greece had been always felt : on them the beautiful image of Greece had always shone . It is common to speak of the Crusades as the conflict and commingling of the East and the West . Butin truth

, , they were the on rush of one kind of Orientalism on another . What startling , what monstrous shapes that which had sprung from -the flames of the East took in the mists of the North , ere seeking , on the plains of Palestine , a path back to its birthplace—but seeking in vain ! The sublimest poem the Middle Ages produced —the only poem in which symmetry was not sacrificed , the Cathedral—was an Oriental poem . It may not he so completely

wrong as some recent writers maintain to call a certain style of . architecture Gothic , inasmuch as the Goths were the most gifted , valiant , cultivated of the Germanic tribes , with a language much more melodious than Modern German . At first sight it seems difficult to discover why the Cathedral was so perfect , yet literature in the Middle Ages so imperfect . But all through the Middle Ages , -especially among the northern nations , literature was a subordinate agency . As in Egypt and as in India the heart of mankind had

only one sublime voice—architecture . The dwellers in cloisters wrote bad Latin , and the multitude had songs and legends . Apart , however , ft om the monkish chronicle , apart from legend and song , there were things striving to harmonise with the architectural grandeurs . There was mysticism and there were the various epical cycles . Now both the mysticism and those epical cycles were as Oriental as the Cathedral itself . "

Dr . Gumming has two new books in the press ; one entitled Headings on the Prophet Isaiah , and the other the Millenial Rest . Mr . Hepworth Dixon seems determined to champion the character of the great Lord Bacon , and , having obtained fresh materials , is busy with The Story of Lord Bacon's Life . Mr . Francis M . Wyndham , in his Wild Life on the Fields of

Norway , gives a pleasing description of Norwegian hospitality : — "According to the invariable custom in Norway , at about six next morning a servant brought coffee and biscuits , reminding me of the similar habit prevailing in some parts of Germany . But this did not preclude an excellent breakfast , at nine o'clock , consisting of cold meat cut in slices , tea , coffee , withflad and Icage-brod in plenty ; whileon a plate under a bell-glass were laced a few ieces of the

, p p strong smelling , gammel ost , or old cheese . In Norwegian houses , the kitchen invariably adjoins the dining-room ; and considering that the tea and coffee always remain in the kitchen , it is certainly a convenient plan for the lady of the house , who there filling the cups brings them into the dining-room , taking them back herself to he replenished when wanted . Our new acquaintances were extremely sociableand the breakfast passed off most leasantl" And

, p y . again : — "At about two o ' clock the lady of the house announced dinner by saving , 'Vocr so god—spise' ( Be so good as to come to dinner ); upon which the guests entered the dining room indiscriminately , —the ladies by themselves , and the gentlemen following . At a large dinner party , where some degree of formality is observed

, tne wine is passed round tlie table , and each person fills Ins glass ; every one then bows and drinks to the health of every one else , emptying his glass at one draught , —the neglect of which is considered as a want of respect to the master of the house , and of courtesy to the company in general : but after the first glass , wine is drank at pleasure . This ceremony concluded , the dishes are passed round the table from one person to another ; and soup and meat being removed from the tableare generall laced ban

, y rep y excellent pudding , the making of which appears to be well understood by the Norwegian ladies , and by a large dish of fruit , eaten in soup plates , with an abundance of milk . In this high latitude the profusion of raspberries , the fruit thus served up , much astonished me , till I found in what abundance they grew wild . As each person concludes his dinner , he carefully folds up his napkin , and laying it on the table , places his plate upon it . Every one having

so done , the wine is again passed round the table , and , the glasses being all replenished , the same ceremony which preceded the dinner is observed in conclusion . The move for departure from table is now made by one of the guests , a gentleman , who , bowing to the host , says Tak for Maden' ( Thanks for the food ); and the whole party then rises , and each person replaces his chair against the wall—an accomplishment requiring some little practice before one cannot only perform it quickly but also avoid making a great creaking upon the polished floors . A general shaking of the hands immediately follows , each person saying as he does so 'Tak for Maden . ' All the company then proceed to the drawing-room , with

the exception of the lady of the house , who ' revnains in the dini room to see the dinner removed . Coffee then follows , and in the evening , at about nine o' clock , an excellent supper—much like t breakfast , though more substantial . " The first two volumes of Dr . Smiles' Lives of Engineers , with an account of' theirPrincVpal Works , and a History of Inland

Communication in Britain , are just ready . A small manual of reference to the alphabets of ancient and modern languages , based on the German compilation of F . Ballhorn , is in the press , under the title of Grammatography . Could'nt the compiler have added another syllable or two ? Some folks are fond of hard names .

The Ven . Walter B . Mant , Archdeacon of Down , has published a volume entitled Ohristopheros , and other Poems . In " A Ballad of Grecian History , " the Archdeacon gives us bis version of the Battle of Salamis : —• " Arise ! ye sons of Greece , arise j And free your fatherland ;

And save your children and your wives ; The foe is on your strand ! " Strike for the Temples of your Gods , And free their altar-fires ; The tombs of heroes famed of yore , The ashes of your sires ! " Ye now must strike for all ye love

, The foe is on your strand : Arise ye sons of Greece , arise ! And save your fatherland ;" So ruug the inspiring sounds that roused The Grecians , few , but brave , When Persia's thousand galleys lay Proud threatening on the wave .

Those thousand galleys lay display'd Before their Monarch ' s throne , And countless armies stood around ; And all that Monarch ' s own ! The sun arose on Salamis , And fell across the bay

On banner , turban , bow and shield , The Persian's rich array ; Behind , on heim and spear it glanced , On mail-clad warriors shone ; And few , but firm , in close array . The Grecian fleet came on .

The Invaders deem'd that unprepared , Secure they held their prize ; They heard , appall'd , the patriot shout , — " Ye sons of Greece , arise !" The sun , before he set that night , Look'd down upon the bay . And Persian wrecks and Persian dead

Beneath him scatter'd lay ; And Xerxes' golden throne was gone , His hosts had left the strand ; The free-born sons of Greece had risen . And saved their fatherland ! MrHaihin his recent book on the Saxons —" Instead of

. g , , says .. regarding phonetic writing as the property of any race in particular , we must rather believe thatdifferent races received it at the same time nearly , from the one primitive source . Symbolic writing was the first stage of the art , the next was attaching a phonetic value to the symbols . This Josephus , relying on ancient tradition , believed was invented by Seth , and practised before the Floodand certainlthe title and contentsof the fifth chapter of

; y ^ Genesis seem to indicate that there were written records in that age . Enoch also was the author of a book of prophecies , cited by St . Jude , Clement of Alexandria , Tertullian , and Origen , Berosus says that in the days of Alorus , King of Babylonia before the Flood , an intelligent being , named Oannes , taught the people of that country the use of letters , and wrote a book on the origin of things ; and speaks of antediluvian records hidden in the city of Zippara ; so