Public Amusements.

being bent upon " making the best of a bad bargain " m the shape of a lvet day . The trains commenced running early , and those Avho were fortunate enough to get to the stations had a comfortable ride down , for , as a matter of course , there Avas less crowding than on ordinary occasions . That many visitors remained behind , halting between two opinions as long as they could Avithout

sacrificing the day , is shown by the fact that at half-past tAVO o ' clock less than 26 , 000 had been admitted into the Palace . During the entire day there Avere special trains " from London Bridge and Victoria ; and many of the visitors also were carried over the London , Chatham , and Dover line , from Blackfriars and intermediate stations , to the new high-level station . The unfavourable

weather , by which out-door recreations were so much affected , and the proscribed programme so greatly marred , caused the visitors to fall back to a great extent upon their own resources of enjoyment when they got to the Palace . The first thing done Avas to refresh the inner man , with a view to Avhich innumerable pic-nic parties were formedmore especiallin the railway wing

, y and machinery department . This important part of the proceedings over , the picnics turned into dancing parties , music being plentiful , and the devotees of Terpischore danced away right merrily . Other harmless sources of amusement and merriment were not lacking ; there Avere performances by the excellent band of the Palace , that of the Duke of York ' s school , the D and S divisions of

Metropolitan Police , London Irish Rifles , and others . The customary attractions Avere to a great extent neglected , the various courts having but few visitors , excepting some small parties Avho irreverently made convenient " feeding places' ' of them . The people , indeed , seemed most to enjoy the massing themselves together , and amusing themselves after their OAVII fashion . In the

afternoon , fortunately , the Avot cleared up a little , and then the visitors flocked to the grounds , Avct and muddy as they _ were ; and dancing aud kiss-in-the-ring Avere joined in quite furiously ; whilst the merry-go-rounds , invigorators , and swings found hosts of eager patrons . The " procession in the grounds , " a great feature generally , Avas put a stop to by the weather , and all tho

regalia Avhich could be gathered together could not compensate-for the lack of sunshine . A . considerable number of the members of the Order Avere bold enough to go in full costume , but the green velvet tunics , lace collars , buff boots , and nodding plumes looked far loss picturesque and much more out of place than usual . The whole of the proceedings passed off in as orderly

and satisfactory a manner as could , under the adverse circumstances , be expected . The official returns give 46 , 045 as the gross total of visitors , a few hundreds less than the preceding year , when 46 , 727 attended . Two years ago , when the Aveather was fine , there AYere 71 , 669 ; and in 1862 the number present was 83 , 000 . Foresters' tickets not used on Tuesday will be available on Monday , 28 th insfc .

Literary Extracts.

LITERARY EXTRACTS .

The Black Death . —The Black Death , like many other plagues of its class , can be traced far back into the remote East ; and there is no doubt but that id Avas the same disease Avhich ravaged China and Tartary in 1333 , 15 years before it arrived on the shores of Europe . There had been a great famine in Chinapreceded by

, floods aud earthquakes , which alone destroyed 400 , 000 persons , and in the following year no feAver than 5 , 000 , 000 died there of this plague . From the remote East it made its AA'ay into Europe some years later , for pestilence often travels slowly , accompanying the migrations

Literary Extracts.

of men , and being carried about in their clothing and merchandise . It did not arrive in Europe until 1347 , 15 years after its outbreak in China . " From China , " says Hecker , " the routes of tho caravans lay to the north of the Caspian Sea , through Central Asia , to Tauris . Here ships Avere ready to take tho produce of the East to

Constantinople , the capital of commerce , and the medium of communication between Asia , Europe , and . Africa . " Contagion made its Avay along these channels , and Constantinople and the seaports of Asia Minor were the foci whence the disease was carried to every country of Europe . Making its v » uy across the European continent , it committed its greatest —saveperhapsiu

ravages , , England—in Italy ; raging terribly at Florence , Avhere it Avas observed and described by the poet Boccaccio . Passing along the shores of tho Mediterranean , it invaded France by Avay of Avignon , spreading thence to England on the one hand , and to Germany on the other ; Avheuce , like the cholera of the present day , it doubled back two years later , to Russia , and so back to the East . The

Black Death , so called from tho rapid putrefaction of the bodies of its victims , was of the same nature as the Oriental plague , viz , a putrid typhus , only of greater malignity . The boils and buboes of the latter disease Avere found in the former Avhenover the patient lived long enough to permit their development . The inhabitants of Europe at that time have been computed at 105 millions—a high estimate . Of these 25 millions , or

one-fourth of the Avhole , perished . In England it was still more fatal , OAving probably to the ruder habits of the people . During the term of one year—viz ., from August , 1348 , to " August , 1349 , three-fourths of the whole population perished . Indeed , if we are to credit the annalists of the period , not more than one-tenth escaped . Many succumbed in a few hours , like Senna-¦

cherib ' s host ; none endured for three days . In Franco numbers died on the spot Avhere they were first smitten , as if struck by lightning ! This terrible scourge , having sAvepfc over the then known Avorld , committing such destruction of life , and leaving behind it such misery and poverty as the world never saw before nor sinceat length died outnever again Ave trustto revisit

, ; , the earth . It spared neither age , sex nor condition : the rich and the poor alike succumbed . Their died in Venice the aristocratic , no less than 100 , 000 persons , in Florence the refined , 60 , 000 ; in Paris the gay , 50 , 000 ; and in London tho wealthy , 100 , 000 ; whilst in busy , rich , industrious Norwich , there died the almost incredible number of 50000 —nearlthe wholeone

, persons y , would suppose , of its inhabitants ! At Avignon , the deaths occurred Avith such frightful rapidity as wholly to baffle the attempts of the living to inter their friends and relatives ; and the Pope was obliged to consecrate the Rhone to allow of the dead bodies finding a hallowed resting place upon its bosom , until it finally committed them to the great deep . ' —Gomliill .

The Week.

THE WEEK .

THE COURT . —Duke Ernest of AVurtemburg ( her Majesty ' s cousin ) , visited the Queen on Saturday last . The Duchess of Saxe Cobui-g dined with her Majesty in the evening-. Her Majesty , their lloyal Highnesses Princess Helena and Princess Louise , attended divine service on Sunday morning . The General Superintendent Meyer performed the service . Prince Alfred ,

who had gone to Beinhardtsbrunn for a few days with the Dnke of Coburg , returned on Sunday morning and visited her Majesty in the afternoon . GENERAL HOJIE NEWS . —There has been a marked and gratifying decrease in the mortality of the country during the last week , particularly in the metropolis . The deaths regis-