by orgies the most revolting, and instead of the modest repast commemorative of the sacrifice of the Paschal Lamb, a hideous banquet was imagined, and atrociously ascribed to the persecuted race, which, according to the perverted notions of religion, could only be completed and rendered acceptable to the Almighty by the addition of blood drawn from Christian veins.

Such frightful cruelty, it was pretended, was perpetrated in conformity with the ancient Jewish law, and the punishment of it was promoted by bishops, who could not but know that in Scripture the children of Israel were most positively enjoined" to eat no manner of blood," yet the blood they were supposed to crave was asserted to be used for making unleavened bread. The commandment, "Thou shalt do no murder," was as binding on the Jew as on the Christian; but it was supposed the minds of those it was the practice of the age to pursue with such detestable rancour were so perverted that the slaughter of a helpless child would not be regarded as murder. Had this been possible, still there were no grounds for charging the Jews with using the blood, even of an animal, for the purpose described; as in the sacred volume the Eternal himself declares, Flesh, with the life therein, which is the blood, shall ye not eat. And surely your blood of your lives will I require; at the hand of every beast will I require it, and at the hand of man-at the hand of every man's brother will I require the life of man. Whoso sheddeth man's blood, by man shall his blood be shed."

Than this nothing could be more conclusive. The only ground on which the oppressor might really suspect the Jew of such malevolence grew out of consciousness that it is in human nature for those who are wantonly tortured and oppressed, to thirst for revenge. In the forcible language of the modern vindicator of his brethren, Mr D. Salomons, "The Israelite, degraded because he was oppressed, and despised because he was degraded, the oppressor thought he would not scruple to commit every possible crime. It would indeed seem," as the same writer ingeniously but fairly argues, as if the turpitude of Judas were alone remembered, while the virtue of the remaining disciples, equally Hebrew with the fallen one, was entirely overlooked."

66

Improbabilities were not for a moment allowed to have any weight, and the senseless and shocking fables which have been described, wild and extravagant as they were, found general belief. The ferocity and cupidity which invented, were not wanting in cunning to make them pass with the credulous for facts, which it would have been madness to deny, and which it was virtue to believe.

THE CONCORDIUM. A LECTURE to young men, on chastity, by Sylvester Graham, of New York, has lately been published. It gives some excellent advice to youth. We must, how ever, decline quoting the reflections, but hasten to a notice appended to it of a new society, "The Concordium," which, it seems, has been established at Ham, in Surrey. Of this little community we are told:

66

"They usually rise early, say from four to half-past five o'clock. Bathing and other personal operations occupy till a quarter-past six, when the bell rings for work of all kinds to commence; and each in their respective department work till a quarter before eight, when they prepare for breakfast. This commences at eight o'clock, and consists generally of Scotch oatmeal-porridge, rice, brown wheaten bread, apples, lettuce, and other green food, such as the garden produces at the time. In winter, figs, dates, or raisins are provided, instead of the variety the summer affords. During the breakfast, one of the members reads aloud a portion of some interesting work selected by themselves. A great variety of subjects are thus brought before the consideration of the members, and considerable information is obtained by them. This practice is also observed during both dinner and supper time.

"At a quarter before nine o'clock each one resumes his or her particular employment. The occupations consist chiefly in printing, shoe-making, clothes making, gardening, baking, washing, and carpentering. These works are generally carried on in small groups of two or three together. By mutual converse during their labours, the time is happily spent, and the tediousness of long monotonous toil obviated. The return of dinner time soon comes round. At a quarter before one, the bell rings to prepare for it; at one o'clock all meet in the dining-room, and partake of a simple repast. This generally consists of rice, or other puddings, potatoes, and other vegetables, as cabbage, beet, parsnips, peas, beans, vegetable marrow, artichokes, apples, pears, &c., according to the season. two o'clock all return to their occupations. Having been refreshed both mentally and physically, they resume their work with ease and pleasure. At half-past four, eight hours' labour has been performed, and then the bell rings to relinquish the physical exertions of the day; and each member joyfully commences another mode of action. He now goes more immediately into the mental sphere; and each one exercises that branch of instruction to which his taste directs him;-some to a class, some to writing, reading, or music. At six o'clock all partake of the third meal, of bread, rice, fruits, and vegetables, with

At

clear spring water, the sole beverage of the society. In the summer, supper is generally followed by a walk or recreation in the garden. At other seasons, most evenings are engaged in some way previously arranged, -as on Monday, dancing and music; Tuesday, classes; Wednesday, family meeting, for the arranging of all the business of the society, reading of correspondence, receiving members, appointing officers or leaders of departments, and all other duties of the members, and general business of the society; Friday, conversation, &c. Sunday is chiefly occupied in receiving visitors, and attending lectures given on the premises.

"The time for retiring to rest is from nine to ten o'clock. All sleep upon mattresses, not a feather bed being in the house, as it is considered that lying on feathers is both enervating and unhealthy. The proof of this may be seen by the unwillingness to rise and the lassitude which is felt by persons who are sunk all night in a bed of feathers or down. The animal moisture which is retained in feathers, even though ever so well dried, becomes offensive and unhealthy by being often slept upon. The odour issuing from a newly-opened bed that has been long used, proves how bad a condition it must be to the healthy development of the human frame. They rise early, that their labours may be performed by the natural light of the sun, rather than the artificial light of the candle. This is better for the eyes and for general health. The bright quiet of the morning, interrupted only by the sweet songsters of nature, is most conducive to thought and good feeling.

"The general aspect of their practice may appear to be restrictive and ascetic; but to those accustomed to simple regimen, it is anything but painful-it is most agreeable, healthy, and pleasant. The initiated of any long standing would not exchange it for any of the old habits of society.

"The general reason for their abstinence from the accustomed dietary, and other modes and usages of the world, is, that no divine law may be transgressed by unnecessary cruelty; that the development of the love and wisdom faculties, in connexion with the Universal Spirit, may be uninterrupted; that the life power may not be expended solely upon the physical organs and the enjoyment of the senses."

REFLECTIONS OF A GERMAN
LIBERAL.

WE Conceal hatred easily, love with more difficulty, indifference with the greatest difficulty of all.

On the stage of the world, destiny is the prompter, who reads the piece in a low

breath, and without emotion, without gesture, without declamation, whether it be a tragedy or a comedy.

Luther knew what he was about when he threw his ink-bottle at the devil's head. There is nothing the devil hates more than ink.

Our times are not favourable to light. We are so constantly snuffing the candles, that people can see nothing.

A constitutional throne is a chair with a back; an absolute throne is a seat without one. If Napoleon had given a charter to France, he would not have fallen from his throne when a vertigo seized him; he would still be Emperor of France.

Moderation, as the word is often used, means something like this-one person wishes for day and another for night; a ministry wishes for a sort of moonlight, to please both parties.

Before the march of a new era, it sends forth men acquainted with its views to procure it accommodations; but instead of receiving these heralds and listening to their counsels, they are denounced as demagogues, seducers, revolutionists, and they are thrown into prison. But Time arrives, with all her suite, and finding nothing prepared, she makes her lodgment as she can, overturning and destroying far more than would otherwise have been required to make room for her.

THE LADRONES AND MALAY

PIRATES.

"O, what an enemy is man to man!"

A SERIES of islands are found on the southern coasts of China which have long been infested with a regularly organized body of freebooters, called the Ladrones. To suppress these the supercilious though feeble government of China made repeated efforts, but in vain. The Chinese mariners displayed their joss lights and sounded their gongs, but even these terrible engines of war did not subdue the Ladrones. They fought desperately; when successful treated their prisoners with great cruelty, and when defeated expected to be dealt with accordingly. To ships that would pay for them they sold passes, which saved them from being molested, but all others were exposed to their attacks. Some of their doings were marked by enormous brutality. If the captured ship made a fierce resistance, they would murder some of the crew and subject the rest to cruel tortures. Europeans and persons of distinction were generally detained for ransom, and often very harshly treated during the negotiation; but when a mandarin junk had the misfortune to fall into their fangs, the crew were mostly inhumanly butchered, being nailed to the deck, beaten almost to death with twisted rattans, and then cut to pieces.

Fierce retaliation was to be expected for such atrocities, but Edmund Scott, in his vengeance, so far lost sight of humanity, that, from what he himself writes, admiration is awakened for the suffering Ladrone pirate, and horror inspired for the civilized European commander. The wretched man he deemed it his duty to punish was caught while perpetrating an act of incendiarism. For this he was doomed to a dreadful death. He says:

"Because of his obstinacy, and that he had set our house on fire, I caused him to be burnt, by means of sharp irons thrust under the nails of his thumbs, fingers, and toes, and the nails to be torn off; and because he never flinched, we thought his hands and feet had been benumbed with tying, wherefore we burnt him in other parts, as the hands, arms, shoulders, and neck, but even this had no effect. We then burnt him quite through the hands, and tore out the flesh and sinews with rasps, causing his shins to be knocked with hot searing irons. I then caused cold iron screws to be screwed into the bones of his arms, and suddenly snatched out, and to break all the bones of his fingers and toes with pincers. Yet, for all this, he never shed a tear, neither once turned his head aside, nor stirred hand or foot; but, when we asked a question, he would put his tongue between his teeth, and strike his chin on his knees to bite it off. After using the utmost extremity of torture in vain, I made him again be laid fast in irons, when the ants, which greatly abound there, got into his wounds and tormented him worse than we had done, as might be seen by his gestures. The king's officers desired me to shoot him to death, which I thought too good a death for such a villain; but as they insisted, we led him out into the fields and made him fast to a stake. The first shot carried away a piece of his arm, bone and all; the next went through his breast near the shoulder, on which he bent down his head and looked at the wound. At the third shot, one of our men used a bullet cut in three pieces, which struck his breast in a triangle, on which he sunk as low as the stake would allow. Finally, between our men and the Hollanders, he was shot almost in pieces."

After this it will not be denied that the palm of fiend-like cruelty was carried by the "gallant officer" who could so write of what he himself had caused to be done. Among the Malays, or at least favoured by the Malay chiefs, was one daring robber, known by the name of Rajah Ragah, who continued a long career of depredation. This fearless monster, in the year 1813, cut off three English vessels, and killed their captains with his own hand, an achievement of which he delighted to

boast; as well as that he had personally slain twenty-five out of upwards of forty commanders of European vessels which fell into his clutches. Such exploits, together with the seas of blood wantonly shed by his myrmidons, gained him favour among the treacherous Malays. The following anecdote of this desperado was given by Mr Dalton, who resided sometime in the Eastern Archipelago, and visited Pergottaha, the grand focus of piracy :

"Two British sloops of war scoured the coast; one of which, I believe the 'Elk,' Captain Reynolds, was attacked during the night by Ragah's prow, who unfortunately was not on board at the time. This particular prow, which Ragah personally commanded, and the loss of which he frequently laments, carried eight guns, and was full of his best men. He had himself landed at Pergottaha a few days previously, and sent off the prow with a favourite panglima (or commander) to pick up any small things which might be seen off Point Salatan. An European vessel was faintly descried about three o'clock one foggy morning; the rain fell in torrents, the time, the weather, were favourable circumstances for a surprise, and the panglima, determined to distinguish himself in the absence of Rajah Ragah, gave directions to close, fire the guns, and board. He was the more confident of success, as the European vessel was observed to keep away out of her course on approaching her. On getting within about a hundred fathoms of the Pariah vessel, as they supposed her to be, they fired their broadside (four guns), gave a loud shout, and with their long oars pulled towards their prey. The sound of a drum beating to quarters no sooner struck the ear of the astonished panglima, than he endeavoured to get away; it was too late,-the ports were opened, and a broadside, accompanied by three British cheers, gave sure indications of their fate. The panglima hailed the English captain, and would fain persuade him that it was a mistake.' It was indeed a mistake, and one not to be rectified by any Malayan explanation. The prow was sunk by repeated broadsides, and the commanding officer refusing to pick up any of the people, they were drowned, with the exception of five, who, after floating four days on some spars, were picked up by a Pergottahan prow, and told the story to Ragah, who swore anew destruction to every European he should henceforward take."

Lady Burdett -This lady, for fifty years the wife of Sir Francis Burdett, died on Friday last. She was the youngest daughter of the late Mr Thomas Coutts, the eminent banker.

THE DESPONDING LOVER TO HIS

HARP.

Imitated from the French of Louis Elizabeth
De Lavergne, Comte de Tressau.

HARP thrilling melancholy, always soft!
My hand dare not thy livelier tones invite
To join those airs the happy lover oft

Sings while exulting in his soul's delight. Those chords which image anguish, groans, and fears,

In gentle murmurings, pensive, faltering, slow,

I listen to while my unbidden tears

Claim them as fit associates of their woe. For ever pining with the self-same thought, That thought, which utterance never may obtain,

I listen eagerly with anguish fraught,
Yet soothed by thy expressive, mournful

strain.

Against Love's darts can I myself defend? She I admire from heaven received the prize

Of matchless beauty! Dare I then pretend To woo the glorious favourite of the skies? Fly far from me, mad, wild, ambitious Hope! In vain thy hand is prodigal of flowers. Keep them for others. Give my thoughts

no scope;

In ceaseless sorrow I would pass my hours.

Silence my lowly destiny commands;

I fly, resigning all but deep regret. "Tis much to suffer thus at Fortune's hands, But all in vain I labour to forget. Hope, radiant Hope! before thy joyous throne

The wretched bow, imploring thee to send Days of felicity they have not known;

Never for me wilt thou to earth descend. The eyes of millions by thy hand divine Are dried, while unabated all my woes. Ah! since thy favours may no more be mine, Let Death afford the aching heart repose.

CURIOSITIES EXTRAORDINARY. SIR W. BRERETON enumerates the follow ing curiosities preserved in the Anatomical Museum at Leyden:

"An Egyptian king, a blackamoor, who is said to have died three thousand years ago, was embalmed and so preserved from putrefying to this day: his name was Pharaoh, brought hither within this thirty years. Here are the skins of men and women tanned: a man's much thicker and stiffer than a woman's. Here the anatomy of a woman executed for murdering her bastard child, and the child anatomized in her arms. Here we numbered the ribs in two anatomies of a man and a woman, and found eleven ribs in a man's side, and twelve ribs in a woman's side. Here is also an Egyptian king's daughter, a blackamoor, embalmed; the jaw of a whale four or five yards long; the teeth of a whale, near half a yard long one of them, twelve in number, the rest every two less than other; a young whale, cut out of his

dam's belly, which lies below in the cellar, eight yards long. Fulminis sagitta, the dart of a thunderbolt, about the length and thickness of your little finger. Here are the anatomies of divers creatures, men, women, and children; bull, horse, stag, water-dog, goat, monkey, ape, baboon, fox, swine, musk-cat, house-cat, which hath fifteen ribs; divers other creatures whose ribs we numbered (as bull, horse, dog) had but twelve; whale had seventeen ribs; greyhound, wolf, bear, swan, eagle, cock, stork, pigeon, the guts and maw of a man thirty-six foot long; head of elephant; two tigers' skins stuffed; an Indian mole stuffed, as big as a cat; turtle shell, two yards every way; crab-fish, with an horn in the forehead about two foot; the body of a West India fowl, phenicoptaras, three yards long, the body almost as great as a swan; short wings, red and black, long legs, long neck, crooked bill, feet like a goose; a cancer, East India, with divers serpents, one great one, three yards a shell like a broad platter on her back; long; a very great Roman urn, wherein they put the dust of their great persons dead, when their bodies are burned; a lamp used [to be] placed by the Romans in the sepulchres, which is said to burn perpetually; the proportion of two crocodiles, one four yards long; caput alces; two Indian canes, nine yards long, half-yard about; many more rarities which I found in my book, and there pricked, and many more there are which are omitted."

A greater curiosity than any of these was found near Amsterdam :

"This woman had twenty-four husbands; six of them drowned, two of them slain. She died about five years ago. She was a man-like woman. Stephen Offwood, our host, hath seen and known the woman; she died in this town. One of her husbands lived with her seven years, and she had divers children. This day, 10 Junii, I walked out of town to the house where she lived, wherein I saw her picture hanged up; her name was Frische Roomer; it is a tapp-house, and herein I drunk a can of beer."

Brutal Folly.-Connected with the belief in witchcraft was the senseless idea that burning alive an animal would release the party suffering from the machinations of a witch or wizard. It may be doubted if the practice has yet wholly ceased, as it was stated within the last ten years (in the Morning Herald,' in December, 1834), that a gentleman being alarmed by the horrible screams of some animal in extreme pain, upon going to the spot, discovered a man roasting, or burning alive, a young pig; declaring that he had reason to believe that the whole litter was bewitched, and that this was the only way of saving the rest.

THE NOBLE HOUSE OF
BLOOMFIELD.

THE noble lord whose heraldic banners appear above is descended from an ancient family in Ireland, maternally from that of Jocelyne, his grandmother, Waller, being sister to Lord Jocelyne. His lordship at an early age entered the artillery, of which he is now colonel. In 1808 he was appointed attendant upon his Royal Highness the Prince of Wales, afterwards George the Fourth, and during the subsequent Regency he filled the offices of Marshal and Chief Equerry to the Prince Regent. In 1815 he received the honour of knighthood, and in 1817, on the resignation of Sir John McMahon, he succeeded that gentleman as Receiver-General of the duchy of Cornwall, and Private Secretary and Keeper of the Privy Purse to the Regent. In September, 1824, he was appointed Minister Plenipotentiary and Envoy Extraordinary to the Court of Sweden, and was elevated to the peerage of Ireland May 14, 1825.

His lordship was born April 13, 1762. He is a Lieutenant-General in the army, and Colonel in command of the Royal Regiment of Artillery, G.C.B. and K G.H. He married, September 7, 1797, Harriet, daughter of Thomas Douglas, of Granthan, in Lincoln, and has issue John Arthur Douglas, born November 12, 1802, and two daughters.

Lord Bloomfield, though more than four score years of age, has continued up to a recent date, if not to the present moment, to attend to his military duties with all the activity and vivacity of a man in the prime of life. On him years have pressed lightly, and it might almost be said that

"Panting Time toiled after him in vain."

THE IRISH CENSUS IN 1841. CAPTAIN LANCOM, under whose direction this census has been made, is charged with having fallen into many serious errors. He has, however, not been indolent. Not content with furnishing the ordinary population tables, he submits accounts or estimates of almost everything comprehended in the land; descending so low that we may almost expect to find a return of the number of spiders and flies inhabiting the Emerald Isle. The women, according to this document, are in number 4,155,548, and the number of matrons eight.

There are 1,380 physicians; and, strange to say, only eight coffin makers.

The ministers of justice are 19,483; those who minister to education, 11,381. There are 8,334,427 head of poultry.

The asses are not forgotten. We find them thus set down :

On this our contemporary. the 'Athenæum,' archly remarks:-"The return is not at all incredible; 90,315 is not an eightieth part of the entire population. We are not sure that a census of English, Welsh, and Scotch asses might not exhibit a larger proportional result. The commissioners, with their usual negligence, have omitted to state the average length of ear; nor have they given us any data to show in what part of Ireland the bray is loudest, or where it is most protracted."