marble statue when he's dead, and the live blood has descended to his grandsons. While we are awake we may as well keep our eyes open. Neither do I see the good of slowly fretting oneself into the spleen. Excuse my freedom, Antonio, but we are old friends, and so I must speak out. There are certain fellows in the world over whose faces a kind of scum has settled, who are pleased to keep a dull stagnant countenance, that they may pass (save the mark) for deep thinkers, sage and solid men, whose look says to you, 'Now be muzzled; I'm going to speak.' O yes, I could point you to not a few, whose famous wisdom is after all only a great gift of silence. However, it may be safer for us that they shouldn't talk, as long at least as there's the penalty written up against calling one's brother a fool. I'll exhort you again over this matter. However, take that dismal-looking bait off your hook. Popularity is a stupid fish, not worth the catching. But you and I, Lorenzo, must leave these gentlemen, and look after our dinner. I've a great deal more to say, but I never can talk fasting.

The Fool.]-Of course the professional Fool, or Jester. It may be worth noticing that the word 'Clown' occurring amongst the Dramatis Personæ to Shakespeare's plays, does not mean necessarily a Jester, though the professional Fools in As you like it and Twelfth Night are there called Clowns, but is a general designation of the one who made the fun in the piece, or, to use the modern phrase, 'did the low-comedy business.' For instance, Launcelot is in this play called a Clown.

Mortifying.]-Killing. Would excite the mortified man.' Macb. V. 2. 'His wildness, mortified in him, seemed to die too.' Hen. V., I. 1. Cream and mantle.]-Cream refers to the scum, and mantle probably to the covering of duck-weed on a standing pool.

Conceit.]-In Shakespeare the word means thought, conception.

"Using conceit alone." K. John, III., 3. "You have a noble and a true conceit of god-like amity. Merchant of Venice, III., 4. A more swelling port.]-Carriage. "The magnificoes of greatest port." Merchant of Venice, III., 2.

That self way.]-Self is an adjective meaning same. "That self bill." Henry V., I., 1. Self-same is therefore a redundant expression. Himself is a right formation. Meself grew myself by corruption, and ourselves was formed on the corrupted model.

I am prest unto it.]—Prest means ready, formed on the French prêt. Colchos strand.]-Whither Jason and the Argonauts went to fetch the golden fleece. Shakespeare generally tells us something of the personal features of his heroines.

Presages me such thrift.]-Foretells that I shall thrive.

Nor commodity to raise a present sum.-The opportunity of getting ready money. Shakespeare uses commodity in a sense close to its Latin original. Here it means convenience or fitting condition of circumstance. Further on, Act III., Scene 2, it may mean advantageous position, though it is generally in this passage interpreted trade. In the famous apostrophe to "smooth-faced commodity," in King John, II., 2, it means self-interest or advantage. Presently.]-Immediately, at once; its usual meaning in Shakespeare. SCENE II.-Superfluity comes sooner by white hairs, &c.]—This is probably an allusion to the proverb, "Old young, old long," and may mean superfluity is old younger, but competence is old. longer,

Such a hare is madness, the youth, &c.]-Presupposes probably some such proverb as "It's no use setting a cripple to catch a hare." County Palatine.]-County means Count, as in 'O County Guy, the hour is nigh.' A Palatine Count was one who had the power to administer justice in his province, and therefore had in his house a Palatium or Court of Justice. The King's residence is called a Palace, from its having been anciently a court of law. The law courts in Paris are called the Palais de Justice.

How say you by the French Lord.]-The preposition by formerly had amongst others the meaning of with respect to. So 'I know nothing by myself,' means I am not conscious of anything with respect to (against) myself.

A proper Man's Picture.]-The picture of a handsome man: an usual meaning of proper in Shakespeare.

Suited.]-Dressed, or fitted out with a suit. So went he suited to his watery tomb.' Twelfth Night, v. 1.

Sealed under for another.]-For another name: in other words, he backed the bill; made it a joint promissory note. This, of course, alludes to the many alliances of France with Scotland against England, and the attitude of the two countries towards her in the reign of Elizabeth.

As old as Sibylla.]-There were many Sibyls, of whom the prophetess of Cumœe was the most famous. She gained from Apollo the request of as many years of life as there were grains in a handful of sand she took up; but forgot to ask for perpetual youth. Ducats.]-First coined, it is said, at Venice with this inscription,

'Sit tibi, Christe, datus, quem tu regis, iste Ducatus.' Let that Duchy over which thou art king be given to thee, O Christ: whence the name. The silver Ducat was worth four, the golden eight shillings.

The Rialto. This was the name of the island on which the Exchange stood, the name being contracted from Isola del Rivo alto, the island of the deep stream. The name is now given to the bridge which connects this island with the opposite side of the Grand Canal.

Squandered.]-Scattered, without the sense, which it now includes, of wastefulness.

If I can catch him upon the hip.]—A phrase of the wrestling ground. Compromised.]-Mutually bound.

Pilled me certain wands.-Pilled and peeled are merely two forms of the same word. The idea of stripping being allied to that of plundering, To pill often means to rob.

Me is an instance of what is called the ethical dative, like 'Knock me at the door.' Taming of the Shrew, I. 2. 'The Hotspur of the North, he that kills me some six or seven dozen of Scots at a breakfast.' Hen. IV. Part 1, II. 4.

Rheum ]-Moisture. It here means spittle, but oftener means tears. 'Why holds thine eye that lamentable rheum?' King John III. 1. 'The north-east wind awaked the sleepy rheum.' Rich. II., I. 4.

Notices of Books.

The Commercial Correspondent. Murby, Fleet Street, London.-This is a new edition of Mr. Bayly's Manual for the use of Schools and the junior employés in the counting house. Its object is 'to familiarise young persons with the art of Mercantile Correspondence, in order to fit them for the efficient discharge of the

duties of the counting house.' It consists of three series, arranged progressively. Series I. relates to simple every-day transactions which would be easily understood by young boys. We think it a pity that this is not to be had separately, for use in schools. Series II. and Series III. contain examples of letters, documents, &c., relating to shipping orders, consignments, bill discounting, and the sale of stocks and shares. This part contains much that would be unintelligible, we should suppose, to even the highest boys in an ordinary commercial school; and which would, therefore, obviously be dead weight in a school book intended for average classes. The entire book, however, (which, after all is a small one,) would be undoubtedly a serviceable Manual for a young clerk to possess: and he would often be able, by consulting it, to steer his own course carefully, and avoid being a bore to the clerks above him by referring to them at every point for minute information.

The Sixpenny Geography. Marshall & Laurie.-This is one of the 'National Standard Course' of school books, edited by Mr. J. S. Laurie, formerly H.M. Inspector of Schools. It is exceedingly cheap, containing 32 pages on the British Empire, the same number on Europe, and the same number on Asia, Africa, America, and Oceania together. The type is clear but rather small. The information is accurate, and is brought down to the year 1867.

Bilton's Poetical Reader. Longman, London.-This is Book V. of a 'Class and Standard Series,' and meets the requirements of the Revised Code for Standard V. It contains interesting passages, and is generally well adapted to its purpose.

6

An Analysis of Whately's Lessons on Christian Evidences. Longmans.-The Analyser speaks in his preface of a practical feeling of the want of such a manual.' By whom? we would respectfully ask. As the late Archbishop's short and per fectly clear Manual of Evidence is a subject prescribed for the Cambridge Local Examination, perhaps this practical feeling exists among the boys. If so it should surely not be encouraged; but they should rather, we should say, be instructed to draw up their own analysis under their master's guidance. If the master himself wants guidance in such a simple work, his proper course is to go to school again.

The Playhour. Thomas Laurie, Edinburgh.-This is a child's periodical. Its price is 3d., which perhaps might be saved out of a month's pocket-money, if there was no pastry-cook's in the neighbourhood. It is very well printed, and contains matter that would interest intelligent children,-a song to be played for them by their elder sister, a fairy story to be read quietly in a corner, a little poetry which they will skip unless bribed to learn it by heart,a little biography and narrative of stirring incident which they will read and talk about, and a few riddles with which they will puzzle Papa.

The Wakefield Spelling-book: Parts III. and IV. Longmans.-As the first and second parts were adapted to the use of junior classes, so these are 'designed for more advanced classes and for pupil teachers.' The compiler, in his introductory chapter, observes that 'on examining the English language, the first impression is that its orthography is too irregular to allow of its being reduced to system or rule, that good spelling must be the result of practice, memory, or eyesight,— that we must spell words as we have seen them spelled in books, and that it is a hopeless task to attempt to frame laws for spelling correctly unknown English words. Many a hopeless task will, no doubt, yield to steady courage and industry. The author has faced the attempt to frame such laws, and has succeeded. But when we come to look at the result of his labour, we find that his Rules for spelling Occupy more than 50 pages, and bristle with exceptions and modifications. Why,

a new language might almost be mastered in the time it would take to learn the science (we must really stop and beg the pardon of the other sciences for introducing into their society such a questionable associate) of English spelling. Good spelling undoubtedly does come-whether there is a science of English spelling or not, on which question we vote certainly with the 'Noes'-from practice, memory, eyesight. There are really but very few people, of those who read at all, who do not spell correctly; and, if we may speak from our own experience, those few who are readers and yet spell badly are people who possess far too little energy of mind to be able to master Mr. Robinson's rules. Part IV., containing Dictation Lessons for Practice, on words most likely to be confounded, will prove useful to many; to those, for instance, who are preparing boys for posts in our Civil Service. An appendix contains a number of tables more curious than useful. Is there any mortal to whom it is either useful or interesting to know that there are, in 100 sounds, 24.93 short vowels in St. John's Gospel, 26.28 in Rasselas, and 27.23 in Macaulay's Essay on Johnson, and 26.15 in an average of the three authors. Are we right in the conclusion that our vowels are gradually shortening, and that in the course of a few centuries we shall have no long vowels? Again, does anyone, when he sees a quotation from a foreign language in an English newspaper, want to know from what language it is taken? It is merely necessary to consult a table. The whole question is purely statistical. Count the vowel endings, and the consonant endings in any thirty-three words, look at the table, and you may boldly pronounce what language you have hold of. We much regret, however, to state that the tables are calculated for seven languages only. Think of the awful consequence to which the use of such imperfect tables might conduct one who fondly trusted in them. He might say confidently that Dutch was Spanish! And oh! the despair of finding that the quotation contained only thirty-two words!

Register of the Month.

The University of Cambridge and the Scholastic Registration
Association.

We understand that the Council of the Senate of the University of Cambridge, having had under their consideration a Memorial from the Scholastic Registration Association relating to the examination of instructors, will be prepared to offer a grace to the Senate, in the Michaelmas term, to appoint a syndicate to consider the subject of such Memorial, and to report to the Senate thereupon.

The Association anxious to encourage the study of the Theory and Practice of Education,' and to secure means whereby the public may be better able to distinguish qualified from unqualified educators, has memorialized the universities of Great Britain and Ireland to institute special and professional examinations for Schoolmasters, in compliance with the suggestions contained in the Report of the Schools Inquiry Commissioners, and to grant to the successful candidates the title of 'Licentiate in Education.'