sails of the boats, and the dancing figures on their decks; while the same effect is produced in the wooded shade of the shore, by the gipsylike fire, burning low beneath the branches. His "Evening in the Rosy Time of the Year" is a charming English landscape, in an artificial atmosphere of red light.

But while on this subject of high colouring, let us turn to Millais' wondrously-painted "Rescue." A fireman (one of those real heroes, who hazard life and limb for the preservation of the property and lives of others) is descending the stairs of a burning house, with three children whom he has rescued; while the mother, prostrate at the foot, is looking up her gratitude and joy. The subject is full of power and originality. The calm, brave face of the man looks a portrait. We have seen just such self-reliant, intrepid faces beneath the helmets of this fine corps. But the reflection of the burning stairs seems to scorch us while we gaze; real living fire appears to radiate from the vanvass. But, effective as is the crimson glare on the fireman's helmet and the boy's night-dress, we question if it is not too vivid on the flesh: the boy's legs look as if they were encased in a cardinal's red stockings and we object to the awkward terror of the children, and the long-drawn drapery, and attenuated form of the mother.

The other wonder of the Exhibition, is Mr. F. Leighton's "Procession of Cimabue," the property of her Majesty. A strange-looking picture, the back-ground of which is a cold grey wall, beside which extends the procession. The canvass is a large one. The laurel-crowned painter, clad in white, walks before the bannerlike painting of the Madonna, which is being

carried, with the sprinkling of flowers, and sounds of music and singing, to the church, which it is intended to adorn. The figures are numerous; the combinations of colour good; but we observe a certain stiffness and angularity in the draperies, and a repetition of the same face, in the group of priests beneath the open window. The children are charmingly painted; and so are the flowers at their feet: while the tops of the trees, that show above the wall, are very coarsely executed. There is a fascination in the picture, a grandeur in the composition, and stately freedom from turmoil and crowd. The whole seems to move before us, with a calm solemnity, religious rather than triumphant. But let us turn from this quaint old world story to the reality of Stanfield's "Dutch Boats entering the Zuyder Zee." Well we remember those short, yellow seas, and the pilots' legends of the drowned lands beneath them.

"Squally Weather," by W. A. Knell, ist another nice bit of marine painting. Nor must we (for all our space is exhausted), overlook "A North Sea Breeze, on the Dutch Coast," by E. W. Cooke, full of genius and vigour : the wild sky, and vexed sea; the broken spume, foaming on the shore; the reflection of the lurid light upon the shallows; the picturesque form of the Dutch craft, with her coloured sails, locking like autumn leaves, and the hardy figures of the scheveling fishermen, who are endeavouring to haul the "Pinck" out of the surf, make up a charming picture; and fully bears out the promise exhibited in this artist's Zuyder Zee botter" of last season.

SPRING FASHIONS.

A gown in taffetas of La Vallière grey, with three flounces illustrés with deep dents of sky-blue gauze ribbon. Between each dent is a bouclette of ribbon with falling ends. Mantelet Parisien, high, formed of wide ruches of gauze ribbon, bordered with velvet pois, in rows one over the other, on the foundation of the mantelet, and two flounces each edged with a similar ruche of gauze ribbon Straw-coloured gloves. Collar and sleeves in fine embroidery. Bonnet of sky-blue crape: a liséré of sky-blue taffetas, and bunches of white and skyblue feathers; in the inside two roses almost hidden in blonde at one side. Blue strings.

A gown of violet taffetas, buttoned up to the throat with large amethyst buttons of a rounded form. Mantelet formed of entre-deux of guipure, and bands of black velvet, terminating by a fringe

with a guipure heading. A bonnet of fancy straw, with poppies and corn on one side, coming over near the face; on the other side a bow of ribbon the colour of the poppies. Strings of straw-coloured taffetas ribbon. A parasol of white moire antique, with a border of roses round the edge. Straw-coloured gloves.

A gown of spring-green taffetas, with bayadères Collar and sleeves in bands of emerald green. English point, and under-sleeves of puffings of tulle illusion. A marron mantelet, with two deep, flounces, decorated with a full ruche of gauze ribbon with satin stripes. Bonnet of white taffetas perlé, with a knot of blonde and taffetas on the top of the bonnet, and branches of flowers falling down at each side. Swedish gloves of apricot colour.

One of the latest fashions in articles of lingerie, is that of introducing velvet with tulle, in sleeves. It

A great many spotted muslin corsages are only waiting for some warm weather to make their ap. pearance. They are almost all made with bretelles.

SCIENCE AND RELIGION.-We are far indeed from delighting in the tendency of some authors on natural sciences to drag-in religious views at every turn, thus secularising things sacred in the attempt to sanctify things profane. We avow our belief that the province of natural theology is confined within narrow and very definite limits, although within these limits it exercises a just and incontestable jurisdiction; but we delight not in the pedantry of converting treatises of science into doctrinal compilations. There is, however, an opposite pedantry as worthy of condemnation. We conceive it to be impossible for any well-constituted mind to contemplate the sum and totality of creation, to generalize its principles, to mark the curious relations of its parts, and especially the subtle chain of connection and unity between beings and events apparently the most remote in space, time, and constitution, without referring more or less to the doctrines of final causes, and to the design of a superintending Providence. We call it the highest pedantry of intellect to put to silence suggestions which arise spontaneously in every mind, whether cultivated or not, when engaged in such contempla

tions.

EXCLUSIVENESS.-The man who spends his life within the limits of his own parish, cr county, or even within the confines of his native land, must necessarily have restricted and erroneous views of all that lies beyond. The local seclusion in which he has lived, by circumscribing the field of personal observation, and restricting his immediate knowledge to few and simple objects, inevitably narrows the range of his general intelligence; and all the vast world of being, action, and science that lies without the borders of his contracted circle is to bim a region of vague mystery, if not of falsehood and delusion. Of all that language can teach him he is able to interpret, with some approximation to truth, the small portion only which happens to correspond with the ideal types in his mind. To the meaning of the rest he has no key, and no test for either its truth or falsehood. Within the scope of his immediate intelligence he may be clear-headed, prudent, and perspicuous; beyond it, he is a child, simple, uninquiring, and credulous, ready to receive his principles of faith and morals from his parents, as he does his inheritance-to think of distant things and incidents as his neighbours think, and to believe the lies that are told by every plausible knave who wishes to practise upon him.

SPARE THE BIRDS.-On no pretext whatever should farmers or gardeners permit their birds to be disturbed. Instead of killing them or frightening them away, they should make use of every means in their power to induce them to increase in number, and become more tame and familiar. The worst of

them earn twenty times what they eat; and thenf what exquisite pleasure, to have your garden, yard, orchard, or wood alive and vocal with the music o, merry birds. Plant trees for them, build houses if necessary for them, and let no cat, dog, nor boy ever molest them, and they will teach you lessons of domestic bliss-preach you sermons- and warble you such hymns as you never heard elsewhere. Be kind to your birds.-Ohio Farmer.

DINING IN THE OLDEN TIME -Twelve o'clock was considered a late hour for dining, a supper was seldom later than six; but forty years previous to this period, over the dining-room of Secretary Pacca was written this inscription, Pransurus ante X ne venito, post X ne maneto-" Come not to dine either before or after ten." In 1627, the Counts of Erbach dined at nine in the morning; and, in 1648, the time of this meal in the establishment of Ernest, Duke of Saxe-Gotha (ancestor of Prince Albert), was at a quarter before eleven in the morning, summer and winter, and supper at a quarter before six; and, in more recent times, the grandfather of our gracious Queen (George III.) dined at one and supped at ten.-Romance of Hampton Court.

THE PHENOMENA OF COLOURING. -The colour of all organic productions appears to vary with the position those productions occupy on the earth; for, whilst the equatorial regions produce tints of the most opposite and beautiful character in the vegetable kingdom, these gradually degenerate in brilliancy, until approaching the limits of vegetation, where the most prevailing colour is that of white. Not only are flowers thus acted upon by climate; but birds and animals, inclusive of man himself, are almost equally influenced by the geographical position they occupy.-Medical Times.

ILLUSTRIOUS FARMERS.-Adam was a farmer

Washington was a

while yet in Paradise, and, after his fall, was com manded to earn his bread by the sweat of his brow. Job, the honest, upright, and patient, was a farmer; and his firm endurance has passed into a proverb. his immortal philosophy. Cincinnatus was a farmer, Socrates was a farmer, and yet wedded to the glory of and the noblest Roman of them all. Burns was a farmer, and the muse found him at his plough, and filled his soul with poetry. farmer, and retired from the highest earthly station world a spectacle of human greatness. To those to enjoy the quiet of rural life, and present to the names may be added a host of others, who sought peace and repose in the cultivation of their earth. The enthusiastic Lafayette, the stedfast Pickering, the scholastic Jefferson, the fiery Randolph-all found an El Dorado of consolation from life's cares and troubles in the green and verdant lawns that surrounded their homestead.

COMMERCE-Commerce tends to wear off those prejudices which maintain distinction and animosity between nations. It unites them by one of the strongest of all ties, the desire of supplying their mutual wants. It disposes them to peace, by establishing in every state an order of citizens bound by their interests to be the guardians of public tranquillity. As soon as the commercial spirit acquires vigour, and begins to gain an ascendant in any society, we discover a new genius in its policy, its alliances, its wars, and its negotiations.

MUSIC AND WINE.-Surely there is no essential connection between music and wine. Apollo and Bacchus are not Siamese twins; wine-glasses and quavers and semibreves are not sisters, not even second cousins. In the natural world music and temperance are plainly sisters. The blackbird, thrush, canary, and nightingale, all exquisitely musical, drink nothing but water, and smoke nothing but fresh air. A grove or wood in spring echoes with feathered musicians, each a teetotaller, and ever singing, and never dry.

COMMENCEMENT OF COPPER COINAGE.-As

early as the reigns of Henrys VII. and VIII., we learn from an incidental passage in Erasmus, that leaden tokens of low value were in use, though whether sanctioned by the Government or not is unknown. Similar tokens were, however, in use without such sanction in the reign of Elizabeth. They were called "pledges" or "tokens," passing as halfpence and farthings, being issued for convenience by grocers, vintners, &c., who felt the great want of small change. It appears singular that some sort of copper coinage was not attempted at that time, as it had long existed, and had been found advantageous, not only on the continent, but also in Scotland. The matter was taken into consideration by Elizabeth, who decreed that copper or leaden tokens should henceforward only be made at the Royal Mint, and only of pure copper, and that the halfpenny should weigh 14 grains, and the farthing 7 grains. Neither, however, was issued, though patterns exist. It was probably on the failure of this scheme that the Queen granted to the city of Bristol the privilege to coin tokens to circulate in that city, and ten miles round.-Humphreys.

The scythe, shears, and pruning-knife, are in frequent requisition this month. Mow, sweep, and roll lawns and grass- plots; trim off the overgrowth, of shrubs, &c; remove decayed flower-stalks; dress and clean paths and borders. As the foliage withers, take up the bulbs of hyacinths and tulips, and dry carefully before storing; crocuses may also be lifted. It is necessary to remove the earth from all bulbs before putting them away; but in doing this, avoid rubbing off the outer skin.

Tulips must not be taken up till the stem decays, and the leaves turn brown.

Annuals.-Continue to sow some of the showy sorts for succession; Virginia stock, Venus' looking glass, Clarkia, and Collinsia, if sown now, will bloom in autumn; they will require to be freely watered. Thin those that are already advanced, and stick twigs about them to support them. Biennials and perennials to bloom in spring may still be planted. A few annuals in pots will fill up very prettily the places of the bulbs that have gone off,

either in the flower-beds or the window.

Calceolarias. These showy plants look well, either singly or in masses; they may now be safely planted out, and will be all the better if a little peat is mingled with the mould in which they are set.

Carnations.-Thin the flower-stems to three or

four of the strongest, and pinch off all superfluous buds; the young shoots near the ground, which do not run to flower, will make layers, if required, in July. As the buds swell, tie a piece of bast or worsted round the middle of them, which must be moved as the flower expands. Then cut a circular piece of card, with a hole in the middle, and slit it through from the outer edge to the centre, so that it may be opened and fitted under the petals, which it supports and keeps in position. If the weather is dry, water occasionally.

to one stem, should have the side shoots topped, to Fuchsias, if trained, as formerly recommended, thicken the lateral branches, and strengthen the leader. Those intended for the window in autumn will make fine specimens, if planted out early this month. Stake and tie them to suit their various positions, and encourage their growth by watering them once a week with liquid manure. The finer sorts may now be struck from cuttings; plant them in shady borders, and keep from the sun by means of tiles placed upright. These plants require to be regularly supplied with water, and shaded from the direct rays of the sun in bloom.

Half-hardy Plants, such as heliotropes, verbenas, pelargoniums, &c., may be propagated this