Vertumnus has now one or two remarks to make, which he ventures to hope will receive the attention of members of the Society: 1. He considers that all members should be readers of the Monthly Packet, that being his only vehicle of communication with them. 2. There still seems to be a difficulty in understanding that the specimens, &c., of the genus proposed for any given month are not due until the 15th of the month ensuing. Thus, Vertumnus has just received (April 16) a complaint from a member that no specimens of Stellaria are to be found. But Stellaria is not wanted till May 15, before which many species of that genus will be available. 3. Vertumnus thinks it desirable that none but recent specimens should be sent; and he begs that in all cases the date of gathering, as well as the locality, may be given. 4. Vertumnus is in correspondence with the Secretary of the General Post Office with reference to the postage of the monthly parcels. Until the question is settled, whether "book" or "letter" postage is to be charged, it will be safer for members to assume that the latter will be insisted upon. When the united contents of the parcel exceed twelve ounces in weight, they must be divided into two, and stamped accordingly. 5. Genera for May, Orchis and Ophrys, show accurately in what respects they differ. Any other Orchidaceae may be sent and described. There are no vacancies, though candidates for admission are numerous. HANDWRITING SOCIETY. The Curfew shows an improvement in writing, but many cop es say 'the lowing herds wind,' whereas Gray certainly wrote herd winds.' Have they been led astray by a misprint, or have they written from memory? They have at least made no grammatical error, while those who write herd wind' strain the powers of the collective noun very hard. Ignorama is a great mistake; there is no such feminine; the word is the first person plural of the verb ignoro, and means, know not.' 6 we The voting notes to be criticised in June; also the names of the successful will be given, and those of the fifty who continue. For the May exercise, write the alphabet, large and small. Spider stamps received from May, Chloe, Rafela, Chipmunk, Stanza, Sea Breeze, Novice, Vyvyane. Esther has only sent 6d. Several replies to the Romantic Problem have been received. They will be discussed in our next. Notices to Correspondents. QUOTATIONS ASKED FOR. Who is the author of the following lines, quoted in The Life of Prayer, by Rev. W. H. Hutchings? 'Eyes which the preacher could not school And lips say, God he pitiful," Which ne'er said, "God be praised." -Mrs. Cuthbert, Market Drayton. The author of a plaintive Christmas carol, beginning— -S. M. Countless years have passed, Yet never foot of man the bowers of Irem trod Save only I, a miserable wretch from heaven and earth shut out.' -Spear Maiden. Wanted particulars of a piece of poetry called, it is believed, The New Tale of a Tub. It describes the adventures of two Anglo-Indians who were surprised at luncheon by a tiger, which they finally captured under a cask turned on end over him, and his tail, having come through the bunghole, was 'made fast' by being tied into a knot. Short-andStout and Tall and-Thin are the heroes' sobriquets —H. The authority for the saying, ascribed to Napoleon, 'She who rocks the cradle sways the world.'-J. B. Father Francis. QUOTATIONS ANSWERED. 'But while you both tease me together It is a song in the Beggars' Opera, by Gay.-ARACHNE. Miss Maitland. 'She doeth little kindnesses Which most leave undone, or despise, Is low-esteemed in her eyes.' From a poem entitled My Love, by Lowell. It may be found in Heart and Home Songs, arranged by Mrs. Townsend.-M. C. M. A Constant Subscriber.— To feel, although no tongue can prove, That every cloud that spreads above From the Two Voices, by Alfred Tennyson.-M. C. M. M. C. M. begs to inform Allegra that her first and third quotations should be placed thus 'Then breaking into tears, "Dear God," she cried, “and must we see All blissful things depart from us or e'er we go to Thee? We cannot guess Thee in the wood or hear Thee in the wind; Our cedars must fall round us ere we see the light behind! Ay, sooth, we feel too strong, in weal, to need Thee on that road, But woe being come, the soul is dumb that crieth not on God."" They are near the end of The Lay of the Brown Rosary, by Mrs. Browning. [Answered also by several others.] R. A. 'Not learned, save in gracious household ways,' &c. From The Princess, by A. Tennyson.-M. C. M. [Answered also by E. E. T. In your paper of this month you say that AIE is Greek for 'for ever.' This is not the case. It is the imperative mood of the verb AIN, and means 'Look,' or 'perceive.' AEI is Greek for 'for ever,' or 'always,' but not AIE. [We believe AIE was an error either in copying or printing.] QUOTATIONS FOUND. Q. M. G.-I do not know the lines beginning 'Thou wilt destroy this temple ;' but, if they are correctly quoted, it would be interesting to know whether they were written before or after Trench's poem, Dust to Dust, of which the two last verses run thus : 'Shall we not then a gracious sentence own, Build it this time (since Thou wilt build again), J. H. Ewing. We A. R. asks for information about attaching lads to the Church. strongly advise her putting herself into communication with the Young Men's Friendly Society, the companion of the G. F. S. QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS. J. C. H.-Mother Shipton lived in Henry VII.'s time, but her later prophecies are proved by the language to be fabrications. Bandecoote would be very glad if any one will tell her the language and meaning of the words Aloha nui loa," The Soul's Farewell to the Body is, I believe, written by Mrs. Sigourney. I have it in manuscript only, but shall be happy to copy it for F. D. R. if she wishes it and will send me her address.-H. P., Powis Lodge, Bickley, Kent. S. M. would be much obliged if any reader of The Monthly Packet could tell her if an old book on natural history, Charlie's Discoveries, is still in print, and by whom published; also if another old story, The Rival Crusoes (not Kingston's), is to be obtained anywhere. [It is by Miss Strickland. There is a new edition modernised.-ED.] A Ritualist.-Madame De Witt's En Quarantine, or any of her works. Acheta. What is the best and least expensive work on Mosses? Will any one form a society for the study of arithmetic, not less than two hours a week to be devoted to it? It should begin with the elementary rules; and examination questions might be given from time to time. Address-Marion, 2, Nelson Terrace, Twickenham. (1.) Clover would be glad to hear of some one who would copy out a story for the press on moderate terms. (2.) Does the Editor of the Monthly Packet return rejected contributions, and where and to whom should the contributions be addressed? (3.) What is the name and who the painter of a picture which Clover believes is meant to represent Beatrice Cenci? She is in a procession of nuns, though herself evidently not yet one of their order. What is the real subject? [Contributions are returned when stamps are sent.] Spear Maiden.-Gargantua is a giant in Rabelais' romance of Pantagruel, who drinks up a whole river at once. CHARITIES. The Rev. R. Lawson, Rectory, Upton-on-Severn, repeats his offer of the gift of the bowl of a font to a poor church. Mrs. ffarington would be very much obliged if the Editor could tell her of any home or orphanage where two little boys, aged five and three years old, could be taken in and trained for a moderate sum. ACKNOWLEDGED WITH THANKS. Mrs. Hardy begs to acknowledge, with grateful thanks. parcels of clothing received from Mrs. John Francis Foster, Mrs. Mallieson, E. S. (a beautiful parcel), Miss Gibbs-all so welcome and so needed. The Hon. Sec. of Missionaries' Children Education Fund' gratefully acknowledges the receipt of stamps, &c., from numerous readers of the Monthly Packet (mostly anonymous), bearing post marks of Exeter, London, N.W., Oxford, Liverpool, Lyme, Inverness, Kidderminster, Clevedon, Stoneville, Norwich, Manchester, Newton Abbot, Red Hill, Grantham, Bournemouth. Gresford, Cambridge, Edinburgh, Budleigh Salterton, Atherston, Sheffield, Hawkhurst, Weymouth, Clifton, Reading, Ryde, Addiscombe, Montford Bridge, Winchester, Rainham, Grasmere, Carlisle, Ross, Torquay, &c. Also some serviceable garments for boys and girls of missionaries. Miss Annie Bolster, Glen Mount, Kanturk, Co. Cork, Ireland, acknowledges, with many thanks, the following subscriptions towards her fuel fund-Theodora, 38.; E. L., 58.; C. B., 108.; A. C., 18.; Anon., 28. 6d.; A Governess's mite, 1s. ; Tenterden post-mark, 18.; F. W., 18.; Mary, 18.; London, S. W., 58. Bishop Wilberforce Confirmation Memorial Window, now erected in S. Mary's, Southampton. -Miss L. Phillimore, 5, Arlington Street, S.W., acknowledges, with best thanks, for the above-Per Miss Prince, 88. ; E. M. Holton, 2s.; Miss E. Belfour, 58.; Miss C. E. Ross, 58.; H. Preedy, Esq., R.N., 17.; E. H. W., 58.; Ivor Richards, Esq., 2s. 6d. 567. only required; 4097. received. Further offerings gladly received. P.0.0.'s payable at S. James's Street, S.W. Mrs. Bromfield, Fladbury House, near Pershore, acknowledges thankfully for Algoma Special Fund for Lake Neepigon :-M. L., 6s. 6d. ; Colonel Preedy, 17.; The Guild of the Holy Name, per Miss K. Clarke, 51.; K. C., in memory of the Old Chief, 21.; A Governess, 58. THE MONTHLY PACKET OF EVENING READINGS For Members of the English Church. JUNE, 1880. CAMEOS FROM ENGLISH HISTORY. CAMEO CLXV. THE ST. BARTHOLOMEW. 1572. FACTS are plain enough, but the motives are utterly mysterious, and the more documents come to light the greater is the doubt whether the horrible action now about to be described were accident or design; or if, as is probable, some part of the horrors were premeditated, by whom they were planned? The Queen Mother, Henri of Anjou, and Henri of Guise were the most deeply implicated in the crime, and it seems certain that some general destruction of the Huguenots had been proposed to them. Henri of Guise burned to avenge his father's death on Coligny, whom he persisted in believing its author, and Monsieur thoroughly enjoyed both deceit and ferocity. Charles wavered, fearing his mother, but greatly attracted by the Admiral and his friends, and Catherine was probably entirely undecided, dreading the Guisards and the Huguenots alike. There was a general sense that the air was fraught with danger. Queen Jeanne had begged that the wedding of her son might take place at Blois, out of reach of the Parisian mob; and the people of Paris were equally loth that it should be celebrated among them, for they had learnt to look on the Huguenots as fiendish, sacrilegious robbers, and feared to be plundered by them. The old Baron de Rosny, father to Maximilian de Rosny, the friend of the young King of Navarre, declared that if the wedding took place in Paris the favours would be crimson. And when Coligny set forth from Chatillon, a poor woman threw herself before his horse, crying 'O my good lord, if you go to Paris we shall never see you more! Have pity on us, or at least on madame and your children!' and when VOL. 29. PART 174. 36 |