Church and State Gazette, then the organ of the Established Church, of which Paley was, and is still, considered a distinguished ornament, we have the following observations:

"The rudest and most stunning blow," says that journal, "that has ever been dealt against the reputation of Paley, and the challenge for respect due to it from mankind, has recently been made-and made out of a sense of duty-by our contemporary the Athenæum. To plunge in medias res, we may at once bluntly state that Paley's Natural Theology' was not written by Paley. The Athenæum asserts thus much, and supports its assertion by a weight of proof that appears to us to be utterly incontrovertible. Our readers may believe us when we repeat this, although we do not lay before them the whole of this astounding case as it appears in the columns of our contemporary. For this we have not 'ample room and verge enough,' and we must be content with stating results rather than repeating details of which they are the sum. In brief, then, before Dr. Paley gave to the world, as his own, the 'Natural Theology,' a work on the same subject, and nearly in the same words, had appeared in Holland, with the name on its title-page of one of Holland's most erudite philosophers, Dr. Bernard Nieuwentyt. From this work-published, we say, long before that of Paley-lengthened extracts are given in the Athenæum: these are contrasted with similar passages from Paley, and these are so similar as to be, in fact, nearly verbatim reproductions of the original. If the extracts from the Hollander be genuine-which we cannot, unfortunately, doubt-then Paley shines unrivalled

in the enormity and splendour of his plagiarisms. In the annals of literary corsairship we never heard of anything equalling piracy like this; and unless the friends and relatives of Paley can submit satisfactory evidence before the tribunal of the public that he has had foul wrong done unto him, his reputation as an honest writer sinks for ever beneath the sea of contemptuous oblivion. Who does not remember walking with Paley on the heath, and picking up that memorable and wonderful watch, and sitting down to listen to the admirable philosophy imparted thereon, and to heed the charming instruction given upon its anatomy-if we may so call it-and to mark with heart-burning enthusiasm the uses made by our 'guide, philosopher, and friend;' and how he led us from the watch in his hand to the origin of all things reposing in the hand of God? Alas!-we regret to state it but, for the sake of honesty, it should be mentioned that that watch was stolen! It was originally the property of Bernard Nieuwentyt, and Paley filched it from him and exhibited it in England as his own! The Athenæum cites the respective passages by the two authors; and that well-known and beautiful illustration of the watch appears in Paley very nearly word for word as it was published years before in the volume written by Nieuwentyt."

More recently the subject has not lost its interest, as we find from a notice in that amusing and interesting work, Notes and Queries for 1853 :

"Charge of Plagiarism against Paley.-Has any reply been made to the accusation against Paley, brought forward some years ago in the Athenæum? It was stated

(and apparently proved) that his Natural Theology was merely a translation of a Dutch work, the name of whose author has escaped my recollection. I suppose the Archdeacon would have defended this shameful plagiarism on his favourite principle of expediency. It seems to me, however, that it is high time that either the accusation be refuted, or the culprit consigned to that contempt as a man which he deserved as a moralist.-FIAT JUSTITIA.

[We have frequently had to complain of the loose manner in which Queries are sometimes submitted to our readers for solution. Here is a specimen. The communication above involves two other Queries, which should have been settled before it had been forwarded to us, namely, 1, In what volume of the Athenæum is the accusation against Paley made? and, 2, What is the title of the Dutch work supposed to be pirated? After pulling down six volumes of the Athenæum, we discovered that the charge against Paley appeared at p. 803, of the one for the year 1848, and that the work said to be pirated was written by Dr. Bernard Nieuwentyt of Holland, and published at Amsterdam about the year 1700. It was translated into English, under the title of The Religious Philosopher. 3 vols. 8vo., 1718-19. The charge against Paley has been ably and satisfactorily discussed in the same volume of the Athenæum (see pp. 907, 934), and at the present time we have neither 'ample room nor verge enough' to re-open the discussion in our pages.]"

OYSTERS.

"C'est une véritable plaisir des dieux d'ingurgiter une huitre bien fraiche.-BERSHOUX.

"If, where Fleet-ditch with muddy current flows,
You chance to roam, where oyster-tubs in rows
Are ranged beside the posts; there stay thy haste,
And with the savoury fish indulge thy taste:
The damsel's knife the gaping shell commands,
While the salt liquor streams between her hands.

The man had sure a palate covered o'er

With brass or steel, that on the rocky shore
First broke the oozy oyster's pearly coat,

And risk'd the living morsel down his throat."

GAY. OYSTERS. They have ever been especial favourites in days when we were in high glee, and sipped pleasure out of the cup of life. They are likewise associated with ancient times. The philosophers, the poets, the comedians, and artists of old, loved to whet their appetites with this grateful shell-fish. When in high spirits and gaiety-when the world smiled upon them-when pleasure presented itself in her most fascinating attire—then came the oyster to complement the sum of delight, and place its seal on their enjoyments. No festive parties in the early days of Greece and Rome ever separated without tasting this delicious fish, when in due season. It was the token of sincere fellowship, of deep sympathies, of unalloyed hilarity, and of genuine citizenship. It was the eatable that never cloyed, that never appealed to

the appetite in vain, that threw a gracious smile over every countenance, and soothed, if it could not remove, the poignancy of disappointment. It gave a finish to imperial authority, éclat to the victories of the general, zest to the speaker's orations, cogency to the arguments of the rhetorician, and additional wisdom and expediency to the politics of the statesman. This bivalve was, in fact, the crowning glory of life-the concordia discors-expressive of a harmonious feeling among all classes of men.

What the oyster was in ancient times, it is so still. The pleasure-seekers of modern society never feel satisfied till they pay their respects to the oyster-shop. The fashionable visitor of the opera in London, Paris, or Berlin, rushes from the scene of his enchantment, and fills up the measure of his earthly bliss with a copious supply of the fish. He leaves all behind him till this is accomplished. The music, the dialogue, the scenery, the fascinating display of female elegance and fashion, are all made subordinate to this delicious dish. These constitute the rapturous moments of his existence. And the same thing is felt and done in the humbler walks of life. Even the houseless wanderer of the street feels his humanity ennobled for the moment, and his heart soothed, as he hastily gulps down the saline juice of this notable bivalve.

We are not going to descant on the natural history of this shell-fish, but only to throw together a few random observations and statements about it. But we cannot refrain from just noticing, in passing, one or two peculiarities which modern investigations have detected in its constitution. In looking at the oyster through a microscope, it is found that its shell is peopled with an innu