Tuxxe seems to be an epidemic of dulness in the papers just received. The World is full of articles in the narrative-style, the point of which is difficult to detect, and which deal with the most vapid subjects, lus 'Celebrity at Home' is Mr, Henry Blake at Tuawn, of whom we are told that Mr. and Blake are the stateliest couple in that whenever anybody ap-Me. with a otter, the lady, Tins somewhat portentous title introduc: us to the careful translation of a little Chinese work not very well known to foreigners. The book, which is comprised in thirty short paragraphs, cannot be callod an interesting one in itself. It consists exclusively of little moral aphorisms of the description known to irrorerent people as goody-goody," and the best we can say of it is that it is very moral and very good indyed, It is Confucian, and essentially Cupperish throughout. "IL faut vive soimémo avec Gconomie eh frugalité."—"Gardez-vous bien de haire an-deld de La mesure." Confucius, we may suggest, never imposed any limit upon himself with regard to the wine he took.—" Cherchez une fille sage lorsque vous voudrez prendre femme ne dssirez pas une grosav dot."—* Gardezvous bien do desirer les richesses inattendues." '"Gardez-rous bien, surtout, @inviter tous les jours dos amis A diner,"
—Ceux qui pronnent un air orgueil-Joux & la vue des pauvres gens sent excessivement méprisables."—"Ne yous who lih ent knowledge vf the language ty © ea few pressions, but little or riy knowledge of the requirements of Chinese etiquette. We well rom gentleman la thi ing to an eminent Chiness physician of the latter's wife as p(y JEP.
is impossible to convey an idea, in English, of the gross rudeness of this address, The phrase BY FE JI is however quite permissible, uy case it is always hazardous to mention the wife at all, unless reference has been already made to her by her own husband, or in her presence. It is only when there unfortunately happen to be three of them, and all in the same room together, as occurred to the present writer a short time agg, that the situation is apt to be a little embarrassing.
The French Language lends itself readily to translations from Chinese, and the work before us is a case in point. M. Huart's is an extraordinary markswoman, immuriately cucks her pistol. ' Society' papers only owe their popularity to personalities and apiece, and when spice is wanting they are dull indeed, Che Spectator is chicly characterised by its articles on questions of speculative ethics. Of these, we may mention three in the present number tective Diseases,' Masked Hearth and The Grievanevof being over-estimated.
first is suggestive of cow-pox. Indeed it commences with a remark that it might rear advantage to other people besides pathologists and doctors to understand etter than we understand at present the indus operandi of that class of diseases which have more elleer in strengthening the physical constitution for its future trials than in weakening it for the time." But the Sprctutur is nothing if not ethical, and the discussion is suen carried into the sphere of speculative morality, Unquestionably," it remarks, "there are mental influences which are poisonous only when they are brought to bear upon us
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.