Cassell's Family Magazine for March is as usual full of good things and the illustrations are admirable. Under the title of "The American Ambassador to England," Frank Banfield contributes some striking literary reminiscences of the poet-diploma-fist, Colonel John Hay, whilst the thrilling Blondyke romance Spectre Gold" is continued. One of the most interesting articles touches upon the horrible subject of incendiarism, giving some details of the famous "firebugs" who so terrified Now York some few years ago. The following extract gives but a faint idea of the grim resources of the incendiary "OF course," said the authority, "we have incendiary fires, but they are generally very trifling affairs.' As in America, the German Jews are the worst offenders. Do you ever sce the American papers Treplied that such was the case," Wall, I date say you notice that the comic papers are always joking upon Jewish incendiarism though, to my mind, it is not a subject to be 30 lightly treated. A few weeks ago there was atypical jest. 'I have been in dis store for over twenty years, friend Jacob,' says Abraham, standing at the door of his shop with his thumbs in his waistcoat. 'Holy Rachacl!' comes the answer from the astonished Jacob. Is it made of asbestos?'" Who at the worst offenders after the Jews?" I asked. "Oh! foreigners of various races. Arson seems to have little attraction for the English criminal, glad to say. We had two Americans over here s short time ago who gave usa lot of trouble. They had three or four successful fires; but we caught them at last. One of them did the most extraordinary thing I have ever known. He insured himself in an accident company, shot his own eye out, and then claimed five hundred pounds for it. That is an absolute fact" 'I needed that additional clause," I said; "for I must admit that is rather 'a startling story; but, then, Yankees are always finding out something fresh. What of other nationalities?" Several Frenchmen have passed through my hands. I remember one fellow who was a terrible bungler. He had three furniture fires ich were fairly successful. He used to me round and say that his little dog, or a cat, or something had overturned the lamp and burnt some chairs, a sofa, or some pictures. His claims seemed all right, and he was paid on the first two occasions. However, though he insured in a different company every time, I got wind of this third Bre, and went down to inspect the remains myself. He kept jumping round me, gesticulating wildly and beveiling his losses. 'Ici, monsieur,' he said was a fine bureau,' of mahogany the most beautiful; all gone now—quite burnt away.' I didn't say anything, but kept poking about amongst the ashes, 'Vat you look for he said uneasily' ' Merely the hinges,' I answered; they wouldn't be burnt away too, would they?' He seemed puzzled fora moment, and then me off to another part of the premises. 'The doors were standing, and I locked the sitting-room door behind me, for I was certain that not only had the "fine bureau' never existed, but that the whole affair was of the incendiary order. In the afternoon of the same day I returned with a friend to show him the suspected fire. I unlocked the sitting-room door, but what was my surprise to find seven or eight hinges lying on the floor! What do you think the idiot had done? He had gone and bought them and thrown them in through the window, They were untouched by fire, and their presence at once proved the fraudulent nature of his claim."
Interest in the doings of Her Majesty is characteristic of every true Englishman and anecdotes relating to her likes and dislikes are always eagerly scanned. A writer in The Quiver has given to the world some idea as to the sovereign's literary likes as mirrored in the writings of her favourite authors. The article goes on to state that:—
"Her Majesty has read and re-read Scott's poems until she has them practically by heart, and will sometimes delight her ladies during her drives in the highlands by repeating lines illustrative of the scenery through which she is passing. Some years ago the Queen made a pilgrimage to Abbotsford with all the enthusiasm of a devotee, and spent some time in the library looking over the original INS. of Ivanhor. Her Majesty remarked upon the beautiful handwriting and the freedom from erasures. In the study the Queen was shown Sir Walter's Journal, and asked to inscribe her ame in it, but at first she refused, feeling, as she said, that it "would be a resumption to do so," although she mally yielded to the wishes of her host. Tea was served for her Majesty in the dining-room where Sir Walter had breathed his last, and the Queen expressed her sense of honour at having taken a meal in 'a room of such hallowed associations. From these incidents it will be seen that the Queen is no mere reader, but has enough literary enthusiasm to indulge in hero-worship. It was under the tuition of Bishop Davys that the Queen laid the foundation of her very thorough knowledge of Scripture history and teaching. Books bearing upon the subject have always a deep interest for the Queen, although she is not fond of the controversies and wrangings of theologians. Dean Stanley read his Jewish Church in manuscript to the Queen as he wrote it by the dying bed of Lady Augusta Stanley, and her Majesty's criticisms mingled with those of her beloved friend. The following story will illustrate that the Queen's study of the Bible has been alittle scholarly as well as deeply devotional. She and the Prince Consort were one day reading a portion of Scripture together and discussing its meaning, when a point arose in connection with the different rendering of the passage in the English and Lutheran versions. To settle it the Prince sent a messenger to the British Museum to borrow a copy of Luther's Bible. The official from the Museum when he arrived with the volume was shown into the Queen's private sitting-room, and was nota little surprised to see the Queen and Prince Consort sitting at a table with open Bibles and deeply engaged in study. The Prince was very pleased to find that Luther's Bible supported his views."
Trade secrets and recipes have, of course, considerable value, but few would believe that for one single secret the enormous sum of three millions sterling was refused. Yet such is actually the case as the following cutting from Cassell's Saturday. Journal testifies "Tt is well-known that there are several trade secrets' of considerable value; but it is so very seldom that they come into the market when a price is put upon them, that few have any idea how enormously valuable some, indeed nearly all, of them are. In fact, it is not too much to say that there is hardly a trade secret which has not brought a vast fortune to its lucky possessor. Probably the most valuable one in the world is to be looked for in an article which few would have thought of, and at a place where still fewer would have suspected such was to befannd. The article in question is none other than the green or yellow liqueur known as Chartreuse, and it is made from the centuries-old secret recipe of the brothers of the monastery of La Grande Chartreuse—the famous Charterhouse founded by St. Bruno eight hundred yearsago. Some time since the French branch of the Rothschilds made an offer through the Pope to the head of the Carthusian order of the hugo sum of eighty milieu franes in cash—that is, considerably over three milieus sterling—for the transference to them of the composition of the liqueur. It seems almost incredible, but this offer was declined, thus proving conclusively that the secret was considered by its proprietors to be worth much more. And further, the question may be asked, if the Rothschilds were prepared to bid eighty million franes for the liqueur, what would they have considered a fair sum at which they would have sold it to the public? The composition of eau de Cologne at.one time promised to be the most valuable trade secret of the world, but the proper formula was discovered, and the perfume can now be produced anywhere, and of the same quality as the original."
Landseer's famous picture 'The Mo-natch of the Glen," than which perhaps no work of art has' been more extensively reproduced, has a somewhat remarkable history. Joseph Grego, writing in the Magazine of Art for last month, says in regard to this truly glorious canvas As early as 1848, when extensive schemes for decorating the Houses of Parliament
famous Historical Cartoon" competitions wore engaging public attention, and the had been held for three or four years at Westminster, Landseer received from the "Commissioners on the Fine Arts" a proposal to paint in oils three subjects illustrative of the chase, appropriate for the embellishment of the Peers' Refreshment Room. The remuneration suggested for this commission was, according to some accounts, £300 each picture; or, on more trustworthy authority, as stated by Mr. F. G. Stephens in his account of Sir Edwin Landseer, £500 apiece; the sum in either case was wretchedly inadequate, and it is evident that the painter undertook this congenial task on patriotic grounds, and for honour rather than for profit. Happily for Landseer's interests, but to the national loss, the scheme was burked. The House of Commons, as paymasters, marked their disapproval of the manner in which the plans for decorating the Palace of Westminster were being conducted by the Fine Art Commissioners; for when the item of £1,500 was submitted in the estimates as the proposed payment to one of the greatest
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.