Literature.

liberal , induced me at last to take the bold step of writing to Sir H . Davy , expressing my wishes , and a hope that , if an opportunity came in his way , he ivould favour my views ; and at the same time I sent tbe notes I had taken of bis lectures . ' To tbis application Sir H . Davy replied as follows : — ' Sir , —I am far from displeased with the proof you have given iae of your confidence , and which displays great zeal , power of memory , and attention . I am obliged to go out of town till the end of January : I will then see you at

any time you wish . It ivould gratify me to be of any service to you . I wish it may be in my power . I am , sir , your obedient humble servant , H . DAIT . ' Early in 1813 , Davy requested to see Faraday , and told kirn of the situation of assistant in the laboratory of the Eoyal Institution , to which , through Sir Humphry's good efforts , Faraday was appointed . In the same year he went abroad with Davy , as his assistant in experiments and in writing . Faraday returned in 1815 to the Eoyal Institution , and has ever since remained thereThere cannot be a better testimony than

. the above circumstance to Davy's goodness of heart . " Among the most useful inventions which we usually attribute to our own time is that of gas lighting . Mr . Timbs however shows us that , though not practically brought into use , the existence and inflammability of coal gas have been known in England for two centuries . As to the Chinese — that wonderful race who appear to have had in their possession from the remotest time , tbe germs

of every useful art—we arc not much surprised to read the following : — " ' Whether , or to what extent , ' says Mr . E . C . Taylor , on the coal fields of China , ' the Chinese artificially produce illuminating gas from bitumen coal , wo are uncertain . But it is a fact that spontaneous jets of gas , derived from boring into coal beds , have for centuries been burning , ancl turned to that and other economical purposes . If the Chinese are not manufacturers they are nevertheless gas consumers and employers

on a large scale ; and have evidently been so ages before the knowledge of it ? application was acquired by Europeans . Beds of coal are frequently pierced by the borers of salt water ; and tbe inflammable gas is forced up in jets twenty or thirty feet iu height . From these fountains the vapour has been conveyed to the salt works in pipes , ancl there used for the boiling and evaporating of the salt ; and other tubes convey the gas intended for lighting the streets aud the larger apartments and kitchens . " Our space pi-events our making any further comments upon

this very capital book ; and wo therefore leave our readers to exercise their own judgment upon Mr . Timbs ' s labours . We will in conclusion , however , remark that tbe book is not one for mere cursory perusal ; and that notwithstanding its modest appearance it is well worthy of preservation as a work of reference , while the agreeable style in which it is written makes its perusal as entertaining as it is instructive . The volume contains numerous illustrations of a high character .

Persecution des Juifi en Pohgna ( Persecutions of the Israelites in Poland ) . Translated from , the Hebrew into French by DANIEL LEVY . Tlemcen . One JavanMetsoula has written this book , which has become so popular iu Poland , as to have passed through several editions , and now reappears in a French dress . It is on a subject that must not only be interesting but instructive to every Craftsmanthe Jews—that people who are so intimately interwoven with the foundation of our Order , as well as every religion in the civilized world .

Though the work is but slender in form , it is truthful , but it omits much in detail , which , if given more fully , would be very valuable . The oft repeated tale of religious 2 ) crsecution is here told as occurring at various periods from the year 1585 . Sig isinuud of Sweden , proclaimed king of Poland in 15 S 5 , had a fatherly regard for the Jews , ancl was considerably above the prejudices of his times . His successor , Wladislaw , was equally

favourable to them , and had , on their account , to support an insurrection of the Russians in Poland , belonging to tbe Greek rite . The Russians first attacked the Jews , and then the Romanists , to whom full religious freedom had been guaranteed by Sigismund . In the end the rebels were defeated . A certain Cossack , named Hamil , being both ambitious and cunning , denounced innocentlb Jew ivith respect to account be bad

y y a an to render the king ' as chief of the city , favoured by another Jew whilst he was in prison , escaped , and allying himself with the Tartars , he gave battle to the Poles , who were defeated . It was then , when the king was dead , that the persecutions against the Poles and the Jews commenced . The writer attending to the fate of his coreligionists , more especially , tells us : —

" After having tortured tlio Jews in their flesb , and in their flesh of flesh ; after having devised with infernal art to martyr their hearts , fibre by fibre , they wounded them in their religious prejudices ; they profaned the objects consecrated to worship , and attempted to make thousands relinquish , their belief . Such , was the fate of all tbe towns and all tbe provinces invaded by the rebels ; and it was not the Jews alone who bad

to submit to atrocities . The Christians , and even the priests , were made tbe butt of tbe persecutions of the barbarians . " We are led back to the era of our King- John , in reading such a statement as the following as the following : — " A young Jewish maiden , one of the best of the illustrious families of Nenirow , ivas captured by a Cossack and taken to bis home . She , of angelic beauty , appeared resigned to her lot . But , before yielding to

the wishes of her captor , she said to him , that she know of a marvellous secret to render the body invulnerable . He inquired how she could convince him of this . "Nothing is easier , " said the heroic girl ; "load your musket and fire at me , aucl you shall have no doubt about the matter . " Tbe soldier , credulous aud enchanted about being put into possession of such a secret , loaded his gun to the muzzle , and discharged it into the breast of the happy young girl , who fell , imploring the name of Jehovah tbi-ice . " „

Barbarism and faith were , perhaps , never more tragically represented . / " Another young Jewess of tho same town happened to fall into the bands of a Cossack , who , struck with her extraordinary beauty , offered to espouse her . She accepted bis offer , provided the marriage should be celebrated in a certain charch . The usual preparations were made with mucb pomp and . ceremony . The bride , clad in precious robes ,

covered with jewels , bearing the nuptial crown on her forehead , descended with the Cossack into the boat which was to bear them to tbe church , where the pope was waiting for them before tbe altar . But , arrived at the middle of the stream , she suddenly arose , cast towards heaven tbe look of the angel who animated her soul , and plunged into the wave . All this was clone with such rapidity tbat it was impossible to save her . The corpse , when it was found , was adorned as for her bridal . "

The account , by Javan Metsoula , of the sufferings of the Jews in Poland , surpasses all we have ever read of their sufferings elsewhere . The history of tbat unfortunate race would appear to be , after the destruction of the Temple and holy city , one continuous tale of degradation ancl persecution . Scattered everywhere , nowhere had they a home ; no rights , no privileges , no immunity . They had every man ' s hand against them , without having done injury to any man , and in no city of Europe could they call their hard earned toil their own . The author relates

that" At Toucbiri the Jews , betrayed by the Poles to tbe Cossacks , were thrust into a vast inelosure , situated out of the town . Three Eabbins , who ivere among them , exhorted them to bear their trials with courage , aud to show themselves worthy children of their sires in preferring a glorious death to the infamy of recantation . Thoy replied iu one breath— 'Hear , 0 Israel , the Lord our God is one Giod . ' Then there appeared a Russian officer , bearing in Ida bands a flag , which ho planted in the inelosure . 'Lot those , ' he cried , ' who wish to live , advance and

salute this banner . ' A mournful and profound silence was the only reply ; no one stirred . Tlie officer repeated tlio proclamation a second and a third time , but without more success . Ho then opened the gates of tbe inelosure , and called upon tho impatient soldiery to rush upon their prey , who , like a troop of ferocious beasts , darted into the arena , and threw themselves , with shouts of joy upon the unhappy Jews , unable to defend themselves . The three Eabbins , with fifteen hundred Jews , perished at the first shock . Ten other Eabljins were bound hand and foot and cast into a loathsome den . "

Names of families and individuals are given ivhich can possess little interest for the general reader , so we forbear to mention them . We have also an account , by the same author , of the Schobalaiks in Russia . This title signifies " observers of the Sabbath . " A priest belonging to the Greek rite bad embraced Judaism ^ and for this be had to suffer martyrdom . He was conducted , ivith his companions in misfortune , to a public square ,

where a funeral p ile was kindled . They made him advance the first as he was lately a princo of the church , now a humble and . persecuted Jew , ancl here he ivas summoned to return to his first faith , when be would be pardoned , and threatened with death if he refused . Romaiizoff , who , after his conversion , had adopted the name of Rabbi Abraham , ancl who , by his noble and venerable called to mind the patriarch ivhose name he bore—

appearance , Ilomanzoff contented himself with replying to the summons of his persecutors in the usual language adopted by persecuted Jews - . "Hear , 0 Israel ! The Lord our God is one God ! " And he added , " I am old : I have one foot in the grave . If you permit me to live to-day ' I shall die to-morrow ; and think you then by the bribe of vain promises to seduce me , or that you can terrify me with threats ? No ! The God of Israel is my Godand I

your , confess him in the presence of this pile before which I stand . " The narrative is a horrible one , but it illustrates the nature of fanatacism and the extent of tbe power which will bear poor humanity under the belief that it is doing God service . They" then made bars of iron red-hot , and forced the old man to place himself upon them . 'You do well , ' he contented himself with saying to his executioners ; ' these feet have trodden a place impure and merit