Reviews.

may be above the critic—that is , above the critic ' s grasp and comprehension . But suppose the criticised choose to except to the ability of the critic to judge of him P " The author devotes a chapter to a subject that so curiously affects our recently-initiated royal brother , that we give an extract . It is headed " Ominous character of the colour white to English royalty , " premising that

the following persuasions are not his belief , but are educed from old traditions" It > s a very old idea , derived from the highest antiquity , 'that the colour " white "—which , considered in the mystic and occult sense , is feminine in its origin—is fateful in its effects sometimes ; and that , as a particular instance of its unfortunate character , it is an unlucky

colour for the royal house of England—at all events , for the king or queen of England personally—singular as the notion would appear to be . We are not aware whether this unfortunate effect of the ominous colour white is supposed to extend to the nation generally . It is limited , we believe , to the prince or sovereign of Englandand to his immediate belongings . The name John

, , which comes from lona , a remote feminine root , has also been reckoned unfortunate for tbe king ' s name both in . England and in France . The reason of this does not appear to be any where stated . The origin of the prophecy , also , as to the dangerous character of the colour white to England is unknown ; but it is imagined to be at least as old as the time of Merlin . Thomas de Quincey ,

who takes notice of the prophecy of the * ' White King , " says of King Charles the First , that the foreboding of the misfortunes of this "White King" were supposed to have been fulfilled in his instance , because he was by accident clothed in white at his coronation ; it being remembered afterwards that white was the ancient colour for a victim . This , in itself , was sufficiently formidable as an omen . De Quincey ' s particular expressions are , "That when King Charles the First came to be crowned , it was found that , bv some oversight , all the

store in London was insufficient to furnish the purple velvet necessary for the robes of the king and for the furniture of the throne . It was too late to send to Genoa for a supply ; and through this accidental deficiency it happened that the king was attired in white velvet at the solemnity of his coronation , and not in red or purple robes , as consistent with the proper usage .

" As an earlier instance of this singular superstition , the story of that ill-fated royal White Ship occurs to memory , as the vessel was called wherein Prince William , the son of King Henry the First , the heir-apparent , with his natural sister , the Countess of Perche , and a large company of the young nobility , embark on their return to England from Normandy . It might bo supposed that

the misfortunes of King Charles the First , which were accepted , at that time of monarchical dismay , as the ending ( and the exhaustion ) of this evil-boding prophecy , were enough ; but there are some reasons for imagining that the effects are not—even in our day—altogether expended . The fatalities of the colour ' white' to English royalty certainly found their consummation , or seemed

so to do , in the execution of King Charles the First , who was brought out to suffer before his own palace of ' Whitehall '—where , again , we find ' white introduced in connection with royalty and tragical events . Whitehall is the Royal ' White' Palace of England . The ' White Rose' was the unfortunate rose ( and the conquered one ) of the contending two Roses in this country . This is

again a singular fact , little as it has been remarked . Wo will pursue this strange inquiry just a little further , and see if the lights of Rosicrucianism will not afford us a measure of help ; for it is one of the doctrines of the bod y of Rosicrucians that the signatures , as they call them , of objects have a denoting and a preternatural effect , through hidden spiritual reasons , of which wo have no idea in this mortal state , —in other words , that magic and charming , through talismans , are possible ; common sense being not all sense .

Reviews.

" The colour white is esteemed both of good and of bad augury , according to the circumstances and the periods of its presentation . However ( to speak a few strange words ) , in relation to the -use of the name ' Albert Edward , ' in a possible future time , which every loyal subject will hope to be remote enough , we would advise ( supposing so humble a voice as ours should

reach or could attain , to the quarters where such a change might be effected ) a variation of our future king's name , and an avoidance of this supposedly unfortunate prefix ' Albert' in favour of ' Edward' only . This name of Edward is an historical , triumphant , and auspicious name ; for all our Edwards , except the weak King Edward the Second , have been powerful or noteworthy men .

Wow , very few people bave bad occasion to remark , or have recalled the fact as significant and ominous iu the way we mean , that the word ' Albert' itself means ' White . ' The root of ' Albert' is , in most languages , to be found in ' white : ' alhus , white ; alp , white ; Albania , the ' white' country . We here recall the ' snoivy camese , ' to which Byron makes reference as worn in Albania . ' Albion' ( of the ' white' cliffs ) , Alb , AI , El , M \ , all mean

' white . ' Examples might be multiplied , AA . < Pos , EATE , alius , ' white , ' are derived from the Celtic alp ; and from thence came the word 'Alps , ' which are mountains always white , as 'being covered with snow . Albus , ' white , ' certainly comes from the Celtic alp , or alb , ' says the historian Pezron ; ' for in that language , as well as in many others , the o and the p frequently

interchange ; from whence the ancient Latins , and the Sabiues themselves , said Alpus for white . I consider it therefore as certain , ' continues Pezron , ' that from Alpus the word Alps came , because the mountains are always white , as being covered with snow ; the words ' Alp , ' or ' Alb ,, and their compounds , meaning white every where . 1 conclude , also , that from the Fen of the CektB , TJmbri

ans , and Sabines , which signifies a ' head , ' ' top , ' or ' high place , ' they made Penninus Mons , the Apennines , vast mountains in Italy . Thus these celebrated words proceed certainly from the Gaulish tongue , and are older by several ages than the city of Rome . ' The following are all Teutonic or German words : alb , alf ( Qy . Alfred ?) , and alp , —which all signify ' white , ' as their original root . Thus much for white . "

Palestine Exploration Fund Photographs.

PALESTINE EXPLORATION FUND PHOTOGRAPHS .

THESE are now 349 in number , many of them being of places never before taken . They include , among others , views of the ruins of Tel Hum ( Capernaum ) , Kerazeh ( Chorazin ) , Jerasb , ( Gerasa ) , Kedes ( Kedesh ) , and Sebastiyeh ( Samaria ); many spots in and round Jerusalem , Hebron , Damascus , & c . ; and the district of Nablus , Gennesareth , & c .

They are sold , mounted , at Is . 6 d . eacb to non-subscribers , and to annual subscribers of half a guinea or donor of £ 10 , at Is . each . The Committee will be glad to appoint more agents , and take the opportunity of drawing the attention of their subscribers to the photographs as a means of helping the Societ }* . The photographs are the cheapest

series published of the Holy Land . Yery many are of places never before taken , and are of great interest . The terms of agency are so arranged that the agent runs no risk whatever beyond the safe custody of the views . List of photographs may be had on application to the Secretary of the " Fund , No . 9 , Pall Mall , East . [ The Quarterly Statement ( No . 5 ) , for March , 1870 , is full of interest ; wo may on a future occasion give an extract . ]

A sujiniiii of Masons have been recently arrested and imprisoned in Cuba for holding a communication contrary to the orders of the Captain General . The Voz de Guba published an article ou the 7 th hist , denouncing the Order .