Literary Extracts.

admit that the London of Elizabeth Avas a smaller , a brighter and a more pictorial city than that of our present Queen . —Athancewn . AN ORIENTAL JUDGE . —A certain merchant left in his laAV will and testament seventeen horses to be divided among his three sons according to the following proportion , viz : —The first was toreceive one-half , the second

one third , and the youngest a ninth part of the whole . But Avhen tkej' came to arrange about the division it was found that to comply with the terms of the will Avithout sacrificing one or more of animals was impossible . Puzzled in the extreme , tbey repaired to the " Cadi , " Avho , who having read the will , observed that such a difficult question required time for deliberation , aud recommended

them to return in two days . When they again made thenappearance , the judge said , " I haA'e considered carefully your case , and find that I can make such a division of of tho 17 horses among you as will give each more than his strict share , and not yet one of the animals shall be injured . Are you content ? " "Weave , 0 Cadi ! " was the reply . " Bring forth the seventeen horses , then , and let

them be placed in the court , " said the Cadi . The animals were brought in , and tho Cadi ordered his groom to place his OAVU horse with them . He then bade the eldest brother count the horses . " There are eighteen in number . 0 Cadi 1 " he said . " I will UOAV make the division , " responded the Cadi . " You , the eldest , are entitled to half ; then take nine ofthe horses . You , the second son ,

are to receive one third ; take therefore , six ; whilst to you , the youngest , belongs the ninth part , namely , two . Thus the seventeen horses are divided among you . You have each more than your share , and I may noAv take my OAvn steed back again . " "OCadi ! your wisdom equals that , " said the brothers , " of our Lord Soleiman Ibn Daood . "—Notes from , Nineveh .

Ar01802

THE XEAV MASOSTC HALT * , Bimnyc-iurn . —Tbe foundation stone of tlio hall and buildings about to bo erected near tbe Post-oliice in New-street Avill be laid by the Right AVorshipful Brother Lord Liigh , Lard-Lieutenant of tbe county , and Provincial Grand Master of . Alasons of AVarwickshire , on A \ cdncsdaythe 20 tii instant . Tlie arrangements will include a

pro-, cession from the Town Hall , to the site , when the stone Avill be bud with Uie usual Masonic honours , and a luncheon in the Town Hall , to AA'hich ladies will be admitted . The price of the tickets to the luncheon , including wines , will be—ladies , 10 s . 6 d . each ; gentlemen , 12 s . Cut . each . Double ticket to admit a lady and gentleman , 21 s . ; to be obtained at the- offices of the Secretary . Brethren are expected to appear in Craft clothing

and jewels . A large number of influential ladies and gentlemen connected ivith the district have already intimated their intention of being present , and it is confidently anticipated that the occasion will he a brilliant and successful one . Any information Avill bo gladly given by Mr . David Malms , jun ., secretary ( o the Masonic Hall Company , afc the . offices , Temple Buildings , New-street .

The Week.

THE WEEK .

THE COUHT . —Her Majesty held a Council at a quarter before two o ' clock on Saturday last , at Avhich Avere present Earl Granville , the Duke of Somerset , and the Bight Hon . 15 . Cardwell . Lord Granville hacl an audience of the Queen . Mr . Helps was Clerk of the Council , and Lord Rivers and Lieut .-Colonel Kingscote the Lord and Groom hi AVating . The Bishop of Chester

arrived at the castle to do homage on bis appointment , and was introduced by tbe Right Hon . E . Cardwell . The ceremony of christening the infant son of the Hon . and very Rev . the Dean of Windsor and Mrs . AVellesley , took place in the private chapel of the Castle on Sunday afternoon ; her Majesty the Queen standing in person as one of the sponsors ; the others being the Duke of AA ellington and Lieut .-Colonel C . Ellison . The Hon .

and BeA ' . C . L . Courtenay , Canon of Windsor , performed the ceremony . Her Majesty the Queen , wifch their Royal Highnesses Princess Helena , IVmcess Louise , Princess Beatrice , and Prince Leopold , left the Castle on Monday evening at a quarter before seven o ' clock for Balmoral . The Prince and Princess of AA ales , accompanied by Prince and Princess Louis of Hesse and

Princess Hilda , of Anhalt-Dessau , arrived at Marlborough House from the Continent on Sunday afternoon . GEXERAII HOME NEAA-S . —Notwithstanding the unusual heat of the weather—which Avas last week five degrees hotter than in the hottest ; corresponding week of the last ten years—the death-rate of London continues satisfactorily low . The number

registered was 1 , 179 , the estimated number being 1 , 228 ; and London is stated by the Registrar-General to bo healthier than any other large town , in England except Bristol , which is credited Avith the same rate , AVith the thermometer marking nearly ten degrees more than its average for fifty years this is pleasant news for Londoners . On last Friday the mercury

was higher than on any September day since 1846 . Mr . Deputy-Assistant-Judge Payne passed a well-deserved sentence on Timothy Council , a fellow AVIIO had attempted to commit suicide . Council bad on a previous occasion accused himself of the murder of Emma Jackson in St . Giles ' s . He now affected lunacy , but the prison surgeon said that he was perfectly sane ,

though a silly fellow . Mr . Payne sent him to gaol for three months . On Wednesday , the Gth inst ., Mr . French , jeweller , of Clerkenwell , gave to his errand-boy , James Connor , a parcel containing £ 350 worth of jewellery , to be taken to a parcels booking-office iu Gresham-street , City . Tho lad did nofc return to bis master that day , but the next morning Avas brought back by his father . He then said that when near tbe booking-office on the previous day some one hit him on the

back of the head , and at the same moment the parcel Avas snatched from under his arm . The manner of the boy led his master to suspect tbe truth of his story , and he gave the lad into custody . He was brought up afc Clerkenwell police-court , and remanded m order that further inquiries may be made . The Foreign Office have received some disappointing news , about Consul Cameron . He is only released from his chains , it

seems , but lias not yet got out of the power of King Theodore . According to information received from Egypt since the telegram of the other day , the news of his entire release was premature . But King Theodore had invited Mr . Russam to come to him at once through Fgypt , and the messengers Mr . Rassam had sent to the King had been Avell treated and allowed to

return to Massowah , the port of Abyssinia on tlie Red Sea . Tliis looks as if humane and vcascmablc counsels were likely to prevail ; but the news coming so soon after the too sanguine report received the other day , cannot be felt otherwise than as a severe disappointment in England . Thomas AA ood , lately one of the cashiers of the Bank of London ,

Avas on Monday fully committed for trial on a charge of stealing £ 1 , 900 , the money of the bank . The prisoner appears simply to have taken tho money and falsified the books . There is another charge of stealing an additional £ 1 , 600 against him . Another mysterious death is recorded . It is thafc of a young lady , daughter of a surgeon named Blake , in Salisbury ,

who died under all the appearances of having been poisoned with strychnine . The facts , so far as they ave yet known , are that the deceased was given somo pills by a Mr . Storer , an assistant of her father , AVIIO had sought her hand , but had been dismissed from his employment . There Avas nothing in the deportment of tho young lady previous to her death to show that she contemplated suicide , and nothing in the post mortem examination to indicate that anything hacl gone Avrong Avith her . Storer is