6 not to lengthen it.' 'Very true, my lord,' replied the physician; however, I am of opinion you ought not to eat of these rabbits; nor would I have you taste that veal. Indeed, if it were neither roasted nor pickled, something might be said; but as it is, it must not be.' 'Well, then,' said Sancho, 'what think you of that huge dish yonder, that smokes so? I take it to be an olla podrida; and that being a hodge-podge of so many sorts of victuals, sure I cannot but light upon something there that will be both wholesome and pleasant.' Absit,' cried the doctor, 'far be such an ill thought from us; no diet in the world yields more nutriment than the mishmashes do. Simple medicines are generally allowed to be better than compounds; for, in a composition there may happen a mistake by the unequal proportion of the ingredients; but simples are not subject to that accident. Therefore, what I would advise at present, as a fit diet for the governor, for the preservation and support of his health, is a hundred of small wafers and a few thin slices of marmalade, to strengthen his stomach and help digestion.' Sancho, hearing this, leaned back upon his chair, and looking earnestly in the doctor's face very seriously asked him what his name was and where he had studied. 'My lord,' answered he, 'I am called Doctor Pedro Rezio de Aguero. The name of the place where I was born is Tirteafuera, and lies between Caraquel and Almodabar del Campo, on the right hand; and I took my degree of doctor in the University of Ossuna.' 'Hark you,' said Sancho, in a mighty chafe, Mr. Doctor Pedro Rezio de Aguero, take yourself away! Avoid the room this moment, or assuredly I'll get me a good cudgel, and, beginning with your carcase, will so belabour and rib-roast all the physic-mongers in the island, that I will not leave therein one of the tribe,-of those I mean that are ignorant quacks; for as for learned and wise physicians, I will make much of them, and honour them like so many angels. Once more, Pedro Rezio, I say, get out of my presence! Avaunt! or I will take the chair I sit upon, and comb your head with it to some purpose, and let me be called to an account about it when I give up my office. I do not care; I will clear myself by saying I did the world good service in ridding it of a bad physician, the plague of a commonwealth. Let me eat, I say, or let them take their government again; for an office that will not afford a man his victuals is not worth two horse beans.' SIMPLE PROPORTION. (1) Bought 120 tons 2 cwt. qrs. of coal for £75 1s. 6 d., how much is that for 6 cwt. 2 qrs.? (2) How much are 28 ells 2 qrs. of cloth worth at the rate of £5 11s. 6d. for 12 ells 1 qr.? (3) How many coats of the same size can be made out of 78 yards of cloth, if 12 are made out of 36 yards? (4) The rent of a field of 3 a. 3 r. is £44 6s. 8d.; what will be the rent of a field, at the same rate, of 7 a. 2 r. 30 p.? (5) Find the time a railway train will be going from London to Shrewsbury, 130 miles, travelling at the rate of 76 miles in 3 hours? YEDO. (From 'A Visit to Japan and China,' by Robert Fortune.) Yed'-o or Jed'-do, the capital of Japan, is SE. of the island of Niphon fas'-ci-na-ting, charming an-i-ma'-tion, liveliness dec'-or-a-tive, ornamental det'-ri-ment, injury pro-fu'-sion, great abundance in-val'-u-a-ble, of too great vave to have a price set on it ven'-i-son, the flesh of deer pre'-ju-dice, an opinion formed without THE streets were much wider and cleaner than those of the Chinese towns; but the contents of the shops appeared to be of little value. One must, however, bear in mind that Yedo is not a manufacturing or trading town, in the usual sense in which the term is used. Hence, perhaps, I ought to have expected to see only the necessaries, or perhaps a few of the luxuries of life, exhibited in the shops here. Silk and cotton shops were numerous, and, if they did not obtain custom it was not for want of the use of means. Men and boys were stationed in front of the doors, trying all their arts to induce the passers-by to go in and spend their money. Lacquer-ware, bronzes, and porcelain were exhibited in abundance, as were also umbrellas, pipes, toys, and paper made up into every conceivable article... All sorts of toys were abundant, and some of them were most ingenious and pretty. There were glass balls with numerous little tortoises inside them, whose heads, tails, and feet were in constant motion; humming-tops with a number of trays inside, which all came out and spun round on the table when the top was set in motion; and a number of funny things in boxes, like little bits of wood shavings, which perform the most curious antics when thrown into a basin containing water. Dolls of the most fascinating kind, with large, shaved, bobbing heads, crying out most lustily when pressed upon the stomach, were also met with in cart-loads. One little article, so small one could scarcely see it, when put upon hot charcoal, gradually seemed to acquire life and animation, and moved about for all the world like a brilliant caterpillar. This large trade in toys shows us how fond the Japanese are of their children. I may here mention, in passing, that Japanese paper is made chiefly out of the bark of the paper mulberry. It is par ticularly suited for decorative purposes, such as the papering of rooms. It has a glossy, silky, and comfortable appearance, and many of the patterns are extremely chaste and pretty. The fan pattern, which looked as if fans had been thrown all over the surface, used to be much admired by the foreign residents. For some reason it is made in very small sheets, which would render it rather inconvenient to our paper-hangers. This, however, is no detriment in Japan, where labour is cheap. Japanese oilpaper is of very superior quality, and is used for a variety of purposes. For a very small sum one can be clothed in a Mackintosh' coat and trousers capable of keeping out any amount of rain. As a wrapper to protect silk goods and other valuable fabrics from wet and damp, it is invaluable, and, owing to its great strength, it is often used instead of a tin or lead casing. Despatch-boxes, looking like leather, and very hard and durable, are also made of paper, and so are letterbags, purses, cigar-cases, umbrellas, and many other articles in daily use. In addition to those purposes to which paper is applied in western countries, in Japan it is used for windows instead of glass, for the partitions of rooms instead of lath and plaster, for fans and fan-cases, for twine, and in a variety of other ways. Articles used as food were displayed in abundance in all the streets of the commercial quarter. The vegetables and fruits of the country, such as I have named elsewhere, were in profusion everywhere, and apparently cheap. The bay supplies the good people of Yedo with excellent fish, and consequently the fishmonger was duly represented amongst the shopkeepers, where his wares could be purchased either dead or alive, fresh or salted. Butchers' shops were also observed as we rode along, showing that the Japanese do not live on vegetables and fish only. It is true that in these shops we did not observe any beef, for the Japanese do not kill their bullocks and eat them as we do; and, as the sheep is not found in the country, we, of course, could not see any mutton. Venison, however, was common, and monkeys were observed in several of the shops. I shall never forget the impression produced upon me when I saw the latter hanging up in front of a butcher's door. They were skinned, and had a most uncomfortable resemblance to the members of the human family. I dare say the Japanese consider the flesh of the monkey very savoury, but there is no accounting for prejudices and tastes; and I must confess that I must have been very hungry indeed before I could have dined off these human-looking monkeys. In our ride through the town we remarked a large number of fire-proof houses, or godowns, for the protection of money or valuable goods in case of fire. These have thick walls of mud and stone, and are most useful in a country like this, where fires occur so frequently. Wooden watch-towers were also numerous in all parts of the city. These are posts of observation, from which a fire can be observed at a distance, and an alarm given. Buckets of water were seen in every street, and frequently on the tops of the houses; and a kind of fire police are continually on the watch by night and by day, ready to give instant notice and assistance. Riding along the banks of the river, we soon found ourselves nearly clear of houses, and in the country. As we looked back over the river, the city of Yedo, with its temples, watch-towers, and undulating wooded hills, lay spread out before us, and formed a picture of striking beauty. Nearly all the land where we were was one vast garden; or, to speak more correctly, it was covered with teagardens and nurseries. There were hedges of single camelias, white and red, and China roses, all in full bloom, although it was now late in November. Many evergreen trees were there, clipped into fanciful shapes; and the indispensable flowering plums and cherries were in great abundance, although now leafless, and having put on their wintry garb. We paid a visit to a number of tea houses and gardens; and, from the way in which they were arranged and planned, no doubt they are patronised by thousands during the spring and summer seasons, when picnic-loving and pleasure-seeking Yedoites go out to enjoy themselves. Everywhere we were politely received, and tea was pressed upon us by the proprietors of the gardens. On our way home I observed that our road was strewn with straw shoes, which had been worn by men and horses. All the horses wear shoes of straw, which, when worn out, are replaced by others, the old ones being left on the road where they are cast off. SIMPLE PROPORTION. (1) If 14 men can mow a field in 11 days of 12 hours each, in how many days of the same length could 32 men mow it, working at the same rate? (2) What will be the carriage of 4 tons 2 qrs. 14 lbs. of coal for 35 miles, at the rate of £6 17s. 6d. for 8 tons 17 cwt. 1 qr. 14 lbs. for the same distance? (3) If 45 pieces of cloth, each containing 24 yards, cost £96 17s. 6d., what will be the cost of 3 pieces of the same quality, each containing 16 yards? (4) What quantity of oats can be bought for £287 2s., at the rate of 10s. 6d. for 1 bus. 3 pecks? (5) A garrison of 960 men had provisions enough to last 81 days; how long would their provisions last if they lost 144 men taken prisoners in a sortie ? C IN the persecution of Diocletian, Emperor of Rome, Alban, being yet a Pagan, at the time when the commands of perfidious princes raged against Christians, gave entertainment in his house to a certain clergyman, flying from the persecutors. Observing him wholly addicted to continual prayer, and watching day and night; on a sudden the divine grace shining on him, he began to admire his example of faith and piety, and, being leisurely instructed by his wholesome admonitions, casting off the darkness of idolatry, he became a Christian in all sincerity of heart. The aforesaid clergyman, having been some days entertained by him, it came to the ears of the wicked prince that the confessor of Christ, to whom the place of martyrdom had not been yet appointed, was concealed at Alban's house. Whereupon he presently ordered soldiers to make a strict search after him. When they came to the martyr's house, St Alban immediately presented himself to the soldiers, instead of his guest and master, in his habit, or the long coat he wore, and was led bound before the judge. It happened that the judge, at the time when Alban was carried before him, was standing at the altar, and offering sacrifice to devils. When he saw Alban, being much enraged for that he had presumed of his own accord to put himself into the hands of the soldiers, and run that danger for his guest, he commanded him to be dragged to the images of devils, before which he stood, saying, 'Because you have chosen to conceal a rebellious and sacrilegious person rather than to deliver him up to the soldiers, that the contemner of the gods might suffer the penalty due to his blasphemy; you shall undergo all the punishment that was due to him, if you depart from the worship of our religion.' But St. Alban, who had voluntarily declared himself a Christian to the persecutors of the faith, was not at all daunted at the prince's threats, but being armed with the armour of the spiritual warfare, publicly declared that he would not obey his commands. Then said the judge, 'Of what family or race are you?' 'What does it concern you,' answered Alban, 'of |