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much more, and how much less than 4.052

n gons contain of area.

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The writer, like others, is familiar with triangulation, but it seems to count for nothing here, for by this means of determining their respective areas we meet an absurdity too glaring to smooth over with fine speech. For this supposed method of determining area, if strictly applied to both figures, will show, or make it appear that the perimeter of a square cannot be moved towards a circle (made obtusely angular) nor towards an equilateral triangle without bounding area greater than the square of inscribed diameter of an n gon in both cases. This perverted appearance respecting their areas perhaps comes from the chaff in the equation perimeter radius = area. When rightly trangulated the n-gon whose sine ratio? 8 is made 816 to appear to have area = 16.6141084, whereas its inscribed diam2 16.5888. If the above seeming excess of inscribed diam2 area existed, we know it would disappear by a continuous movement of the n-gon's perimeter towards the five equal sides. Hence at the point of departure of all excess of diam2, we shall expect to find a new diam2 area n-gon. And this juncture would presumably occur with a tang. ratio of about 15%. The idea that an ngon of wholly obtuse angularity may be greater than a square of its inscribed diameter is inadmissible, and to avoid the evils complained of, the writer simply bonfires the chaff, quotes the equation at par, and accepts the teachings of arithmetic to sustain him in the indictment of an unholy thing.

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Returning to the form whose tang. ratio 1.62, we shall say, that it is a figure so simple it rather invites application of the pernicious equation; and yet it is so symmetrical in its posi tion in the family of n-gons, that it is easily defended against unjust assignment of area.

GEORGE WITHER AND HIS PORTRAITS.

Southey says that

Mr. Wither wrote under the best of his portraits this: "What I was, is passed by; what I AM, away doth fly; What I SHALL BE, none do see; yet in THAT my beauties be."

Kings of England.

ENGLAND'S KINGS BEFORE THE CONQUEST.

First Elbert, then Ethelwolf; Ethelbald then

Ethelbert, Ethelred, know by all men;

Great Alfred, then Edward "the Elder,' his sor,

Now Athelstan, "Glorious " the title he won.

Next Edmund and Eldrey and Edroy I sing.

44

Then Edgar, we find, called "the Peaceful," was king.
Edward Martyr," and Ethelred named "the Unready,"
Sweyn, Edmund "the Ironsides," gallant and steady;
King Canute, his son Harold, the first of the name;
Harthacanute and then Edward, "Confessor," the same
Who to Harold of Wessex, Earl Godwin's great son,
Left sceptre and realm when his life's work was done.

SOVEREIGNS OF ENGLAND SINCE THE CONQUEST.

First William the Norman, then William his son,
Henry, Stephen and Henry, then Richard and John;
Next Henry the Third, Edwards I, II, and III,

And again, after Richard, three Henrys we see;

Two Edwards, Third Richard, if rightly I guess,

Two Henrys, Sixth Edward, Queen Mary, Queen Bess,

Then Jamie the Scotchman, and Charles whom they slew,

Yet received, after Cromwell, another Charles too;

Next Jamie the Second ascended the throne,

Then good Mary and William together came on;

Queen Anne, Georges four and Fourth William, all past; God sent us Victoria- may she long be the last.

NORMAN KINGS.

William the Conqueror long did reign,
William his son by an arrow was slain;
Henry the First was a scholar bright,
Stephen was king without any right.

PLANTAGENET.

Henry the Second, Plantagenet's scion,
Richard the First was as brave as a lion.
John, though a tyrant, the charter signed,
Henry the Third had a weakly mind;

Edward the First conquered Cambria dales,
Edward the Second was born Prince of Wales.
Edward the Third humbled France in its pride,
Richard the Second in prison died.

HOUSE OF LANCASTER.

Henry the Fourth for himself took the crown,
Henry the Fifth pulled the French king down.
Henry the Sixth lost his father's gains,
Edward of York took hold of the reins.

Edward the Fifth was killed with his brother,

Richard the Third soon made way for another.

HOUSE OF TUDOR.

Henry the Seventh was frugal of means,
Henry the Eighth had a great many queens.
Edward the Sixth reformation began;
Cruel Queen Mary prevented the plan.

Wise and profound were Elizabeth's alms.

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STUART LINE.

England and Scotland were joined by King James.
Charles found the people a cruel corrector,

Oliver Cromwell was called Lord Protector.
Charles the Second was hid in an oak,
James the Second took popery's yoke.

William and Mary were offered the throne,

Anne succeeded and reigned alone.

HANOVERIAN KINGS.

George the First from Hanover came,
George the Second kept up the name.
George the Third was loved in the land,
George the Fourth was polite and grand.
William the Fourth had no heir of his own,
So Queen Victoria ascended the throne.

(See "History of England in Verse," Philadelphia, 1852. Songs for the Little Ones at Home," New York, 1852. The St. Nicholas Magazine, 1855. NOTES AND QUERIES, Vol. XV, p. 296, Aug-Sept., 1897.)

Some Epitaphs.

STEVENSON'S EPITAPH.

Robert Louis Stevenson it is stated

wrote his own epitaph. He delighted in "La Solitude," his villa. He says:

"This spot, our garden and our view are sub-celestial. I sing daily with my Bunyan, that great bard,

'I DWELL ALREADY THE NEXT DOOR TO HEAVEN.'

If you could see my roses, and my aloes, and my fig-marigolds, and my olives, and my view over a plain, and my view of certain mountains as graceful as Apollo, as severe as Zeus, you would not think the phrase exaggerated."

His delight in the place moved him on. one occasion to this characteristic epitaph:

Here lies

The carcase
of

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at the termination of a long career,

wealthy, wise, benevolent, and honoured by the attention of
TWO HEMISPHERES,

yet owned it to have been his crowning favour

TO INHABIT

LA SOLITUDE.

EPITAPHS ON FAT PEOPLE FROM ENGLISH ECCENTRIcities. "In the year 1755 died the great tallow-chandler whose life and death are recorded on his tombstone :

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HUXLEY'S EPITAPH. A correspondent hands in the following epitaph for preservation :

And if there be no meeting past the grave,

If all is silence, darkness, yet 'tis rest.
Be not afraid, ye waiting hearts that weep,
For God still giveth his beloved sleep.
And if an endless sleep He wills

so best.

"MY LITTLE HYMN-BOOK." The two stanzas below are credited to "My Little Hymn-Book" in a work published in New York, 1852, entitled "Songs for the Little Ones at Home." Who is the author of "How pleasant is Saturday night?"

MONDAY MORNING.

How pleasant is Saturday night,
When I've tried all the week to be good,
Not spoken a word that was bad,
And obliged every one that I could.

Tomorrow the sweet Sabbath comes,

Which our merciful Father hath given,
That we may have rest from our work,
And prepare for the sabbath of heaven.

THE BIRTH DATE OF MUHAMMED EL-AMIN. "The Prophet of Islam, Muhammed El-Amin (o. w. b. e. p. a e. b.), was born, according to Christian dates, on April 10, 569. Our Sheikh (W. H. Abdullah Quilliam) was born on the same day of the same month, in the year 1856. Two of the numbers, 5 and 6, are the same in both dates. The other two numbers, I and 8, in the Sheikh's year of birth, make up 9, the other number in the year of the Prophet's. Now add the numbers together: 5+6+9=20

1+8 + 5+ 6 = 20

There are other strange coincidences worthy of being noticed here. The Muslim month in the year 1856 corresponds exactly with the same month in 569, so that both, according to Muslim and Christian dates, our Sheikh was born on the same day of the month as our glorious Prophet." The Crescent, June 6, 1900, Liverpool, England.

THE TRUE CORNER STONE. This " Stone which Adam brought with him out of Paradise," appeared prominently in the ancient degree of R. A. M, under the name of "Stone of Foundation." Inscribed with the sacred name, it passed from Adam to Seth and Enoch, which latter buried it in Mount Moriah. Noah unearthed it; it was again buried, and later discovered by Abraham. Jacob erected his altar upon it at Bethel. Moses sat upon it at the battle of Rephidim. Eventually Solomon used it as the foundation stone of the Temple. This symbolical legend evidently represents divine truth, and is given by Dr. Geo. Oliver on the authority of R. A. Masonry and "The Mishna."

MERCURIUS, ORION, RAPHAEL, SEPHARIAL, ZADKIEL. We must refer" LLEWELLYN to our January No., 1900, p. 24, for the more particular account of the leading English astrological almanacs. The real names of these astrologers are as we understand them: Mercurins, E. V. Williams, Orion, T. P. Ecob; Raphael, first, R. C. Smith; Raphael, second, R. T. Cross; Sepharial, W. Gorn Old; Zadkiel, first, Richard J. Morrison; Zadkiel, second, Alfred J. Pearce.

EPIGRAM ON POPE'S HOMER. The author of the following epigram expected one from Pope in reply, but we are not told whether he received one :

So much, dear Pope, thy English Homer charms,

As Pity melts us, or as passion warms,

That after-ages will with wonder seek
Who 'twas translated Homer into Greek.

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