tion must not be used within the city of | to visit a country at war with England was London until the expiration of the year high-treason, unless the parties obtained 1715, to the prejudice of the proprietors a royal license. Collins obtained one, of the public lights then in use, called authorizing him to go to France and fetch convex lights. Whether this proviso a certain quantity of black Irish marble, handicapped the Globe Light too heavily, to be applied towards the rebuilding of or whether the patentee expired before St. Paul's Cathedral, he giving security the proviso, we do not know, but we can that all persons employed by him in the find no further trace of it. service should return to Great Britain Perhaps the most curious license issued within six months, bringing with them in Queen Anne's reign was the follow-only the marble, and no other goods or ing: "Anne R. Whereas we are fully merchandise whatsoever. sensible of the fidelity of John Ker, of Kersland, by and of the services he hath performed to us and our Government. We therefore grant him our Royal Leave and License to keep company and associate himself with such as are disaffected towards us and our government, in such Way or manner as he shall judge most for our service. Given under our Royal Hand at our Castle of Windsor, the 7th of April 1707, and of our reign the sixth

year.

Englishmen were not always free to go beyond the seas when inclination suggested a change of scene or climate. It was only by the favor of the lord chamberlain that Bulstrode Whitelocke, in 1634, obtained a license from the Privy Council to go to France, and this when the two countries were at peace. Even in time of war it was not, of course, possible to prevent people travelling in friendly lands from finding their way into France; but those who so ventured found coming home not so easy. William Stonor, Esq., having entered the dominions of the French king without leave from his own sovereign, had to sue for a license permitting him to return and abide in his “ain__countrie." Wishing to reside in France, Lady Elizabeth Hatcher received the necessary permission conditionally that she did not pretend to the liberty of coming into any part of her Majesty's dominions again without first obtaining license to do so under the privy seal-on pain of incurring the several penalties the law could inflict. In 1707, a merchant named Collins contracted to supply eight thousand feet of black marble "for the rebuilding of St. Paul's Cathedral." He shipped six thousand feet at Dublin in the Unity of London, which ship was captured by a French privateer and taken to Havre. As soon as the untoward news reached Collins, he petitioned for permission to go to Havre and repurchase his property. His petition was referred to the attorney-general, who returned it with the declaration that the voluntary embarking in any vessel

From The Saturday Review. AMELIA BLANDFORD EDWARDS.

IT is reserved for very few except the greatest after trying one kind of literature to take up an absolutely novel position with success. But it must be conceded that this is what Miss Edwards achieved. Well known as a novelist, and welcome in all circles for a social charm of manner and an untiring vivacity, fate led her to Egypt. It was in the days of the oppres sion, but before the famine caused by the extravagance and misgovernment of Ismail Pasha. To her eyes everything was sunny and delightful, though Lady Duff Gordon's letters had begun to reveal the cruelty and injustice of the Turkish government. On her return Miss Edwards wrote her book, "A Thousand Miles up the Nile," and from that day devoted herself to Egyptology. True, her most popular novel, "Lord Brackenbury," came out afterwards; but with the foundation of the Egypt Exploration Fund, of which she was the honorary secretary, all her time and attention were given to the one absorbing subject. She succeeded in making herself the prophet of Egyptology. No other writer did so much to render Egypt popular. Her clear, simple style, well practised in narration, was a strong element in her success. She found, too, rather to her own surprise, that she possessed the power of making a speech, and of doing so with remarkable effect. After a little time it became apparent that her gift might be turned to use in the cause she had so much at heart; and she lectured in the United States with excellent results for the awakening of widespread interest in her explorations. She spoke occasionally, but more rarely, in England; but her resonant voice, the energy of her manner, and the variety and brightness she always imparted to what would in other hands have been regarded as a dry ques

tion, rendered her utterances very effec- for a long time past, and which now, it is tive. She had a singular power of finding understood, goes to a public museum unout what would be interesting and popu- der the provisions of her will. It is much lar, and of making the most of it when to her credit that, in spite of strong views found. Her American lectures have been on certain subjects, as, for example, on published in a volume, entitled "Pharaohs, what are called "women's rights," she Fellahs, and Explorers." The fascination never became a faddist. She avoided of the subject as she treated it is undeni- extremes in Egyptology as in everything able. The book reads, as young ladies else; and this is the more remarkable say, like a novel, and every line deepens when we remember her enthusiastic temour regret for her loss. Miss Edwards perament. She contrived to import senwas never a very profound scholar. She timent into hieroglyphics; but her books took up the study too late in life. But she are deserving of special praise for the did more to make it popular than half-a-small percentage of error they contain. dozen greater scholars have been able to Any one may be entertaining at the exdo. Hers was pre-eminently the role of pense of truth. But Miss Edwards kept interpreter. Keeping herself informed of her warmth within bounds, and never "ran the latest and best opinions, she promul- away" with her subject. Pyramid inches, gated them to a wide circle of readers who the great time passage theory, the psalms stood wholly outside the pale, and one of of David as recorded on Cleopatra's her greatest merits was, that she knew to Needle none of these things attracted a nicety how much her audience could her even for a moment; but it will be long take in and enjoy, and never overstepped indeed before we have another such exthe limit. ponent of recondite learning. One other characteristic should be mentioned. Miss Edwards never fought. Living in the midst of controversies, she always kept herself aloof. The sweetness of her tem per in this respect set an example to many who intellectually were her superiors. When, not very long ago, she had to trans. late and edit the work of a foreign Egyp tologist, many or most of whose opinions ran counter to her strongest convictions, she managed to do it in such a way as both to state plainly her own views and at the same time to avoid any adverse reflections on the author. The beatitude of the peace-makers assuredly belonged to

It is a matter for sincere regret, even among the more scientific students and discoverers, that she should have departed from her labors in the full maturity of her powers. She never quite recovered the loss of the old friend with whom she had visited Egypt, and who died only a few months ago. A period of anxiety was succeeded by one of overwhelming grief, and her sensitive, highly strung nature proved unequal to the strain. To the last she was interested in her favorite pursuit, and the first use to which she put the Civil List pension accorded to her at the beginning of the year, was to add to the collection which she had been gathering | her.

SIR PROVO WALLIS. Admiral of the | Chevreul, was called to his account very soon Fleet Sir Provo Wallis has at length gone to after his age became the talk of Europe. Sir join his old companions in glory. He died in Provo Wallis must have had several distinct his one hundred and first year. His birthday strata of memories or of associations, each attracted becoming attention last year, and suggestive of a very remote past. In 1791, we were then reminded that he took part in the year of his birth, Abercrombie was defeatthe action between the Chesapeake and the ing Tippoo Saib, and Burke was quarrelling Shannon in 1813. That was not all he did with Charles James Fox. He could not refor his country by a very long way, but it was member these things, but the talk about them quite enough to make him conspicuous in his may have formed part of the first English old age. He has not long survived his St. speech that fell on his ear. For all effects of Martin's Summer of fame. If centenarians historical perspective, such events will serve were wise, or, at any rate, if they were super- just as well as the Norman Conquest. In stitious, they would keep their hundredth that same year, 1791, the buckle-makers of birthdays both by and to themselves. Death Birmingham were petitioning against the use seems anxious to show that his memory is not of shoe-strings. This gives an excellent effect at fault whenever he hears of these celebra- of remoteness-both in the buckles and in tions. The venerable French savant, M. the petition.

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says to him, with less pity than disdain: "What, you had already resolved to die? Your suicide is but delayed." The rest of the story tells how his words came true.

No reader of Balzac will have forgotten the old curiosity shop to which, in the opening pages of "La Peau de Chagrin," Raphaël de Valentin, the ruined man of It is a parable of which the subject well genius, pays a desperate visit. Raphaël might be that unhappy Guy de Maupashas made up his mind that at nightfall he sant, whose insanity, coupled with an atwill fling himself over the Pont Royal into tempt on his own life, sent a thrill through the Seine. But meanwhile he wanders the best society in Europe, not many listlessly along the streets; loiters in front months ago. He has painted for our inof shop-windows; remarks the air and struction, if likewise to the amazement of features of a lady making purchases all serious minds, the France and the Paris within; and at last, stumbling against the of to-day. And he has fallen a victim to entrance of the bric-a-brac merchant's, the passions and follies which he so vivmakes a voyage of exploration among his idly described. During twelve or fourteen treasures. It is a house of many stories, years, he poured out upon an audience full to overflowing, The young man looks never weary of listening, as many as one upon all the strange, beautiful, and costly hundred and fifty stories, long and short, things which have been swept up from grave and gay, to suit all tempers save the the graves of fifty generations, the pan modest and the philosophic. He had orama, so life-like yet so phantasmal, of proved himself the most admirable storyages that have vanished; their artistic teller of our generation, provided we look leavings in bronze, marble, ivory, steel, only to the workmanship, and disregard and gold; the colors and shapes in which the moral. Thus, to pursue our comparithey took delight; the vestures of all hues son, we may liken him to the explorer of and tissues wherewith they girt their some quaint museum in which things old beauty round about; the gods which they and new lie side by side, fantastically worshipped; the amulets, seals, and talis- shapen yet true to life, and giving back mans wherein they sought protection the world in miniature. Nay more, Mauagainst evil and the unknown. And the passant was the painter of a gallery of poet's imagination-for he is of that pictures, to which many eyes were drawn. sensitive race already troubled, be- But he was also, unluckily for himself, a comes yet more chaotic, lending to these pilgrim in search of the miraculous, the dead things a factitious and uncertain life. talismanic, desperately seeking after new They glare at him with uncanny vision; pleasures, though to purchase them imthey move and throb as with an awaken-plied, as with Raphaël de Valentin, the ing pulse; they seem to promise and over- very shrinking of the warp and woof of life power in the same moment. Then, like a and mental suicide. figure out of some ghostly world, the owner of these marvels comes upon the scene. He listens in a sarcastic, slightly cynical mood to Raphaël's story; offers him, but at the youth's own risk, that formidable and victorious talisman of the wild ass's skin; and when he snatches it eagerly, 1. Contes et Nouvelles, and other Novels. Par Guy de Maupassant. Paris, 1891. 2 Lettres à George Sand. Paris, 1884

Par G. Flaubert.

3 Portraits et Souvenirs Littéraires. Par Th. Gautier. Paris, 1885.

Essais et Psychologie Contemporaine. Par Paul
Bobrget. Paris, 1891.
Feuilles Détachées. Par Ernest Renan. Paris,

1892.

Thus, like M. Ernest Renan, Victor Hugo, and George Sand, he continues the story of French literature as it goes down that steep descent, along which it has been hurrying these many years. And if we dwell for a moment on his sudden fame and no less sudden collapse - which we do with a reluctance easily imaginable the reason is, that not only in distinguished French circles, but even, to some extent, among ourselves, it has been thought a mark of modern culture to be acquainted with the world he sketches. This we look upon as, in every sense, a mistake, which would never be tolerated