Notes On Literature, Science And Art.

NOTES ON LITERATURE , SCIENCE AND ART .

BY BRO . GEORGE MARKHAJI TAVEDDELL , Fellow of the Royal Society of Northern Antiquaries , Copenhagen ; Corresponding Member of the Royal Historical Society , London ; Honorary Member of the Manchester Literary Club , and of the Whitby Literary and Philosophical Society ,

IN 1850 the Romish Church had 788 priests , 587 churches and chapels , 10 colleges , 11 male convents , aud 50 female convents , in Eng land and Wales . From 1850 to 1875 they have increased to 1 , 728 priests , 1 , 041

churches and chapels , IS colleges , 77 male convents , and 246 female convents . According to M . Durin , the quality of beet-root is in inverse ratio to the bulk of the crop . This is no more than might haA'e been expected ; for nature is full of

compensations . Thus COAVS that give the most milk , do not furnish so rich a fluid as the more moderate milkers ; animals that bring forth young in greatest numbers , generally produce much poorer offspring than more moderate breeders ; and fruits

and vegetables are subject to the same law . The tree or seed which produces the largest crop , either fails in flavour , in size of produce , or in both . The cattle which are best for the butcher are not the best

for the dairy . The strongest horse is not the sAviftest . " Whatever is , is right . " Mr . W . H . Johnson has communicated to the Royal Society the results of his experiments on the action of hydrogen and acids on iron and steel ; from which it

appears that a piece of pliable iron wire , Avhich Avould bear bending backwards and forwards several times Avithout breaking , on being immersed for a feAV minutes in strong hydrochloric or dilute sulphuric acid , became so brittle as to break " after being bent once on itself ; " and if the fractured part be Avetted Avhile still hot from the

breaking , tt froths , throtigh bubbles of gas being throAvn off for half a minute or more . Steel does not froth Avhen placed under similar treatment ; but the action of acids is quicker on steel than on ordinary iron . Ten minutes immersion in dilute sul phuric acid , will occasionally cause a coil of hi ghly carbonised tempered steel to break into several pieces Avhilst in , and from the action

alone of , the liquid . That hydrogen is the cause of these remarkable changes seems to be proven by the fact that only those acids which evoke hydrogen by their action on iron have any effect , nitric acid having

none . The Avorks of our immortal Shakspere , Avhich have never been so popular Avith the Latin as the Teutonic race , are now being translated into Italian , by Giulio Carcano , and published at Milan . The edition is to be completed in from seven to ten volumes .

The former translation by Leoni is said to have been far too " free . " Should Carcano succeed in making thecountrymen of Dante and Boccacio acquainted Avith the real merits of the still greater Shakspere , he will become one of the greatest benefactors

of his country ; for , as Thomas Carlyle Avell puts it : — " In spite of the sad state hero-Avorship now lies in , consider Avhat this Shakspere has actually become among us . Which Englishman Ave ever made , in this land of ours , Avhich million of

Englishmen , Avould we not give up rather than the Stratford peasant ? There is no regiment of highest dignitaries that Ave would not sell for him . He is the grandest thing that Ave have yet done . For our honour among foreign nations , as an ornament to our English household , Avhat

item is there that Ave Avould not surrender rather than him 1 Consider now , if they asked us , Will you give up your Indian Empire or your Shakspere , you English ; never have had any Indian Empire , or never have had any Shakspere 1 Really it were

a grave question . Official persons Avould answer doubtless in official language ; but Ave , for our part too , should not Ave be forced to answer : 'Indian Empire , or no Indian Empire ; we cannot do Avithout Shakspere ! Indian Empire will goat any

, rate , some day ; but this Shakspere does not go , he lasts for ever Avith us ; Ave cannot give up our Shakspere . ' " And yet so little did the gifted and liberal-minded Voltaire comprehend this greatest of Englishmen , that he compared his most intellectual

tragedy , that of " Hamlet , " to " the work of a drunken savage " !!! May the people of united Italy understand him better through their countryman , Carcano , than ever the Avitty Frenchman did . I am glad to see that the admirable little sixpenny " Guide to Ryedale , " published by Mr . George Frank of Kirbymoorside ,