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exhibiting the rejected was suggested, we believe, | worthy of the illustrious personage it is intended to
by the emperor, to whom last year the aggrieved | commemorate.
presented a petition praying for fair-play. It was
eminently successful, for no sooner did the public
enter and see the works which had not been admit-
ted to the saloons of honor, than they broke into
loud laughter, and at once approved the judgment
of the jury, or hanging committee. Perhaps when
the question as to the new National Gallery, and
wider quarters for the Royal Academy, shall be
settled, this sore question may be settled also.

Architectural art is about to have an opportunity to display its skill in the Albert Memorial, which is to be erected in Hyde Park, opposite the entrance to the Horticultural Gardens. The height, when complete, will be one hundred and sixty feet, rising from a base one hundred and thirty feet square. This base will be a series of steps of gray granite, on the top of which the monument proper is to stand; comprising a frieze in marble, with figures in relief and life-size, bearing the massive columns of the superstructure, and the spire which will crown the whole. A statue of the late Prince Consort, seated in a chair of state, will be placed under the groined roof supported by the columns; and the whole work will, it is said, be every way

No artist ever made such a sudden advance in popular favor as the French designer Dore has done by his late magnificent illustrations to Dante and Don Quixote. It is a credit to the French press to have produced the volumes containing them. There are no English publications of a recent date to be compared to them. To the Don Quixote was given two years of the artist's life, which were passed in Spain until he was completely saturated with the spirit of the scene. The result is shown in the two noble folio volumes, containing several hundred drawings, executed on a scale almost new to wood engraving, and exhibiting effects of light and shade, etc., never before attempted or imagined by any artist. M. Dore seems to have raised up a school of engravers who faithfully second his wonderful graphic creations. The transcendent merit of these illustrations is so great, that though the work sells, we believe, for about two hundred and fifty dollars a copy, Messrs. D. Appleton & Co. have found their account in importing a small supply for this country, and the volumes may be examined at their store in Broadway.

OBITUARY.

THOMAS COLLEY GRATTAN.-Thomas Colley Grattan, author of Highways and Byways, died on Monday, in London. A native of Ireland, as his name imports, Colley Grattan's first acquaintance with | life was in camps, those especially that were found in and near France during the memorable year of 1815. From this life he acquired that social gayety and wit which ever after made part of his character. His residence abroad, especially in the south of France, can easily be gathered from his tales and novels, which were as popular as they were interesting and vivacious. Later, Colley Grattan forsook France for Belgium; and we believe it was owing to the friendship of King Leopold that he obtained the post of British consul at Boston. In that capacity he proved a most useful auxiliary to Lord Ashburton in the conclusion of that treaty with America which bears his lordship's name. Subsequently Colley Grattan transferred the consulship to his son, and returned to that European society which he so much preferred, and which has now been deprived of his presence.-Examiner, July 9th.

THE KING OF WURTEMBERG.-King William I. of Wurtemberg, whose death has just occurred, was the oldest of the monarchs of Europe. He was born in 1781, and was therefore, at the time of his death, in the eighty-third year of his age. He was the second King of Wurtemberg, having succeeded his father, Frederick I., in 1816. He took in 1812, and the following years, a prominent part in the war of Germany against France, and distinguished himself in several battles. In 1819 he granted to his subjects a constitution, which is still in force. In 1848 he opposed, like all the German princes, the

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GEN. GEORGE P. MORRIS died on the 7th of July, after an illness of several months, in the sixty-third year of his age. He was born in Philadelphia, but began his literary career in New-York at fifteen years of age. He was one of the originators and publishers, during the whole period of its existence, of the New-York Mirror. Afterward he was associated with N. P. Willis in the publication of the Evening Mirror. In 1845 he started the National Press, the name of which was afterward changed to the Home Journal, with which the names of Morris and Willis have ever since been identified.

As a poet, Morris is better known than even as a journalist, and his familiar lines, "Woodman, spare that tree !" are enjoyed wherever the English language is spoken. Besides the editing of various works, Mr. Morris's literary labors included a drama on incidents of the Revolution, called "Briercliff,” produced in 1837; a volume of sketches called The Little Frenchman, in 1838; the libretto of Horn's opera, "The Maid of Saxony," in 1842; The Deserted Bride and other Poems, in 1853.

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handle the Codex Vaticanus, the early copy of the | Spain, £7150; United States, £6650; Italy, £7000 Scriptures, which every body has heard of. Antonelli made objections, but thought it might be done after Holy Week. Hearing nothing from the ambassador in response to the application, and my last day of Rome having arrived, I thought it wise to see it if I could do no better. The custode objected; but I named big men, assured him I could turn its leaves if I staid longer in Rome, and asked only to look upon it. So he unlocked the desk-case and I saw the treasure. It lies flanked by a copy of Dante written by Boccaccio, and an original of Tasso, and bottomed by an old, small, illuminated service book.

"The Codex lies open. Each page has three narrow columns and wide margins. No punctuation, no division into sentences or even words, but an endless succession of capitals, yet not difficult to decipher, very clear and more modern in appearance than I had anticipated. In the other half of the case are old Virgils, quaintly illustrated. Were the glass over the Codex away five minutes, it would be easy to ascertain whether or not that famous Trinitarian text is in it: There are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, Word, and Holy Spirit, and these three are one,' which Channing calls a forgery.”

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DIME LITERATURE.-Some curious statistics have just been given respecting a class of literature, which, though rarely meeting the eye of ordinary book-buyers, has been stimulated into astonishingly rapid growth by the military events of the day, and now proffers to thousands in the tedium of camp and garrison life, etc., the only accessible means of mental culture. We allude to the "Dime Books" started by an enterprising firm in the year 1859. The distinguishing feature of the series was the price of each, ten cents, or a dime, from whence they take their name. They already amount to several hundred separate publications, and circulate, especially in the armies of the United States, to an extent perfectly unprecedented. Up to April 1st of this year, an aggregate of five millions of Messrs. Beadle & Co.'s "Dime Books" have been put in circulation, of which at least half were novels, nearly a third song-books, and the remainder hand-books, biographies, etc. Over 350,000 copies of the Dime Song-Book, No. 1, have been sold. The Dime National Tax Law has reached a circulation of more than 200,000 copies. The first edition of the dime novel Seth Jones, by E. S. Ellis, was 60,000 copies. It is satisfactory to learn, as a recent critic in the North American assures us from actual examination, that the dime literature is unexceptionally moral, and contains nothing that can even remotely pander to vice, whatever fault may be found with the literary style and composition; and it is a striking fact that the best books on the list are those that meet with the most steady and constant demand, so that the publisher is encouraged to raise the standard of merit, and discard gradually the poorer books-replacing them by works of real excellence.

COST OF EMBASSIES.-A return has been presented to the House of Commons of the total cost of each of her majesty's embassies, missions, and political agencies in foreign countries for the year 1863. The amounts were-Embassies: France, £14,445 16s. 6d.; Russia, £11,200; Austria, £11,200; Turkey, £16,169 18s. 4d.; Prussia, £9150. Missions:

108. 10d.; Portugal, £5363 148.; Brazil, £5950; Netherlands, £5150; Belgium, £4900; Bavaria, £5000; Denmark, £4985; Sweden, £4150; Han over, £4050; Frankfort, £3950; Wurtemburg, £3050; Saxony, £3300; Greece, £4375; Switzer land, £2650; Mexico, £5100; Argentine Republic, £4200; Central American Republics, £1767; Morocco, £2200 16s. 6d.; Rome, £650; Persia, £8050; China, £10,100; Japan, £3300. Chargés d'Affaires and Consuls-General: Chili, £2150; Peru, £2300; New-Granada, £2065; Venezuela, £1850; Montevideo, £1845; Ecuador, £1550; Hamburg, £2000; Hayti, £1200. Political Agencies: Egypt, £2550; Tunis, £1600; Bucharest, £1300; Sandwich Islands, £1500. Total, £197,117 16s. 5d. Other expenses connected with residences, outfits, conveyance of members, etc., give an additional sum of £51,582 17s. 44d.-English paper.

SICILIAN VILLAGES.-Nothing can be more palpable than the whole anatomy of a Sicilian village to the hastiest passer through it. Every door is open; every inhabitant without or at it, or in sight through it. A shop or two of wares, indicated by flags projecting-no name or writing of any kind on any house; some wine-stores; some mills at work; always bread and some little fruit exposed; a solitary school of six boys, a master, and a rod, while there are six hundred in the street; women spinning and knitting, a few here and there weaving; children in every degree of approximation to nakedness; and a large proportion of the population unemployed-such are the features presented. I never saw a country with so little of what is written in any form exposed publicly to view.-Mr. Gladstone, quoted in Murray's Hand-Book for Sicily."

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SKULL OF CONFUCIUS.-The skull of Confucius, which many of our readers will recollect as one of the most attractive objects in the Chinese Court of the Exhibition, and which was part of the loot of Fane's cavalry from the Summer Palace of the Emperor of China, was lately sold by auction by Messrs. Christie, Manson, and Woods, among some other articles of art collected by the late Lord Elgin in China and Japan. The skull itself, lined with pure gold, is placed on a triangular stand of the same metal, and rests on three very roughly shaped gold heads. The cover, richly ornamented, is also of pure gold, and studded with precious stones. Whether the skull be that of Confucius or not, it is evidently a sacred relic, and not a drinking-cup, as has been surmised. It was bought by Mr. Benjamin, of Glasshouse-street, for £327.—The Reader.

NEWSPAPERS OF SWITZERLAND.-Switzerland possesses one hundred and eighty-eight political journals, and one hundred and fifty-seven periodicals devoted to science, literature, agriculture, fashions, etc.; nine journals appear seven times a week, thirty-one six times, two four times, twenty-five three times, fifty-seven twice, seventy-five once; the others once a month, or at longer intervals.

SISMONDI'S OPINION OF WILLIAM SCHLEGEL, THE GERMAN CRITIC.-Schlegel is a presumptuous pedant, and his manner of delivering his judgments is nearly always extremely insolent. His way of writing and speaking is so bitter, and at the same time so disdainful, that he often wounds even when he wishes to praise.-Letters of Sismondi.

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