THE NUMBER OF THE BEAST.

Among the curious things extant in relation to Luther is the covert attempt of an ingenious theological opponent to make him the apocalyptic beast or antichrist described in Revelation ch. xiii. The mysterious number of the beast, "six hundred threescore and six," excited the curiosity of mankind at a very early period, particularly that of Irenæus, in the second century, who indulged in a variety of shrewd conjectures on the subject. But after discovering the number in several names, he modestly says, "Yet I venture not to pronounce positively concerning the name of antichrist, for, had it been intended to be openly proclaimed to the present generation, it would have been uttered by the same person who saw the revelation." later expositor, Fevardent, in his Notes on Irenæus, (pub.1675) after summing up the names given by the distinguished father, and those proposed by other authors, as applicable, adds to the list the name of Martin Luther, which, he says, was originally written Martin Lauter. "Initio vocabatur Martin Lauter," says Fevardent; "cujus nominis literas si Pythagorice et ratione subducas et more Hebræorum et Græcorum alphabeti crescat numerus, primo monadum, deinde decadum, hinc centuriarum, numerus nominis Bestia, id est, 666, tandem perfectum comperies, hoc pacto."

A

It is but just to Fevardent, however, to observe that he subsequently gave the preference to Maometis.

GALILEO'S LOGOGRAPH.

Galileo was the first to observe a peculiarity in the planet Saturn, but his telescope had not sufficient refractive power to separate the rings. It appeared to him like three bodies ar

ranged in the same straight line, of which the middle was the largest, thus, oo. He announced his discovery to Kepler under the veil of a logograph, which sorely puzzled his illustrious cotemporary. This is not to be wondered at, for it ran

Smasmrmilmepoetalevmibvnienvgttaviras.

Restoring the transposed letters to their proper places, we have the following sentence :

Altissimum planetam tergeminum observavi.

(I have observed the most distant planet to be threefold.)

Punch has favored the world with the following song, sung before her Britannic Majesty by a Chinese lady. It looks rather difficult at first; but if the reader studies it attentively, he will see how it is to read Chinese :

easy

THE REBUS.

Ben Jonson, in his play The Alchemist, takes an opportunity of ridiculing the Rebus, among the other follies of his day which he so trenchantly satirizes. When Abel Drugger, the simple tobacconist, applies to the impostor Subtle to invent for him a sign-board that will magically attract customers to his shop, the cheat says to his confederate, in presence of their admiring dupe,—

I will have his name

Formed in some mystic character, whose radii,
Striking the senses of the passers-by,

Shall, by a virtual influence, breed affections

That may

result upon the party owns it.

As thus: He first shall have a bell-that's Abel;
And by it standing one whose name is Dee,

In a rug gown; there's D and rug-that's Drug;
And right anenst him a dog snarling er-

There's Drugger. ABEL DRUGGER, that's his sign,

And here's now mystery and hieroglyphic.

A motto of the Bacon family in Somersetshire has an ingenious rebus,—

PROBA-CONSCIENTIA;

the capitals, thus placed, giving it the double reading, Proba conscientia, and Pro Bacon Scientia.

NOTHING.

Me the contented man desires,

The poor man has, the rich requires ;
The miser gives, the spendthrift saves,
And all must carry to their graves.

THE BOOK OF RIDDLES.

The Book of Riddles alluded to by Shakspeare in the Merry Wives of Windsor (Act I. sc. 1) is mentioned by Laneham, 1575, and in the English Courtier, 1586; but the earliest edition of this popular collection now preserved is dated 1629. It is entitled The Booke of Merry Riddles, together with proper Questions and witty Proverbs to make pleasant pastime; no less usefull then behovefull for any yong man or child, to know

if he be quick-witted or no. The following extract from this very rare work will be found interesting.

Here beginneth the first Riddle.

Two legs sat upon three legs, and had one leg in her hand; then in came foure legs, and bare away one leg; then up start two legs, and threw three legs at foure legs, and brought again one leg.

Solution. That is, a woman with two legs sate on a stoole with three legs, and had a leg of mutton in her hand; then came a dog that hath foure legs, and bare away the leg of mutton; then up start the woman, and threw the stoole with three legs at the dog with foure legs, and brought again the leg of

mutton.

Solution.

The Second Riddle.

He went to the wood and caught it,
He sate him down and sought it;
Because he could not finde it,

Home with him he brought it.

That is a thorne: for a man went to the wood and caught a thorne in his foote, and then he sate him downe, and sought to have it pulled out, and because he could not find it out, he must needs bring it home.

The iii. Riddle.

What work is that, the faster ye worke, the longer it is ere ye have done, and the slower ye worke, the sooner ye make an end?

Solution. That is turning of a spit; for if ye turne fast, it will be long ere the meat be rosted, but if ye turne slowly, the sooner it is rosted.

The iv. Riddle.

What is that that shineth bright all day, and at night is raked up in its own dirt?

Solution. That is the fire, that burneth bright all the day, and at night is raked up in his ashes.

The v. Riddle.

I have a tree of great honour,

Which tree beareth both fruit and flower;

Twelve branches this tree hath nake,
Fifty [sic] nests therein he make,
And every nest hath birds seaven;
Thanked be the King of Heaven;
And every bird hath a divers name:
How may all this together frame?

Solution. The tree is the yeare; the twelve branches be the twelve months; the fifty-two nests be the fifty-two weekes; the seven birds be the seven days in the weeke, whereof every one hath a divers name.

SIR HUMPHRY DAVY ON WEATHER-OMENS.

In his shepherd's calling he was prompt,

And watchful more than ordinary men.
Hence had he learned the meaning of all winds,
Of blasts of every tone; and oftentimes,
When others heeded not, he heard the South
Make subterraneous music, like the noise
Of bagpipes upon distant Highland hills.

THE late Sir Humphry Davy, one of the most successful modern explorers of the secrets of nature, was not above attending to, and explaining, the "weather-omens" which are derived from popular observation.

In his Salmonia he has the following dialogue between Haliens, (a fly-fisher,) Poietes, (a poet,) Physicus, (a man of science,) and Ornither (a sportsman) :