far and wide, not only "the time o'day," but time o'night. The clock tower is situated at the north west angle of the palace, adjoining Westminster bridge; three of its sides are disengaged from the ground to the top, and the fourth is connected with the buildings on the east side of New Palace yard, which contain the residences of the officers of the House of Commons. The west side is not yet finished, as it is proposed that the new buildings designed by the architect to enclose Palace yard, and to complete the new palace on that side should adjoin it. The walls of the tower 3 feet 6 inches in thickness are built of brick, with a facing of Anston stone. The roof of the tower is of cast iron, galvanised, and the ornaments upon it are for the most part of the same material. The finial is of wrought copper, and is gilt, as are also the various crockets and other ornamental details. The whole weight of the metal roof is about 300 tons. The lower part of the tower contains 11 stories of rooms, which are appropriated to various purposes, and include a prison for refractory members of the House of Commons, and others who may incur the Speaker's august displeasure. Those who are incarcerated will have the advantage, at any rate, of being able to count the hours of their captivity. The upper part of the tower is entirely devoted to the clock, bells, and lightning chamber, to which there is a separate staircase, enabling visitors to ascend to the lantern in the middle of the roof.

counts of the venerable philosopher announced that he could sit up during three or four hours in the day, and had resumed his literary occupations.

THE PLENIPOTENTIARY TO THE COURT AT PEKIN.-The Earl of Elgin has accepted the office of Plenipotentiary to the Court of Pekin, and will proceed on his mission as soon as he has been made sufficiently acquainted with the views of Her Majesty's Government. It is stated by the "Press" newspaper, that the post was first offered to the Duke of Newcastle.

GOVERNMENT ARTIZANS AND EMIGRATION.-Upwards of 2,000 workmen in various departments of the Royal Arsenal, Woolwich, having received notice to leave in accordance with the reductions in the last army estimates, a memorial, adopted at a large meeting of the men held in the Paper Mill, at the Royal Arsenal, has been forwarded to Lord Panmure, praying his Lordship to interest himself in procuring from Government the grant of a free passage, with rations and the use of necessary stores, for a voyage for them and their families to the Canadas, Australia, or elsewhere. This memorial has received the favourable consideration of the War Office, and it is confidently believed that the means of free emigration will be provided for the whole of the men.

THE TIMES.

DEATH OF UNCLE TOM.-The Indianapolis Journal mentions the death in that city of Thomas Magruder, an old negro, aged 110 years. He is supposed to have been the one who suggested the name and the leading features of the character in Mrs. Stowe's novel.

THE VICTORIA CROSS.-A suggestion has been made that all who have the honour to possess the decoration of the Victoria Cross should be permitted by Royal ordinance to affix the initial letters, "V. C." after their names.

THE NILE EXPEDITION.-The expedition in search of the sources of the Nile, which promised such rich conquests to the scientific world, has just been dissolved by the Viceroy of Egypt. The savans who had been called from France, England, and Germany, are about to return to their respective countries.

RAILWAY ENGINES.-Some conception may be formed of the progress of railways from this one circumstance, that within about thirty years from the opening of the first passenger line, one single establishment at Newcastle has turned out 1000 locomotive engines.

THE SOULAGES COLLECTION.-This collection is unfortunately lost to the public. In consequence of the recent financial discussions, the Chancellor of the Exchequer has, we understand, declined to accept the offer of the gentleman who purchased this collection, with the view of securing it for the country.

CHINA. Accounts from the frontiers of China, received at St. Petersburg, and published by the " Journal de l'Academie," announce that the Government of Pekin is in a state of dissolution; that the Emperor has no cash, and is forced to issue iron coin; that all moneyed men had left the city, and that the Chinese and Mantchous are in open hostility.

COMMITMENTS FOR DEBT.-The gross number of commitments for debt to the London and Middlesex Debtor's Prison and Horsemonger Lane Gaol, amounted in 1855 to 1,234, against 1,096 in 1854, 916 in 1853, and 870 in 1852. There were coinmitted in 1855, 832 persons for debts of t5 and under, 194 for debts between £5 and £10, and 208 for debts above £10.

FANCY DRESS BALL IN THE EAST.-A children's Fancy dress Ball was recently given at the British Embassy in Constantinople; among the children of the Europeans, and the Armenians, and Jews, were seen mixing and dancing the young daughters of some of the highest Turkish dignitaries. The proceeds of the ball (£3,000) were distributed to the poor

and sick.

ILLNESS OF HUMBOLDT.-Alexander von Humboldt has had a very severe attack of illness, the consquences of which it was at first feared would be fatal. Having returned home at a late hour from a court hall, and having retired to rest, he was obliged to get up in the night, and fell partially paralysed on one side. Entire rest, and the care of one of the first physicians of Berlin, have now, however, almost completely restored him to his usual health. He has been twice visited by the King. The last ac

PROPHECY

OF THE FRENCH REVOLUTION.

ROM the propensity of the human mind to ascribe to itself the power of Prophecy, and to endeavour to remove that veil with which futurity is fortunately enveloped, have principally originated the numerous predictions which are now renewed, and some of which are read with interest.

There is, in particular, no want of such as relate to the great catastrophe in France. Nostrodamus has had abundance of followers. Among these, the well known French writer, Cazotte, is eminently distinguished. His prophecy of the French revolution is much more precise and explicit than oracles of this kind in general are. It made its appearance in a literary publication of select works of the celebrated Laharpe. Though reason naturally excites a distrust of such visions and predictions, yet the reputation of the narrator demands some attention to the prophetic effusions which he himself heard, in the year 1788, from the lips of Cazotte.

It appears to me, says the aged Academician, as though it had happened but yesterday, and yet the circumstances took place in the year 1788. We were sitting at table, principally members of the Academy, with one of our colleagues. The company was numerous; it consisted of courtiers, men of letters, and others. We partook of a superb dinner. At the dessert, the Malvoisie and Cape wines had elevated the gaiety of the company to such a degree, that it could scarcely be restrained within any bounds. Chamfort had read to us some of his graceless and licentious tales, and yet the ladies who were present, had not as usual recourse to their fans.

Many impious jests were launched against religion; one read passages from Voltaire's Pucelle, amidst universal plaudits. Another admired the revolution which Voltaire had effected in the empire of the Sciences-"That great man," cried he, "gave the tone to his age; he is read as generally in every anti-chamber, as in the superb apartments of our most illustrious men." One of the guests related, with a hearty laugh, that his hair dresser had said to him in good earnest:"Look you, Sir, though I am but a poor fellow, I concern myself as little about religion, as the grandest of you gentlemen." It was the general opinion that a political revoluphilosophical spirit of the times. They wished happiness to tion would soon arrive, and that fanaticism must give way to the witnessing this great work. those whose age still allowed them to cherish the hope of

Only one individual of the party appeared to withhold his applause from our conversation: he merely laughed now and then at our enthusiasm. This was Cazotte, an eccentric, but amiable man. He at length broke silence, and said, with the utmost gravity, "Make yourselves easy, gentlemen, you will live to see this great and sublime revolution which you so

"You, M. de Condorcet, will die in prison, and by poison, which you will take to escape the hand of the executioner. So great will be the happiness of this revolutionary æra, that people will carry their dose constantly in their pocket." The whole table was convulsed with laughter. "M. Cazotte," said one of the guests, this story which you have been telling, is not near so pleasing as your Diable Amoureux (an uncommonly entertaining novel, by M. Cazotte). But how do you come by prisons, poison, and executioners? What have these to do with reason and philosophy?"

"Tis in the very name of philosophy," answered Cazotte; "in the very name of liberty and humanity, that reason will rule in the manner I prediet; it will be the express reign of reason; for to her alone will altars be erected throughout all | France, and the other temples will be shut up."

"Upon my word," interrupted Chamfort, bursting into a contemptuous laugh, "yon Cazotte will not be one of the priests that will perform the worship of reason."

"I hope not; but you, M. de Chamfort, will be one of the most worthy; for you will open your veins with a razor, but you will not die till several months afterwards."-The company looked at each other, and the laughter became still londer. "You, M. de Vicq d'Azyr will open six veins, one after the other, in a fit of the gout, and die the same night. As for you, Messrs. Nichollai, Bailly, and Malesherbes, you will all three die on the scaffold."

"Thank Heaven!" cried Rouchet, "it appears as if the speaker was determined to wreak all his vengeance on the Academy, he has dispatched the Academicians in a terrible way, but as I am not one of their number, he will surely be merciful to me."

"You? no; you too, like the others, will expire on the scaffold."

"He must have conspired," was now the universal cry, “to exterminate us altogether."

"Are we then to be conquered by the Turks and Tartars? and

"By no means; as I have already said, you will then live under the sway of reason and philosophy alone; those of, whom you may expect such treatment, are nothing but philosophers, who, like yourselves, will have nothing in their mouths but reason and philosophy."

The company now whispered each other, "It is plain, that he is a perfect fool; he always strives to appear eccentric in his jokes."

"That may be," said Chamfort, "but this humourist should be more cheerful; his stories smell too strongly of the gallows. But, tell me, Cazotte, when are all these things to happen?"

"Scarcely six years will have elapsed, before all that I predict will be accomplished."

"That is wonderful," at length exclaimed I (Laharpe), "and am I, then, to make no figure in all these scenes?

"You, sir, are destined for one of their most extraordinary wonders. You will become a Christian."

The room shook with violent and universal peals of laughter.

"Well," cried Chamfort, "I am easy if we are not to be dispatched till Laharpe has become a Christian. At that rate, we shall never die."

"We women come off the best," observed the Duchess de Grammont, as we pass for nothing at all in this revolu

66

tion. I mean not to say that we shall have no hand in it, but it is admitted that our sex--'

"Your sex, madam, will not, in this case, protect you; it will avail you nothing that you refrain from intermeddling; you will be treated, without distinction, like us men." "What say you, M. Cazotte? That must certainly be the end of the world."

"That I know not; but this I know perfectly well, that you Madame la Duchesse, will be conveyed in the executioner's cart, in company with many other ladies, with your hands tied behind your backs."

"At any rate, then," said the Duchess, "I shall be allowed a carriage covered with black cloth."

66

No, madam; ladies of still higher rank than yourself will be drawn in a cart, with their hands tied behind them." "Ladies of higher rank? Who can they be?"

"The Princesses of the blood royal? Of still higher rank than "

Here the company was in visible emotion; a deep gloom overspread the countenance of the master of the house, and they felt that the joke had been carried too far. Madame de Grammont, in order to bring back the conversation to a more agreeable tone, contented herself with observing

was

"They will, however, let me have a confessor?" "No, Madam, nobody will have any; the last condemned person, to whom it will be allowed as a favour, will be--," He paused a moment" will be the King of France." The host rose abruptly from the table, and his example followed by all his guests. He went up to M. Cazotte, whom he addressed in a pathetic tone: "Dear Cazotte,” said he, "your gloomy fancies have lasted too long; you go too far; you might commit yourself and the whole company." Cazotte took his bat, and was about to retire, without saying a word. Madame de Grammont, who always avoided every thing like gravity, detained him, saying, “Dear Mr. Prophet, we have listened long enough to your prophecies concerning us; but you have not said a word about yourself."

Cazotte paused for some time; his eyes were bedimmed with tears." Have you, Madam, ever read the siege of Jerusalem, by the historian Josephus?"

"Undoubtedly; who is there that has not? But, continue as though I had not."

"Well then, Madam, during this siege, a man went for seven successive days, round the ramparts of the city, in the face of the besieging Romans, and of the besieged Jews, incessantly crying, with a voice of thunder, Woe to thee, Jerusalem!' On the seventh day he exclaimed, 'Woe to thee, Jerusalem! woe to myself!' and at the same moment a prodigious stone, discharged by the enemy's machines, dashed him into a thousand pieces."

After this answer, Cazotte bowed and withdrew.

Let the reader open the history of the revolution, and he will find how, and in what way, the events announced in 1788 were accomplished in the years 1792, 3 and 4. Laharpe, as it is well known, escaped; but the atrocities of the revolution, which he looked upon as the consequence of what was denominated philosophy, made such an impression upon him, that, in his last years he became one of the most zealous defenders of that holy religion, which he had before so furiously attacked.

PETER PRY'S CORNER. Why does water dissolve sugar?

On account of the attraction or affinity which exists between their mutual particles.

Why is not oil dissolved by water?

Because there is no mutual affinity between them. What are the attendants of a hurricane?

Torrents of rain, and thunder and lightning.

What are the ordinary dimensions of clouds?

It is impossible to say, as they vary from the extent of a few yards to many miles.

Are all countries alike subject to a cloudy atmosphere? No; in Egypt where the temperature is higher and more equal, the sky is seldom clouded.

ings of brick and stone, especially in the business part of the city, where none others are now allowed to be built. The tide rises 21 to 23 feet at ordinary tides, and 23 to 25 feet at spring tides. At full and change of the moon, it is high water at 11 hours 44 minutes. There is good anchorage within the harbour in 10 to 70 fathoms water. Owing to the tide-falls at the head of this harbour, it is never frozen or in any way impeded by ice during the winter; vessels arrive and depart every day during the year. Its latitude is 45° 15' north, longitude 65° 3' 36" west; variation of the compass, 16° 30' west.

The position of St. John Harbour, at the month of a large river with numerous tributaries, and its entire freedom from obstruction by ice, give it great advantages over all the northern ports in North America, and render it almost certain of becoming a place of much commercial importance.

By means of the electric telegraph, St. John is in immediate communication with Nova Scotia and Canada, and with all parts of the United States to which the telegraph has been extended. A railway from the Harbour of St. John to Shediac, on the Gulf of St. Lawrence, a distance of 114 miles, is now in course of construction. It is proposed to extend this railway to the Nova Scotia boundary near Baie Verte, to meet the railway now being built from Halifax to that point and also northwardly from Shediac to Miramichi, and to the St. Lawrence and Trois Pistoles, there to connect with the grand trunk railway of Canada, and so with the great lakes and the far west. Another line of railway is also contemplated from the city of St. John, westwardly to the frontier of the United States at Calais, by which connection will be had with the whole railway system of the United States. From this line it is proposed to con struct a branch northwardly to Fredericton, and thence up the valley of the St. John, to give greater facilities for traffic, especially in winter.

At present, constant communication is maintained with Portland and Boston by first-class steamers. The time from St. John to Portland by Steamer, and thence by railway, either to Montreal or Quebec, is about 35 hours-to Boston, 20 hours.

The city of St. John is lighted with gas and supplied with water by iron pipes from a reservoir about four miles from the city. These water-works are to be immediately extended, so as to give every part of the city an ample supply of pure water.

THE FRENCH BRIDEGROOM. EUSTERCHE MOUTONNET was a rich laceman of

for he had never allowed his bills to be protested, or failed in his engagements. For thirty years that he had pursued a mercantile life, he had regularly attended to his concerns from eight o'clock in the morning to the same hour at night. He kept the day-book and ledger himself; Madame Moutonnet carried on the correspondence out of doors, and transacted business with the dealers; the shop and the till were confided to the care of Mademoiselle Eugenie Moutonnet.

M. Moutonnet, notwithstanding the grandeur of his position, could not be said to command in his own house; his wife ruled, ordered, and disposed of every thing. When she was in a good humour (a rare occurrence) she would allow her husband to go and take his cup of coffee, provided that he went to the coffee-house at the corner of la Rue Mauconsill, because there they gave plenty of sugar with their coffee, and M. Moutonnet always brought home three lumps to his wife.

This regulated life did not prevent our portly laceman from finding himself the happiest of men; so true is it, that "what is one man's meat, is another man's poison." Moutonnet was a man of simple, peaceable tastes, and, like a child, it was necessary to his happiness to be led.

Madame Moutonnet was past forty; but she had made up her mind to stop the encroachments of time at thirty-six. Madame Moutonnet was never pretty, but, being a large woman, she had persuaded Moutonnet that he had a very fine woman for his wife. She was no coquette, but she desired to bear the bell for wit and beauty. She had never loved her husband, and was very jealous

of her rights. In fact, she herself was a very "dragon of virtue." The fruit of this convenient union of domination and docility, was one pretty, unaffected, sensible, and tender-hearted girl, her father and afraid of her mother. A kindly, stout woman, eighteen years of age at the commencement of our story, fond of named Jeanneton, and Bidois, an old clerk, completed the do

mestic establishment of the Moutonnets.

One day, at dinner, when Moutonnet was plying his knife and fork with vigour, that he might return presently to his ledger, Madame Moutonnet, "assuming an air almost amiable," said to her husband, "Monsieur Moutonnet, to-morrow is the day of Saint Eustache."

"No! really!" said the laceman, trying to seem astonished, though eight days past he had kept a strict watch upon the barometer, to see if the weather promised to be fine on his name-day.* "Are we so near the 20th ?""

Yes, sir, to-day is the 19th of September."

You are very good, Madame Moutonnet; and you know I never forget Sainte Barbe;- dear heart!" "We are not talking at present of Sainte Barbe, sir, but saint Eustache, which we shall keep to-morrow." "You are right, my dear."

"I have arranged a little pic-nic party for the Wood of Romainville; does that suit you, sir?"

"How, my dear? suit me! I am delighted! - the Wood of Romainville, you know I always was fond of!

That charming wood, the lover's good.'

"We are not talking of lovers, Monsieur Moutonnet; you are always so foolish!"

My dear, it is the fault of Saint Eustache now.” "Recollect yourself, sir:"and a severe look made M. Moutonnet comprehend that his daughter sat next him, and could understand all he said upon such forbidden subjects; and so the good man was silent, and his wife continued:-"I have invited a good deal of company for to-morrow, and I endeavoured to make a good choice among our acquaintance. I think you will be satisfied with my choice.

"My dear, you know that I always am!"

"Let me speak, M. Moutonnet; if you interrupt me so every instant, we shall never have done."

You are right, my dear."

Let us see who will be there.-First, there will be we three. and Bidois: I shall not take Jeanneton, because I do not wish to leave the house empty; I should not be easy. M. Bidois will carry the baskets; besides, you know, it amuses him."

Yes, ma'am," said the old clerk, forcing a smile to hide the face he could not help making at the notion of carrying the baskets.

"I warn you, Monsieur Bidois, that they will perhaps be a little heavy to-morrow, for we shall be a great many, and, except bread and wine, which we shall get at the guard-house, we shall take every thing with us,-but, you are strong, you are active.” "And I shall be able to relieve you too, sometimes," said M. Moutonnet.

"Not at all, sir," said Madame; "I do not intend that; I do not wish you to tire yourself in the morning; by evening you would be good for nothing."

"You are right, my dear."

"Well, then, return to our company: we shall have M. Bernard, the toyman, and his wife, their daughter Mimi, and their little clerk, Esteve. Monsieur Bernard is a very agreeable man, full of wit and gaiety. When he is in company, he sets every thing going, and that is what we shall want; if we had no one but you, Monsieur Moutonnet, to amuse the company!. But, my dear, it appears to me

"Hush! I am going on: Madame Bernard is far from having her husband's spirit, though she has plenty of pretension, and is for ever putting in her word."

In addition to these, M. Gerard, a perfumer, his wife, his sister, and little boy came to the pic-nic; and M. Dupont and M. Adolphe Dalville, a clerk in a neighbouring linendraper's were introduced, to enlarge the party beyond the fatal number of

thirteen.

M. Dupont was a flourishing grocer, about forty years of age, living in the Rue aux Ours. He wore a queue and powder, because he thought it became him, and because his perruquier told him that it gave him an air of distinction. yellow waistcoat, gave him a sort of fantastical appearance that His sky-blue coat and

In France it is the custom, instead of the day on which a person is born, to keep that of the saint whose name they bear.