a suitable reception for their unpleasant attentions. His anticipation proved too true, but his preparations for defence altogether inadequate; for in less than half an hour the house was surrounded by a numerous band of English troopers. The stables were first emptied; the tower was then attacked, and after a brave but bootless resistance it was at the mercy of its assailants. The hall was speedily plundered of such articles of value as could be conveniently carried off. The great staircase was resolutely defended to the last by Maurice, for he supposed it to be the only way of access to the women's apartments, and gallantly disputed the passage, single-handed, against all comers. At length, to his no small astonishment, he observed that Marion had been led off captive by the leader of the English, who had obtained an entrance to the tower by the postern door. Maurice now surrendered himself as eagerly as he had formerly fought; and his captors ignorant of his motives, and in hope of future ransom promptly accepted his submission as a prisoner. The rievers having secured a large amount of booty, hastily retreated thereupon towards the Whitadder, leaving Prieststownhaugh to its utterly disconsolate inmates.

The heir of Henshaw had also been made prisoner; and he and Maurice were mounted on horseback and carefully guarded, in the centre of the troop, as they rode off towards the Border-Marion's horse being in the rear, alongside that of the leader, who, no doubt, wished to retain her as his own special prize.

Fenwick, who commanded the English, was a notorious riever—as were nearly all of his name-and an outlaw on both the Marches. He had in former times been a terror to the Border-side, having committed ravages in all directions, and was possessed of an extraordinary faculty of misleading and baffling his pursuers. Maurice who had surrendered himself prisoner in the hope of being able at whatever risk to rescue Marion, now became painfully conscious of the utter hopelessness of such a task. There was a possibility, but nothing more, that the alarm which no doubt Thom would persist in spreading despite all contradiction might be the means of intercepting Fenwick and his party, but the rapid pace kept up by the English troopers, and the darkness of the night left little hope that pursuit, however expeditious, could be successful.

The troopers on reaching the banks of the Tweed plunged into the darkness of the river, and the horses well accustomed to such feats, bore them safely across the stream. On reaching English ground there was a halt and breathing-space for man and horse: meanwhile the dark clouds that had hitherto obscured the moon broke up heavily, and the welcome light enabled Maurice to look around for Marion. He had already been separated from young Henshaw, and he discovered that the freebooters were about to disperse in different directions, by the secret orders of their leader; but neither Marion nor Fenwick were to be seen. A cry of "help" at that moment proceeded from the

Scottish side which thrilled his very soul, and on looking across the Tweed, the glimmering moonlight, which had shown Marion her separation from her friends and its dangers, enabled Maurice to comprehend at a glance the perils of her situation and of his own. For two boats had been moored closely under the Scottish bank of the river, and Fenwick having placed Marion .in one of these, was now engaged in sinking the other, lest it should enable his pursuers to follow him to his retreat. Maurice saw this, and a hope of rescue flashed upon his mind and aroused all his energies, for now or never could she be saved for whom he would willingly sacrifice his life.

Not an instant was to be lost, nor did Maurice hesitate. Freeing himself at a bound from the trooper, who held him in charge, he sprang towards the thick shadowy brushwood which overhung the bank of the Tweed, and next moment he was in the river, unfollowed, unobserved.

Maurice was an expert and powerful swimmer, and a few swift strokes brought him-unseen even by Marion herself-alongside the boat, at the moment when Fenwick was unfastening its moorings in order to row down the Tweed.

To spring into the boat, and grasp the astonished robber by the throat, was the work of an instant.

At this critical juncture was heard, along the northern road, the rattle of approaching hoofs, but the resolute borderer, unwilling to relinquish either his captive or his own liberty without a struggle, closed all the more fiercely upon his assailant.

Contrasted with his stunted thickset antagonist, Maurice was a giant in stature and muscular power; and in a fair field his superior strength and agility would have secured him an easy victory over the moss-trooper, who was formidable only in the saddle; but in this swift and deadly grapple, these advantages were of little avail, owing to the narrow and precarious footing which the boat afforded: nevertheless, Maurice maintained his vantage, encircling his foe in a grasp of iron. Twice, indeed, had he brought the stubborn borderer to his knees, and again did he bear him back irresistibly towards the prow, when the freebooter, who had maintained his grasp with the ferocity of a tiger, mustering his fast-failing energies in one convulsive effort, hurled his antagonist overboard.

They fell and sank together-never to rise again; and the dimpling eddies of the Tweed settled smoothly over their watery grave.

Marion had fainted, and was altogether unconscious of the tragedy which had been enacted, when Thom and a small party who had followed the track of the robbers arrived in time to rescue and restore her to Prieststownhaugh.

Thus was Marion saved.

Thus too perished a noble heart; and his friend, sorrowing over his untimely death, but prouder still that he had ever lived, raised a cairn by Tweedside to the memory of Maurice.

104

Current History of Literary and
Scientific Events.

SEPTEMBER 1ST.-THURSDAY.

Statue to Shakespeare.—It is proposed to raise funds by a penny subscription for a shrine and statue to Shakespeare on Primrose Hill at a cost of £2400. The Urban Club seems to give the plan its sanction, and Mr. Phelps is the President. After the two signal failures of the London and Stratford Committees, the gentlemen who form the council and executive committee of this "Penny Memorial" must certainly possess a greater amount of enthusiasm than is usually assigned to practical Englishmen.,

The Decorations of Westminster Palace.—The report of the Commission appointed to consider the agreements with the artists engaged on the wall paintings of Westminster Palace has been printed. The Commission think a further sum of £3000, in addition to the £3000 he has received, should be paid to Mr. Herbert for his "Moses," etc., and that the contract as to the remaining eight pictures should be cancelled and a new contract entered into. They recommended that Mr. Machlise should receive £10,000 in all for his two paintings already finished, instead of £7000, the sum agreed upon; the contract for the remainder to be cancelled and a new contract entered into. Messrs. Cope and Ward had eight pictures each to execute for £600 each. Mr. Cope has completed six and Mr. Ward five. They are recommended to complete the remainder with all convenient speed, and that they be paid £100 additional for each picture. Mr. Dyce's work was left incomplete at his death, and the Commission do not think the state of things calls for further interference. The Commission express the opinion that in future there should be no deviation from a contract entered into, believing that nothing would more effectually discourage the country from giving important commissions to artists.

SEPTEMBER 2D.-FRIDAY.

The New Chapel of St. John's College, Cambridge, which is being erected from the designs of Mr. G. G. Scott, is to have a massive stone tower as a substitute for the fléche, or wooden spire, as originally proposed; Mr. Hoare, the banker of Fleet Street, having, in the most handsome manner, presented the tower to his college of which he was a distinguished member.

The Highest Mountain in Britain.-A new measurement of Ben Macdhui and the other mountains of the Cairngorm group, has just been made by the Royal Engineers, presently engaged upon that part of the Ordnance Survey of Scotland. Ben Macdhui, which was formerly supposed to be 4390 feet in height, is now set down at nearly 100 feet less than that, viz., 4296. Some years since Ben Macdhui was supposed to be seventeen feet higher than Ben Nevis, the height of which was then put down at 4373. Ben Macdhui was therefore at that time authoritatively stated to be the highest mountain in Britain. Since then, however, the tables have taken a turn, and Ben Nevis would now appear

to be by far the higher of the two. The Ordnance Survey of Ben Nevis, so far as we are aware, has not yet been made; but taking its height at the old measurement of 4373 feet, and Ben Macdhui at its newly ascertained height— viz., 4296 feet-Ben Nevis appears by this calculation to be seventy-seven feet higher than the highest of the Grampian range. The difference is still greater in favour of Ben Nevis, if we accept its height as being 4406, as marked in a map lately published by Messrs. Chambers in Milner's "Gallery of Geography." Braeraich is set down in the new survey at 4248. Cairntoul, which was formerly believed to be 4245 feet in height, is now taken down five feet, and made 4240. The height of Benabourd is fixed at 3923 feet.

SEPTEMBER 3D.-SATURDAY.

The Exhibition of Pictures by French Artists, in Pall Mall, will close on the 21st inst. About two-thirds of the pictures are marked as sold; and altogether the exhibition has been a great success.

Cutting a Lion's Claws. -The Brussels journals give an account of a curious surgical operation just performed on the great African lion belonging to the Zoological Society of that city. For some time past the animal has been suffering from disease in the feet, which necessitated the cutting of its claws. In order to do this without danger, a large box was prepared with a grated bottom, covered by a wooden floor, which could be withdrawn so as to allow the lion's feet to pass between the bars. The top of the box was also made to descend by means of screws so as to press on the animal and prevent it from drawing in its feet. When the lion had entered the box, the latter was turned on its side and the sliding-bottom withdrawn; the paws then slipping between the bars, and the screws above were tightened. M. Thiernasse, assisted by five pupils of the Veterinary School, then proceeded to cut away the claws. The patient bore the operation tolerably well, only uttering a short roar occasionally, and seemed relieved when the first paw had been cut and dressed. A keeper, to whom the lion is much attached, sat near its head and endeavoured to calm it by talking, evidently not without effect. The operation was successfuly performed, and there is every reason to believe that the cure will be complete.

An Equestrian Statue of the late Prince Consort, in bronze, by Mr. Thornicroft, was unveiled on Saturday last at Halifax. Sir Charles Wood, one of the members for the borough, and Sir F. Crossley, one of the members for the Riding, were present with the Mayor, upon the platform in front of the statue, during its inauguration.

SEPTEMBER 4TH.-SUNDAY.

SEPTEMBER 5TH.-MONDAY.

Trajan's Column.-Copies of the bas-reliefs of Trajan's column at Rome, bronzed by the galvano-plastic process, have been placed in the Galerie Napoléon III. of the Louvre-so arranged that the column appears to have been divided into eight equal portions, each seven or eight yards in height. This will enable artists and archæologists to study these bas-reliefs in their chronological order. Bishop Colenso and the Inspiration of the Bible.-Bishop Colenso has addressed the following letter to the editor of the Guardian :-"Sir,-In your leading article of August 10, you have asserted that I have denied the inspiration of the Bible.' This is calumny which has been repeated, and which, I suppose, will be repeated unto the end, by those who are not careful to speak the strict truth. I once more protest emphatically against this unfair and unfounded charge. I have never denied the inspiration of the Bible. I have said this already on page 18 of my Part III., and I now repeat it, and add further that none of my

writings have given a shadow of reason for making such an assertion as the above. I fully believe that the Bible is inspired, and I have spoken, in my Part I., page 13, of the 'special working of God's Spirit on the minds of its writers.' But I do not believe that every statement of the Bible is so inspired as to be infallibly true. I do not believe, as the Bishop of Capetown does, that 'the whole Bible'--every line and letter of the Chronicles, Esther, the Book of Job-'is the unerring Word of the living God.' I trust, sir, that, after this positive contradiction on my part, you will not again repeat a statement which is utterly untrue.-J. W. NATAL."

"22 Sussex Place, Kensington, August 11, 1864."

SEPTEMBER 6TH.-TUESDAY.

Sources of the Nile.-Dr. Miani has been visiting Gotha, Leipzig, and Berlin, and making preparations for another expedition to explore the sources of the Nile and the countries of the Lake district. A public subscription has been opened for the purpose among the merchants of Trieste, from whence the expedition will start, and also amongst those of Venice and Alexandria. The Emperor of Austria has given the doctor one hundred rifles, with sufficient ammunition, stores-shoes and articles of clothing to meet all the requirements of Miani's escort. It is hoped that the Austrian Parliament will grant the 6000 florins towards the expenses of the expedition, which it refused last year to the Govern ment. The Roman Catholic Mission-house at Khartum will be the base of Dr. Miani's operations; and a wealthy German resident of that town has offered to bear one-fourth of the expenses of the expedition, and to accompany it in the character of botanist. The botanical gardens attached to the Mission-house at Khartum are very extensive, and are planted with all kinds of tropical plants and trees. M. Kirchner, one of the chief missionaries, has been engaged for some years in preparing a dictionary of the Bari language, and various other languages spoken on the banks of the White Nile, all of which bear some affinity to it, and to the language of the Wakaufi, spoken in Equatorial Africa. A Blind Printer.-The editor of the Green-Castle Banner says he found a curiosity in a printing-office at Gosport. One of the gentlemen connected with the establishment is a blind man, and sets up types remarkably well. He is the first blind printer he ever came across. He stated to him that his average day's work was 5000 ens, and that on several occasions he set from 7000 to 9000 ens. His letter is distributed for him, and his copy read by his partner, his memory being so perfect that he can retain from four to six lines; when this is finished he cries the last word "set," when another sentence is read, and thus continues on during the day.

SEPTEMBER 7TH.-WEDNESDAY.

Abyssinia. That successful adventurer Theodore, the sable emperor of Abyssinia, some time since demanded, through the English Consul at Massowa, the hand of her Majesty Queen Victoria in marriage; and, because no favourable answer has been received, he has imprisoned the Consul. M. Lejean, the French Consul, who for some other cause was a prisoner on parole, has been expelled the country by an imperial decree, and has lately reached Alexandria. He states that the English Consul is not only in prison, but is kept in irons. Explorations of the Niger.-According to " Galignani," the French exploring expedition to trace the course of the Niger, under MM. Mage and Quentin, had reached Segou. Lieutenant Mage is well-known from his previous explorations of 1859 and 1860.

The Law of Copyright.-The "Stationer" of this month goes fully into the merits of the recent copyright decision of Vice-Chancellor Kindersley, in the important case of Low v. Routledge. "We cannot sympathize," says the writer, "with