cannot make yourself acquainted with the stroy the very cradle of the renaissance of writings of the one people without becoming its literature. Under these circumstances, informed of the other. Even the native Swed- anything which may create in us a more ish poets, as the eloquent and spiritual Stag-lively interest in this little known, but highly nelius, are strongly imbued with the style endowed people, is desirable; and not the and feeling of Finland. least merit of Longfellow's fine poem may turn out to be this. I would refer those who may wish to increase their knowledge of Finlandic poetry to an article on the subject in the Eclectic Review for October of this year, and I would in conclusion suggest that this is not the first essentially American poem. Longfellow's

It is Sweaborg, the fortress of Helsingfors, that city in which the revival of Finlandic literature has taken place of late years, that we have this summer been battering down. In Helsingfors within a few years has been established a national library and literary society, and from it have gone forth Dr. Eli-" Evangeline" is that poem: American in as Lönrot, the Bishop Percy of Finland, and other learned men, to gather up the treasures of popular literature-the ballads, sagas, proverbs and riddles of that singularly wild and melancholy country. Next year we shall probably inflict more severe injuries on the coast towns of Finland, for its unfortunate subjection to Russia, and perhaps de

subject, in character and scenery. Longfellow has the double merit of writing the two first thoroughly American poems, one dealing with the White and one with the Red Men, and now of introducing to the readers of the New World the national metre of one of the most ancient races of the Old.

Yours, &c. WILLIAM HOWITT.

mind;

D'ISRAELI'S SONNET ON THE DUKE OF WEL-"Let thy great deeds force Fate to change her LINGTON.- Is your correspondent quite sure that he has correctly apprehended the application of the words:

"And, conquering Fate, Enfranchise Europe"?

The obvious meaning, as I take it, is that Wellington in conquering Napoleon conquered Fate; but the sense in which Napoleon may be described as "Fate" is not quite so clear. It is well known that he believed, or affected to believe, that he was destined for some extraordinary career. This impression seems to have taken hold of his imagination after the battle of Lodi. He then formed the design of grasping the French sceptre, and ultimately of aspiring to universal dominion. With those who, like himself, believed in fatalism, he passed for "l'homme du destin;" with those who put their trust in an all-ruling Providence, as "l'homme providentiel ;"' with all as invincible; and these notions contributed, even more than his wonderful genius, to his unparalleled success. The man, therefore, who arrested his career of conquest, and delivered the world from his ruthless sway, might well be described as "conquering Fate," that is, what was imposed on the world as "Fate."

He that courts Fortune boldly, makes her

kind."

MOUSTACHE WORN BY CLERGYMEN. When the episcopal wig came into fashion, it would seem that the beard was no longer worn by clergymen. In looking over a collection of prints, I find Wickliffe, William Tynedale, Dean Donne, George Herbert, Robert Herrick, Robert Burton, Bishop Jeremy Taylor, Archbishop Spottis wood, Thomas Fuller, Usher the Primate, and Robert South, all using the moustache; as did John Knox and Bunyan. The Jesuits in India, I believe, still wear it.

I have been unable to trace the latest instance of a clergyman wearing his gown and cassock in the streets; the custom apparently died out in the reign of one of the early Georges. MACKENZIE WALCOTT, M. A.

Nor is the expression, to "conquer Fate," without some precedent in our elder poets. Howard, in the Indian Queen, has made a sim- Notes and Queries. ilar application of it, where he says:

Dictator. "The mere mosquitoes who, said "present no difficulty. In the hour bred in a festering atmosphere of corruption, of victory we can afford to be moderate, and or sustained by its foul and foetid "you in the greatness of our power to be forgivshould attend more to alliteration, Scratcha- ing." way, f and p are my favorite letters.

Scratchaway. Thank you, sir, I do work the p's pretty well. I had quite a go in at people and police the other day. "Foul and foetid".

EPITAPH.-The following, which is probably | She was bland, passionate, and deeply religious: not to be surpassed, appeared in one of the earliest numbers of Household Words. It is from the churchyard of Pewsey, Wiltshire:

"Here lies the body of Lady O'Looney, great⚫ niece of Burke, commonly called the Sublime.

From The Press.

The Last of the Arctic Voyages. By Captain Sir Edward Belcher. Two Vols. London Lovel Reeve.

THESE volumes are carefully and elaborately produced. The scientific observations are copious and complete, and the notes on natural history are by some of the most eminent professors of our time. The plates illustrate the most striking phenomena and animated incidents of the voyage; but a few of them might well have been spared in favor of more charts-the most useful illustrations that can possibly accompany voyages of dis

covery.

Of the matter we must speak with more reserve. Sir Edward Belcher is not an agreeable narrator. He attaches excessive importance to his own opinions and doings, and thinks it necessary to reason minutely upon his instructions and his interpretation of them. Much of his book bears the character more of a defence than a narrative, which may, perhaps, be attributed to the fact that of the five vessels sent out under his command he brought but one back.

1847, when he connected his own discoveries with those of the Rosses on one shore of the gulf, and with those of Parry on the other. No trace of Franklin's ships could he find, nor from any of the Esquimaux could tidings be gained of them.

Sir James Ross with his ships wintered at Leopold Island, at the very entrance of the Inlet, in 1848-9, and in the spring of the latter year explored, by travelling parties, the neighboring shores, but without finding a trace of Franklin.

In 1851, Mr. Kennedy (with Lieutenant Bellot as a volunteer) sailed in the Prince Albert, for Regent's Inlet, wintered at Batty Bay, on the west shore of that gulf, and in the following spring performed the most extensive journey on record-proceeding south till they reached Bellot's Strait, then journeying west till they struck the sea, and returning home by Cape Walker, yet were wholly unsuccessful in the object of their search.

Is Captain Belcher ignorant of these facts? It would seem so by his supposition that in 1846 the ships of Franklin were driven into Regent's Inlet. No part of the Arctic region has been so thoroughly explored as this.

Franklin and his crews have unhappily been sacrificed to the weakness and indecision of the Admiralty. He has never been sought where he was directed to proceed. Walker, which he was expressly enjoined to That expanse of sea to the south beyond Cape explore, has, by a deplorable fatality, not even yet been properly searched. Franklin has been sought in every direction but the The ignorant clamor in favor of right one. Wellington Channel did infinite mischief, by putting research on a false scent.

Reserving the details of this expedition to another opportunity, we confine our immediate remarks to the main object of the expedition-What of Franklin? Not a trace of his ships was found either to the north of Wellington Channel by Captain Belcher, or to the west at Melville Island by Captain Kellett; or by either Collinson or McClure, in their extensive explorations from Behring's Strait to the very entrance of Barrow's Strait. At the close of his narrative, Captain Belcher proceeds to analyze the information brought home by Dr. Rae, and comes to the conclusion that as regards the scene of the catastrophe, it was at least two hundred miles removed from the spot stated by the Esquimaux. He supposes that Franklin's ships never went west or north of "A distance of three hundred leagues on a Wellington Channel; that from Beechey clear sea, keeping midway between the supposed Island they entered Regent's Inlet; were Banks' Land and the coast of America, would there lost, and that the crews dispersed into accomplish an object which, at intervals during three parties, one gaining Cape Riley, another three hundred years, has engaged the attention proceeding to Pond's Bay on the west shore of crowned heads, men of science, and mercantile of Baffin's Bay, and another, under Sir John bodies.”

It was impossible for Franklin to mistake his instructions. In proposing his expedition, the late Sir John Barrow said:

himself, endeavoring to reach a Hudson's His instructions were decisive : Bay post. It would be utter waste of space

to examine Captain Belcher's theory. It "In proceeding to the westward you will not proceeds upon the wildest conjecture of un-stop to examine any openings either to the northfettered fancy. It has not a single fact to ward or southward of that strait [Barrow's], support it. All is assumption, and moreover of the most irrational and arbitrary character. On this point he speaks like a man bereft of reason.

Probabilities are strongly against the ships having ever entered Regent's Inlet. The bottom of this Inlet (Committee Bay) was theroughly explored by Dr. Rae, in 1846 and DCVIII. LIVING AGE. VOL. XII. 12

but continue to push to the westward without loss of time, in the latitude of about 74 1-4, till you have reached the longitude of that portion of land on which Cape Walker is situated, or about 98 deg. west. From that point we desire that every effort be used to endeavor to pene-trate to the southward and westward, in a course as direct towards Behring's Strait as the position and extent of the ice, or the existence

of land at present unknown, may admit. We ica." If we put together his instructions, direct you to this particular part of the Polar his avowed intention, and the place where Sea as affording the best prospect of accom- his party were last seen, near the north plishing the passage to the Pacific." shore of King William's Land, travelling southward over the ice," can it be doubted that they must have come from that unexplored region which lies south-west of the furthest land yet traced from Cape Walker?

Can any one read attentively the above instruction and doubt what Franklin's course would be?"His first endeavor," said Sir John Richardson, who knew him well, "would be to act up to the letter of his instructions." Parry, James Ross, and Richardson, when examined before the Commons' Arctic Committee, all unhesitatingly expressed their conviction that Franklin, after passing Cape Walker, had penetrated to the Bouth-west.

What did Franklin say himself? In Fitzjames' journal of June 6, 1845, we read :

"At dinner to-day Sir John gave us a pleasant account of his expectations of being able to get through the ice on the coast of America."

Mr. Kennedy, when he struck this sea, could see no land to the south or west, nor could Lieut. Osborne from his furthest point in Ommaney's expedition, though he says he advanced over the ice fifteen miles to the west. To the opinion that this sea was never navigable, it is impossible to attach credit, considering how different is the aspect of such seas at different times. When the shores are fast ice-bound, there is often clear water in mid-channel.

We feel certain that a well-organized expedition from the American shore, having for its object to thoroughly search the tract yet unexplored, would find some traces of Franklin-perhaps his ships-sufficient to clear up the darkness which still shrouds his fate. It is for the honor of the country that the search should be made. Dr. Rae is the man to conduct it. We cannot conceive any object more worthy the attention of the Geographical Society, or better entitled to the liberal support of the public. It is grievous to reflect that the whole party have most likely been lost, through vigorous and persevering efforts not having been made in due time from Melville Sound on one side and the American

We make no manner of doubt that he did act up to his instructions; that he found the sea to the south-west of Cape Walker open, and that he penetrated the channel, which there is every reason to suppose is continued between Prince of Wales' Land on one side and Prince Albert's Land on the other. Whether his ships were lost in this unknown, and perhaps extremely difficult sea, or whether he remained with them in expectation of help, till driven forth by famine, it would be vain to conjecture. There can be no doubt that he perished in the endeavor to fulfil the design he had always entertained to "get through the ice on the coast of Amer-coast on the other.

WHAT IS THE Origin of "GETTING INTO A resorted to, had not the indignity of being renSCRAPE"?-It may have been, first, a tumble dered beardless appeared intolerable. Under in the mire; by such a process many of us in this figure the desolation of a country is threatchildhood have both literally and figuratively ened. "In the same day shall the Lord shave "got into a scrape." Or, secondly, the ex-with a razor that is hired, by them beyond the pression may have arisen from the use of the razor, where to be shaved was regarded as an indignity, or practised as a token of deep humiliation. D'Arvieux mentions an Arab, who, having received a wound in his jaw, chose rather to hazard his life than allow the surgeon to take off his beard. When Hanun had shaved off half the beards of David's servants, "David Bent to meet them, because they were greatly ashamed and the king said, Tarry at Jericho until your beards be grown, and then return '"' (2 Sam. x. 4, 5). The expedient of shaving off the other half seems not to have been thought on, though that would naturally have been

river, even by the King of Assyria, the head, and the hair of the feet, and it shall consume the beard" (Isaiah vii. 20). Again, as a token of grief and humiliation : "Then Job arose and rent his mantle, and shaved his beard," &c. "There came fourscore men, having their heads shaven, and their clothes rent, and having cut themselves," &c. (Jer. xli. 5). Or, thirdly, the allusion may be to the consequence of becoming infected with some loathsome cutaneous disease. "So Satan smote Job with sore boils from the sole of his foot unto his crown. And he took him a potsherd to scrape himself withal" (Job ii. 7, 8).—Notes and Queries.