_Festival of Baal._--The late Lady Baird, of Ferntower, in Perthshire, told me that, every year at "Beltane" (or the 1st of May), a number of men and women assembled at an ancient druidical circle of stones on her property, near Crieff. They light a fire in the centre; each person puts a bit of oatcake into a shepherd's bonnet; they all sit down and draw blindfold a piece of cake from the bonnet. One piece has been previously blackened, and whoever gets that piece has to jump through the fire in the centre of the circle and to pay a forfeit. This is, in fact, a part of the ancient worship of Baal, and the person on whom the lot fell was formerly burnt as a sacrifice; now, the passing through the fire represents that, and the payment of the forfeit redeems the victim. It is curious that staunch Presbyterians, as the people of that part of Perthshire now are, should unknowingly keep up the observance of a great heathen festival. L. M. M. R. * * * * * LORD MONBODDO. In my copy of _The Origin and Progress of Language_, I have recorded a little [Greek: anekdoton] of the author, which is now probably known to nobody but myself, and which you may perhaps think worth preservation. It was related to me some fifteen years ago, by a learned physician of this city, now deceased, who had it from Dr. James Gregory himself. It appears that Lord Monboddo, in spite of failing health and very advanced age, felt a wish to pay one more visit to the English metropolis, in the literary circles of which he was fond of mingling. That he had actually set out upon this formidable journey, was known to Dr. Gregory, who, being a few hours afterwards at a short distance from Edinburgh, was a little surprised to meet his venerable friend returning homewards. He was on horseback, equipped in his usual travelling costume,--cocked hat, scarlet _roquelaure_, and jack-boots, but looking extremely ill and depressed in spirits. "What, so soon returned?" was Dr. Gregory's exclamation. "Yes," said the old man, "I feel myself quite unequal to the journey, and was just thinking of a passage in Horace, and adapting it to my own case." "What, 'Solve senescentem?'" said the Doctor. "No," replied his lordship, "it is one not quite so hackneyed." He then repeated, with much emotion, the following lines from the second Satire of the second book: "Seu recreare volet tenuatum corpus; ubique Accedent anni, et tractari mollius ætas Imbecilla volet." This was the last time Dr. Gregory saw him out of doors, and he died not long after. W. L. NICHOLS. Bath. * * * * * ST. VALENTINE. The subjoined cutting from an American newspaper (_Wooster Democrat_, Feb. 3) will show the persistent vitality of popular follies, and at the same time serve to exhibit the _peculiar_ literature of transatlantic advertisements: