Hedelin, a Frenchman, in the beginning of the 18th century, denied that any such person as Homer ever existed, and supposed the Iliad to be made up ex tragediis, et variis canticis de trivio mendicatorum et circulatorum—à la maniere des chansons du Pontneuf. * * * * * The Rabbi Manasseh published a book at Amsterdam entitled “The Hopes of Israel.” It was founded upon the supposed number and power of the Jews in America. This supposition was derived from a fabulous account by Montesini of his having found a vast concourse of Jews among the Cordilleras. * * * * * The word _assassin_ is derived according to Hyle from Hassa, to kill. Some bring it from Hassan, the first chief of the association—some from the Jewish Essenes—Lemoine from a word meaning “herbage”—De Sacy and Hammer from “hashish” the opiate of hemp leaves, of which the assassins made a singular use. * * * * * “Defuncti injuriâ ne afficiantur” was a law of the twelve tables. * * * * * The origin of the phrase “corporal oath” is to be found in the ancient usage of touching, upon occasion of attestation, the _corporale_ or cloth which covered the consecrated articles. * * * * * Montgomery in his lectures on _Literature_ (_!_) has the following—“Who does not turn with absolute contempt from the rings and gems, and filters, and caves and genii of Eastern Tales as from the trinkets of a toyshop, and the trumpery of a raree-show?” What man of genius but must answer “Not I.” * * * * * The Abbè de St. Pierre has fixed in his language two significant words, viz: _bienfaisance_, and the diminutive _la gloriole_. * * * * * There is no particular air known throughout Switzerland by the name of the Ranz des Vaches. Every canton has its own song varying in words, notes and even language. Mr. Cooper, the novelist, is our authority. * * * * * Incidis in Scyllam cupiens vitare Charybdim is neither in Virgil nor Ovid, as often supposed, but in the “Alexandrics” of Philip Gualtier a French poet of the thirteenth century. * * * * * Under a portrait of Tiberio Fiurilli who invented the character of Scaramouch, are these verses, Cet illustre Comedien De son art traca la carriere: Il fut le maitre de Moliere Et la Nature fut le sien. * * * * * A curious passage in a letter from Cicero to his literary friend Papyrius Pætus, shows that our custom of annexing a farce or pantomime to a tragic drama existed among the Romans. * * * * * In Cary's “Dante” is the following passage— And pilgrim newly on his road with love Thrills if he hear the vesper bell from far That seems to mourn for the expiring day.