appear to
descend from Israelites driven from Spain by persecution. The Bible
Society are now printing at Corfu the New Testament, in Jewish-Spanish,
for their benefit.

In truth, little appears to be known of the state of the Jews during
some hundreds of years after the destruction of Jerusalem. The first
body of learned Jews which drew attention after that disastrous event
was that settled in Spain; and from it all Jewish learning descends.
As in accomplishment of the prophecy, the Jew is found over the whole
surface of the globe; he has been long established in China, which
abhors the foreigner; and in Abyssinia, which it is almost as difficult
to reach as to quit. The early Judaism of that country, and in later
days the history of the powerful colony of Jews established in its
heart, which at one time actually reigned over the kingdom, are matters
so curious, that we regret that we can do no more than advert to them;
we must say the same as to the evidence existing of Jewish rites having
extended themselves very far southward along the eastern coast of
Africa; the numerous Jews of Barbary; and the black and white Jews, who
have been established for ages, more or less remote, on the Malabar
coast. It may be here observed, that all the Israelites hitherto
discovered appear to be descendants of those who held the kingdom of
Judah.

The Jews in Great Britain and Ireland are not supposed to be more than
from ten to twelve thousand, very many of whom are foreigners, and
migratory.--_Quarterly Rev._

* * * * *

EGYPTIAN RATIONS.

The rations of the Egyptian soldiers were, according to Herodotus, five
pounds of baked bread, two pounds of beef, and half a pint of wine
daily.

* * * * *

In the barbarous ages it was usual for persons who could not write, to
make the sign of the cross in confirmation of a written paper. Several
charters still remain in which kings and persons of great eminence
affix "signum crucis pro ignoratione literarum," the sign of the cross,
because of their ignorance of letters. From this is derived the phrase
of signing instead of subscribing a paper.

* * * * *

COLUMN IN BLENHEIM PARK

[Illustration: Column in Blenheim Park.]

(_To the Editor of the Mirror_.)

You have lately directed the attention of the readers of the MIRROR to
the park of Blenheim, in Oxfordshire, one of the mos