Knowledge, March. (Wyman and Sons.)—There is the usual variety of
information in this magazine, which now appears in a monthly form. In astronomy, which is naturally a strong point, in electrical science, and other matters which belong to "knowledge," properly so called, Mr. Proctor's periodical is worthy of all praise. "Pleasant Hours with the Microscope," "Wasps and Ilorntails," may be mentioned as jest the kind of articles which are wanted in such a magazine. Mr. Clodd, too, continues to interest his readers by his "Story of Creation." The whist and chess problems also find an appreciative public. But we must express a doubt whether Mr. Proctor is not travelling much beyond his province when he makes it a note of the "student of science" that he refuses to "limit the Infinite ,within Personality;" and. we see wild speculation rather than " knowledge " in the fancy that the morning and evening sacrifices of the Jews were relics of sun worship. Miss Ada Bailin should get her articles on the " Evola- tion of Language" revised by some competent scholar. It is ridicu- lous to talk of " salary " coming from salarium, through the Roman soldier receiving his pay "in salt." What a mockery ! It would have only made the poor fellow more thirsty. No; he received an allowance for salt, as he received one for shoes (calceariutn), and even for shoe-nails (clavarium), but was not paid in shoes or shoe- nails. Every other Latin word is wrong,—e.g., "stomachius," " silvatico," " angustis." Surely, too, it is post-dating somewhat when Miss Bailin says "by the sixteenth century a fabulous tale was already called a Roman ; thus, we have Le Roman de la Rose." Chaucer, who died in 1401, seems to have known it. And what is to be said of the historical accuracy of the following —" The Romans called all their Emperors Cmsar, and eventually the name was applied to those who could claim relationship to the Royal family, the origin of the title dating back to the date of the First Dictator,—Cains Julius Caesar. More recently the Germans have adopted the name in the general signification of Emperor (Kaiser), and the same word is apparent in the Russian Czar." It would be puzzling to say what the "Royal family" was in the second and third centuries of the Christian era, or why C. J. Cmsar is called the " First Dictator," or what is meant by "more recently." It looks as if Miss Ballin dated back the German Empire to 1871.
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