modern notion, and yet sympathising with it, Dr. Roberts theory, which, if it could be sus

comes to the rescue with

tained, would certainly be a great acession of forces. For he

would have us believe that the Palestinian Jews of Christ's time were a bilingual race. This, to begin with, is a clumsy and unnatural expedient. I take it as incontrovertible, that you cannot equally stir a man in two languages. If you wish to reach his heart by the directest channel, it must be through the accents that he has heard at his mother's knee, the speech of childhood and of youth. Dr. Roberts is unwil lingly forced to admit that they spoke Hebrew, for the New Testament expressly tells us so, but he contends that they generally used Greek, as being their favourite tongue! He quietly ignores the abundant evidence contained in the New Testament, of the intense antagonism between the native Hebrew race and the Greeks. (See Acts xxi. 28, &c.) There was every element of nationality to embitter the conflict. The Greeks were aliens in blood, in religion and language. It was a common proverb, "Cursed is he that keepeth swine! cursed is he that teacheth his son the wisdom of the Greeks!" And they extended this dislike even to the Greek-speaking Jews, like Paul, who were, under God, the true planters of Christianity in the world (Gal. ii. 7).

In conclusion, I have attempted to discuss, within the limits of a short paper, the arguments of a bulky volume. If I have in any point failed, it has been for want of space, not of materials. Dr. Roberts, on the contrary, has doomed himself to a task harder than that of the Israelites in Egypt. They were condemned to make bricks without straw; he has attempted to build up a durable structure without bricks at all!

SEVENTH ORDINARY MEETING.

ROYAL INSTITUTION, January 22nd, 1866.

J. A. PICTON, Esq., F.S.A., PRESIDENT, in the Chair.

The minutes of the last meeting were read and signed. The following gentlemen were duly elected Ordinary Members:-Messrs. W. W. Raffles, W. St. Claire, and L. S. Cohen.

The CHAIRMAN said it was only proper he should allude to the loss which the world of art had sustained in the then reported death of our townsman, Mr. John Gibson, R.A., who had done much to render Liverpool famous as the nursery of his great genius with respect to the art of sculpture. Mr. Gibson was not born in Liverpool, but he was removed here at a very early age. He was apprenticed to a cabinet-maker in Ranelagh-street. In one of the newspaper accounts there was, the Chairman said, a slight disarrangement of the sequence of Gibson's history. It was owing to Roscoe that he was taken into the studio of Mr. Franceys, whose principal business was the manufacture of chimneypieces and monuments, and who, finding Gibson's great talents, purchased his articles from his previous employer, and gave him facilities for study. At that time he executed. some very beautiful bas-reliefs. Through the influence of Mr. Roscoe, a fund was formed for the purpose of enabling Mr. Gibson to proceed, in the year 1817, to Rome, where he remained, except when on occasional visits to this country. The Chairman referred to an interesting visit he paid about two years since to Mr. Gibson at Rome, and remarked that Mr. Gibson was a man whose memory they might delight to honour, from the fact that his genius was associated with this

town. He trusted that Mr. Gibson's works would not be dispersed, and expressed a desire that some of them might be purchased, for his association with the town.

Mr. ALFRED HIGGINSON called attention to the death of an honorary Member of the Society, the late Sir William R. Hamilton, Astronomer Royal of Ireland.

Mr. MoTT drew attention to some observations in Fergusson's last work on Architecture, with regard to the connection between Ethnology and that art.

Mr. T. J. MOORE exhibited a series of illustrations of Silk Moths and their products, lately presented to the Derby Museum by Mr. F. Moore.

Mr. MOORE also announced that a very fine collection of Dodo and other bones, from the Mauritius, had lately been presented to the Derby Museum, by Mr. James P. Higginson, on behalf of his nephew, Mr. Harry P. Higginson, resident engineer of railway works in that island. An early opportunity would be taken of bringing these most remarkable and interesting specimens before the notice of the Society.

Mr. ALFRED HIGGINSON said it occurred to him to mention that the crusts which form on the arm of the infant, after successful vaccination, contained the virus vaccinum, in a state capable of reproduction and of transmission from place to place.

It was remarked by Mr. Nisbet that the suggestion referred to by Mr. Higginson was practised in America.

Mr. MARPLES then read extracts from an article by Mr. Theodore Küster, describing in detail the printing office of A. Mame and Co., at Tours, from which the beautiful volumes of the Bible and Dante, with woodcut embellishments by Gustave Doré, have recently issued.

EIGHTH ORDINARY MEETING.

ROYAL INSTITUTION, February 5th, 1866.

J. A. PICTON, Esq., F.S.A., PRESIDENT, in the Chair.

The Minutes of the last meeting were read and signed. Mr REDISH drew attention to the statement which had appeared in the papers, to the effect that many of the works of the late Mr. John Gibson, R.A., were in the possession of Liverpool merchants, and suggested that a local exhibition of such works should take place in the town.

The PRESIDENT exhibited the catalogue of the Melbourne Free Public Library, and made some observations on the care with which it had been got up, both in respect to the arrangement of the book and the excellent style of the printing and illustrations, which reflected great credit on the local press. Some further remarks on the same subject were made by the Rev. H. H. Higgins and Mr. Mott.

Mr. HIGGINSON remarked that explosions in coal mines were generally found to prevail when the barometer stood at a low point, and that several such had recently occured.

Dr. NEVINS explained that this was a well-known fact, and that it was usual to adopt the needful precautions in mines when such warning was afforded.

The paper for the evening was by Dr. Inman, on "The Antiquity of Certain Christian and other Names."

An abstract of this paper follows the report of the next meeting.

NINTH ORDINARY MEETING.

ROYAL INSTITUTION, February 19th, 1866.

J. A. PICTON, Esq., F.S.A., PRESIDENT, in the Chair.

The Minutes of the last meeting were read and signed. Dr. COLLINGWOOD stated that, owing to his appointment as Scientific Naturalist to the proposed Government expedition to the China seas, he was compelled to tender his resignation of the office of Honorary Secretary, which he had filled for the last five years. It was thereupon moved by the Rev. H. H. Higgins, seconded by the Rev. Dr. Ginsburg, and unanimously resolved :

"That this Society expresses its gratification at the honourable recognition of Dr. Collingwood's high attainments and character, manifested by his appointment as Scientific Naturalist to a Government expedition to the China seas; and places on record its sense of the very valuable services rendered by him in the onerous office of Honorary Secretary, as well as its regret at the loss sustained by his removal."

It was further resolved that the above resolution be engrossed, and forwarded to Dr. Collingwood.

Mr. REDISH was desired to act as Secretary ad interim, to which he consented.

Mr. PICTON stated that as he wished to make some observations on the paper for the evening, he would leave the chair, which was accordingly taken by the Rev. Dr. Ginsburg, V.P.

The second part of the following paper was then read :