covery of the philosopher's stone is quite unnecessary to account for his wealth. Before the invention of printing, the position of a public scribe was very different to what it became afterwards. Nicolas was also a copyist and dealer in rare manuscripts; his wife was careful and prudent; he himself was austerely abstemious, he had many rich clients, no children or other domestic charges, and all the ordinary elements of prosperity were within his reach.

It was

Nicolas Flamer had also a kind of literary history. He began his Explication des Figures Hieroglyphiques in 1399, and did not complete it till 1413, the year of Pernelle's death. He penned in 1409, what he called his Sommaire Philosophique in verse. reproduced in the third volume of the Roman de la Rose. He was also the author of the Désir Désiré and of the Traité des Lavures. The "Explication" has been attributed by some to P. Arnauld, who claimed to have translated it from the Latin; but as the very symbols sculptured by Flamel on the fourth arch of the Charnier des Innocents are met in the work, it is more generally admitted to have been derived from a manuscript of Nicolas Flamel's.

Finally, and as is usual with most people, came the mortuary part of the story; and this, like all other points of the mysterious man's career, had some peculiarities attending upon it. Nicolas Flamel was buried in the church which he had done so much forSaint Jacques la Boucherie. He had paid the expenses of his funeral whilst he was alive, and had also selected the place of burial in front of the crucifix and of the Holy Virgin where, twelve times a year, after masses provided for, the priests were to go in procession, and in surplices, to scatter holy water. He had also designed a commemorative sculpture and inscription, the former representing the Saviour as holding a terrestial globe between St. Peter and St. Paul. Beneath was the inscription recording the pious works of the deceased. Then a scroll with the words Domine Deus, in tuâ misericordiâ speravi, and lastly, below all, the image of a body almost wasted away with the legend:

"Ie terre suis venu et en terre retourne.

L'âme rends à toi, J.H. V., qui les péchiès pardonne."

Such was the orthography of péchès at the time.

We said, finally. But this is scarcely correct, for in reality the story of Nicolas Flamel did not end with his death. Flamel died in 1418, but many writers averred that at that date he only left Paris in order to join Pernelle, who had disappeared on her side, five years previously, to go to Asia. In fact, the adepts in the Hermetic Art endowed the supposed discoverer of the philosopher's stone with the gift of immortality. This tradition found its way to the East, where it still existed in the seventeenth century. The

well-known Paul Lucas relates, in his Travels in Asia Minor, having met at Burnus Bashi a dervish of the Usbecs, who declared that the true philosophy revealed the secret of living for a thousand years. He laughed at the idea of the supposed decease of Flamel and his wife; and declared that they were dear friends of his, with whom he had held intercourse in India only three years previously.

In the year 1818, an impostor gave out in Paris that he was the real Nicolas Flamel, and he advertised for pupils to be initiated in the science, at a considerable sacrifice of the existing coin of the realm. But the day had gone by for alchemy-another philosophy, that of limited liability companies, had taken its place, and the pretender was obliged to beat a hasty retreat. Others held that treasures were buried in the house of the old couple; and they went so far as to carry out excavations, but, needless to say, with

out success.

COINCIDENCE OF IDEAS.

THE coincidence of ideas among those engaged in literary pursuits is, in the present day of multiplied labourers, at times puzzlingif not almost discouraging. It happens constantly that if a writer has an idea, unless he can find an outlet for it in a daily paper, or at the least an hebdomadal publication, he will find himself anticipated before the end of the mouth. Hence also many ideas. clash without any intention on the part of their authors, who are often wrongfully accused of plagiarism, and, in more serious cases, the coincidence becomes even a matter of litigation. These factsthe result of long experience-have recently been brought to our minds, by the fact that Mr. Henry Bromilow has for seven months past been contributing a series of "Tales from the Old Dramatists" to the pages of the NEW MONTHLY MAGAZINE, and we have just seen a work noticed under precisely the same title, as penned by a Mr. M. E. Browne, and published by Remington and Co. Not only has the same title been adopted, but we observe in the series "Jane Shore," "The Gamester," "Douglas," and other old plays, the stories of which have also been related by our contributor.

THE BRONZE GATES OF SHAMANESER III.

WE recently called' attention to Mr. Rassam's discovery of two large bronzes (supposed at first to be trophies), at Balawat, near Nineveh. Mr. Pincher, who has succeeded to the late Mr. George Smith as Dr. Birch's assistant at the British Museum, has since made known that, on the arrival of the bronzes at the British

Museum, the plates of the largest of the two were put together, cleaned, and nailed with the original bronze nails upon wood of the same thickness as when it was first set up, about twenty-eight centuries ago.

Then for the first time it began to be dimly seen that the bronze plates had formed the coverings of a pair of rectangular folding doors, each about 22 ft. in height and 6 ft. in breadth, which had turned on pivots, and were supported at the top by strong rings fixed in the masonry. The honour of the discovery of this interesting fact belongs to Mr. Ready, the ingenious artificer attached to this department of the British Museum. These gates, which are now attributed to Shalmaneser III., who reigned over Assyria from B C. 859 to B.C. 825; and not to Assur-Nazir-pal, who reigned from B.C. 885 to B.C 860, are more richly illustrated than all the monuments in the Nimroud gallery of the British Museum put together, and it is expected that a glimpse will be obtained of Jewish faces of the ninth century before Christ.

CURIOSITIES OF NEXT OF KIN.

To the Editor of COLBURN'S NEW MONTHLY MAGAZINE.

SIR,-In your recent review of my little work on “Unclaimed Money," you were good enough to say that I could not do better than some day give the public another popular volume on the claims that come before me-"their peculiarities and whimsicali. ties." Permit me to thank you for your valuable suggestion, which shall not be forgotten when some convenient opportunity offers. Meanwhile it occurs to me that a few jottings on Next of Kin Advertisements generally may be acceptable to your readers. Such notices are often of the greatest possible value to persons whose eyes they fail to catch at the time of publication, and they are also occasionally of a very romantic kind, as will be seen by the following, culled from Advertisements which have appeared in the leading newspapers during the past year.

A clue was desired to the relatives and property of an eminent photographer who died at Rome, and who is believed to have possessed real estates in Cumberland. A person last heard of at "Jim Crow Diggings," was inquired for with reference to a Scotch Succession Case; and intimation was given to persons supposed to be resident in America offering payment of a mortgage dated as long back as 1813.

Henry Stuart Duncombe is regarded by the Court of Chancery as dead-he not having been heard of for upwards of seven yearsand his creditors were advertised for. I may mention en passant that there is quite a romance connected with this Henry S. Duncombe. He was the son of a wealthy solicitor, but followed the occupation of a journeyman tailor. Being in distress, he went to his father for assistance, who dismissed him with half-a-crown. Shortly afterwards the father died suddenly without a will, and consequently the son became entitled to a large share of his father's estate. It appears from the Chancery proceedings that such share amounted to about £25,000. Truth is stranger than fiction!

Among Missing Relative Advertisements it would be difficult to find a more touching one than the following :

HANNAH A.-Will send your

you

mother

any part of your

left home in, so that I may know you are alive?

A mariner named Eastham, who went to Australia thirty years ago, is entitled to property by the death of his mother; and three

sons who went to Van Dieman's Land are also entitled to property. H.D.M., of Ledbury, Herefordshire, is requested to send his address to, with full particulars of his present position, occupation, if married, any family," &c. Let us hope these inquisitive queries were addressed by a rich old uncle to an expectant nephew.

Sir John Bennett thankfully acknowledged his unknown friend's generosity and "honour" in the restoration of his "lost property." Sir John's gratitude was enhanced by his entire inability to determine to whom to attribute this act of kindness. Information was sought as to the son-in-law of J. H. Bockhorn, born in Hanover in 1754; and the heir of a sweep, who died in 1854, was also songht. In Mrs. Helen Blake's case, where £140,000 went to the Crown, litigation has resulted, and further claimants are inquired for. The nephews and nieces (believed to be resident in India, Tasmania, and the United States) of a gentleman who died in Ireland are inquired for with reference to an Irish Probate case; and the representatives of persons who were shareholders in the West New Jersey Society, in 1692, were invited to send in their claims.

The relatives of a lady, who had died suddenly in Paris, were desired to communicate with an Inspector of the Detective Department; and "Tootoo Bychan and Tinkey" were making anxious inquiries for "their lost uncle." Information was sought respecting the property of E, Green, who died in Jamaica in the early part of the present century; and an owner was sought for 60,000 rupees left by Michael J. H. Unclaimed Money was due to the Next of Kin of two persons, born in London in 1762 and 1766 respectively ; and Matthew Hand, who went to the United States in 1845, and has not since been heard of, is "wanted." The following is unique, aud I give it in extenso :—

MYNTLYND.-BEENO.-HEISTEN.-At last, I thank God, I have it in my power to inform you that I shall be in a position to pay you 6,500 dollars within the next twelve months, and the remainder of the amount I owe you early in the year 1879.

A son, resident in Australia, is wanted to administer to his father's estate; and J. H., who sailed from Sydney in 1875, is earnestly requested to write home. Dan M. Mulligan wants to know Pat Duffy's address; and Harry Williams's niece, Sally, wishes to see Emma about property. Mrs. Riley, daughter of the late Mr. Henchy, Q.C., is requested to call on her solicitor, and she will receive good news; and James Tappin, late master lighterman at Brantford, notifies that he is still living; that he is in his eightyfourth year, and would be glad to see or hear from any of his old friends.

The following is laconic, but the news conveyed is eminently satisfactory :