assigned something less than _one-fifth_ of 18_l_. 7_s_.
6_d_. as the "price of innocent blood." We transcribe in proof,
the annotation on Mat. 26 c. 15 v. from D'Oyly and Mant's
Bible:--"'_Thirty pieces of silver_.' Thirty shekels, about 3_l_.
10_s_. 8_d_. of our money. It appears from Exod. 21 c. 32 v., that
this was the price to be paid for a slave or servant, when killed by a
beast. So vilely was HE esteemed, who shed his precious blood for man;
and so true it is, that _Christ_ took upon him the form of a servant."
Now, the Jewish _shekel_ being valued at 2_s_. 4-1/4_d_. and the coin
of the _next_ superior denomination, (the _maneh_) being set down
in our Bible money-tables, at 7_l_. 1_s_. 5_d_. it is clear that
_several_ of _intermediate value_ must have existed, for exchange,
which might reconcile this difference. M.L.B.

* * * * *

THE PUBLIC JOURNALS.

* * * * *

PORTDOWN FAIR.

[A series of characteristic sketches of Life in the Navy, has
appeared in the successive numbers of the _Metropolitan_, from the
pen of Captain Marryatt, author of the _King's Own_, and other
popular novels, with a high stamp of originality. The sketches
before us are entitled Peter Simple, and detail the early
adventures of a Middy with much of that delightful ease we are
wont to admire in the writings of Smollett, Fielding, and the
_character_ novelists of the latter half of the past century. The
style of Captain Marryatt is fresh, vigorous, and racy--"native
and to the manner born,"--abounding in lively anecdote, but never
straying into caricature--with just enough of the romance of life
to keep the incidents afloat from commonplace, and probability
above-board. This and the following are specimen sketches.]

We all had leave from the first lieutenant to go to Portdown fair, but
he would only allow the oldsters to sleep on shore. We anticipated so
much pleasure from our excursion, that some of us were up, and went
away in the boat sent for fresh beef. This was very foolish. There
were no carriages to take us to the fair, nor indeed any fair so early
in the morning: the shops were all shut, and the Blue Posts, where
we always rendezvoused was hardly open. We waited there in the
coffee-room, until we were driven out by the maid sweeping away the
dirt, and were forced to walk about until she had finished, and
ligh