506 Notes for the Month. [Nor. 



is the effect of habit and conceived opinion -there does seem something very 

 unnatural in the notion of a Jew being a lancer, or a foot-guardsman ! This 

 very merciless decree, however, of the Emperor Nicholas which has but 

 one redeeming circumstance about it to wit, that it is the first, we believe, 

 on despotic record, that ever relieved the Jews from any " pecuniary tax 

 imposed upon them," under any emergency whatever places in a strong 

 light the inconvenience of men's addicting themselves to the observance of 

 eccentric habits and ceremonies, and the necessity there is that those who 

 are bound by religious scruples, &c., should get themselves converted imme- 

 diately. There is no reasonable ground upon which either Jews or Quakers 

 can claim exemption from military service ; and yet, what a ridiculous 

 position would the followers of either sect be placed in by its being en- 

 forced ! The Quakers would be in a terrible difficulty. It is true their 

 usual stiff and upright posture would rather assist them, as being proper to 

 " parade ;" but then the natural movement of a Quaker is wholly opposed 

 to such an order as the Pas de Charge ! And, moreover, the uniform would 

 be an " abomina-a-tion !" And the calling the adjutant, or serjeant- major, 

 " Friend !" would lead to perpetual punishments for broach of discipline. 

 And the " presenting; arms" to a field officer, on sentry or to a general, 

 at a review, would be considered a direct and absolute " bowing of the 

 neck to Baal!" 



Now, the Mordecai men would not mind about " Baal ;" but from mere 

 habit we cannot conceive the thought of \hea\fightSng any where but in 

 M on mouth-street, or at Moulsey Hurst. And they too would become 

 exposed to numberless inconveniences in the possible routine of a military 

 life as, for instance in the event of pork being served out to the army as 

 rations ; this would be tantamount to imposing a day of fast upon the 

 Israelitish portion of the troops. Again, if we did fix a recruiting sergeant 

 in Rosemary-lane, it would become the duty of those who, as Falstaff 

 observes, " kiss my Lady Peace at home," to look that the armies to 

 which those new levies were draughted, joined not issue on a Saturday 

 of which the enemy, being aware, would no doubt make their attack 

 on that day. The navy too, to both these classes of sectarians, would 

 be a more killing service even than the army. Only to imagine the 

 sight of a Quaker urged " aloft" to a " reefing of top-sails," by the profane 

 pipe of the boatswain, or still more objectionable rattan of his mate : - 

 or a Hebrew disturbed in the mid watch, from his visions of cast suits, and 

 the Feast of the Passover, by a tweak of the nose from the midshipman 

 on duty, and an order to cry out " All sh veil !" Altogether much in- 

 convenience must arise from the employment of such people, in a great 

 many of those active duties of life to which every citizen ought to be 

 competent ; and perhaps we shall endeavour to say a word upon the pro- 

 priety of their abjuring all personal and temporal peculiarities, at some 

 early opportunity. 



Relics of Chivalry discovered in America. Dr. Silliman's t( American 

 Journal of Science" for September, announces, as a treasure presented to 

 the antiquarian, that there has been discovered in the valley of Black river, 

 within the town of Coventry, " a shirt without sleeves, made of wire, 

 a little larger thtn that of the small steel purses:" in fact, " a real coat, 

 or shirt of mail, of the ages of chivalry !" The paragraph, probably 

 owing to some accidental omission, does not go on to state who had hid it 

 tfiere. 



" Mule Silver' (from the same publication}, " We are informed by a 



