MISCELLANEA.

Lyttelton Times, Volume II, Issue 76, 19 June 1852, Page 9

MISCELLANEA.

Names op the Officebs on boarb the " Birkenhead" when e Losx.—Cornets Bond and Rolt, (12 Lancers), Ensign Boylan (2nd Queens), Ensig-n Metford. (6th Royals),. Lieutenant Fairclough (12th Foot), Lieutenant Girardot (43rd L. 1.),. Lieutenants Robinson and Booth, and Ensign Lucas (73rd Regiment), Major Seton and Ensign Russell (74th Highlanders), Captain Wright (9lst Regiment), Dr. Bowen, and two other Staff Surgeons. The following are the officers of the Birkenhead, taken from the Navy List for January :—Master Commander R. Salmond ;. Master, W. Brodie ; Chief Engineer, William Whyham ; Assistant Surgeon, W. Oulhane; 2nd Masters, J. D. Davis and Robert D. Speer ; Clerk, John Freshfield. Shoe-black Brigade.—-The' success of the juvenile "Shoe-black Brigade" and street sweepers stimulates the authors of the movement to propound fresh inventions, and to widen still further the means of livelihood for poor boys rescued from the gaol. The public certainly is ready to assist To every six brbomers there will hereafter be attached a message boy, who will be known by his name of "Mercury"" legibly, inscribed upon a label. This'lrad will 'be at the call of any shopkeeper withiir his district, for the purpose of "running errands at the" rate .of threepence a mile or sixpence an hour. The society will aid this movement, by rendering itself responsible for all parcels entrusted to the Mercuries, under the value of five pounds. By promoting to such office only those capitalists who have as much as five pounds in their bank, it will in fact make the boy himself pay for the value of the property, in case of theft. Then there will arise among us " Brassers," and their offer to the public will be for a penny from each house to keep door-plates, shop-plates, knockers, and bell-pulls, in a state of tremendous brilliancy. The Ragged Schools take thousands of boys yearly from the streets ; which they pollute, and where they are polluted.. The public will cordially rejoice to find—as the plan goes on and prospers—that such boys by hundreds are returned upon the streets as useful members of society .—Alias. Remabkaule Pbophecy.™ -The following prediction of St. Caesario, the Bishop of Axles, ■in the year 542, may not be considered void of "interest at the present moment. It is taken from a book, entitled" Liber Mirabilis," printed in Gothic characters and deposited in the Royal .Library,, Paris : —" The administration of the .: kingdom (France) will be so blended that they shall leave it without defenders.. The hand of God shall extend itself, over them, and over all rich; all the nobles shall be deprived of their estates and dignity •, a division shall spring up Church of God, and there shall be two husbands, the one true, and the other adulterous. The legitimate husband shall be put to flight; tliere shall be great carnage,-and as ..;. ,gv<^t,a profusion of blood as in the day of the ' <^niiles. r The universal church and the whole world shall deplore the ruin and destruction of a most celebrated city, the capital and mistress of France. The altars of the temple shall be destroyed, the holy virgins outraged shall fly from their seats, and the whole Church shall be stripped of her temporal goods ; but at length the black eagle and the lion shall appear hovering from^far countries. : Misery to thee, O city of philosophy ! thou'shall be subjected; A captiveimmbled even to confusion shall at last receive his crown, and destroy the children of Brutus." — Notes and Queries.