STAR SATURDAY SUPPLEMENT

AUCKLAND, SATURDAY, JUNE 10, 1882.

LIFE IN ENGLAND TWO CENTURIES A GO : A Chapter is English Social History.

[By J , D. Davis.]

SECTION 11. ■ THE PEOPLE'S UTEPvATUREi"

EVERYONE reads the newspaper now-a days, and with some classes it is all the literature demanded. It furnishes news and comments on an immense variety of topics; and*form3 in fact the sole library of millions. Such was not the case in the seventeenth century. The newspaper was then a tiny, badly printed,, .clumsily arranged, uncertain sheet, containing a few Ss of news which, if commented on at al, commonly provoked a tirade cf vlru fence and abuse sufficient to bnng down the press Licenser. But before describing the newspaper of the period under notice a brief account of its origin and growth is n The 3precursor of the newspaper was the newsletter. It was the custom for noble men ana other persons of wealth to employ a London scribe to furnish them each week with news and gossip from.the metropolis. WhereXexpencool retaining the whole of a writer's services was too heavy, it was customary for several conntry gen. lemcin to club together to secure .a penod.c letter, which was handed, about from one to another "II it was well thumbed and ■creased so as to be scarcely legible. The newswriter picked up the gossip of the coffee-houses when the latter became places of popular resort, gave the latest imfor mation about the'theatres and the courts of iustice, and even occasionally visited Whitehall to collect a scrap or two relating to tho King and Court. After a while some enterprising writer organised an inte li cence office," and employed a regular staff of clerks, who multiplied the newsletters aud probably reduced their cost. A con- Tdcrable number of these old vehicles o information are still in existence, onei at least of them dated as late asithe year 1/12, ■when Queen Anne bad reigned ten ycare.and printed newspapers bad come into pretty "The" 1 fi«t aKitie periodic newspaper was nabli-bcd in May, 1622. » w*S? Seabout five incnes by sevenanda,hotf. Ou the outside was printed^the title , " Weekly Nevvcs from Italy, Germanic, HulS etc.,printed t^***! Source and Thonnw Archer, aud are to oc

! sold at their shops at the Exchange, and in Pop-?s head Pallace." The writer of it, though his name did not at first appear,was Nathaniel Butter, who has been generally considered the founder of the English press. Whether by the novelty of the venture or the ability of Butter, the '• Weekly News," became popular, and reached a large circu lation. Foreign intelligence was its staple: only occasionally did home news find a place. The reason of this probably was that the Lieonser of the Press (whose office was then no sinecure) did not think it worth whilo to interfere with matters only indirectly touching home politics. When newspapers increased in numbers the Licenser interfered and suppressed some of them. In 1641 the earliest authentic report of proceedings in Parliament i-eued from the press under the title of "Diurnal Oc currences, or the) Heads of several Proceed ings in both Houses of Parliament." It was published once a week; and contained ordinary news as well. Within the next five years, i.e., at the commencement of the Civil War, a number of newspapers were stirted. The four most important were " Morcurius Britannic us," " M. P'rag maticu?,"&nd " M.Politicus," all conducted by Marchmont Nscdhnm, and "Mercurius Anlicus," the work of John Birkenhead. The litter's character was thus summed up by a contemporary : " He was exceedingly confident, witty, not very grateful to his benefactors, would lie damnably.". Need ham wai unquestionably the ablest man that had yet tried his hand at journalism. The "M. Britannicus" began on August 22ad, 1643, and zealously advocated the cause of tho Parliament. For reasons un known Needham changed sides, and in the "M. Pragmaticus" aa vigorously supported King Charle*. Again Needham altered his political opinions and once more cham pioned the people's cause in " M.Politicus." B rkonhead with his " M, Aulicus " was on the royalist side. A few days before the execution of Charles I, a Par liamentary ordinance was put in force,which visited the owners of unlicensed presses with heavy punishments corporal and pe cuniary. Search might be made in a'l places where the Licenser thought fit for such presses, whence, it appeared, a Hood of "scandalous pamphlets, books, treatises and ballads " had emanated. It is stated that thirty-throe papers sprang into being during the first year of the Commonwealth. The majority, howevor, were very short lived, not a few probably, being strangled by the ordinance just referred to. That enactment, however, fell into nbeyance,nnd new«papers wore not generally treated with rigour under Cromwell. But the times were difficult; faction was powerful; party feeling ran high ; Oliver ruled an unwilling people. In 1653, two months before he was declared Protector, it was ordered that "no person should presume to publish in print any matter of public news or intelligence without leave and approbation of the Secre tary of State." The chief papers of tho Commonwealth were tho " Mercurius Poli ticus" and "Public Intelligencer" (the hitter dating from October Bth, 1655), and they were both in some degree official pub lications, In 1659, one year before the Restoration, appeared the "Parliamentary Intelligencer " and " Mercurius Politicui " both of which had state patronage. The necessity forNcedbam's services was nearly over. He obtained his pardon with diffi culty when Chsrlcs II ascended the throne. He lived some eighteen years longer.

Advertisements do not seem to havo been generally inserted in the newspapers of the Commonwealth, and those which did ap pear show clearly enough that the art of advertising was not scientifically cultivated. There is a prolixity about old newspaper announcements which is in striking con trast wita tho conciseness and point com mon in these days. The three advertise ments which follow appear at the end of a copy of "Several proceedings in Parlia ment" published/on 11th September, 1650. " There is in Print an Excellent Treatise, showing the best manner to attain a long and healthful life : with a very necessary Treatise of the Bathes, of Bath. And an accurate Treatise concerning Tobacco. By Doctor Tho. Vcnner. Sold by Hen. Hood at St. Dunstans Church in Fleet Street." " Gondibert, an Heroick Poem in the English Tongue. Written by Sir William Davenant, and commended by Mr Hobbs, is now published." "Human Nature or- the fundamental elements of Policie, written by the same Mr Hobbs, and newly reprinted, are to be sold by John Holden at the Anchor in the New Ex chan«e." Sir William Davenant .was subsequently poet laureate to Charles 11. He had a weakness to be thought a natural son of Shakspere. He fell in with.the spirit of the times and wrote licentious plays. The "Mr Hobbs" mentioned in the last two advertisements is the famous sceptical philosopher,, who is popularly supposed to have reckoned self-interest as the motive of all human action. The Restoration was denounced by most of tho newspapers, and Charles retaliated, by reviving with all the old rigour the ordinances which had lain in abeyance. The Act of 1662 supprcscd "the printing and publishing unlicensed newsbooks and pamphlets of news." The next year Roger L'Estrange, pamphleteer and journalist, was appointed Licenser, apparently on the principle of setting a thief to catch a thief. His career had been an eventful one. He had fought on the Royalist side, had been taken prisoner, tried by court martial, and sentenced to be shot. He waa not shot however, but imprisoned for four years, whau he escaped across the water. The Restoration found him living by his wits. He soon bettered his position by the political change, and continued in the office of Licenser with some intermissions till the Revolution. L'Estrange received a royal patent granting him " the sole privilege -of writing, printing, and publishing all narra tives, advertisements, mercuries, intelli gences, diurnals, and other books, of public intelligence." L'Estrange's monopoly was intruded upon by a variety of periodicals, and as Licenser he treated them as might be expected. '' The ' sponge' was ever in his hand, and he slurred and rubbed with out compunction.'' Other literature besides that contained in newspapers suffered mutilation. " Paradise Lost " itself was in dan-er. One of L'Estrange's assessors, the Rev. Thomas Tomkyns, an Archie piscopal chaplain, smelt treason in more than one passage, and proposed to remove them. Milton's "History of Britain" suffered actual excision. Ihe expunged- passages were,however,preserved by Milton, and given to the Earl of Angle sea Who published them in 1081. L'E9trau"e's first venture was the "Intelli gencer" which appeared- on August 31st, 1663. Another paper ot his was the Ob servator," dating subsequently to the

year 1665. He was the first journalist who made a reputation, which, though none of tho cleanest, was a wide one. He laid him self out to discuss political questions iv his own one-sided fashion, and the large circu lation of his newspapers rendered less popu lar the pamphlets and tracts in which principally such discussion had hitherto been carried on. The Revolution was the ruin of L'Fstraugc. He failed through age or pride or prejudice to adapt himself to the spirit of the times, and in the year 1704 ended his long life in prison,

The " Oxford Gazette," published first in November, 1665, when the Court was at the University city iv consequence of the prevalence of the plaguein London, became with its twenty-fourth number the "Lon don Gazette.'1 For a very long period it was a single leaf, small folio. After the Revolution its improvement was marked ; and it was published regularly twice a week.

While the contest was rasing over the Exclusion Bill, 1(579 (its object being to prevent James, Duke of York, from succeed ing to the crown) the number of newspapers was largely increit'cd. A not unnitural re sult was the issue in the May of the year following of a Royal Proclamation to pro hibit .the printing of newspapers and pamphlets. But the thirst of the peonlc for information was too great to be satisfied with this state of things, and printers in Holland did their beat to supply the do mand.

There were then no provincial news papers. Out of London, Oxford, and.Cam bridge, there was Jiardly .a printer in tho kingdom, and the only press in England, north of the Trent, was at York. So late as 1724 there were 3-1 counties without a printer, one o£ these counties being Lanca shire.

Edmund Bohun, a Suffolk justice, was the lust Licenser. The system lapsed very quietly and without a struggle worth the name in 1094, and Milton's ".ireopagiticn," published half a century betore, had triumphed. We have spoken of newspapers at such length that there is not much space left in which to allude to the other literature of the day. Of the immense variety of reading matter nowavailablc for even tho poorest readers, by far the largest part did not exist. The list of English authors stopped short with Mil ton. Certain forms of literature, long highly popular, had not been invented. The essay was the production of the next age. Ihe novel was later still; and of history scarcely anything worth the name had been written. The old authors wero almost unknown oven to antiquaries. It is probable that Chaucer and Gowor wore read with less ea«c than thejy aro now. Spenser was the poet of a few ; ho appealed chiefly to the cultured and literary. The subjects of which Bacon and Hooker treated were not of interest to the majority. Tho dramas of Elizabeth's age fell Into neglect during the Puritan regime, when a considerable dejreo of the spirit of Prynne's " Histriomastix " was dominant. After the Restoration when the theatre again be-' came popular a new class of plays came into favour, and those of the Elizabethan period were many times unsparingly adap ted to the altered conditions. A number of Sh&kspero's plays had been published in quarto during his lifetime, but without his sanction or supervision, and hence they were for the most part inaccurate and im perfect. Seven years after his death, viz., in 1023, two of his fellow-players, Hem ioge and Condell, brought out a fine folio edition of his complete works. It was of such a size 4hat it could be possessed by the wealthy only,and therefore could never have been in general circulation. But this edition sufficed for nine years, when a clumsily emended reprint of tho first folio appeared. Then elapsed a long interval, nearly 30 years, before the next folio edition of Shakspero was published. This is conclusive evidence of the neglect iuto which our greatest poet had fallen. Milton sold the copyright of "Paradise Lost" on April 27th, 1667. He received five pounds down, and was to be paid in addition five pounds after tho sale' of 1300 copies of each of the first three editions. Thirteen hundred copies were sold in two years. The second edition was published in 1674, the third four years later. It must be contcssed that such a sale of a work which had to contend with many external obstacles, and the subject matter of which was not particularly inviting to the general reader, was by no means small. We may with Johnson regard the fact as an example of " the prevalence of genius." A poem of a very different stamp was Butler's "Hudibras." The first part appeared in 1062, two years after the Restoration ; the second part tho next year, and the third, which still left the work unfinished; not till 1675. The poem became popular at once, and secured court, patron ace ; but the author was not rewarded in accordance with general expectation. Pepys tells us (26th December, 1662,) how he nought the first part of Hudibras in the Temple for half-a-crown. Be was so dis gusted with it that he sold it to a Mr Townsend for eighteen pence. The second part he would not at fust buy, and even when he did it was not from preference, but for fashion's sake. In St. Paul's Church yard—the principal place for bookshops— Pepvs. in December, 1C63, went to make a purchase of books, uncertain whether to buy for use or for amusement. He looked at Chaucer, Dugdale's History of Paul's, Stow' 9 London, Gesner, History of Trent, the plays of Shakspere, and Beaumont and' Fletcher; and af, last chose Fuller's Worthies, the Cabbala or Collections of State, the Deliccs de Hollande, with the two parts of Hudibras then published. There were no circulating libraries, and any one who wanted to read had either to buy his books, or else stand at the stall* of the booksellers in Little Britain and St. Paul s Churchyard, and taste by stealthy snatches the delights of literature.

(To be continued.)

Trust a man to be good, and even if he is not, your trust may make him sucb._ A Chinaman thus describes a trial in our courts : One man is silent, another talks all the tinic, and twelve wise men condemn the man who has not said a word. J M.S. Little Hock (Ark.): " Can you give me any recipe for preserving fence posts ? Please reply in your next issue. We can't do it. We have asked several ladies, and all of thorn say they have never tried it, believing that it would tako too much sur'ar, and that the tlnngwouldn t be much of a delicacy any way. But thoy say if you want to know how to fix tomatoes or can green corn, they can flood you with mi i formation.—" Texas Sittings."

The Cockney Pet in Americas.

JS-JiOBOAND'A 2EBDOI*-.OTHERELEPHA3!#S Making Music on a Ferryboat.

JUMBO was marelbed out of his stall to tha Hippodrome track, preceded by Queen and the bsby elephant He had been hoppled and trammelled by heavy chains that girded him around like a surcingle, were passed over the base of his tmnk like a martingale, and confined his fore feet so that he could take but a short stride. Ahead of him twenty other elephants, large and small, promenaded. A little distance behind fol lowed twenty camels. At ten minutes past 9 o'clock Jumbo left the Garden for the ferryboat. The streets were lined with crowds of people, heads protruded from almost every window, and there were many exclamations of astonishment as Jumbo's vast bulk moved steabily along. Queen and the baby elephant were kept close before Jumbo, aud he secmedqiiito rca-surcd by their presence. Even when it became necessary for him to pass under the two west side elevated railways he did not hesiiate or show any ,'iear. But when be heard the roar and rumble of a train above and behind him just after he had passed the Sixth avenue elevated structure, he flapped his large barn-door ears uncasilv, and for a tew paces seemed to have a sudden desire for haste. When the Hudson River Railroad tracks were reached, a halt of several minutes wasneccssitated for freight trains to get by, and while waiting here Jumbo seemed.unconcerned. He evidently noticed the locomotives passing a little way in front of him, but neither their hissing, nor the clattering, nor tho vaporous clouds awoke any particular interest in him. The long pier beside which the ferryboat lay was black with people. Another delay occurred in gcttina the camels, first aboard. Jumbo did not like tho camels, and was with diffi culty restrained from attacking them as they wont by him. They seemed to know their danger, for thuy hurried past at a lumbering gallop.fnr beyond their oidi nary loungingand unwilling pace. Aboard tho boat they were placed fur ahead on the port side, while the Queen, the baby, and Jumbo, with a huge circus wagon before them, were kept on the starboard side. Then the other elephants were puoked in or. both sides. Jumbo made no difficulty at all about going on the bout, though tho bridge stoood nt a very steep angle, and creaked with every step. Queen and the baby just ahead gave him confidence. But that encouragement failed him when once aboard, nnd he suddenly began backing away in the direction he had come aboard, crushing his way through among the other elephants as a strong man might push his way through a lot oi children. For a few seconds there was great excitement. _ Then a stout chain attached to one of his foro feet was whipped through a ring in the deck, a turn taken in it, and he was fast. But he puffed, rumbled, and otherwise showed great uneasiness. Meanwhile the baby elephant, thoroughly wearied ont— for tho poor little beast is only 114 weeks old, and never had so long a walk in its life before—began crying like a child, and its continued squealing and whimpering greatly excited the mother. She began roaring, bellowing, grunting and making all sorts of queer noises, to which the others responded, keeping up a great uproar all the while that the boat was in motion. A little calculation showed that there were 81 tons of elephants aboard. On the Jersey side the herd was landed at the Pennsylvania Railroad passenger depot and marched out into the car yard, where long trains of cars belonging to the show were ready for its reception. Jumbo's special car is a surprising construction. Its length is 40 feet, its height 13 feet 6 inches, its width at the bottom 8 feet 10 inches, and at the ton 7 feet. It is built with al most the solidity of a, safe throughout, and weighs 39,000 pounds. Hebe was tir.t led through it, entering by one side door nnd leaving it by that on the opposite side, in full view of Jumbo, to encourage him to follow. Willingly enough he stepped up to the floor of the car, and thero Stopped to think and survey the new quarters pre pared for him. Strong chainß -wore quickly carried forward and made fast insulo, so thet when he showed a disposition to back out he found himself unable to do so. Then Arstingstall and Newman persuaded his hind legs forward with sharp steel prods, and lunibcrinfily he got himself up into the car. Three times he tried to back out, but was prodded b%ck each time, and finally he was made fast by chains, fore and aft, so that he was quite helpless. In the pro gress of this work he managed to step on one of Newman's feet and hurt him; con siderably, but beyond this there was no accident, and at haif-past eleven o'clock he was safely caged, ready for his first rail road trip to Philedclphia,—" New York Sun."

The Story of a Young Peasant Girl.

A Paris journalist has discovered a real " Cinderella "in the person of the wife of an English millioniaro, whose name he withholds from delicacy or other causes. About fifteen yean ago the painter Her bert was executing his fine portrait of tho Duchess of Noailles. He was working at the same time upon an exquisite "genre" picture, in whose progress tlicDuchcss took a great interest. It represented a young Italian girl of extraordinary loveliness. One day the Duchess said to the artist: •'lt is impossible that such a face should be a mere painter's ideal. The orginal must sometimes come to your studio. I should like to see her." Tbe lady was so charmed with the girl that she said to the painter: "If the rich give so much money to hang up a copy on their walls, what an ornament the original would be for any salon." The thought which she had thus struck out seemed to havo fascinated her, and when the picture of the beautiful Ita lian girl had found its way into Baron Rothschild's collection at Ferrieres in 1872, the original had developed into a woman of wonderful beauty. Her guar dian kept a jealous eye upou her numerous admirers, determining that if her Cinde rella did not become a princess, she would marry into a family of high social distinc tion. Meanwhile an Englishman of very great wealth, who was visiting the houso of Noailles, not only fell deeply in love with the beautiful ward but gained her heart. Although he was not a noble, ho was a I millionaire ; tbe Duchess consented at last to favour his suit, and the English _ suitor carried off the ItalianCinderelkasMswifo, —*.' London Globe."

Fashions in San Francisco.

VARIED and beautiful arc the garmcats that fashion has decreed shall be wont during the summer season, and we loofc regretfully on the crisp and dainty fabrics in lawn and* muslSa' which the imperious' wind, indigenous ta-our glorious climate,. Bars us from wearing. Nevertheless, the

woollen varieties are- multitudinous, soft

and exquisite;■• therefsre let ns be satis fied. There is a new shade of porcelain

blue- which is admitted to -be the most novel colo~r of the Hour, and* thin comes in silk» flannel and granite de I'lnde. Mingled with -icru, it forms a mosif beconvimg combi nation-,, also wits pale guey num's veiling Geranium red is another novelty, and this appcars-with black for a garniture for in stance. I observed a dress rcccntlj impor ted, the skirt of which was black gras-grain, a pleating half a yard' in dejHi ornated the slcirt; this was madie in largo-side pJeatsof black, being lined with geranium red, thus, though fastened down half way from the top of the flounce, the pleat* so feliS as to disclose glimpses of the wnrn>tinted lining which flashed about like tongues of flame. Panicrs drooping low, and caught* up- krnll ant style at the back, were effected by merely a suspicion of red. The long pointed bisque was also finely piped with the same colour, while the slecvce showed a garniture to match, in fino, a black dress, perfect in detail, with gleams of colour pocpiiig.out here and there. Another round skirt of porcc lian blue flannel is made with a kilted front, over which falls an apron ovcr-skirt;.biittie~cd at one side an- caught in drapery at the other; the tight-fitting basque is single breasted, having twenty-four gilt buttons for a fastening; the collar is large and square, culls also square aniMurned' deeply up. Many woollen fabrics have a deep embroidery woven in, especially bunting takes this form of garniture, while thesame trimming narrower is used to effect the basque, neck and sleeves. A novelty in flounces is to gather them instead of pleat ing as heretofore, in which case the cage is cut out cither iv points or scallops. In all cases those edges must bo lined With a good contrasting colour, which gleams out as the garment is all'cctcd by the wind'or change of position. A myrtle-green dress so effected with 6cra silk silk trimming is ex ceedingly distingu6. Black drosses are, perhaps more in vogne than any other, but in all _c»»cs some sus picion of colour must positively be seen—a black satin dress, having paniets-of black Spanish lace, caught up hero and there with bows of moriti or other ribbon, in colour red or blue, is en regie. A charming skirt is thus made : Two deep fldunces fall* from the waist to the base of tho skirt:. these are gathered twice at the top_ nnd half-way down the fabric being formed into pleats between the gathers, and the edges of each flounce finished by scallops or points- lined with, colour. The back is puffed nndioawght by cords and tassels, and a tight-fitting basque buttoned diagonally across the bosom is cut away in front, showingihe entire skirt. Open silk embroidery, or chenille, ot jet, or anything so that it be open work, is the very newest aud most approved' garniture among Parisian modistes. For ladies having pretty, feet let me say a word about hose. For the street black silk arc tbe most distingue"; also the new shades, terra cottn and rose de cMne, arc charming. Lace work or small groups of embroidered flowers on tho instepare the prettiest modes of garnituro;: and silk hose, with lengthway stripes in.black and white, blue and pink, green and* red, are novel, though, I think, unbecoming to the limb ; but when fashion speaks, who shall dare say nay 1 I should advisoa'black silk stock ing with a petite group of rosebuds on tho instep, encased in a blaok. satin slipper always remembering that this is a dressing for a pretty foot. I'or ugly pedal arrange ments a plain lisle thrcad;nny colouryou like,. will serve'as a covering vory well. Silver_Pen.

SELECTED POETRY.

GROWING OLD.

At six—l weU remember whon— I fancied all folks old at ten. But, vrhon I'd turned; my first decade, Fifteen appeared moro truly staid. Bat when tbe fifteenth year I'd run, I thought none old tilt twenty-ono. * Then, oddly, when I'd reached that age, I hcld that thirty mado folks sage. But when my thirtieth yoar was told, I said : " At twoscore mon grow old 1" Yet twoscore came and found me thrifty. And so I drew the lino at Sl ty. But when I reached that year, I sworo None Gould bo old until threescore, An bore I am at sixty now, As young as whon at six, I trow! _is truo my hair is somowhat gray, And that I use a cane to-day; 'Tls true, thoso rogues about my knee Say " Grandpa I" whon they sp*ak to me j But, bless my soul, I'm young as when I though all people old at ten I Perhaps a little wiser grown— Perhaps some old illusions flown j But wond'ring still, while years have roHcd"£, When is it that a man grows old 1 —Vandyke Brown,

GOOD-BYE, PROUD WORLD!

Good-bye, proud world 1 I'm going home : Thou art not my friend; lam not thine ; Too long through weary crowds I roam ; A river ark on the ocean brino ; Too long I am tossed like tho driven foata,;. But now, proud world, I'm going home 1

Good-bye to Flattery's fawning face. To Grandeur with his wise grimace; To upstart Wealth's averted eye, To Biipplo ofllco low and high: • To crowded halls, to court and street,. To frozen hearts and hasting feet; To those who go and thoso who como. Good-bye, proud world, I'm going-hornet

Oh, whon I am safo-fti my sylvan home. I mock at tho pride of Greece and Rome i And whan I am stretched beneath the pines. Where tbo evening star so holy shines, I laugh at the lore and prioe of man, At the sophist schools, and the learned Clan For what are they all in their high conceit, 1 When man in the hush with God may meets 1332, -KALPH Wauk> Emebson-,

I go to seek my own hearth-stone, Bosomed in yon green hills alone ;■ A secret lodge in a pleasant land, Whose groves tbo frolic fairies planned* Whoro arches green the livelong day Kcho the blackbird's roundelay. And ovil mon havo never trod A spot that is sacred to thought and God,



■Vf E W SERIAL TALE. Tbe right of Publication in Now Zealand having been purchased from the London publishers at considerable cost, the Romanes entitled "GOD AND THE MAN!" ny ' ROBERT BUCHANAN. Will shortly bo commenced in the "Star Saturday Supplement." Mr Buohanan Is well-known as tho writor of "A Child of Nature," " Tho Shadow of the Sword," &c„ And also as the Author of a number of Poems of gnat merit. His Nk'w Story, "GOD AND THE MAN," Has created quite nn unusual sensation in England nnd America; nnd it is now, FOR THE FIRST TIME, about to be introduced to New Zealand readers, • All who wish to follow the course of this Powerful and Intensely Interesting Story from tho beginning, should AT OKCB. SKND IN THEIR SUBSCRIPTIONS TO THE PUBLISHER. Subscription to Star, 7s 6d per quarter by post, payable in advance. T FEW USEFUL HINTS SUGGESTED BY THE NEW ZEALAND INSURANCE COMPANY. now To Prevent Fires : " Keop matches in metal boxos, nnd ont of the reach or children. Wax matches arc especially dangerous, and should bo kept out of tbo way of rats and mice, and never thrown on tho floor alight. Bryant and May's, 801 l and Black's, or Lefchford's SAFETY MATCHES-to strike on the box—aro tho best. "Fill kerosene lamps only during daylight, and never near a fire. Never buy tho cheapest oil, got the best. " Deposit no ashes in wooden boxes or barrels but in a non-combustiblo repository, removed v safe distance from wood-work. Placo no ashes or light under a staircase. Bo specially careful with the ashes from Waikato Coal. "Never pile up partially burnt wood-gainst tho chimney; scores of houses havo been burned in this way in Now Zealand. Never put fire wood inside tho fender, or on tbe stovo to dry. " Never oxamino a gas-meter or gns-pipo by artificial light. Never take a light into a room full of escaped gas. '! Avoid placing a light near curtains or dra pery ; or taking a light into a closet. ".Do not read or smoke in bed at night. "Place shades over gas-lights in shop win dows, and keep goods a Bute distance therefrom. "Permit no smoking in wnrehouses.espeoially where goods are packed or Uax Is stored. "Stove-pipes should be nine inches or more from wood, enclosed in non-combustiblo sub stance, and carried four feot abovo tho roof. "Hatchways and other openings in the floors Of Btores factories and warehouses, should be always closed at night. Oloso iron doors be tween floors when not required to bo open for business Have a few buckets always filled with wator, available in caso of accidents. Stores nhould have an iron tank of water, always filled, on each floor.l "Buildings in which cotton waste, rags, or Oil aro used for cleaning and oiling machinery should have an iron box to hold the same, oa these substances are lioblo to spontaneous igni tion? and, if neglected, may constitute an element of very serious danger. " Have your chimneys regularly swept, at fixed intervals; at least once iv threo months. Useful as these precautions may be, your greatest safeguard is to , INSURE AGAINST FIRE IN TIIE TWEW ZEALAND JNSURANCffi QO. QUEEN-STREET. AUCKLAND,