other out of all the species, with a design to be each other's mutual comfort and happiness, have in that action bound themselves to be goodhumoured, affable, and discreet, forgiving, patient, joyful, with respect to each other's frailties and perfections, to the end of their lives.

SPECTATOR.

Goldbeaters, by hammering, can reduce gold to leaves so thin, that 282,000 must be laid upon each other to produce the thickness of an inch; yet those leaves are perfect, or without holes, so that one of them laid upon any surface, as in gilding, gives the appearance of solid gold. They are so thin, that if formed into a book, 1,500 would only occupy the space of a single leaf of common paper; and an octavo volume of an inch thick, would have as many pages as the books of a well-stocked library of 1,500 volumes with 400 pages each.

Lord Chesterfield once told a lady, in a serious discourse they had on the evidences of Christianity, that there was one which he thought to be invincible, not to be got over by the wit of man; viz. the present state of the Jews—a fact to be accounted for on no human principle.

Bishop Cumberland being told by some of his friends, that he would wear himself out by intense application, replied, "It is better to wear

out than to rust out."

Carriages were first introduced into England towards the latter end of the reign of Elizabeth. Before this the queen always rode on the same horse, behind the Lord Chamberlain.

Dean Swift once dispatched a servant four miles to bring back his housekeeper from a party, to shut a door she had left open. It may be imagined it had the desired effect of making her always shut it afterwards.

All the Royal Family have been famed for keeping their time wherever they are expected. And it will generally be found that most men who are much engaged in the affairs of life are punctual, since they know so well the value of time. It is the idler, and those who have little or nothing to do, who are most guilty of this negligence; people who set no value on their own time, or that of others.

THE FEASTS AND FASTS OF THE CHURCH OF ENGLAND EXPLAINEd.

The Purification.

Feb. 2.-This day, commonly called Candlemas Day, is solemnized upon a double account; partly, as a memorial of the Virgin Mary's purification; and likewise of the presentation of the holy Jesus in the temple. The rite of purification was exacted from all mothers forty days after their delivery of a male child, to remind us of our original pollution. The presentation was agreeable to the precept, that every first-born should be holy unto the Lord. (Ex. xiii. 2. 15.)

And since both were of indispensable injunction, they were strictly performed according to the Mosaic law, by the blessed Virgin and our Saviour, who came "to fulfil all righteousness," and was willing in all the particulars of his life, that a just obedience should be paid to the public ordinances of his religion and country. This day is called Candlemas, because the Roman Catholics used always hereon to go in procession with lighted candles in their hands.

Ash-Wednesday.

Feb. 16. This day (which this year falls rather earlier than usual) begins the solemn Fast of Lent, a time of extraordinary

VOL. I.

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humiliation, and ought to be spent in the strictest course of mortification and self-denial. The primitive Christians used on this day to express their sorrow for sin, by lying in sackcloth and having ashes sprinkled upon their heads; from which custom, this day has the denomination of Ash-Wednesday. Upon this day likewise, notorious sinners were put to open penance, and were not suffered to participate in any acts of church-communion, till by the most public testimonies of sorrow and repentance, and the greatest signs of humiliation that can be imagined, they had made an atonement for their crimes. This Fast of Lent was appointed partly for a commemoration of our blessed Saviour's fasting in the Wilderness forty days and forty nights, and partly to prepare ourselves for the great solemnity of Easter, and for the reception of the holy Sacrament, which is on that great festival always to be celebrated.

St. Matthias's Day.

Feb. 24. This day is set apart in commemoration of the Martyrdom of St. Matthias. He obtained the honour of being called to the apostleship, by the death of Judas Iscariot, who having betrayed his master for thirty pieces of silver, went and hanged himself. The number of the apostles was always confined to twelve; and there being a vacancy upon the decease of the traitor, St. Peter told the rest, that it was necessary another should be substituted in his room. Accordingly they appointed two, Joseph (whose surname was Barsabas,) and Matthias, both equally qualified for the holy function. And having begged the blessing of Heaven for success in this great undertaking, they cast lots which of these two should be admitted into the apostolic charge, and the lot fell upon Matthias, who became a blessed instrument of converting multitudes to Christianity. The manner of his death is uncertain; some say, that he was beheaded; but others, upon better grounds, report that he was crucified.

THE SWISS MARTYRS.

THE History of the Reformation in Switzerland, as given by Mr. Ruchat, abounds with many highly interesting proofs of the power and efficacy of that word, which enables the humble, the timid, and the unlettered Christian to display a strength of character and a fearlessness of danger-deserving of our highest admiration and applause. Death has naturally great terrors for all men; and though age, constitution, and the desire of showing courage in the presence of a number of spectators, may separately, or altogether, enable a man to meet the destroyer with firmness and composure-nothing but a steady faith in the atonement and merits of his Redeemer, can enable him to hail his approach triumphantly and with joy. But the faith of a Christian has repeatedly enabled its possessor to display these qualities of serenity, peace, and joy, under circumstances well calculated to daunt a bold and break a tender heart. The following particulars of the trial and death of three Swiss Martyrs will, in a measure, illustrate the truth of these brief remarks, and be interesting to all those who have a due sense of their obligation to, and their dependance on, their Redeemer.

During the night of the 7th of June 1524, John Exlin, the Clergyman of the village of Bourg, in Thourgovia, and a successful preacher of the gospel, was seized by order of the Cantons, and carried away from his home. This affair produced a terrible commotion in the country; and after a fruitless attempt to rescue the prisoner, the enraged mob, having heated themselves with wine which they procured at the Monastery of Ittinguen, burned it to the ground. Unfortunately, John Wirt, vice-bailiff of Stam-heim, together with his two sons, were present. They exerted themselves to the utmost to keep the people in order, but unsuccessfully. Wirt, however, bore the blame of this tumult. The Cantons, already exasperated against him and his sons on other accounts, accused them of being the authors of this conflagration; and having threatened the people of Stam-heim with fire and sword, induced the Zuricois to seize these three men and some others, and to carry them to Zurich, where they were imprisoned for three weeks. In the examination which followed,

they were acknowledged to be entirely innocent. The other Cantons, however, joint Lords with Thourgovia, insisted that Zurich should deliver the prisoners up to them. The Zuricois, for some time, refused to do it, and only consented at last, upon a promise, which the Cantons expressly gave, not to punish these men on account of religion; but merely to examine them on the affair of Ittinguen, and that in presence of the deputies from Zurich. No sooner, however, were they removed to Baden, but they were questioned about the destruction (which had been made) of the images at Stam-heim, and put to the torture; in the extremity of which, as the elder Wirt loudly cried out in his anguish, and implored the help of God, one of his examiners said to him, "Where is your Christ now? Bid him come and help you," with language of a like kind. His wife hastened to Baden in the hope of raising the compassion of his judges by the sight of his large family. And as she was one day supplieating one of his judges, he said to her "I have been twice bailiff of Thourgovia, and without disparagement to any one, I never met with a more upright man than he; he has always been obedient, never seditious; and I am astonished that he should have headed this tumult. Had he committed robbery, or murder, &c. I would have striven to obtain his pardon; but since he has burnt the grand-mother of Christ; the Holy Mother Anne, the mother of Mary, the mother of God; there is no pardoning him--he must die." The advocate for this poor woman replied, "that it was very strange that a good man, who had done nothing but burn some wooden images, should find less favour than thieves and murderers." But, notwithstanding all that could be said, the two vice-bailiffs, John de Wirt, Ruteman, and John Wirt the younger, were condemned to be beheaded. Adrien Wirt was pardoned in consideration of his mother.

Having heard the sentence, Wirt, the father, admonished Adrien not to revenge their death; and John, addressing his brother said, "You know that we have faithfully preached the word of God; but always under the cross. Weep not then, but take courage and be content. I thank God who has honoured me, by this day calling me to suffer and die for his word. His holy name be blessed eternally. His will be done.' Wirt, the