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finding our own pleasures, and speaking our own words, and by calling the Sabbath a delight, the Holy of the Lord, honourable."-The address is signed by one hundred individuals.

QUESTIONS FROM THE HISTORY OF ENGLAND.

(See page 561, vol. iii.)

In what year did Henry VIII. die * ?
How many children did he leave?

What were their names?

Which of these reigned first?

How old was Edward VI. when he began to reign?

What was his character?

Did he encourage the Reformation?

You remember, I suppose, that the Reformation, here, signifies the changing of the religion of the country from the Roman Catholic to the Protestant?

What three Bishops are particularly mentioned as great encouragers of the Reformation?

Did the young King take great delight in hearing these good men preach?

In the Roman Catholic times, had the people the Bible in their own language?

Did not the ignorance of Scripture lead to many superstitious practices?

Will making long prayers, and kneeling before the statues of the Virgin Mary and of Saints,-or will any pains or penances we can inflict on ourselves, take away the guilt of our sins?

Who, is it, alone, that can atone for our sins?

* 1547.

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But may we go on in the practice of sin, because Christ has atoned for our past offences?

You are aware, then, that it is the duty of one who believes in Christ to forsake sin, and to be desirous of serving God; or, as the Scripture expresses it, to be zealous of good works?

Ought we Protestants, then, who can read the Scriptures, to be very anxious to believe what they teach us, and to live according to their directions?

As the King was very young, was it not necessary that he should have guardians to manage the affairs of the nation?

Who was at the head of these?

What was he called?

Did Protector Somerset favour the Reformation? And did the cause of the Reformation flourish during this young King's reign?

What two Bishops, in particular, still clung to the Roman Catholic cause?

Were they sent to the Tower?

Who was mentioned, by some persons, as the rightful person to reign, in case of the King's death? Who encouraged Lady Jane Grey to claim the crown?

What was now the state of the King's health? In what year did the King die *?

How old was he?

How long had he reigned?

V.

ENGLISH WOOL.

MR. HALL of Sneed park, near Bristol, lately wrote a respectful letter to the King, hoping that his Majesty would condescend to accept a piece of

* 1553.

cloth made entirely of English wool. Mr. Hall calls to the mind of his Majesty, that wool was " a commodity which was once the pride, and boast of England, and that it is still retained a most conspicuous situation in the house of peers *That his late Majesty, King George the Third, had always encouraged the English wool trade by his patronage, and sanction, and example; and that this encouragement had produced such exertions among the woolgrowers of this country, that, at an immense personal expence, they had succeeded in producing a supply of fine wool for the nation's use, at a time of national want, and national danger, when, to all human calculation, no other resource was left for the supply of our manufactures ;-That the return of peace, and other reasons have so changed the state of things, that British wool is now little used; and the unfortunate grower of it is consequently involved in deep distress." Mr. Hall conceived "that his Majesty's example and patronage might recal the country's taste, and lead them to give a preference to an article of real and intrinsic excellence, and the encouragement of which would be of essential advantage to a large portion of his Majesty's most faithful subjects, the tenantry and yeomanry of the kingdom, and the occupiers of the soil." In short, Mr. Hall's petition is, that his Majesty would encourage the British wool trade, by appearing in a coat made of the cloth, which he had the honour to lay at his Majesty's feet; conceiving that this would set an illustrious example to the nobility and kingdom, and lead them to encourage a manufacture, which he conceived to be of great importance to the public good.

The following most gracious answer was returned :

*The Lord Chancellor's seat in the House of Lords, is a Woolsack.

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"Lord Lansdown presents his compliments to Mr. Hall, and has the pleasure to acquaint him, that having transmitted his letter, together with the cloth which accompanied it, to the King, he has been commanded to convey to Mr. Hall his Majesty's acknowledgments for his dutiful attention, and to express the real satisfaction which his Majesty will feel in wearing so beautiful a specimen of the cloth produced exclusively from British wool.",

"Whitehall, January 7, 1828."

SUICIDES.

A FRENCH Newspaper contains a calculation of the different causes which have led men to the crime of self-destruction in France during the last year; and it appears, that, by far the greater number of these deaths are to be traced to distress of mind, occasioned by gambling. The French, in former days, were in the habit of reproaching us with the number of suicides committed in England, seeming to believe that there was amongst us a sort of gloominess of disposition, which led men, especially in gloomy weather, "to hang and drown themselves." But we find that this crime has now become extremely common in France,-even among the gay light-hearted Frenchmen. We may talk indeed, of one nation being grave, and another gay; and it is not to be denied that there is, either from difference of climate, or other causes, a difference of national character; and where there is no parti. cular cause to keep this down, it will probably appear; but yet there are circumstances which affect the mind so powerfully, that, whatever a man's natural disposition may be, it gives way,

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when this new and powerful force is applied to it. Such is the force of religion; the influence of God's grace so changes the character, that a desire to serve God, and to do his will seems to overcome the natural disposition, or at least, to give it a totally different direction.

The power of sin has an effect the very reverse of this; and whatever there may be of natural gaiety and liveliness in the people of any country, yet all this is completely destroyed by the indulgence of bad passions, and wicked desires. Indeed this very light-heartedness, which appears so agreeable, is apt to lead to carelessness of conduct; and carelessness opens the door to crime, and crime brings on misery; and thus we see, that, even in the gay and sportive land of France, by this vice of gambling, and by other vices too, vast numbers of people are rendered so completely miserable, that they are brought to commit the dreadful crime of self-destruction, vainly hoping to bury their griefs with them in the grave. Nothing can be more true than those declarations of Scripture, which tell us, that "there is no peace to the wicked," no peace, no happiness, even in this world; but that the truest happiness, is to be found in obedience to the will of God, "Godliness hath the promise of the life that now is, as well as of that which is to come."

Look at the misery with which the world abounds; and you will see that the severest sufferings are those which are produced by sin. What numbers of victims does sin send to a prison, to a hospital, to a work-house, to a mad-house, to the gallows! Let any one take up a common newspaper, and there shall be no day in which he will not read accounts of wretchedness and misery, which, if he have common humanity, will go to his very heart; young women starving in the streets, or committing robberies to supply their

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