WEYNKEN CLAES' DAUGHTER.

respecting the sacrament; that she continued in the same immovable, and he therefore concluded that she was a heretic, and gave Weynken over to the civil power, with a protest that he concurred not in her death. Thereupon he left the council with two spiritual persons, who had sat with him on the bench. The chancellor immediately read that she was (as was reported) found obstinate, and obstinacy must not go unpunished, and that she should be burnt to ashes, and all her property confiscated. Weynken then said, "If it is now all done, I pray all of you, that if I have injured or provoked any one, you will forgive me." The monk spoke to her, "Kiss now, once, the Lord your God." She answered, "That is not my Lord." Leaving the council-chamber, the monk spoke to her to call upon our dear lady, that she might pray for her. She answered, "Our lady is happy in repose with God." Monk. “Call upon her." Weynken. "We have Christ, who sits at the right hand of the Father, he intercedes for us." When now she came from the hall, and approached the gibbet or place of execution, the monk said, "Look once on your Lord who died for you.' Weynken. "That is not the Lord my God; my Lord God is in me, and I am in him." Monk. "Look around you, will you judge all these lambs? are they all condemned?" Weynken. "Not all; judgment belongs to God." Monk. “Do you not dread the severe judgment of God?" Weynken. "God comes not to condemn sinners, but to give them peace.' Monk. "Do you not fear the ordeal you must suffer in the fire?" Weynken. 'Not I, for I know how I stand with my God."

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The

At the scaffold, or place of execution, was one standing by who spoke to Weynken, saying, "Mother, turn to the people, and entreat them, that if you have offended any, they may forgive you." This she did. She then assisted the executioner to put the powder into her bosom. The monk here tempted her again with the crucifix, which she put aside with her hand and turned away, saying, "Why do you tempt me? Lord, my God, is here above." After this she proceeded cheerfully, as if she were going to a festival. Her countenance was not once moved at the sight of the fire. The monk said, "Will you not cleave steadfastly and ever to God?" Weynken. "Yes, truly: I will." Monk. "You must now, immediately, go into the fire; recant then, now." Weynken. “I am quite content. The will of the Lord must be done." Monk. "That is not the will of the Lord. The will of God is your sanctification." The executioner spake; "Mother, abide by God,

POETRY.

and suffer not yourself to be drawn away from him." In the meantime, this pious heroine went unattended to the bench, and placed herself at the stake, at which she should be burnt. She said, "Is the bench firm? Shall I not fall?" The executioner made ready the cords to strangle her. The woman

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removed her neckerchief or scarf, and fastened the strap round her neck. The monk then cried out, "My good Weynken, do you wish to die as a christian?" Answer. "Yes, I do. Question. Do you renounce all heresy?" Ans." I do." Qu. "That is right. Are you likewise sorry that you have erred?" Ans. "I erred formerly, for that I am sorry; but this is no error, it is the right way; I cleave to God." When she had thus spoken, the executioner proceeded to strangle her, which when she felt, she cast down her eyes and closed them, as if she had fallen asleep, and gave up the ghost the 20th day of November, 1527. Dutch Martyrology.

Poetry.

A PRAYER FOR THE TIMES.

LET Babylon's proud altars shake,
And light invade their darkest gloom,

The yoke of iron bondage break,
The yoke of satan and of Rome.

With gentle beams on Britain shine,

And bless her people and her Queen;
And let thine energy divine,

In all our hearts and lives be seen.

Triumphant here let Jesus reign,

And on his subjects sweetly smile;
While all the virtues of his train

Adorn the churches of our Isle.

On all our souls let grace descend,

Like heavenly dew in copious showers,
That we may call our God our friend,
That we may hail salvation ours.

Then shall each age and rank agree,
United shouts of joy to raise;

And Sion made a praise by thee,

To thee shall render back the praise.

ANECDOTES AND SELECTIONS.

Anecdotes and Selections.

MARY, THE BLOODY QUEEN OF ENGLAND, was a violent persecutor of the Protestants. Having brought to the block and the stake multitudes in England, Scotland, and Wales, she reached forth her hand to vex those of Ireland. She had signed a commission, (1588,) authorizing the persecution and annihilation of all Irish heretics, which was committed for execution to Dr. Cole, a zealous son of Rome. The doctor immediately repairs to Ireland to execute the bloody mandate of the queen. At Chester, where he is to embark, he communicates to the mayor the nature of his errand to Ireland, at the same time pointing to a box, which, to use his language, contained "that which shall lash the heretics of Ireland." The good woman in the house where they were, (Elizabeth Edmonds,) a friend of the Protestants, who had a brother in Dublin, hearing these words, was not a little troubled. Therefore, watching her opportunity, she opens the box, takes out the commission, and places in its stead a sheet of paper in which she had carefully wrapped a pack of cards, with the knave of clubs uppermost. Suspecting nothing, the doctor, the wind and the weather favouring, next day set sail for Dublin. He immediately appears before the lord deputy and the privy council, makes his speech, declaring the nature of his commission, and presents his box to the lord deputy; on opening which, nothing appears but a pack of cards, the knave of clubs staring his lordship in the face! The lord deputy and council were amazed, and the doctor was confounded; yet insisted that he started with a commission such as he had declared. The lord deputy answered, "Let us have another commission, and we will shuffle the cards in the meantime." The doctor, chagrined, returns to England, appears at court, obtains another commission, but is now detained by unfavourable winds, and while waiting, the queen is called to her dread account. And thus God preserved the Protestants of Ireland. Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep."

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EFFECTS OF THE BIBLE UPON NATIONS.-Tell me where the Bible is, and where it is not, and I will write a moral geography of the world. I will show what, in all particulars, is the physical condition of that people. One glance of your eye will inform you where the Bible is, and where it is not. Go to Italy-decay, degradation, suffering, meet you on every side. Commerce droops, agriculture sickens, the useful arts languish. There is a heaviness in the air; you feel cramped by some invisible power; the people dare not speak aloud; they walk slowly; an armed soldiery is round their dwellings; the armed police take from the stranger his Bible, before he enters the territory. Ask for the Bible in the book-stores; it is not there, or in a form so large and expensive as

ANECDOTES AND SELECTIONS.

to be beyond the reach of the common people. The preacher takes no text from the Bible. Enter the Vatican and inquire for a Bible, and you will be pointed to some case where it reposes among prohibited works, side by side with the works of Diderot, Rosseau, and Voltaire. But pass over the Alps into Switzerland, and down the Rhine into Holland, and over the channel to England and Scotland, and what an amazing contrast meets the eye! Men look with an air of independence; there are industry, neatness, instruction for children. Why this difference? There is no brighter skythere are no fairer scenes of nature-but they have the Bible; and happy are the people who are in such a case, for it is righteousness that exalteth a nation. Dr. W. Adams.

DRUNKENNESS AND CRIME.-An official in York Castle says:"I have now been an officer nearly six years, and have seen society in a vast variety of forms. I have seen the murderer, the manslayer, the thief for plunder, and the thief of necessity. I have been present at executions, and in company with the condemned in their last hours; and you will undoubtedly imagine, treading among this wreck of nature, I have been led to look for its cause, and I have found that drunkenness has invariably been the cause of the great majority of these crimes. This is the rule-sobriety the exception. Out of 119 prisoners for trial, at the last summer assizes, 98 declared to me that this bait of the devil's had been greedily swallowed by them, and was the cause of their misfortunes. I have often seen prisoners brought into this castle manacled hand and foot, disgrace stamped on their countenances, dejected in their look, ragged in appearance, and very often filthy; and to such I have put the question as to the cause of their crime, and the answer has been, Drink, drink!' Oh! that the reader could peruse the letters, and see the anguish of the parents and wives of these prisoners; the poverty endured by the wives and children left behind; the pledging and selling of furniture and clothing to procure a defence; the anxiety displayed during trial; the fluttering heart, the attentive ear, the smile of hope when anything favourable is spoken, the dejected look when anything decisive is evidenced against him, and the utter despair when the sentence of 'guilty' is announced, which he knows is to separate him from all that is near, and all that once was truly dear to him, for ever; from a kind and affectionate father and mother, who have often wept and prayed for this their prodigal; or from a wife and dear children, who are left without a protector, to become the unhappy inmates of a workhouse, and subject to the rebuffs of an unfeeling world. And all this, be it remembered, traceable to this one crime, intemperance!"

FEELING FOR THE PILLARS.-When Luther was at Coburg he wrote to a friend: "I was lately looking out of my window at night, and I saw the stars in the heavens, and God's great beauti. ful arch over my head, but I could not see any pillars on which the

ANECDOTES AND SELECTIONS.

great Builder had fixed this arch; and yet the heavens fell not and the great arch stood firmly. There are some who are always feeling for the pillars, and longing to touch them. And because they cannot touch them, they stand trembling and fearing lest the heavens should fall. If they could only grasp the pillars, then the heavens would stand fast." Thus Luther illustrated the faith of his own soul, and wished to inspirit others with the same strong confidence in God.

SERMON ON THE MOUNT.-Christ says in substance: Let your religion be mine, for no other dispositions are becoming to men, or blessed of God. Unite patience under persecution, with activity in diffusing the light and influence of saving truth in the world. Be uncompromising in principle, yet conciliatory in temper, pure in heart, and simple in speech; yet generous, and merciful to others, even to your enemies. Above all see that your aim is always single to serve and please God in all things, but especially in acts of private religion. Avoid undue severity or laxity in your judgments of men, and in your conduct towards them. But as you value your salvation, cultivate the habits of prayer to God, equity to men, and strict fidelity to the truth respecting the only way to heaven, which I came to open to a perishing world. Watch against false teachers, against false professors, and above all, against false hopes, which foolish and careless men cherish to their own utter overthrow.

GOOD COUNSEL.-I am afflicted to perceive that satan is so busy with you; but God is greater than satan. Did you ever hear of Jesus Christ? That he came into the world to save sinners? He does not demand as a condition any merit of your own; he only says, "Come to me and be healed!" Leave your idle speculations. Forget your vain philosophy. Come as you are. Come and be healed. He only requires you to be sensible of your need of himto give him your heart; to abandon with penitence every evil practice; and he has promised that whosoever thus come shall not be cast out. To such as you Christ ought to be precious, for you see the hopelessness of every other refuge.

THE GREATEST BLESSING.-"I have known what the enjoyment and advantages of this life are, and what the more refined pleasures which learning and intellectual power can give. I now, on the eve of my departure, declare, that health is a great blessing; competence, attained by industry, is a great blessing; and a great blessing it is to have kind, faithful, and loving friends and relatives; but that the greatest of all blessings, as it is the most ennobling of all privileges, is to be indeed a christian."--Coleridge.