tinguished by the false glare of splendour, reflected upon him as a hero and a conqueror, but that his name stands recorded as one who joined in "wearing out the saints of the Most High."

His successor, Henry vi., was an infant, and full power remained in the hands of the persecutors, which they did not fail to employ.

Henry Chicheley, Archbishop of Canterbury, continued at the head of that see from February 1414, to April, 1443, and has deservedly been called "the firebrand of the age in which he lived." This man bitterly persecuted the Lollards, and almost effaced the vestiges of godliness in the kingdom. During the minority of Henry vi., the Lollards were still hurried to the stake, and several devoted labourers of Christ were among their number.

Nor did the civil wars between the houses of York and Lancaster put an end to this persecution. A person named John Gooze was burned on Tower-hill, in the reign of Edward iv., in the year 1473. The serenity of his mind was remarkable. He asked for his dinner, and partaking of it with a relish, he said to the sheriff," I now eat a good dinner, for I have a brisk storm to pass through before supper." After he had dined, he gave thanks to God, and desired to be led to the place, where he should give up his soul to his Creator and Redeemer.

At the union of the two rival houses, and the accession of Henry vii., the church of God was still called to glorify him in the fires; and during the reigns of Henry vii. and Henry viii., the sufferings of the Lollards were greatly augmented. All persons who read the scriptures, or opposed the superstitions of popery, were condemned as heretics, and subjected to severe and painful sufferings. Parents were compelled to accuse their children, and children their parents; and the nearest and dearest friends were constrained to give information against each other. Many endured hardness, as good soldiers of Jesus Christ; but it must be added, that in the heat of the battle many deserted their colours. These were times when the furnace was heated hotter than usual, and nothing would endure trial but the most precious metal. But there was faith in the church, much more precious than gold that perisheth, and at its trial it was found unto praise, and honour, and glory."

The last victim of these persecutions whom we shall mention, was John Brown, of Ashford, in Kent. He offended a romish

priest by sitting on his clothes in a Gravesend barge. The offended ecclesiastic promised to be avenged, and was as good as his word. From some remarks which Brown made, he inferred that he was a heretic,. and accused him to Archbishop Warham.. Three days afterwards he was seized in his own house by the archbishop's servants, while in the act of placing a dish on the table for some guests, on occasion of his wife having been churched that day. His legs were tied under the belly of his own horse, and he was carried to Canterbury, where he remained forty days, during which time neither his wife nor any of his friends could receive the smallest information concerning him. At length he was taken back to Ashford, and put in the stocks, where one of his servants seeing him, gave information to his wife. His affectionate partner sat by him in this situation for a whole night, and heard his painful story. The archbishop, with the Bishop of Rochester, had directed his bare feet to be placed upon hot burning coals, and to be kept there until they were burned to the bones. "The bishops, good Elizabeth," said he to his wife," have burnt my feet till I cannot set them on the ground: they have done so to make me deny my Lord; but I thank God they will never be able to make me do that; for, if I should deny him in this world, he would deny me hereafter. Therefore, I pray thee, continue as thou hast begun, and bring up thy children in the fear of God. Thy husband is to be consumed at the stake to-morrow."-He died at the stake, exclaiming, "Into thy hands 1 commend my spirit; for thou hast redeemed me, O Lord, thou God of truth."

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Such were the sanguinary methods employed to extirpate Lollardism and heresy, and in some degree they ultimately succeeded, by reducing the followers of Wickliff to so small a number, that they were afterwards confounded with the other favourers of the Reformation their principles were, in fact, virtually the same, and therefore they easily mingled together, like the confluence of two rivers, making one pure and noble stream. The firmness of the genuine disciples of Wickliff, together with the severity of their sufferings, attracted attention, excited inquiry, and roused the indignation of many against the persecutors, which at length, under the direction of an overruling providence, led to the overthrow of papal usurpation, and the wide spread of doctrines "according to godliness."

ANCIENT USE OF POTATOES.
To the Editor of the Weekly Visitor.

SIR-The reference to Gerard, in the account of potatoes, in your Number LXXXVI., reminds me of the methods in use for preparing the root as food, described in Johnson's edition of Gerard, printed in 1636. He says, "Their nutriment is as it were a mean between flesh and fruit, and being toasted in the embers they lose much of that windiness, especially being eaten sopped in wine. Of these roots may be made conserves no less toothsome, wholesome, and dainty, than of the flesh of quinces. They may serve as a ground or foundation whence the cunning confectioner or sugar-baker may work and frame many comfortable delicate conserves and restorative sweetmeats. They are used to be eaten roasted in the ashes. Some when they be so roasted, infuse them, and sop them in wine; and others, to give them the greater grace in eating, do boil them with prunes, and so eat them. And likewise others dress them, being first roasted, with oil, vinegar and salt, every man according to his own taste and liking." We often hear more of "good old times" than is warranted, from persons who seem to forget the caution in Ecclesiastes vii. 10; but I much question whether the warmest admirer of the "good old times" when the above methods of dressing potatoes were in use, would consider any of them as "according to his taste and liking," at the present day; and fancy the astonishment of our juvenile branches on being asked if they liked to have a potatoe sugar-plum! The author mentions that he had planted divers roots of them in his garden, where they flourished until winter, when they perished and rotted, but whether they flowered or not he was ignorHe knew, however, that the best method in planting was to divide the roots as now practised. SISARUM.

ant.

all cases of suffering, the people of God should consider-1. God wills them and sends them now the will of God is perfectly righteous, and what he does is so well done, that it could not be better done. 2. There is need of them, or we should not have them. 3. Their number, measure, and continuance, God determines; and, comparatively speaking, they are but 4. The Lord will be sure for a moment. to support us under them. 5. They are not too many, too heavy, or too long, as Satan would have them; nor too few, too short, or too light, as our corrupt nature 6. Their end is a would have them. weight of glory, and the crown that attends them is everlasting."

MOUNTAINS OF ARRAN.

I ROSE early in the morning to view the mountains of Arran. They were enveloped in clouds, and rendered invisible. Thus, it occurred to me, have my fair prospects in the landscape of life been often obscured, and the mists of sadness and uncertainty have shed a gloom over my spirits. I have said, "Why art thou cast down, O my soul, and why art thou disquieted within me? Hope thou in God, for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God."

I looked again across the arm of the ocean which intervened, and I saw the clouds becoming gradually thinner; the mountains showed their grotesque and interesting forms, as if seen through a veil, which at length dispersed, and the magnificent group of hills was seen in all its beauty. So, I thought, has mercy often shed her rays over the scene of life, dissolved the clouds of apprehension and sorrow, and cheered the whole prospect with the enlivening light of hope and love. Every mountain raises its head to the glory of God, and all their fantastic but sublime combinations declare his wisdom, power, and goodness. This lovely scenery shall preach to my soul; and from its ever varying features I will draw forth instruction, and subjects for praise and adoration.-Richmond.

JOHN DAVIS, 56, Paternoster Row, London. Price d. each, or in Monthly Parts, containing Five Numbers in a Cover, 3d.

W. TYLER, Printer, 4, Ivy Lane, St. Paul's.

THE ORYX. (Antelope Oryx.)

THE monumental relics of Egypt and Ethiopia, present in many places rude engravings of an Antelope in bas-relief, and which exhibits a longitudinal section, as it were, of the animal; one horn, and one fore and hind limb only being displayed. The animal thus sculptured is the Oryx, one of the largest and most singular of its tribe.

Whether it was by accident or design, that a single horn only was sculptured by the artist of antiquity, it is now useless to inquire; at all events it would appear that from these delineations, to which fancy has added other details, has arisen the fabulous unicorn; a creature which has no existence, and which must not be confounded with the unicorn or monoceros of scripture, a being of gigantic size and force, and untameable by man. "Canst thou bind the unicorn with his band in the furrow? or will he harrow the valleys after thee? wilt thou trust him because his strength is great? or wilt thou leave thy labour to him?" Job xxxix. 10. 11. The unicorn of scrip

VOL. II.

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tures, in fact, appears to be one of the species of rhinoceros; at all events it could not have been a two-horned animal. oryx is a two-horned antelope, and we may observe that it is a physical impossibility for any ruminating animal, (as deer, ox, or antelope,) to have a single horn projecting from the median line of the fore head, where the frontal bones are united by nature. Our plate, it is true, represents only a single horn; and the design in this is to show that in certain positions, such only will appear to the eye of the spectator in order, however, to obviate the possibility of any mistake, we insert, overleaf, a sketch of the head of the oryx in a slightly altered position, by which both horns are brought into view.

The oryx is a native of the southern portions of Africa, and is in size equal to a large heifer; the horns are straight, pointed, round, and obliquely ringed for two-thirds of their extent, becoming smooth towards the points. The limbs are stout, the trunk heavy, the neck muscular and thick, and the head devoid of elegance and animation; far different, indeed, is the

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lou of the oryx, from that of the lightlimbed gazel, or the graceful spring bok. When pursued and hard pressed, it is fierce and resolute, turning with fury on the hunter, and scattering the dogs which surround it. Mr. Steedman states, that one of the specimens in his collection, made a most energetic defence against the pack of dogs which gave it chace, striking right and left with its horns, with amazing violence; three of the dogs fell beneath the blows, before the animal was itself brought down by the musket.

(Head of Oryx.)

The colour of the oryx is dull reddish grey; the hairs along the spine are reversed, and black; the head is white with a black mark on the forehead, and two black bands down the face.

Northern Africa produces another closely allied species, the algazel; of a reddish white colour, with a mark of yellowish brown extending before the root of the horns and down the forehead. Whether the ancients distinguished between these two species or not, is perhaps uncertain; some have supposed this to be indeed the true oryx of antiquity, and as it is a native of the northern regions of Africa, such an idea is most probably correct; still our previous observations hold good, for, if not absolutely identical, the two species are at least intimate relatives. M.

FULFILLED PROPHECIES. No. II. Concluded from page 200.

IV. EDOM.

EDOM, or Idumea. The prophecies concerning it are very remarkable.

"From generation to generation, Idumea shall lie waste, none shall pass through it for ever and ever. But the cormorant and the bittern shall possess it; the owl also, and the raven shall dwell in it, and he shall stretch out upon it the line of confusion, and the stones of emptiness," &c. See Isa. xxxiv. 5, 10-17; also, Jer. xlix. 7—10, 12—18; Ezek. xxv. 13; xxxv. 1,

&c.; Joel iii. 19; Obad. ver. 1, 2, 8, 9, 17, 18; Mal. i. 3, 4.

Idumea was situated to the south and south-east of Judea. It was bordered on the east with Arabia Petræa, under which name it was included in the latter part of its history; and it extended southward to the eastern gulf of the Red Sea.

As descendants of Esau, the history of Edom should be briefly noticed. While Israel were slaves in Egypt, the Edomites appear to have been a flourishing people, Numb. xx. 17. They were subdued by David, but revolted from Jehoram, and maintained their independence, though often engaged in wars with the Jews. They incited Nebuchadnezzar to destroy Jerusalem, and were desolated by the same conqueror about five years later; but reestablished themselves, and even seized part of the south of Judah. After the captivity they were subdued by the Maccabees, who compelled the survivors to become proselytes to the Jewish religion, and incorporated them into that nation. Thus the Edomites were lost, partly among the Jews, and partly among the Nabathean Arabs, and the name ceased about the end of the first century after Christ, agreeably to the declaration by the prophet Obadiah,

ver. 10.

The records of history are confirmed by the knowledge, imperfect as it is, obtained by recent travellers, and show that the Idumeans were a populous and powerful nation, long after the delivery of the prophecies; that Idumea contained many cities; that these cities are now absolutely deserted, and that their ruins swarm with scorpions; that it was a commercial nation, and possessed highly frequented marts; that it forms a shorter route than the ordinary one to India; and yet that for centuries it had not been visited by any traveller, are facts stated, or proved, even by writers opposed to revelation. Instead of being resorted to from every quarter, 66 none pass through it." Even the inhabitants of the surrounding deserts dread to approach it. The Arabs who migrate throughout Edom, and carry there their plunder from other regions, are notorious robbers; they threaten travellers, who reach their border, with instant death if they attempt to pass through. While they thus have used unconsciously the very words of one prophecy, their conduct bears witness to another, "It shall be called the border of wickedness."

Burckhardt, a very enterprising traveller, entered Edom, disguised as an Arab, and

was stripped even of some rags that covered his wounded ancles. Captains Irby and Mangles, and two other English gentlemen, with several attendants, having obtained the protection of a most intrepid Arab chief, reached Petra, once the capital of Idumea, but after encountering the greatest difficulties and dangers, were forced

to return.

And every new fact, descriptive of the state of Edom, is an echo of the prophecies. In the interior of Idumea, the whole plain presents an expanse of shifting sands. The depth of sands precludes all vegetation of herbage. On ascending the western plain is an immense expanse of dreary country, entirely covered with black flints, with here and there some hilly chain rising from the plain. "I will make thee most desolate. I will stretch out upon Edom the line of confusion and the stones of emptiness."

The traces of many towns and villages are to be seen in Edom. But the sand is in some places so very deep, that there is not the slightest appearance of a road, or of any work of human art; though a Roman road passed directly through the country. Its capital city, now without an inhabitant, except the wild animals to which it was allotted more than a thousand years before it ceased to be tenanted by man, presents one of the most wonderful and singular scenes possible to be conceived. In the vicinity of Mount Seir the extensive ruins of a large city, heaps of hewn stones, foundations of buildings, fragments of columns, and vestiges of paved streets, are spread over a valley, which is enclosed on each side by perpendicular cliffs, varying from four hundred to seven hundred feet in height, which are hollowed out into innumerable chambers of different dimensions, rising in the cliffs, tier above tier, till it seems impossible to approach the uppermost. Columns also rise above columns, and adorn the fronts of the dwellings; horizontal grooves for the conveyance of water run along the face of the cliffs; flights of steps formed the means of ascent, and the summit of the heights in various places, is covered with pyramids cut out of the rock. "Thy terribleness hath deceived thee, and the pride of thine heart, O thou that dwellest in the clefts of the rock, that holdest the height of the hill; though thou shouldst make thy nest as high as the eagle, I will bring thee down from thence, saith the Lord; also Edom shall be a desolation," Jer. xlix. 16, 17.

There are marble edifices of Roman and Grecian architecture, which prove that they were built long after the christian era. "They shall build, but I will throw down." "Thorns shall come in her palaces, nettles and brambles in the fortresses thereof." In Idumea each wandering Arab carries a pair of small pincers to extract the thorns from his feet. "I will make thee small among the nations, thou art greatly despised." Instead of its ancient opulence and commerce, the picking of gum arabic from the thorny branches of the talh trees is the only semblance of industry. Instead of the superb structures of antiquity, the Arabs have only a few miserable huts; their tents are low and small; and some of them are destitute of any tents or shelter from the burning suns or the heavy dews, except a few scanty branches of shrubs. The public authorities at Constantinople, when asked for a firman, or letter of protection to a traveller, to visit the ruins of Petra, denied all knowledge of such a place. How greatly is it despised!

"Shall I not destroy the wise men out of Edom, and understanding out of the mount of Esau?" Sir Isaac Newton traces the origin of letters, astronomy, and navigation, to the Edomites. The book of Job is a splendid and lasting proof of the eloquence that pertained to Edom. But so entirely has understanding departed from the mount of Esau, that the wild wanderers who now traverse it, consider the remains of antiquity as the work of genii! To clear away a little rubbish, merely to allow the water to flow into an ancient cistern, is an undertaking far beyond the views of the wandering Arabs. They cherish sentiments the most superstitious and absurd; "Wisdom is no more in Teman, and understanding has perished out of the mount of Esau."

The animals mentioned in scripture, as those to which Edom should be abandoned, are all found there in abundance; they dwell there.

"Thou shalt be desolate, O mount Seir, and they shall know that I am the Lord." The children of Judah ever look towards the land of their fathers, but no Edomite now exists. The Edomites have been cut off for ever, and there is none remaining of the house of Esau. In their stead his word hath commanded, and his spirit hath gathered wild animals by name, while the people of his curse have been extirpated from off the face of the earth. And Edom, notwithstanding the terribleness of its strength of old, and the magnificence of its desolate