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FASCINATING POWER OF SNAKES.-Mr. George Fuller, writing from Pomona. S. C., states, that on the 29th ult., he found a large black snake, about six feet long, which had a half-grown rabbit by the head, in the act of swallowing it. The snake was killed, and Mr. F. gives this account of what followed: "As soon as I struck the snake, on looking back I saw the rabbit coming up, and it stopped immediately at the dead snake's head. I moved it away four or five yards with my foot, but it returned instantly to the snake's head. I then moved the snake, and the rabbit still pursued it, and I left. About 6, P. M., I returned to the place, together with all my pupils, and the rabbit remained in the identical position in which I had left it. My son moved it again, but it immediately returned to its post at the snake's head, still charmed by the continu

ing spells of the dead serpent. I returned to the spot the next morning, but could find no trace of the rabbit."

We have a snake story to tell, too, which corroborates the foregoing. Several years ago, we happened to make one of a pic-nic party on the grounds of Joseph Bonaparte, Ex-King of Spain, near Bordentown, New Jersey. While wandering through the shady avenues, our attention was arrested by the piteous tones of a bird. On looking up, we soon discovered the bird, and the cause of its peculiar noise. In the crotch of a cedar, about twelve feet from the ground, was a large black snake, with his head extended along a limb of the tree, lying per. fectly motionless. A cat-bird was fluttering in great apparent agony a few feet in front of him, at times approaching very near him and then retreating backwards beyond the extremity of the limbs of the tree. All the while, the bird shrieked, and screamed and fluttered, as if feeling a sense of imminent danger from which it had not the power to extricate itself. We watched it until our sympathies overcame our curiosity, and then knocked the snake out of the tree with a club. We killed him, and threw his car case on a monument a short distance from the tree. We left the place, and on returning thither an hour afterwards, were greatly surprised to perceive the cat bird sitting on the monument, close to the dead body of the snake. How long it remained there we do not know, as we did not return to the place again.-Louisville Jour.

REMARK. In a former number we inserted another story, of a traveller killing a snake in the act of charming a squirrel. The latter died on killing the former, although no violence was done to it.

THE AMERICAN PENNY MAGAZINE
AND FAMILY NEWSPAPER,
With numerous Engravings.

Edited by Theodore Dwight, Jr.

Is published weekly, at the office of the New York Express, No. 112 Broadway, at 3 cents a number, (16 pages large octavo,) or, to subscribers receiving it by mail, and paying in advance, $1 a year. 6 sets for $5.

Back numbers supplied.

Postmasters are authorized to remit money. Enclose a One Dollar Bill, without payment of postage, and the work will be sent for the year.

"The information contained in this work is worth more than silver."-N. Y. Observer.

"It should be in every family in the country."N. Y. Baptist Recorder.

The New York Methodist Advocate speaks of it in imilar terms. Al somany other papers.

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SKETCH OF THE JESUITS.

Among the events of the year 1845, which we have just seen brought to its close, some of the most important in Europe have been brought about by the Jesuits; and, among those which the new year is to present to our view, it is to be presumed that they will have a considerable share. "The Society of Jesus," from which hey as members derive their name, is so peculiar in its origin, plan and history, that long study is necessary fully to understand them; while there is so much in them that contradicts the observations and experience of our countrymen, accus. tomed only to American Protestant society, that it is a difficult thing to bring a common mind to believe some of the simplest and best authenticated truths relating to the subject.

The figure on the preceding page is an accurate representation of a Jesuit, and in a most characteristic position. He has a terrestrial globe before him, with both continents thickly marked with crosses, to indicate the points occupied by institutions or members of his Order, either openly or secretly. With the dress and aspect of a man educated from childhood by those insidious, and too successful misleaders of the human mind, and perverters of the human soul, he stands lost in deep meditation, on some project for an extension of that system of corruption and ruin to which he is devoted.

We wish to give the present number of our magazine a somewhat general character, while we enliven it with an unusual variety of prints; and have chosen our frontispiece as one of the most appropriate, considering the importance to which the Jesuits have again risen among the prin cipal actors on the scene of the world. Our print is one from the late work of Eugene Sue, which first appeared a few months ago in France, and has been extensively read on both sides of the Atlantic, with such effect among his countrymen, indeed, that the expulsion of the Jesuits is generally attributed to its influence. Being

a work of fiction, although containing many truths, we have never read "The Wandering Jew;" but, having been struck with the figure we have inserted, we were gratified to procure the fine cut to present our readers with the best portrait of a Jesuit we have ever met with.

It will be recollected that we have before given some important facts illucidating the influence swayed by the Jesuits in Rome, their measures for gaining and keeping up their surprising influence over the young, (see American Penny Magazine, pages 524, 548, &c.,) and in the successive extracts we have given from the work on St. Filumena, we flatter ourselves, we have given to some of our readers important light on their modes of imposing upon the poor credulous people of different nations, whom they dupe by millions.

We will add here a few extracts from the "Secreta Monita," or "Secret Instructions of the Jesuits," their private manual, which, in spite of all their precautions, became known to the world after their conduct had been so long known, that they scarcely needed such evidence.

In a work in the British Museum, printed at Venice, in 1596, and entitled, Formula diversarum Provisionum a Gaspare Passarello summo studio in unum collecta, et per Ordinem in suis Locis annotatæ— these SECRETA MONITA are found, in manuscript, at the end, and appear evidently to have been entered therein by a Jesuit for his own private use. They contain the solemn caution, at the close, that they be carefully guarded, and communicated but to few, and those only the well-tried members of the Society; and also the injunction, that they must be denied to be the Rules of the Society, if ever they should be imputed to it.

There was an English edition of this work printed in 1658. The statement prefixed to that edition affirms, that when Christian, Duke of Brunswick, took possession of Paderborn, in Westphalia, he seized on the Jesuits' College there, and gave their Library, together with all their collection of manuscripts to the Capuchins, who discovered the Secreta Monita among the archives of the Rector, and that other

copies were also found at Prague and elsewhere.

The learned and excellent Dr. Compton, Bishop of London, published an English translation of the work, in 1669. The well known character of that prelate is a sufficient pledge that he would never have given the sanction of his name to a work of doubtful authority, or which was adapted to mislead the public.

The Editors of the "Christian Observer," who are well known to be learned and pious members of the established Church of England, in the 14th Vol. of their work, pages 168, and 169, speak of this work in the following language:-"It has already been intimated, that had the crimes charged upon the Society of Jesuits, been chargeable rather upon the spirit of the times than upon the institution; had they originated rather in the vices of a few individuals, connected with this Society, than in the genius of the Order itself; had they been rather the accidental than the neces sary fruits of its constitution, we might have deemed it right to say less on the subject. But the fact appears to be, that, taking human nature and the state of society as they are, we cannot conceive that such an order could exist in the world, and But this is a such consequences not arise. matter of proof rather than of assertion; and we will, therefore, begin by laying before our readers some account of the So ciety, drawn partly from accredited historical authorities, and partly from the "Secreta Monita," or the hidden Rules of the order-rules carefully concealed du ring that long period, in which men felt the blow, without seeing the hand which struck it ;-rules the discovery of which, at once armed all Europe against the Society. The first copy of the "Secreta Monita" was discovered in the Jesuit's College at Paderborn, in Westphalia; and a second at Prague. A Preface directs that they shall be communicated, even to the initiated, with the utmost caution; and as the result of personal experience, not as the written rules of the Order. And in the case of their falling into the hands of strangers, "they must be positively denied to be the rules of the Society." The Rules of the Order were not completed by the founder of the institution: they were enlarged and perfected by some of the most distinguished followers of Loyola; and, in par ticular, Lainez is supposed to have been the author of the "Secreta Monita."

The Editors of the Christian Observer then proceed to give large extracts from the work, as exhibiting, in a manner worthy of entire confidence, the real principles of the Jesuits.

The celebrated work, entitled, "The Protestant," published in a series of periodical Essays, at Glasgow, in North Britain, in the years 1818, 1819, 1820, and 1821, in 4 Vols., octavo, is regarded with deep respect by all who are acquainted with it. The editor and author was a Mr. McGAVIN, a Ruling Elder, of distin guished talents and information in that city. Of this work, the Rev. ROBERT HALL, whose praise for vigor of mind, erudition, and eloquence is in all the Churches of Great Britain, as well as of the United States-speaks decisively, as containing the fullest delineation of the Popish system, and the most powerful confutation of its principles, in a popular style, of all works he had ever seen. "Whoever," he adds, "wishes to see Popery drawn to the life, in its hideous wickedness and deformity, will find abundant satisfaction in thepages of that writer." Among the numerous authorities quoted by Mr. McGAVIN, the "Secreta Monita" find a conspicuous place. He alludes to the fact, that the Jesuits themselves pronounce the work a forgery of their enemies; but he considers the evidence in support of its authenticity as admitting of no reasonable question, and makes large extracts from it, in proof of his allegations.

CHAP. I.

How the SoCIETY must behave themselves when they begin any new foundation.

1. It will be of great importance for the rendering our members agreeable to the inhabitants of the place where they design their settlement, to set forth the end of the Society, in the manner prescribed by our statutes, which lay down, that the society ought as diligeutly to seek occasions of doing good to their neighbors, as to themselves; wherefore, let them with humility discharge the meanest offices in the hospitals, frequently visit the sick, the poor, and the prisoners, and readily and indifferently take the confessions of all, that the novelty of such uncommon and dif fusive charity, may excite in the principal inhabitants, an admiration of our conduct, and forcibly draw them into an affection for us.

(To be continued.)

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The strange appendages of this plant are perfect cups, with well formed lids; and, filled with water, may strike a casual observer as one of the most curious and wonderful productions of the vegetable kingdom. Yet we can assure him, that a little attention may enable him to discover specimens of a plant no less curious, and much resembling it in these curious cup-like appendages, growing wild in many a marshy piece of ground in our own land, and perhaps in his own neighborhood.

If we had the power, we certainly should have the disposition, to present to our readers, from week to week, some of the numerous beautiful and curious productions of the earth, especially of our own various soils, climates and situations, together with specimens from the other kingdoms of nature.But the spring will soon begin to approach; and we have more reliance on the attractions of the fields, than on our own abilities to awaken interest, by the imperfect arts of depicting and describing.

The Chinese Pitcher Plant (Nepenthes

Distillatoria,) grows extensively in the East Indies, and is an evergreen of some size.The leaf grows from the tree without a petiole, or leaf-stalk, and the midrib is lengthened into a tendril, six or eight inches, the latter part of which is enlarged and forms a cup, usually containing nearly half a pint of pure water. Whether this is designed as a reservoir for the supply of the plant with moisture, or for the benefit of animals or men, it is not easy to ascertain: but the draught of crystal drops which it seems to proffer to the thirsty passenger, is often accepted with joy by the way-worn traveller, and by the wily monkey, who has sense enough to lift the little lid, and drink from his favorite tankard.

The Pitcher Plant of our country is called in some places the side-saddle flower, altho' this name is less appropriate. It is known in botany as the Saracenia, from Dr. Sarazin of Quebec, who sent a specimen to Europe about the year 1752. The plant is only about a foot in height and bears a peculiar flower of a purple color. The leaves, which are

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