dress the whole vegetable world, with a perfect indifference as to its protecting properties, that the winter appears to be a season of melancholy, and all nature in distress. But, my dears, let no such ungrateful feelings disturb your peace of mind: chase away such unworthy thoughts, and present the acceptable offering of a cheerful heart to that Being, who, by his constant goodness, assures us that

The storms of wintry time will quickly pass,

And one unbounded spring encircle all.'

Mr. Constance now prepared for a review of the particular days in the calendar for December; a month (he said) which still retains its ancient title, signifying tenth, notwithstanding it had formerly undergone a change under the Emperor Commodus, to that of Amazonius. The Saxons gave it the appropriate name of Winter Monath, but afterwards, on the introduction of Christianity among them, styled it Heligh (boly) Monath." He then requested his nephew to acquaint them with the first festival in the month, remarking, that there were several of importance to be considered.

WILLIAM. On last meeting night we closed our Conversation with a notice of the festival of St. Andrew: we will commence the present by explaining the term Advent, an important season of prayer and preparation. It is governed by St. Andrew's day, Advent Sunday being always the Sunday nearest to the commemoration of that saint, whether it precede or follow.

ARTHUR. Pray what is the meaning of the word advent?

WILLIAM. It is from the Latin adventus, and signifies the coming, or approach of any thing. When we first commenced these Conversations, Mr. Constance informed us, that there were certain seasons set apart by our church for the solemn preparation of the mind, prior to

the coming of any important festival: thus we were told, that the fast of Lent was preceded by Septuagesima and three other Sundays, while Lent was itself a season of humiliation before Easter. In like manner, the solemnities of Advent are introductory to the festival of Christmas.

MR. CONSTANCE. There is also another particular worthy of remark in reference to the season of Advent. You are aware that it is the beginning of our church service, which service is distinguished into two parts; the first, taking in the time from Advent to Trinity, has a reference to the life of our Saviour, celebrating the chief of his actions, from his incarnation to his ascension; while the second part, from Trinity to Advent, is designed to instruct us to lead our lives after our Saviour's example.

MRS. CONSTANCE. Which is a judicious and important arrangement: for, having, in the first part of the year, learned the principles of our religion, it is desirable that, in the second, we should be taught to practise what is agreeable to the same; and thereby build to ourselves, on a sure foundation, hopes of future and eternal happiness. But, William, please to say when the solemnities of Advent were first instituted, and by whom ordained.

WILLIAM. It is not a settled point, Ma'am. There has been much controversy on the subject, but no decided conclusions. Some ritualists have maintained, that it is o apostolic institution, and assign its commencement to the act of St. Peter; while others contend, that Pope Felix III. appointed its observance in 487, and yet that Maximus Taurinensis wrote a homily for the occasion in 450. It is, however, known to have been a season in which the early Christians practised great austerity, fasting nearly the whole period, and performing various other religious ceremonies.

MR. CONSTANCE. On the 6th of this month, I perceive the name Nicholas registered in the calendar. His

memory was formerly much reverenced in this country, believe.

WILLIAM. It was, Sir; and is now considered by the inhabitants of most parts of the Continent, as worthy of their particular regard. Laying aside the legendary, and attending to the true and genuine history of Nicholas, we find him to have been a man conspicuous for meekness, charity, and piety. His birth-place was Patara, a city of Lycia; and being early initiated in the doctrines of Christianity, by parents respected for their amiability, he became qualified to fill the important station of bishop of Myra, to which honourable post he was elected through the interest of Constantine the Great. Nothing particular is stated of him, further than that he became the patron, or tutelar saint of schoolboys and fishermen, and that he died about the year 392.

ARTHUR. Why is he called the patron of schoolboys? WILLIAM. I scarcely know, Arthur, whether I shall be justified in explaining to you the origin of such a patronage, since it arose from the absurd belief in his power to work miracles, and which miracles were of such a nature as to be more likely to excite ridicule and disgust in the relation, than to inspire veneration or respect.

MR. CONSTANCE. But I think, William, as several important church rites and ceremonies were formerly dependent on a belief in these miraculous deeds, it will be necessary, in informing us of the one, to refer to the other. You will therefore relate the miracles, but endeavour to confine yourself to a statement of that which is purely necessary for further illustration.

WILLIAM. St. Nicholas, then, is regarded as the peculiar saint and patron of children, from his strict adherence, it is said, when only an infant at the breast, to the ordinances of the church. It is stated (and I almost blush for the credulity of mankind when I say that it was believed)

that he refused, every Wednesday and Friday throughout the period of his infancy, all kinds of food, excepting that he sucked once on each of those days, thereby observing the fasts as ordered by the Catholic church. You smile at the recital; but the next legend (from which he is considered the patron of scholars) is, if possible, still more absurd. The story is, that an Asiatic gentleman sending his two sons to Athens for education, ordered them to wait on St. Nicholas for his benediction. On arriving at Myra with their luggage, they took up their lodging at an inn, purposing, as it was late in the day, to defer their visit till the morrow; but in the meantime the innkeeper, to secure their effects to himself, killed the young gentlemen, cut them into pieces, salted them, and intended to sell them for pickled pork! But, as the legend continues, St. Nicholas being favoured with a sight of these proceedings in a vision, went to the inn, and reproached the cruel landlord for his crime, who immediately confessing it, entreated the saint to pray to heaven for his pardon. The bishop, moved by his confession and contrition, besought forgiveness for him, and supplicated restoration of life to the children. He had scarcely finished when the pieces reunited, and the reanimated youths threw themselves from the brine-tub at the bishop's feet: he raised them up, exhorted them to return thanks to God alone, gave them good advice for the future, bestowed his blessing on them, and sent them to Athens with great joy to prosecute their studies!

ANGELINA. Well, that is certainly the most singular instance of miraculous power hitherto mentioned: who is the author of such absurd statements?

WILLIAM. They are found in the writings of one Ribadeneira, an Italian; but as a convincing proof that the circumstance was seriously entertained, an engraving of the bishop, with the children rising from the tub, is to be found

in a Salisbury Missal of the year 1534, which also contains a prayer to St. Nicholas.

MR. CONSTANCE. And by way of doing honour to the memory of the saint, in gratitude for his particular care, while living, of the interests of youth, the Romish church projected, on his anniversary, an exhibition called the "Boy Bishop." As we before alluded to this ceremony, when speaking of the Corpus Christi, in May, without explaining it, perhaps, William, you had better enter into the particulars, it being a festival which was formerly considered of great importance.

WILLIAM. The ceremony of the Boy Bishop is supposed to have existed not only in collegiate churches, but in almost every parish church; when, as is related by Brand, in his "Popular Antiquities," the choir boys in cathedral churches chose one of their members to maintain the state and authority of a bishop, for which purpose he was habited in rich episcopal robes, wore a mitre on his head, and bore a crosier in his hand; his fellows for the time being assuming the character and dress of priests, yielding him canonical obedience, taking possession of the church, and, except mass, performing all the ceremonies and offices.

MR. CONSTANCE. A similar, but a more circumstantial account, is also found in some of the old church books of our country. It appears, that although the 6th of December was the day of collection, the office and authority of the Boy Bishop lasted till the 28th, Innocents' Day, being an annual commemoration of Herod's murder of the children, of which we shall speak in the course of the evening. From these church books we learn, that on the eve of Innocents' Day, the Boy Bishop and his youthful clergy in their capes, and with burning tapers in their hands, went in solemn procession, chanting and singing versicles as they walked into the choir by the western door, in such