up within a few yards of him. In tropical climates it is a very common occurrence to find oneself quite close to these dangerous reptiles, but unless they have been irritated, they seldom attack any one. This serpent being one of the largest of its kind ever seen, the Captain determined to kill it, and send it to the British Museum; but as he had heard a great deal of the boasted power of the serpent-charmers, he wished to test it, and sent for one who lived some miles off, and who was considered very skilful.

Numerous were the red coats which assembled under the verandah of Captain Campbell's house, to witness the wonderful art of the enchanter. We had each of us armed ourselves with one of the large leaves of the Talifat as a shield in case the enemy should dart at any of us, but it was reposing most quietly in a chicken-coop at the other end of the court, and seemed to be thinking little enough of any one, however great his charms might be.

The charmer was an old man; he advanced towards the chickencoop, and began that singularly monotonous chant so common to all eastern countries. The serpent disturbed, unrolled itself, and showed us the immense circumference of its body, admirably streaked with black and white; it did not, however, seem at all disposed to escape from its prison. The charmer next proceeded to draw it out of its stronghold by the tail, immediately hiding himself, but still continuing his song. The serpent, apparently more and more disturbed, raised itself and reared its head, as if preparing for a spring, but the charmer, far from being intimidated, faced it boldly, and by a rectangular movement he approached quite close to the reptile, singing all the time, and pushing a red handkerchief tied to a stick before him, which seemed greatly to irritate it, at least judging by the hissing sound it made. For at least fifteen minutes the old man continued these manœuvres, walking, turning, and singing, and I began quite to dread the end of this struggle. What a scene, man opposed to a serpent! The serpent more and more excited or charmed, had fixed his eyes on the man, whose every movement it seemed to follow, gently moving its crest, as if in tune to the old man's song, who, though he looked already much fatigued, had such perfect confidence in his art, that he did not scruple to take every sort of liberty with the serpent; now throwing at it a stick, then a piece of red cloth, and finally a chicken, which the serpent received with redoubled hissing, and which it bit. The chicken expired in three minutes, but as to the man it never seemed to think of attacking him. But imagine our terror when we saw the charmer go quite close to the serpent; still singing, he touched it, caressed it by stroking it on the head and neck, and, as if glorying in his triumph, repeated this several times with the most perfect impunity!

The operation had lasted more than an hour, we had seen every

thing; we were certain that in this case there could be no cheating or trick of any kind, for the poor man had no covering but a piece of cloth fastened round his body, and he did not even make a profession of charming serpents.

Can there exist a magnetic influence for beasts as well as for men? This would indeed be a subject worth some study and research?

CONVERSATIONS ON ENGLISH CHURCH HISTORY. "WHAT is the reason the conversations on Church History are not continued in the July number of the Churchman's Companion ?" "Has Mrs. Milton not yet finished her tea? or has G. R. P. had no time to write?" Such were the questions read to me from a letter a short time since. Now had I adopted the latter plea, it would not perhaps be considered a very unreasonable one, when the reader is informed that the conversations were commenced when the author was in a secluded parish, containing a few hundred inhabitants, but is now in charge of nearly six thousand souls. However, time may still be found for continuing the conversations, if they are found useful and interesting to the readers of the Churchman's Companion.

In due time, then, Mrs. Milton and her family did finish their tea, which indeed was not a long, though a very hearty, meal on the part of the children; but they were anxious to hear the story, or whatever it was (of course they hoped for a story) which their mother had promised to read to them. Alice removed the tea things, Charley poked the fire, and put on a fresh log of wood, and Edward arranged the chairs in the most cozy fashion he could devise, placing his mother's arm chair in the most comfortable corner. When everything was arranged to the satisfaction of everybody, Mrs. Milton opened her book and began.

Reader, I hope you will not be much disappointed, but I am not going to tell you either what she read or what she said. If I did, I fear I might be told to alter the title of my articles, and head them "Conversations on Cornish Family History," inasmuch as Church history was not therein to be found. We will pass at once, therefore, from Mrs. Milton's little room to Mr. Trevilly's study.

The Church clock had scarcely finished striking six in the evening of the day on which Mr. Trevilly had arranged to see his boys, for instruction in the history of that branch of the Catholic Church of which they were members, when the parsonage bell rang, and the boys were shown into the study.

"Well, my boys, I am glad to see you all so punctual,” said Mr. Trevilly, as they entered.

“Thank you, sir; we are very glad to come, and have been waiting some time for the clock to strike six," said Charles Milton, as spokesman for the party.

"Take your places, then, as I have arranged them for you, and we will at once enter on the subject which has brought you here this evening."

"I think you said, sir," observed one of the boys, "that you would like us to ask you any questions we pleased, if we did not quite understand what you were telling us, or wished to hear more about it ?"

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Certainly," replied Mr. Trevilly. "And not only do I wish you to ask questions, but also to make any observations of your own, when we are dwelling on any portion of our Church history with which you are familiar. You all know something about the history of the Church in England, do you not?"

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Yes, sir," said Charles. "You have often made us read to you books on the subject, and asked us questions afterwards; but I am afraid I do not remember very much about it.”

"Well, I am glad you are candid enough to say so, at all events," replied Mr. Trevilly, "though the confession does no credit to your attention. However, you will find that you know more than you fancy, I dare say, when I speak of things which you have read or heard of before. Do you remember who is supposed first to have preached the Gospel in Britain ?"

"I do, sir, please sir! I do, sir, please sir!" exclaimed several of the boys at once.

"One at a time pleases me best, my boys," said Mr. Trevilly, "and as I asked Charles Milton, perhaps you will allow him to answer the question."

"The Apostle S. Paul, sir," said Charles Milton.

"And do you remember also the authority on which this supposition is grounded ?"

"No, sir, I do not," replied Charles.

"I recollect, sir," said Edward Milton, "that it was said in one of the books we have read to you, that several historians had written about it; but I cannot call to mind their names, or exactly what they said."

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"Eusebius," replied Mr. Trevilly, a Church historian, who lived in the fourth century, after naming several nations amongst whom the Apostles had preached the Gospel, says that some of them passed over the ocean to those which are called the British islands.'* Theodoret, another learned and judicious Church historian, expressly names the Britons among the nations converted by the Apostles; and elsewhere says, 'that S. Paul brought salvation to the islands that lie in the ocean,' after he had mentioned Spain, which makes it very probable he meant the British islands. Again, in another place he says that S. Paul, after his imprisonment, preached the Gospel in the Western parts, by which the British islands were generally understood."

*Eusebius, Demonst. Evang. lib. iii. c. 7.
†Theodoret, tom. 1, in Psalm, cxvi.

"Do you then really believe, sir,” said Charles Milton, “that the same S. Paul whom we read so much about in the Bible, once came to England, and preached the Gospel to the people?"

"I do," replied Mr. Trevilly. "At all events, I think there is sufficient evidence to make it very highly probable. A Bishop of our own Church-Bishop Stillingfleet-who has carefully weighed and compared what ancient authors have written on the subject, has come to this conclusion."*

"Well, sir, I am glad to be able to believe that our Church is so old as S. Paul," said Edward Milton.

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Oh!" exclaimed William Collings, "but our Church is not the same as that which was founded by S. Paul, is it, sir ?" Why do you ask as if you thought it was not, my boy?" said Mr. Trevilly.

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Because, sir," replied Collings, "I have heard my father say that the Church of England was founded about three hundred years ago, at the time of the Reformation, by King Henry the Eighth.'

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"A king make a Church! I don't believe a bit of it," said Charles Milton, looking very red. "Why, we should be members of the Church of Henry the Eighth instead of the Church of CHRIST, if the king founded the Church!"

"I have read in the Bible," said Edward, "that the Church is founded upon the Apostles and Prophets, JESUS CHRIST Himself being the chief corner-stone. Besides, you have often told us, sir, that none but one sent with authority by CHRIST Himself could found a Church. A pretty foundation for a Church, Collings, this same Henry the Eighth. Why, if the History of England is true, he was one of the worst kings that ever lived."

Mr. Trevilly smiled: he liked to hear the boys hazard their own remarks when he was instructing them; it showed that they were interested, and it enabled him, moreover, to observe their differences of character.

"We should indeed be in an awkward position, if we were members of a Church founded by King Henry the Eighth, or any other king," he replied. "Edward is right; none but men authorised and commissioned by CHRIST Himself could found a Church of CHRIST."

"Then did S. Paul found our Church, sir?" said Charles Milton; "that is what I wish to know."

"The records of those early times," said Mr. Trevilly, "are lost; it is therefore impossible to say whether the Church, if founded by S. Paul, continued to exist amidst all the revolutions and persecutions which followed; but that a Church was * See Bishop Stillingfleet's Origines Britannica.