was on the ladder at the window, and after some hesitation we resolved to collect as large a quantity as possible of wet blankets and buckets, and pans of water, at the door, and then open it, and rush in at once to extinguish it. We had formed a line for the buckets from the scullery pump, and to our inexpressible joy and gratitude the plan was successful and the fire extinguished. On getting into the room, we found the large oak chest literally a heap of ashes; the walls, which had been newly papered, blistered and scorched; the books covered with a sulphureous crust, but not otherwise damaged; and the floor was just beginning to burn when they rushed in and extinguished it. The heat was like a furnace: we were even scalded by the water dripping down from the ceiling: the laurels at some distance from the house were actually seared and scorched by the hot air, which had rushed through a few broken panes of glass. We ripped up the floor to satisfy ourselves that every spark was extinguished, and then all of us met in the music-room, as we usually do on Sunday for prayers, and kneeling down, the warden offered up thanksgivings for our preservation, and I closed it with another for his. I never heard more fervent Amens than from the boys breaking out in the middle of the prayers; and not a few tears were shed by all,

"The saddest part of our loss was, that ever since S. Andrew's Day, our two magnificent chased silver gilt offertory dishes had been deposited in the oak cabinet, till Henry VIII.'s chest could be opened: we found them one partly melted, the other much damaged; but I hope the centre chasings, which are exquisite works of art, representing the Holy Family, and Esther and Ahasuerus, though covered with black, are not seriously defaced: they can be reset. Two illuminated missals were also burnt, with some valuable maps of family estates belonging to the warden, and much linen.

"On Monday we all rose at the usual time, (half-past five) tolerably recovered, and proceeded to finish the examination at the close of the term, which had been commenced on Friday and Saturday. We had the table arranged in the hall, with a great chair for the warden, and another for myself as a governor, at his left hand. And all the fellows came by turns, and attended, so that we made a very venerable appearance. It is a great point to accustom boys' nerves to a formidable array of examiners. Many men fail at Oxford entirely from their inability to face anything of the kind. They answered very satisfactorily. On Monday the Archdeacon came as the Bishop's representative, to examine them in Scripture and Catechism, and they scarcely missed a question, and showed by their manners that they had not got up their knowledge by rote. The Bishop arrived at

three. He told us he had intended to come earlier to witness the examination, but had been detained. Other guests arrived, making fifteen in all. At the time for chapel, the warden and subwarden conducted the Bishop to his seat on the south side of the communion table, where we contrived two sorts of book-stands, covered with deep crimson fringed velvet, and this gave him light, and also lighted that part of the chapel, without doing what is so obnoxious and alarming to Irish prejudices, putting lights on the communion-table itself. The service was admirably chanted, and I never heard the boys sing better. The Archdeacon of R- —, our Rector, sat in his usual place, at the right hand of the warden, and the Archdeacon of M- on the right hand of the subwarden. After service both the warden and subwarden went up to the Bishop's seat and conducted him down the chapel. It was pleasing to see the boys as he passed between them, bowing of their own accord, and the gentlemanly respectful bows of the two senior prefects, fine manly boys, six feet high, as they opened the door for him to pass, were worthy of Eton. Immediately after chapel we sat down to dinner, and M- -'s grace was chanted for the first time, except in practising. It was well performed, and is a fine composition. Our dinner was very well served. The Bishop sat in a great chair, worked, and given to us by the Misses W. of Cheshire. He was at the right hand of the warden, and in high spirits, and seemed to enjoy himself much. We made no difference, except that we had a turkey and ham and soup as delicacies, a plum-pudding, apple-pie, and maccaroni. The warden and we all drank the Bishop's health in one glass of wine after dinner, and then the second grace was sung, and we adjourned to the common room, where we chatted till the hall was ready for our reception, in order to distribute the prizes. We had the chairs placed at the end of it, the same as when the prefects were inducted, and two great ones, one for the Bishop at the warden's right hand, and the other at the left for myself, as the representative of the governors: (for it is of the utmost importance to the whole system, that the authority of the governors should be kept constantly before the boys and the fellows:) the fellows sat at our right and left; the boys ranged in front. The warden then bowed to the Bishop and put on his сар, and made a little address to the boys, expressing his satisfaction at their general progress, and urging on them the necessity of maintaining in the holidays the good habits, especially in prayer, which they had acquired here. He touched also, with great feeling, on the providential escape the college had had; and then the Bishop made them a long address; after which the Irish prizes were distributed; first the specimen of Irish writing

exhibited and adjudged on, and then the other prizes. I reserved to the last one book, as the governors' prize for the voluntary study of Irish, in presenting which I took the opportunity of repeating the importance we attached to it, and making a few other observations, especially thanking the body for what they had done.

“Our books were beautiful, and the impression of the college seal on them handsome. I had the satisfaction of giving one to the second boy, who wanted talents to get anything else, but had shown singular zeal and interest in studying Irish in his play hours. We wish to act on the great mass of the Clergy, and many men may acquire knowledge enough of Irish to be most useful Clergymen, without being great in anything else. The warden then rose and thanked the Bishop for his visit, who in return expressed himself most highly gratified and deeply interested in the college. Then the boys made the preparations for their little concert. The Bishop was delighted, and would not hear of its being shortened, as we thought of doing, fearing it was getting late for him. It began with the Winchester Dulce Domum, and ended with our own common Columbeiense. It was sung with great spirit. The boys were ranged on the great staircase, and the whole appearance of the hall was really imposing. The Archdeacon told me that numbers of persons were most anxious to come and see the college, and I told the Bishop that I hoped next year we should be able to give a concert, to which we might ask Mrs. Land ladies. He seemed to enjoy himself exceedingly, entered into everything with the greatest kindness, and in particular spoke of the pleasure the Primate had in everything which concerned our welfare. After the concert they got tea ready in the usual way, the only difference being, that as we never have a pie or a pudding without letting the boys have one, so as Mrs. Birkie had made them plum-cakes for tea, she thought it right to extend the same luxury to our table. The boys came up for their tea as usual, and the Bishop talked to them, and they answered and laughed and felt quite at their ease to his playful questions. After tea the poor people, to whom we were to have given a supper, if it could have been managed, were brought into the hall, and in the presence of the Bishop, the boys gave among them the money which had been put by from the fireworks. And the warden took care to remind the boys, that perhaps to this very act, the safety of the College, humanly speaking, was attributable; for a greater amount of fireworks might have produced a more tremendous explosion, which might have destroyed everything.

"Then it was announced that the bonfire was lighted, and

though neither the sight of fire, nor the smell of smoke was very agreeable, the Archdeacon and all went out to see the boys, and set them cheering for the Queen, and S. Columba, and Old Ireland, till the rain, which had been pouring all the evening, sent us in.

"The Bishop went away about ten o'clock, evidently highly gratified. We all conducted him to his carriage, and then those who had to travel next day retired to pack, which, in the bustle of the preceding days, they had been unable to do; and this morning after chapel as usual, and breakfast as usual, twentyfour of the body, including the warden and six fellows, started in two four-wheeled vehicles for Dublin, waving their hats and cheering, as they drove down the avenue, to poor Cand me, who stood on the hall steps."

The importance of the Irish language is thus described by Mr. Sewell:—

"A few words will quell a storm. In more than one case I know as a fact, that at the funerals of converts, where generally great crowds are collected, and violence shown to the Clergy, Clergymen have more than once saved their lives by repeating the LORD's prayer in Irish. Mr. Nangle told me, that when he first went to Achill, it was to carry food during a famine, and that the first person to whom he spoke in Irish fell down at his feet, embracing him, and burst into tears. They will never part with an Irish Bible, though they believe the English translation to be the work of the Evil One. The mode in which we were first led to see its value, was by witnessing the operations of the Irish Society. They pay any one of whatever religion who can teach Irish, for going about the country and getting the people to learn. The lessons are given under a hedge, or by the side of a bog, or in a cabin at night, up in the mountains, where they gather together out of the way of the priests-old and young, women and children. Occasionally there are examinations of their progress: more than once I have been present at these: nearly a hundred of them collected-old men with spectacles and grey hairs, sitting on rows of benches like a national school. One stands up, and construes a verse of the Irish Bible into their own uncouth, wild, but forcible English. Then there is the blunder, and the setting right, and the question, and the retranslation, just as in a school of children. It is the most striking sight of the kind that can be seen. Mr. Nangle told me, scarcely one out of the hundred present but had some mark of violence on him. They get beaten, turned out of doors, deprived of their little bit of land, insulted, horsewhipped by the priest, threatened with his curse. In fact, the persecution in Ireland is such as to

render the name of religious liberty a farce. Still the work goes

on."

Here is another quotation, and then we must forbear dipping any further into this charming book, but beg our readers to procure it for themselves.

"Afterwards several of the fellows proposed to take all the boys who could walk so far, to see a singular remnant of Irish antiquity, about seven miles off; and the warden and I having treated them to two cars, to help the weaker walkers, they all set off in high glee, fellows and all. I had so bad a headache that I could not leave the place. When they came back, they told us that they had all sung the Venite exultemus under the dome of New Grange, one of the sepulchres of the Irish kings. I suppose such sounds were never heard there before. It is of great importance to give them an interest in the antiquities of Ireland, and they are very abundant and extremely curious, though little seen by ordinary travellers. Relics of the most singular character have been handed down in families, who were charged with the preservation of them, and would not part with them for any temptation. We ourselves have become possessed of a genuine authentic relic of S. Columba himself, which used to be carried before the Irish kings when they went to battle. It is the metal cover of his calendar, and two others are known to exist; one an illuminated manuscript in Trinity College library, the other the bell he used when officiating in the Church. One reason for familiarizing the boys with genuine Irish antiquities is, that their associations with the name of their country may be withdrawn from the period of Henry II., which presents scarcely anything but misery and crime, and be fixed on the really bright period when Ireland, under our own S. Columba, was indeed the source of light and knowledge to Europe. It is one sad point at present in the Irish character, that their country is looked on with shame, instead of with pride. And how can men take an interest in the amelioration of that of which they are ashamed? And what is to become of Ireland, or of the British empire, if the higher classes of Ireland cannot be brought to co-operate in the improvement of their country?"

Mr. Sewell is now busily occupied in promoting a similar institution as S. Columba, at Radley Hall, near Abingdon. The plans are formed; the Bishop of Oxford approves the idea, and has consented to act as visitor: what is now wanting is the sum of £6000 to begin with. S. Peter's will be a model college, to serve as a parent to others that will stud the country in case of success and though of course at first, the necessity of funds and other circumstances will limit the pupils to the affluent, yet