in her mien, even when she saw her lord fall under the sword of his enemies, and beheld his host scattered and routed. The holy father Ambrose was near, and in the midst of that awful scene they knelt before him, as he gave them his blessing, and exhorted them to remember the patience of Job, and the faith of Abraham. They felt cheered by his blessing; they knew they must not shrink, they must not fail, and that same Arm which supported the martyrs amid flames, was with them, and was their stay. Soon were the walls battered, and the king's troops rushed in.

"Spare not one," said the inhuman Folco, "let every soul be put to the sword," and, rushing on with merciless fury, he him. self thrust a young maiden through the body, who clung to his feet for protection.

"Do the knights of England war on women?" said the priest. "Look on those three helpless dames, and stay the sword of vengeance, or brave the curse of GOD."

"Peace!" said Walter Buch, and with a blow of his sword struck him dead where he knelt before him. We will not here describe the massacre which followed, the thought is sickening; but before daylight not one remained of all who had so bravely defended that castle: some few were seized as prisoners, but most were put to a shameful death, and others more cruelly tortured. In the midst of the awful scene, the thought that they should all perish together had cheered the ladies; but that sweet consolation was not to be theirs. The Lady Elfira, whose youth and beauty were past, was inhumanly trampled under the feet of the besiegers, but the ladies Mary and Rhoda became the prey of foreign adventurers, and were removed to distant lands.

All was gone, and in a few years no trace remained of the castle of the Baron of Severnside. Some time, perhaps, more of their adventures, or rather sorrows, may be related; for a record of days passed in lowliness, solitude, and captivity, though they may serve to teach us how to bear whatever our heavenly FATHER shall appoint, cannot yield that interest and amusement which the relation of more active adventures may afford.

THE WATCHWORD.*

"England expects every man to do his duty."

It was no time for many words-the hero's words were few, Yet fitting speech for England's sons, to patriot feelings true. He told them not of valour's meed, of worldly wealth, or fame, But of the trust repos'd on such, and of their country's claim; He spoke of duty, homeliest word, yet one of import high, To nerve each liegeman's faithful heart to conquer or to die. *From" Songs of Christian Chivalry," which we cordially recommend as a volume of most beautiful poetry, not the less welcome to us, because the production of one whose contributions have graced our pages.

He stirr'd up no vainglorious zeal, on selfish ends intent-
He spoke to those whose hero-hearts on hero-deeds were bent
"England expecteth every man to do his duty now,"
Were words that stamp'd the high resolve on many a manly brow,
And loudly from the British fleet arose the answering cheer,
That bade their leader's heart rejoice, and bade the foemen fear.
Full fifty men the foemen's fire swept by the hero's side,
Yet not until he gave the word, his steadfast crew replied;
No, though they saw their comrades fall, yet train'd in duty's lore,
They stood beside their guns unmov'd amid the deafening roar:
Not till they grappled with the foe, their conflict was begun,
Then fierce the encounter side by side, where room to flee was none.
In victory's hour their leader fell, and England mourn'd her son,
Though triumph sooth'd his dying pangs, and thoughts of duty done.
He left a name for history's page; and long throughout the land,
Shall British sailors proudly tell of Nelson's last command:

And long as England's Cross-sign'd flag floats queen-like o'er the main,
Those noble words shall serve to rouse the patriot's zeal again.

Soldier of CHRIST, to Him devote, sound not such words to thee
A trumpet's animating note of holier chivalry?

Not England now to English hearts appealeth in the call,
It is the voice of Christendom-it is the cry of all!

Yea, CHRIST of His baptized claims their bounden duty now,
While angels gladden as they trace His pledge on lip and brow.
Are there not those on whom this day, creation's hope doth rest,
While brightly burns the heav'n-lit spark in many a saintly breast?
They court not danger where they list, they seek not for a name,
Knight-errantry enough hath been!-such folly they disclaim;
A purer zeal hath fir'd their hearts, at duty's call to serve,

No scattered host, no lawless band, from post assign'd to swerve.

Well may the Church in this our land with humbleness adore
The LORD Who on her sons hath deign'd such wondrous grace to pour,
That train'd in glad obedience they should head the saintly band,
Who at His watchword shall go forth, fulfilling His command;

For lo, where Judah's lion floats to lead the onward way,
The tribes of Israel, one by one, their leader's call obey.

So when rash deeds of "derring do" with emulation thrill,
Remember we, our highest praise is duty to fulfil.
Who fondly fancy to do more, in very truth do less;
Though profitless when all is done, our service we confess.
Yet high their calling, be thou sure, who meekly day by day,
Onward with all their brethren march in no self-chosen way.
And deem not lightly of the task to each of us assign'd;
It asketh all the energies of heart, and soul, and mind.
Not ours the work of ages past, though many a saint have run
The race before us-not as yet the glorious prize is won;
By one alone received, so in oneness ye shall gain
The many crowns laid up for all who labour'd not in vain.

It is not ours in cloister'd cell to serve the LORD apart,
But link'd in bond of brotherhood with love's enlarged heart,
Firm in the battle's front to stand, where room is none to flee,
And fearless grapple with the foe, though life the cost should be.
Yet with our victory song shall blend no undertone of wail-
A garland for each saintly brow! none from the ranks shall fail!

"And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony, and they loved not their lives unto the death."

SHORT ESSAYS ON CHRISTIAN DUTY.-No. VII.

"It is better to trust in the LORD."

"MANY are the troubles of the righteous;" they have no exemption from the common lot of humanity, the suffering in “mind, body, and estate," which the children of Adam inherit from their faithless parent; and in respect of which it is true that "one event happeneth to the evil and to the good." And they have further that "tribulation," to which they who "will live godly in CHRIST JESUS," sooner or later in their Christian course, and to a greater or lesser extent, are inevitably exposed. The way of life is one rugged and difficult. The difficulties from without, which an obedient servant of CHRIST must encounter and overcome, are numerous and great. Ease, wealth, worldly honours, interest, even peace of mind (save that which the world giveth not, nor taketh away,) must all be so held, that they may be unhesitatingly relinquished when the service of our Master requires it. And few, if any, are they, who are not, at some time, called to prove their fidelity by costly sacrifice. But far more urgent and terrible than these, are the difficulties from within; those springing up from our own "evil heart of unbelief," ever ready to depart from the living GOD. To one oppressed with the guilt of actual sin, or, if of pure life, with a painful conviction of the alienation of his moral nature from Supreme Goodness, the looking with cheerful confidence to CHRIST, as the "Lamb of GOD, that taketh away the sin of the world," its power, as well as its guilt, is often almost more than his desponding heart and feeble faith can accomplish, notwithstanding the gracious promises of God to them who "truly repent them of their sins," and are heartily desirous of leading a new life. And doubtless He looks with compassion and love on these humble, penitent souls, whose faith, as yet, rises no higher than " LORD, I believe, help Thou my unbelief;" for "He despiseth not the sighing of a contrite heart, nor the desire of them that be sorrowful;" of them, who, beholding the purity and strictness of His law, and the utter inadequacy of their own efforts to fulfil its requirements, "tremble at His Word." But even when, through grace, CHRIST has been heartily received as " the end of the law for righteousness to them that believe," the Christian warfare is but begun; and what a warfare that is let those say who are faithfully struggling to keep that vow, which at once binds upon them their duty, and is the condition of their admission into the family of God's regenerated children. "We wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities and powers, against spiritual wickedness in high places." There are temptations of the intellect, as well as of the will, to struggle with; reasonings and thoughts which, though abhorred by the whole soul, yet cannot be

chased out of the mind, nor argued down by the understanding, but are continually thrust, as it were, between the soul and its Creator. Temptations, of hideous subtilty, to doubt the truth, the justice, and mercy of our Heavenly FATHER; and which, though being utterly rejected, they cannot bring guilt upon him thus harassed, yet flood the heart with sorrow and continual heaviness. The reasons for the permission of sufferings of this nature we know not; save that we are given to understand, generally, that the trial of our faith, which is much more precious than of gold that perisheth, is the end of those "manifold temptations," through which Christian souls are so often "in heaviness." And this may throw light, not only upon God's purposes in permitting His children to be thus tried, but upon the way in which we must meet and endeavour to bear them. We may, and must, pray for the removal of all things, whether from without or within, that oppose our spiritual well-being; for our LORD and Master has, both by example and precept, taught us to seek for deliverance from temptation. Prayer is the Christian's stronghold; prayer, faithful, earnest, unceasing. But His practice, Who gave us the command to "pray always, and not faint," must be the rule of our duty therein. "If it is possible, let this cup of spiritual tribulation, of temptations (which our soul abhors,) to doubt Thy goodness and faithfulness, pass from us; nevertheless, Thy will, not ours, be done." There is something higher and safer than even comfort in religion; and that is, in temptation, distress, and darkness, resolutely to hold fast our faith in God; when our prayers to Him for succour seem utterly cast out, still to pray on, believing in hope against hope that He will, as He has said, hear the cry of them that fear Him, and deliver them." That He will deliver them from their spiritual enemy, from the enemy of their own hearts, feeble in goodness, and naturally averse to good; that He will, however trying and awful may be its delay, fulfil His promise, which reaches us in our lowest depth of misery, and ought to raise us from it, that "Whosoever calls upon the name of the LORD shall be saved." Saved in time and in eternity, if he but hold fast his confidence to the end.

The Christian often suffers more from mere worldly trials than other men; for he is concerned not only to bear them, but to do so Christianly. And this is no small difficulty, when our hearts are bleeding, and our spirits crushed with stroke after stroke, to oppose to our trial not the apathy of a mind stupified with suffering, but the resignation of "It is the LORD, let Him do as seemeth Him good." While the grief and anguish of seeing in ourselves the seeds of murmuring,-of finding that our ground of submission to God's will must be kept by continual warfare, and that to the very extremity of, almost beyond our strength, and with scarce breathingtime between such deadly assaults, as often to make us fear that we shall one day fall by the hand of our enemies, add inconceivably

to the bitterness of our original calamity. "Many are the troubles of the righteous;" troubles from earth, from hell, from self, and even at times, in addition to all these, the far greater trouble of feeling, as did our Divine Master and Head, as though our GoD had forgotten us. Yet even here His Word, which is as a light to our darkest path, reaches us; and as we sorrowfully exclaim “Who is sufficient for these things?" there is heard the cheerful respond, "but the LORD delivereth him out of them all." And then our hearts spring up "joyful in tribulation," knowing that our sufficiency is of Gon; that it is He that worketh in us, not only "to will," but "to do;" that it is His strength, the Conqueror of death and hell, and him "that had the power of death," that is, made perfect in our weakness; His, Who "knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptation;" to preserve us in the furnace of our trial, so that the flame kindle not upon us, and to quench its violence when His purpose is accomplished in us.

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In patience, then, must we possess our souls. Deliverance from suffering may, for some mysterious intent, not be vouchsafed to us. But there is a "weight of glory to be revealed to the faithful soul, which shall more than recompense for these light afflictions." It is our privilege to look at them in the light of eternity; and then we see they are "but for a moment." "Weeping may endure for a night,”—the night of this mortal existence,— but "joy cometh in the morning."

To that morning of a day that knows no end, must we look to confirm our faith, and strengthen our hearts under the abounding sorrows of this life. "The end of these things is at hand," and then Our "warfare is accomplished;" for "he that is holy shall be holy still." The strife will be over; but the recompense shall be ours for ever and ever. "GoD is not unrighteous to forget our work of faith;" but will verily "comfort us, according to the time in which He afflicted us, and the days wherein we suffered adversity." "Trust in Him at all times, ye people, for GOD is a refuge for

us !"

"Who is among you that feareth the LORD, that obeyeth the voice of His servant, that walketh in darkness, and hath no light? Let him trust in the name of the LORD, and stay upon his GOD!"

M. J.

THE COMMONITORY OF S. VINCENT OF LERINS. The second Commonitory is lost, with the exception of the following

recapitulation.

CHAPTER XXIX.

SINCE this is the case, it is now time for me to recapitulate at the end of this second what I have said in these two Commoni