those who believe on Him. This is in sum the solemn festival of Easter, and these are the mysteries of the Christians concerning the resurrection of the dead and eternal life, which we commemorate in the great congregation. "Wherefore let us keep the feast, not with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth,"* believing on the FATHER, and SON, and HOLY GHOST, on the Trinity, one in essence, uncreate; believing in the resurrection, expecting the LORD coming again, no longer, however, in humiliation, but gloriously, with celestial splendour, with His luminous angels, with the trumpet, and fear, and joy; joy of the holy and just, but fear of the unrighteous and sinful. And the GOD of peace count us all worthy of the resurrection with the saints, being found in good works, and the orthodox faith for His be the glory and the power, for ever and Amen.

ever.

CELEBRATION OF THE CHRISTMAS FESTIVAL AT WITHYHAM.

IN the parish of Withyham, near Tunbridge Wells, already known for its strict observance of Church order, the Christmas Festival has been celebrated with, in these times, unusual solemnity, under the auspices of the Hon. and Rev. R. W. Sackville West, the Rector, and of his noble father, the Earl Delawarr, the Countess, and the other members of the noble family at Buckhurst Park. The celebration commenced on Christmas Eve, and extended over_the whole period of the Christmas festival, concluding on the Epiphany, popularly known as twelfth night.

No sooner had the clock sounded the last hour of Christmas eve, than the bells gave forth a merry peal, and shortly after, wending their way from all parts of the parish, a numerous congregation, including the family and household from Buckhurst Park, filled the church, the interior of which, seen in its usual state when they left after evening prayer the preceding day, was now, to their astonishment, most tastefully decorated with wreaths of evergreen and holly, and displayed on each side of the chancel in floral characters, arranged in a flowing label, the appropriate and heart-stirring salutation,

"Behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people: for unto you is born this day, in the city of David, a SAVIOUR, which is CHRIST the LORD."

The altar and the chancel furniture were also decorated with evergreens and everlasting flowers, which, it has been beautifully

* 1 Cor. v. 8.

observed, "speak of the Christian's hope of a resurrection, intermingled with wreaths of bright evergreens, as if to tell of the deathless crown of glory that shall deck the brows of those who prove faithful unto death." "As our eyes rested upon them," says the same author, we could not but secretly say,

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"Blessed be GOD for flowers!

For the bright, gentle, holy thoughts that breathe,
From out their odorous beauty, like a wreath,
Of sunshine on life's hours!"'

The appointed ritual for Christmas day was performed with full choral service by the Rector, assisted by his Curates, the Revs. Burrow and Antrobus, and the choir, augmented on this occasion by choristers from other parishes, under the direction of F. Helmore, Esq., (choir-master to H.R.H. Prince Albert), who has recently raised and instructed the choir, and to whom also, we ought not to omit to state, the credit of the decoration of the church is due.

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The services of the Church about this season, says Washington Irving, are extremely tender and inspiring. They dwell on the beautiful story of the origin of our faith, and the pastoral scenes that accompanied its announcement. They gradually increase in fervour and pathos during the season of Advent, until they break forth in full jubilee on the morning that brought "peace and good will to men.' .""I do not know," he adds, "a grander effect of music on the feelings, than to hear the full quire, and the pealing organ, performing a Christmas anthem in a cathedral, and filling every part of the vast pile with triumphant harmony." We question whether, if he had been present in the beautiful little church of this rural parish on Christmas day, and had heard the Christmas anthem then performed, without the aid of organ or any other instrumental accompaniment to the voices of the village quire, he would not have acknowledged that, if not equal to the scene he describes in imposing grandeur, it far exceeded it in impressive beauty and touching sweetness. After the close of the service, the congregation could scarcely have had time to betake themselves to their beds, when they were again sweetly saluted with a Christmas anthem by the church quire, perambulating the parish for that purpose, repeating the angelic salutation, “Behold I bring you good tidings," "-in humble imitation of the music of congratulation which was uttered through the clear air to men "abiding in the fields, keeping watch over their flocks by night."

"The hallowed anthem sent to hail

Bethlehem's shepherds in the lonely vale;

When Jordan hushed his waves, and midnight still
Watched on the holy towers of Zion's hill."

Christmas day was observed with the usual religious solemnity and discreet festivity, and from this time till the close of the festival, on the Epiphany, the usual daily services of the Church were celebrated with the addition of appropriate anthems. On the feast of Circumcision (New Year's day) the party of the rectory was increased by the arrival of the young gentlemen of her Majesty's Chapel Royal, S. James's, accompanied by their master, the Rev. T. Helmore. Several other visitors also arrived, all in some way or other connected with the choral service of the Church, belonging to the Westminster, Exeter, Oxford, and sundry provincial quires. Among others, there were the Rev. W. H. Cope, Minor Canon of Westminster Abbey; Rev. T. H. Knight, Minor Canon of Exeter Cathedral; Masters Coningsby, Walker, Mann, Tilbury, Seale, Broadhurst, and Malsch, choristers of the Chapel Royal; Master Braine, of Westminster Abbey; E. V. Hall, of Magdalen College, Oxford; and F. C. Hall, of New College, Oxford.

This accession of talent and strength gave a new feature to the festival, by the superior character of the music introduced into the services, as well as that performed at other times. During this week the anthems performed were from the works of Tye, Tallis, Palestrina, Vittoria, &c., whose difficult but sublime compositions were sung with most admirable skill and most spirit-stirring effect. An arrangement of the ancient church tones, by the Rev. T. Helmore, was also used, of which the harmonies were of the most unearthly and impressive character.*

The whole party was entertained with the most liberal hospitality at the rectory, where from thirty to forty visitors, of all ages, were provided for daily.

The banqueting-hall was visited on Wednesday by the Earl and Countess Delawarr, and several members of their family. The noble Earl took the chair, and after dinner, "Non Nobis, Domine " having been sung, welcomed the party in the most affable and courteous terms, expressing the pleasure it afforded himself and family to see so numerous an assemblage of persons devoted to the service of the Church, attending there to celebrate the great Christian festival. His lordship then proposed the health of her Majesty in the most loyal terms, which we need scarcely add was responded to in the most enthusiastic manner, particularly by the younger members of the party. The National Anthem, led by the young gentlemen of the Chapel Royal, was then sung in full chorus. The healths of the Rector, of the Rev. T. Helmore, and of F. Helmore, Esq., and the visitors, were afterwards proposed and duly honoured with musical cheers. The Rector was worthily complimented on the efforts he had made to cause the services of

*We are happy to learn that this arrangement of the Church tones will shortly be published.

the Church to be celebrated with constant regularity and due impressiveness; and similarly deserved tributes of approbation were paid to the Rev. T. Helmore, on the eminent success of his assiduous care in training and educating the "children of the Chapel Royal," and to Mr. F. Helmore, for his able direction of the musical portion of the festival, and for his laborious efforts in raising and instructing many parish choirs in different parts of the country. The festivities on this occasion terminated with drinking the health of the Countess Delawarr and the ladies of the family. The scene altogether was one of the most exhilarating character.

In the evening of the same day the Messiah was sung at the schoolroom, which was crowded with the inhabitants of the parish and neighbourhood. The performance was under the direction of F. Helmore, Esq., Edward Otley, Esq., an amateur of great ability, presiding at the pianoforte. The solos were sung by Mr. Cope, Mr. Knight, Mr. Helmore, and some of the young gentlemen of the Chapel Royal, and the whole went off as delightfully as might be expected from such an array of talent.

On Thursday afternoon, the whole party, with the family and visitors at Buckhurst, attended the schoolroom, where a Christmas tree had been erected, and decorated with exquisite taste, under the superintendence of the Lady Arabella Sackville West, displaying a profusion of lighted tapers, bonbons, and sweetmeats. The upper end of the room was also converted into a perfect bower of evergreens, which appeared like an orange grove, a vast quantity of this fruit being cleverly suspended amongst the foliage. Ensconced in the midst were placed the village choristers, who sang a selection of glees and madrigals with a purity of tone, and excellence of style, which perfectly surprised the professional choristers present, and did the highest credit to their instructor, Mr. F. Helmore. The music over, the pretty things on the tree, the sweetmeats and fruit, were distributed by Lady Arabella to the choristers and the children of the school, who made the walls ring again with their shouts of delight.

In the evening, a select party, under the direction of Mr. Helmore, performed a selection from Mendelsohn's Elijah, at Buckhurst Park, in the presence of the Earl and Countess Delawarr, the Lady Elizabeth Russell, Lady Arabella West, the Hon. and Rev. R. W. West, the Hon. Major West, the Hon. William West, Mr. Hastings Russell, M.P., &c. The very difficult music of this most learned work of the greatest musical genius of modern times, was very ably sung, and elicited the warmly-expressed approbation of the audience. At its conclusion, a sumptuous entertainment was served to the company and the choristers, who also each received an elegant present, as a memento of their visit, from the Countess Delawarr.

The service on Friday morning, being the last at which the entire