1 legends he had recourse to, and for which credence the general sentiments of the times must be pleaded for his weakness, has afforded the following miraculous statement of the Saint's martyrdom. "Being yet a Pagan (or at least it not being known that he was a Christian), he entertained AMPHIBALUS in his house, of which the Roman governor being informed, sent a party of soldiers to apprehend AMPHIBALUS; but ALBAN, putting on the habit of his guest, presented himself in his stead, and was carried before that magistrate. The governor having asked him of what family he was, ALBAN replied, To what purpose do you enquire of my family? if you would know my religion, I am a Christian;' then being asked his name, he answered, my name is ALBAN, and I worship the only true and living God, who created all things.' The magistrate replied, "If you would enjoy the happiness of eternal life, delay not to sacrifice to the great gods.' ALBAN replied, The sacrifices you offer are made to "Devils, neither can they help the needy, nor grant the petitions of their votaries.' This behaviour so enraged the governor, that he ordered him immediately to be beheaded. In his way to execution, he was stopped by a river, over which was a bridge so thronged with spectators, that it was impossible to cross it; when the Saint, as we are told, lifting up his eyes to Heaven, the stream was miraculously divided, and afforded a passage for himself and a thousand more persons. This wonderful event converted the executioner on the spot, who threw away his drawn sword, and falling at ST. ALBAN's feet, desired he might have the honour to die with him: and thus the execution being delayed until another person could be got to perform the office, ST. ALBAN walked up to a neighbouring hill, where he prayed for water to quench his thirst, and a fountain of water sprang up under his feet: here he was beheaded on the 23d of June, A. D. 303. The executioner is said to have been a signal example of divine vengeance; for as soon as he gave the fatal stroke, his eyes dropt out of his head!" Such is the legend of our PROTO-MARTYR, and marvellous indeed it is, could credit be given in these days to its various particulars, once universally believed. The general outline, most probably, is founded in fact; the miracles may be attributed solely to monkish ingenuity; and it is due to the memory of ST. ALBAN, that more credence should be given to his history than modern scepticism seems to admit. The learned and pious Bishop USHER, in his too zealous endeavour to defeat imposture, has urged arguments to prove, that the supposed AMPHIBALUS, so hospitably protected by ALBAN, not only owes the honour of his canonization, but even his very existence, to a mistaken passage in the history of ALBAN, where the AMPHIBALUS alluded to, was nothing more than the ROUGH SHAGGY CLOAK worn by the Saint, as usual with the Ecclesiastics of that period; which word being derived from the Greek, and not understood, gave rise to its being "applied to a man, and afterwards being reverenced as a saint and martyr." Dr. CONYERS MIDDLETON, in the middle of the last century, in his anxiety to overthrow all belief in miracles, adopted the Bishop's ingenious, but mistaken conjecture; though it is now satisfactorily proved, that such a MARTYR as AMPHIBALUS did live, and suffer with ALBAN, having previously peuned, for the instruction of the Christians, some tracts which are spoken of with respect. The fame of ALBAN, recorded as it was by BEDE, made a deep impression on the minds of the superstitious, as might be expected. The ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY of that author was published in 731; and in the year 795, QFFA, king of the MERCIANS, built a MONASTERY to the honour of ALBAN, on the place where he had suffered, then called by the Anglo-Saxons HOLMHURST, but since, in compliment to the martyr, named ST. ALBAN'S. The Town built near the abbey still retains the latter appellation; and the ABBEY-CHURCH is even yet in existence, having, at the suppression of the monasteries by HENRY the Eighth, been purchased by a rich clothier of the name of STUMP, for £400, and converted by him into a PAROCHIAL CHURCH for the use of the inhabitants. In the year 1257, some workmen repairing this antient church, found the remains of some sheets of lead, containing relics, with a thick plate of lead over them, upon which was cut the following inscription : "In hoc Mausoleo inventum est Venerabile corpus Sancti Albani, Proto Long Wacation. (17TH JUNE, 1812.) In the article under the title of TERMS, vol. I, page 170, a general outline is given of the origin and extent of those seasons, which are appropriated to the adjustment of forensic affairs, as well as of those periods in which the Courts of Law do not sit, known by the name of VACATIONS: On this day Trinity Term ends, and immediately ôn the rising of the Court, commences that cessation from legal business, emphatically denominated the "LONG VACATION;" or that space which our ancestors have wisely left undisturbed by law concerns, that the people may the better be enabled to attend to the different harvests throughout the kingdom: thus the activity and bustle of our Inns of Court suddenly subside into a want of occupation, not unaptly displayed in the following anonymous parody: "My LORD now quits his venerable seat, The Six Clerk on his padlock turns the key And leaves VACATION and the town to me. "Now all is hush'd, asleep the eye of care, And LINCOLN'S-INN a solemn stillness holds; The moping shoe-black, and the laundry-maid, Translation of Edward, King of the West Sarons. (20TH JUNE.) EDWARD, styled the MARTYR, though, as HUME very correctly states, "his murder had no connection with any religious principle or opinion," was not only granted an ANNIVERSARY on 18th March, in remembrance of his sufferings, or rather of the silly and absurd miracles alleged to have been wrought at his tomb; but he was |