THE three martyrs, Cranmer, Ridley, and Latimer were suffered sometimes to eat together in the prison of Bocardo. STRYPE says, "I have seen a book of their diet every dinner and supper, and the charge thereof;

Wells, Bailiffs of the city at that time, under whose custody they were. As for example in this method.

The first of October. Dinner.

"From this book of their expenses give me leave to make these few observatioms.

They ate constantly suppers as well as din

ners. Their meals amounted to about three

or four shillings: seldom exceeding four. Their bread and ale commonly came to two or three pence. They had constantly cheese and pears for their last dish, both at dinner and supper, and always wine, the price whereof was ever three pence, and no more. The prices of their provisions (it being now an extraordinary dear time) were as follow. A goose 14d. A pig 12d. or 13d.

A cony

6d. A woodcock 3d. and sometimes 5d. A couple of chickens 6d. Three plovers 10d. Half a dozen larks 3d. A dozen of larks and two plovers 10d. A breast of veal 11d. A shoulder of mutton 10d. Roast beef 12d.

"The last disbursements (which have melancholy in the reading) were these,

0 8

1 4

For the carriage of them.
To two labourers

"It seems the superiors in those days were more zealous to send these three good men to Oxon, and there to serve their ends upon them, and afterwards to burn them, than they were careful honestly to pay the charges thereof. For Winkle and Wells, notwithstanding all their endeavours to get themselves reimbursed of what they had laid out, which came to £63. 10s. 2d. could never get but £20. In 1566 they put up a petition to Archbishop Parker and the other Bishops, that they would among themselves raise and repay that sum which the said Bailiffs were out of purse, in feeding of these three reverend Fathers, otherwise they and their poor wives and children should be utterly undone,' and Laurence Humfrey, President of Magdalen College, wrote a letter in their behalf to Archbishop Parker."-STRYPE's Cranmer, p. 393.

6

[Protestant Work not to be relied on when Edited by a Roman Catholic.]

I HAD used the edition of De Lery in De Boy's Collection. While I was transcribing this portion of the work for the press, the original French edition was sent me from Norwich, by my old friend Mr. William Taylor. Apprehending that the translation might sometimes be inaccurate, I compared my own narrative with the French, as I

proceeded, to see if any thing material had been mistaken, or overlooked; and it surprized me to find that my references to the chapters were frequently wrong. At length I perceived that my numeration was always one behindhand. This could not be accident; and upon collating the works I discovered that De Boy has omitted the whole chapter in which Villegagnon's conduct is exposed he has omitted the preface also, and many passages in which the errors of Thevet are pointed out, and his falsehoods confuted. This is worthy of notice, not merely as relating to the book in question; but as it may teach others never to rely upon the work of a Protestant, when published by a Catholic editor, let the subject be what it will, but always to refer, if possible, to the genuine edition.-R. S.

[Pope's Supremacy.]

"THE Pope's supremacy consists in a power given by our Saviour to St. Peter, of inspecting the conduct of all orders of the hierarchy, so as to take care, not that they shall share such church discipline as he may think proper to impose; not that we shall have bishops of his nomination; but that the faith, which we outwardly profess, shall be conformable with that revelation which was made by our Saviour; and that our morals shall be conformable with our

faith. It is on this visible agreement of faith and morals, that the unity of the Church is founded, and it is for the preservation of that visible unity that we have a visible Head, whose primacy existed in the days of St. Peter, as fully as in the pompous days of Leo X. In this, and in this only, consists the Pope's supremacy by Divine right. All other powers which have been annexed to his primacy in subsequent ages are of human institution."-COLUMBANUS ad Hibernos, No. 1, p. 87.

[Foundations out of Joint.]

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"I DREAMED I was at church, attending service; the minister was reading the Litany: a sudden noise caught my attention, and looking towards the place from whence it proceeded, I saw a person of bright ap pearance, who beckoned me with his hand. I followed him: he led me to the back part of the church, and descending down a number of steps into a cellar under the church, it seemed as if the foundation of the church were removed, and the superstructure was now supported upon pillars of wood, which were worm-eaten and rotten. I was much astonished. My guide observing this, said, 'You see the situation of this foundation,' and then, pointing to the place by which we entered, said 'Escape!' I did so, and suddenly awoke. This, and a thousand circumstances which have since happened, have satisfied me that it is inexpedient for me to attend any place of worship where the Gospel is not preached. But I condemn no man in this matter."-Experience of MR. ELLIOTT.

[Baxter's Retrospect.]

"THERE is another thing which I am changed in," says BAXTER, "whereas in my younger days I never was tempted to doubt of the truth of Scripture or Christianity, but all my doubts and fears were exercised at home, about my own sincerity and interest in Christ, and this was it which I called unbelief; since then my sorest assaults have been on the other side, and such they were, that had I been void of internal experience, and the adhesion of love, and the special help of God, and had not discerned more reason for my religion than I did when I was younger, I had certainly apostatized to infidelity, though for atheism or ungodliness my reason seeth no stronger arguments than may be brought to prove that there is no earth or air, or sun. I am

C

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now therefore more apprehensive than heretofore, of the necessity of well grounding men in their religion, and especially of the witness of the indwelling Spirit: for I more sensibly perceive that the Spirit is the great witness of Christ and Christianity to the world. And though the folly of fanatics tempted me long to overlook the strength of this testimony of the Spirit, while they placed it in a certain internal affection, or enthusiastic inspiration, yet now I see that the Holy Ghost in another manner is the witness of Christ and his agent in the world. | The Spirit in the prophets was his first witness, and the Spirit by miracles was the second; and the Spirit by renovation, sanctification, illumination, and consolation, assimilating the soul to Christ and heaven, is the continued witness to all true believers, and if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, the same is none of his (Rom. viii. 9). Even as the rational soul in the child is the inherent witness of evidence, that he is the child of rational parents. And therefore ungodly persons have a great disadvantage in their resisting temptations to unbelief, and it is no wonder if Christ be a stumbling block to the Jews, and to the Gentiles foolishness. There is many a one that hideth his temptations to infidelity, because he thinketh it a shame to open them, and because it may generate doubts in others; but I doubt the imperfections of most men's care of their salvation, and of their diligence and resolution in a holy life, doth come from the imperfection of their belief of Christianity and the life to come. For my part I must profess, that when my belief of things eternal and of the Scripture, is most clear and firm, all goeth accordingly in my soul, and all temptations to sinful compliances, worldliness, or flesh-pleasing, do signify worse to me, than an invitation to the stocks or Bedlam. And no petition seemeth more necessary to me than Lord, increase our faith: I believe, help my unbelief."

[Whitefield to Count Zinzendorff.]

"PRAY, my Lord," said WHITEFIELD in a letter to Count Zinzendorff, “what instances have we of the first Christians walking round the graves of their deceased friends on Easter day, attended with hautboys, trumpets, French horns, violins, and other kinds of musical instruments? Or where have we the least mention made of pictures of particular persons being brought into the Christian assemblies, and of candles being placed behind them in order to give a transparent view of the figures? where was it ever known that the picture of the apostle Paul, representing him handing a gentleman and lady up to the side of Jesus Christ, was ever introduced into the primitive love-feasts? Or do we ever hear, my Lord, of incense, or something like it, being burnt for him, in order to perfume the room before he made his entrance among the brethren? Or can it be supposed that he, who, together with Barnabas, so eagerly repelled the Lycaonians, when they brought oxen and garlands in order to sacrifice unto them, would ever have suffered such things to be done for him, without expressing his abhorrence and detestation of them? and yet your Lordship knows both those have been done for you, without your having shown, as far as I can hear, the least dislike.

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Again my Lord, I beg leave to inquire whether we hear any thing in Scripture of eldresses or deaconesses of the apostolical churches seating themselves before a table covered with artificial flowers, and against that a little altar surrounded with wax tapers, on which stood a cross, composed either of mock or real diamonds, or other glittering stones? And yet your Lordship must be sensible this was done in Fetterlane chapel, for Mrs. Hannah Nitschman, the present general eldress of your congregation, with this addition, that all the sisters were seated, clothed in white, and with German caps; the organ also illuminated with three pyramids of wax tapers, each of

which was tied with a red ribbon; and over the head of the general eldress, was placed her own picture, and over that (horresco referens!) the picture of the Son of God. A goodly sight this, my Lord, for a company of English protestants to behold! Alas! to what a long series of childish and superstitious devotions, and unscriptural impositions, must they have been habituated, before they could sit silent and tame spectators of such an antichristian scene. Surely had Gideon, though but an Old Testament saint, been present, he would have risen and pulled down this, as he formerly did his father's altar. Or had even that meek man Moses been there, I cannot help thinking, but he would have addressed your Lordship, partly at least, in the words with which he addressed his brother Aaron, What did this people unto thee, that thou hast introduced such superstitious customs among them?

"A like scene to this was exhibited by the single brethren in a room of their house at Hatton Garden. One of them who helped to furnish it, gave me the following account. The floor was covered with sand and moss, and in the middle of it was paved a star of different coloured pebbles; upon that was placed a gilded dove, which spouted water out of its mouth into a vessel prepared for its reception, which was curiously decked with artificial leaves and flags; the room was hung with moss and shells; the Count, his son, and son in law, in honour of whom all this was done, with Mrs. Hannah Nitschman, and Mr. Peter Boeblen and some other labourers, were present. These were seated under an alcove, supported by columns made of pasteboard, and over their heads was painted an oval, in imitation of marble, containing cyphers of Count Zinzendorff's family. Upon a side table was

little altar covered with shells, and on each side of the altar was a bloody heart, out of, or near which, proceeded flames. The room was illuminated with wax tapers, and musicians placed in an adjacent apartment, while the company performed their

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devotions, and regaled themselves with sweet-meats, coffee, tea, and wine. After this, the labourers departed, and the single brethren were admitted. I am told, that most, if not all of these leading persons were present also at the celebration of Mrs. Hannah Nitschman's birthday.

"Since my writing this, I have been told of a very singular expedient made use of by Mr. Peter Boeblen, one of the brethren's bishops, in order to strengthen the faith, and to raise the drooping spirits of Mr. William Bell, (who hath been unhappily drawn in with several others) to be one of their agents. It was this: it being Mr. Bell's birthday, he was sent for from his house in Nevil's-alley, Fetter-lane; but for a while, having had some words with Mr. Boeblen, he refused to come; at length he complied, and was introduced into a hall, in the same alley, where was placed an artificial mountain, which, upon singing a particular verse, was made to fall down, and then behind it was discovered an illumination, representing Jesus Christ and Mr. Bell, sitting very near, or embracing each other; and out of the clouds was also represented plenty of money falling round Mr. Bell and the Saviour. This story appeared to me so incredible at the first hearing, that, though I could not doubt the veracity of the relator, yet fearing he might be misinformed, I sent for him again, and he assured me that Mr. Bell told this story himself some time ago in company, and a person of good reputation of that company related it to an acquaintance of mine."

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'Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost. As your fathers did, so do ye. Acts vii. 54. 'I have laboured in vain. I have spent my strength for nought, and in vain. Yet surely my judgement is with the Lord; and my work with my God.' Isaiah xlix. 4.

"But that generation which was abandoned to all wickedness, is gone: so are most of their children. And there is reason to hope, that the curse intailed on them and their children is gone also. For there is now a more lively work of God here, than in any of the neighbouring places."-WESLEY'S Journal, vol. xvш, p. 118.

[Steps in advance.]

"TAL era como plata, mozo casto gradero, La plata torno oro quando fue epistolero, El oro margarita quando fue evangelistero, Quando subio a preste semeyo al lucero."D. GONZALO DE BERCEO. S. DOMINGO DE SILOS, p. 44.

"My companions and I were greatly strengthened by an uncommon trial that befel us soon after. We frequently went out at night, to pray by the side of the mountain. One night, as we were walking together, and talking of the things of God, I heard a noise, and saw something in the form of a large bear pursuing me closely. My hair stood on end, and as we were walking arm in arm, I suddenly pulled both my companions round with me. They both saw him, and one of them fainted away. It then reared itself upon its hind legs into the air. I said, Satan we are come hither to serve God and we will do it, in spite of thee, and all the devils in hell. Instantly it sunk into the earth: we then prayed upon the very spot; and soon found ourselves strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might."-THOMAS PAYNE.

[Delusions of Satan.]

was

"My seriousness was increased by an extraordinary occurrence, which I simply relate just as it was. 'One night, as I standing sentinel at Mr M-'s door, I heard a dreadful rattling, as if the house was all shaken to pieces, and tumbling down about my ears. Looking towards it, I saw an appearance, about the size of a six-weeks' calf, lying at the door. It rose, came towards me, looked me in the face, passed by, returned again, and went to the door. The house shook as before and it disappeared. A few days after, our head Inn-keeper, Mr. M- told the officer of the guard, that the same night Mrs. M- died, he, with eight persons more sitting up, observed the house

[Curse of Duelling.]

LAST Summer I received a letter from a friend wherein he writes these words.

"I think it would be worth your while to take a view of those wonderful marks of the Lord's hatred to duelling, called The Brothers' Steps.

"They are in the fields, about a third of a mile northward from Montague House. And the awful tradition concerning them is, That two brothers quarrelled about a worthless woman, and according to the fashion of those days fought with sword and pistol. The prints of their feet are about the depth of three inches, and nothing will vegetate, so much as to disfigure them. The number is only eighty-three: but probably some are at present up. For I think, there were formerly more in the centre