ately among the baths of Alexandria, that they might be employed in heating them; and by this method, in the space of six months, they were all consumed. Such was then the triumph of ignorance and fanaticism over learning and philosophy. distributed all the books immedi- with the express condition that no Abbot should be permitted to transfer them to any other place, but that they should be kept for the monks of the monasteries specified in the will, who should accommodate each other as much as possible in the use of them. The will is subscribed by the King and Queen, as well as by the bishops and other persons of rank. 497. Medieval Dignitaries. Guymond, chaplain to King Henry I., observing that for the most part ignorant men were advanced to the best dignities in the church, the doctrines taught by the Bonzes 499. Metempsychosis.-Among as he celebrated Divine service before the King, and was about to is the Pythagorean doctrine of the or Priests of the Chinese god Fo read these words out of St. James, transmigration of souls. The im"It rained not upon the earth three pression which this doctrine makes years and six months," he read it thus: "It rained not upon the earth be judged of by a fact related by upon the credulous Chinese may one-one-one years and five-one Father le Compte in his Memoirs. months." Henry noticed the sin-"I recollect," says he, "that being gularity, and afterwards took occasion to blame the chaplain for it. "Sir," answered Guymond, “I did it on purpose; for such readers I find are sooner preferred by your Majesty." The King smiled, and in a short time afterwards present-chamber, he exclaimed, How ed Guymond to the benefice of St. Frideswid's in Oxford. 498. Medieval Ignorance. The tenth century, which presents one of the darkest periods of the Christian era, was an age of the profoundest ignorance and of the most degrading superstition. Some who filled the highest situations in the Church could not so much as read, while others who pretended to be better scholars, and attempted to perform the public offices, committed the most egregious blunders. In Spain, books were become so scarce that one and the same copy of the Bible, St. Jerome's Epistles, and some volumes of ecclesiastical offices and martyrologies, served several monasteries; and in the famous monastery of Iona there seems to have been in the ninth century no other work, even of the Fathers, than one of the writings of Chrysostom. Germadius, a Spanish bishop, by his will, bearing date A.D. 953, bequeathed about sixteen volumes of books to certain religious houses, I was called to baptize a sick one day in the province of Chanci, person. This was a man of seventy years of age, who lived on a small pension the Emperor granted to him. The moment I entered his much I am obliged to you, my dear father! You will deliver me from the greatest of misery! You know, my father, that I have lived for a long time on the bounty of the Emperor. The Bonzes, who are well informed of what passes in the other world, assure me that in gratitude I shall be obliged to serve my benefactor after my death, and that my soul will infallibly pass into one of his post-horses, in order to carry the despatches of the Court to distant provinces. They exhort me, therefore, to perform my duty well when I enter upon my new state; not to stumble, to kick, to bite, nor to hurt any one. Run well, they tell me; eat little, and be patient. By this you will excite the compassion of the gods, who often as a result convert a good beast into a man of quality and a considerable Mandarin. I confess, my father, that this idea makes me tremble; it haunts me day and night. In my sleep sometimes I already imagine myself in harness, and ready to set off at the first lash of the postillion; I wake in unspeakable terror, not knowing whether I am a man or a horse. Alas! how deplorable will be my fate when this is no longer a dream! I will tell you now, my father, the resolution I have taken. I am assured that the followers of your religion are not subject to these calamities: that men with you will be always men, and that in the other world they will be what they were in this. I implore you to receive me among you; I know very well that your religion is difficult to be observed, but were it far more difficult, still I am ready to embrace it.' This address, and the situation of the sick person, excited my compassion; but reflecting that God makes use even of simplicity and ignorance to conduct men to the truth, I took the opportunity which this gave me to convince him of his errors, and to point out to him the road to salvation. I instructed him a long time; he believed at last, and I had the satisfaction of seeing him die not only with more rational sentiments, but with all the signs of a good Christian." 500. Mother and Daughter.-A little girl was placed in a Sundayschool in America. The child had a very ignorant and impious mother living in the capacity of a servant; her example was such as to lead to the fear that it must have a very pernicious effect on the mind of the child. But often when she has been intemperate, and using the most profane language, a pious lady, a member of the family, has heard her little child reproving her in the most affectionate manner. She would say, Mother, you are injuring yourself very much, and committing a great sin against God." Some time ago, after this child had attended a prayer-meeting for the teachers and scholars, she went into the apartment where she found her mother alone; she opened her Bible and read the chapter, and anxiously attempted to explain it as she heard it at the meeting; she then repeated the first lines of the hymns that were sung, and gave a very correct account of the manner in which the exercises were conducted during the evening. She expressed much concern for the soul of her parent to the lady who instructed her, and with eyes filled with tears said, “O ma'am, I very often pray to God, that He would take away my mother's stony heart, and give her a good one." 501. New Language. In the beginning of the 16th century, surprising ignorance prevailed in reference to the Scriptures. Conrad of Heresbach, a grave author of that age, relates the following saying of a monk to his companions: "They have invented a new language which they call Greek: you must be carefully on your guard against it; it is the matter of all heresy. I observe in the hands of many persons a book written in that language, and which they call the New Testament: it is a book full of daggers and poison. As to the Hebrew, my brethren, it is certain that whoever learns it becomes immediately a Jew." 502. Pagan Fetishes.The Ashantees have the most surprising confidence in the fetishes, which they purchase at an extravagant rate from the Moors, believing firmly that they make them invulnerable and invincible in war, paralyse the hand of the enemy, shiver their weapons, divert the course of balls, and avert all evils but sickness (which they can only assuage) and natural death. The King gave to the King of Dagwumba, for the fetish or war-coat of Apokoo, the value of thirty slaves; for Odumata's, twenty; for Addo Quamina's, thirteen; for Akimpon's, twelve; for Akimponteä's, nine; and for those of greater captains in proportion. The generals being always in the rear of the army are pretty sure to escape, a circumstance much in favour of the Moors. Mr. Bowdich relates that several of the Ashantee captains offered seriously to let him fire at them; in short, their confidence in these fetishes is almost as incredible as the despondency and panic imposed on their southern and western enemies by the recollection of them; they impel the Ashantees, fearless and headlong, to the most daring enterprises; they dispirit their adversaries almost to the neglect of an interposition of fortune in their favour. The Ashantees believe that the constant prayers of the Moors, who have persuaded them that they converse with the Deity, invigorate themselves and gradually waste the spirit and strength of their enemies. This faith is not less impulsive, persistent, and overwhelming than that which achieved the Arabian conquests. 504. Superstitious King. An astrologer in the reign of Louis XI. of France having foretold something disagreeable to the King, his Majesty, in revenge, resolved to have him killed. The next day he sent for the astrologer, and ordered the people about him, at a signal given, to throw the astrologer out of the window. As soon as the King saw him, "You that pretend," said he, "to be such a wise man, and know so perfectly the fate of others, inform me a little what will be your own, and how long you have to live ?" The astrologer, who began to apprehend some danger, answered with great presence of mind, "I know my destiny, and am certain I shall die three days before your Majesty." on this was so far from having him thrown out of the window, that on the contrary he took particular care not to suffer him to want anything, and did all that was possible to retard the death of one whom he was likely so soon to follow. The King 503. Superstitious Heathen.The circumstance is remarkable that the portrait of Henry VIII. was the means of preventing a com- 505. Superstitious Persecutors. mercial treaty between the Portu-―The succession of noble disguese and the King of Borneo. A coveries made by Galileo, the most Portuguese vessel, having touched at that place, opened a trade there with great success. The King received the strangers with special favour, and they displayed before him the presents with which they were prepared. Among other things was the marriage of Henry VIII. and Catherine represented in tapestry. When the King of Borneo saw the bluff figure of Henry, as large as life, he bade the Portuguese pack up their presents, take them on board, and leave his dominions immediately. He knew, he said, what they brought him those figures for; that ugly man was to come out in the night, cut off his head, and take possession of his dominions. There was no persuading him out of his imagination, and the Portuguese were compelled to abandon a commercial speculation which was so auspiciously commenced. splendid, probably, which it ever fell to the lot of one individual to make, in a better age would have entitled its author to the admiration and gratitude of the whole scientific world, but they were viewed at the time with suspicion and jealousy. The ability and success with which Galileo had laboured to overturn the doctrines of Aristotle and the schoolmen, as well as to establish the motion of the earth, and the immobility of the sun, excited many enemies. The Romish Church itself was roused to action by reflecting that it had staked the infallibility of its judgments on the truth of the very opinions which were now in danger of being overthrown. The Dialogues of Galileo contained a full exposition of the evidence of the earth's motion, and set forth the errors of the old as well as the discoveries of the new philosophy with great force of reasoning, and with the charms of the most lively eloquence. They are written indeed with such singular felicity, that we read them at the present day, when the truths contained in them are known and admitted, with all the delight of novelty, and feel carried back to the period when the telescope was first directed to the heavens, and when the earth's motion, with all its train of consequences, was proved for the first time. The author of such a work could not be forgiven. Galileo, accordingly, was twice brought before the Inquisition. The first time a council of seven cardinals pronounced a sentence, which, for the sake of those disposed to believe that power can subdue truth, ought never to be forgotten: "That to maintain the sun to be immovable, and without local motion, in the centre of the world, is an absurd proposition, false in philosophy, heretical in religion, and contrary to the testimony of Scripture. That it is equally absurd and false in philosophy to assert that the earth is not immovable in the centre of the world, and, considered theologically, equally erroneous and heretical.' Galileo was threatened with imprisonment unless he would retract his opinions, and a promise was at length extorted from him that he would not teach the doctrine of the earth's motion either by speaking or writing. To this promise he did not conform. In the year 1663, Galileo, now seventy years old, was again brought before the Inquisition, forced solemnly to disavow his belief in the earth's motion, and condemned to perpetual imprisonment, though the sentence was afterwards mitigated, and he was allowed to return to Florence. The sentence appears to have pressed heavily on Galileo's mind, and he never afterwards either talked or wrote upon the subject of astronomy. 506. Wonderful Delusion. In the month of May, 1814, it was unexpectedly discovered that in a re mote but populous part of the island of Java, a road was constructed leading to the top of the mountain Sumbeng, one of the highest in the island. An inquiry being set on foot, it was discovered that the delusion which gave rise to the work had its origin in the province of Banyumas, in the territories of the Susunan; that the infection spread to the territory of the Sultan, whence it extended to that of the European power. On examination, a road was found constructed, twenty-two feet broad, and from fifty to sixty miles in extent, wonderfully smooth and well made. One point which appears to have been considered necessary was that the road should not cross rivers, and it winded in a thousand ways that this principle might not be infringed. Another point as peremptorily insisted upon was, that the straight course of the road should not be interrupted by any regard to private right; and in consequence trees and houses were overturned to make way for it. The population of whole districts, occasionally to the number of five or six thousand labourers, were employed on the road; and among a people disinclined to active exertion, the laborious work was nearly completed in two months; such was the effect of the temporary enthusiasm with which they were inspired. It appeared in the sequel, that a bare report had set the whole work in motion. An old woman had dreamt, or pretended to have dreamt, that a divine personage was about to descend from heaven on the mountain Sumbeng. Piety suggested the propriety of constructing a road to facilitate his descent; and divine vengeance, it was rumoured, would pursue the sacrilegious person who refused to join in the meritorious labour. These reports quickly wrought on the fears and ignorance of the people, and they heartily joined in the enterprise. The old woman distributed slips of palm leaves to the labourers, with magic letters written upon them, which were the native authorities, orders were charms to secure them against given to desist from the work, and wounds and sickness. When this the people returned without murmur strange affair was discovered by to their wonted occupations. INDUSTRY. Prov. xiv. 23; Eccles. ix. 10; Rom. xii. 11; 2 Thess. iii. 10. 507. Advantages of Reading.-razors, for one penny." The novelty Sir William Jones, when but a youth, had a very successful effect, for le was regarded as almost a miracle soon had plenty of customers; so of industry and attainments. When much so, that several brother only three or four years of age, if he applied to his mother, a woman of uncommon intelligence and acquirements, for information,, her constant answer to him was, "Read, and you will know." He thus acquired a passion for books, which only grew in strength with increasing years. Even at school his voluntary exertions exceeded in amount his prescribed tasks, so that Dr. Thackeray, one of his masters, used to say that he was a boy of so active a mind, that if he were left destitute and friendless on Salisbury Plain, he would nevertheless find the road to fame and riches. At this time he was frequently in the habit of devoting whole nights to study, when he would generally take coffee or tea to keep off sleep. Even then, merely to divert his leisure, he commenced the study of the law; and it is related that he would often amuse and surprise his mother's legal acquaintances by putting cases to them from an abridgment of Coke's Institutes, which he had read and mastered. The extraordinary eminence to which he attained is well known to all scholars. 508. Arkwright's Rise. When Richard Arkwright went first to Manchester, he hired himself to a petty barber, but being remarkably frugal, he saved money out of a very scanty income. With these savings he took a cellar and commenced business; at the cellarhead he displayed this inscription: "Subterranean shaving, with keen tonsors, who before had demanded twopence a-piece for shaving, were obliged to reduce their terms. They also styled themselves subterranean shavers, although they all lived and worked above ground. Upon this, Arkwright determined on a still further reduction, and shaved for a halfpenny. A neighbouring cobbler one day descended the original subterranean tonsor's steps in order to be shaved. The fellow had a remarkably strong, rough beard. Arkwright, beginning to lather him, said he hoped he would give him another halfpenny, for his beard was so strong it might spoil his razor. The cobbler declared he would not. Arkwright then shaved him for the halfpenny, and immediately gave him two pairs of shoes to mend. This was the basis of Arkwright's extraordinary fortune: for the cobbler, struck with this unexpected favour, introduced him to the inspection of a cotton machine invented by his particular friend. The plan of this Arkwright got possession of, and it gradually led him to the dignity of knighthood, and the accumulation of half a million of money. 509. Assiduous Service.-When the treaty of marriage was pending between Henry VII. and Margaret, the Dowager of Savoy, Thomas Wolsey, rector of Redgrave, in the diocese of Norwich, was proposed as a fit person to be sent on the business to that princess's father, the Emperor Maximilian. The King had not before particularly noticed Wolsey; but after con |