my

friends at Paris, to get you out of France.' "I thank you, Sir,' replied the prisoner, I am "certainly Lord B****, as you say I am: and "if you will perform what you have so kindly "offered, the money shall be returned when I "arrive in England, by any means you may "point out." All succeeded to the prisoner's "desire; and the money was honestly returned "to the good Curé, who prides himself upon his own sagacity, and the great benefit arising "from the old court calendar brought from England sixteen years since."

BISHOP HOUGH.

It is related of bishop Hough, that he always kept a thousand pounds in his house, for unexpected occurences. One day the collectors for a public charity, applied to the bishop for his contribution. He immediately told his steward to give them five hundred pounds. The steward made signs to his master, intimating that he did not know where to get so large a sum. "You "are right," said the benevolent bishop, "I "have not given enough, give the gentlemen a "thousand; you will find it in such a place,' directing him to where the money was kept.

MIRACLES OF THE DARK AGES.

Richard, surnamed de Wicke, from the place of his nativity in Worcestershire, was descended from such humble parentage, that he was compelled to assist in manual labour for support. Being a youth of uncommon promise, he was much noticed by the ecclesiastics of his time, and afterwards became bishop of Chichester. The stories told of him, by the monkish writers, are numerous, and, in some instances, impious. Our Saviour, by a divine miracle fed the multitude from five loaves and two little fishes; but St. Richard is alleged to have blessed only one loaf, and instantly augmented it so as to satisfy the hunger of upwards of three thousand per

sons!

REVEREND PHILIP SKELTON.

This divine when arguing with a methodist preacher, much distinguished for his liberality, demanded of him. "Do you advise Presbyte"rians to go to meeting, and Church people to

go to Church?" "Yes." "Well then," said he, your religion is not the same as St. Paul's; "for he says, Be ye all of one mind one with "another."

INTREPID PRIEST.

In the year 1148, the Venedi having overrun the whole province of Wagraa, came before the little town of Susle, which at that juncture had not above an hundred men in it. The Venedi troops, consisting of three thousand men, set fire to all the avenues, and began to attack the place with the utmost fury; but perceiving, by the brave resistance of the townsmen, that they should pay dear for their conquest, they proposed a capitulation, and offered not to touch the lives or limbs of the inhabitants, on their laying down their arms and quitting the fortress. The people in the town were eager to close with these conditions; when a priest named Geslau, thus harangued them. "Countrymen, "consider well the consequences of surrender"ing. Do you imagine such submission will

save your lives? That there is any faith in "these barbarians? Can you be ignorant that "of all foreigners, the Venedi hate the Friscans "the most? Our very name they hold in detes"tation. I conjure you, my friends, by the great "Creator of the earth,who is able to protect us "against any numbers, I conjure you to exert

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your strength and to renew yuur efforts. "Whilst within this fence, we are masters of

"our hands, masters of our weapons, and have

"hopes of saving our lives, but once disarmed,

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our fate will be an ignominious death. Take "then your swords, which the enemy would "fain get from you without fighting; drench "them in their blood; revenge your slaughter"ed friends and relations; give these strangers "a sample of your courage; make them feel ፡፡ you are men, and determine to sell your lives "as dear as possible."

- These words he seconded, with a suitable action; for throwing open the gates, he rushed towards the enemy, laid numbers of them at his feet, and though he lost an eye, and was wounded in the body, continued fighting with indefatigable impetuosity: when the townsmen joined him, and repulsed the enemy, notwithstanding a vast superiority of numbers.

ENGLISH AUCTION SALES.

"In

Extracted from an American Paper. one of our last English Papers we notice, "among other property to be disposed of at a "public sale, that a congregation of the estab"lished church was knocked down to the high-"est bidder for two thousand three hundred and "fifty pounds sterling, or, in the words of the "advertisement, that sum was given for the "next presentation to a Vicarage with an in

"come of six hundred pounds per annum, the present incumbent being fifty-nine years of "age.' We can imagine that an experienced "auctioneer would find some difficulty in putting

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up such an article. A lot of human souls "would puzzle a man accustomed to deal in "bale goods, and he might find himself embar "rassed for language to tempt the reverend "speculators to offer an adequate price for the "singular commodity in the market. A simple intr experienced publican could only say, 'how "much is offered, reverend traders in souls, for "this parcel of church-going, tithe-paying.pa"rishioners?-Two thousand pounds.-What, "no more for this profitable congregation? "Why, Gentlemen, it is not half the value"three hundred and fifty pounds more-dog

cheap still. Why, only two thousand three "hundred and fifty pounds, for the power to

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save or damn so many honest christians? Is "no more bid?-Going-going-gone.' In our ❝uncivilized country, this would be rather "shocking, but in England, it is quite the reverse. The salvation of half the kingdom is « regularly in the market, and christian congre*gations are bought and sold as we dispose of "hardware or piece goods; aud yet these traf "fickers in what is holy and important in this