places, were almost the only living objects which Disjonval saw in the prison of Utrecht. Partly to beguile the tedious monotony of his life, and partly from a taste which he had imbibed for natural history, he began to seek employment, and eventually found amusement, in watching the movements and habits of his tiny fellow-prisoners. He soon remarked that certain actions of the spiders were intimately connected with approaching changes in the weather. A violent pain on one side of his head, to which he was subject at such times, had first drawn his attention to the connexion between such changes, and corresponding movements among the spiders. For instance, he remarked that those spiders which spun a large web in a wheel-like form, invariably withdrew from his cell when he had his bad headache; and that these two signs, namely, the pain in his head, and the disappearance of the spiders, were as invariably followed by severe weather. So often as his headache attacked him, so regularly did the spiders disappear, and then rain and north-east winds prevailed for several days. As the spiders began to show themselves again in their webs, and displayed their usual activity, so did his pains gradually leave him, until he got well, and the fine weather returned.

Further observations confirmed him in believing these spiders to be in the highest degree sensitive of approaching changes in the atmosphere; and that their retirement and re-appearance, their weaving, and general habits were so intimately

connected with changes in the weather, that he concluded they were of all things best fitted to give accurate intimation when severe weather might be expected. In short, Disjonval pursued these inquiries and observations with so much industry and intelligence, that by remarking the habits of his spiders, he was at length enabled to prognosticate the approach of severe weather, from ten to fourteen days before it set in, which is proved by the following fact, which led to his release.

When the troops of the French Republic overran Holland, in the winter of 1794, and kept pushing forward over the ice, a sudden and unexpected thaw in the early part of December threatened the destruction of the whole army, unless it was instantly withdrawn. The French generals were thinking seriously of accepting a sum offered by the Dutch, and withdrawing their troops, when Disjonval, who hoped that the success of the republican army might lead to his release, used every exertion, and at length succeeded in getting a letter conveyed to the French general, in January, 1795, in which he pledged himself, from the peculiar action of spiders, of whose movements he was now able to judge with perfect accuracy, that within fourteen days there would commence a most severe frost, which would make the French masters of all the rivers, and afford them sufficient time to complete and make sure of the conquest they had commenced, before it should be followed by a thaw.

The commander of the French

forces believed his prognostications, and persevered. The cold weather which Disjonval had announced made its appearance in twelve days, and with such intensity, that the ice over the rivers and canals became capable of bearing the heaviest artillery. On the 28th of January, 1795, the French army entered Utrecht in triumph; and Quatremer Disjonval, who had watched the habits of his spiders with so much intelligence and success, was, as a reward for his ingenuity, released from prison. -Foreign Quarterly Review.

THE LOST SABBATH. "THE lost sabbath! How could a sabbath be lost?" we seem to hear one say.

"Count that day lost, whose low descending sun

Views from thy hand no worthy action done,"

is the language of the poet. But a sabbath lost is a greater loss, as much greater as the sabbath is more precious than other days. And a sabbath in which we have neither done nor received good or essential benefit is surely among our lost days. And is there none among our readers who could count up a whole year made up of such sabbaths?

The worldly man, in counting up loss and gain through the week, would surely fix his eye on a whole day lost. Should not the heir of immortality be as wise in this respect? And if he has lost the best day of all the week, should he not lay it to heart, and be careful to be more watchful in future?

Some lost things may be found. But not so with lost time. Some things that are lost are not of any great value. But time, holy time, for this to be lost is a loss that may be felt ages hence; and undoubtedly, in many cases will be mourned over, far more than at the time of its loss. And surely the loss never can be made up. What would some give for a sabbath, under the teachings of God's word, when the last sands of life are running out! "Oh," said one such, "for a day, an hour, an inch of time, in which to prepare to meet God!" Why, then, should sabbath after sabbath be trifled away? But a solemn reckoning-day will come, and then, if not before, shall we see what we have done in wasting the best of our time. One consideration grievous in itself is, we rarely lose a sabbath without inducing others to lose some part of theirs. We sin not alone. Our influence is felt, and will tell for good or evil when we are in the grave. But suppose we are always fifteen minutes behind the time upon the sabbath. We thus lose a day each year, besides the mischief we do others; and every excuse for such delay only makes us appear the more inexcusable and ridiculous. Is it not sickening to hear the hundred-and-one silly excuses made by such people for want of punctuality? Every lost sabbath tells on our future destiny as well as our present comfort and usefulness. The next sabbath may be our last. And should our last sabbath be lost, how dreadful the loss! Perhaps our eternal destiny may depend upon the improvement

of the next sabbath. We need its hallowed influence. And surely we should ever prize one of the best of heaven's gifts to guilty man.

THE THEATRE.

LETTER FROM A YOUTH.

December 14th, 1852.

PARDON a few humble and unpolished sentiments, from a youth whose place has often been taken among those who esteem the theatre more than their bible. But as Providence directed, I met with a number of this valuable magazine; and glancing over the pages, my eye met with the following two words, "The Theatre." I read it, and pondered over it. That very night I had a ticket for a night's performance. At last, I drew the ticket from my pocket, and looking at it, said, "But it would be no harm to go for one night only." Still, I knew that it was an evil place; but at last, a text which I had learnt long ago flashed across my memory, "Resist the devil, and he will flee from you;" and being impressed with its import, I committed the key of evil to the flames. I hope the readers of these few lines will not think that I am proud of my achievement, but I know full well that my Saviour's aid was there.

I would address myself chiefly to those whom this valuable periodical is compiled for. Dear friends! do not allow yourselves to be led away

into such evil pleasures; ask the divine aid with fervour, "Lead us not into temptation." Let not the showy placards tempt you; let not the gaudy scenery tempt you; it is but a snare-a trap laid for your destruction. If they say, "Come with us, let us lay wait for blood, let us lurk privily for the innocent, without cause. . . . My son, walk not thou in the way with them; refrain thy foot from their path: for their feet run to evil, and make haste to shed blood." A youth, respected and esteemed, chooses the broad path; he is enticed by evil companions; at last he is overcome by their persuasions, and now is a vagabond and a drunkard. first step to evil was the theatre! his first excess was committed there. Dear friends! Is pleasure thine idol? Have you taken your place among that giddy throng? Then to such would I say, "Walk not in the way with them; refrain thy foot from their path: for their feet run to evil, and make haste to shed blood.

His

Pleasure's a deep and dangerous pit,
But thinly frozen round;
Glide swiftly, 'twill not bear your
weight-

Delay, and you are drowned.

G. T. L. B. J——y. [We are much pleased with this letter; and trust that its writer will seek grace to persevere in the course so wisely decided on. We print his resolution, in the hope that some other youth will" do likewise."-ED.]

FIRST QUESTION.

with the reward of his iniquity,”

ANSWER BY N. S. O. Two modes of accounting for this phenomenon have been adopted by learned men.

The first is, that on the first day light was created in a diffused form; and only gathered up into its present radiating centre, the sun, on the fourth day.

The second is, that the sun and

moon and stars had been created long before; but from the dense vapours covering our earth, then in a state of chaos, were not visible, nor did their light in any way penetrate the thick darkness. "Let there be light" cleared in some sort the vapours, and admitted a diffused shining to the earth. By the fourth day, these vapours had been divided, ordered, and arranged; and then the sun shone out in all its splendour, being for the first time clearly and distinctly seen.

SECOND QUESTION.

money which was given for betraying the Lord Jesus was thrown down in the temple, and the field was purchased, by the Jewish priests, with the money which Judas cast down. when he furnishes means for doing it. A man is said often to do a thing,

2nd. In Acts i. 10, it is said that «Judas falling headlong, he burst asunder, and his bowels gushed out;" while in Matthew it is said, "he went and hanged himself." The way to account for this seeming contradiction is as follows:-Both accounts are true-Matthew records

the mode in which Judas attempted his death by hanging; Peter, in the Acts of the Apostles, speaks of the result. Judas probably passed out of the temple in great haste and perturbation of mind. He sought a place where he might perpetrate this crime. He would not, probably, be very careful about the fitness of the means he used. In his anguish, his haste, his desire to die, he seized upon a rope, and suspended himself. And it is not at all remarkable, or

ANSWER BY RICARDO (altered). The difficulties presented in these cases are probably felt to be twofold, involving apparently two contradictions.

1st. In Acts i. 18, it is said, "Now this man purchased a field

prove too weak, and break. Falling headlong-that is, on his face-he burst asunder, and in awful horrors died; a double death, with double pains and double horrors; the reward of his aggravated guilt.-Partly extracted from Barnes.

THIRD QUESTION.

By whom and when was the Bible divided into chapters and verses? ANSWER BY N. T. M. AND C. S. L.

The first man who divided the Bible into chapters and verses was Cardinal Hugo de Sancto Caro, a French Dominican friar, who flourished about the middle of the 13th century, and wrote a celebrated commentary

on the scriptures.

Having projected a concordance to the Latin Vulgate version, by which any passage might be found, he divided both the Old and New Testaments into chapters, which are the same we now have. These chapters he subdivided into smaller portions, which he distinguished by the letters A, B, C, D, E, F, and G, which were placed in the margin, at equal distances from each other, according to the length of the chap

ters.-Horne.

"The present arrangement of verses originated with Robert Stephens, a celebrated printer of Paris, who thus divided an edition of the New Testament, printed by him, A.D. 1551; but he placed the figures in the margin, without forming every verse into a distinct paragraph. The method now commonly in use was first exhibited in the Geneva English Bible, printed about the year 1560."

FOURTH QUESTION.

in the last year of whose reign our blessed Saviour was born. It was this Herod who murdered the children of Bethlehem, Matt. ii. 16.

2. Herod Antipas, the tetrarch of Galilee, and son of Herod the Great. He it was who put John the Baptist to death, Mark vi. 14-22; and before whom Jesus afterwards was mocked, Luke xxiii. 7—15.

3. Herod Agrippa, nephew of Herod Antipas, and grandson of Herod the Great. This is the

Herod, also, who killed James, imprisoned Peter, and died under the visitation of God, Acts xii. 1-21; xiii. 1; xxiii. 35.

In further reply to the above question, and to meet the difficulties and contradictions of several correspondents, it may be stated, that on the death of Herod the Great his three sons succeeded to the kingdom, which was divided among them. Archelaus got Judea, Idumea, and Samaria; Philip, Batanea, Trachonitis, &c.; and Antipas, Galilee and Petrea. Each of these assumed the title of Herod; but it is only Herod Antipas who is so called in the New Testament. The other two are spoken of by their proper names of Archelaus and Philip. Agrippa, before whom Paul stood, also bore the name of Herod, but is not so titled in our scriptures. The following are the only places in the New Testament where the name

ANSWER BY N. T. M. Three. 1. Herod the Great, son of Antipater, an Idumean nobleman,

may fix them on the individuals to whom they properly belong:-Matt. ii. 1, 3, 7, 12, 13, 15, 16, 19, 22; xiv. 1, 3, 6; Mark vi. 14, 16, 17,