and promises of God. Mary had been taught to place her confidence in other things besides these, in Romish superstitions-which could not profit, nor do her any real good.

At last came the summons for the execution. Mary arose, and walked calmly forward, holding, in one hand, a book of prayers, and in the other, a crucifix, which she kissed with reverence and affection. When she came to the scaffold, she bade a tender farewell to those around, and desired her friends not to weep, because she was going to leave this world of sin and vanity, which was full of trouble and misery. She declared that she had never sought the life of Elizabeth, and asked God to forgive those who had determined to take her's. Then she repeated in Latin some of the penitential psalms; and having affectionately embraced her weeping female attendants, and still holding the crucifix in her hand, she prepared to receive the fatal blow of the executioner, saying, "My God, I have hoped in Thee, I commit myself to Thy hands."

So died the beautiful and unhappy Mary Queen of Scotland. Her story is a very sad one,-one upon which we cannot dwell with any satisfaction. But as we may learn something from every person's history, of whatever nature that history may be, let us try to find something to instruct us here.

I think we may trace a good deal of Mary's misery to her early life,—to her education and pursuits when very young. She was beautiful and accomplished; and, on these accounts, much flattered during her residence in the French court, where such things were more highly valued than solid worth and acquirements. All this was very pleasing to the young queen at the time, but it was a great injury to her afterwards. She grew so vain, so accustomed to be admired, and to think highly of herself, that her mind became completely engrossed with the trifles of life, and acquired no strength to enable her to act well when the time came for encountering trials or performing duties. You remember how different it was in the case of Elizabeth. Early troubles and difficulties were as beneficial to her, in the formation of a strong and powerful character, as early flattery and prosperity were hurtful to Mary, in producing in her a frivolous and undisciplined turn of mind. And then, when we remember that no sound religious principles were ever implanted in the youthful Queen of Scotland, and that she went forth into the world with no better guide than her own wayward heart and ill-directed affections, we cannot wonder that she fell into so many subsequent evils and sins. All this shows us how very important it is to form and cultivate

good principles in early life, and to endeavour so to regulate the mind, and the affections, and the feelings, as to enable us rightly and wisely to go through those duties which may be before us. It is for parents and teachers to inculcate right habits in those under their care; but then there is work for the young themselves also. They must be willing to listen, to attend, to obey, and to use their own efforts towards the formation of a really good and noble character, or the endeavours of their most anxious friends will be of little avail.

The wise man says, "Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain." Mary found the truth of these words. Happy would it have been for her, had she known from her own experience the truth of the latter part of the verse also, "The woman that feareth the Lord, she shall be praised."

When Elizabeth heard of Mary's death, she gave way to the greatest appearances of sorrow, and of anger also,-blaming those who had received from herself the order for the execution of the unhappy Queen, because they had acted upon it so speedily. For some time she would allow none of her ministers to come near her; she drove them all away, saying, that they had been guilty of a grievous crime, in putting to death her dear sister and kinswoman, contrary to her own fixed purpose, as they themselves very well knew. Then she wrote

a letter of condolence to James, the son of the unfortunate Mary, now king of Scotland, and told him that her grief was excessive, when she heard of his mother's death: that though Mary deserved the sentence which had been passed, yet it was never intended to carry it into execution; and she ended, by assuring James how much she loved him, and how sincerely she desired his welfare. And then, in order to assure the young king of Scotland, that these things were her real feelings and sentiments in the matter, she most ungenerously caused Davison, the Secretary to whom the order for Mary's execution had been entrusted, to be brought to trial for the crime she affirmed he had committed in acting according to that order. Davison was afraid of displeasing the Queen still more, and of involving himself in further difficulties, if he resisted, or asserted his innocence. He thought it best, therefore, to acknowledge that he had done wrong, and to express his penitence; but notwithstanding this, he was confined in prison for a long time, and then sentenced to pay a very heavy fine which reduced him almost to beggary. All this duplicity, for such it was, on Elizabeth's part, did not deceive James. At first he was exceedingly angry, and could by no means forgive or forget the cruelty and injustice which his mother had experienced; by degrees

however, he became appeased, and the two countries, and the two sovereigns, were once more restored to a state of peace. But we can hardly suppose that Elizabeth could, from that time, have enjoyed much tranquillity of conscience, when she reflected upon her own conduct towards Mary, and upon the deceitful manner in which she had endeavoured to disguise it. The whole story is indeed a blot upon Elizabeth's fame; it cannot be excused, nor concealed; and so it must remain, to teach us another humbling lesson of the weakness and sinfulness of human nature; to show us the necessity of seeking help from a higher power than our own, and of asking God to cleanse us "from secret faults," and also to keep us back from " presumptuous sins."

But let us now turn to a more pleasing part of Elizabeth's history. I told you that it is to her protestant character, which led her to take such a decided part in the spread of the reformed religion, that we owe so much; and the principles which she held made her a blessing, not to England only, but to other countries also. Many parts of Europe were at this time suffering from persecution, as violent as that which had raged in our own land during the reign of Mary. In the course of the years which we have just glanced over, civil war had broken out in France, in conse