moral essays, characters, satires; works on life and manners. They had wit and humour as well as fancy and sentiment. They were not merely the spiritual guides, but also the popular writers of the day. They had large capacity of reason and richness of imagination. They were picturesque, pointed, practical. Not merely fine writers, they were deep thinkers and acute observers. There is a substance and solidity in every one of them that would furnish out a score of modern writers with brains. Barrow alone would cut up into a dozen fashionable lecturers, and Taylor might serve as a resource for the poets of at least one generation. Hall and Donne, as satirists, might send Gifford and Byron to school to learn their art; and Earle is at least as knowing as William Cobbett.

Mr. Jones commonly writes with the ease and simplicity of one who delights to say a plain thing in a plain way; for which cause we do not often taste much of the man in the work to the reader's eye he is the light, and not the object of vision. Yet his pages are not wanting in a certain delicate and grateful tang of peculiarity; and in some cases, where the subject invites or permits it, as in the essay on Pope and his Friends, his writing borrows a sort of impalpable charm from the mellow atmosphere of distance which invests it, and from the quiet humour, the subdued quaintness, and the sunny goodnature, which it now and then discovers.

We rarely hit upon any thing in these essays that calls for a word of dissent. One such, however, now occurs to us: it is in the essay on The Prose Style of Poets. Hazlitt, in his characteristic wilfulness of mind, and his consequent pruriency of paradox, somewhere assumes that the poets are incapable of writing good prose, and spends a deal of perverse ingenuity in trying to account for the alleged fact. Our author justly denies his position, and successfully combats his arguments; in the course of which, referring to Coleridge, he speaks of his " prose muse" as being "a sort of hand-maiden to his poetical (and true) mistress, and tricked out in the worn-out trappings of the latter, and ornaments at second hand." This judgment, to say the least, appears something inconsiderate and rash: certainly divers of the best critics of our time have spoken a very different verdict; and every fresh return to the prose writings of Coleridge confirms our opinion of him as ranking among the greatest masters of prose style in the English tongue. Of course we cannot here go into a criticism of his works in this particular; but we may safely refer the reader to those portions of The Friend called Miscellany the First, and Miscellany the Second, as bearing out our opinion.

OUR LEFT-HAND DRAWER.

A BILL is said to have passed the State Senate of Pennsylvania for allowing infidels and atheists to testify in courts of justice. The movement, we think, is decidedly in the right direction; and, for one, we hope it will go on till the atheists throughout Christendom are deprived of this their last item of capital against Christianity. It ought to be understood, by this time, that civil disabilities on the score of religion are not the right things

either for making men Christians or for keeping them so. They are a relic of the old code of intolerance and persecution: as such, we would gladly see the day, and we fully believe it will not be long in coming, that shall wipe them from all the American statute-books. Why should such laws be continued any longer in being? What good can they do? what evil can they prevent? Some paper, we see, speaks of the new legislation as a premium on atheism. This is absurd. For our part, we do not believe that any man, who has mind enough to comprehend what atheism is, can really be an atheist, any more than he can feed upon a nihility or a vacuum. But as long as the old legislation is kept in force, we doubt not there will always be some men who will try to be atheists and perhaps fancy they are such, that so they may hug the miserable conceit of suffering something of proscription or outlawry for conscience's sake.

Whatever may be the logical consequences of atheism, it is certain that men avowing themselves atheists may be, for in fact they have been, very honest, upright, and good citizens. For it is not by logical but by practical consequences, mainly, that a man's social and civil character is shaped. And the strength of a judicial oath lies chiefly in the fact, that by taking it and testifying under it the false-swearer subjects himself to the pains and penalties of perjury. These are practical consequences which unbelievers of all sorts are probably as apt to heed as, for instance, Jesuits, whether Romanist or Protestant. Moreover, in judicial trials, whatsoever affects the truthfulness or credibility of a witness, whether in the shape of abstract opinion or actual conduct, may be brought out in the testimony, and may go to the court or jury as a part of the data upon which their judgment in the premises is to be formed. If, after having solemnly sworn to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, a man should confess or betray that he does not respect his oath, it may be safely left to the common sense and common honesty of the court and jury to determine what his testimony is worth.

It is to be noted, also, that a man may admit, to the fullest extent, both the fact and the force of the moral obligations, and this in practice as well as theory, whatever be his views touching the reason, the nature, or the source of those obligations. And men, however atheistic their professions, can hardly grow up amidst the influences of Christian culture and civilization, without being more or less penetrated and pervaded with the practical ethics of Christianity. The spirit and efficacy of Christian morals will steal into a man so circumstanced, and shape his habits of thought and principles of action, in spite of him, and before he knows it: they will establish themselves in the very foundations of his mind, so that he cannot shake them off; nay, he cannot so much as resist Christianity or take up arms against it, but that its secret virtue will invade him and get the better of him; he must become more or less like it in order to meet it; he can maintain no sort of warfare with it, but on condition that he be clothed with its strength. Hence we find, in fact, that the atheism which dwells amidst Christianity is full of Christian sap: it draws its very life-blood from the Christian system, and has no other blood to keep it

alive. Herein Christianity will still be doing good to those who hate it, who despitefully use it and persecute it, making them better, whether they will or not, in their proceedings against it; because its method is, to overcome evil with good, instead of making any presumption of evil a ground of exclusion from its benefits. Accordingly, the atheism of our day even goes so far as to urge in self-defence that great and peculiar growth of Christian culture, the law of conscience. Many, no doubt, who call themselves atheists, do truly and deeply respect that law, and honestly think it would be a sin in them to profess Christianity; whereas, on the grounds of atheism, as we view them, there could be no such thing as conscience or sin at all: so that they really have no arguments to plead against Christianity but what they have unconsciously stolen from it; thinking their moral scruples to be the offspring of nature, merely because the virtue of Christianity has secretly established itself in them as a second nature.

In reference to the matter specially in hand, we may safely presume that the dictates of prudence, a sense of honour, pride of character, public sentiment, and all the fine but powerful net-work of social regards will operate to withhold men from the alleged logical consequences of atheism. If an atheist have conscience, it will doubtless keep him true to his oath; if not, then there is nothing to keep him from passing himself into the witness-box as a Christian. So that, instead of the new legislation being a premium on atheism, we should rather think the old a premium on hypocrisy. For these reasons, and divers, others, we are glad that the disabilities in question are in process of being utterly swept away. Let atheists, like others, be punished for swearing falsely and not excluded from swearing upon a presumption of their being false.

READERS' EXCHANGE.

CURIOUS ANALOGY.-Archbishop Whately, in his recent edition of Bacon's Essays, with Annotations, brings forward a very saggestive piece of natural history, "which," says he, "has often occurred to my mind while meditating on the subject of preparedness for a future state, as presenting a curious analogy." It is in the Annotations on the Essay "Of Death ;" and may aptly be cited as one of the thousand instances that naturally raise the question, whether the disclosures of the telescope or of the microscope be the more wonderful.

It is well known that the Greek word for a butterfly is psyche, which also signifies the soul; and that every butterfly comes from a grub or caterpillar. The technical name for the caterpillar is larva, literally a mask; so used because the caterpillar is a sort of covering or disguise of the future butterfly: for the microscope reveals that a distinct butterfly, only undeveloped, is contained within the body of the caterpillar; and that the latter has a set of organs suitable to its larva-life, quite independent of the embryo butterfly which it encloses. When the insect is to close this first stage of its life, it becomes

what is called a pupa, enclosed in a chrysalis or cocoon, from which in due time it issues a perfect butterfly. But this result is sometimes defeated, and in the following manner, as related by the learned Archbishop:

There is a numerous tribe of insects well known to naturalists, called Ichneumon-flies, which in their larva-state are parasitical; that is, they inhabit and feed on other larvæ. The ichneumon-fly, being provided with a long sharp sting, which is in fact an ovipositor (egg-layer), pierces with this the body of the caterpillar in several places, and deposits her eggs, which are there batched, and feed as grubs (larvæ) on the inward parts of their victim. A caterpillar which has been thus attacked goes on feeding, and apparently thriving quite as well, during the whole of its larva-life, as those that have escaped. For, by a wonderful provision of instinct, the ichneumon-grubs within do not injure any of the organs of the larva, but feed only on the future butterfly enclosed within it. But when the period arrives for the close of the larva-life, the difference appears. You may often observe the common cabbage-caterpillars retiring, to undergo their change, into some sheltered spot, such as the walls of a summerhouse; and some of them-those that have escaped the parasites-assuming the pupa-state, from which they emerge butterflies. Of the unfortunate caterpillar that has been preyed upon, nothing remains but an empty skin. The hidden butterfly has been secretly consumed.

Now, is there not something analagous to this wonderful phenomenon, in the condition of some of our race? May not a man have a kind of secret enemy within his own bosom, destroying his soul,-psyche, though without interfering with his well-being during the present stage of his existence; and whose presence may never be detected till the time arrives when the last great change should take place?

THE CHURCH AT HOME.

THE ANNUAL CONVENTION of South Carolina met in Grace church, Camden, May 6th. The attendance was large, the proceedings about as usual. The Bishop reported 873 Confirmations during the year; Ordinations, 1 Priest and 7 Deacons; 4 churches consecrated, and 5 candidates for Orders. THE CONVENTION of Louisiana was held in Christ church, New Orleans, May 7th. The Church shows great evidence of health and thrift under the wise and good administration of Bishop Polk. From his address we learn there are now 9 churches in course of erection. Several parsonages have also been built, and a more liberal provision made for the clergy. The parochial reports are said to have been very cheering, but we have at hand no statement of results.

THE ANNUAL CONVENTION of Virginia was held in St. Paul's church, Petersburg, May 20th. Little was done, beyond the usual routine of business. The parochial reports gave the following statistics: Baptisms, 1,115; Confirmations, 532; Communicants, 6,314; S. S. Teachers, 803; Scholars, 4,485; Contributions. $49,402.

THE CONVENTION of Texas met in the church of the Epiphany, Austin, May 21st. The attendance was rather thin. Returns from 11 parishes give 145 baptized, 21 confirmed, 271 communicants, 36 teachers. 209 scholars, and $13,729 contributed. The main item of business was the election of the Rev. A. H. Vinton, D.D., to the episcopate. A letter was read from the Rev. Mr. Coxe of Baltimore, proposing an aid of $1,500 towards supporting a Bishop, on condition the Diocese would add $1,000 for the same purpose.

THE CONVENTION of Pennsylvania began its session in St. Luke's church, Philadelphia, May 26th. The Bishop's report furnishes the following summary: He had officiated on 257 occasions, and preached 163 sermons;

celebrated the Communion 28 times, married 10 couples, baptized 26, confirmed 1,462, ordained 4 Priests and 19 Deacons, consecrated 6 churches, and laid 8 corner-stones. There was nothing of very special interest in the proceedings.

THE CONVENTION of North Carolina met in St. Luke's church, Salisbury, May 27th, the Bishop preaching and presiding. From the Bishop's address and the parochial reports are gathered the following: 632 persons baptized, and 213 confirmed; 3 churches consecrated; 1 priest and 6 deacons ordained; communicants, 2,686; candidates for Orders, 7; contributions, $25,160. Besides other services, the Bishop has preached 170 times. Several rectories have been purchased, and others are in course of erection.

THE CONVENTION of Iowa met in Keokuk, May 27th. The Bishop's address notes 28 organized parishes and 23 clergymen in the Diocese. During the past year, he has laid 4 corner-stones, consecrated 2 churches, ordained 4 priests and 2 deacons, and delivered 156 sermons and addresses.

THE CONVENTION of Maryland was held in Christ church, Baltimore, June 3d. Bishop Whittingham being withheld by illness, the sermon was preached by Bishop Kip. The address of the Diocesan was read by the Rev. Dr. Kerfoot. From this noble document, it appeared there were 143 clergymen in the Diocese during the year, 55 parishes have been visited, 10 of them twice, 598 persons confirmed, 5 churches consecrated, 4 priests and 3 deacons ordained. The Bishop has also celebrated the Communion 64 times, and delivered 143 sermons and addresses, besides a large number of other ministrations. The session appears to have been spirited and harmonious; much business was done, and an excellent showing made. Reports from 111 parishes and stations give 2,599 baptisms, 8,625 communicants, 64 Sunday schools, with 752 teachers and 6,450 scholars, 14 parochial schools, with 861 pupils, and $82,484 contributed mainly for divers Church objects, local and general, besides $23,000 lately raised in aid of St. James' College. The venerable Dr. Wyatt presided.

THE CONVENTION of Georgia was held in Trinity church, Columbus, June 7th. The attendance was small, both clerical and lay. The Bishop being absent in Cuba for his health, the Rev. Dr. Ford presided. Most of the session appears to have been occupied with religious services and sermons. No statistics are at hand.

THE CONVENTION of Rhode Island was held in Grace church, Providence, June 9th. Nothing of much importance was done. The Bishop's address showed a flourishing state of things, and a happy freedom from unkind feeling and party spirit. During the year there have been 205 confirmed, 3 churches consecrated, 2 priests and 3 deacons ordained. The Diocese has 3 Candidates for Orders. The new parish of St. Mary's, Portsmouth, was admitted into

union.

THE CONVENTION of Connecticut met in St. Paul's church, New Haven, June 9th. Bishop Brownell gave a brief and touching address, the main points being, that he has now been in office thirty-seven years, during which time his band of clergyman has increased from 35 to 126; that he is in his 78th year, and feels that he is near the close of his official labours, and must set his house in order for the great summons that awaits him. He also speaks encouragingly of the Divinity School at Middletown, and earnestly seconds the appeal of Trinity College for an enlarged endowment. The Assistant Bishop made a statement of episcopal acts, of which the following is a summary: 763 persons confirmed, 10 priests and 11 deacons ordained, 2 churches consecrated, 2 reopened, and 1 corner-stone laid. The Diocese has 23 candidates for Orders.