,transcribed from the #ahid ,hodder and ,stoughton edition by ,david ,price1 email ccx#jgdpglaf4org4 ,,recollections ,,of ,a ,,long ,,life 99 99 99 99 99 ,,by ,,john ,,stoughton1 ,d4,d ,,author ,,of 8,,ecclesiastical ,,history ,,of ,,england10 8,,stars ,,of ,,the ,,east10 ,,etc41 ,,etc4 99 99 99 99 99 ,london ,,hodder ,,and ,,stoughton #bg1 ,,paternoster ,,row 99 99 99 99 99 ,,mdcccxciv 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 ,printed by ,hazell1 ,watson1 ,viney1 ,ld41 ,london and ,aylesbury4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,this ,,volume ,,of ,,recollections ,,is ,,dedicated ,,to ,,my ,,life-,,long ,,friend ,,the ,,rev4 ,,joshua ,,clarkson ,,harrison1 ,,whose ,,wisdom ,,has ,,aided ,,me ,,in ,,perplexity1 ,,whose ,,sympathy ,,has ,,cheered ,,my ,,sorrows ,,and ,,enhanced ,,my ,,joys1 ,,and ,,whose ,,constant ,,friendship ,,has ,,been ,,the ,,privilege ,,of ,,my ,,family ,,as ,,well ,,as ,,myself4 ,j4 ,s4 ,,advertisement ,,more than forty years ago ,i edited the autobiography of the ,rev4 ,w4 ,walford4 ,this book1 which fully answers to its name1 is a remarkable production1 entering into the secrets of the author's soul1 unveiling the struggles and sorrows of a mysterious experience4 ,the work now published is of a very different kind4 ,it really relates to others more than to myself1 and brings within view some incidents of religious history and aspects of personal character more interesting than any confined to my own experience4 ,it presents associations during a long period spent in various work1 in distant journeys1 and in friendly intercourse with many distinguished persons4 ,i enter into no theological discussion1 or any relation of spiritual conflicts1 the results of such introspection1 as the autobiography of my departed friend describes4 ,i only give recollections of what ,i have seen and heard1 especially in relation to those whom it has been my privilege to regard as more or less intimate friends4 ,it was just after retirement from ,kensington that ,i began to gather up the following reminiscences1 with a permission that my family might publish them after my decease4 ,they were then put aside1 and not looked at for years4 ,within the last few months it has struck me that so many likely to feel an interest in my ,recollections have passed away1 and others are so far advanced in life1 that if the publication be longer delayed1 few indeed will be left likely to feel any interest in my narrative4 ,conscious of failures in memory at my advanced age1 ,i have availed myself of memoranda made when travelling1 long before any book of this kind was contemplated4 ,i have been greatly helped in this volume by my dear daughter1 with whom ,i reside1 who has frequently accompanied me in my travels1 and been my valued secretary at home4 ,without her aid ,i could not have brought these ,recollections through the press4 ,,tunbridge ,,wells1 ,january1 #ahid4 ,,contents ,,chapter ,i #ahjg-ahbh ,,page ,birth and boyhood in ,norwich--,education--,my mother--,early #a-ah tastes--,first sight of the sea--,public events--,early studies--,roman ,catholicism--,friendships--,religious change--,the ,christian ministry--,college days ,,chapter ,,ii #ahbh-ahcb ,fellow-students--,public excitements--,old ,house of #ai-ch ,commons--,william ,,iv4--,popular preachers in ,london3 ,daniel ,wilson1 ,rowland ,hill1 ,james ,parsons1 ,irving1 ,dr4 ,chalmers--,monthly lectures--,work amongst the poor--,political excitement ,,chapter ,,iii #ahcb-ahcg ,first sight of ,windsor--,anecdotes of ,george ,,iii4--,rev4 ,a4 #ci-eh ,redford--,new chapel and ordination--,bishop ,selwyn--,funeral of ,william ,,iv4--,queen ,victoria's coronation and wedding--,chaplainship to a ,highland regiment--,eton ,montem--,windsor ,auxiliary to ,bible ,society--,queen's patronage--,windsor a century ago--,eton ,institute--,early friendships ,,chapter ,,iv #ahcg-ahdc ,sir ,culling ,eardley and tent preaching--,case of #ei-ge conscience--,public questions--,missionary tours--,newstead ,abbey--,byron and ,scott--,royal visit to ,edinburgh--,up the ,rhine--,the ,rev4 ,w4 ,walford--,bagster1 the publisher--,radicals a century1 ago--,john ,bergne1 of the ,foreign ,office--,tractarian controversy1 and ,no4 #ij ,,chapter ,v #ahdc-ahej ,removal to ,kensington--,life of ,dr4 ,arnold--,ladies' schools #gf-ajj at ,kensington--,kensington friends--,archdeacon ,sinclair--,british ,schools and ,duchess of ,inverness--,british and ,foreign ,bible ,society2 ,london ,missionary ,society--,young ,men's ,christian ,association--,evangelical ,alliance--,sub ,ros--,tractarianism and ,dr4 ,pusey--,political excitement--,visit to ,geneva--,csar ,malan--,notting ,hill ,chapel--,father of ,rev4 ,f4 ,d4 ,maurice--,visit to ,newport ,pagnell and the haunts of the poet ,cowper ,,chapter ,,vi #ahej-ahed ,the papal aggression--,discourses on the ,romanist #aja-aai controversy--,palace of glass--,evangelical lectures in ,exeter ,hall--,memorial of ,dr4 ,doddridge--,visit to ,germany and ,switzerland2 thence to ,milan1 ,verona1 and ,venice--,intercourse at ,kensington with remarkable people ,,chapter ,,vii #ahed-ahfb ,visit to ,rome3 ,holy ,week1 ,pio ,nono and the feet-washing1 #abj-acg ,catacombs--,naples--,vesuvius--,new chapel at ,kensington--,commencement of the ,congregational ,union--,algernon ,wells--,the 8,rivulet0 controversy--,visit to ,berlin1 ,dresden1 ,schandau1 and ,prague--,affecting sudden death at ,kensington--,family bereavements--,tour in the ,pyrenees--,st4 ,sauveur1 the ,emperor ,napoleon1 and ,empress ,eugenie ,,chapter ,,viii #ahfb-ahfe ,bicentenary of ,bartholomew ejectment--,family #ach-afa bereavements--,commencement of friendship with ,dean ,stanley--,his sermon on 8,the ,feast of the ,dedication0--,his sermon when the ,american ,president was present--,my ,eastern tour3 ,alexandria1 ,cairo1 the ,desert1 ,approach to the ,holy ,city1 ,communion in the ,episcopal ,church1 ,dr4 ,rosen1 ,story about the ,sinaitic ,,ms41 ,hebron1 ,eshcol1 ,solomon's ,pools1 ,monastery of ,st4 ,saba1 the ,dead ,sea1 ,jordan1 ,across ,olivet to ,jerusalem1 ,journey to ,bethel and onwards to ,damascus1 ,reflections crossing the ,mediterranean1 ,rhodes1 ,storm1 ,smyrna1 ,ephesus1 ,constantinople--,home by the ,danube1 ,germany1 and ,belgium--,reflections ,,chapter ,,ix #ahfe-ahgb ,church history--,visit to ,dr4 ,hook1 ,dean of #afb-bjj ,chichester--,anecdotes of ,wilberforce1 ,bishop of ,oxford--,the ,dean's life at ,leeds--,extracts from his letters--,acquaintance with ,dr4 ,swainson--,at ,cambridge when the announcement of wranglers occurred--,disraeli's school-boy days--,social gatherings to promote union--,the ,archbishop of ,syra at ,westminster--,acquaintance with ,matthew ,arnold--,publication of 8,ecclesia0--,friendly intercourse with ,bible ,revisionists--,the ,right ,honourable ,cowper ,temple's bill for opening ,church pulpits to ,nonconformists--,extension of ,oxford ,university--,debate in the ,house of ,lords--,dinners at ,mr4 ,george ,moore's house after the annual ,bible meetings in ,exeter ,hall--,death of ,dean ,alford and of ,sir ,donald ,macleod--,party at ,lambeth ,palace--,bishop ,wilberforce's extemporary power--,dr4 ,guthrie's social habits--,the education question--,athenum ,club--,academy ,dinner--8,ecce ,homo10 and ,lord ,shaftesbury ,,chapter ,x #ahgc ,voyage to ,america for the ,general ,meeting of the #bja-bbi ,evangelical ,alliance--,hospitality of the ,president1 the ,honourable ,mr4 ,dodge--,visit to ,sunnyside1 where ,washington ,irving lived1 and to the ,mountain ,house overlooking the ,hudson--,the ,niagara ,falls--,four days spent on the banks--,description of scenery--,montreal1 ,boston1 ,andover1 ,new ,haven1 and ,new ,plymouth--,new ,york--,proceedings at the ,conference--,reception of #fjj guests by ,mr4 ,dodge--,meetings at ,princeton1 ,philadelphia1 and ,washington--,note from the poet ,longfellow--,letter of ,abraham ,lincoln to ,mr4 ,gurney ,,chapter ,,xi #ahgd-ahge ,death of ,dr4 ,binney--,his opinion respecting the exclusion #bcj-bej of liturgical worship--,unveiling of ,bunyan's statue at ,bedford--,unveiling of ,baxter's statue at ,kidderminster--,anecdote of ,fletcher's preaching at ,madeley--,meeting at ,kensington on my retirement--,dr4 ,stanley's speech--,kensington friendships--,results of visits to the poor--,methods of preaching ,,chapter ,,xii #ahge-ahgi ,luther celebrations--,death of ,lady ,augusta ,stanley--,her 8,at #bea-bhd ,homes0--,anecdotes of ,lamartine1 ,guizot1 and ,lord ,russell--,touching words--,funeral in ,westminster ,abbey--,the three benedictions--,the ,dean's account of the ,royal ,marriage at ,st4 ,petersburg--,breakfast at ,lambeth with ,archbishop ,tait1 and conversation relative to a conference between ,conformists and ,nonconformists3 ,the plan1 ,the meeting1 ,subject discussed--,character of the ,primate--,visit of the ,queen to ,mrs4 ,bagster1 who was nearly #ajj years old--,my pilgrimages to ,ban de la ,roche and ,broad ,oak--,days at the ,deanery with ,dr4 ,stanley--,my lectures at ,edinburgh--,scottish society--,singular discovery of lost ,,mss4--,conference at ,basle--,addresses of ,president ,m4 ,d4 ,sarasin--,death of ,mrs4 ,stoughton ,,chapter ,,xiii #ahgi-ahhc ,conversation with a distinguished nobleman upon ideas of #bhe-cac religion amongst the upper classes--,days at ,spezzia1 ,pisa1 and ,florence--,introduction to ,cardinal ,howard1 who sent an invitation to visit him--,conversation with a friend of his--,the ,cardinal's reception very cordial--,offers of a special introduction to the ,vatican ,library authorities--,successful day in consequence--,protestant brethren in ,rome--,christian antiquities--,dr4 ,somerville's mission--,drive to ,subiaco--,home through ,venice--,revisit to ,italy in #ahha--,special work in library at ,florence amongst memorials of ,savonarola--,death of ,dr4 ,stanley--,character and habits--,cromwell's skull--,tour in ,germany--,sir ,william ,mc,arthur's mayoralty--,death of ,archbishop ,tait--,excursion to the ,grande ,chartreuse ,,chapter ,,xiv #ahhc-ahhe ,journey to ,spain in preparation of book on ,spanish #cad-ccg ,reformers3 ,through ,france to ,figueras1 ,barcelona1 ,tarragona1 ,poblet1 ,valencia1 ,cordova1 ,granada1 ,seville1 ,madrid1 ,escorial1 ,toledo1 ,valladolid1 ,burgos ,,chapter ,,xv #ahhe ,third and last visit to ,rome--,changes in the city and its #cch-cfj surroundings--,where did ,paul live during his captivity8--,evangelical ,alliance meetings at ,edinburgh and ,glasgow--,death of ,lord ,chichester--,mr4 ,cheetham1 ,m4,p4--,visits to ,dr4 ,magee1 ,bishop of ,peterborough--,lord ,ebury and ,moor ,park--,friends in ,norfolk--,increase of ,roman ,catholics in ,kensington--,chapel openings at ,hastings--,autumnal meeting in #ahhf at ,norwich--,bishop's palace ,,chapter ,,xvi ,i4 ,church of ,england--,,ii4 ,presbyterians--,,iii4 #cfa-cia ,baptists--,,iv4 ,the ,friends--,v4 ,methodists--,,vi4 ,congregationalists ,,chapter ,i #ahjg-ahbh ,i ,,was born in the parish of ,st4 ,michaels-at-,plea1 ,norwich1 ,november #ahth1 #ahjg4 ,my father was in some respects a remarkable man4 ,for his great integrity1 he won the name of 8the honest lawyer02 he would undertake no cause1 if unconvinced of its justice1 and declined the office of coroner because its duties would have shocked his feelings4 ,of strong understanding1 and fond of reading1 after living a thoughtless life1 he became an earnest ,christian1 and worshipped with ,methodists1 chiefly from circumstances--still regarding himself as a member of the ,established ,church4 ,two elder sisters and an elder brother of mine were baptised by the parish clergyman2 so was ,i1 the ,archdeacon of ,london being my godfather4 ,i have been told that ,i 8was intended for the ,church10 and some ,episcopalian friends have amused themselves with speculations as to what might have been the result4 ,my mother before she married was a ,quakeress1 and used to tell of eminent 8,friends0 she knew in her girlhood1 especially ,edmund ,gurney1 who preached 8with great power0 in the ,gildencroft ,meeting ,house4 ,she was brought up a ,quakeress by her mother1 but her father was1 at least in later life1 a staunch ,methodist4 ,she remembered ,john ,wesley1 and used to tell how he took her up as a child and kissed her4 ,my father died in my fifth year4 ,of him ,i have but a faint recollection4 ,my grandfather1 at a distance now of seventy-five years1 visibly stands before me--a tall old gentleman with flaxen wig1 large spectacles1 a long1 blue1 bright-buttoned coat1 and big buckled shoes4 ,he was ,master of ,bethel ,hospital1 an institution for the insane1 in my native city2 and1 as ,i spent much time with him for a year before his death1 ,i saw and heard a good deal of the patients under his care4 8,master10 said one of them1 8,i want to propose a toast--may the devil never go abroad or receive visitors at home40 8,what brought you here80 somebody asked an inmate4 8,the loss of what you never had1 or you would not ask such a question10 was the prompt reply4 ,a man who fancied himself ,king of ,england drew on his cell wall pictures of ships which he called his fleet1 and would never speak unless he was addressed as 8,your ,majesty40 ,i once narrowly escaped severe injury from a woman1 who seized me as her child and squeezed me so hard1 that no violence could induce her to relax her grasp2 but gentle words1 and a promise that ,i should be taken care of1 secured my release4 ,alternate severity and indulgence1 at that time1 in the treatment of patients led to a sad tragedy in the case of my grandfather1 who was killed by a man employed as gardener4 ,he was thought to be harmless1 and used to mow the lawn4 ,one morning he drew the scythe across his master's body and nearly cut him in two4 ,my mother had a dream the night before1 and saw in it her father lying on a bed1 pale as ashes1 which she interpreted as meaning something terrible would happen to him4 ,when1 at breakfast time1 she was told by a gentleman of what had occurred1 she coupled it with what she had seen in her sleep4 ,we were living at the time in a very old house with diamond-paned windows1 a brick-paved entrance hall1 and some rambling passages4 ,i well remember the little bedroom in which ,i slept4 ,there resided with us an old lady1 widow of a ,norwich gentleman1 who had been a friend of the famous ,george ,whitefield4 ,she used to tell anecdotes of the popular preacher--how he called himself ,dr4 ,squintum1 and1 when supping off cowheel1 a dish he liked1 would say1 he wondered what people would think of his being so employed4 ,my mother had a strong verbal memory which her son has not inherited2 and it enabled her to instruct and entertain me by reciting long extracts in prose and poetry4 ,she was a great reader and did much to instruct and cultivate my mind by her frequent recitations4 ,my education owes more to this1 and other circumstances1 than to schoolmasters under whom ,i was placed4 ,however1 of course1 rudiments of knowledge fell to my lot in the usual way2 but my culture in chief resulted from devouring books1 from instructive conversation1 and from the delight ,i felt in observing nature1 and looking on what was ancient4 ,when other boys were at play1 ,i liked to get by myself and read2 biography and history having for me pre-eminent charms4 ,lord ,nelson had been dead only a few years at the time ,i speak of1 and what ,i learnt about him as a ,norfolk man immensely gratified my curiosity4 ,his aunt was a friend of my grandmother1 and great was my delight to see and hear such a distinguished lady2 the gratification being enhanced by a bright shilling she slipped into my hand4 ,the river ,wensum1 old trees by the water-side1 the picturesque village of ,thorpe1 ,whitlingham ,white ,house and woods1 the uplands of ,mousehold1 walled-in gardens all over the city1 wild hedgerows1 sheltered nooks and corners under weeping willows1 cattle feeding in green meadows1 and swans swimming on the river--these objects afforded me an sthetic education4 ,from a child ,i took an interest in historical tales1 and felt delight in listening to my mother's memories of early days4 ,she recollected the ,american war1 and spoke of a family dispute amongst her elders1 which lasted just as long--ten years4 ,excitement in ,william ,pitt's day she brought vividly before me2 and she told how ,thelwall1 the orator1 delivered revolutionary harangues1 and being attacked by a mob1 he was glad to escape by clambering over the roofs of houses4 ,the trials of ,horne ,tooke1 ,hardy1 and others1 and ,erskine's famous speeches in their defence1 were in my boyhood modern incidents4 ,objects in the city excited archological tastes4 ,the ,norman keep1 ,herbert de ,lozinga's ,cathedral1 ,erpingham ,gate1 the ,grammar ,school1 the ,bishop's palace1 with ruins in the garden1 dilapidated towers on the edge of the river1 ,guild ,hall1 ,st4 ,andrew's ,hall1 and the ,old ,men's ,hospital--these had for me a mighty charm1 creating fancies by day and dreams by night4 ,the ,east ,anglian city had not old houses such as ,prout found on the ,continent1 but it contained picturesque1 tumble-down tenements1 and other 8bits10 sketched in 8,highways and ,byeways of ,old ,norwich40 ,the sight of these created a habit of looking after ancient quaint remains1 which has never forsaken me4 ,guild day1 with its triumphal arches1 carpets and flags hung out of windows1 ,darby and ,joan sitting in a green arbour1 the ,mayor's coach attended by 8,snap10 and the 8whifflers02 the rush-strewn cathedral pavement1 as the ,corporation marched up the nave--all this gave birth to boyish enthusiasm for the picturesque4 ,every ,guild day1 on a green baize platform near the west door of the cathedral1 the head boy of the ,grammar ,school delivered a ,latin oration before his ,worship4 ,what envy that boy aroused in my bosom6 ,elections1 too1 were objects of intense interest to me as a childish politician1 when ,whig candidates were carried in blue-and-white satin chairs1 on the shoulders of men who tossed them up1 as the ,goths did their heroes upon battle shields4 ,as to another part of my education1 ,i loved to read the lives of eminent people1 and devoured a good many memoirs of men and women in religious magazines4 ,norwich was at that time distinguished for literary1 artistic1 and benevolent celebrities2 and ,i felt proud as a boy to think of them as pertaining to my own birthplace4 ,the appearance of several amongst them ,i have still1 after the lapse of seventy years1 vividly before me--,mrs4 ,opie1 the ,taylors1 the ,martineaus1 ,joseph ,john ,gurney1 and ,bishop ,bathurst1 with several beside4 ,may ,i add1 the first sight of the sea at ,yarmouth ,i can never forget4 ,it was a ,november morning in my ninth year4 ,the sky looked angry2 the wind-swept waters and tall billows broke furiously on the beach2 the hulk of a stranded vessel lay on the sands--emblem of life's shattered hopes4 ,public excitements prevailed in my boyish days beyond what the present generation has witnessed4 ,after the battle of ,waterloo1 and the consequent peace1 which was coupled with an idea of plenty1 large loaves were paraded on poles as symbols of abundant food1 mistakenly supposed to come as a natural consequence now that ,buonaparte was conquered4 ,there arose1 instead of this1 much distress amongst the lower class1 greatly owing to corn-laws enacted for the protection of agricultural interests4 ,bread riots followed1 and ,i now catch glimpses of a mob in #ahaf marching to the ,new ,mills to sack a granary1 and shoot into the flushes of the river ,wensum1 loads of grain and flour4 ,such tumults were surpassed in breadth and depth of feeling1 amongst the upper class1 by the excitement attending the return to ,england of ,queen ,caroline after the accession of ,george ,,iv4 in #ahbj4 ,never have ,i known such agitation in private circles1 as when society split from top to bottom on the question of her ,majesty's character and wrongs4 ,for months there were almost incessant processions from ,london to ,hammersmith in honour of the lady1 who was sojourning at ,brandenburgh ,house4 ,unnumbered addresses were presented to her1 and whenever her carriage appeared1 it evoked rapturous shouts4 ,during her trial things were done and said startling beyond parallel4 ,documents full of abominable details were deposited in a 8green bag10 which called to mind the words in ,job xiv4 #ag2 and when filthy evidence was furnished on the king's side against his wife1 counsel on her side attacked him as a second ,nero1 and compared him to the infernal shadow in ,milton1 which 8the likeness of a kingly crown had on40 ,round the hearthstone families and friends were divided on this absorbing subject2 and such word battles as ,home ,rule now occasions were then far surpassed4 ,my school days over1 ,i entered a lawyer's office4 ,he put into my hands 8,blackstone's ,commentaries10 which interested me less in what was said about real and personal property1 the rights of things and the rights of persons1 with the law of descent and entail1 than in what appeared touching legislation1 and the principles of government4 ,de ,lolme on 8,the ,constitution10 ,i read with avidity4 ,having to attend the ,law ,courts at times1 ,i listened to forensic eloquence with great interest2 a love for oratory being further gratified by hearing speeches at public meetings when ,lord ,suffield and ,joseph ,john ,gurney advocated negro emancipation and other reforms4 ,theological discussions interested me immensely4 ,the lawyer in whose office ,i was became a ,roman ,catholic1 and1 finding me an inquisitive youngster1 talked on the subject1 explaining the doctrines and ceremonies of his ,church4 ,whilst the information he gave me was worth having1 ,i determined to read ,milner's 8,end of ,religious ,controversy10 and other ,catholic books2 and beyond my interest respecting matters of an antiquarian flavour1 ,i felt the importance of ascertaining true grounds for ,protestant beliefs4 ,my master took me once a week to ,north ,walsham1 and in cold winter nights1 as the moon shone on the snow-sprinkled hedges1 plied me with arguments for transubstantiation1 purgatory1 and the like4 ,i ventured humbly to dispute his positions1 and to contend for truths on the opposite side2 though the match was unequal between a boy of fifteen and a man of forty1 primed by the priest to whom he owed his conversion4 ,those night drives were useful1 and led me to see some of the better aspects of ,roman ,catholic faith and character1 whilst they aroused inquiry1 and led to clearer convictions than ,i might otherwise have reached respecting principles in debate4 ,here let me observe that early intercourse with friends of different denominations has in the best sense broadened my habit of looking at questions1 and inspired a tolerance1 not of error itself1 but of persons holding error1 because they are often better than their creeds1 and have in them a great deal that is good1 as well as something of another quality4 ,quiet intercourse in early life with members of various denominations ,i find to have been a school for the culture of ,christian charity4 ,removed when about sixteen to another office1 with the idea of entering the legal profession1 ,i met with fellow-clerks of education and taste1 who proved very helpful2 one in particular became an intimate friend4 ,he had been a favourite pupil of an eminent classical schoolmaster1 and was well up in ,horace4 ,we had much talk on subjects of common interest4 ,his temperament had a melancholy tinge1 owing to his state of health1 for he was in a slow consumption1 but behind dark clouds there lay a sky full of humour1 and his conversation often sparkled with unaffected wit4 ,he could be a little satirical at the expense of juvenile follies1 in which he did not share2 whilst amiability kept him from giving pain to the most sensitive4 ,our friendship continued until his early death1 when he passed away 8in the faith and hope of the ,gospel40 ,amongst early educational influences which ,i enjoyed may be reckoned the opportunities ,i had of listening to public speakers of different kinds--lawyers at the bar1 preachers in the pulpit1 orators on the platform1 and candidates during elections2 for ,norwich was contested most earnestly in my boyhood4 ,moreover1 the city was remarkable for musical culture4 ,it had weekly concerts4 ,festivals also occurred2 these ,i attended again and again with much enjoyment4 ,my friends who know my ignorance of music will smile at this4 ,it might be when ,i was about seventeen that on a ,sunday morning ,i took a walk into the country with a volume of ,chalmers' sermons under my arm4 ,i read one of them on ,rom4 v4 #aj4 ,the perusal deeply affected me1 and on the evening of the same day1 ,i heard a ,methodist minister preach upon ,john iii4 #af4 ,these two impressions commenced a lifelong change in my experience and character--a change so great1 that it led to the abandonment of my former occupation1 and issued in the consecration of my after-days to the ,gospel ministry4 ,about that time a journey to ,london on legal business gave me an opportunity of hearing distinguished preachers1 ,dr4 ,adam ,clarke and ,dr4 ,collyer amongst the rest--a privilege which deepened my religious convictions4 ,i may observe in passing1 as regards my visit to ,london1 that the first sight of it1 on a dull morning after a night in the ,norwich mail1 ,i have never forgotten--,bishopsgate-street1 the ,old ,post ,office1 and all round the ,mansion ,house--how different the neighbourhood appeared in #ahbf from what it does now6 ,in ,waterloo-place1 ,pall ,mall1 ,i spent more than a month1 and ,i can now see ,george ,,iv4 descending the steps of ,carlton ,house 7where the ,duke of ,york's column stands71 leaning on a page's shoulder on the way to his carriage4 ,on returning to ,norwich1 my thoughts fixed on the subject which had previously engaged my attention4 ,a few years ago1 when conversing with a friend in the coffee-room of the ,house of ,commons1 a report was mentioned of a certain ,dissenting minister's intention to enter ,parliament1 if a seat could be obtained4 ,my friend remarked emphatically1 8,that would be a come-down40 ,he himself at that time held office1 and was on the way to become a ,right ,honourable2 and when ,i expressed my surprise to hear him talk so1 he rejoined that he considered the ,gospel ministry as the highest employment on earth when a man really 8was called to it40 ,i felt1 sixty years ago1 exactly in that way1 and only wished to know that such a call awaited me4 ,i spent some months in coming to a conclusion1 and at length felt convinced that it was my duty and privilege to spend life in ,christian preaching and pastoral work4 ,then arose the question1 ,in what ecclesiastical connexion8 ,my relation to ,methodism had arisen from circumstances1 but now some study of ecclesiastical principles was necessary4 ,i began to read what ,i could on the subject1 acquainting myself with different sides1 and being open to conviction one way or another4 ,i had no predilections1 and was ready to be either a clergyman or a ,dissenting minister4 ,i arrived at the conclusion that ,congregationalism1 on the whole1 as far as ,i understood it1 came nearest to ,new ,testament teaching2 but that probably no existing connexion corresponded exactly with ,churches of the first century4 ,what ,i thought then has been confirmed by studies in after-years1 devoted largely to the ,new ,testament and the history of ,christendom4 ,i have learned to distinguish between principles lying at the basis of religious beliefs and existing organisations through which they are worked out4 ,the former may be true and sound1 whilst the latter are defective1 and in some points mistaken4 ,it is curious that at the time ,i first made up my mind ,i knew socially next to nothing of ,congregationalists as a body2 my chief associations having been with ,methodists1 ,quakers1 ,church-people1 and a few ,roman ,catholics4 ,i joined the venerable society of ,christians assembling in the ,old ,meeting ,house1 ,norwich2 its fathers and founders having been gathered into ,church fellowship1 during the seventeenth century1 under the teaching and influence of ,william ,bridge1 who resided in ,yarmouth2 some of the members being ,norwich folk4 ,when ,i expressed my desire for the ministry to two ,dissenting ministers--the pastor of the ,old ,meeting ,house and his friend who occupied ,princes-street pulpit--,i met with different opinions1 the former advising me to pursue the study of law1 the latter encouraging my desire for the ministry4 ,in the end these two friends concurred in advice1 the consequence being my introduction to ,highbury ,college1 ,london4 ,i had from the beginning cautions against forsaking in after-life the pulpit for any other post4 ,william ,godwin1 the famous author of 8,political ,justice0 and other works1 also ,w4 ,j4 ,fox1 the ,anti-,corn-law lecturer1 a distinguished public character at that time1 had been intended for the ,dissenting ministry1 and1 indeed1 entered it4 ,by a remarkable coincidence1 both these distinguished men were connected with the ,old ,meeting ,house1 where ,i then was accustomed to worship4 ,their abandonment of an early faith and a sacred calling for the sake of literature and politics1 was held up to me as a beacon1 to warn me off dangerous rocks4 ,before noticing my entrance into college1 ,i may be allowed to mention that the congregation which ,i joined contained some noteworthy people4 ,mr4 ,william ,youngman was a hard-headed1 intelligent1 and inquisitive man1 much given to theological argument and incisive criticism of current opinions4 ,he tried the patience of orthodox religionists1 and was the terror of neophytes4 ,once1 when ,i dined with him1 he commenced talking about original sin as ,i was hanging up my hat1 and went on in the same strain to the end of my visit4 ,he found his match at book meetings in ,mr4 ,thomas ,brightwell1 ,f4,r4,s41 an eminent naturalist1 whose name is perpetuated in a memoir of a plant called after him1 to be found1 if ,i correctly remember1 in the ,transactions of the ,royal ,society4 ,he was a diligent student of the ,bible1 and published notes on the ,old ,testament1 drawn chiefly from the ,scholia of ,rosenmuller and ,michaelis4 ,in #ahbh ,i entered ,highbury ,college1 afterwards merged in ,new ,college1 ,st4 ,john's ,wood2 the professors--or tutors as they were called in my time--being ,dr4 ,henderson1 ,dr4 ,burder1 and ,dr4 ,halley4 ,dr4 ,henderson had been engaged in foreign missionary and ,bible work1 spending much time in ,st4 ,petersburg1 ,copenhagen1 and ,stockholm1 where he became acquainted with the languages of ,northern ,europe4 ,he drilled us in the languages of the ,old ,testament1 initiated some small study in ,syriac1 and delivered elaborate lectures on the evidences and doctrines of ,christianity4 ,he suggested essays to be written during the vacation on subjects demanding research1 and he regularly required the careful preparation of comments on the original ,scriptures1 to be delivered viva voce in class4 ,dr4 ,burder was son of ,george ,burder1 once well known as the author of 8,village ,sermons40 ,he lectured on mental and moral philosophy1 and employed as text-books the works of ,reid1 ,stewart1 and ,brown having himself graduated in a ,scotch university4 ,exceedingly careful1 conscientious1 and precise1 he opposed all bold speculations1 and was incapable of sympathy with mystical thinkers4 ,he had a clear apprehension of whatever he taught1 and used to lay down as a canon of composition4 8,express yourselves1 not so that you may1 but so that you must be understood40 ,dr4 ,halley was a good classical scholar1 impulsive1 unsystematic1 and by no means a severe disciplinarian4 ,he enthusiastically admired ,demosthenes and ,cicero1 and to hear him give extempore versions of these orators was an immense treat4 ,we read with him some ,greek tragedians and ,latin poets1 and he delivered lectures on history and antiquities4 ,mathematics came within his department2 but1 certainly in my time1 he never turned out a wrangler4 ,his influence1 however1 was very stimulative1 and he inspired when he did not instruct4 ,defects in the ,nonconformist educational system were apparent to me at that time1 much more so have they become to me ever since2 but1 to a considerable extent1 they arose from uncontrollable circumstances1 so many students having had few advantages in their boyhood4 ,i have lived to witness a great improvement in ,nonconformist college methods4 ,it should not be omitted that during the latter part of our term a few of us attended the mental and moral philosophy class of ,professor ,hoppus in the ,london ,university ,college1 ,gower ,street1 that institution having been established by friends of unsectarian education1 and numbering on its councils1 and amongst its officers1 several ,nonconformists4 ,,chapter ,,ii #ahbh-ahcb ,,my most distinguished fellow-student for intellectual power and literary attainment was ,henry ,rogers1 afterwards a large contributor to the ,edinburgh ,review4 ,some of the articles he wrote for that periodical have been published as essays in three volumes4 ,his feeble voice stood in the way of his being an effective preacher2 but his learning and ability eminently fitted him for the duties of a professor4 ,in that capacity he rendered high service at ,spring ,hill1 ,birmingham1 and next1 at ,lancashire ,college1 ,manchester4 ,he was highly esteemed by ,lord ,macaulay1 and ,archbishop ,whately2 excessive modesty alone prevented his introduction to the highest literary circles4 ,he was a clear-headed1 acute thinker and reasoner1 delighting in ,socratic talk1 trotting out an unsuspicious conversationalist1 until he entangled him in inconsistency and contradictions1 the remembrance of which might be afterwards useful4 ,rogers1 to the end of life1 was a humble and devout ,christian4 ,our intercourse in after-days was pleasant1 and to me most encouraging4 ,william ,drew1 who became a devoted ,indian missionary1 was another of my contemporaries1 and1 from sympathy with him1 ,i caught a portion of his spirit2 had ,i possessed the needful qualifications1 ,i could have devoted myself to a similar enterprise4 ,samuel ,bergne1 for many years an able and much-appreciated secretary of the ,british and ,foreign ,bible ,society1 was another of my fellow-students4 ,with him ,i became extremely intimate1 owing1 in part1 to an extraordinary family affair1 which ,i have been requested to relate4 ,my father1 before he married1 had living with him a sister1 to whom he was strongly attached4 ,after their separation1 she went to reside in ,london1 and dropped all correspondence with him2 to the day of his death he could never ascertain what had become of her4 ,methods were adopted to find out her residence1 but all in vain4 ,more than thirty years had elapsed since she disappeared1 when one day ,i met ,bergne1 who had been visiting his mother at ,brompton4 8,have not you a relative there80 he asked4 8,not that ,i know of10 was my reply4 ,then he told me that an evening or two before1 as he was sitting by the fire1 it flashed upon him how he had heard that an old friend of his mother's1 before her marriage1 bore the same name as mine2 that she came from ,norwich1 and that her brother was a lawyer4 ,i was taken aback by what my friend said1 and then related what ,i had heard in childhood respecting my father's long-lost sister4 8,depend upon it10 he exclaimed1 8,i have found for you the lady your family have been seeking in vain40 ,i soon received a request to meet the stranger at ,mrs4 ,bergne's house1 when something like a scene occurred1 as the separated relatives stood face to face4 ,yet neither then nor afterwards did she shed any light upon the mystery4 ,she had a husband who proved to be no less a mystery4 ,we never could learn anything about his connections2 but1 at the time of my introduction to him he was engaged on ,the ,morning ,post4 ,we afterwards learned from himself1 as well as others1 that he had been employed in this country as an agent of the ,imperial ,french ,court2 certainly he had in his possession a key to the cipher-writing1 used by the first ,napoleon4 ,he showed me relics of that extraordinary man1 and had much to say of several notabilities at home and abroad4 ,what of fact mingled with fiction in his strange disclosures ,i cannot say2 but1 after his death1 ,i saw some of his papers1 including an unintelligible correspondence between ,mr4 ,canning and himself2 also letters relating to private scandals of great people1 only fit to be thrown into the fire4 ,he lived in an imaginary world1 and used to say that ,napoleon ,buonaparte was still living4 ,to his influence1 ,i suppose1 the mystery which shrouded my aunt's life after her marriage1 might be ascribed4 ,the four years ,i spent at ,highbury were marked by much political excitement4 ,in #ahbh the ,corporation and ,test ,acts were repealed4 ,the ,catholic ,relief ,bill was carried in #ahbi4 ,in #ahcj ,william ,,iv4 succeeded his brother4 ,the 8three days of ,july0 the same year occurred in ,paris3 the abdication of ,charles ,x41 and the accession of ,louis ,philippe1 swiftly followed each other2 and a fresh impetus was thus given to the cause of ,english liberalism4 ,the ,duke of ,wellington's protest against reform1 the defeat of the ,ministry on the ,civil ,list1 and the introduction of the ,reform ,bill the next year1 produced an excitement which ,i do not think has been equalled since1 though for passionate discussion in the homes of ,england1 it has been surpassed by what occurred during the trial of ,queen ,caroline4 ,earl ,grey1 ,lord ,brougham1 and ,lord ,john ,russell were popular idols1 their names in everybody's mouth1 their portraits looking down from innumerable shop windows1 their busts set up in house after house1 their likenesses printed on handkerchiefs and stamped on pipes and jugs1 and all sorts of ware4 ,they were mobbed and hurrahed wherever they went1 and their carriages were dragged by the populace through streams knee-deep4 ,at that period the old ,house of ,commons was standing1 and went by the name of ,st4 ,stephen's ,chapel4 ,within its walls the ,reform battle was fought2 and there still lingered round it memories of ,pitt and ,fox1 ,burke and ,sheridan4 ,i had a great curiosity to see this ,english forum1 and when ,i obtained admission1 with my tutor1 ,dr4 ,halley1 who explained the building and what was going on1 ,i seemed to be in an old ,presbyterian meeting-house1 with galleries on three sides1 the ,speaker's chair1 with its wooden canopy1 resembling a pulpit1 at the farther end4 ,members were 8cribbed1 cabined1 and confined40 ,the forms of the ,house were interesting to me1 and afforded a framework in which to insert images of men in the reign of ,george ,,ii4 ,i had but to put ,court dresses and cocked hats on the members1 and forthwith the age of ,walpole came back to view4 ,a messenger from the ,lords1 the bowing of an officer as he approached the table1 with its wigged clerks1 and other matters of ceremony illustrated my readings of ,parliament business in olden times4 ,one figure especially ,i now recall--that of ,sir ,charles ,wetherall1 a fierce opponent of reform4 ,up he rose1 violently gesticulating1 his shirt very visible between his black waistcoat and dark nether garment4 ,the coronation of ,william ,,iv4 and ,queen ,adelaide indicated a change in that august ceremonial1 which showed how reform touched royal pageantry4 ,though an instance of a double coronation1 it came short of the elaborate display when the previous monarch sat alone in ,edward's chair4 ,i saw the procession going down to ,westminster1 along a narrow street at ,charing ,cross--old-fashioned shabby shops standing where now you catch sight of palatial hotels--old ,northumberland ,house1 with its gardens1 occupying the space now become a broad avenue4 ,the beefeaters1 the trumpeters1 and the footmen in attendance upon the gaudy state-coach1 with its royal occupants1 were very picturesque4 ,and what a crush there was to avoid the mob streaming down from the ,haymarket6 ,all sorts of reports were afloat1 tending to make the new king popular4 ,it was said1 that immediately after his accession1 he came to town in the dickey of his carriage1 and invited1 after an unceremonious manner1 his old naval friends to come and dine with him4 ,a story went the round with rare applause that1 after the defeat of the ,reform ,bill1 when he wanted to dissolve ,parliament1 he said if the royal carriages could not be got ready1 he would go in a hackney coach4 ,how far such tales were true ,i do not know2 but a nobleman1 present at one of ,his ,majesty's dinner-parties at the ,brighton ,pavilion1 told me that1 on that occasion1 the king toasted some of his guests in sailor fashion1 and remarked that his seafaring pursuits had scarcely fitted him for a throne4 ,then1 pointing to the queen1 he added that for any improvement in his ways he was indebted to that good lady4 ,the story raised him in my estimation and that of many others4 ,i must now turn from politics and royalty to what was more in my own way4 ,the ,rev4 ,daniel ,wilson1 afterwards ,bishop of ,calcutta1 stood high amongst ,london ,evangelicals as ,vicar of ,islington1 and ,i sometimes heard him in his crowded church2 but my great delight was to walk down to ,camberwell to listen to ,henry ,melvill1 then in the zenith of his popularity4 ,his manner was peculiar--he had a curious shake of the head1 and a strange inflection of voice at the end of a sentence1 which kept up attention4 ,as to style1 he was artificial in the extreme2 every paragraph seeming to be planned on the same model1 ending with the words of his text as a well-turned climax4 ,the preacher swept his auditors along with the force of a torrent from point to point4 ,i heard him at ,barnes1 when he was advanced in life1 deliver one of his old discourses1 ,i should judge little1 if at all1 altered2 but it lacked the fire of early days1 and the congregation evinced little of the sympathy which seemed to quiver in ,london churches at the sound of his voice twenty or thirty years before4 ,rowland ,hill1 though a very old man in #ahcj1 continued to fill ,surrey ,chapel with a crowded audience4 ,i listened to a sermon in which he recommended young people when they set up house-keeping to secure one piece of furniture especially--i4e41 the looking-glass of a good conscience1 so that husband and wife1 keeping it clean1 might see themselves in it1 with joy and thankfulness2 8for a good man is satisfied from himself10 and1 he added1 8so is a good woman40 ,john ,angell ,james1 of ,birmingham1 was one of the most popular preachers at that time1 and he occasionally occupied ,surrey ,chapel pulpit2 but ,william ,jay1 of ,bath1 was a more regular 8supply10 and echoes of his sonorous voice ,i still catch as ,i read his pithy and impressive sermons4 ,when he came to preach ,rowland ,hill's funeral sermon ,i had left college1 and he honoured me with an invitation to preach for him at ,bath the ,sunday following4 ,in #ahhf1 when ,i occupied the same pulpit in my old age1 a lady told me that she remembered my being there more than fifty years before1 when the people wondered at their pastor's sending 8such a boy to take his place40 ,a similar occurrence had happened when ,jay first preached for ,rowland ,hill4 ,james ,parsons1 of ,york1 was a frequent visitor to ,london1 and used to occupy for several ,sundays in the year the pulpit of ,moorfields ,tabernacle1 and that of ,tottenham ,court ,chapel4 ,congregations gathered an hour before service to listen to this youthful preacher4 ,he had been educated for the law1 and1 with a strong taste for rhetorical efforts1 had cultivated1 by the study of ,english authors1 his own extraordinary gift for public speaking4 ,almost inaudible at first1 his voice would gradually rise into tones shrill and penetrating2 and after repeated pauses1 when people relieved themselves by bursts of coughing1 he would1 during his peroration1 wind them up to such a pitch of excitement as ,i have never witnessed since4 ,he was thoroughly evangelical and devout1 and did an immense deal of spiritual good4 ,i became intimately acquainted with him in after-years1 and found in his friendship a source of much enjoyment4 ,his conversations in the parlour were as full of anecdote and humour as his sermons in the pulpit were of pathos and power4 ,i have heard a member of ,parliament1 one of his deacons at ,york1 say that ,mr4 ,parsons' eloquence in early days was perfectly electrifying1 and that1 as he listened to him at that time1 he felt as if he must lay hold on the top of his pew to prevent being swept away by the force of the preacher's appeals4 ,edward ,irving occupied the ,caledonian ,church in ,hatton ,garden1 a retired and ugly-looking ,presbyterian meeting-house2 but the nobility flocked round him1 and it was picturesque to see ,scotch schoolboys in ,highland kilts placed in front of the pulpit4 ,as ,i was trying to get in at a side door1 up walked the gigantic orator1 with his black locks and broad-brimmed beaver1 as if an old ,covenanter had risen from the dead4 ,an infant lying in the arms of that strong man added to the effect of the picture4 ,his manner at that period was grand4 ,his sermons were carefully prepared and read1 every word1 but with a blended majesty and pathos which no extempore utterance could exceed2 and his reading of the twenty-third ,psalm1 ,scotch version1 was inimitable4 ,his favourite word1 8,fatherhood10 quoted by ,mr4 ,canning with admiration1 and now so hackneyed1 impressed religious people wonderfully by its freshness4 ,a fellow-student took me some time afterwards to call on him at his house in the then ,new ,road4 ,he was unwell and sat by the fireside wrapped in a blue gown4 ,he talked to me for some time on the subject of baptism1 the right understanding of which1 he said1 was a key to many theological questions4 ,i could not assent to all he said1 nor indeed understand it1 but did not dare1 at my age1 to make any reply4 ,when he had ended he slowly rose from his chair4 ,it seemed as if he would never finish rising1 he was so tall4 ,when erect1 he waved his hand to a nursemaid1 who was walking across the room with a babe in her arms1 and then1 placing his hand on my head1 he offered a solemn intercession1 suggesting the idea of a ,hebrew prophet blessing a young ,israelite4 ,at a later period he took up peculiar views on prophecy1 and on some ecclesiastical points4 ,then he became wild and incoherent4 ,i heard him preach outside ,coldbath ,prison to a few bystanders1 very differently from what he had done in ,hatton ,garden4 ,he seemed to have lost unction as well as thoughtfulness and eloquence4 ,on a cold winter morning1 before breakfast1 several students and myself walked down to his new church in ,regent ,square to witness 8the gift of tongues10 which1 amongst other imaginations1 he believed had been miraculously bestowed4 ,the building was dark1 for the sun had not risen1 and the mysterious gloom heightened the effect of the exhibition which followed4 ,first arose inarticulate screams1 then exclamations of 8,he is coming60 8,he is co-m-i-ng60 drawn out in marvellous quavers4 ,what appeared to me inarticulate and incomprehensible sounds1 were regarded by him and many people as ,divine utterances4 ,they deemed them the return of ,pentecost--a gift of tongues4 ,at ,london ,wall ,church ,i saw him afterwards arraigned before the presbytery for heretical opinions touching the ,lord's humanity4 ,he fought his battle manfully2 and whatever people might think of his sentiments1 they could scarcely fail to be impressed with the sincerity and earnestness of the man4 ,the trial issued in his expulsion from ,regent ,square--poor fellow6 ,it is touching to think of his history2 popularity was his snare4 ,it turned his head2 yet1 after all1 he sacrificed that very popularity to sincere convictions4 ,his latest life was an instance of martyrdom for conscience' sake4 ,those who condemn his opinions must honour the man4 ,dr4 ,chalmers came to preach at ,regent ,square4 ,after the benefit derived from his printed sermons1 ,i might well desire to hear his voice4 ,the pitch of excitement to which he wrought himself up surpassed everything of the kind ,i ever witnessed4 ,his vehemence was terrific1 yet all seemed natural4 ,he was ,john ,knox over again--,john ,knox in manner1 more than ,john ,knox in thought and eloquence of expression4 ,he moved on 8hinges10 as ,robert ,hall said1 or rather1 8like a cloud1 that moveth altogether1 if it move at all40 ,the fact is1 he felt what he was saying4 ,it went down to the depths of his own soul1 and hence it reached the souls of others4 ,the crowd in the church was immense1 numbers standing all the time2 yet it was curious to learn that the sermon was already in print--in print1 ,i believe1 years before4 ,he often redelivered his discourses1 even after publication2 and ,dr4 ,wardlaw of ,glasgow told me his distinguished neighbour informed him1 that he tried to lessen the crowds at church by announcing that next time he meant to deliver what they had heard already4 8,yet10 with a childlike simplicity the old man added1 8they come in still larger numbers than before60 ,not many preachers are troubled in that way4 ,at the time now referred to1 religious services were not multiplied as at present2 hence great interest was taken amongst ,london ,congregationalists in what were called 8,monthly ,lectures10 given by ministers who carefully prepared what they delivered4 ,three come back to my recollection now4 ,the first1 in ,jewin ,street1 was delivered by ,dr4 ,collyer1 a popular divine1 who attracted the notice of royalty1 and had the ,dukes of ,kent and of ,sussex to hear him4 ,i knew him well in after-days1 when he spoke of friendly intercourse with him1 vouchsafed on the part of ,queen ,victoria's father4 ,the subject of the doctor's lecture was 8,our ,colonial ,empire10 and a felicitous text was selected from ,ezek4 xxviii4 #ad-af4 ,he urged on his audience the claims of distant colonies1 then much neglected2 and he painted vivid pictures of ,england's commercial wealth and vast possessions1 insisting strongly on our national responsibilities4 ,the second ,i remember was in ,claremont ,chapel1 from the lips of my tutor1 ,dr4 ,halley1 on the importance of intercessory prayer1 showing its place in ,church history1 as a pivot on which turned events of unutterable importance4 ,a third1 at ,bermondsey1 was delivered by a minister of great pulpit gifts1 named ,dobson1 who discoursed on the topic of the final resurrection4 ,i am not in the habit of saying the former days were better than these1 yet ,i may be permitted to express my opinion that those three lectures would bear favourable comparison with the best productions in ,nonconformist homiletics at the present day4 ,among venerable forms present at these lectures1 to officiate or listen1 were ,dr4 ,winter1 of ,new ,court1 now covered by buildings sacred to the law1 a man of high repute1 stout in figure1 and strong in opinion2 and ,dr4 ,pye ,smith1 spare1 attenuated1 ethereal in presence1 ,melancthon-like in spirit1 and as full of learning as ,melancthon1 with scientific knowledge which entitled him to the place he held by the side of accomplished geologists4 ,i may also mention ,james ,stratten1 of ,paddington1 who had an eagle's eye1 and a combination of face1 voice1 thought1 and style which rendered him unique amongst preachers1--like ,rembrandt amongst artists--rich in lights and shadows4 ,nor should ,dr4 ,fletcher1 of ,stepney1 be forgotten1 whose purity of thought1 felicity of diction1 and depth of evangelical sentiment attracted large audiences4 ,the ,claytons were well-known members of this goodly fellowship4 ,how these and other names are passing out of remembrance6 ,looking back to 8sixty years since10 ,i am struck with the difference between certain aspects of ,metropolitan ,nonconformity presented then1 and others familiar now4 ,indeed1 a similar state of things is obvious when we turn to the religious history of other great cities4 ,citizens then for the most part lived in ,london4 ,westminster and the opposite side of the ,thames saw1 on ,sundays and week days1 in the same neighbourhood both the poor and rich4 ,thus pious families exerted an immediate and constant influence where they lived1 and my remembrance of ,metropolitan domestic life then is intensely gratifying4 ,there were happy homes in ,london where now want and misery abound4 ,organised district work goes on1 but it is a poor substitute for the presence of godly and philanthropic people in their own homesteads1 coming in constant contact with those who needed sympathy and help4 ,efforts were not wanting for the benefit of ,london on the part of ,christian people in general4 ,the ,city ,mission had then been recently founded1 and students in ,highbury ,college lent a hand in work amongst the poor4 ,i remember a district in existence1 called ,saffron ,hill1 full of old tenements now swept away4 ,some fellow-students went with me to the spot on a ,sunday afternoon1 and we preached from a doorstep1 while women looked down from their windows1 and perhaps men below were smoking their pipes4 ,drury ,lane was a dirty1 neglected neighbourhood2 and1 in a room hired there1 we conducted a service on ,sunday nights4 ,sometimes disturbances arose1 but the work went on4 ,nor were certain districts in the country round ,london neglected4 ,there we preached and visited the aged sick1 praying by the bedside1 and ministering such instruction and comfort as we were able4 ,public religious meetings in those days were comparatively rare1 and the style of speaking was different from what it is now--more ornate1 with apostrophes and appeals of a kind which has vanished away4 ,the annual ,bible gathering was held in ,freemasons' ,hall1 the floor covered with a closely-packed audience4 ,a passage was partitioned off on the left hand side for the access of speakers to the platform1 who were eagerly watched1 and loudly applauded1 as they approached1 their heads amusingly bobbing up and down as they quickened their pace4 ,the diminutive ,william ,wilberforce1 eye-glass in hand1 his head on one side1 came skipping along2 ,dr4 ,ryder1 ,bishop of ,gloucester1 with big wig1 and smooth apron1 followed at a more dignified pace2 ,cunningham1 ,noel1 and other evangelical celebrities were sure to be present4 ,rowland ,hill1 by his quizzical look1 and humorous tongue1 could not fail to make a mark2 and ,burnet of ,cork1 who afterwards became pastor of the ,independent ,congregation1 ,camberwell1 was a vast favourite1 his rising to speak being a signal for loud cheers4 ,there he would stand1 calmly extemporising sentences which exactly hit the occasion1 and the audience--all eyes turned towards him--upturned faces seeming1 as he said1 to resemble 8a tesselated pavement40 ,he liked to compare ,north and ,south ,ireland with one another1 as showing the contrast between a ,bible-reading and a ,bible-ignoring population4 ,after ,exeter ,hall had been opened there arose a tremendous controversy about ,unitarians and the ,bible ,society4 ,some well-known speakers could not get a hearing1 and the scene on the platform was terribly confused1 until ,rowland ,hill rose and put the assembly in good humour1 by remarking that he 8would accept the ,bible from the hands of the devil2 only he would keep him at a distance1 and take his gift with a pair of tongs40 ,in the same place anti-slavery meetings were held4 ,i remember one in particular when1 besides ,buxton and ,mackintosh1 ,o',connell and ,sheil were present4 ,mackintosh spoke with philosophical calmness4 ,o',connell was full of invective1 satire1 and pathos2 one moment terrific in denunciation1 then heart-melting in tones of sympathy2 now stamping with his foot1 and laying hold of his scratch wig1 as if he would tear it in pieces2 next1 with gentle whispers1 drawing tears1 or creating laughter4 ,sheil1 in a torrent of declamation1 was carried off his legs1 borne along by his own impetuosity1 completely overmastered by himself2 whilst his ,irish friend never lost self-control amidst most violent storms of passion4 ,some time afterwards1 ,i listened to ,lord ,brougham in the same hall on the same subject4 ,he was then past his best days1 but flashes of oratory1 full of satire and invective against the party he had left1 burst forth in a long speech1 which1 as chairman1 he delivered in the middle of the proceedings1 to the interruption of previous arrangements4 ,it was1 ,i suppose1 by no means equal to his earlier efforts1 but enough remained of thunder and lightning to remind one of his eulogised resemblance to ,demosthenes4 ,,chapter ,,iii #ahcb-ahcg ,,when ,i first saw ,windsor in the winter of #ahcj-ca how different the town appeared from what it did afterwards6 ,all about ,thames ,street and ,castle ,hill was crowded with old houses and shops on both sides of the way1 and the walls bounding ,lower ,ward were hidden from view1 except where the ,clock ,tower1 which stood in advance1 looked down upon the passers-by4 ,a large plain brick mansion1 called the ,queen's ,lodge1 long since removed1 occupied the right hand of the road leading to ,york and ,lancaster ,gate1 while old-fashioned tenements lined the approach to the royal precincts4 ,on the night of my first arrival patches of snow covered the roofs1 and dotted the pediments of doors and windows2 over ,henry ,,viii4's gateway hung a gorgeous hatchment in memory of ,george ,,iv41 who had not long before left this life4 ,it was slow travelling from ,london to ,windsor in those days1 especially when the waters were out1 and the roads were heavy1 and thick fogs rendered the leaders invisible to the coachman2 whilst deep ruts clogged the wheels and now and then an icy flood came up to the axles4 ,in the town ,i heard a great deal about 8,windsor of the olden time10 when highway robbers were rife1 and gentlemen who took to the road would lie in wait under cover of a plantation1 and1 galloping over a field1 stop the traveller and lighten him of his purse4 ,according to one informant1 a tradesman in ,high ,street1 at the latter part of the eighteenth century1 kept a swift-trotting nag1 which he mounted after dark to do a little business on the road1 and then returned richer than he went4 ,people at that time1 as ,i heard some of them say1 did not think of riding or driving over ,hounslow ,heath alone2 but1 when approaching that ill-famed spot where gibbets lingered by the roadside1 were careful to wait till a number was formed able to defend themselves against the attack of thieves4 ,the sobriety of many inhabitants in the royal borough did not stand high1 and at mayors' feasts the guests did not think they sufficiently honoured the hospitalities of the evening1 unless they drank so much as made it difficult for them to find their way home4 ,anecdotes of ,george ,,iii4 were rife4 ,i heard that he used to rise early1 take a walk before breakfast1 and sit down in a certain bookseller's shop1 looking at publications on the counter4 ,but one morning he saw a book by ,tom ,paine lying there2 after that he paid no more visits4 ,sometimes he said very shrewd things4 ,a ,bow-street runner1 named ,townsend1 liked to attend early prayers when ,his ,majesty was present1 and to make himself heard in loud responses4 ,one day he was running about after service looking for something he could not find4 8,townsend1 ,townsend1 what are you after80 8,i have lost my hat1 please your ,majesty40 8,you prayed well10 was the monarch's rejoinder2 8but you did not watch40 ,the king had a wonderful memory2 and once1 as a troop of yeomanry rode past in review1 he pointed out a man amongst them of whom he had bought a horse twenty years before1 and whom he had not seen afterwards4 ,an old inhabitant1 who became my father-in-law1 vouched for the truth of some of these stories2 and bore testimony1 not only to the condescension and familiarity of ,george ,,iii41 but to the kindness and consideration of ,george ,,iv4 ,one remark which my friend and relative used to make as he was walking through the apartments of the castle1 produced a startling effect4 ,stopping before the picture of ,charles ,i41 he would say3 8,he looks just as he did when ,i last saw him40 ,the fact was that my relative was present when ,sir ,henry ,halford superintended the exhumation of the beheaded king2 and he first caught a glimpse of the royal face1 because he assisted in cutting open the coffin lid4 ,the face was perfect1 and exactly resembled ,vandyke's famous portrait of ,charles ,i4 ,when exposed to the air the dust crumbled away4 ,after preaching at ,windsor1 as a student1 several times1 ,i received an invitation to become co-pastor of the ,congregational church4 ,the ,rev4 ,a4 ,redford1 a man of singular consistency of character1 who by his conduct as a ,christian minister won the respect and confidence of the town generally1 as well as of his own little flock1 had been in office for many years1 and needed assistance in his sacred calling4 ,he won my heart2 and as a son with a father ,i laboured with him in the gospel4 ,george ,,iii41 who had a domestic or two in his household attending on this good man's preaching1 was heard to say3 8,the clergy are paid by the country to pray for me1 but ,mr4 ,redford's praying is without pay40 ,in the prospect of my becoming co-pastor1 the congregation in #ahcb determined to build a new chapel1 the one in existence being not sufficiently large2 and as a sign of the honour in which the senior minister was held1 ,i may mention1 that ,church-people1 as well as ,dissenters1 contributed to the fund4 ,the late ,earl of ,derby1 then ,mr4 ,stanley1 who represented the borough1 subscribed #ej4 ,the other member gave a like sum4 ,the vicar and almost all the leading inhabitants were found on the list4 ,the fact is now mentioned to indicate the good understanding between different classes of religionists which then existed in ,windsor4 ,i was ordained the day after the new chapel was opened1 at the beginning of ,may #ahcc4 ,it was a service long to be remembered4 ,such services were thought more of in those days than they are now4 ,ministers and friends came from a great distance1 and a large congregation was sure to assemble4 ,generally the spirit was devout4 ,an introductory discourse illustrated the grounds of ,nonconformity4 ,after this several questions were answered by the candidate1 as to his ,christian experience1 doctrinal sentiments1 and reasons for believing he had a call to the ministry4 ,a deacon of the ,church related the steps which had led to the present choice1 and1 afterwards1 the ordination prayer was offered with a solemn laying on of hands4 ,in my case1 my venerated co-pastor fulfilled this duty2 and it was interesting to me that1 in like manner1 he had been ordained by ,rowland ,hill4 ,a charge to the inducted minister followed2 then came a sermon to the people1 pointing out their duties4 ,the holy influence of that day rests on me to this hour1 after the lapse of more than fifty years4 ,the fresh impetus now given to our religious work served to stimulate friends in the ,establishment1 who had so helped us in our department of the one great cause4 ,a ,sunday evening service was commenced in the parish church1 and a new ,episcopal place of worship was erected in ,eton1 where it was much needed4 ,in addition to the vicar of ,windsor and his curates1 some of the masters at ,eton ,college came forward in parish work1 rendering help by sermons at a third ,sunday service then recently commenced4 ,the ,rev4 ,t4 ,chapman1 afterwards a ,colonial bishop1 took the lead1 and did much to revive religion in the town4 ,but the most distinguished labourer at the time was the ,rev4 ,g4 ,a4 ,selwyn1 then connected with ,eton1 who was afterwards one of the most heroic missionary bishops of modern times2 with him it was my privilege to co-operate in the establishment of the ,windsor ,infants' ,school4 lie would fain have induced me to enter the ,establishment1 but though he did not succeed in that respect1 he ever treated me with a brotherly regard1 which ,i sincerely reciprocated4 ,before he embarked for his distant field of labour he wrote a farewell note in which he said3 8,on the few points in which we differ1 ,i thank ,god we have been enabled to dwell1 often at some length1 without one particle of that acrimony which often discredits controversy1 and proves it to proceed rather from human passions than from zeal for the truth of ,god4 ,i cannot recollect1 throughout all our intercourse1 one single word which can be considered as a breach of charity between us4 ,for this ,i am especially thankful1 that when ,i go to offer up my gift upon far distant altars1 ,i shall have left no brother at home1 with whom ,i ought first to have been reconciled40 ,i had a ticket for ,st4 ,george's ,chapel when ,william ,,iv4 was interred4 ,the interior of the building was dark1 except as illumined by torches in the hands of soldiers who lined the nave1 and by numerous lights within the choir4 ,when the procession drew up about nine o'clock1 at the south entrance1 the blaze of outside torches was seen through the stained windows2 then the appearance of heralds in their tabards followed3 next the slow march of mourners close to the coffin1 the ,duke of ,sussex being most conspicuous2 afterwards a funeral dirge echoed from the fretted roof4 ,the silence was further broken by the ,burial ,service and the repetition of royal titles4 8,sic transit gloria mundi0 came last1 and left an ineffaceable impression4 ,i was further favoured with a ticket to see the coronation in ,westminster ,abbey4 ,when the procession entered the nave1 officers of state and foreign ambassadors appeared in rich costume4 ,diamond-decked coats and rich mantles made a grand show1 yet they chiefly served to set off the simple dignity of the queen in her early girlhood1 whilst a spell of loyalty touched spectators looking down from lofty galleries4 ,the coronation shout of 8,god save the ,queen0 needed to be heard that it might be fully understood4 ,afterwards1 a stream of dignified personages1 with mantles and coronets1 issued from the choir and covered the nave with a tesselated pattern of rich colours4 ,to the coronation succeeded the royal marriage1 honoured at ,windsor by extraordinary festivities2 and at night the cortge of the bride and bridegroom1 on their way to the castle through decorated and illuminated streets1 evoked a rapturous welcome from assembled thousands4 ,but what above all other incidents of that occasion lives in my memory at the present moment is the sudden view which ,i caught a day or two afterwards of the wedded pair in a pony carriage1 driven by the bridegroom as his bride nestled beside him1 under his wing1 with simplicity which gave exquisite finish to the chief pictures which passed before me that summer4 ,another incident may be mentioned4 ,at a town meeting it was proposed that an address of congratulation should be presented to ,her ,majesty by the mayor and others4 ,the presentation followed at a leve4 ,it was interesting to see notabilities assembled in ,st4 ,james's ,palace at the first public reception by ,her ,majesty after the royal marriage4 ,amongst a crowd of noblemen in the ante-room were pointed out1 in particular1 ,dr4 ,phillpotts1 ,bishop of ,exeter1 with an eagle eye indicative of his intellect1 and ,joseph ,hume1 the sturdy economist2 both of them much talked of at that period4 ,others ,i have forgotten4 ,after waiting we were ushered into the presence1 the ,queen1 with ,prince ,albert at her side1 occupying a place near a window not far from the entrance door4 ,since that ,i have knelt before ,her ,majesty more than once1 but how great the difference between the first and last occasions--the girl become a matron1 the sparkling bride a sorrowful widow1 and the newly-married wife a mother with sons and daughters standing round in reverence and affection4 ,if ,i may here anticipate a ,windsor ceremonial of later date1 let me mention the royal presentation of colours to a regiment of ,highlanders to which ,i acted as chaplain4 ,the colours were bestowed in the quadrangle of the castle on the day when the christening of the ,prince of ,wales took place4 ,the ,prince ,consort1 the ,king of ,prussia1 and the ,duke of ,wellington1 with several other grandees1 formed a group under the shadow of the castle porch4 ,as chaplain to the regiment ,i was allowed to stand near1 and was struck with the ,prince's ,german accent1 which he seemed to conquer in later life1 when he spoke almost like a born ,englishman4 ,the ,duke addressed the soldiers in his accustomed plain style1 giving them very good advice4 ,preparations for the banquet in ,st4 ,george's ,hall1 which a number of people were allowed to see1 were very magnificent1 tables being covered with gold and silver plate4 ,some antique pieces brought from the ,tower were of special interest4 ,in the evening ,i joined the non-commissioned officers1 to whom a dinner was given1 and ,i was glad of an opportunity to recall to their minds the ,duke's address4 ,this ,highland regiment while in ,windsor attended worship in our chapel1 when the band accompanied the singing1 and ,highland bonnets hung round1 outside the galleries4 ,i visited the barracks1 conversed and prayed with the sick1 and baptised the children4 ,my relations with the colonel and the officers were pleasant during the whole time that the ,scotch remained in ,windsor4 ,going back a few years1 let me notice 8,eton ,montem10 then witnessed in all its splendour4 ,approaches to the college were guarded by boys in fancy costumes3 coloured velvet coats1 yellow boots1 caps decorated with graceful plumes1 appeared on the scene4 ,the youngsters levied a tax on all comers1 calling it 8salt10 which they deposited in bags suspended from their necks4 ,as royal carriages swept across ,windsor bridge1 picturesque sentinels received handsome donations from royal hands4 ,the gifts1 together with a large number of others1 formed a fund for the captain of the school to defray his expenses at ,cambridge1 whither he was sent in prospect of a fellowship4 ,the procession of boys to ,salt ,hill1 where the captain waved a flag after a prescribed fashion1 excited immense interest1 and was witnessed by multitudes4 ,the sight in the college gardens as the day closed1 afforded perhaps the best of the pageant1 for these lads1 attired in ,turkish1 ,greek1 ,italian1 and other showy garbs1 mixed with their friends so as to form a picture of animated life1 with old trees and old buildings for a background4 ,i had not been long in the town before ,i became intimately connected with the ,british and ,foreign ,bible ,society1 which laid a strong hold on my affections as a boy1 and to which ,i firmly adhered1 after ,i became a man4 ,our auxiliary was a flourishing one4 ,some relatives of ,lord ,bexley1 president of the parent society1 lived in our neighbourhood1 and used to come over to our annual gatherings in the ,town ,hall4 ,one of them1 the ,rev4 ,mr4 ,neal1 of ,taplow1 was a constant visitor4 ,he typified a class of men now almost extinct4 ,they loved the ,establishment1 and1 judging of it by its formularies1 identified it with the cause of evangelical religion4 ,they knew much less of ,anglo-,catholic theology than of ,puritanical works4 ,owen and ,baxter occupied a conspicuous place on their literary shelves1 by the side of ,latimer and ,calvin4 ,the ,evangelicals were nevertheless faithful to their own ecclesiastical order1 preferring episcopacy to any other form of government4 ,not on social or literary grounds had they sympathy with ,dissenters1 or from what is now recognised as 8breadth of opinion10 but they cultivated union1 on purely evangelical grounds4 ,at our ,bible ,meeting1 with good old ,mr4 ,neale1 other evangelical clergymen were present1 also one of our borough members1 ,mr4 ,ramsbottom1 ,m4,p4 7who always took the chair71 and ,sir ,john ,chapman1 a strong conservative ,churchman1 was sure to be on the platform4 ,i cannot say that the speeches were brilliant1 though the deputation from ,london interested us much4 ,first came ,mr4 ,dudley1 who had been a ,quaker1 but was then an ,episcopalian2 and1 to the facts he detailed1 there were added peculiarities of utterance1 which gave a flavour to what he said4 ,he slightly stuttered2 and once1 as he described how the blind were taught to read with their fingers the pages of embossed ,bibles1 he said it reminded him of the words1 8,that they should seek the ,lord1 if haply1 they might feel after ,him and find ,him40 ,hesitation of speech made the quotation increasingly effective4 ,after him came ,mr4 ,bourne1 who had1 ,i believe1 been formerly a stipendiary magistrate in the ,west ,indies2 and he had a singular click in his voice4 ,he told a story of some ladies who had coloured their maps so as to distinguish1 by a pink colour1 the countries where the ,bible was circulated--thus 8pinking the world for ,christ40 ,the good man's click told curiously on his pronunciation of words2 and ,i used1 sometimes1 to make my ,bible ,society friends smile1 by inquiring whether they offered a premium for agents with a 8diversity of tongues40 ,the ,rev4 ,sydney ,godolphin ,osborne--the famous 8,s4 ,g4 ,o40 of ,the ,times newspaper--had at that period a living near ,windsor1 and took great interest in our auxiliary4 ,he was a fine1 tall1 aristocratic young man1 of straightforward character1 strong common sense1 and a racy style of utterance4 ,he made capital speeches1 and in many ways helped on our work2 in one way especially1 which deserves distinct mention4 ,he thought it would be a good thing to obtain royal patronage for our auxiliary1 though ,her ,majesty's name was not identified with the parent society4 ,he wrote to ,lord ,john ,russell1 then a ,cabinet ,minister 7whose brother1 ,lord ,wriothesley ,russell1 after he became ,canon of ,windsor1 lovingly supported our cause74 ,when ,lord ,john laid the request before ,her ,majesty1 she graciously gave her name as local patroness1 and sent a donation of twenty guineas4 ,it is worth mentioning that this occurred at a time when party politics were running high4 ,two letters communicating the ,queen's kindness may be here inserted4 ,the first was addressed to the ,honourable ,godolphin ,osborne4 8,,sir1 8,i have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your letter respecting #8,the ,windsor ,auxiliary ,bible ,society1' on which the ,queen was last year pleased to bestow her patronage1 which ,i have submitted to the ,queen1 and though ,her ,majesty does not usually grant a donation to those institutions to which ,her ,majesty's patronage only has been given1 yet1 the ,queen1 taking into her consideration that the establishment in question is in the immediate neighbourhood of ,windsor ,castle1 has been pleased to direct me to forward twenty guineas as a donation4 ,i beg to enclose a draft for that sum1 and request you will have the goodness to acknowledge its receipt4 8,i have the honour to be1 8,your most obedient servant1 8,h4 ,,wheatley40 ,this letter was conveyed to me by the person addressed1 who added the following note3-- 8,i wrote to ,sir ,h4 ,wheatley about a donation from the ,queen to the ,bible ,society4 ,i have received a satisfactory answer1 and a draft for twenty guineas4 ,if it meets your approbation1 ,i would wish that the fact should not be known to any but ourselves just now4 ,at the present moment the country is so party-mad1 and there is such a determination to catch at anything for party purposes1 that ,i am anxious to avoid giving a handle of any sort to either side in a matter which has no real reference to politics4 ,i only wrote last week from ,wales1 and got an immediate answer1 which ,i have acknowledged1 saying1 at the same time1 that at the anniversary meeting a more official acknowledgment will be sent4 8,i remain1 8,yours truly1 8,,godolphin ,,osborne40 ,this letter sheds light on the state of public feeling existing at that day4 ,in connection with the town of ,windsor1 let me mention two or three traditions ,i received from the lips of my beloved wife1 who became the light of my dwelling on ,may #abth1 #ahce4 ,her good old father1 ,mr4 ,george ,cooper1 had long been a sort of ,christian ,gaius1 receiving as guests under his hospitable roof several men and women of renown4 ,often would she speak of ,rowland ,hill1 who repeatedly visited her home on his way to ,wotton-under-,edge1 where he spent the summer months4 ,he delighted to preach in our little chapel in ,high ,street1 where the ,eton boys would attend to see and hear the eccentric old clergyman1 who in his youth had been one of their predecessors as a schoolboy4 ,he would tell ,mr4 ,cooper how he used sometimes to steal at eventide beyond ,eton bounds1 to attend a prayer-meeting in a cottage1 which he could reach only by leaping over a ditch with the help of a long pole4 ,he allowed the good woman who lived there an annuity1 which ,mr4 ,cooper used to convey as long as she lived4 ,rowland ,hill liked to hear at ,high ,street ,chapel the ,hundredth ,psalm in ,watts's ,hymn-book1 and the youngsters who came used to alter the last verse1 shouting3 8,when ,rowland ,hill shall cease to move40 ,i remember hearing how ,charles ,wesley1 the son of the great hymn-writer1 visited the town1 accompanied by his sister1 and spent an evening in ,mr4 ,cooper's house1 greatly to the joy of my wife as a girl4 ,they arrived in a sedan chair1 dressed in ,court costume4 ,his execution on the piano was surprising2 and those who watched his thick1 short fingers1 as they swept over the keys1 said it was miraculous how he played4 ,before ,i conclude what ,i have to say of my life in ,windsor1 let me advert to attempts ,i made to promote intellectual and literary improvement1 according to methods then beginning to be popular4 ,there was an ,institute formed in the adjoining town of ,eton for the encouragement of reading amongst such as had not enjoyed the advantages of early education4 ,a room was opened1 furnished with a few books1 where inducements to what is termed mutual improvement were provided1 and there the famous astronomer ,sir ,j4 ,f4 ,w4 ,herschell delivered an inaugural lecture1 which gave it at once a character of distinguished respectability4 ,i was invited to join in the infant enterprise1 which ,i did with pleasure and satisfaction1 and felt it an honour to become one of its lecturers4 ,the effort made at ,eton was followed at ,windsor4 ,i threw myself into the enterprise1 and worked on its behalf as long as ,i remained in the town4 ,the committee honoured me with an invitation to lecture in the ,town ,hall1 where my effort was kindly accepted by a large audience2 a short course on the ,history of the ,castle and ,town followed4 ,this1 by request1 was published in a volume dedicated1 by permission1 to the ,prince ,consort4 ,in its preparation assistance had been furnished through books1 documents1 and advice1 by residents in the town1 and by officials in the castle4 ,in concluding this chapter1 ,i am constrained to notice some friendships which were enjoyed by me during my ,windsor residence4 ,poyle is a small hamlet on the ,great ,western road not far from ,windsor1 near ,colnbrook4 ,sixty years ago a long line of mail coaches passed every night the turnpike-gate1 as cottagers heard the blast of the guard's horn1 and stepped out to see the coachmen1 in like livery1 handling the reins which guided their teams4 ,hard by the spot there was a paper mill1 spanning a pretty little river1 the ,coln1 which kept the machinery in motion4 ,the whole formed a picture common in the early part of this century1 not so common now4 ,close to the mill were two goodly residences1 occupied by two brothers named ,ibotson1 of an old ,nonconformist stock1 who could trace back religious ancestors to ,puritan days4 ,what pleasant gatherings of congenial friends ,i met with at ,poyle6--neighbouring pastors1 and the ,rev4 ,joshua ,clarkson ,harrison1 born not far off1 and at the time building up a goodly reputation in ,london and its environs1 were of the number4 ,in contrast with these bright circumstances1 ,i must notice incidents of a far different kind4 ,my dear wife lost about that time two brothers in early life by what we call accidents2 but1 worse still1 while ,i was from home one summer1 my beloved mother1 who lived with me1 set fire to her muslin dress1 while the servant was absent1 and immediately became enveloped in flames4 ,some one passing by endeavoured to render assistance1 but it was too late1 and the next morning she expired4 ,bright summer weather was for a long time after that1 to my eyes1 covered with a pall of darkness2 and to look on the blue sky and the gay summer flowers only made me more sad4 ,,chapter ,,iv #ahcg-ahdc ,,being disposed beyond immediate pastoral duties to help in religious work outside1 ,i found ample opportunities for doing it4 ,sir ,culling ,eardley was at that time zealous in the furtherance of village preaching4 ,coming to ,windsor1 he offered to help us in purchasing a tent for services in the neighbourhood4 ,it was procured and employed1 but with less success than had attended his enterprise of the same kind in ,hertfordshire4 ,i undertook1 at his request1 a fortnight's tour in that county1 and one evening preached near a wood1 where ,john ,bunyan1 in days of persecution1 addressed the neglected peasantry4 ,revivalism at the period now referred to1 attracted attention in ,england1 in part owing to the circulation of ,american books1 and the preaching of ,american divines4 ,a great awakening occurred at ,reading1 ,henley1 ,maidenhead1 and ,windsor4 ,streams of people might be seen on dark winter mornings1 lantern in hand1 on their way to the place of prayer4 ,chapels were thronged1 ministers were in full sympathy with each other2 all worked with a will4 ,looking back on the whole1 ,i believe genuine good was done2 yet in some instances the effect was transient4 ,conversion was insisted upon1 and peace with ,god through ,jesus ,christ was offered2 but whether moral improvement in the details of human life was proportionally emphasised1 and practically carried out1 ,i am not prepared to say4 ,certainly1 appeals respecting holiness in general were not wanting4 ,rightly to adjust the balance1 so as to guard against self-righteousness on one hand1 and the neglect of personal responsibility on the other1 requires vast wisdom4 ,to induce people to look at themselves and to ,christ also1 cannot be accomplished without thought and discrimination in promiscuous gatherings4 ,whatever might be defects in the movement1 assuredly they did not come from artificial arrangements4 ,no one can be said to have 8got up the thing40 ,at all times in the course of our ministry 8cases of conscience0 occur4 ,one in particular ,i may mention4 ,i was once sent for to visit a dying person4 ,the home1 the people1 the surroundings1 excited revulsion1 as well as a determination to improve a strange opportunity4 ,i found a young woman on her deathbed1 and another sitting by1 who used phraseology indicative of evangelical sentiment4 ,she offered to leave the room that the patient might unburthen her mind to me4 ,it was obvious some secret of guilt lay on the sufferer's conscience4 ,i had no wish to be a father confessor1 and pointed her to the only ,one who can pardon sin4 ,at last the dying creature uttered a piercing exclamation1 which seemed to me an acknowledgment of sin4 ,what the secret was she did not disclose4 ,presently she entered 8the silent land40 ,when ,i called again1 ,i intimated to her attendant my surprise at what she had said1 for ,i could not doubt that she was leading an immoral life4 ,she frankly confessed she had fallen into vice1 after expressing a belief that she had been converted1 and had been a 8child of ,god40 ,the incident was affecting1 instructive1 and admonitory4 ,public questions interested me much1 and ,i took part in those which belonged to philanthropy and religion4 ,amongst them at the time ,i speak of1 negro emancipation stood foremost4 ,from boyhood it laid hold on me4 ,speeches at ,norwich1 by ,joseph ,john ,gurney and others1 had left an abiding impression2 and when the great controversy became ripe for settlement1 ,i threw myself into the struggle4 ,the excitement throughout the nation was intense1 and it laid hold chiefly of the religious section of the ,british public4 ,missionaries had been at work amongst negroes1 and had seen the horrors of the system4 ,the persecution of ,smith1 a missionary in ,demerara1 who died in prison1 evoked passionate sympathy2 and the appeal of ,knibb1 another missionary1 who came over as an advocate of emancipation1 struck the nail on the head1 and drove it into the centre of this colossal wrong4 ,nothing is more manifest1 to those who witnessed what went on in ,england half a century ago for slave emancipation1 than that1 however manifold the arguments employed1 however numerous the methods and agencies in motion1 it was ,christianity which lay at the heart of the movement4 ,quakers were amongst the most zealous co-operators in this advocacy for freedom1 and ,i much enjoyed the fellowship into which ,i was brought with followers of ,george ,fox1 early family associations strengthening bonds of friendship between us4 ,deputations went up to ,london to wait upon ,mr4 ,stanley1 ,colonial ,secretary1 afterwards ,earl of ,derby1 and ,i well remember the crowd gathered in a large room in ,downing ,street1 to strengthen the hands of that gentleman in his chivalrous enterprise4 ,the history of steps which led to the final victory it is not for me to tell in these pages1 but ,i may mention the third reading by the ,lords of the ,emancipation ,bill in ,august #ahcc4 ,it filled multitudes with joy2 and on ,august #ast1 #ahcd1 the ,act took effect1 when a solemn celebration of the event occurred in ,england1 as well as the ,west ,india ,islands4 ,that day ,i preached at ,windsor from ,jer4 xl4 #d3--8;,and now1 behold1 ,i loose thee this day from the chains which were upon thine hand40 ,in #ahci the ,anti-,corn ,law ,league took shape4 ,i distinctly recollect the scene presented at a great bazaar in ,covent ,garden ,theatre1 in aid of ,free ,trade1 when there was a wonderful gathering of notabilities and other folks4 ,stalls1 articles1 and ornaments1 were varied and imposing2 and as that exhibition appeared before the present age of bazaars was fully inaugurated1 it had a more dazzling and bewildering effect than efforts of the kind can have now that they have become so common4 ,dissenters' grievances1 too1 were exciting subjects in those days4 ,certain disabilities had an irritating effect on those who felt them1 and legislation was sought for their removal4 ,no doubt1 in the heat of the conflict things were said on both sides which1 on calm review1 cannot be justified2 and ,i am in my old age more than ever convinced that union of the suaviter in modo with the fortiter in re1 is the best method of conducting controversy4 ,my holidays1 whilst ,i was a ,windsor pastor1 were spent in preaching2 but there were two exceptions1 when ,i broke ground as a tourist4 ,travelling in ,nottinghamshire and the neighbouring counties1 ,i visited ,newstead ,abbey with a fresh remembrance of ,washington ,irving's description of the place4 ,i had a gossip with an old domestic1 who told me stories of ,lord ,byron1 whom she knew as a boy1 and used to carry on her back on account of his lameness4 ,he pricked and otherwise tormented the patient creature1 so as1 on one occasion1 to provoke her so much1 that she boldly ventured on a rather amusing act of retaliation4 ,leaning over her shoulders to look into an old chest full of feathers1 she1 to use her own words1 8copped him over1 and he came out for all the world just like a young owlet40 ,what ,i then heard of his early days gave me an unfavourable idea of that child of genius1 so caressed and tormented1 so flattered and persecuted1 so early thrown into unfortunate circumstances1 and altogether so badly brought up4 ,what a contrast between two poets1 whose memories came vividly before me during this tour6--,byron and ,scott1 both of them lame for life2 one a stranger to the other's purity4 ,years afterwards ,i heard ,dean ,stanley preach a sermon to children1 in which1 with his characteristic felicity of thought1 he spoke of the contrasted influences of physical deformity in these two instances--how the club foot of the first was an occasion of mortified pride and ill-nature1 and the club foot of the second was borne with patience and contentment4 ,the story of ,byron's club foot is now treated by some ,i hear as a popular delusion2 but1 at all events1 he had something the matter with his foot which irritated his temper and made him disagreeable4 ,therefore the ,dean's moral lesson remains untouched4 ,in connection with good humour and kindness1 a physical defect may be only a foil to set off moral excellence4 ,after passing through ,yorkshire1 ,durham1 and ,northumberland in company with my dear friend ,harrison1 we reached ,edinburgh by coach at midnight to find ourselves in the morning amidst grand preparations for the ,queen's first arrival in the ,scottish capital4 ,the view at noon from ,calton ,hill1 as the arrangements for receiving royalty had reached their acme1 was most magnificent4 ,princes ,street1 from end to end1 presented multitudes of people in holiday attire1 military uniforms1 tartan1 kilts and feathered bonnets1 gave rich plays of colour4 ,the crowd waited and waited1 but no ,queen appeared4 ,night fell1 and the expectants went to bed disappointed4 ,next morning every one was taken by surprise1 for ,her ,majesty1 having been detained at sea1 landed at ,leith1 whilst the ,lord ,provost was still asleep4 ,my friend and ,i afterwards went to ,stirling1 and identified historic points which dot the field of ,bannockburn--then to ,perth1 ,dunkeld1 ,killiecrankie1 and ,blair ,atholl4 ,in the course of numerous journeys ,i had opportunities of seeing the real state of ,nonconformity in rural districts4 ,it was then much better than some people suppose4 ,there were then families of influence identified with country places of worship1 who have not left behind them sympathetic representatives4 ,the revival of religion in the ,national ,church has produced a considerable change in the relative position of ecclesiastical parties4 ,sunday evening services in cathedral and parish church1 and the pastoral activity of incumbents and curates1 with numerous missionary and other organisations1 have produced effects very visible in the eyes of old people1 who can look back on the religious condition of ,england during the first quarter of the present century4 ,my first ,continental tour occurred before ,i left ,windsor4 ,i visited a family at ,rotterdam into which a fellow-student had married1 and had pleasant insights into ,dutch life4 ,after peeps at the ,hague1 ,leyden1 and ,amsterdam1 abounding in a gratification of antiquarian and historical taste1 slowly proceeding up the ,rhine1 ,i felt all the enthusiasm incident to a young traveller as he first gazes on castle-crowned hills which line the river4 ,many and many a ramble since on those romantic banks have increased rather than diminished my admiration of the ,rhine4 ,friendships have through life been essential to my enjoyment1 ,i might almost say to my existence4 ,intimate acquaintance with people of remarkable character in my ,windsor days was a source of intense gratification4 ,the ,rev4 ,w4 ,walford1 for some years minister of a ,congregational ,church at ,yarmouth1 then classical tutor at ,homerton ,college1 and finally pastor of the old ,meeting ,house1 ,uxbridge1 was one of the most remarkable men ,i ever knew4 ,i see him now1 with his handsome face1 bald head1 well-knit form1 keen eyes1 compressed lips1 rather tottering in gait1 and brusque in manner4 ,what walks and talks we had6 ,in conversation he expressed himself with singular accuracy on theological and metaphysical subjects4 ,he had ,butler and ,jonathan ,edwards at his fingers' ends1 and could pack into a few words some of their most abstruse definitions and arguments4 ,he had a habit of turning round when you walked with him1 and standing face to face1 when he would1 in a most luminous style1 state his propositions and adduce his proofs4 ,he read ,sir ,william ,hamilton with immense admiration1 though he did not in all respects adopt his views2 and1 at a period when looseness of religious thought was becoming prevalent1 it was a treat to see him make a stand1 figuratively as well as literally1 for a distinct utterance of what people believe4 ,from no man's conversation have ,i derived more instruction and advantage4 ,i can never forget his reading to me1 with tears in his eyes1 a translation he had made of ,plato's 8,phaedo40 ,one day an old gentleman called to say he was about to reside at ,old ,windsor1 and intended joining our worship at ,william ,street ,chapel4 ,he had a cheerful1 lively expression of countenance1 with a few short grey locks on each side of his bald head1 and showed in his gait signs of paralytic seizure4 ,full of humour and kindness1 he made a pleasant impression4 ,thus began my friendship with ,mr4 ,samuel ,bagster of famous ,polyglot memory4 ,notwithstanding his lameness1 he could at that time walk from ,old ,windsor to our house with the aid of a stick1 only asking a helping hand at the commencement of his pedestrian attempts4 ,thus started off he would steadily pursue his journey dressed in a short cloak and wearing a very broad-brimmed hat4 ,he was one of the chattiest1 most amusing friends ,i ever had4 ,he possessed a large fund of anecdotes1 which he knew ,i liked2 and from time to time1 as ,i visited his house1 he doled them out with no niggard hand4 ,he had lived on books1 and books were his delight4 ,many choice editions in handsome bindings lined the walls in his rambling1 quaint sort of residence1 where also flowers1 gathered in his little garden1 formed conspicuous ornaments4 ,there he would sit nursing his foot1 complaining of pain in his great toe1 and would launch out for a pleasant sail over the lake of memory1 and take me from one point to another4 ,the old books he had bought and sold1 the circumstances connected with the origin of his ,polyglot and ,hexapla1 the fire which occurred on his premises in ,paternoster ,row--these he would narrate in a characteristic way4 ,he often talked about the ,french ,revolution and events connected with it in our own country4 ,clubs of a more than questionable description were established1 and he told me that1 invited by a person of his own age to attend a meeting held in an obscure street1 he was surprised1 on his entrance1 to find a number of men ranged on either side of a room1 sitting by long tables1 with a cross one at the upper end4 ,there sat the president for the evening4 ,several foaming tankards were brought in1 when the president calling on the company to rise1 took up one of the pots1 and striking off the foam which crested the porter1 gave as a toast3 8,so let all 4 4 4 perish40 ,the blank was left to be filled up as each drinker pleased4 ,the avowed dislike to kings entertained by these boon companions suggested to ,mr4 ,bagster the word 8kings0 or 8tyrants02 and at once he gladly left the place1 not a little alarmed1 lest he should be suspected of treasonable designs4 ,with characteristic caution1 he took care not to observe the thoroughfare through which he passed on his way back1 that he might be able conscientiously to declare he did not know the situation of the place4 ,he also related that his father had a workman in his employ1 whom he knew to be a disaffected subject4 ,he expostulated with him on the horrors of a revolution as illustrated in ,france1 and dwelt upon the confusion which would ensue upon outbreaks on established order4 ,the man lifted up the skirt of his threadbare coat against the window1 and significantly asked3 8,pray1 sir1 what have ,i to lose80 ,my friend was no ,radical1 no ,whig1 but a ,tory of the old-fashioned type1 who approved of things as they were1 without1 however1 any consciousness of wishing to tyrannise over other people4 ,he was a great admirer of ,izaak ,walton1 and had made a collection of drawings illustrative of his 8,compleat ,angler10 of which he intended to publish a new edition1 with a life of the author4 ,when he had completed his 8,comprehensive ,bible10 which1 by permission1 he dedicated to ,george ,,iv41 he was allowed personally to present it to ,his ,majesty2 and ,i have heard him say that on that occasion he was introduced to the royal presence by the ,archbishop of ,canterbury4 ,the publisher was already paralysed1 and could walk only with a tottering step2 but the ,primate gave him his arm1 and led him up to the so-called first gentleman of ,europe1 who received him very graciously1 and accepted at his hands the handsomely-bound volume4 ,there were other people ,i met with at ,windsor whom ,i may mention4 ,at the house of ,dr4 ,ferguson1 a ,scotch physician of good birth and high culture1 ,i met with his son-in-law1 the ,rev4 ,mr4 ,moultrie1 ,incumbent at ,rugby1 and friend of ,dr4 ,arnold4 ,he was a man of genius and piety1 and gave a conviction of personal goodness1 which made me value his volume of poems even more than ,i had done before4 ,i like to look at authors through their books1 and then again at books through their authors4 ,in some cases the personal damages the literary judgment2 but in many cases ,i have enjoyed works much more after knowing the worker4 ,mr4 ,jesse1 the naturalist1 was another of my acquaintances4 ,he held an office in connection with royal parks and palaces1 and ,i spent pleasant hours as he drove me in his little pony gig from ,windsor to ,hampton ,court1 in the restoration of which he felt great delight4 ,an amiable disposition1 gentlemanly manners1 and large information1 made him an excellent companion4 ,from the account he gave of his early life ,i found his father was a clergyman1 a friend of ,lady ,huntingdon's1 and an occasional preacher at ,spafields ,chapel4 ,mr4 ,stark1 the eminent landscape artist1 was one of my hearers1 a man of decided religious convictions1 and conscientious in art as in other things4 ,he and ,mr4 ,bristow1 the animal painter1 were amongst my friends2 and in ,windsor ,forest they found subjects for their united skill1 ,stark putting in the trees1 ,bristow dogs and horses4 ,amongst ,london friends at that time1 and long afterwards was ,john ,bergne1 brother to my fellow-student ,samuel ,bergne1 already mentioned4 ,clerk in the ,foreign ,office1 he rose to the superintendence of the ,treaty ,department4 ,full of knowledge respecting ,european affairs1 he often amused me by his taciturnity whenever they came on the carpet1--abstinence from communication of office secrets having become to him second nature4 ,his mind was rich with information on various subjects2 and in the science of numismatics he was well skilled4 ,his collection of coins was of great value1 including examples of ,english money from the earliest time1 and valuable portions of 8great finds0 in ,greek states4 ,his affluent conversation1 overflowing with humour1 his rapid utterance and command of language surpassed what ,i have heard from many good talkers1 whom it has been my fortune to meet with during a long life4 ,with other remarkable persons1 ,i became intimately acquainted after my removal to ,kensington4 ,these ,i shall notice in their proper place4 ,in #ahcc arose the ,puseyite or ,tractarian controversy as it was called4 ,of this a full account is given by ,dr4 ,newman1 in his 8,apologia0--an account1 of course1 proceeding from his own point of view4 ,the strife both inside and outside the ,university of ,oxford1 where the masters of the ,tractarian movement lived and worked1 was of the hottest kind2 and those engaged in it on both sides1 under the influence of party feeling1 failed to appreciate each other's position1 and to estimate correctly the tendencies involved4 ,the ,anglo-,catholics did not believe they were so near ,rome2 the staunch ,protestants did not calculate on the wonderful effect which the controversy would have in stirring up the latent energies of the ,church1 and in modifying forms of worship1 even amongst ,evangelical parties4 ,an amusing story ,i remember hearing when the famous ,tract1 8,no4 #ij10 was published4 ,the then ,bishop of ,winchester 7,i think7 wished to see it1 and wrote to his bookseller to forward a copy1 but from illegibility of penmanship 8,no #ij0 was mistaken for 8,no go02 and the poor bookseller1 after inquiring in the ,row for a pamphlet with that title1 wrote to inform his ,lordship1 that there was no such tract in the market4 ,the story ran its round1 and the ,evangelicals pronounced 8,no4 #ij0 8,no go40 ,dr4 ,newman condensed within the space of a few years the ,romeward tendencies of ,christendom during successive ages3 starting with ,tractarian doctrines1 it was consistent for him to become a ,roman ,catholic in the sequel2 and ,dr4 ,pusey1 in pausing where he did1 never explained the grounds of his practical inconsistency4 ,i felt it my duty to point out the unscriptural character of the ,tractarian movement in a course of lectures1 afterwards published under the title of 8,tractarian ,theology40 ,,chapter ,v #ahdc-ahej ,i ,,was quite satisfied with my position at ,windsor and had no thoughts of leaving it1 when ,dr4 ,vaughan of ,kensington accepted the principalship of ,lancashire ,college1 and at the same time overtures were made by his ,church to me that ,i should succeed him in the vacant pastorate4 ,i can truly say that my desires were on the side of remaining where ,i was4 ,i only wished to know the ,divine ,master's will4 ,i felt unwilling to accept what looked like preferment2 but after visiting ,kensington and preaching there1 the path before me appeared pretty plain4 ,i accepted the call ,i received4 8,it seems like a dream10 ,i wrote to my predecessor4 8,yes10 he replied2 8but it is like ,joseph's--a dream from the ,lord40 ,it was a curious coincidence that the ,church at ,windsor and the ,church at ,kensington were both in their origin connected with a coachman in the service of ,george ,,iii4 ,his name was ,saunders1 and he enjoyed his royal master's confidence4 ,they used to talk together about religion1 and1 encouraged by the ,king's good opinion1 the servant put tracts in the carriage pocket2 and when ,his ,majesty had read them he asked for more4 ,as the royal residence was sometimes in town1 and sometimes at ,windsor1 the home of ,saunders varied accordingly1 and he felt an interest in both neighbourhoods1 especially as it regarded the humbler class4 ,he probably caught the revivalist spirit prevalent a hundred years ago1 and did what he could to gather people together for religious impression4 ,in this way a room called 8,the ,hole in the ,wall0 came to be the cradle of ,windsor ,congregationalism2 and a 8humble dwelling10 mentioned by the ,kensington historian1 was birthplace to the congregation which afterwards assembled in ,hornton ,street4 8,when the faithful servant begged permission1 on account of age1 to retire from ,his ,majesty's service1 that he might reside at ,kensington1 it was not without an expression of regret on the part of the monarch2 but the request was granted1 and as often as the ,king afterwards passed through the place he took the most kind and condescending notice of his coachman40 #gg ,in 8,poems by ,john ,moultrie10 there occur these lines-- 8,i have a son1 a third sweet son1 his age ,i cannot tell1 ,for they reckon not by years and months where he is gone to dwell40 ,during the first three years of my ,kensington residence1 there were three little children taken from us1 and translated to that mysterious world1 where our time reckonings are lost in an incomprehensible eternity4 ,altogether six children were brought with us from ,windsor2 and to these were added five more in the first few years after our removal--making the domestic flock at the time ,i speak of eleven4 ,of that number only four remain on earth at this time1 #gh--;a fact which tells of joy1 and of much sorrow1 at the hands of our ,heavenly ,father4 ,three were taken from us between #ahdc and #ahdi4 ,during my ,windsor life ,i began to take a deep interest in the writings of ,dr4 ,arnold1 and afterwards1 when his ,life appeared1 written by his admiring pupil1 ,dr4 ,stanley1 that interest increased4 ,as ,i read these memoirs ,i little thought that ,i should share in the ,biographer's friendship2 and my admiration of the two men was so deep that ,i attribute any improvement in my mind and character since1 greatly to their combined influence4 ,through life ,i have been more than ordinarily benefited by their works1 and as to the ,master of ,rugby ,school1 ,i have always been eager to learn what ,i could from any ,rugby pupils ,i happened to know4 ,at this moment there comes to my recollection an anecdote related by a friend who had been a ,rugby boy4 ,he told me that some accident happened at chapel in the upsetting of ,bibles or prayer-books1 and their fall from the gallery created much disturbance4 ,boys who were suspected of having a share in causing what happened were called up by the ,master1 and my informant was of the number4 ,he told me that ,dr4 ,arnold trusted a boy who denied any offence of which he was accused until clear proof appeared to the contrary4 ,this was designed to keep up mutual confidence4 ,in the instance under notice the boy accused felt sure that ,dr4 ,arnold was not satisfied with the denial2 yet he allowed the matter to pass1 because he would promote confidence between master and pupil4 ,the anecdote confirms what ,i have since read4 ,he was never on the watch for boys1 and he so encouraged straightforward and manly action1 in trivial as in great things1 that there grew up a general feeling1 that 8,it was a shame to tell ,arnold a lie1 for he always believed one40 #hj ,kensington1 at the time of which ,i speak1 was famous for its number of ladies' schools1 and in them several daughters of ,nonconformist parents were receiving their education4 ,they formed an interesting part of my congregation1 and my pastoral relation to them prepared for lifelong friendships4 ,of this group of families were the ,dawsons of ,lancaster1 the ,rawsons of ,leeds1 the ,cheethams of ,staleybridge1 and the ,sharmans of ,wellingborough4 ,with all of them ,i became intimate1 and their friendships have proved no small comfort to me in later life4 ,parents of these families were distinguished by usefulness in many ways4 ,mr4 ,rawson was the well-known gifted hymn-writer2 and ,mr4 ,cheetham was ,m4,p41 and took an active part in the repeal of the ,corn ,laws4 ,daughters of these gentlemen were under my ministerial care while pupils at ,kensington1 and afterwards became earnest ,christian workers in different ways1 and their continued affection is a comfort to me in my old age4 ,a son of ,mr4 ,dawson married a daughter of ,mr4 ,rawson1 and immediately they went to ,china for mission work2 but the broken-down health of the husband compelled his speedy return to ,england4 ,he is now doing good work as one of the ,london ,city ,mission secretaries4 ,in connection with ,kensington1 ,i would further mention other helpers3 ,mr4 and ,mrs4 ,coombs of ,clapham were so4 ,mr4 ,coombs helped me especially by a large donation to the fund for building my new chapel4 ,in other ways ,i was brought into relation with him4 ,he was ,treasurer of ,new ,college1 and an active member of the ,british and ,foreign ,bible ,society1 the ,religious ,tract ,society1 and the ,london ,missionary ,society4 ,his intelligence1 aptitude for conversation1 and kind-hearted intercourse made his friendship a privilege of more than ordinary value4 ,it was intensified by his family relationship to some of my ,kensington flock1 the ,salters and the ,talfourds1 whom ,i shall mention elsewhere in these reminiscences4 ,amidst preaching and pastoral work1 it was a relief to spend a short holiday under ,mr4 ,coombs' hospitable roof at ,clapham1 where ,i found a large collection of books4 ,he died before ,i left ,kensington1 but my friendship with his wife and daughter continued till they died4 ,archdeacon ,sinclair1 who had accepted the vicarage just before ,i removed to ,kensington1 paid me a visit of welcome1 and thus laid a foundation for subsequent intercourse4 ,he was son of the well-known ,sir ,john ,sinclair1 and brother of the authoress1 ,catherine ,sinclair4 ,all the family were remarkably tall4 ,the ,archdeacon was a man of eminent culture1 and of extensive aristocratic connections4 ,his great-grandmother1 though a loyalist1 was the noted lady who aided in the escape of ,prince ,charlie1 after the battle of ,culloden4 ,this same ancestress lay buried in ,kensington ,church1 in front of the pulpit4 ,archdeacon ,sinclair was well read in theology1 widely acquainted with the controversies of the day1 and a thoroughly orthodox ,churchman2 also rich in family and ,scotch traditions4 ,he told me the ,,mss4 of ,david ,hume came into his hands1 and from perusal of them he was confirmed in his suspicion1 that the celebrated historian and philosopher had no deep convictions of any kind1 but only played with subjects he handled1 doubtful about his own doubts4 ,returning to the notice of my ministerial life1 it comes in chronological order to mention that we had at ,kensington1 in #ahdc1 ,british schools1 which1 being undenominational1 received help from ,church-people and ,dissenters4 ,they had long been patronised by distinguished personages1 and not long after ,i had become resident in the neighbourhood application was made by the committee to the ,duchess of ,inverness1 widow of the ,duke of ,sussex1 to become patroness of the schools4 ,this circumstance led her ,grace to invite me to call on her1 which ,i did4 ,i was shown into an old-fashioned drawing-room1 furnished in the style of the last century1 the walls being decorated with portraits of ,george ,,iii4 and members of his family4 ,entering the apartment was stepping back1 as it were1 to 8sixty years since40 ,an old lady of diminutive stature1 in black silk and a small cap1 presently appeared1 who entered into pleasant conversation about her late husband1 and ,mr4 ,ramsbottom1 ,m4,p4 for ,windsor1 whom ,i knew very well4 ,both of them were zealous ,freemasons4 ,her ,grace had caught their spirit1 as far as a lady could do it1 and inquired of me whether ,i was a ,mason4 ,no doubt1 could ,i have answered in the affirmative1 ,i should have risen in her estimation4 ,my visit was fruitful in reference to our schools1 for she sent a donation of #bj1 apologising for not doing more at that time4 ,kensington ,palace was then inhabited by other distinguished persons2 and one of the secretaries of the ,propagation ,society1 ,i think1 at that time performed the duties of a chaplain to those resident within the walls4 ,it is appropriate in connection with the early part of my ,kensington life to mention religious societies with which ,i closely associated myself4 ,there is no doubt some truth in the lines that1 8,distance lends enchantment to the view1 ,and clothes the mountain with an azure hue40 ,in looking at benevolent work1 remote in time or place1 we are apt to paint it in fairest colours2 but of the great importance of the religious work going on fifty years ago in ,london and the neighbourhood1 there can be no question whatever4 ,the ,british and ,foreign ,bible ,society ,i always regarded as lying at the very foundation of our religious activity4 ,it had a comprehensive ,auxiliary in the ,west ,end from the commencement of the society's operations1 and annual meetings were held in the ,haymarket1 under the presidency of royal dukes4 ,this ,auxiliary was broken into parts1 and ,kensington had a leading place amongst them4 ,traditions of earlier days were cherished when ,i began to live in the royal suburb1 and they invested our local gatherings with some dignity1 as families when divided derive honours from their common ancestry4 ,the ,missionary ,society1 as it was originally called--the ,london ,missionary ,society1 as it was afterwards named--had from the beginning been supported by our ,church2 indeed1 fathers and founders of the one appear amongst early workers in the other1 and through the ministry of ,mr4 ,clayton1 ,dr4 ,leifchild1 and ,dr4 ,vaughan1 foreign missions found zealous supporters at ,kensington4 ,the ,london ,city ,mission1 then in its early age1 had engaged my sympathies at ,windsor4 ,there we had a town missionary1 who brought us into connection with work going on in the ,metropolis4 ,consequently1 when ,i came to ,kensington1 ,i took much interest in the annual meetings of the society1 and was brought into intimate relations with its officers and supporters4 ,annual gatherings were held in ,freemasons' ,hall1 ,queen ,street1 where signs of the ,zodiac1 and portraits of ,grand ,masters1 adorned the ceiling and walls1 suggesting to speakers allusions1 obvious or far-fetched1 till they became rather threadbare and wearisome2 but1 from the beginning1 narratives by the missionaries formed a chief source of interest4 ,the ,young ,men's ,christian ,association was formed soon after ,i came to my new charge1 and with it ,i had connection from the beginning1 being first on the list of lecturers in the ,city1 before the annual courses at ,exeter ,hall commenced4 ,the ,evangelical ,alliance was founded in #ahdc1 and as a desire for union has ever been with me a 8passion10 ,i joined the ,alliance from the beginning4 ,there was great simplicity in the earliest gatherings1 and an air of novelty gave additional charms4 ,however1 some members professing catholic sympathies on the platform pursued an exclusive line of conduct on other occasions1 and this circumstance provoked unfavourable comments4 ,plausible objections1 moreover1 were made to the society's constitution--the platform1 too wide for some1 being too narrow for others4 ,i could have desired a wider basis and the furtherance of ,christian unity apart from all controversy with those who differed from us4 ,on the whole1 however1 it was a move in the right direction1 and the gatherings of its early friends in town and in other parts of the country were of an eminently joyous description4 ,sir ,culling ,eardley and others1 in private as well as public1 promoted the interests of the ,alliance4 ,at that time several influential clergymen and leading ,dissenters used to meet1 not only on the platform1 but in the homes of distinguished lay members1 who threw themselves very heartily into the movement4 ,brought into the neighbourhood of ,london1 and already known by some brethren there1 ,i soon found myself surrounded by many friends4 ,for more than a century there had been in existence an association of ,dissenting ministers1 who took the title of ,sub ,rosa1 from the confidential character of their intercourse4 ,there were some of the most distinguished ,london ,congregational ministers in the brotherhood at the time now referred to2 and they discussed points of importance1 and for the most part1 as to denominational matters1 acted in harmony4 ,some of the departed were men of great ability1 conspicuous in the pulpit and on the platform2 but the remembrance of them by the public is being gradually crowded out by new names and new questions of religious interest4 ,to turn to a very different subject1 which synchronises with the period under review2 let me notice that the month of ,october #ahde witnessed the stirring event of ,newman's secession to the ,church of ,rome4 ,it was an event of singular importance4 ,i have noticed on a previous page that the ,tractarian ,movement was regarded by many as distinctly tending in the direction of ,romanism4 ,for a considerable time such a tendency was denied on the part of its abettors generally2 yet1 even as early as ,november1 #ahce1 ,dr4 ,pusey1 who had such confidence in ,newman1 wrote to his wife3 8,i almost see elements of disunion1 in that ,john ,newman will scare people02 #hh;a and1 in #ahcf1 ,newman himself incidentally wrote3 8,as to the sacrificial view of the ,eucharist1 ,i do not see that you can find fault with the formal wording of the ,tridentine decree4 ,does not the ,article on the sacrifice of the ,mass supply the doctrine1 or notion1 to be opposed8 ,what that is1 is to be learnt historically1 ,i suppose40 ,besides the question of ,eucharistic doctrine1 ,pusey's correspondence at this time gives clear evidence of other questions1 more or less difficult1 in respect to doctrine1 practice1 or terminology1 arising out of a more general appreciation of ,church principles and order4 #hh;b ,that which was called ,puseyism prepared for ,popery2 and this was obvious to most people1 though ,pusey himself could not see it4 ,inconsistently1 as ,i think1 he remained where he was2 and1 now that he declined to follow his friend1 it is surprising he took no steps to satisfy the public as to grounds on which he himself remained in the ,church of ,england4 ,his attachment to what he deemed the ,church of his fathers1 however1 was very strong1 and he thought well of those who remained in that ,church1 though holding opinions different from his own4 ,for instance1 he wrote3 8,ever since ,i knew them1 which was not in my earliest years10 8,i have loved those who are called ,evangelicals4 ,i loved them because they loved our ,lord4 ,i loved them for their zeal for souls4 ,i often thought them narrow1 yet ,i was often drawn to individuals among them1 more than to others who held truths in common with myself1 which the ,evangelicals did not hold1 at least not explicitly40 #hi ,there is a ring in these words which shows the sympathy which ,pusey retained for those who loved the ,saviour1 though1 in ecclesiastical matters1 widely differing from ,high ,churchmen4 ,it appears to me that1 if ,pusey had been as consistent with his ,tractarian principles as ,newman was1 ,pusey would have followed ,newman to ,rome1 but1 happily1 his loving spirit for ,christian goodness kept him in communion with a ,church where he saw piety beautifully manifested by some who differed from him in ecclesiastical opinion4 ,i cannot make this reference to ,dr4 ,pusey without saying that1 with all my repugnance to his ecclesiastical opinions1 and the conviction ,i have1 that while he never became a ,romanist1 he greatly helped on the movement which carried many in the popish direction1 the perusal of his memoirs has given me a high estimate of his personal piety4 ,his devoutness1 his love to ,christ1 his unworldly habits1 his affectionate disposition1 and his self-denial in the ordering of his domestic affairs1 so as to enlarge his pecuniary contributions to religious purposes1 are worthy of their imitation who regard with sorrow his ,high-,church peculiarities4 ,might not domestic and social ties1 as well as strong attachment to the ,church of ,england from his childhood1 have had something to do with his final course8 ,the ,revolutions of #ahdh brought with them an immense amount of excitement in this country1 as in others4 ,the month of ,april in that year can never be forgotten4 ,an outbreak was feared in ,london4 ,special constables were sworn in4 ,on the ,sunday before the #ajth of the month my friend1 ,mr4 ,walford1 preached a remarkable sermon in ,kensington ,chapel4 ,his text was ,isa4 xii4 #b--8;,behold1 ,god is my salvation2 ,i will trust1 and not be afraid40 ,having unfolded the sentiment of the passage1 he applied the principle to passing events1 and spoke of the political excitement in this country at the time of the ,french ,revolution1 which he well remembered4 ,he assured us that the excitement then surpassed anything which existed at the time when he spoke1 and expressed his confidence in the rectitude and love of the ,almighty1 who maketh the wrath of man to praise ,him4 ,the preacher's age1 and his vivid recollection of what he had witnessed1 gave force to his exhortations1 as tears were falling from his eyes4 ,trust in ,providence1 touchingly enforced by personal recollections1 was honoured by what occurred on the following day4 ,the meeting on ,kensington ,common1 so much dreaded1 broke up in confusion4 ,ringleaders were alarmed1 the mob was scattered without the interference of soldiers who had been provided against an outbreak1 but were concealed in public buildings1 through the ,duke of ,wellington's wisdom4 ,a day which opened in fear was spent in peace and confidence4 ,during a visit abroad in that year1 #ahdh1 ,i reached ,geneva1 with letters of introduction to ,csar ,malan1 ,gaussen1 and ,m4 ,st4 ,george4 ,merle ,d',aubigne was from home4 ,in company with friends1 on the ,sunday afternoon1 ,i attended at ,csar ,malan's little chapel4 ,we had mistaken the hour1 and1 on our entering1 he recapitulated the early portions of his sermon4 ,then1 in his own pleasant parlour1 he engaged in fervent discourse on his favourite tenet of ,christian assurance4 ,on parting he singled me out for the privilege of a double ,french kiss1 and on my expressing a hope that we should meet in the ,father's ,house1 he rebuked me for using the word hope4 ,with him it was a matter of assurance4 ,then ,i reminded him of the difference between present and future1 and quoted ,st4 ,paul3 8,for we are saved by hope3 but hope that is seen is not hope3 for what a man seeth1 why doth he yet hope for8 ,but if we hope for that we see not1 then do we with patience wait for it40 ,i parted from relatives1 who had been my fellow-travellers1 and made my way next morning alone by boat to ,vevay1 thence travelling to ,basle and ,strasburg4 ,traffic was interrupted1 and relics of revolution were seen in marching troops and handcuffed prisoners4 ,in #ahdi a movement occurred for meeting religious needs in ,kensington4 ,a chapel was much needed on ,notting ,hill1 and one of my deacons1 who lived there1 promised a large donation for the purpose4 ,a few friends met in ,hornton ,street vestry1 and opened a subscription list1 which at once secured #aejj4 ,with that we went to work4 ,at first1 there was some notion of incorporating members of the two congregations in one ,church1 with a copastorate2 and ,dr4 ,vaughan1 ,i think1 indicated willingness to become my colleague4 ,i should not have objected to such union1 but feared lest the moral effect of our movement should be thereby impaired4 ,the scheme might have been looked upon as one of self-aggrandisement1 while it was meant as an act of self-sacrifice4 ,the latter it proved to be1 for we drafted off about fifty members1 as the nucleus of a new ,church4 ,also we missed about two hundred seat-holders1 who took pews in the new edifice1 and1 of course1 there arose a certain clat around ,notting ,hill which left ,hornton ,street a little in the shade4 ,but soon things revived2 our chapel became as full as ever4 ,funds recovered1 liberal things were devised1 and one morning ,i found a handsome cheque on my library table4 ,everybody seemed to be growing in kindness1 and ,hornton ,street rose to more than its previous prosperity4 ,it was an illustration of the principle--true of communities as well as of individuals--8,there is that scattereth and yet increaseth40 ,in connection with my early residence at ,kensington ,i may mention a circumstance which interested me4 ,i observed several times1 sitting near my pulpit1 an old gentleman4 ,upon inquiry1 ,i found it was the ,rev4 ,michael ,maurice1 father to the ,rev4 ,f4 ,d4 ,maurice1 then at the height of his influence as author and preacher4 ,i never had the pleasure of conversing with my venerable hearer1 but ,i learned from different sources much relative to his character and career4 ,though descended from a thoroughly orthodox family1 he was educated for the ministry under ,dr4 ,abraham ,rees1 ,dr4 ,kippis and ,dr4 ,savage--the first two being ,arian divines1 and the last a moderate ,calvinist4 ,he became afternoon preacher at ,dr4 ,priestley's ,meeting ,house2 and after officiating in other ,unitarian places of worship1 retired from pulpit work altogether4 ,but he habitually associated with orthodox ,nonconformists during the time he lived at ,southampton4 ,he also joined the ,british and ,foreign ,bible ,society1 and spoke for it on the platform4 ,i wondered he should worship in ,hornton ,street1 but information subsequently obtained served to explain the circumstance4 ,he appears to have been a devout man with a large measure of ,evangelical feeling4 ,i mention him as a type of no inconsiderable class of sincerely religious people4 ,i knew but little of his distinguished son1 only having met him a few times at ,dean ,stanley's1 and at ,baldwin ,brown's4 ,i used sometimes1 on a ,sunday afternoon1 to hear ,mr4 ,maurice preach at ,lincoln's ,inn1 and was much struck with the earnestness with which he repeated the ,lord's ,prayer4 ,the difficulty he felt in making himself understood is amusing4 ,some of the principles1 he said1 which his friends attacked1 were those he strongly objected to himself1 and those which they held as against him1 were just those on which he rested his own faith and hope4 8,i could not make them the least understand what ,i meant10 he went on to say2 8and if ,i did they would only dislike me for it40 ,it was not obscurity of style1 as many thought1 which made him unintelligible2 but obscurity or confusion of thought arising from complexity of perception4 ,he saw so much that it puzzled him how to express it4 ,i respected him greatly as an honest thinker1 more anxious to commend himself to the ,searcher of hearts than to his fellow-men4 ,it must have been1 ,i think1 in #ahdf or #ahdg that ,i received an invitation to preach the annual sermon on behalf of ,newport ,pagnell ,college1 and thither ,i went in the month of ,june4 ,the ,rev4 ,thos4 ,palmer ,bull1 president1 and his son1 the ,rev4 ,josiah ,bull1 were living under the same roof1 their house and garden full of comfort and convenience1 beauty and fragrance4 ,the old gentleman had a good library1 and in nooks and corners were ,,mss4 and relics of ,cowper and ,newton1 friends of his father1 the ,rev4 ,william ,bull4 ,the father was the 8,taurus10 and his son the 8,tommy10 immortalised in ,newton and ,cowper's letters4 ,when ,i had fulfilled my public duty ,i intensely enjoyed conversation with my elder host1 as he showed me letters written1 and relics possessed by the two celebrities so closely connected with his father's name4 ,he told me how he used1 when a boy1 to accompany his father to ,olney1 where he dined with the poet2 that when grace was said1 ,cowper would play with his knife and fork1 to indicate he had no share in acts of worship2 that he would cheerfully converse on a variety of topics1 but shunned all reference to religion4 ,notwithstanding1 he would sometimes join in an ,olney hymn2 and then check himself as one who had neither part nor lot in the matter4 ,he would kindly talk with little ,tom1 who accompanied his father on those visits1 and they1 on their way to and from the now world-known town1 would join in singing a psalm or hymn1 to a familiar tune4 ,the old gentleman1 ,i was informed1 sometimes indulged in the use of a pipe1 as he drove along the accustomed road4 ,full of such memories1 ,i made an excursion to ,olney1 stopped at the house near the park of the ,throgmortons1 saw the room in which the poet slept1 traced his writing on a pane of glass1 and thought of the despair to which1 in that chamber1 he was so pitiable a victim4 ,then ,i was taken to the unpretentious abode in the main street of ,olney1 where he cultivated a close intimacy with ,john ,newton1 and kept rabbits in his little garden1--which garden1 at the time ,i think of1 remained much in its former state4 ,the summer-house1 described by the bard1 was still in existence4 ,here1 pausing for a moment to gather up another memento of ,cowper1 ,i may mention1 that a relative of mine pointed out a house in ,east ,dereham1 which was ,cowper's residence2 and told me that he remembered when a boy peeping through the keyhole of a door1 and seeing him sitting in his chair4 ,cowper died at the residence of his kinsman1 the ,rev4 ,mr4 ,johnson4 ,a friend of his gave me a leaf1 in the poet's handwriting1 from the translation of ,homer4 ,soon after my return from this excursion ,i was chosen to fill up a vacancy in the important ,nonconformist ,trust of ,william ,coward1 a ,london merchant1 who appointed ,dr4 ,watts1 ,dr4 ,guyse1 and ,mr4 ,neal1 author of the 8,history of the ,puritans10--with another person who was a layman1--administrators of property which he bequeathed for charitable purposes4 ,much of it consisted of ,bank stock2 that having risen1 the revenue had become very considerable4 ,dr4 ,doddridge was a special friend of ,mr4 ,coward's1 and had under his care several ministerial candidates1 supported by that gentleman4 ,according to tradition1 the merchant was very punctual1 the minister less so2 and when the former invited the latter to dinner1 if he did not come exactly at the hour1 the footman was ordered not to admit him4 ,a gentleman who lived opposite was aware of this peculiarity1 and his footman arranged with ,mr4 ,coward's footman1 that when ,dr4 ,doddridge had been invited to dinner1 mention should be made of it to the servant on the other side the road1 that a dinner might be prepared for his reverence there4 ,other curious stories were told of our founder1 which ,i have forgotten4 ,the perpetuation of ,dr4 ,doddridge's academy in different places1 and under different forms1 led to a transfer of the institution from ,wymondley in ,hertfordshire to ,torrington ,square1 ,london1 where1 in association with ,london ,university ,college1 it existed at the time of my accession to the trusteeship4 ,for about two years ,i assisted in conducting the business of ,coward ,college1 as a separate institution4 ,then came a change4 ,there were at the time three independent academies1 as they were then called1 in ,london and the neighbourhood--,homerton1 ,highbury and ,coward4 ,there were three sets of tutors1 three boards of administration1 three distinct buildings1 and three distinct sources of expense4 ,previous attempts to accomplish the union of these institutions had failed2 but at the time to which ,i now refer1 an opportunity arrived for accomplishing the union4 ,after conferences between 8,heads of ,houses0 for some months1 it was determined to sell the three buildings1 then occupied by the students1 and to erect one large new edifice1 where they might be instructed together4 ,the erection of ,new ,college ,st4 ,john's ,wood1 was the result4 ,in the negotiations connected with this change1 ,dr41 afterwards ,sir ,william1 ,smith zealously co-operated with the ,coward trustees4 ,my dear old friend1 the ,rev4 ,william ,walford1 took a great interest in the accomplishment of this business1 but he died before it was completely effected4 ,he spent his last days in writing an autobiography1 and after his death ,i found it was written in letters addressed to myself1 with a request that ,i would edit the publication4 ,this ,i did with a melancholy satisfaction4 ,he had suffered acutely from mental depression1 and the malady returned with violence shortly before his death4 ,my last visits were most painful4 ,he refused all consolation1 and passed away under a cloud1 like that which attended the sunset of ,cowper4 ,there were gleams of light1 followed by dense darkness4 ,then he sank into silence1 if not torpor4 ,days and nights rolled on1 so different from their 8tranquil gliding0 which he described in his letters2 but it was the happy confidence of his friends1 notwithstanding his own fears1 that the angry billow1 no less than the gentle wave1 was bearing the weather-beaten barque to the celestial shore4 ,he died on ,june #bbnd1 #ahej4 ,the poor body looked like a wreck1 but faith could see at rest the soul which had such hard work to pilot the vessel beyond reach of storms4 ,a post-mortem examination proved that his depression arose from the condition of the brain4 ,he was a good ,greek scholar1 and delighted in reading ,plato4 ,,chapter ,,vi #ahej-ahed ,,the year #ahej opened with a storm of religious excitement1 owing to a division of ,england by ,papal authority into ,roman dioceses1 at the suggestion of ,dr4 ,wiseman4 ,it came to be called 8,the ,papal ,aggression40 ,some thought more was made of it1 at the time1 than circumstances warranted2 but1 looked at through the medium of history1 it seemed to aim at a territorial authority over ,england1 inconsistent with our repudiation of ,papal supremacy4 ,the way in which it was taken up by some good people was not wise1 and there was an anti-popish commotion amongst some of my friends--a few only4 ,the commotion was unreasonable1 but was overruled for good1 as the incident led some ,protestants to look into their professed principles1 which doubtless1 in our country1 lie at the basis of civil and religious liberty4 ,from one end of the island to the other1 ,nonconformists as well as ,churchmen took an opportunity for expressing attachment to the ,reformation4 ,in two ways ,i became connected with what went on4 ,the ,presbyterian1 ,congregational1 and ,baptist ministers of ,london1 representing the three denominations1 resolved1 in common with other ecclesiastical bodies1 to approach ,her ,majesty with a protest against 8,papal ,aggression40 ,the three denominations--like ,convocation and certain ,english corporations--have a right of presenting addresses to the ,sovereign2 and on this occasion1 the audience for accepting the addresses1 was appointed to be at ,windsor ,castle4 ,when the ceremony in the ,royal ,closet for receiving representatives of the three denominations was over1 we were invited to lunch in the equerry's apartment4 ,covers were laid for two or three gentlemen1 in addition to our party4 8,pray1 can you tell me their names80 ,i whispered to one of the servants1 who1 from my previous residence in the town1 happened to know me4 ,he could not say1 and at the same moment the strangers1 who proved to be ,roman ,catholic noblemen1 felt a like curiosity to know who we were4 ,i proceeded to explain the origin of the three denominations1 which was quite a revelation to the gentlemen2 who informed us that they had just presented a loyal address from #bej1jjj ,catholics4 ,they proceeded to say1 that ,english ,protestants had quite misapprehended the meaning of recent arrangements2 and1 after receiving a courteous explanation1 we sat down with them1 and had a pleasant chat4 ,at that time ,i delivered at ,kensington a short series of discourses on the ,roman ,catholic controversy4 ,i went over some of the main points in that controversy1 avoiding misrepresentation and uncharitableness4 ,i was not violent enough to please some ultra-,protestants1 but ,i had the gratification of hearing1 that two young ,catholics ultimately became ,protestants1 and were helped by the lectures4 ,i have met in the course of my life with several members of the ,romish ,church1 who have appeared to me estimable characters4 ,i had in my congregation a young lady1 one of a family which ranked a ,cardinal amongst its members1 and whose mother remained a ,catholic2 in her dying illness she clung to ,christ as her ,saviour1 saying1 in the words of ,solomon's ,song3 8,i held ,him1 and would not let ,him go40 ,in the same year1 as ,i have said1 the ,palace of ,glass was opened2 and1 being a ,kensington resident1 ,i had opportunities of watching the edifice rising out of the earth as a beautiful exhalation4 ,on moonlight nights1 in the previous winter1 how often1 on my way home1 it revealed itself1 amidst floating mists1 as a kind of ethereal structure6 ,there was a moral atmosphere created by the enterprise1 which those who do not recollect it are unable to appreciate4 ,it inspired thousands of people with expressions of charity and goodwill4 ,the opening day can never be forgotten by those who witnessed it4 ,the ,times newspaper had a leader1 which made one feel that a new era in history had arrived2 that war and strife were approaching an end1 and a millennial age of goodwill had dawned upon mankind4 ,when1 that day1 we saw crowds1 not jostling and pushing against each other2 for almost every unit of the mass seemed willing to make way for a neighbour2 when we witnessed the opening service1 and beheld the royal procession moving through the stupendous aisles1--representatives of 8all people that on earth do dwell10--those present seemed to feel as they never did before4 ,as the poet ,montgomery conversed with me on the subject1 he remarked that1 looking down from the galleries upon the throng which passed before his eyes1 it 8reminded him of flowing waters gently gurgling through some broad channel40 ,the people1 thronging here and there round corners1 seemed like eddies in a river with lofty banks4 ,in the ,exhibition year efforts were made for the religious improvement of the people4 ,the ,press was in different ways employed for this purpose2 and amongst other methods there appeared1 as distinctively characteristic1 a series of evangelical discourses in ,exeter ,hall4 ,they attracted crowded audiences4 ,the sermons were carefully reported and widely circulated4 ,about the same time several similar methods were employed for the promotion of religion2 services were held in theatres and other places of amusement4 ,having been engaged in these efforts1 ,i can testify to the crowds gathered together1 and the general decorum of their behaviour4 ,some to whom these buildings belonged took an interest in the proceedings1 as ,i knew from conversation with dramatic managers1 who expressed interest in the addresses delivered4 ,afterwards1 services were planned to be conducted by ,episcopal clergymen in ,exeter ,hall1 but the plan was frustrated by opposition of parochial authority4 ,after this1 ,dissenters undertook to supply the lack of service1 and the first ,sunday night1 an ,independent minister officiated1 reading parts of the ,liturgy in the ,book of ,common ,prayer1 and an ,english nobleman acted as clerk1 leading the responses4 ,the same year 7#ahea7 it fell to my lot at the autumnal meeting of the ,congregational ,union to read a memorial paper on ,dr4 ,doddridge1 who had died just a hundred years before1 and had been pastor and ,divinity ,professor in ,northampton1 where the assembly met4 ,we occupied the old meeting-house in which he preached2 there in the vestry stood the chair in which he sat4 ,from the pulpit which had been his1 the centenary tribute to his memory was delivered4 ,mr4 ,bull1 of ,newport ,pagnell1 presented the original ,,ms4 of a funeral sermon which the doctor preached for his little daughter1 partly written upon her coffin4 ,a common sympathy1 amidst deathlike silence1 pervaded the audience1 as if the divine who was commemorated had only just left the world1 and we had assembled to honour his remains4 ,the genius loci of the place1 and traditions of the good man1 passed away so long before1 contributed to the occasion more impressiveness than it derived from other circumstances4 ,in #aheb my beloved wife travelled with me to ,elberfeld to see our eldest daughter4 ,we had1 from an early period1 formed the plan of sending our children abroad for part of their education1 in order that they might learn a foreign language and see other forms of society besides our own4 ,therefore we placed our firstborn under the care of ,pastor and ,madame ,schrder1--two very excellent persons1 whose character and influence answered the high expectations we had been led to form4 ,pastor ,schrder succeeded ,dr4 ,krummacher as one of the pastors of the ,evangelical communion4 ,we enjoyed his society and that of his excellent wife1 and saw something of ,german habits1 which interested me much2 they presented aspects unfamiliar to us4 ,for instance1 one ,sunday afternoon we took a walk in the woods with our friend the pastor1 and1 on the way1 he gathered into a large company one after another of his people1 until it formed quite a procession2 and1 finally1 we rested in a pleasant nook encompassed by trees1 where the people drank coffee1 and sang hymns4 ,after we had spent some days at ,elberfeld we started for ,switzerland1 where ,i planned my wife and daughter should spend two or three weeks1 whilst accompanied by a ,kensington friend1 ,i proceeded on a journey to ,italy4 ,we started from ,zurich1 crossed the lake1 reached ,coire and the ,via ,mala1 and over the ,alps1 came down to the ,lake of ,como2 thence we reached ,milan1 where we stayed three days4 ,i then became acquainted for the first time with the ,duomo and other churches4 ,we spent a ,sunday in the city1 and felt deeply interested in schools founded by ,cardinal ,borromeo1 carried on at the time with exemplary care2 and we found at eventide1 in a church1 groups of worshippers1 led by a layman1 who knelt in front as they chanted responses4 ,i was struck then1 and have been oftentimes since1 with the adaptation of ,scripture passages on church walls1 pointing to salvation through our ,lord ,jesus ,christ4 ,one thought1 too1 of ,ambrose1 who forbade the approach of ,theodosius1 wet with the blood he had shed at ,thessalonica4 ,speaking of the adaptation of ,scripture in foreign churches1 ,i may mention other passages inscribed on their walls in other places1 for example1 at ,treves1 where under a picture of 8,the ,nativity0 we read 8,verily ,thou art a ,god that hidest ,thyself10 as applied to the ,incarnation4 ,again1 at ,nismes1 if ,i recollect aright1 under the fresco of a captive rejoicing in his freedom1 the words 8,thou hast loosed my bonds02 and under another1 representing martyrs and virgins at the portals of heaven1 8,with joy and rejoicing shall they be brought3 they shall enter into the ,king's palace40 ,after all1 the kernel of the ,gospel continues in ,roman ,catholic ,christendom1 though too often concealed under manifold innovations4 ,still there it is1 if you look for it4 ,my reference to ,milan brings before me other recollections of that wonderful city1 as revisited again and again since #aheb4 ,amidst manifold associations of art1 archology1 history1 and religion1 one image1 indelibly impressed on my mind1 is that of ,augustine under the fig tree in a garden1 listening to a voice which cried1 8,tolle lege02 at the hearing of which he sat down1 took the ,testament in his hand1 and read ,rom4 xiii41 and thus became a new creature in ,christ ,jesus4 ,wandering in quiet old streets1 ,i have paused near some fig tree in a little enclosure of grass and flowers1 to think of him who became the grandest father of the ,latin ,church4 ,from ,milan we proceeded to ,verona1 and thence to ,venice1 where ,i felt 8one of the greatest emotions of life40 ,i have seen it again and again1 but the first charm was greatest of all4 ,then ,titian's 8,peter ,martyr0 adorned the walls of ,,ss4 ,giovanni e ,paulo4 ,wonderful picture that6 but it does not1 to my mind1 eclipse his ,s4 ,jerome in the ,brera at ,milan4 ,let me return to ,kensington4 ,perhaps this is as good a place as any1 for saying a few words about people there1 and others with whom ,i was brought into contact1 during my pastorate4 ,under the ministry of my predecessor1 ,dr4 ,leifchild1 there lived in one of the stately houses in the neighbourhood1 a gentleman--commanding in person and polished in manners--who was drawn towards the ,dissenting pastor1 though he had no affection for ,dissent2 if he smiled at the system1 he liked some of the people4 ,he lost largely on the ,stock ,exchange1 but he bore it with much magnanimity4 ,i was acquainted with some of the family1 who were in prosperous circumstances1 and who became my kind friends4 ,i once met at their house with an old general--uncle to the ,duchess of ,gordon--who related a singular anecdote4 ,he had been at the ,eglinton ,tournament1 and1 as the castle was crowded with guests1 he and another person shared the same bedroom4 ,that person was no other than the future ,napoleon ,,ii4 ,he kept his companion awake with talk about the ,french ,empire and his uncle1 declaring1 that he was sure one day of sitting on his uncle's throne4 ,the ambitious dream filled his mind1 and overflowed in his abundant chat2 though then it seemed a most improbable imagination4 ,the incident was related some time after the tournament1 and before the ,republic was established2 and when ,i afterwards heard of ,napoleon's election to the presidentship1 ,i saw it was by no means unlikely that the daring prophecy he had ventured1 would come to pass4 ,i have heard from other people that he often1 when residing in ,london1 talked in society of his coming elevation1 as imperial ruler of the ,french4 ,the uncle had seen beforehand the dazzling star of his destiny4 ,his nephew did the same4 ,there were people who fancied something supernatural in this1 but it may be accounted for on natural principles4 ,another story1 of an amusing kind1 ,i heard at a ,chiswick garden party1 to which ,i was taken by the kind friends at whose house ,i met the old ,scotch soldier4 ,amongst personages of rank present at ,chiswick were certain bishops1 who had not dropped the old episcopal costume of a big wig1 a most decidedly broad-brimmed clerical hat1 and a conspicuous apron4 ,right ,reverend brethren are still somewhat distinguished from other people1 though some of them reduce the distinction within very restricted limits2 forty or fifty years ago it was quite otherwise4 ,they appeared then commonly--to use an undignified expression--in full jig1 and as some occupants of the ,bench passed by1 in unmistakable array of the kind just noticed1 a clergyman at the garden party now mentioned1 told me of a prime minister1 who used to remark1 he thought1 8,bishops well deserved all they got0 7and it was much more then than it is now71 8for allowing themselves to be dressed up1 as such regular guys40 ,literature and art were pretty well represented in ,kensington1 at the period ,i speak of4 ,contributors to ,punch--,mark ,lemon1 ,gilbert a ,becket1 and others--were my neighbours1 and with one of them ,i spent a pleasant evening4 ,gilbert a ,becket during a few weeks1 when the parish church underwent repairs1 used pretty regularly to attend our chapel1 and ,i was struck by his attentiveness and devotion4 ,he expressed his readiness to spend a few hours with me1 at a friend's residence1 only he stipulated that it should not be on an opera night2 and when it was proposed to me ,i stipulated that it should not be on one of my service nights4 ,preliminaries being settled we accordingly met1 and got on exceedingly well4 ,what amuses me1 as ,i think of it1 is that1 though ,i am not at all given to pun-making1 the presence of a brilliant punster so inspired me1 that ,i perpetrated one or two hits1 which ,becket pronounced very fair4 ,perhaps ,i may be forgiven by those who achieve pleasant things in that way1 if ,i remark that there is something contagious in the practice2 and it is difficult not to catch it1 when in company with those who are imbued with the habit4 ,with another celebrity ,i came in contact through intimacy with his family1 and his early connection with our place of worship4 ,i allude to ,justice ,talfourd4 ,when a young man he used to attend on ,dr4 ,leifchild's ministry1 his father and mother being members of the ,congregational ,church at ,kensington4 ,his mother1 whom ,i knew well1 related anecdotes of his early days at home1 and at ,mill ,hill ,school1 where he had schoolfellows who afterwards distinguished themselves in the walks of ,dissent4 ,he wrote home about his companions and told his mother of prayer-meetings amongst the boys2 and of one boy in particular1 very imaginative1 and florid on such occasions4 ,this schoolfellow became afterwards an eloquent minister1 well known as ,dr4 ,hamilton of ,leeds4 ,the ,judge told me of his early attachment to that gentleman1 and how1 during the doctor's last visit to ,london1 he went to hear him preach1 and stepped into the vestry afterwards1 to talk of old times2 but the preacher had left1 which was a great disappointment4 ,there was a strong religious side to ,judge ,talfourd's character1 and he used to speak with much enthusiasm of my predecessor1 ,dr4 ,leifchild1 whose preaching he said came up to his idea of the ,apostle ,paul's ministry4 ,amongst artists living in ,kensington were two ,academicians1 ,uwins and ,philip1 who both belonged to our congregation--the first a regular1 the second an occasional1 attendant4 ,philip's wife--a beautiful woman1 whom he introduced into some of his pictures--was a communicant with us at the ,lord's table4 ,i often visited the artist's studio1 and listened to his picturesque description of ,spain1 and also to his accounts of family afflictions which elicited my sympathy4 ,from my boyhood ,i had taken an interest in art1 and the friendship of several men distinguished in its cultivation was exceedingly instructive and pleasant4 ,my travels on the ,continent1 which enabled me to visit most of the principal picture galleries1--rich in specimens by great masters1--educated and purified what little taste ,i had2 and prompted me to somewhat extensive studies in artistic literature4 ,these1 blended with other habits of reading1 ,i find an immense enjoyment in the leisure of my old age4 ,mr4 ,theed1 the sculptor1 and his family1 who attended ,kensington ,chapel1 were our intimate friends2 and he told me much about ,gibson1 his companion in art1 and intimate acquaintance for many years1 when they resided at ,rome4 ,with the latter gentleman ,i became acquainted slightly when ,i was in ,italy1 and had a long talk with him once about tinting sculpture1--which he advocated with zeal1 and practised with skill4 ,i felt there was force in what he said4 ,another ,kensington name1--that of ,edward ,corbould1 the water-colourist1--may be coupled with my friend ,theed's4 ,each was connected with the other in artistic service to ,her ,majesty and family4 ,i remember on the ,sunday morning after the ,prince ,consort's lamented death1 missing both these gentlemen at ,divine worship1 in consequence of their being summoned to ,windsor--one to take a cast1 and the other to make a drawing of the good ,prince's face4 ,there was another group of hearers during the latter part of my ,kensington ministry1 to whom ,i was much attached4 ,one of them1 ,cozens ,hardy1 ,m4,p41 who has won eminence in the legal profession1 is son to the oldest friend ,i have4 ,all now referred to are distinguished1 not only by professional position1 but by continued study in classical learning4 ,i must not pass by 8annals of the poor40 ,when ,i first went to ,kensington1 ,i was requested to visit an old shoemaker1 crippled1 and in humble circumstances1 but with a good deal of natural politeness1 the more striking from its surroundings4 ,he had been a wild young fellow1 daring to the last degree1 and this was the cause of his incurable lameness4 ,he was converted under the ministry of ,dr4 ,leifchild4 ,the preacher1 in the course of a sermon1 related an anecdote of ,mr4 ,cecil1 who previous to his becoming decidedly religious narrowly escaped with life1 when thrown by his horse across the track of a waggon1 which in passing only crushed his hat4 ,the incident struck the listener4 ,it resembled his own experience1 and riveted his attention1 preparing him to listen to the preacher's appeals4 ,he became an exemplary ,christian2 and ,i often sat by his bedside to hear him describe the wondrous change wrought in his character1 by ,divine grace4 8,i am a wonder unto many10 he used to say2 and then1 with faltering voice1 would sing the old hymn-- 8,amazing grace1 how sweet the sound1 ,that saved a wretch like me6 ,i once was lost1 but now am found2 ,was blind1 but now ,i see40 ,this was not the only case in which the humbler members of the ,church were a comfort to me4 ,often my heart was cheered by communications made by them1 touching spiritual life4 ,such communications were perfectly artless1 and arose from the absence of that reserve which1 in the upper class1 is the result of educational refinement4 ,this circumstance often prevents a free revelation of what cultured people think and feel on the subject of religion4 ,i have frequently noticed it1 and never inferred1 from delicacy touching soul secrets1 any want of that which rises to the surface1 and overflows in ready words1 when uneducated people speak of their ,christian experience4 ,i cannot omit a reference to the ,gurney family1 with some of whom ,i came into pleasant connection during my ,kensington residence4 ,as a boy1 ,i had some knowledge of their ancestral relatives2 and now ,i came into close friendship with ,mr4 ,bell1 brother to ,mrs4 ,john ,gurney1 who was mother to ,samuel ,gurney1 the renowned ,london ,quaker1 and also to ,joseph ,john ,gurney1 of ,earlham1 near ,norwich--an equally renowned banker1 and also a ,public ,friend1 as preachers of that denomination then were wont to be called4 ,mr4 ,bell had become one of my hearers and a communicant1 much to his spiritual benefit1 as he and his family informed me4 ,he was a chatty old gentleman1 and used to talk of his sister1 ,priscilla ,wakefield1 of ,miss ,schemmelpenninck1 and of ,samuel ,taylor ,coleridge--whom he met at the house of his friend ,gilman1 resident in ,highgate4 ,through frequent vivid references to these celebrities1 whom ,i knew by their writings and by report1 ,i came to have a sort of personal acquaintance with them4 ,thus they became1 more than ever1 living realities4 ,besides this1 ,i came to have a slight personal knowledge of ,mr4 ,samuel ,gurney1 just mentioned1 the well-known bill-broker1 and also of ,mrs4 ,fry1 his sister1 who did so much good as a prison visitor4 ,mr4 ,gurney was a stately person1 with a benign countenance1 and a musical voice rich in persuasive tones4 ,the mental anxiety he felt during money panics1 not only on his own account1 but also from sympathy with others1 was such1 that he was known to spend sleepless nights pacing his chamber4 ,mrs4 ,fry was as dignified as her brother1 and ,i now in imagination see her in her becoming ,quaker garb1 as she talked to me about her nephew ,bell1 and spoke gratefully of the benefit he had derived from my ministry4 ,the younger ,mr4 ,samuel ,gurney came to live at ,prince's ,gate1 ,kensington1 and used to worship with us occasionally4 ,at his table ,i met with the ,bunsens1 and other remarkable friends and relatives of his4 ,he told me that at any time when ,i needed1 in ,christian work1 pecuniary help1 ,i might apply to him without hesitation4 ,the crash on 8,black ,friday0 was a terrible trial1 as it made him1 after being one of the richest of ,london citizens1 dependent on his relatives4 ,i wrote to him words of condolence1 to which he beautifully replied1 saying that he trusted the tribulation which had befallen him would be for his spiritual welfare4 ,his excellent wife bore up nobly1 and the two afforded admirable instances of ,christian patience and resignation4 ,,chapter ,,vii #ahed-ahfb ,,on ,april #dth1 #ahed1 ,i started the first time for ,rome1 provided with letters of introduction to ,gibson1 the sculptor1 ,penry ,williams1 the landscape painter1 and two ,roman ,catholic dignitaries1 one a ,monseignor1 the other president of the ,english ,college4 ,all these gentlemen were polite and helpful to me4 ,my companions were ,dr4 ,raffles1 ,dr4 ,halley1 the ,rev4 ,spencer ,edwards1 and another friend4 ,the first of them was wonderful for relating stories1 which he always told secundum artem4 ,he kept us awake one whole night with his amusing anecdotes2 but1 as we were travelling through ,france at a time when espionage was prevalent1 he would not allow us to make any political allusions4 ,i was surprised at the retentiveness of his verbal memory2 whilst he repeated long pieces1 in which the amusement consisted of odd words1 connected with no rational meaning1 when put together4 ,it was ,holy ,week when we reached ,rome4 ,on ,thursday there was the feet-washing at ,st4 ,peter's1 and the supper afterwards3 the ,pope1 as 8servant of servants10 ministering to the poor1 but with great pomp on both occasions4 ,we arranged to see the former1 and found a transept on the right hand1 fitted up for the occasion4 ,rank1 fashion1 beauty1 arrayed in mourning1 found accommodation in galleries commanding a good view4 ,ladies were veiled1 gentlemen wore evening dress4 ,admission to that part of the edifice could be obtained on no other conditions4 ,pio ,nono1 a pleasant1 genial-looking old man1 who won a good opinion as soon as you looked at him1 did his part well4 ,he read the ,gospel 7,john xiii47 in tones wonderfully musical and distinct1 and then washed the pilgrims' feet with grace and reverence4 ,the whole was artistically and solemnly done4 8,one can laugh at these things1 as described in books10 said ,dr4 ,raffles--a staunch ,nonconformist--8but not when witnessed1 as now1 in this magnificent place40 ,still1 on a calm review1 nothing like worship appears in any part of the ceremony4 ,then the ,miserere in the afternoon6 ,those who did not witness it years ago can have no idea of it now2 or of the gorgeous procession1 amidst a blaze of light1 to the altar of ,s4 ,paulo1 and the prostration of the ,pontiff and his ,cardinals on the floor1 in the midst of darkness1 candles having been extinguished1 one by one4 ,the scene on the grand staircase was striking as the dignitaries returned1 varying in appearance and character--an ascetic monk1 a man of the world1 another looking studious and reflective1 a fourth keen and statesmanlike4 ,nobody could deny the ,italian scenic skill in such matters4 ,i have been at ,rome in ,easter1 since then1 much struck with subsequent changes4 ,when all was over on my first ,easter in ,rome1 ,i went to the ,english ,episcopal ,church1 where the ,lord's ,supper was administered according to ,protestant rites1 and ,i could not but be impressed by the contrast between the two services4 ,it illustrated the change effected by the ,reformation4 ,i mentioned this once to the ,rev4 ,frederic ,denison ,maurice1 who1 of course1 agreed with me2 and1 talking of ,rome1 he happened to relate an anecdote which ,i do not remember having seen in print4 ,pio ,nono1 after the suppression of ,latin nunneries in ,poland1 received a visit from the ,emperor of ,russia4 8,you are a great king10 said the former to the latter1 8one of the mightiest in the world4 ,i am a poor feeble man1 servant of servants2 but ,i cite you to meet me before the ,judge of all1 and to answer for your treatment of helpless women40 ,there was the old assumption of authority2 but there was a touch of grandeur in the words4 ,i saw the catacombs1 following my guide1 taper in hand2 and in one of the strange passages was accosted by name4 8,who could have expected to be recognised in this dark underworld80 ,i exclaimed4 ,it turned out to be a person who had lived at ,eton1 and been a hearer of mine at ,windsor4 ,other recognitions have occurred to me of an odd kind1 when visiting several places4 ,i became so attracted by what ,i saw in ,rome1 and drank so deeply into the spirit of ,arnold's letters1 written there1 that my last day was spent in pensive leave-takings of ruin after ruin1 church after church4 ,i have been there twice since1 each for a longer time than the first2 but not with quite the impression which ,i felt in the first instance4 ,we proceeded to ,naples1 stopped at ,cisterna1 at ,terracinia1 at ,gaeta1 and at ,s4 ,agata4 ,whoever has travelled the same road must long remember the fragrance of the orange-groves and the coloured dresses of the peasantry4 ,we had no trouble at custom-houses on the way1 for my two companions and myself travelled in humble fashion4 ,otherwise did the two doctors1 already mentioned1 fare4 ,large sums were demanded of them on the ,neapolitan frontier2 and when they refused to pay1 their luggage was searched1 and a coloured pen-wiper being found1 the officials declared it was a revolutionary cockade1 and that books in their portmanteaus were no doubt full of treason and heresy4 ,there was no alternative but to stay where they were1 or to allow a soldier to accompany them in charge of the suspected articles4 ,all this trouble was followed by apologies on reaching ,naples1 after an appeal had been made to the ,english ,consul4 ,we saw the picture galleries and museums in ,naples1 and explored the city as well as we could during our short stay4 ,religious services of a special kind were being held in one of the churches2 and ,i remember entering it on an evening when it was crowded with people1 listening to a friar1 who was earnestly preaching4 ,next morning1 on revisiting the place1 it was crowded as the night before1 and the same priest occupied the pulpit4 ,we drove along the old coast road1 by the so-called ,tomb of ,virgil to ,castellamare1 ,sorrento1 ,posilipo and ,pozzuoli 7the ,puteoli of the ,acts71 and had dreams of the luxurious life once spent on these shores1 and of ,paul's disembarkation on his way to ,rome4 ,we also spent a day at ,vesuvius1 where clouds of vapour were rolling upward2 and ,i1 with one of our party1 crawled down to the crater1 as near as we could1 much to the dismay of our senior companions4 ,on our way back to ,naples we tarried as long as possible at ,pompeii1 looking at the wonders of that memorable spot4 ,an important step was taken at ,kensington on my return from ,italy4 ,the 8swarm0 sent to ,notting ,hill did not permanently reduce the numbers of our congregation4 ,on the contrary1 they considerably advanced4 ,the old chapel became more than ever inconvenient1 and we resolved to build a new and much larger one4 ,i must now pass from local and personal affairs to notice a movement in ,congregationalism at large4 ,independency leads to isolated action on the part of local ,churches4 ,it is unfriendly to cohesion and co-operation4 ,it provides for freedom1 and nothing else4 ,old ,independents saw this1 and checked the evil by maintaining local fellowships between ,church and ,church1 by the employment of 8messengers0 one to another4 #abf ,about #ahcj the wiser heads amongst us had clearly seen the evil1 and endeavoured to overcome it4 ,they concluded that centrifugal tendencies should be met by a centripetal force4 ,mr4 ,binney used to say1 we were a collection of limbs--legs1 arms1 feet1 and hands--all in motion1 but not an organised body4 ,to frame a body out of so many members1 was the design of the ,congregational ,union4 ,algernon ,wells may be regarded as its founder4 ,he was one of the most beautiful characters ,i have ever known--intelligent1 well read1 sagacious1 with extensive knowledge of men and things1 and a profound attachment to evangelical truth4 ,he had a rare order of eloquence1 and wove pleasant tissues of thought in his sermons and speeches4 ,if his speeches were not always sermons1 his sermons were almost always speeches4 ,there was a great charm in his conversation1 and it often overflowed with wit4 ,though a decided ,congregationalist1 he was full of charity1 and cultivated harmonious intercourse with other denominations4 ,his policy as to the newly-formed organisation1 was to make the meetings fraternal rather than controversial--a brotherly society to promote edification rather than an ecclesiastical army to fight with soldiers outside1 or a council to settle disputes inside4 ,the early meetings were held in the ,congregational ,library1 and did not muster more than a hundred members4 8,business0 received at times a look askance3 spiritual edification excited desire1 and stimulated expression4 ,now and then came touches of humour1 as when after talking about the state of the denomination till we were hungry1 one brother rose and gravely asked 8whether any intelligence had arrived from the ,sandwich ,islands40 ,good ,algernon ,wells died in #ahea1 and soon afterwards ,i was requested by a sub-committee to meet them in conference on an important matter4 ,it was to propose my election as ,mr4 ,wells' successor4 ,now1 secretaryships have always been my aversion--from an instinct1 ,i suppose1 such as guides inferior animals to shun what they were never made for4 ,the secretaryship of the ,city ,mission had been pressed upon me soon after my arrival in ,london1 but ,i steadily refused it1 from a conviction of utter incompetence2 and1 for the same reason1 ,i declined to entertain the proposal just mentioned4 ,he who proposed the office for me accepted it for himself1 and we worked together pleasantly through several years4 ,i was elected chairman of the ,union in ,may #ahef1 amidst much excitement4 ,there have been strains on its strength more than once1 but this first was the greatest4 ,dr4 ,campbell had been for some time a prominent member4 ,hard-headed and hard-handed1 of a bold1 open countenance1 and with a habit of planting his foot pretty firmly on the ground1--the outer man well indicated the inner2 kind-hearted and affectionate at home1 but not the same on a platform1 or with an editorial pen in hand4 ,he then gave no quarter to anybody who opposed him4 8,you are a good fellow10 it was once said to him by a loving spirit2 8but ,i don't like that great club you carry40 ,that great club he swung about1 much to the terror of many1 and consequently he exercised a despotic sway1 to which they were indisposed to submit4 ,he held the doctrines of ,calvinistic theology with a firm grasp1 and looked with alarm upon certain opinions springing up amongst his brethren4 ,he considered that there was looseness of sentiment1 and a range of thought too free1 existing amongst younger men1 which imperilled the evangelical soundness of the ,churches4 ,he gave it the name of ,negative ,theology4 ,the name took1 and was bandied about to the annoyance of persons to whom it was applied1 many of them holding positive truths as firmly as ,dr4 ,campbell himself4 ,it happened that in #ahef ,mr4 ,lynch1 a man of genius and sensibility1 with a mind cast in a mould the opposite of ,dr4 ,campbell's1 published a small volume of poetry entitled 8,the ,rivulet40 ,some of the hymns it contained excited admiration1 and are now extensively used2 but the book1 as a whole1 aroused ,dr4 ,campbell's wrath beyond measure4 ,he wrote a criticism upon it1 which awakened indignation in those who had read 8,the ,rivulet0 with approval4 ,fifteen brethren drew up and signed a protest against this style of review4 ,there existed1 no doubt1 a tendency on the part of a few brethren to give up certain theological expressions long held sacred1 and also to throw into the background1 if not to question1 points of doctrine deemed perfectly ,congregational4 ,in the opposite quarter there appeared a tenacity of diction and an emphasis of opinion on old lines1 accompanied by ungenerous reflections respecting those whom they deemed innovators4 ,very naturally1 personal feeling was thus stirred up1 and the ,union seemed threatened with disaster4 8,we men are a mysterious sort of creatures10 said ,john ,howe to ,richard ,baxter4 ,no doubt we are1 and that in more ways than one3 in this especially1 that whilst discussing theories of ,god1 ,christ1 and the ,holy ,spirit--all fountains of love--we are apt to be found drawing water from the wells of ,marah4 ,the controversy1 now spoken of1 related to old and new aspects of theological thought4 ,looking back1 ,i can but say1 the balance sheet of past and present1 in respect to what is now noticed1 shows both gain and loss4 ,all the gain1 it strikes me1 might have been secured without incurring loss at all2 and1 in making up the whole account1 there should have been more charity in judging individuals1 and more justice in discussing principles4 ,i wished1 in my address1 to combine the two1 and so render the whole a sort of ,irenicon4 ,a personal correspondence followed between two good men1 which is now1 ,i hope1 buried in oblivion2 but no secession of members from the ,union took place1 that ,i know of4 ,the two tendencies still exist1 but they call for no criticism in these pages4 ,my views on the subject ,i have often expressed4 ,before the close of my ,windsor ministry ,i had begun to indulge in foreign travel1 and in #ahed1 when ,i had spent some time in my ,kensington pastorate1 ,i ventured on a trip to ,rome1 which ,i have described already4 ,after that1 visits abroad were numerous1 and from amongst them ,i select one paid in #ahef1 when ,i spent a few weeks with my two sons1 who were then being educated in ,berlin4 ,my dear wife accompanied me through the greater part of the tour1 as she was anxious to see how the lads were getting on4 ,we made our way to the ,prussian capital through ,hanover1 and1 on reaching our destination1 found all well4 ,after spending a little while in ,berlin1 seeing the sights and becoming acquainted with some excellent people1 we made an excursion to the ,south1 and spent a few days at ,dresden1 where antiquities1 pictures1 and drives in the neighbourhood greatly delighted us4 ,we proceeded to ,schandau1 a pretty little village1 and there took lodgings1 initiating ourselves into amusing details of ,german life4 ,we attended the parish church on ,sunday1 taking interest in the clergyman1 who was expounding to his people the history of ,david4 ,we witnessed some of life's joys and sorrows1 especially a funeral1 which was very picturesque--bright flowers1 red roses and green leaves1 relieving the darkness of death1 the hope of ,heaven shedding light on the sorrow of bereavement4 ,excursions in the neighbourhood added to our family enjoyments of this sojourn1 and one day we came in contact with royalty4 ,the ,king of ,saxony1 the ,queen1 and a few of the ,court1 climbed up a hill which we had selected as a resting-place1 commanding views of the ,elbe4 ,their ,majesties' servants in livery 7who1 by the way1 were very civil to us7 paid the royal reckoning to a humble chlet-keeper1 as any of his subjects might do4 ,we watched the ,king and attendants as they embarked in a boat for their ,dresden home4 ,my boys and ,i pushed on to ,prague1 where the bridge and ,st4 ,john ,nepomuk1 the ,hradschin1 and the thirty years' war1 ,john ,huss and his house in the ,bethlehem platz1 the ,jews' town on the banks of the ,moldau1 the ,jewish burial ground1 and the old synagogue1 inspired historical memories of deep interest4 ,we joined mamma and returned to ,dresden the way we came2 and there1 after long gazings on the picture gallery1 especially at ,raphael's 8,madonna and ,child0--opposite to which people sat reverently1 as if engaged in devotion--father and mother parted from the dear boys1 and we wended our way homewards2 not without lingering in ,lutherland to look at homes and haunts of the great ,reformer4 ,to return to my ,kensington flock4 ,in the year #aheg1 one ,sunday night1 after ,i had retired to rest1 ,i heard a loud ringing at the door-bell1 and immediately rose4 ,on opening the window1 there stood a carriage2 and the coachman1 as soon as by gaslight he saw my face1 cried out1 8,oh1 sir1 my mistress is dead60 ,his mistress was ,mrs4 ,jacomb1 residing with her husband and family at ,notting ,hill4 ,they had all been at ,divine worship that morning in their usual health4 ,the carriage had been sent to take me back to the mourners4 ,i immediately rose and went4 ,on reaching the house ,i witnessed a scene of domestic distress such as ,i never witnessed before4 ,my deceased friend had in the morning worshipped with us1 in her usual delicate health1 and1 as ,i learned1 in more than her usual cheerfulness4 ,she was preparing for evening service1 when she was suddenly seized with illness1 and in a short time expired4 ,the husband and family were in deep distress1 but they had a blessed knowledge of ,him who brought life and immortality to light4 ,she was a woman rich in spiritual sympathy1 and had been no ordinary friend to me and mine1 in our early married life4 ,we had a large family1 and1 though favoured above many1 had our domestic trials4 ,how often ,i thought of what ,paul said of 8,phbe1 our sister03 8,she has been a succourer of many1 and of myself also40 ,i never knew any one who had more tender sympathy in trouble than ,mrs4 ,jacomb1 or was more swift in expressing it4 ,her husband was worthy of her1 and her children 8rise up to call her blessed40 ,those who survive are cherished friends4 ,he was of an old ,puritan stock1 descendant of ,dr4 ,jacomb1 a renowned ejected clergyman after the ,commonwealth2 and the family genealogy is rich in noted names and memories4 ,in this chapter ,i cannot refrain from recording my own domestic sorrows4 ,in #ahec a sweet child had died--little ,catherine1 born shortly after we left ,windsor2 and in #aheh another1 more advanced in life1 a boy named ,arnold1 full of energy and promise1 was taken from us by our ,heavenly ,father4 ,his illness was brief2 but beforehand my dear wife had been anxious for his spiritual welfare1 and her conversations were followed by the ,divine blessing4 ,his joyous1 winning ways had won the hearts of visitors1 and his death widely affected my congregation1 awakening sympathy to a degree which inspired my liveliest gratitude4 ,our friend ,joshua ,harrison preached a funeral sermon for the dear boy1 full of pathos and power4 ,in #ahei a friend accompanied me to the ,pyrenees4 ,travelling by ,french railways1 we reached ,bayonne at the end of ,august1 and then crossed the ,spanish frontier in a ,spanish diligence1 which had all the lumber and shabby trappings of ,french ones4 ,we reached ,san ,sebastian at night1 and next morning took a walk on the promenade1 where the ladies in mantillas and veils flourished their fans with grace and dignity2 and if there be something gay in ,french solemnity1 there is something grave in the gaiety of ,spaniards4 ,we again climbed up a diligence1 and travelled through the ,lower ,pyrenees to ,pau1 where1 from the ,grand ,terrace1 we saw peering out from the haze of a hot summer sky the mountain range--not near1 as many imagine1 but many miles off4 ,of course we saw the old palace where ,henri ,,iv4 was born and wrapped up in his shell cradle4 ,along roads bordered by woods and hills1 reminding one of ,wharfedale1 we reached an elevation at ,sevignac1 overlooking the valley of the ,gave1 with magnificent mountains in front1 ,pic du ,midi coming into full view4 ,eaux ,bonnes1 with all the luxuries of a ,french watering-place1 was then reached1 whence we proceeded to ,eaux ,chaudes1 where the mountains become awfully precipitous4 ,we looked down from zigzag roads1 cut out of declivities buttressed by rocks and embankments1 with boiling torrents at the foot1 roaring like thunder4 ,the ,pic du ,midi1 streaked with snow1 rises up so as to remind one of an ,egyptian pyramid4 ,we determined to visit ,pantacosa1 and passed through a romantic defile1 crossed the ,spanish frontier again1 and halted at a village1 where the houses seemed walls without windows1 the outlook being altogether from the back4 ,glimpses of ,aragon's broad plain were caught1 as we looked south1 and crowds of ,spanish muleteers passed us1 laden with merchandise4 ,the baths of ,pantacosa occupy a gloomy region1 shut in by rocks1 and there ,i spent the ,sunday as an invalid1 my strength being overtaxed2 but next day ,i rose in the enjoyment of health and vigour4 ,then we made our way to ,luz4 ,the church of the ,templars built there is half fortress and half sanctuary4 ,you enter through a machicolated gateway1 into a church1 the gloomiest ,i ever saw4 ,through a little door1 the ,cagots1 a proverbial race weak both in body and mind1 used to enter for worship4 ,near to ,luz is ,st4 ,sauveur1 a narrow valley1 richly wooded1 with a tiny village jammed in among the rocks4 ,at the time of our visit1 the ,emperor ,napoleon and the ,empress ,eugenie were staying there4 ,the house they occupied was small and plain2 nothing distinguished it but the two sentinels at the door4 ,all was silent and solitary1 and nobody seemed to notice the royal residence1 besides ourselves4 ,in the afternoon1 we saw their ,majesties returning from a drive in open carriages with outriders4 ,napoleon sat on the box1 ,eugenie was chatting with her lady attendants4 ,on alighting she remained at the door of the house1 playing with her walking stick1 and receiving a letter-bag4 ,the ,emperor came out1 lighted a cigar1 smoked and then walked on to inspect some men at work on a new road4 ,we made an excursion to ,gavarnie--a shady defile with precipitous rocks1 overhanging woods1 and a river foaming and roaring four hundred feet below4 ,beyond is the ,cirque1 a basin-shaped valley of semicircular rocks1 with steps and stages1 whilst a drapery of water fringes them all round4 ,we ascended the ,pic de ,bergons1 tarried a day at ,bagnres de ,bigorre1 a central spot for tourists1 with the usual appurtenances of such places4 ,we proceeded to ,bagnres de ,luchon1 by a romantic drive1 commanding a view of the ,maladetta with its snows and glaciers4 ,in the course of our rambles in the ,pyrenees we were struck with ,eastern customs4 ,an unmuzzled ox went round a heap of corn4 ,sheep were not driven but led1 and wine was kept in leathern bottles4 ,,chapter ,,viii #ahfb-ahfe ,,the year #ahfb1 being the ,bicentenary of the ,bartholomew ejectment1 was largely given by ,english ,nonconformists to a remembrance of the confessorship and heroism which marked the ejectment of ministers in #affb4 ,a meeting was held in the spring at ,st4 ,james's ,hall1 ,piccadilly1 when papers were read1 bearing on the commemoration4 ,the preparation of one of them fell to my lot2 but ,i was taken ill at the time for its delivery1 and it had to be read by my friend1 the ,rev4 ,joshua ,clarkson ,harrison4 ,a story is told of ,garrick's reading a poem of ,hannah ,more's1 before a party of friends1 when the effect produced was by ,garrick attributed to the lady's composition1 and by the lady to the reader's elocution4 ,whatever might be the impression made at ,st4 ,james's ,hall on the reading of the paper1 it was divided between my friend and me1 after the same fashion4 ,in this address ,i advocated a ,bartholomew celebration1 on the ground1 that it was good to remember sacrifices made for conscience' sake1 and therefore professed my readiness to honour ,jeremy ,taylor as well as ,richard ,baxter4 ,this brought a letter from the ,bishop of ,down and ,connor testing my sincerity by an appeal on behalf of an ,irish cathedral restoration in memory of ,jeremy ,taylor4 ,i sent a small contribution1 which brought back a pleasant response1 such as ,i highly valued4 ,afterwards ,i met him at the ,athenum1 when he invited me to visit him1 with a view to ,christian union in ,ireland4 ,i should add that the ,bishop's scheme for the cathedral restoration failed1 and he politely returned my small contribution4 ,in the autumn of #ahfb1 ,i read a paper to the ,congregational ,assembly1 in which ,i advocated certain methods of improvement4 ,this subject ,i took up afterwards1 with no result1 however1 that ,i could discover4 ,the faults of other systems are always more welcome than the reformation of our own4 ,in #ahfc we were visited by a family bereavement which was one of the heaviest sorrows of my life4 ,john ,howard ,stoughton1 born at ,windsor in #ahdb1 was a lad of extraordinary character1 witty and artistic beyond his brothers and sisters1 who loved him with no ordinary love4 ,his love of art led us to place the youth under ,mr4 ,thomas1 a distinguished sculptor and decorator1 largely employed in works at ,windsor ,castle4 ,our boy devoted himself to his pursuits with an assiduity which created much anxiety in his mother and in me1 for it evidently injured his health4 ,in the spring of #ahfa we took him to ,hastings1 and ,dr4 ,moore1 an eminent physician there1 carefully studied his case1 and1 as the result1 advised that his artistic pursuits should be for awhile suspended1 and that he should travel abroad1 where he would see and learn much1 without tasking his physical power4 ,accordingly1 in the summer of #ahfa1 he visited the ,continent with his elder brother and me1 went up and down the ,rhine1 and saw pictures1 statues1 and decorations1 which interested his mind without overtasking his bodily strength4 ,in the following autumn he was better1 and under medical advice we arranged that1 in company with one of his sisters1 he should spend the winter in ,rome4 ,they did so accordingly1 and our hopes were raised2 but in the spring he had an attack1 which rendered it advisable that he should remove from ,rome to some other part of ,italy4 ,he did so1 and paid a visit to friends in ,leghorn4 ,i left home with another of my daughters and two nieces1 joining my children where they were staying2 thence ,i accompanied them1 on a pleasant tour through ,florence1 over the ,apennines1 and1 by way of ,bologna1 ,milan1 and the ,alps1 to ,geneva4 ,thence we came home through ,france4 ,we returned in good spirits2 but1 as winter approached1 fears reawakened4 ,gradually the invalid became weaker2 but faith in the ,invisible and ,divine ,father grew stronger and stronger4 ,the youth spent with us a cheerful ,christmas2 but in spring it was obvious he was not long for this world4 ,as the end approached he talked calmly on the subject with his beloved brother1 the two being united in bonds of ,christian faith1 as well as natural affection4 ,i can never forget the ,holy ,communion we--mother1 father1 brother1 and sisters--enjoyed in a room overlooking our garden1 when bursting buds told of nature's returning life1 and the dear sufferer bore unmistakable signs of approaching death4 ,but he was calm and cheerful1 and took deep interest in the gracious ordinance4 ,it was administered with solemnity by our dear friend ,harrison1 who loved ,howard as though he had been his own son4 ,he expired on ,march #cast1 #ahfc1 and on the following ,sunday evening my brother just named preached a memorable funeral sermon in ,kensington ,chapel4 ,in #ahfd ,dr4 ,stanley became ,dean of ,westminster1 and on his expressing a wish to be introduced to some ,nonconformist brethren1 ,dr4 ,william ,smith--editor of so many valuable dictionaries1 and with whom ,i was then associated in the business of ,new ,college--kindly gave a dinner party to which he invited me4 ,the ,dean afterwards finding there was between us some similarity of taste in literature1 and sympathy in desires for union1 invited me to the ,deanery2 and so began a friendship with him and ,lady ,augusta1 which lasted as long as they lived1 and proved one of the most precious privileges vouchsafed to me1 by the providence of our ,heavenly ,father4 ,on ,december #bhth1 #ahfe1 8the ,feast of the ,holy ,innocents0--the ,dean preached a sermon in ,westminster ,abbey4 ,the sermon was in commemoration of the ,abbey's foundation by ,edward the ,confessor eight hundred years before4 ,the text was felicitously chosen from ,john x4 #bb1 #bc1--8;,it was the feast of the ,dedication1 and it was winter1 and ,jesus walked in the temple in ,solomon's porch40 8,feast of the ,dedication0 corresponded with the character of the service2 8winter0 was the season of both celebrations2 the northern porch--a main entrance to the ,abbey--is called 8,solomon's porch40 ,the sermon was not less appropriate than the text4 ,it sketched the history of the venerable edifice1 and contained marked allusions to ,nonconformist ministrations within its walls during the ,commonwealth4 ,being present on the occasion1 ,i wrote to the ,dean afterwards in reference to his allusions1 when1 in reply1 he said1 8,it gave me additional pleasure to deliver them1 from the reflection that there was at least one person present capable of entering into them40 ,in the sermon1 as delivered1 he spoke of the ,westminster ,confession as the only one ever imposed in the whole ,island1 and on my calling his attention to this statement1 and pointing out the distinction between the doctrinal and ecclesiastical part of the ,confession1 he answered1 8,i was not ignorant of the distinction1 nor did ,i mean to say it was imposed in any offensive sense4 ,for ,i was anxious not to say a word that could be offensive to any of my brethren1 and merely wished to call attention to the fact1 that a document1 which had received in part a wider legal recognition than any other since the ,reformation1 came from ,westminster ,abbey40 ,in the sermon1 as printed1 are the words 8sanctioned by law for the whole ,island10 and in a note1 8,the doctrinal ,articles of the ,westminster ,confession of ,faith 7were7 sanctioned by the ,english ,parliament in #afdg1 and the whole ,confession by the ,scottish ,parliament in #afdh40 ,in further illustration of the ,dean's ingenuity when turning ,scripture to account in the improvement of events1 ,i may here repeat what he once related to me4 ,he happened on a ,saturday to be preparing a sermon for the ,abbey1 on some occasion when he was to plead for two objects1 and had chosen for his text ,gen4 xxvii4 #ch--8;,and ,esau said unto his father1 hast thou but one blessing my father8 ,bless me1 even me also1 ,o my father40 ,as the ,dean was writing his discourse1 some one stepped in and told him1 the ,american ,president1 ,general ,grant1 intended to be at the ,abbey the next day1 and suggested that it would be gratifying to ,americans if some allusion was made to the incident4 ,immediately it was turned to account by the ,dean in this way--that ,god had many blessings which ,he distributed amongst his children2 that bounty to one did not mean denial to another2 that ,great ,britain1 for instance1 had been blessed1 but ,god had rich benefactions for ,america as well4 ,for years ,i felt an earnest desire to visit the ,east1 and thus to become personally acquainted with ,bible lands4 ,a meeting was held in #ahfe to present me with a purse of #djj1 and a pledge that expenses incurred through my absence from ,kensington should be met1 without any pecuniary responsibilities on my part4 ,the friends who accompanied me were ,dr4 ,allon1 of ,union ,chapel1 ,islington1 ,dr4 ,spence1 of the ,poultry ,chapel1 ,london1 ,dr4 ,bright1 minister of the ,independent ,chapel1 ,dorking1 and two young lay friends--,stanley ,kemp-,welch and ,thomas ,wilson4 ,the ,dean of ,westminster gave me introductions to people he knew in ,palestine1 and afforded valuable assistance in other ways4 ,we started in ,february #ahfe4 ,i kept a journal and sent home long letters4 ,we visited ,alexandria and ,cairo1 and then proceeded through the desert of ,sinai to the monastery at the foot of ,jebel ,mousa4 ,turning north1 we made our way to ,gaza1 thence to ,ramleh1 and so onwards to ,jerusalem4 ,the members of our little party1 as we approached the city on horseback1 rode at a considerable distance from each other4 ,i knew that we should cross some ridges1 before we caught sight of the city1 and ,i happened to be in the rear of my fellow-travellers4 ,i watched the foremost of them till ,i saw him pull up his horse1 pause awhile1 then take off his hat4 ,i knew what that meant1 and the feelings awakened ,i can never forget while ,i live4 ,i eagerly1 and ,i may say reverently1 followed the foremost horseman1 and as soon as ,i caught sight of the walls and the gate1 ,i am not ashamed to say1 my eyes were full of tears4 ,as we entered the ,holy ,city the bustle was very great4 ,bedouins with yellow scarves round their heads1 and striped robes on their shoulders2 ,syrians with snowy turbans1 short jackets1 and flowing trousers2 ,turks wearing the crimson fez2 a rich man 8clothed in purple and fine linen10 mounted on a smartly caparisoned white ass1 and a poor man on foot1 ragged and tattered2 camels and donkeys carrying loads of timber and brushwood1 to the peril of wayfarers2 ,egyptian1 ,copt1 ,armenian1 ,greek1 the black ,nubian1 the white ,circassian1 with groups of veiled women1 shuffling over the stones in gay slippers--all these made a motley picture1 which dazzled the attention of pilgrims from ,england4 ,at length we reached our hotel1 and had to make ladder-like ascents1 and mount on roofs1 story after story1 before we could get to our apartments1 whence we caught our first view of ,mount ,olivet4 ,we met with ,christian friends in the ,holy ,city1 and were kindly invited by ,dr4 ,gobat1 ,bishop of ,jerusalem1 to spend an evening at his house1 when he gathered together a party consisting of the principal foreign visitors at the time1 most of whom were ,english4 ,for two ,sunday mornings we worshipped at the church on ,mount ,zion1 near the ,episcopal residence1 and were glad of an opportunity to partake of the ,communion4 ,i have always delighted in fellowship at the ,lord's table with ,christian brethren of different churches1 who1 under different forms of administration1 worship and adore the same ,lord4 ,not only when travelling on the ,continent have ,i received the ,lord's ,supper at the hands of ,episcopalian brethren1 but in ,england1 on a few occasions ,i have availed myself of a similar catholic privilege4 ,before proceeding further1 let me relate a story ,i heard from ,dr4 ,rosen1 the ,german consul1 respecting the famous ,sinaitic ,,ms4 ,tischendorf had reason to believe a precious treasure was hid in the monastery at ,sinai4 ,he obtained letters which he thought would assist him1 but1 on further consideration1 declined to employ them4 ,he found in the library part of his coveted prize2 and1 it happened at that moment1 the office of ,okonomos was vacant1 and a keen contest for it was going on between two monks4 ,he joined one party1 and promised to use influence with the ,russian ,emperor in favour of their candidate1 hinting that the present of a valuable ,,ms4 would promote their object4 ,after a good deal of diplomacy this plan prospered4 ,the ,,ms4 coveted by the scholar was secured1 and the once hopeless candidate was installed in office4 ,this was not all4 ,the ,,ms4 was incomplete1 and the missing part was found by ,tischendorf in the possession of a ,greek merchant4 ,the promise of a ,russian title proved more effectual than gold1 and ,tischendorf carried off his prize to ,st4 ,petersburg in triumph4 ,i jotted down the story the evening ,dr4 ,rosen related it1 and here in a few words have ,i given the substance4 ,of course we explored ,jerusalem as far as our limited time allowed2 and1 under the guidance of ,dr4 ,rosen1 ,i had the privilege of visiting certain spots where recent discoveries had been made4 ,i remember seeing what looked like indications of a well1 from which1 it was easy to imagine1 people1 in our ,lord's time1 used to draw water4 ,nor can ,i forget rambles on the line of walls commanding views of the city and neighbourhood4 ,i can now distinctly recall my visit to a sepulchre outside the city1 where a stone1 like a large millstone1 was lying at the door1 as if recently 8rolled away40 ,i studied 7as well as time1 and what ,i had read on the subject1 would allow71 the question as to the place of crucifixion1 and where our blessed ,lord rose from the dead4 ,points still remain to be settled1 as to the direction in which the city wall ran in the time of ,christ4 ,i cannot adopt any modern theories on the whole subject1 which have made way in ,america and in ,england4 ,it appears to me after long study1 that grounds can still be maintained in support of the old tradition in favour of the spot where the ,church of the ,holy ,sepulchre stands4 ,we made a memorable excursion to ,bethlehem1 by way of ,rachel's sepulchre1 and descended the cave where1 it is said1 our ,lord was born4 ,we next proceeded to ,hebron1 where ,i stood by a flight of steps leading to the tombs within1 longing to ascend and explore those hallowed resting places4 ,returning northwards1 we stopped at the traditional oak1 by which ,abraham sat in the heat of the day--and at the vineyards of ,eschol where old stocks are thriving still--and at ,solomon's pool and gardens1 not far from ,david's hiding-places4 ,then1 after a long and exciting day1 we found rest in the old monastery of ,s4 ,saba1 from the terrace of which1 we caught a view of the ,dead ,sea4 ,we rambled on its melancholy shores1 dipped in the ,jordan1 and then spent a night by the ruins of ,jericho4 ,the order of our journey followed ,dr4 ,stanley's directions1 that we might have the advantage of crossing ,olivet1 so as to come suddenly on the point where our ,lord 8beheld the city and wept over it40 ,from ,jerusalem we proceeded northwards by ,bethel1 ,sychar1 ,samaria1 ,esdraelon1 and ,nazareth1 to ,tiberias and the ,lake4 ,thence by ,safed we travelled over the hills of ,galilee to ,banias 78the ,syrian ,tivoli071 ,damascus1 and ,beyrout4 ,banias is a charming spot4 ,with the scenery from a hill overlooking ,damascus ,i was charmed beyond measure1 and was intensely interested in the antiquities of that grand old city4 ,dr4 ,allon1 ,dr4 ,bright and ,mr4 ,wilson visited the ruins at ,baalbec1 but ,mr4 ,kemp-,welch remained with me in ,damascus to take care of ,dr4 ,spence1 who was very ill4 ,he had to be leisurely taken over the mountains to ,beyrout1 approaching which we had never-to-be-forgotten views of the beautiful ,mediterranean4 ,after leaving ,palestine ,i wrote in my notes the following impression as to the ,bible1 which had been a constant companion and guide in our travels3--,it is the ,book of the ,holy ,land--the gospel of ,palestine4 ,it is ,oriental2 it is ,syrian2 it is ,samaritan2 it is ,galilean2 it is ,jewish4 ,it paints the scenery of the ,land of ,promise from end to end1 and the wilderness too4 ,it echoes the voices of the people4 ,we hear in it the murmur of towns and villages1 we pass through2 it breathes the pure1 fresh1 bracing air of the desert2 everywhere as ,i opened the ,divine pages ,i found them reflecting surrounding scenes4 ,even the brilliant ,frenchman1 who has tasked his genius to demolish the authentic life of ,jesus and to build out of the ruins an imagination of his own1 virtually admits the truth of what ,i have now advanced1 for he points out the minute accuracy of the ,volume2 which shows how true in detail are the ,gospels1 how faithful to rock and stream1 river and lake1 tree and wild flower1 is the entire narrative4 ,thus1 after all he says to the contrary1 he really raises in the reader's mind a fair presumption of its fidelity in higher matters4 ,one circumstance struck me as very noticeable--that is1 the compression1 within a small compass1 of a number of stirring incidents related in ,holy ,writ4 ,dothan1 where ,joseph sought his brethren and their flocks2 the plain of ,megiddo1 the battle-field of ,israel2 the river ,kishon1 8that ancient river10 so fatal to ,sisera's army2 the valley of ,jezreel1 with its wide panorama1 where ,ahab had a palace2 the heights of ,gilboa1 where fell ,saul and his sons1 with the well of ,harod at the foot1 where ,gideon's three hundred men stooped and lapped the water2 the garden of the ,shunamite1 opposite to ,mount ,carmel2 the city of ,nain and the cave of ,endor2 ,tabor and ,nazareth--all these spots come within a few hours' ride4 ,well might ,issachar think 8that rest was good1 and the land that it was pleasant40 ,our party began to separate at ,beyrout4 ,dr4 ,spence1 accompanied by ,mr4 ,wilson1 returned direct to ,england2 the rest of us came home through ,europe4 ,in crossing the ,mediterranean with ,dr4 ,allon and ,kemp-,welch we touched at ,cyprus4 ,the coast looked flat and uninteresting1 but the bright morning1 the sparkling sea1 and the manifold associations attaching to the islands inspired great curiosity and deep interest1 though ,i felt by no means well4 ,i began to be conscious that my appetite for travelling had somewhat palled1 if not become almost dead4 ,we landed at ,larnaca1 and found it a very poor place4 ,the ,greek churches were somewhat curious1 from the circumstance of old columns with characteristic capitals being built into the walls4 ,i noticed ,greek priests sitting in wine shops1 and some of them occupying places of traffic1 selling different articles in huckster-like hovels4 ,these men indicated the social degradation of inferior orders in the ,eastern ,church4 ,however it may be with the dignified clergy in ,russia1 certainly priests in ,palestine1 ,syria and the ,mediterranean ,isles afford low types of civilisation4 ,after dwelling on what is related about ,cyprus in the ,acts of the ,apostles1 the conversion of ,sergius ,paulus1 and the conduct of ,elymas the sorcerer1 became very real narratives2 and with these memories in our minds we re-embarked and had a pleasant evening as we sat on deck4 ,i fell asleep with the prospect of reaching ,rhodes the next day4 ,the harbour1 with its well-known mole and adjuncts1 is very picturesque4 ,we climbed up narrow streets1 full of houses once occupied by the knights1 and from the fortification1 had an extensive view of the island and the ,mediterranean4 ,the ,church of ,st4 ,john1 blown up by gunpowder1 and shattered to fragments1 seized on my imagination for a good while1 as ,i wandered1 and sat down on a spot1 so rich in romantic story4 ,we then returned to the interior of the town1 and at the harbour watched the boatmen1 busy at the seaside4 ,as we were doing so1 one of my companions exclaimed1 8,stoughton1 you've got the jaundice60 and1 sure enough1 when we reached our steamer1 the looking-glass proved this was true4 ,when ,i rose next morning my limbs were of a saffron colour4 ,the weather changed4 ,the sky was dark1 and the views we caught of ,asia were by no means inviting4 ,at night there came a storm2 and a storm in the ,mediterranean is no trifling matter4 ,wind roared through the rigging2 the vessel lurched and laboured1 groaning as if the timbers would burst4 ,lying in my berth ,i could feel the dashing billows4 ,tables and stools were sliding about4 ,the suspended lamps swayed to and fro1 like the pendulum of a clock4 ,overhead confusion was terrible4 ,horses were kicking1 and the sailors were swearing4 ,we had a pasha with his harem on board1 and1 as might be expected1 they were exceedingly terrified4 ,crowds of pilgrims returning from the ,eastern celebration at ,jerusalem1 were lying on deck resembling herrings in a barrel1 and the noise they made was terrific4 ,waves beat over our boat1 till the poor creatures were almost drowned4 ,beside we had horses1 bears and monkeys on board1 and1 of course1 they added to the inharmonious concert4 ,i rose from my hammock early1 and with my companion1 ,mr4 ,welch1 sought comfort from a cup of tea4 ,reaching the deck1 ,i talked with one of the engineers1 an ,englishman1 and asked what he thought of the storm4 8,is there any danger80 ,i asked4 ,he replied1 8,this has been a very queer night1 and we have made no way4 ,if it had lasted1 that would have been serious40 ,we safely reached ,smyrna harbour in the afternoon4 ,of course1 ,i thought as we approached land3--,there1 on one of the hills yonder1 the martyr1 ,polycarp1 by death sealed the truths which he had proclaimed in life4 ,as we landed1 ,i thought myself in an ,italian port1 so ,european at a glance everything looked--houses1 shops1 and people--but1 entering the town1 the scene changed1 for there the streets1 bazaars1 and costumes told of ,oriental manners and customs4 ,the next day a party was organised to visit the ruins of ,ephesus4 ,it can be reached by railway1 and when we entered the station1 we might have fancied ourselves at home2 for there we met with ,english guards1 and railway porters1 like our own4 ,we had a special train to convey us to the far-famed ruins4 ,we visited what is left of the forum1 the theatre1 and the stadium1 but it is difficult to identify anything2 and it seemed to me1 a definite idea of what ,ephesus was in its glory is impossible4 ,the view from the loftiest eminence is magnificent1 including the vast plain1 the winding river ,cayster1 and what1 in ,paul's day was the harbour of ,miletus4 ,at the time of our visit1 ,greek ,christians were celebrating the ,festival of ,st4 ,john1 on a lofty hill1 the church there being a rude-looking structure4 ,the cave of the seven sleepers was pointed out1 on our way back to the railway station1 and by the cave is a beautiful mosque of the fifteenth century4 ,on ,saturday morning we embarked at ,smyrna for ,constantinople4 ,we faintly discerned in the far distance1 as we crossed those classic waters1 point after point closely connected with ancient story4 ,of course1 all the way1 amidst ,homeric scenes and associations1 we called them to mind by ,homer's help2 but the thought of ,st4 ,john's labours1 his epistles1 to the seven churches in the ,apocalypse1 more prominently occupied one's mind on the ,lord's day1 when we had worship in the saloon1 and ,i preached1 as well as ,i could1 to a few sympathetic fellow-passengers4 ,on ,monday morning early1 we reached the ,golden ,horn1 filled with shipping4 ,caiques were quietly gliding over still waters2 but we were troubled at the ,custom ,house by an ignorant soldier1 who laid hold upon my 8,homer0 and detained it for two or three days4 ,kemp-,welch was the only member of our party left1 the rest proceeding homeward by another route4 ,i made the most of what was possible during the four days spent at ,constantinople4 ,my friend and ,i followed the circuit of the city on horseback2 through ,stamboul1 which appeared very ,oriental1 ruinous and dirty--through lines of cypresses1 near cemeteries with turbaned headstones2 and so1 all round1 till we reached the sweet waters4 ,there we tarried a while1 looking at the gardens1 and their summer houses1 called kiosks4 ,the place is a resort like ,hampton ,court4 ,thence we returned to the city4 ,next day we crossed the ,golden ,horn1 and saw the ,sultan's seraglio1 attached to which are more gardens and more kiosks4 ,the place contains a library full of ,arabic ,,mss41 and a throne room1 with the ,sultan's divan1 surmounted with a baldacchino4 ,there ,his ,majesty used to hold his court1 attended by janissaries1 and was screened from the view of subjects1 except that his hands were visible4 ,the ,sublime ,porte is the grand entrance to the room of audience for ambassadors from other courts4 ,we visited the arsenal with its ammunition1 muskets1 and swords4 ,the building1 it is said1 was in the fourth century a church--the ,church of ,s4 ,irene1 where ,chrysostom preached some of his wonderful sermons--and it has still in the apse an antique cross4 ,but the grand ecclesiastical edifice of ,constantinople is ,s4 ,sophia1 with columns brought from ,ephesus1 and representations of four cherubim with their faces obliterated4 ,a legend is preserved to this effect1 that when ,constantinople was taken by the ,turks1 a priest was saying mass--immediately a chasm opened in the wall and received him4 ,there he still remains1 chalice in hand1 waiting to finish the service1 when ,christians recover the ancient edifice4 ,but ,i must not enter into further details of what ,i saw and heard during my short stay at ,constantinople4 ,i was now left alone1 as my only remaining companion was obliged to return home by a different route4 ,let me add in closing this part of my story1 that the banks of the ,bosphorus on which ,i gazed1 as ,i left ,constantinople1 surpassed previous imagination4 ,the gardens and kiosks by the waterside1 looked paradisaical2 and as we steamed along ,i was enchanted1 one instant after another1 by objects on the shore4 ,all the way to the ,black ,sea was delightful4 ,then surroundings changed4 ,travellers1 landed to find themselves amidst indescribable confusion4 ,thence we proceeded by rail across a dreary district1 without trees1 and abounding in shallow sheets of stagnant water1 with plenty of storks1 ,egyptian geese1 and other wild birds4 ,still1 within the region crossed1 there were fields of grain4 ,we reached our steamer on the ,danube1 between six and seven o'clock on ,friday evening4 ,we found the great river improve as we ascended it4 ,at first we had low banks dotted with mosques and minarets1 showing we were still in ,turkey4 ,on board the boat ,i was treated as an invalid1 and the attention shown by captain1 crew1 and servants1 was such as to inspire the warmest gratitude on my part4 ,the scenery on the banks of the ,danube1 in the earlier part of our voyage up the river1 was very magnificent--rocks rising loftily from the water's edge on one bank1 but low on the other4 ,we passed richly wooded scenery1 and caught glimpses of pleasant glens1 with running streams and picturesque bridges4 ,further on were comfortable farm-houses and smiling villages4 ,we reached ,pesth on ,tuesday1 travelling by rail1 and then proceeded1 in the same way1 to ,vienna1 where ,i tarried for a couple of days--seeing the magnificent cathedral1 the vaults of the ,capuchin ,church1 the ,prater1 the ,royal ,palace1 and the ,picture ,galleries4 ,travelling across ,germany by rail ,i reached the ,rhine1 thence to ,brussels1 where ,i was entertained by my nieces then on a visit there4 ,at last ,i found two dear daughters waiting at the ,victoria ,station1 and at ,fairlawn ,house1 ,hammersmith1 there was a loving welcome4 ,at the conclusion of my narrative of ,eastern travel1 let me remark4 ,what one sees in travelling through ,palestine gives vividness to the narrative--makes what before were pale outlines1 pictures of glowing colour and dazzling light4 ,i do not forget the danger there is of being too much engaged with what is outward in ,biblical studies--tarrying in the porch instead of worshipping in the temple--lingering by the hedge to gather flowers instead of pressing into the field to cut down corn--playing the geologist1 instead of working as spiritual miners--finding out what is curious as to literature1 instead of appropriating 8the unsearchable riches of ,christ40 ,but still1 what ,i gathered in the ,east is precious1 and may minister to spiritual edification1 as well as to mental enjoyment4 ,how marvellous it is that whilst the ,bible is so ,eastern--while ,oriental manners1 customs1 and scenery are photographed there1 it is nevertheless an universal book6 ,the ,koran is not so ,eastern as the ,bible2 at least1 so it struck me1 as ,i read it in the ,east2 yet the ,bible is the ,englishman's book as the ,koran could not be1 even if we were all ,mussulmans4 ,specially forcible and beautiful were the impressions we derived touching the life of ,christ2 we felt how toilsome were his journeys as ,he walked along the rough and rugged pathways from ,jericho to ,jerusalem1 over which we rode4 ,how humiliating must have been his intercourse with the poor1 who1 no doubt1 then lived in wretched mud hovels1 such as we saw1 not only in ,palestine1 but in ,egypt2 types of domestic habitation for the lower classes in ages past6 ,we thought3 ,through such collections of 8houses of clay0 did ,he pass6 ,here did ,he tarry1 and within such abodes6 ,not one of them was ,his own2 ,he had not where to lay ,his head4 ,,chapter ,,ix #ahfe-ahgb ,,in the year #ahfg ,i published the first volumes of my 8,ecclesiastical ,history of ,england02 this calls for explanation of what preceded and prepared for it4 ,immediately after ,i left college1 and settled at ,windsor1 ,i commenced the study of ,church history with much earnestness2 and the first fruit was a course of lectures on the subject to my congregation1 delivered on week evenings4 ,when ,i had completed them they were sent by me to my revered tutor1 ,dr4 ,henderson1 for criticism and advice4 ,he encouraged me to pursue my studies in that direction1 with the hope and intention of making use of them in after life4 ,i followed his advice1 and during the remainder of my ,windsor ministry devoted all the time ,i could spare from pulpit and pastoral duties to researches into early annals of ,christendom4 ,in my investigations ,i was kindly allowed to use the ,dean and ,chapter's library4 ,after ,i left ,windsor1 ,i turned attention to ecclesiastical affairs during the ,puritan period4 ,this happened just as ,i was about to pay a visit to my native county--,norfolk--where ,i commenced studying original records in ,norwich4 ,proceedings against ,nonconformity and other records there came within my reach1 that part of ,england being somewhat rich in this department of history4 8,spiritual ,heroes0 was the title of my first volume1 which not long after was revised and enlarged in a second edition4 ,the ,congregational lecture on 8,the ,ages of ,christendom10 was delivered and published in #ahef4 ,this led1 in #ahfg1 to the 8,ecclesiastical ,history of ,england1 from the ,opening of the ,long ,parliament to the ,death of ,oliver ,cromwell40 8,the ,church of the ,restoration10 forming two volumes1 appeared in #ahgj1 and 8,the ,church of the ,revolution0 in #ahgd4 ,to complete the list of works on ,english ,ecclesiasticism1 there followed other volumes on the reigns of ,queen ,anne and the ,three ,georges4 ,afterwards came 8,religion in ,england from #ahjj to #ahea40 ,i state all this1 because some confusion has arisen from a fragmentary publication of the original works and of successive editions4 ,in #ahfg correspondence and personal intercourse commenced between a distinguished ,episcopalian and myself1 of an interesting character4 ,in that year ,i received an invitation to ,chichester from ,dean ,hook4 ,he was much talked of1 on account of his ,high ,churchmanship1 and his pre-eminent activity as ,vicar of ,leeds4 ,dissenters counted him amongst their bitter foes2 and ,i should have been much surprised1 years earlier1 had ,i been told ,i was to be a guest at his house4 ,yet so it was4 ,historical sympathies brought us together1 and each found that the other wished to be fair in dealing with men who held opposite opinions4 ,both believed in a spiritual brotherhood reaching beyond denominational bounds4 ,soon after my arrival at ,chichester he asked3 8,what shall we talk about8 ,if ,i thought ,i could make you a ,churchman1 ,i would try to do so2 and if you thought you could make a ,dissenter of me1 you would make the attempt40 ,i replied3 8,nothing of the kind2 let us leave out ecclesiastical controversy1 and talk of literary and religious matters1 on which we are pretty well agreed2 and when we have exhausted them we will take up points of difference40 ,he went on to say1 that his great friend ,lord ,hatherley1 then ,high ,chancellor1 differed from him politically1 and yet they had walked up together to the polling booth to record opposite votes1 without any breach of friendship4 8,and so10 he said1 8you and ,i can unite to a certain extent2 and when we come to the parting of the way1 we can each take our own course1 with mutual good will40 ,i entered into the compact4 ,on historical and social subjects1 and as to religion in its spiritual and experimental aspects1 we were of one accord1 and felt no inclination to unsheath swords4 ,we had pleasant drives in the country and cheerful chat at the dinner-table1 when he included within his party members of the cathedral body4 ,plenty of anecdotes were related1 some about ,dr4 ,wilberforce1 when ,bishop of ,oxford4 ,the ,bishop1 ,i heard1 used to tell a story1 which showed how a man might1 unconsciously1 make a good pun4 ,he had engaged to dine with somebody whose name was ,hunter1 a cattle grazier1 and on his way1 as was his wont1 the ,bishop bethought himself3 8,what topic of talk can we have together80 ,at the railway-station his eye caught an advertisement of 8,thorley's ,food for ,cattle40 ,that would suit very well4 ,so the bishop asked the grazier his opinion of such provision for beasts of the field4 ,the host replied3 8,it might do very well for ,oxen1 but not for a ,hunter40 ,he did not know he was quoting the diocesan name of his right-reverend guest 7,oxon471 and forgot at the moment he was also repeating his own4 ,the ,dean gave a conundrum1 invented by the ,bishop1 for the amusement of a young lady3-- 8,what part of your dress resembles two popular preachers in the ,church of ,england80 8,give it up80 8,hook and ,i40 ,the ,chancellor of the ,cathedral1 ,i think it was1 spoke of ,wilberforce's power of adapting himself to people whom he met4 ,he liked to know beforehand who he was to see4 ,introduced to a ,yorkshire-man1 he began to talk in the county dialect4 ,visiting a screw manufactory1 he won the confidence of workmen by showing some knowledge of their business4 ,once at the ,earl of ,derby's 7grandfather of the present ,lord7 he met gentlemen of the turf1 and surprised them by giving the pedigree of a celebrated racehorse4 ,on being asked how he came to be 8well up0 on such a subject1 he said he had gleaned knowledge of that kind as a boy1 in the stables of a trainer1 near his father's house4 ,he scarcely ever forgot anything he had heard4 ,the ,dean was an early riser2 and retired early to bed4 ,we had family prayer in the library about nine o'clock1 the family and the guests standing and kneeling together4 ,he read the ,psalms for the day1 and used parts of the ,morning and ,evening ,service4 ,once1 about half-past ten in the evening1 ,i said to ,mrs4 ,hook--a charming woman1 8light of the dwelling0--8,i must bid the ,dean good-night4 ,where is he80 8,in bed and asleep the last hour10 she gently answered4 ,he told me that early rising had been his habit during his residence at ,leeds1 and was so still2 that demands on his time1 from forenoon to night1 were such at ,leeds as would have prevented all literary work1 had he not secured hours for study before breakfast4 ,then it was he wrote his books4 ,he worked hard all day when vicar1 and adopted unusual methods of usefulness1 holding something like ,methodist class-meetings1 which took strong hold on his ,yorkshire parishioners4 ,familiar devotional gatherings he kept up at ,chichester2 and a poor old woman was so delighted with them1 that1 by an odd association of ideas1 she compared them to feasting on 8lamb and salad40 ,these meetings he would humorously call by that name4 ,i had a good deal of talk with my kind hostess about clerical incomes1 and the demands made on them2 and so ,i became disabused of false notions common amongst outsiders4 ,from what ,i heard of large outgoings1 payments on promotion1 and so on1 ,i am able to form a more correct estimate of pecuniary affairs in the ,establishment1 than ,i could before4 ,considerable correspondence passed between us4 ,a friendly intercourse was also maintained by subsequent visits4 ,in a letter dated ,june #dth1 #ahfg1 he says3-- 8,i like a companion who will look out for points of agreement1 and then coze upon them4 ,i never court the society of those who love an argument1 and look out for topics on which we disagree4 ,you will1 perhaps1 infer from this1 that ,i want vigour of mind2 but ,i really believe that many minds are drawn out and strengthened by cozing instead of arguing1 and ,i am sure that this conduces to brotherly affection4 ,my wife and ,i after many years of hard work--and what is worse than work1 worry--came here to retire from the world4 ,we see little of general society1 and confine ourselves to pleasant cozy intercourse1 with our large and united family1 and old friends4 ,we cannot1 therefore1 offer you any gaiety when you come amongst us1 but if you take us as we are1 we shall hope to have some pleasant cozes40 ,in a letter1 dated ,march #ahfh1 he remarks3 8,in the ,peninsular ,war the pickets of the two armies were accustomed often to meet on the most friendly terms1 and enjoy each other's conversation4 ,but when the trumpet sounded each man was at his post1 ready to do his duty4 ,so it is with us4 ,i have always acted on this principle of refusing to admit the assertion1 that our differences are on nonessentials--and of offering1 nevertheless1 the right hand of friendship in private to those whom in public ,i might oppose1 or rather by whom ,i was myself opposed4 ,i was freely censured at one time for this2 but when ,i left ,leeds my ,nonconformist friends rallied round me to bid me farewell1 and several of them saw ,i had pursued the right course40 8,the great thing which you and ,i have to do is to guard against the deadly sin of too many of our contemporaries--imputing motives4 ,if we can discover a good motive1 we may rejoice1 even though we condemn the action to which it may have led4 ,but no words can express1 or thought conceive1 the indignation ,i experience1 when men seek to attribute good actions to bad motives40 ,the ,dean was not one of your modern correspondents4 ,the last of these extracts is from a letter on quarto sheets1 which covers sixteen closely written pages4 ,dr4 ,hook was a delightful talker1 ,english to the backbone--8a thorough ,john ,bull10 as an ,oxford don once said to me4 ,there was a strong dash of humour in his constitution1 and he was ready to tell amusing anecdotes of himself4 ,he was no ritualist1 no ,puritan1 certainly no ,erastian2 but a godly1 warm-hearted1 ,christian man1 whom it was a privilege to know4 ,during visits to ,chichester ,i became acquainted with one of the canons1 ,dr4 ,swainson1 then ,norrisian ,professor at ,cambridge1 afterwards ,master of ,christ's ,college in that ,university4 ,he rendered me essential service whilst ,i was writing my volumes on 8,the ,church of the ,restoration40 ,some of the books and ,,mss4 in the library of the cathedral were of great use2 and when ,i visited him afterwards at ,cambridge he rendered me further valuable aid4 ,i had the pleasure of meeting some ,cambridge dons at his dinner table1 and ,i remember being interested and instructed by a long conversation on the rendering of names given in our version of the ,bible to ancient instruments of music4 ,in #ahfi ,i was present at the announcement of wranglers for that year4 ,i stood side by side with my friend in the gallery1 close to the gentleman who held in his hand a paper big with the fates of university competitors4 ,it was a dark morning1 and at eight o'clock1 amidst breathless silence1 the personal secrets so many waited to learn1 were publicly proclaimed4 ,it was a grand piece of living mosaic which lay before me1 as upturned eager countenances were fixed on the spot where ,i was standing2 and the announcement of the new senior wrangler raised applause which seemed enough to lift the roof4 ,my friendly relations with ,dr4 ,swainson continued through after-years2 and his laborious investigations into ,church creeds were frequent topics in our conversation4 ,his inquiries into the date of the ,utrecht ,,ms4 containing the 8,quicunque vult10 etc41 were extraordinarily extensive1 minute1 and careful1 as ,i can bear testimony from repeated accounts he gave of ,continental journeys and inquiries4 ,i apprehend that nobody ever spent so much time and labour on the inquiry1 as he did2 therefore his conclusions ought to carry much weight in the settlement of a controversy touching historical theology1 as well as an archological question4 ,on the occasion of my visit to ,cambridge ,i went to see my friend1 ,mr4 ,fordham of ,melbourne1 who possessed a valuable collection of paintings2 and ,i mention him here1 for the sake of what he related respecting ,lord ,beaconsfield1 who had been a schoolfellow with ,mr4 ,fordham's brother-in-law1 the ,right ,honourable ,russell ,gurney1 ,recorder of ,london4 ,they were educated at an academy in ,walthamstow1 kept by ,mr4 ,cogan1 a ,presbyterian minister1 whose son ,i knew well4 ,young ,dizzy1 as people called the politician1 was famous at school for two things4 ,he delighted in forming parties and getting up cabals--there was an embryo politician2 next he excelled in telling stories1 and would keep the boys awake at night by his romantic inventions--there was an embryo novelist4 ,he had early dreams of future greatness1 ,i think2 and my friend informed me that he had talked to his schoolmates of being one day ,prime ,minister of ,england4 ,in the winter of #ahfg-fh1 ,dr4 ,alford1 ,dean of ,canterbury1 delivered and printed a lecture on 8,the ,christian ,conscience10 which was followed up1 in ,the ,contemporary by an article expressive of kindly feelings towards ,nonconformists1 and a desire for more friendly intercourse with them4 ,i felt it a duty to respond to this overture1 and did so1 both privately and publicly4 ,this prepared for a friendship which ,i highly valued4 ,about the same time1 ,archdeacon ,sandford1 father of the ,bishop of ,gibraltar1 made a move in the same direction4 ,i spoke to brethren in sympathy with myself1 as regards union1 and we thought of inviting a few clergymen to meet us--when1 on my acquainting ,dean ,stanley with what we had in our minds1 he expressed a wish to take the lead by getting several friends on both sides to dine with him at ,westminster4 ,accordingly ,dean ,alford1 ,archdeacon ,sandford1 ,prebendary ,humphreys1 and other clergymen1 met my friends ,binney1 ,allon1 and others1 at our good friend's hospitable board2 and the party proved most agreeable4 ,other gatherings of the same kind followed1 and at ,fairlawn1 where ,i lived1 a long conversation took place1 when1 in addition to those just mentioned1 ,lord ,ebury1 ,henry ,winterbotham1 ,m4,p41 ,dr4 ,angus1 ,dr4 ,rigg1 ,dr4 ,roberts1 and my intimate friend1 ,joshua ,harrison1 interchanged views in reference to ,catholic intercourse4 ,dr4 ,alford1 the ,dean of ,canterbury1 afterwards invited ,mr4 ,binney and myself to one of his garden parties1 and soon afterwards he presided at the ,cheshunt ,college ,anniversary1 when he uttered sentiments which were followed by a pleasant response from ministers of different denominations4 ,on another occasion he met the ,professors of ,new ,college1 by invitation from the ,coward ,trustees2 thus1 and in other and similar ways1 brotherly intercourse was considerably advanced4 ,if ,i may be permitted to trespass a little on what was at the time in futurity1 ,i will1 for the sake of preserving connection between incidents at that period1 mention other circumstances which brought together1 in a friendly way1 members of different religious bodies4 ,the first was of no great importance4 ,i think it was in #ahgj1 the ,archbishop of ,syra visited ,england1 and made some little stir4 ,dr4 ,stanley entertained him in the ,jerusalem ,chamber1 and invited a larger party to meet him afterwards4 ,the host was not likely to lose such an opportunity for bringing together people of different opinions4 ,several were introduced to this stranger1 who occupied during his visit1 perhaps1 a position above his usual one4 ,the simple fact of this introduction was magnified1 by newspapers1 even the ,times1 into a sort of submission to ,greek ,archiepiscopal superiority2 for the few whose names were mentioned were represented as receiving his formal benediction1 and ,i wrote to explain the nature of the interview1 which really amounted to nothing more than a respectful bow on the part of an ,englishman to a foreigner1 and the return on the foreigner's part of an accustomed ,greek salutation4 ,the intended effect of private civil reciprocities is often spoiled1 by attributing to them meanings never intended and utterly absurd4 ,reports of them in quite a ridiculous way get into newspapers4 ,it was owing to the circumstance of my being 8capped0 in ,edinburgh at the same time with ,matthew ,arnold1 that ,i became acquainted with that remarkable man4 ,he was by no means popular with ,dissenters1 owing to what1 in some of his books1 he said with reference to them4 ,they appreciated his ability1 but censured the spirit which appeared in some of his criticisms4 ,my acquaintance with him convinced me that in some respects he was misjudged4 ,when ,i came to know him pretty well1 ,i playfully referred to some things he had written1 which stung people whom ,i knew4 8,but ,i am not such a bad fellow10 he rejoined1 8as ,dissenters think40 8,no10 ,i replied1 8but ,dissenters look at you through your books2 ,i look at your books through you--and that makes a great difference40 ,i always found him kind1 gentle1 tender-hearted4 ,he sympathised with me in domestic sorrows1 and was pleased with some things ,i had written4 ,the publication of 8,ecclesia10 a volume by ,dissenters1 about the same time that another volume appeared written by ,churchmen1 was the means of bringing the editors and writers of the two works together at the house of a common friend1 the ,rev4 ,h4 ,s4 ,toms of ,enfield4 ,the ,rev4 ,w4 ,d4 ,maclagan1 editor of 8,the ,church and the ,age0--incumbent of a neighbouring parish 7afterwards ,vicar of ,kensington1 then ,bishop of ,lichfield #agf;a7--and ,dr4 ,reynolds1 of ,cheshunt ,college1 were present4 ,each editor proposed success to his brother editor on the other side4 ,this was an instance of mutual recognition and charity1 worthy of being known2 standing out1 as it does1 in pleasant contrast with bitter ways in which ecclesiastical controversies have been too often waged4 ,nor did that single interview end the intercourse thus begun1 as ,i have had a few opportunities since of kindly intercourse with ,dr4 ,maclagan1 both as ,kensington ,vicar1 and as a distinguished ,bishop1 earnestly doing his ,episcopal work4 ,another event occurred about the same time1 in favour of union4 ,the question of ,bible ,revision ripened to a practical issue in #ahgj4 #agf;b ,a committee was formed by ,convocation to carry out the project1 and ,i had the privilege of being present during a part of the discussion4 ,i heard the ,dean of ,canterbury1 ,dr4 ,alford1 make an eloquent speech in favour of the design he had done so much to initiate1 and for the accomplishment of which he laboured to the last4 ,that speech was pronounced by some members as the most effective he ever delivered4 ,in the evening of the same day1 ,i came across ,archdeacon ,denison1 at a clerical meeting1 to which ,i was invited by an old ,kensington neighbour1 the ,rev4 ,j4 ,e4 ,kempe1 ,rector of ,st4 ,james'1 ,piccadilly4 ,there is nothing like private chat with men of pronounced opinions1 who in public are accustomed to speak with vehemence4 ,judging from newspapers1 one regards them as repulsive1 whereas a little tte--tte in a quiet corner1 makes a marvellously different impression4 ,it was so in this instance1 and the fiery ,archdeacon1 as ,i had thought him1 proved a genial1 humorous old clergyman1 joking me on misconceptions of character formed by reading outside critics4 ,i must say1 after all his antecedents1 ,i found him a thoroughly hearty and kindly disposed ,englishman and ,christian4 8,the ,revision10 had a powerful and permanent effect in the relations of several distinguished ,churchmen and ,nonconformists4 ,some of my scholarly brethren1 ,i need scarcely say1 were chosen on the committee1 and nothing could be more harmonious than their co-operation on both sides4 ,having enjoyed the friendship of some1 and the acquaintance of more1 ,i can testify to their mutual regard and affection4 ,some ,high ,churchmen--as ,i know from having seen notes in their handwriting--expressed thankfulness to ,almighty ,god for having brought them into this new relationship4 ,it evidently removed prejudices1 and inspired a feeling of religious oneness1 where there had been before estrangement1 if not alienation4 ,at the same time ,dissenting scholarship rose in estimation2 and ,i found from conversation1 that ,churchmen held their fellow-revisers in high respect as critical students of the sacred volume4 ,some betrayed their possession of an idea1 that ,nonconformist learning in our day had risen far above what it was of old2 an idea ,i endeavoured to correct1 by maintaining that1 whilst there has been a wider diffusion of knowledge amongst our ministers1 it may be questioned whether the attainments of living men amongst us have not been exceeded by those of a past generation4 ,distinguished ,hebrew scholars1 such as ,drs4 ,boothroyd1 ,pye-,smith1 and ,henderson1 famous in the early years of the century1 are dropping out of notice in the present day4 ,social intercourse went on between the revisers and their friends4 ,reunions were held at ,new ,college1 and ,regent's ,park ,college1 and also in private residences4 ,an attempt on a bolder line to promote ,christian union1 came into prominence about the time now under review4 ,i allude to a proposal for what has been called an 8interchange of pulpits10--more properly an interchange of preaching officers4 ,a hundred years ago it was not altogether uncommon for ,incumbents of the ,establishment to preach in ,dissenting chapels1 especially those of the ,countess of ,huntingdon's ,connexion2 in a few instances a ,nonconformist occupied a parish church pulpit4 ,such irregularities died out early in this century4 ,but twenty years since there appeared a willingness on the part of several clergymen to revive the practice4 ,conferences were held with reference to the subject1 and discussions occurred as to what measures should be taken to secure legally1 what seemed desirable to many4 ,the ,right ,honourable ,cowper ,temple1 afterwards ,lord ,mount ,temple 7now deceased71 took an interest in the matter1 and prepared a ,bill to remove legal impediments out of the way4 ,he sent me the following note3-- 8,my desire is to give power to the ,bishop and ,incumbent to allow any minister of any denomination1 or any layman1 to preach occasional sermons without requiring the person who preaches to do any of the things required of a ,priest or ,deacon4 8,i shall not touch the ,act of ,uniformity1 but provide for a case which is not included in its provisions--that of preaching sermons which are not part of the daily ,church ,service1 though they may be delivered at the same time4 ,all that is wanted is the admission that preaching in a church belonging to the ,establishment is not exclusively a function of the ,established ,church40 ,i insert a copy of the ,bill which he sent me4 8,a ,,bill 8,to enable ,incumbents of ,parishes1 with the approval and consent of the ,archbishop or ,bishop of the ,diocese1 to admit to the ,pulpits of their ,parish ,churches persons not in ,holy ,orders of the ,church of ,england1 for the purpose of delivering occasional ,sermons or ,lectures4 8,whereas it is expedient that facilities should be given for the occasional delivery of ,sermons in ,churches of the ,church of ,england by persons not in ,holy ,orders of the ,church of ,england4 8,may it therefore please ,your ,majesty1 8,that it may be enacted1 by the ,queen's ,most ,excellent ,majesty1 by and with the advice and consent of the ,lords ,spiritual and ,temporal1 and ,commons1 in this present ,parliament assembled1 and by the authority of the same1 as follows 7that is to say73-- 8#a4 ,it shall be lawful for the ,bishop of any ,diocese in ,england1 on the application of the ,incumbent or ,officiating ,minister of any ,church or ,chapel belonging to the ,church of ,england within his ,diocese1 or for the ,ordinary of any ,collegiate ,church or ,chapel1 to grant1 if he shall think fit1 permission under his hand to any person1 although he is not in ,holy ,orders and has not made or subscribed a ,declaration of ,assent in the terms set forth in #8,the ,clerical ,subscription ,act1 #ahfe1' to preach occasional ,sermons or ,lectures in such ,church or ,chapel2 and thereupon it shall be lawful for the person mentioned in such permission1 on the invitation of the ,incumbent or ,officiating ,minister1 to preach an occasional ,sermon or ,lecture in such ,church or ,chapel without making any subscription or declaration before preaching4 8#b4 ,the preaching of an occasional ,sermon or ,lecture1 in pursuance of this ,act1 may take place in any ,church or ,chapel either1 after any of the ,services in the ,book of ,common ,prayer1 or at a time when no ,service is used1 as may seem best to the ,incumbent or ,officiating ,minister of such ,church or ,chapel40 ,this ,bill did not propose liberty for an ,episcopalian incumbent to preach in a ,nonconformist edifice--that object could be sought afterwards--and the limited freedom contemplated by the proposed measure failed to receive parliamentary support4 ,the fact was1 ,members of ,parliament1 who were ,dissenters1 did not take up the question with any zeal1 and some were decidedly against the proposal4 ,they felt no more desire to see ,nonconformists in ,church pulpits than the ,established clergy and laity did2 though1 of course1 they took a different ground of objection4 ,lines of division remained strongly marked1 and those who aimed at ,disestablishment were bent on a more sweeping change4 ,the time had not become ripe even for so small an alteration1 and as there seemed no great willingness in any party to promote the proposal1 it came to an unfortunate end4 ,all kinds of means for promoting union have been suggested1 and ,i have supported some very earnestly2 but1 in my old age1 ,i am persuaded there is truth in the remark3 8,the more we grow in knowledge and advance in love1 the more we should strive to preserve that simplicity1 which is so peculiarly the characteristic of the ,gospel1 and the more we should guard against the uncharitableness of supposing that every other view1 except our own1 must be useless or erroneous40 #ahc ,the year #ahga was marked by an educational measure1 opening ,oxford to all denominations more fully than it had been4 ,the ,bill met with opposition from the ,marquis of ,salisbury and his friends4 ,some time before ,i had been requested by ,lord ,ebury to draw up for the ,ritual ,commission an account of ,nonconformist modes of communion4 ,the account is printed in the ,report for #ahgj 7p4 #aci74 ,now ,i received a note from the ,marquis1 who had obtained a committee for collecting information1 asking me to give evidence with regard to matters referred to them4 ,accordingly ,i attended4 ,after listening to what ,dr4 ,jowett1 ,master of ,balliol1 had to say1 ,i took my seat1 to answer their ,lordships' queries4 #ahd ,i had looked forward to examination as somewhat formidable1 but found it far otherwise4 ,it turned out to be a pleasant conversation4 ,when the ,bill came under discussion in the ,house of ,lords1 ,i felt an interest in the debate1 and consequently attended as a listener4 ,after ,lord ,carnarvon had spoken1 he stepped over to the spot where ,i stood1 saying that his desire had been not to say anything discourteous to ,dissenters4 ,i received from him afterwards a note1 written in the same spirit1 and expressing a desire for the maintenance of friendly relations4 ,about the same time it happened that a course of lectures was given on 8,christian ,evidences10 in which bishops and other clergymen took part with ,dissenting ministers4 ,the ,british and ,foreign ,bible ,society is a bond of social1 as well as religious1 union4 ,a dinner at ,mr4 ,george ,moore's house1 ,palace ,gardens1 was1 at that time1 an annual institution1 and after the ,exeter ,hall meeting in ,may1 the committee1 speakers1 and other friends1 met under his hospitable roof4 ,the host appeared at his very best1 frank1 generous1 and kind--no affectation1 no assumption2 only a rich vein of ,english geniality4 ,on his right hand at such occasions1 usually sat ,lord ,shaftesbury1 on the left perhaps the ,archbishop of ,canterbury4 ,without flattery1 but in homely ways of recognising service1 the master of the table would call up one after another of his guests1 and after we left the dining-room1 we had family prayer together1 a bishop and a ,dissenter taking part in conducting the worship4 ,in #ahga the ,dean of ,canterbury was suddenly taken to his rest4 ,the tidings gave great sorrow2 and ,i felt it was due to his memory that some ,dissenting brethren should attend the funeral4 ,harrison1 ,baldwin ,brown1 ,newman ,hall1 and others did so2 ,i was invited by the family to be one of the pall bearers4 ,dr4 ,stanley1 ,dr4 ,merivale1 ,dean of ,ely1 and others1 met in the good man's library1 where his picture of ,st4 ,michael's ,mount1--on which he had spent some of his last hours--stood upon the easel1 and ,walton's ,polyglot lay open at the ,book of ,exodus1 where ,dr4 ,alford had been reading just before his death4 ,slowly and sadly we walked into the cloisters1 where places were assigned us1 and the procession moved into the cathedral4 ,there ,mrs4 ,alford1 with wonderful composure1 joined in the solemn service4 ,shops were shut1 and the streets lined with people1 as we were conveyed to ,st4 ,martin's ,churchyard1 where we joined in singing one of his hymns1 8,ten thousand times ten thousand10 etc4 ,he had expressed a wish to be interred there1 and wrote the following memorandum3 8,when ,i am gone1 and a tomb is to be put up1 let there be1 besides any indication of who is sleeping below1 these words only3 ,deversorium viatoris ,hierosolymam proficiscentis--i4e41 the inn of a traveller who is on his way to ,jerusalem40 ,in a letter which ,i received from ,canon ,robertson1 he said1 in reference to this inscription3 8,perhaps ,mr4 ,bullock may be able to tell you1 that some one has discovered the source of the words engraved at the bottom of the tombstone4 ,my own inquiries have been fruitless40 ,i have not been able to ascertain their origin4 ,a committee was formed to raise some testimonial to the ,dean's worth1 and they invited me to join them4 ,they acted in correspondence with the ,chapter1 and it was determined that a painted window should be placed in the cathedral1 and that it should contain symbols of the evangelists1 and the scenes of our ,lord's ,temptation1 in the larger circles2 whilst the four smaller ones around1 were to contain subjects showing that ,he exercised miraculous power of the same kinds1 in which ,he refused to exert it1 at the ,tempter's suggestion4 ,in the following year ,i lost a valued friend1 member of our ,kensington church1 ,sir ,donald ,f4 ,macleod1 ,c4,b41 ,k4,c4,s4,i4 ,he had occupied the position of ,lieutenant-,governor of the ,punjaub1 and met his death from a railway accident in ,december1 #ahgb4 ,he possessed a rare gift for putting himself into kindly fellowship with those he ruled1 whether rich or poor1 entering into their feelings and cultivating their regard so that he acquired a widespread influence in the ,indian province1 which might be called the country of his adoption4 ,all the people loved him as a friend and father2 hence it was said1 that if the natives had to choose a prince1 he would be their choice4 ,in a leading journal1 the remark of an ,indian gentleman was preserved to the effect1 that1 8,if all ,christians were like ,sir ,donald1 there would be no ,mahomedans or ,hindoos40 ,his private life was of a piece with his public career4 ,he had the power of making numerous friendships through the happy blending of religion with an affectionate disposition4 8,wherever he went10 said a relative1 8his presence was like sunshine1 and the sunshine was the reflection of another presence1 even of ,him of whom it is said1 #8,in ,thy presence is fulness of joy4'0 ,as he communed with us at ,kensington1 and was a personal friend1 ,i can bear testimony to his cheerful manners in company4 ,his tall1 commanding figure attracted attention1 and his calm1 pleasant utterances won all hearts1 especially those of the young1 who would gather round him1 attracted by the magic of his sympathy4 ,this ,indian gentleman visited the ,cripples' ,home2 this ,oriental scholar addressed a class in the ,east of ,london2 this ruler1 who might have died a rich nabob1 gave away the surplus of his income in acts of charity4 ,in #ahgb an incident occurred of an amusing description1 which1 as it has some significancy1 is worthy of notice4 ,a paragraph appeared in a religious newspaper to the following effect3 8,the ,revs4 ,dr4 ,binney1 ,dr4 ,allon1 and ,dr4 ,stoughton have been1 it seems1 presented to ,his ,grace the ,archbishop of ,canterbury at ,lambeth ,palace1 by that consistent advocate of comprehension1 ,dr4 ,stanley1 ,dean of ,westminster4 ,it remains to be seen whether the ,archbishop will invite either of the ,doctors to preach in any of the ,metropolitan churches1 if not in the ,abbey1 or in the ,cathedral4 ,the ,act of ,uniformity will have to be repealed40 ,if anybody who read this announcement had been acquainted with the circumstances1 he would have seen its absurdity4 ,the visit arose from an informal invitation to a party at ,lambeth--from ,dr4 ,tait1 who was well acquainted with all the three persons4 ,they needed no 8presentation10 such as the newspaper imagined4 ,it is a curious fact1 that1 while some people complain of ,dissenters being ignored or repulsed by the upper classes1 when1 instead of it1 there is friendly recognition1 the complainants imagine that1 if the two classes do meet1 there must be obsequiousness on the one side1 and patronage on the other4 ,it is supposed an impossible thing1 for a ,dignitary and a ,dissenter to meet as gentlemen1 without any professional design2 on the occasion referred to1 ecclesiastical objects no more entered the head of the host1 as he welcomed us with cordiality1 than it entered the heads of his guests4 ,it was an affair of social courtesy1 in which politeness on the one side1 ,i hope1 was returned on the other4 ,by the way1 at a ,lambeth reception1 after mingling with friends whom ,i had known for some years1 ,i heard ,mr4 ,binney say to ,bishop ,wilberforce3 8,are you not surprised to see us here80 8,surprised6 ,why1 if you were not here1 who should be here80 ,this rejoinder puzzled my friend1 when ,i ventured to add1 8,i understand your compliment1 my lord1 but at least you will acknowledge1 it is something new40 8,no1 not new10 he rejoined1 and laying his hand on my shoulder1 proceeded to say1 8,what is right is not new3 is not righteousness as old as the creation80 8,then you consider it is right for us to be here10 ,i ventured to remark4 8,certainly2 delighted to see you40 ,some one overhearing this colloquy1 observed in a whisper1 8,he will talk in a different way in different company40 ,possibly2 but ,i believe there is force in what ,i have heard his friends say--he was a man of many-sided sympathy1 thoroughly good-natured1 fond of approbation1 wishing to stand well with everybody1 and for the moment sincerely meaning what he said4 ,but he was changeful and inconsistent1 saying one day1 under an amiable impulse1 what it was difficult to reconcile with his conversation another day in different company4 ,i knew little of him personally as a man2 but as a preacher1 and author1 ,i must say ,i have derived no small advantage from his sermons and addresses4 ,further1 in reference to ,bishop ,wilberforce1 remarkable stories were current showing what a marvellous gift of extemporary eloquence he possessed4 ,archdeacon ,sinclair told me that once the ,bishop came to a meeting of the ,national ,school ,society1 totally unprepared1 and whispered to him3 8,what points had ,i better take up80 ,the ,archdeacon mentioned two or three4 ,wilberforce a few minutes afterwards rose1 and delivered a speech on those very points1 as if he had spent the morning in preparation4 ,dean ,stanley told me that when the ,bishop held a confirmation in the ,abbey1 he asked1 as they walked together up the nave1 whether there was any particular subject he would like to have introduced4 ,one was mentioned4 ,forthwith the ,bishop took it up in his address to the confirmed1 in a way which led his hearers to suppose he had carefully prepared what he said4 ,dr4 ,guthrie was one of the most genial men ,i ever knew2 full of anecdote up to the brim4 ,indeed his conversation almost entirely took that form1 and his racy way of telling a story gave what he said an irresistible charm4 ,he was far more catholic than many of his brethren1 and though he had respect for his ecclesiastical party1 his sympathies went far beyond his own circle2 and with reference to the ,established ,church of ,scotland1 though himself a ,free ,churchman1 he cherished no animosity1 and was not indisposed to preach occasionally in the old parish pulpits4 ,his attachment to ,evangelical truth was very strong1 and for any deviations from it he would listen to no excuse4 ,he visited some of my people at ,kensington1 and that brought me frequently into his society4 ,how he used to talk of his visits to ,mr4 ,disraeli and the ,countess of ,beaconsfield1 of the wedding of the ,marquis of ,lorne1 when he escorted the children of the family to ,windsor ,castle1 and was especially noticed by ,her ,majesty1 and was addressed as 8,my ,lord0 by somebody who thought him a bishop2 and of a dinner-party at ,argyle ,lodge1 when he met ,mr4 ,bright1 and could hardly get in a word himself1 because the great orator would talk so much6 ,the last time ,i saw him was at breakfast with me at my house1 when ,i think he was more brilliant and merry than usual4 ,he knew ,i was entertaining thoughts of retirement1 and he strongly urged me to relinquish pastoral duties and become an occasional preacher4 ,moreover he said1 8,it is better to be too early than too late in this respect4 #8,why do you give up so soon8' one of ,her ,majesty's ,ministers once asked me2 #8you have all your wits about you4' #8,yes1' ,i replied1 #8and if ,i were to wait1 as some do1 till my wits are gone1 ,i should never give up at all4'0 ,an important crisis in the summer of #ahgb1 had occurred in the history of ,new ,college4 ,dr4 ,halley from age and infirmities1 retired from the principalship4 ,dr4 ,newth was chosen successor1 and to fill up the chair1 left vacant by my old friend and tutor1 the services of three ,london ministers were called into requisition4 ,mr4 ,binney undertook the ,homiletic ,class1 ,dr4 ,kennedy became ,theological ,professor in the department of ,apologetics1 and ,i was invited to conduct instruction in ,historical ,theology4 ,my hands were pretty full1 but this was an engagement congenial to my taste1 and for which ,i felt ,i was better qualified than ,i had been at the time when an invitation was given me to accept the office of principal4 #aic ,the question of my retirement from the pastorate occupied my thoughts at a later period1 and ,i indicated this in a communication to the ,church through my deacons4 ,that communication was met by a warm and earnest request that ,i would continue at ,kensington ,chapel a little while longer4 ,i consented to tarry till the end of two years4 ,about the time just noticed1 education in reference to public schools assisted by ,government grants was keenly discussed4 ,those amongst ,nonconformists who were disposed to accept ,state aid in support of schools in which religion was taught were regarded as acting inconsistently with their principles in opposition to ,state endowment of ,christianity4 ,into that question it is unnecessary to enter here1 but ,i repeat what ,i urged at the time referred to1 that ,government aid and ,government inspection were co-extensive2 that if ,government assisted a school1 and inquired exclusively into the secular instruction of pupils1 the aid bestowed was to be regarded as in aid of that alone4 ,the separation in a school of religious from secular instruction1 appeared to me inconsistent with our duty as ,christians4 ,in guiding the intellect of the young1 an infusion of ,gospel truth is1 ,i believe1 of essential importance4 ,a declaration to the effect that the ,bible should be used in public schools was signed by several hundred ,christian ministers1 and in that declaration ,i most cordially joined4 ,the severance of revelation from other fundamental grounds of youthful knowledge was1 in my estimation1 very mischievous4 ,mr4 ,forster was condemned severely by a large number of ,dissenters as being opposed to the interests of ,nonconformity4 ,i have good reason for believing that he wished to deal fairly between ,church and ,dissent4 ,the opinions of all parties had to be consulted1 and it was no easy thing for any man in his place to give universal satisfaction4 ,i conversed with him at the time on the subject of his measure1 and am persuaded he was honest throughout the whole business4 ,when the strongest feeling against him existed1 ,i know1 from what he said to me1 that he gave full credit to his opponents for good intentions4 ,of some friends we both knew1 who differed from him widely1 he spoke in the kindest terms4 ,when he was regarded as an enemy by some ,nonconformists1 ,i was informed he attended a ,nonconformist chapel in the country during a summer holiday2 and ,i know he helped the pastor by pecuniary assistance1--that very pastor being my informant4 ,mr4 ,forster never lost sympathy with ,quakerism4 ,our common friend1 ,mr4 ,braithwaite1 a well-known member of that denomination1 spoke at his funeral2 and an eminent ,baptist minister told me of his pleasant visits to ,mr4 ,forster's residence4 ,matthew ,arnold proposed my name for election to the ,athenum ,club4 ,the usual mode is vote by ballot1 which1 on account of the number of candidates1 occasions delay for many years4 ,but the committee have power to choose annually nine members by special vote4 ,i did not know fully until the secretary wrote to me1 that ,i had been so elected--an honour to which ,i felt myself by no means entitled4 ,the influence of ,dr4 ,stanley1 ,mr4 ,matthew ,arnold1 and other kind friends1 secured for me this great privilege1 which has been a source of literary advantage and pleasure to me ever since4 ,and ,i may here mention1 from what occurred in the proceedings of the committee1 as ,i was told1 ,nonconformity was1 in my case1 rather a help than hindrance2 as the club1 in a catholic spirit1 desires to have representatives of different classes and opinions included on its rolls4 ,on the same principle not long afterwards ,dr4 ,martineau was introduced to the ,athenum4 ,i was surprised a few weeks after my election to receive an invitation to the ,academy dinner1 and was pleased to learn from one of the ,academicians that this compliment1 as well as the preceding1 arose from the same spirit of catholic sociality4 ,nothing but presence at one of these banquets can give an adequate idea of their remarkable magnificence4 ,a sudden burst of light1 just before speeches commence1 has a magical effect4 ,mr4 ,disraeli1 then ,prime ,minister1 delivered a highly finished oration1 after sitting silent and sphinx-like for an hour before4 ,at an early part of the period to which this chapter belongs1 the famous volume entitled 8,ecce ,homo0 was published4 ,it excited much controversy4 ,i read it with interest and attention4 ,it has long been my habit1 in perusing works unfavourable to orthodoxy1 to search in them for admitted principles which1 by a fair application1 may be employed in support of truths to which the author is regarded as being opposed4 ,in the work just mentioned there is a chapter on what is called 8,christ's ,royalty60 #aig ,christ is represented as having established in the world a new theocracy in describing ,himself as ,king of the kingdom of ,god2 in other words1 as a ,king representing the ,majesty of the ,invisible ,ruler of a theocracy4 ,he claimed the character of ,founder1 of ,legislator1 and1 in a certain high and peculiar sense1 8of ,judge of a new and ,divine society40 ,whatever might be the views of the writer with regard to the nature of ,jesus ,christ1 such a position as he reached1 seems to me to involve ,christ's true and proper ,divinity4 ,in other words1 it is tantamount to saying that 8,jesus ,christ is ,lord1 to the glory of ,god the ,father40 ,i remember that at the time1 whatever might be the tendency of the work on the whole1 ,i thought there were in it admissions of such a nature as to afford a basis for convincing arguments in favour of ,evangelical ,christianity4 ,one evening1 at that time1 ,i met ,lord ,shaftesbury at a friend's house1 and had a conversation with him on the subject of the book4 ,it is well known that1 with the impetuosity which was so natural to that great and good man1 he was swept along by a hurricane of indignation1 which led him to pronounce 8,ecce ,homo0 a work of most pernicious tendency4 ,of ,lord ,shaftesbury it might be said that he was like a cloud which moveth altogether1 if it move at all4 ,he could do or say nothing by halves2 and however minds of a different order might judge of his acts and utterances1 there can be no doubt that by the enthusiasm of his advocacy he carried beneficial measures which otherwise might not have succeeded4 ,when ,i was talking with him after the manner just indicated and pointing out arguments which ,i conceived might be constructed out of some of the writer's admissions1 he was evidently very restless1 and expressed his strong conviction1 that the book deserved to be strongly reprehended1 in order to warn people against being led away by its contents4 ,in the course of conversation he manifested1 that he had not read what he so severely condemned4 ,this habit of condemning books without reading them1 it is to be feared1 is too common in the present day4 ,here let me add ,lord ,shaftesbury's manner was not always the same4 ,at times he was gentle and exceedingly affable1 of which ,i remember an amusing instance4 ,we were travelling together from ,peterborough1 after a jubilee meeting of the ,british and ,foreign ,bible ,society in that city4 ,he was speaking of the profound ignorance of the upper classes respecting the character and habits of ,nonconformists2 and ,i ventured to relate to him1 in illustration of what he had said himself1 a story which ,i had heard respecting his father1 who was ,chairman of the ,committee of the ,house of ,lords4 ,a solicitor waited upon him to confer respecting a ,bill1 which was coming before the ,upper ,house1 in reference to matters which affected the rights of ,dissenters4 ,the old ,earl said to this gentleman1 8,i hear a good deal about these ,dissenters1 and some things very strange4 ,i have been told they are people who go about without clothes40 ,the ,earl laughed1 and said1 such a thing as ,i related was just like him4 ,,chapter ,x #ahgc ,,the sixth ,general ,meeting of the ,evangelical ,alliance had been fixed for the year #ahgj1 in ,new ,york2 but1 owing to the war between ,france and ,germany1 it was postponed to the autumn of #ahgc4 ,canon ,leathes1 ,mr4 ,harrison1 and myself1 received invitations from the ,american committee1 to attend the assembly2 and1 accordingly1 we started for our destination in one of the ,cunard steamers at the close of the month of ,august4 ,with the exception of rough weather in the earlier part1 we had a fine passage4 ,going out we touched on the ,irish coast1 and1 it being ,sunday1 we landed and spent the day on shore4 ,we were on the coast of ,waterford1 and found the country very pleasant4 ,we attended church in the forenoon1 and afterwards took walks in the neighbourhood4 ,i had spent a week or more in ,ireland some few years previously1 and had then seen spots in the ,green ,isle1 which created a desire to see more4 ,the city of ,limerick on the ,shannon had given me delight4 ,dublin is a magnificent city1 and the object of my visit there had been to preach on a special occasion in ,dr4 ,urwick's church4 ,i saw at that time something of ,irish society1 and found controversy rife between ,protestants and ,papists4 ,i took an opportunity of visiting the ,killarney lakes1 and found them all1 and more than1 ,i had imagined4 ,nor could ,i fail to be amused with the humour of carriage-drivers and other ,irish people4 ,returning to our steamer on ,sunday afternoon1 we started for ,new ,york1 and had1 in the course of our voyage1 rough weather and smooth4 ,for some-time it was unfavourable--8four-fifths of a gale0 somebody said2 but in the latter part of our trip we had charming weather4 ,where the whistle at night had sounded like a wail of distress1 it was now felt to be means of safety4 ,flag signals and rockets now and then relieved the tedium2 so did the gambols of porpoises4 ,moonbeams in a mottled sky1 were pleasant variations1 as we steamed along at a rapid rate4 ,the night before we landed in ,new ,york harbour1 the sun went down like a ball of fire1 the sea was intensely blue1 whilst alive with little billows1 like children at their sports2 the bow of the steamer was crowded by passengers looking out for the pilot-a capital subject1 ,i thought1 for some clever pencil4 ,the next morning when we reached ,sandy ,hook1 ,i could not help comparing the coast scenery near us with some views ,i had seen on the ,bosphorus4 8,for the first time ,i am in ,america10 ,i said to a ,yankee fellow-passenger4 8,yes10 he replied2 8you are now1 sir1 in the land of the brave1 the home of the free40 ,mr4 ,harrison and myself were guests of the ,hon4 ,mr4 ,dodge1 ,president of the ,american ,evangelical ,alliance4 ,on our arrival he conducted us to his country seat on the banks of the ,hudson1 near ,tarryton4 ,we were in the midst of charming scenery1 immortalised by ,washington ,irving2 near the glen of 8,sleepy ,hollow10 and the haunts of ,ichabod ,crane4 ,by the little ,dutch church in the neighbourhood lies a cemetery1 where 8the ,american ,goldsmith0 is buried4 ,we were driven to ,sunnyside1 where he lived and died1 in an old-fashioned ,dutch-looking house1 with picturesque gables1 bearing a seventeenth-century date4 ,it is embosomed amidst trees which so overshadow the lawn and walks1 that 8,sunnyside10 even when unclouded1 can suffer nothing from the blaze of day4 ,miss ,irving1 niece of the author1 and a friend of our host1 welcomed us to this sylvan abode1 and showed us her uncle's library1 writing table1 and shelves of books1 just as he left them4 ,we should have been glad to remain longer at ,mr4 ,dodge's villa1 but were anxious to reach ,niagara1 as soon as possible2 therefore1 on the second morning after our arrival1 ,mr4 ,harrison1 with ,newman ,hall1 who had accompanied us to ,america1 embarked on a steamer for the ,catskills1 on our way to the ,falls4 ,we arrived at the ,mountain ,house in the evening1 having1 in our river voyage1 been struck with the ,hudson1 as resembling in some parts1 a succession of lakes full of ,italian-like beauty4 ,we spent a ,sunday at our capacious resting-place1 which could accommodate four or five hundred visitors1 and engaged in united worship with ,bishop ,bedell1 successor to ,bishop ,mc,ilvaine1 of ,ohio4 ,he preached in the morning1 and at his request1 ,i occupied the desk at night4 ,we did not reach ,niagara till late on ,monday1 and heard the roar of the cataract some time before our arrival4 ,niagara is a grand study1 and we spent the greater part of four days over it--the first in taking general views1 the other three in gathering up details4 ,i sat down on the rocks1 and wrote my impressions from point to point4 ,from the suspension bridge1 below the ,falls1 you have an inclined plane of troubled waters4 ,from the south side of ,goat ,island1 you have a still more striking view of the rapids1 like an arm of the sea1 two miles in width1 and in front it dashes down the ,horse ,shoe ,fall4 ,just at the edge it is a ridge of emerald1 tinged1 or rather lined1 with white4 ,then it goes on in rows of streaks1 white1 white1 white2 at the bottom1 the flood vanishes in vapour4 ,in the forenoon under sunshine the picture is crossed by a rainbow4 ,beyond the mist the river is a shifting floor of variegated marble4 ,at a right angle with the ,horse ,shoe1 the ,american ,fall is seen in profile1 from what is called1 ,i think1 8,prospect ,park40 ,the rapids below are finer than those above the ,falls4 ,those below are hemmed in by rocks2 those above are bordered by open country on both sides4 ,further on1 below the ,falls1 there is an enormous whirlpool4 ,instead of a unity1 ,i found ,niagara manifold1 varying as one wanders about the banks4 ,the channel here is worthy of the stream4 ,it is cut into precipitous cliffs1 picturesque rocks1 forests of trees1 bridges1 hotels and other houses4 ,in photographs and engravings1 there is often but a tame outline1 with which the reality does not correspond4 ,of the upper and lower ,rapids1 ,i prefer the former in one respect2 it gives good views of the foliage which fringes the water4 ,emphatically1 one may use the word beauty in reference to the landscape as distinguished from the ,rapids4 ,colours are charming--greens of all tints2 at sunset streaks of pink1 violet1 lavender1 lilac1 along the edge of the ,falls2 azure tints in the river2 sky with crimson and purple flushes at eventide4 ,at the expense of repetition1 ,i will quote the words ,i find in my notebook written on a rocky bank3--8,opposite1 looking west1 is the ,canada side1 skirted by thick trees1 forming a continuous border--the ,horse ,shoe form of a rocky ledge1 crossed by the sweep of water1 would measure the third of a mile4 ,it still resembles a ridge of emerald1 tinged1 or rather lined1 with white4 ,then the flood plunges down1 to rise again from the bottom in columns of vapour4 ,in sunshine the whole is crossed by a wonderful rainbow4 ,then1 afterwards1 it appeared to me like an altar of frosted silver1 spanning the end of a temple choir1 sending up incense for ever and ever6 ,looking down into the precipitous gulf1 formed by the ,canadian and ,american shores1 one sees the river flowing on steadily like a shifting floor of variegated marble1--green1 streaked with white4 ,i shift my position1 walking under the trees of ,goat ,island1 about a quarter of a mile from the ,horse ,shoe1 and sit upon a bit of tableland1 forming what is called ,lunar ,island1--dividing into two unequal limbs the watery flood4 ,at the bottom appears another rainbow4 ,i shift again1 walking up the ,goat ,island1 and cross a bridge over ,rapids1 and then enter the grounds called 7as just said7 ,prospect ,park2 and there one faces both cataracts--the ,american in profile1 the ,horse ,shoe full face40 ,a suspension bridge crosses the whirling waters on which it makes one giddy to look down4 ,then occurs a turn1 where a whirlpool is formed1 and pieces of timber are swept round and round by enormous eddies4 ,four days ,i spent at these never-to-be-forgotten spots filled with marvels of ,divine creation4 ,my visit to ,montreal was very short1 but we saw enough to indicate the city's prosperity2 it underwent great reverses afterwards4 ,we were invited to the handsome dwellings of several wealthy citizens1 and witnessed much zeal in the cause of religion4 ,on our journey from ,montreal to ,boston we passed through glorious scenery1 some of it ,swiss-like4 ,there were many tempting nooks furnished with hotels1 winding roads leading up to forests on the hills1 groups of white houses with green shutters1 and a pretty church amidst them with a lofty spire4 ,there is a wonderful charm about ,new ,england villages4 ,at ,boston a cordial welcome was afforded by ,dr4 ,dexter1 who hospitably entertained us4 ,my first impression1 derived from what ,i saw of the city's less modern part1 was that it had an ,english look2 but on further acquaintance1 after seeing its modern edifices1 one receives the idea of a ,continental capital4 ,i was delighted with what delights everybody--the broad green common1 adorned by goodly trees and goodly mansions4 ,some of the public buildings in ,boston are very imposing3 a ,gothic church1 built by ,congregationalists1 cost1 ,i was told1 #ej1jjj2 but since ,i was there ,i understand a much nobler ,episcopalian edifice has been erected4 ,on the ,sunday morning ,i preached in a large ,congregational church1 where the music and singing were of a very superior kind1 and the choir1 ,i was told1 cost a large annual sum4 ,on the ,sunday evening ,i went to a ,baptist chapel1 and1 after sermon and prayers1 a large number of the congregation adjourned to a schoolroom1 where something like a ,methodist love-feast was held4 ,i met in the town with a nephew of ,thomas ,carlyle1 who related to me that1 while on a visit to ,england1 he called on his uncle1 and was told it was impossible to see him2 ,mrs4 ,c4 resisted as long as she could1 but submitted at last4 ,the nephew was admitted to his uncle's study1 and the two relatives had a long talk to their mutual satisfaction4 ,dr4 ,dexter planned an excursion to ,andover1 where we were received by the ,principal of the ,college1 the ,venerable ,dr4 ,park1 a celebrated scholar and divine1 who took me a drive round the neighbourhood1 and pointed out the house of ,harriet ,beecher ,stowe1 and the homes of people described in her books4 ,we had a delightful visit to a ladies' school1 where ,mr4 ,harrison and ,i received a cordial welcome4 ,our kind host took us to his residence several miles off1 at ,new ,bedford1 and the next day conducted us to ,harvard ,university1 on the other side the ,boston river4 ,there we were entertained by ,professor ,abbot1 who took care to show us a hall1 built by a namesake of mine4 ,best of all my associations with ,dr4 ,dexter and the neighbourhood was a most memorable day spent at ,new ,plymouth where he pointed out the localities of the ,pilgrim ,fathers4 ,we proceeded to ,new ,haven1 where we found at the station1 ,dr4 ,porter1 ,principal of ,yale ,university1 waiting for us2 we were conducted through leafy avenues to the college buildings1 and there introduced to the famous ,american theologian1 ,dr4 ,bushnell1 with other celebrities4 ,the students then assembled1 and listened to an elaborate speech by ,dr4 ,dorner1 the ,german scholar and divine1 who happened to be there on a visit1 having come as a delegate to the ,alliance meetings4 ,yale ,college is a venerable institution1 standing among the foremost ,universities of the ,new ,world4 ,the neighbourhood is interesting1 and we should have been delighted1 had time allowed1 to explore the region where two of the regicides1 ,walley and ,gough1 concealed themselves for two or three years in a cave1 to which they gave the name of ,providence4 ,one of them1 ,gough1 suddenly appeared1 when a ,puritan congregation was attacked by ,philip of ,pokanoket1 and delivered them out of his hands4 ,he then disappeared like the twin brothers at the battle of ,regillus4 ,having had our glimpse of ,new ,england1 we hastened to ,philadelphia1 to spend a quiet ,sunday with a kind ,english friend1 ,mr4 ,yarnell4 ,philadelphia is magnificent1 redolent of ,william ,penn's memory1 who amongst colonial founders1 stands unique as a man of peace4 ,he did not sweep away aboriginal savages with sword and shot1 but entered into treaty with them1 under the shadow of a spreading elm1 which came to be held in great veneration4 ,views in the neighbourhood of ,philadelphia1 vie with noble monuments1 visible on every side1 of commercial civilisation and prosperity4 ,the grand ,masonic ,temple had1 when we were there1 been recently opened2 and it is amongst the finest structures in the city4 ,but the ,hall of ,independence1 architecturally unpretentious1 has greater attractions for historic travellers4 ,we were entertained in ,german ,town1 a charming suburb1 by the ,wissahickon--8fit haunt0 for ,shakespeare's fairies1 ,peas-blossom and the rest1 flowing through tangled brakes1 wealthy in wild flowers4 ,drives by the 8wedded rivers0 as ,whittier calls them1 the ,schuylkill1 and the ,delaware--are enjoyments for high days and holidays4 ,one view of the city ,i caught from a hill embosomed in trees4 ,a long line of foliage from the tops of which rise cupolas and steeples1 reminded me of ,damascus1 with its groves and gardens1 mosques and minarets4 ,we saw something of private social life in ,german ,town4 ,several families in the neighbourhood were invited to spend an evening with us4 ,it resembled a party on the ,continent1 where eating and drinking are not of much interest4 ,the marked feature of the whole gathering was extreme yet tasteful simplicity4 ,some ladies were sumptuously dressed1 and there1 as in other places1 appeared an eye for harmony of colours--a special ,american endowment1 which struck me pleasantly4 ,manners were agreeable1 and there was ease in conversation--a rare enjoyment4 ,the ladies were self-possessed1 and could hold their own1 yet not rudely2 and their kindliness indicated personal interest1 which made their visitors feel at home4 ,we arrived at ,new ,york at the beginning of ,october1 and were entertained by ,mr4 ,dodge at his princely residence in ,madison ,avenue4 ,sir ,charles ,reed was guest there at the same time1 and the arrangements for our reception betokened a cordial welcome4 ,in a 8,history of ,new ,york10 it is stated that 8when ,henry ,hudson discovered the river1 now bearing his name1 and ,hendrick ,christiansen1 and ,adam ,block1 followed up the discovery1 the island of ,manhattan was made the chief dept of the trade1 and ,christiansen received the appointment of agent for the traffic in furs during the passage of the vessels to and from ,holland4 ,he immediately set about the construction of a small fort1 with a few rude buildings1 on the southern extremity of the island1 thus laying the foundation of the future city40 8,in ,may #afbf1 ,peter ,minuet arrived at ,new ,netherlands1 as ,director-,general1 and immediately effected the purchase of the island of ,manhattan1 from the ,indians for goods and trinkets to the value of sixty guilders or about twenty-four dollars40 8,in #afbh a church was organised with fifty communicants under the auspices of ,james ,michaelius1 a clergyman from ,holland40 ,from these feeble beginnings sprang the wharfs1 the quays1 the avenues1 the squares1 the warehouses1 the stores1 the halls1 the libraries1 the museums1 the hospitals of ,new ,york4 ,when shall we stop in the enumeration of riches belonging to this ,queen of the ,west8 ,hence1 too1 we may say came the churches1 the congregations1 the colleges1 the schools1 the reformatories and the religious institutions1 without number1 which form the glory of that ,western ,metropolis4 ,the first meeting of the ,alliance ,congress--for the expenses of which twenty thousand dollars had been subscribed--was held in the hall of the ,young ,men's ,christian ,association4 ,the hall contains fifteen hundred sittings1 and was decorated with flags1 flowers1 and mottoes4 ,it was crowded in every corner1 and the spectacle from the platform was imposing1 the audience being composed1 to a large extent1 of representatives from the ,states1 and the principal nations of our ,eastern ,hemisphere4 ,dr4 ,adams of ,new ,york1 an eminent ,presbyterian pastor1 delivered an address of welcome4 ,elaborate yet unaffected1 scholarly yet not scholastic1 fervent yet not rhapsodical1 fluent yet perfectly finished1 pious without a particle of fanaticism1--it laid hold on people present1 and made an impression talked of to this day4 ,i have heard many a courteous speech at the opening of large assemblies1 but never any thing like that1 before or since4 ,the address of welcome was acknowledged in a hearty1 but inferior style1 by ,english1 ,french1 ,dutch1 and ,german delegates4 8,i am glad10 said ,professor ,christlieb1 the ,german1 grasping the hand of ,pastor ,fisch1 the ,frenchman1 8,i am glad to see as the firstfruits of this gathering1 that we ,germans can clasp the hands of our ,french brethren40 ,the next morning we assembled in ,steinway ,hall4 ,after prayer by ,dr4 ,hodge of ,princeton1 ,dr4 ,woolsey1 ,ex-,president of ,yale ,college1 a distinguished student of ,international ,law1 took the chair4 ,the ,dean of ,canterbury1 ,dr4 ,payne ,smith1 read a sympathetic letter from the ,english ,primate1 and immediately after prayer1 he solemnly repeated the ,apostles' ,creed1 in which the whole assembly followed in audible tones4 ,the ,conference then began with the reading of papers1 which1 with addresses1 were continued morning and evening at sectional meetings4 ,the interest was kept up1 attention never seeming to flag4 ,when ,sunday came1 large churches were crowded to excess4 ,the ,holy ,communion was administered in the afternoon1 when ,episcopal1 ,presbyterian1 ,baptist1 ,moravian1 and ,indian brethren took part in the service4 ,besides the sectional conventions1 an enormous general meeting was held in ,brooklyn1 when extempore addresses were delivered in free and easy style4 ,but perhaps the most deeply affected audience was a crowded one in the ,academy of ,music the last ,sunday night1 for prayers and short addresses4 ,a prima donna1 ,i heard1 was present3 certainly there was one voice of pre-eminent sweetness and power in that vast congregation4 ,all the newspapers gave reports of the proceedings as fully as ,the ,times does of our parliamentary debates4 ,one afternoon two gentlemen1 who had been clergymen1 spent some time beforehand in preparing a report of what ,i meant to say in the evening4 ,there was no other way1 they said1 of getting the report ready for the next morning4 ,the interest taken in our proceedings by all classes greatly surprised me4 ,newspapers1 representative of churches out of sympathy with our proceedings1 noticed and criticised what went on3 the secular press also took up the matter1 and conveyed abundant information4 ,what appeared in ,new ,york papers was transferred to others all over the ,states1 and thus religious news of that week spread far and wide4 ,the whole report1 published afterwards1 was a curiosity for size and cheapness2 but such voluminous accounts of a conference must not be taken to mean more than this--that ,americans like to know whatever is going on1 in every circle4 ,it appeared to me that our transatlantic brethren are so fond of hearing public speakers1 and of reading what they say1 that they do not confine their thoughts to such discussions as are germane to their own convictions and tastes4 ,they are curious to hear what anybody has to utter1 if he speaks to the purpose1 no matter what the topic may be4 ,we should be mistaken1 if we measured religious belief in ,new ,york by popular attention given to the ,alliance4 ,the ,president1 ,dr4 ,woolsey1 was a distinguished constitutional lawyer1 consulted at times about international claims by ,european authorities2 numerous professors of erudition and power1 authors1 orators1 politicians1 merchants1 gathered round him in #ahgc2 the ,european continent contributed such men as ,dorner1 ,christlieb1 and ,krafft from ,germany1 ,prochet from ,genoa1 ,carrasco from ,madrid1 ,bovet from ,neuchatel1 ,stuart from ,holland4 ,some of our own distinguished countrymen have been already mentioned4 ,ward ,beecher delivered a wonderful oration in ,dr4 ,adams' church on the subject of preaching4 ,he was like a man stopping you in the street1 and getting 8hold of your button0 so as to compel attention4 ,i met him several times in ,america1 and received acts of kindness1 when his face was lighted up with an expression of rare beauty4 ,nor were churches and halls the only 8pleasant places40 ,one evening ,mr4 ,dodge had a reception to which eight hundred persons were invited1 and at one moment1 he told me six hundred were actually present4 ,introductions1 handshakings1 recognitions1 questions1 answers1 observations and stories were incessant2 whilst a band of musicians played at one end of a suite of apartments1 it could not be heard at the other4 ,on ,monday1 all the delegates were conveyed by special train to ,philadelphia4 ,on the way we stopped at ,princeton4 ,students of colleges assembled at the station1 and uttered their characteristic cheers--in imitation of ascending and descending rockets--followed by such huzzahs as we do not hear in ,england4 ,we marched in procession through the streets to the church1 where a crowded congregation awaited our arrival4 ,we reached ,philadelphia about three o'clock4 ,there a long train of carriages awaited our arrival to convey delegates to the ,hall of ,independence4 ,the city authorities represented by one of the judges1 expressed a welcome1 after which we were escorted to the ,continental ,hotel capable of containing the whole party4 ,we all started next morning for ,washington4 ,on the way we were delighted with surrounding scenery1 especially when we came to ,chesapeake ,bay1 into which the ,susquehanna pours its waters4 ,woods were clothed with autumnal tints1 crimson maples flashed their fires amidst manifold hues of decaying foliage2 and the sunny prospect1 as we skirted the bay1 was beautiful beyond description4 ,at the ,baltimore station brethren from ,washington invested us each with a white ribbon badge2 then on we swept past homesteads1 recently the abodes of slaves1 many a hut serving as an original illustration for 8,uncle ,tom's ,cabin40 ,we talked in the train with a black bishop1 who entertained us with descriptions of negro excitability4 ,he said coloured congregations would exclaim in church1 as the preacher proceeded with his discourse1 8,that's true1 ,massa02 and a man once shouted1 under the influence of what he heard1 8,massa1 that's like going up ,jacob's ladder40 ,a distant view of the ,capitol is not unlike that of ,st4 ,peter's at ,rome1 as seen from the ,campagna4 ,we saw a few city lions--the ,capitol and ,smithsonian ,institute being chief2 and we found this metropolis1 not without form1 for it is artistically laid out in thoroughfares radiating from the ,capitol2 but it is certainly 8void10 for nominal streets were there1 but at that time without houses4 ,we drove a long distance1 across an open country1 suggesting the idea of a city which is not1 but only about to be4 ,how it looks now1 ,i do not know4 ,yellow dust was blowing in clouds1 and lying in thick drifts on the steps of the ,hall of ,assembly4 ,general ,grant carried in his face the signs of an indomitable will1 and without any personal assumption behaved as one conscious of representative power4 ,after my return home1 ,dr4 ,adams1 who was then in ,england1 told me that he acted as chaplain to the forces at the time of the great war1 and rode by the ,general's side1 when he reviewed the troops4 ,as illustrative of his memory for little things1 ,i may refer to the ,general's conversation with his old chaplain1 when they met in ,england1 and he alluded to the colour of the horse1 the latter used to ride1 informing him of the animal's death1 which had just occurred4 ,the ,general seems to have possessed the royal gift of not forgetting those to whom he had been once introduced4 ,let me add1 he was proud of having commanded such an immense army as he did1 and said to the ,duke of ,wellington--who repeated this to ,dr4 ,stanley1 my informant--8,your father was general in chief of only forty thousand men2 ,i led as many as half a million40 ,we visited a great number of institutions in ,new ,york--colleges1 schools1 hospitals1 and reformatories4 ,colleges1 architecturally1 were not imposing2 but the libraries and scientific apparatus possessed by some of them1 were of a choice and costly kind4 ,i was told of one gentleman who had contributed #ajj1jjj to educational objects4 ,schools are immense buildings2 and at ,new ,york and ,philadelphia it was a sight indeed1 to behold pupils1 gliding to their appointed places1 and then upturning some eight hundred happy countenances towards the visitors come to see them4 ,the examination of classes was most satisfactory1 and the resources and adroitness of the teachers most admirable4 ,hospitals in the city are abundant1 beyond what the necessities of the population seemed to require1 and the reformatories afforded encouraging examples of discipline and improvement4 ,parks and cemeteries are on a scale of such magnitude1 and are so picturesquely laid out1 that ,english visitors surveyed them with surprise4 ,as to ,american scenery in general1 justice had never been done to it4 ,we felt gulpy in taking leave of friends1 and ending a visit so memorable4 ,the sea was calm1 and the weather bright1 as we steamed out on our voyage home1 but a gale followed1 and we had violent storms during several days4 ,serious accidents occurred in consequence1 which gave a maimed appearance to some of the passengers4 ,my dear friend ,harrison had a serious fall4 ,waves rose many feet high1 and they supplied a key to some of ,turner's sea pictures1 and also to ,ruskin's eloquent language in describing the 8truth of water0--the power1 majesty1 and deathfulness of the open1 deep1 illimitable sea4 ,a friendship ,i formed in ,america deserves a notice here1 on account of the person's eminence and the obligations under which he laid me by his subsequent handsome gifts4 ,dr4 ,sprague had the largest collection of autographs in the world4 ,the number was immense1 amounting1 ,i am told1 to about #ajj1jjj4 ,he was living at ,flushing at the time ,i was in ,new ,york1 and ,i had charge from a friend in ,england to call upon him4 ,though having never met him before1 yet from previous knowledge of each other1 we were at home1 immediately after ,i had crossed his threshold4 ,it is an ,american characteristic to treat as friend any one who has been known by kindly report beforehand1 or who can present credentials of character4 ,dr4 ,sprague's wife and daughter received us at once as if we had belonged to the family4 ,we crowded an immense deal of talk into a short space1 and before we parted he made reference to his huge collection of autographs4 ,as we had little time to spare1 ,i had covenanted with my companion1 ,mr4 ,harrison1 that ,i would avoid that tempting topic1 as it would detain us too long2 but the ice being suddenly broken1 there was no help1 and ,i found myself plunged--,i must say not unwillingly--into a subject which prudence had decidedly proscribed4 ,dr4 ,sprague found that ,i was one of the craft1 but a minor member2 and forthwith he profusely offered assistance1 asking whether there were any letters of his countrymen ,i particularly desired to possess4 ,what an overture6 ,i modestly replied1 ,i should be glad of a few lines written by ,washington ,irving4 ,before ,i left ,america there came a most interesting letter from ,irving to his publisher1 respecting a new edition of his works2 and after my return to ,england1 post after post brought most valuable contributions to my store of autographs4 ,the very first included a letter signed by ,general ,washington of historical value4 ,it relates to the close of the ,war of ,independence1 and gives direction for cessation of hostilities immediately after the surrender of ,lord ,cornwallis1 in #agha4 ,letters in the handwriting of ,franklin1 ,jonathan ,edwards1 and a number of other celebrities1 came to ,england from time to time1 enriching my stores1 almost to the period of ,dr4 ,sprague's death4 ,he was a popular preacher1 a distinguished divine1 a prolific author1 and a man of widespread influence in the ,states4 ,in closing this account of ,american friends1 ,i must say a few words about members of ,harvard ,university4 ,i had met with the ,greek ,professor at the ,mountain ,house1 on the ,catskills1 who spoke much of the principal1 ,dr4 ,peabody1 for whom ,i felt a high respect4 ,my friend1 ,mr4 ,harrison1 and ,i were most courteously received by the ,doctor at his residence1 and were shown over the ,university buildings1 especially that bearing the name of ,stoughton1 a ,governor of ,massachusetts4 ,i was anxious to see the poet ,longfellow1 who resided in an old-fashioned house not far from the college4 ,unfortunately he was not at home1 and ,i could not refrain from dropping him a line4 ,i received the following reply3-- ,,cambridge1 ,october #gth1 #ahgc4 8,,my ,,dear ,,sir1 8,i have this morning had the pleasure of receiving your friendly note1 and hasten to say how much ,i regret that absence prevented me from seeing you when you were in ,cambridge4 8,we should have lived over again that bright summer afternoon at ,mrs4 ,fuller ,maitland's1 which ,i so well remember1 and you would have told me of many friends whom ,i should like to hear of again4 8,perhaps ,i may still have the pleasure of seeing you before you return to ,england4 ,if not1 ,i beg you to present to ,mr4 and ,mrs4 ,maitland my best regards and most cordial remembrance of their kindness and hospitality4 8,with greatest esteem1 8,i am1 my dear sir1 8,yours truly1 8,,henry ,w4 ,,longfellow40 ,mr4 and ,mrs4 ,fuller ,maitland1 members of a well-known old ,nonconformist family1 were members of my church at ,kensington2 and at their house ,i used to meet distinguished and interesting people4 ,the occasion referred to in the foregoing letter made upon me a most pleasant impression4 ,a large company had assembled to greet the ,american poet1 and there was plenty of handshaking1 which ,i feared would rather weary him1 especially as so many of us were total strangers2 but he assured me that ,i was quite mistaken1 and that it gratified him much to be surrounded by so large a party1 composed of those whom he regarded as ,english friends4 ,americans are in some respects more cosmopolitan and genial in new society1 than ,englishmen1 and ,i was struck with this repeatedly in my transatlantic trip4 ,i was quite affected with the kindness met with everywhere4 ,among those who showed special courtesy were some of the well-known ,abbot family1 and other professors at ,yale1 ,andover1 and ,princeton1 as well as at ,harvard1 and ,mr4 ,winthrop1 of ,boston fame4 ,before ,i conclude this account of my ,american tour1 one more incident remains to be mentioned4 ,at some of the meetings in ,new ,york1 ,i met with an intelligent and interesting ,quaker4 ,i found he was acquainted with ,friends in ,england1 and in the course of conversation mention was made of the ,gurneys1 when he informed me that ,mrs4 ,gurney1 widow of ,joseph ,john ,gurney1 of ,earlham1 was residing in the vicinity of ,burlington1 in ,new ,jersey4 ,she was an ,american lady who became the wife of the ,norwich philanthropist1 and retired to her own country after her husband's death4 ,finding that ,i knew ,mr4 ,gurney1 his widow was informed of the circumstance1 and presently ,i received a kind invitation to visit her at her own residence4 ,my friend and ,i1 after a pleasant journey1 reached the outskirts of ,burlington1 and were welcomed by our hostess at a handsome house with picturesque surroundings4 ,we had much conversation about ,earlham1 and ,i was shown into a comfortable library stocked with books1 brought from the ,hall which ,i had seen in my boyhood4 ,she told me about a visit which ,mr4 ,forster1 father of the distinguished politician1 had paid her1 not very long before1--a visit speedily followed by his death1 and interment in the neighbourhood4 ,on the walls of the drawing-room ,i noticed a facsimile of the famous letter written to ,mrs4 ,gurney1 by ,president ,lincoln1 respecting the great war going on1 in which the question of negro slavery was so inextricably involved4 ,she and some other ladies had been favoured with a special interview on the subject of emancipation1 and it was to this interview1 and its associations that the facsimile referred4 ,she asked1 if ,i should like to have a copy of it1 and then not being able at the moment to find what she sought1 she took down the framed copy and presented it to me as a memorial of my visit4 ,i carefully brought it to ,england1 and as it is not known here1 as it is in ,america1 ,i subjoin the contents1 showing the importance which ,abraham ,lincoln attached to the conversation of the zealous ,quaker on the occasion mentioned4 8,,washington1 ,sept4 #dth1 #ahfd4 8,,eliza ,p4 ,,gurney4 8,,my ,,esteemed ,,friend1--,i have not forgotten1 probably never shall forget1 the very impressive occasion when yourself and friends visited me on a ,sabbath forenoon two years ago4 ,nor has your kind letter1 written nearly a year later1 ever been forgotten4 ,in all1 it has been your purpose to strengthen my reliance on ,god4 ,i am much indebted to the good ,christian people of the country for their constant prayers and consolations2 and to no one of them more than to yourself4 ,the purposes of the ,almighty are perfect and must prevail1 though we erring mortals may fail to accurately perceive them in advance4 ,we hoped for a happy termination of this terrible war long before this1 but ,god knows best and has ruled otherwise4 ,we shall yet acknowledge ,his wisdom and our own error therein4 ,meanwhile we must work earnestly in the best light ,he gives us1 trusting that so working1 still conduces to the great end ,he ordains4 ,surely ,he intends some great good to follow this mighty convulsion1 which no mortal could make1 and no mortal could stay4 8,your people--the ,friends--have had1 and are having1 a very great trial4 ,on principle and faith1 opposed to both war and oppression1 they can only practically oppose oppression by war4 ,in this hard dilemma some have chosen one horn1 and some the other4 ,for those appealing to me on conscientious grounds1 ,i have done1 and shall do1 the best ,i could1 and can1 in my own conscience under my oath to the laws4 ,that you believe this ,i doubt not1 and believing it1 ,i shall still receive1 for our country and myself1 your earnest prayers to our ,father in ,heaven4 8,your sincere ,friend1 8,a4 ,,lincoln40 ,,chapter ,,xi #ahgd-ahge ,,in the year #ahgd ,i lost my old friend1 ,thomas ,binney4 ,his pre-eminent position amongst ,dissenters was attested by copious notices in newspapers1 and1 by the scene at his funeral4 ,that position arose from several causes--his character1 abilities1 pulpit popularity1 and personal appearance1 manifold and far-reaching sympathies1 and a genial nature1 characteristic of the best ,englishmen4 ,his influence in the ,congregational denomination throughout the country was aided by the central position of the ,weigh-,house when ,london was different from what it is now2 #bcj by strangers from the provinces who flocked there as to a centre2 by visits to various parts of the country at ,nonconformist festivals2 and by the transfer of so many members of his ,church to other congregations throughout the land4 ,nor do ,i forget how his name came to be known1 beyond that of any other of our ministers1 throughout the ,british colonies1 owing to his being the father and founder of the ,colonial ,missionary ,society1 and the guide and counsellor of many youths going to seek their fortune in ,america or the ,south ,seas4 ,still further was his popularity owing to a visit he paid some years ago to ,australia4 ,also1 when ,i was in ,canada1 ,i often heard of a less public visit paid to that country at an earlier period4 ,amongst the many subjects in which my friend felt interested1 was that of improvement in conducting ,nonconformist worship2 he gave his views respecting it in an appendix to a work on ,liturgies1 by the ,rev4 ,e4 ,h4 ,baird of ,new ,york4 ,i refer to this subject particularly1 because to a considerable extent ,i sympathised with him2 not1 however1 in consequence of his arguments1 but from previous convictions1 which1 during late years1 have become stronger than ever4 ,the authority for excluding all liturgical worship from our places of assembly1 neither he nor ,i could ever understand4 ,i see nothing in ,scripture which ties a ,christian down to this perverse one-sidedness4 ,on the contrary1 both methods are sanctioned in the ,old and ,new ,testaments4 ,my experience since retiring from the pastorate has strongly confirmed my previous impressions4 ,when leading public worship1 as ,i did for so many years1 my utterances of devotion were spontaneous1 and ,i am sure imperfect2 but what was obvious enough before1 though sometimes overlooked1 came home to my feelings when listening to words in public devotion1 often unadapted to inspire or guide supplication and praise4 ,further1 extempore words1 though free to the speaker1 are1 to all intents and purposes1 a form to the hearers2 and if a form in extempore speech1 when thoroughly suitable1 be proper1 why is not a form in written language8 ,since ,i have become deaf1 and often cannot catch a brother's supplications1 a form which ,i can read must obviously be preferable to one which ,i am unable to understand4 ,extempore public devotion1 under many circumstances is of priceless value2 but under some circumstances so is liturgical service4 ,attempts amongst ,dissenters in the latter direction1 ,i am aware1 have in some instances failed1 owing largely to prejudices handed down through past generations2 until those prejudices melt away--some day perhaps they will--an alteration1 such as to others like myself1 seems quite hopeless4 #bcc ,in the years #ahgd and #ahge1 ,i took part in commemoration of two world-known ,nonconformist celebrations4 ,the first was the unveiling of ,bunyan's statue at ,bedford4 ,i went down with the ,dean of ,westminster1 ,lady ,augusta ,stanley1 and ,dr4 ,allon1 who all did wisely and well the parts allotted them4 ,her ,ladyship gracefully unveiled the bronze figure of the wonderful dreamer2 and her husband uttered immediately afterwards the following effective words3--8,the ,mayor has called upon me to say a few words1 and ,i shall obey him4 ,the ,mayor has done his work1 the ,duke of ,bedford has done his10 7he gave the statue17 8and now ,i ask you to do yours1 in commemorating ,john ,bunyan4 ,every one who has not read the #8,pilgrim's ,progress1' if there be any such person1 read it without delay2 those who have read it a hundred times1 read it for the hundred and first time4 ,follow out in your lives the lessons which the #8,pilgrim's ,progress' teaches2 and then you will all of you be even better monuments of ,john ,bunyan1 than the magnificent statue which the ,duke of ,bedford has given you40 ,the ,dean and ,dr4 ,allon delivered elaborate addresses at the ,corn ,exchange1 and it was allotted to me1 to propose1 after a public dinner1 8,the ,memory of ,john ,bunyan40 ,the thought struck me1 that his genius was equally imaginative and realistic4 ,people rise from reading his dream1 with impressions of character1 as lively as those derived from perusing ,shakespeare or ,scott4 ,they see in his delineations just such folks as walked the streets of ,bedford1 and plodded through ,midland country lanes1 two hundred years ago4 ,i heard gentlemen at table say they thought ,bunyan took his conceptions of scenery from neighbouring places4 ,but ,i said ,i did not think so4 ,he had never beheld hills like 8the ,delectable ,mountain10 nor a vale or plain like that of 8,beulah40 ,in fact1 he took his scenery from ,scripture1 and gave it reality by allusions such as we employ1 when touching on objects of every-day life4 ,he was 8,christian10 8,evangelist10 8,greatheart10 all in one--a pilgrim to the ,heavenly ,city and a preacher of the ,gospel4 ,i may here add that two years afterwards brazen doors were given to ,bunyan meeting by the ,duke1 and were opened with due solemnities1 the ,mayor and ,corporation attending on the occasion4 ,the unveiling of ,baxter's statue at ,kidderminster occurred in ,july #ahge1 when ,dr4 ,stanley represented the ,church of ,england at the request of the town authorities2 and1 at the same time1 they requested me to speak on behalf of ,nonconformity4 ,it was a gala day2 shops were shut1 flags were hung out1 people wore holiday clothes1 and a procession of the ,corporation1 the ,bishop1 and the speakers marched to the spot where the statue was placed4 ,soon after the ,kidderminster celebration ,i visited a worthy friend of mine at ,bridgenorth1 the ,rev4 ,daniel ,evans4 ,whilst there ,i received a letter from ,dr4 ,stanley saying that he had heard me mention a design ,i had of visiting ,madeley4 ,he said he found in his interleaved ,bible1 opposite ,dan4 iii4 #ai-bg1 the words 8,fletcher of ,madeley10 and asked if ,i could discover at ,madeley a key to this enigma1 as it seemed to him4 ,mr4 ,evans and ,i had visited ,madeley together1 and in conversation recalled to mind an anecdote in ,benson's 8,life of ,fletcher40 ,a man threatened to burn his wife if she went to hear the vicar again4 ,she went notwithstanding1 and the preacher chose for his sermon one of the lessons for the day1 instead of the text he had thought of previously4 ,the lesson was in ,daniel on the deliverance of ,shadrach1 ,meshach1 and ,abednego from the fiery furnace4 ,the man followed his wife at a distance to find out what it was in ,fletcher's preaching that so attracted her4 ,when the poor woman returned she found her husband on his knees praying by the side of the fire he had prepared for her martyrdom4 ,i wrote to the ,dean and told him the story1 as recalled to my mind by my friend ,daniel ,evans4 ,the ,dean sent back his kind regards and thanks to ,daniel1 8who had discovered his dream and the interpretation thereof40 ,i have brought the ,bunyan and ,baxter celebrations together because of their similarity2 and the ,madeley incident because it became connected with the last of them4 ,in #ahgd1 the year between the two celebrations1 ,i resigned my charge at ,kensington1 when a meeting was held to present a testimonial1 to which ,archdeacon ,sinclair contributed1 and the ,dean of ,westminster1 with other ,churchmen1 besides ,nonconformist friends in large numbers1 uttered loving words ,i can never forget4 ,the following report appeared in ,the ,times3-- 8,,dean ,,stanley ,,and ,,the ,,nonconformists4 8,on ,thursday evening1 ,april #aeth1 #ahgd1 the ,rev4 ,j4 ,stoughton1 ,d4,d41 an eminent ,dissenting minister at ,kensington1 retired from the pastorate of his congregation there1 after a connection with them extending over the long period of thirty-three years1 during which he has had the reputation1 while upholding the principles of ,nonconformity1 of maintaining the most kindly relations with the neighbouring clergy1 and is understood to have enjoyed the respect of the whole community of ,churchmen as well as ,dissenters4 ,the ceremony of last evening was held in ,kensington ,chapel1 a handsome building in ,allen ,street1 ,kensington1 where ,dr4 ,stoughton has long ministered1 and his congregation attended in great numbers on the occasion4 ,mr4 ,samuel ,morley1 ,m4,p41 acted as chairman1 and there were present1 among others1 the ,dean of ,westminster1 ,sir ,charles ,reed1 ,sir ,thomas ,chambers1 ,m4,p41 ,mr4 ,james ,spicer1 the ,revs4 ,w4 ,h4 ,fremantle1 ,m4,a41 ,j4 ,angus1 ,d4,d41 ,w4 ,m4 ,punshon1 ,d4,d41 ,donald ,fraser1 ,d4,d42 ,f4 ,j4 ,jobson1 ,d4,d41 ,henry ,allon1 ,d4,d41 ,samuel ,martin1 and ,j4 ,c4 ,harrison1 the last-named of whom1 on being called to address the meeting1 took occasion to say that their reverend friend1 ,dr4 ,stoughton1 though acquainted with every form of religious thought1 had ever held fast to the ,gospel2 that1 as a minister of religion1 it had been quite a passion with him to be thoroughly fair and impartial2 and that he had all along panted for union among all religious denominations4 ,later in the ceremony1 the ,dean of ,westminster1 having been called upon to speak1 presented himself to the meeting1 and was much cheered4 ,he said there might perhaps be several reasons why he had been asked to address them4 ,he could not plead the same long acquaintance as the previous speakers had claimed with their venerable pastor2 but still1 during the last few years of his acquaintance with him1 he could truly say that there had been no occasion of joy or sorrow in his life on which he had not received some kind sympathy from him4 ,there was another reason for his addressing the meeting4 ,as a ,churchman1 and as a minister of the ,church of ,england1 he felt called on to express his gratitude towards one1 not exactly of his communion1 who had never once let fall from his lips a word of bitterness against the community to which the ,dean belonged1 and through whose heart he verily believed the destruction of ,westminster ,abbey would send a pang4 ,he only trusted that when the twenty-first century arrived1 and some future pastor of the chapel should write the history of ,queen ,victoria's reign1 he would treat his communion with the same courtesy and appreciation as their present pastor had treated1 alike1 divergent ministers and pastors of the ,church of the ,commonwealth4 ,he felt he had come there that evening not so much as a personal friend or as a minister of the ,established ,church1 but rather as her representative of common friends through the writings of ,dr4 ,stoughton and himself4 ,he came there to express obligations which dear old friends of them both1 who lived two hundred years ago1 would have wished to express on an occasion such as that--,chillingworth1 ,jeremy ,taylor1 ,sir ,matthew ,hale1 and many more whom his friend had brought to one common platform4 ,they had had before his time histories of the ,puritans1 where they heard of nothing but ,puritans2 they had also histories of the ,church of ,england2 but the work of ,dr4 ,stoughton was the first that had brought those famous men together4 ,there was1 he knew1 a charge brought against his friend and himself that they were not sufficiently good haters4 ,however that might be1 he was sure that ,dr4 ,stoughton hated1 as he did1 party spirit1 the want of candour1 all untruthfulness1 and insolent vulgarity1 whether in ,church or ,nonconformity4 ,all these the ,dean hated with a detestation so complete that1 if it were possible1 he would be willing to curse them thirteen times a year4 ,he could not part from that assembly or from that occasion without saying one word on the peculiar aspect of the farewell on which the previous speakers had so touchingly dwelt4 ,surely it was a transition of life which all of them might envy as they approached the term of their allotted existence1 to be able to secure for themselves a margin of life and of comparative quiet before the great end came at last4 ,there was a custom in old monasteries--he trusted it would not be altogether inappropriate to mention it at a meeting of ,congregationalists--that when any of the ancient monks had served a term of thirty or forty years--he forgot which--they were then to be relieved altogether from their arduous labours2 they were to be called by a gentle name which meant #8playfellow'2 and one condition of their existence was that nothing that was disagreeable should ever be named in their company4 ,such to their friend ,dr4 ,stoughton was the tranquil period through which he was now passing2 and although they might still anticipate for him long years of active usefulness1 whether by pen or by voice1 there must be a delightful sense on his part in looking forward1 having accomplished one period of his existence1 to a more undisturbed time in which he might look back on what had been1 and forward to what was to be to him and all alike4 ,the ,dean's speech1 of which this is necessarily a summary1 was repeatedly cheered during its delivery4 ,a valedictory address1 expressed in flattering terms1 and reviewing the long connection between their pastor and the congregation1 was afterwards presented to ,dr4 ,stoughton by ,mr4 ,r4 ,freeman1 on behalf of the ,church and congregation1 accompanied by the spontaneous gift of a purse containing #cjjj40 ,besides others who were present on the occasion1 as noticed in ,the ,times1 let me mention my excellent friend and neighbour the ,rev4 ,j4 ,philip ,gell1 formerly ,vicar of ,st4 ,john's1 ,notting ,hill4 ,he referred to the well-knit efforts of pastor and people1 which had constituted the strength of the ,church at ,kensington1 and remarked that it was little known how the force of public opinion acts and reacts on the life of a large permanent congregation4 8,the love which was thrilling that night was the ,church's strength1 and so long as that lived and flowed on the part of the people1 and was sustained by the pastor's wisdom1 so long would the ,church live and prosper40 ,dr4 ,morley ,punshon1 ,president of the ,wesleyan ,connexion1 travelled from ,leeds1 where he had preached that morning4 ,he trusted that the ,church would be ,divinely guided in choosing a successor4 ,it was encouraging to witness such a presentation as that just made1 the like of which many present had never seen before4 ,the years ,i spent at ,kensington were very happy4 ,i can say from experience that the life of a ,congregational minister1 in connection with a large and liberal ,church--when full play is given to the social affections1 elevated and purified by culture as well as religion--is an enviable lot1 and calls for the devout gratitude of any one who has enjoyed it4 ,the friendships formed with many of my flock1 a very few of whom are still living1 have been amongst the choicest privileges afforded me by ,divine ,providence4 ,loving memories of them linger in my heart1 amidst sweeping obliterations of names and faces incident to an age of fourscore and more1 and those who survive me will1 ,i trust1 accept an acknowledgment of obligations deeply felt as these lines are written4 ,i took special interest in some1 now goodly matrons1 who were school girls at ,kensington in my time1 and whose happy fortunes ,i have sympathetically followed through life4 ,if they read these lines1 they will understand the fatherly feeling with which they are written4 ,their parents1 now at rest in the eternal home1 were no small joy to me1 and as they passed away1 one after another1 they left blanks not to be filled up in this world4 ,two deceased friends ,i may here notice4 ,at an early period in my ,kensington pastorate1 a gentleman called upon me in the vestry with a transfer to our ,church from a communion he had joined in ,manchester4 ,at the time he was a rising engineer1 and afterwards took part in the construction of railways over the ,alps and in ,south ,america4 ,he was a botanist1 and came to possess a large garden and conservatory where he lived4 ,he received the honour of knighthood1 and as ,sir ,james ,brunlees became well known4 ,he took a deep interest in our ,congregational affairs1 and after his change of residence from ,addison ,road1 ,kensington1 still continued1 with his family1 to worship with us on ,sundays4 ,he was an intimate friend of ,john ,bright1 both of them being anglers2 and ,i was entertained by stories of their success1 as brethren of the rod4 ,i often spent a few restful days at ,argyle ,lodge1 where he and his kind-hearted lady made me as much at home as ,i felt at my own fireside4 ,she died suddenly1 after my retirement1 when she was visiting a friend4 ,i was immediately summoned to meet and comfort the mourning family4 ,another friend--,george ,rawson1 of ,bristol1 the gifted hymn-writer--also died after my retirement1 leaving memories of intelligence1 humour1 and affection1 which ,i shall fondly cherish as long as ,i live4 ,his beloved wife1 daughter of the ,rev4 ,john ,clayton1 one of my predecessors in the ,kensington pastorate1 died some years before at ,bristol4 ,the touching memory of her funeral1 and of the company then present1 passes before me as ,i write these lines4 ,when ,i wrote this chapter1 ,i asked my dear daughter ,georgie to give me some results of her own experience whilst visiting the poor4 ,she returned the following notes3-- 8,instances of unselfishness are sometimes very touching4 ,i knew a ,christian woman who suffered for years with weak sight1 and had several operations on both eyes1 so that she could only distinguish outlines of different objects4 ,she heard of two little children1 distant relations of her husband1 being left orphans1 and as she had no children of her own1 she suggested that they should adopt these little girls1 and lead them in early years to a knowledge of ,christ4 ,the husband was so touched at his wife's readiness1 with failing sight1 to take this burden upon herself that1 though a common labourer1 he was willing to incur the extra expense1 and ever since that home has been one of the brightest ,i know4 8,a poor woman expressed a strong desire that some one would speak to her sailor boy1 who was wild and unmanageable4 ,an opportunity occurred not long after1 but the lad manifested great disgust at being talked to1 and afterwards whenever ,i called he left the room4 ,when about to start upon a voyage1 ,i went to bid him #8,good-bye4' ,on leaving ,i said1 #8,the time may come when you will feel the need of a true friend2 remember that ,christ is ready to receive you1 for ,he has said1 8,him that cometh unto ,me ,i will in no wise cast out40 ,these words may fill your heart with gladness some day4' ,i did not hear anything of him for a long time1 but one evening ,i received a note saying he was lying ill in a hospital1 and would ,i go and see him4 ,i complied1 and found he had never forgotten the ,saviour's words which ,i had quoted4 ,he resisted1 he said1 the voice calling him to forsake his sins and cleave to ,christ till he could bear it no longer4 ,at last he yielded1 and the change produced in him was remarkable4 ,during a long illness he manifested patience1 unlike his old self1 and the lad's cheerfulness and readiness to help his mother were very beautiful4 ,he died in her arms1 singing #8,safe in the arms of ,jesus4' 8,many of the poor have seen days of prosperity1 and have forgotten ,god2 but1 when adversity comes1 like frightened children1 they rush to the ,father's arms4 ,one man1 possessing at one time over #bj1jjj1 with a hundred men under him1 lost all4 ,then1 when reduced to the greatest distress1 he listened to the ,divine voice4 8,i remember that on ,lord ,chichester's library table there always stood a large card1 with the words3 #8,lord ,jesus1 make ,thyself to me ,a living1 bright reality4' 8,and such words unite the rich and the poor4 ,one of the poorest women ,i ever met1 had a strong realisation of ,christ's constant presence2 and it so beautified her life1 that all who entered her humble home felt such a prayer had been answered in her experience4 ,i never talk to her but my mind is carried back to the ,stanmer library40 ,at the end of this chapter1 which closes my ,kensington ministry1 ,i venture to speak of my methods of preaching4 ,the main object of my ministrations was the illustration of ,god's ,holy ,word4 ,archbishop ,whately preferred 8to set his watch by the sun02 and1 therefore1 tested the results of his own thinking1 and other teachers1 by a comparison of them with the decisions of ,scripture4 ,when ,scripture was plain1 the subject on which it pronounced a distinct judgment was regarded as fixed for ever4 ,that method it was my desire habitually to pursue4 ,i made it my aim1 not only to interpret the meaning of a particular verse taken by itself1 but to catch1 and fix in my mind1 the drift of ,apostolic thought in particular instances4 ,it has been said1 irreverently1 that some expositors1 when persecuted in one verse1 flee to another1 and the connection between the several parts of a paragraph is overlooked and lost4 ,it was my desire to look at long trains of thought in the writings of ,st4 ,paul as a sacred landscape1 in which here and there a verse occurs as a lofty hill1 which serves as a commanding point for surveying a landscape of thought round about4 ,a single verse is often a key to an entire paragraph4 ,it was my habit to go over now and then a large extent of ,scripture--doctrinal1 biographical1 historical4 8,stars of the ,east1 or ,prophets and ,apostles10 formed a series of personal sketches in the ,old and ,new ,testaments1 afterwards published by the ,religious ,tract ,society4 ,another course1 called 8,lights of the ,world10 were illustrations of character1 drawn from records of ,christian experience and action1 such as 8,william ,tyndale1 or ,labour and ,patience02 8,richard ,hooker1 or a ,soul in ,love with ,god's ,law and ,holy ,order02 and 8,robert ,leighton1 or the ,peacefulness of ,faith40 ,besides such methods ,i did not scruple to lay under contribution to the pulpit1 condensed summaries of ,puritan works1 such as ,baxter's 8,now or ,never02 also ,i may mention that a course of ,sermons on 8,pilgrim's ,progress0 excited much interest1 and three or four of these ,i repeated at the close of my pastorate4 ,as to the real value of a sermon1 form must never be confounded with substance4 ,it is vain to vote the mantle into majesty4 ,a royal robe depends for effect on the richness of the material1 not on the adjustment of its folds4 ,toller's 8,sermons0 #bdh so eulogised by ,robert ,hall1 depend for their impressiveness1 not on a careful selection of words--in this respect they are open to criticism--but upon the intrinsic majesty of such thoughts as they express4 ,there is an obvious contrast between ,french and ,english preachers in this respect4 ,they are more attentive to form than we are4 ,i have witnessed effects in ,parisian1 and in ,italian churches as well1 produced by modes of delivery1 such as ,i never saw in our own country4 ,young preachers in ,england might make their sermons more effective than they are1 by greater attention paid to a mode of delivery4 ,let me add a word or two as to preparation from week to week4 ,at the beginning of a week ,i chose subjects for the following ,sunday2 and then gathered up from day to day1 in reading and talking1 arguments and illustrations suggested by books1 scenery and conversation4 ,one's mind may be brought to such a state as to gather together what is valuable and useful from time to time1 as the magnet attracts to itself grains of precious metal over which it sweeps4 ,and1 let it not be forgotten1 we may sometimes build up a sermon by adding one thought to another2 and at other times plant a sermon through an idea which takes root and grows into a goodly tree4 ,my method then was1 on a ,saturday evening1 to review and revise what ,i had prepared1 to criticise its substance and arrangement1 and alter it in matter and form1 so that on ,sunday morning it could be poured out to the people in freshness and force4 ,on week-night services1 ,i sometimes took up ,church history1 or archological illustrations of the ,bible4 ,bible-classes1 of course1 were held2 but in the latter part of my ,kensington pastorate1 ,i was greatly helped in this1 as in other respects by my worthy friend1 the ,rev4 ,j4 ,alden ,davies1 who was for a few years my assistant minister4 #bej ,,chapter ,,xii #ahge-ahgi ,,in my last chapter ,i brought together two celebrations--one in honour of ,john ,bunyan1 the other in honour of ,richard ,baxter4 ,another celebration now claims attention1 not of an ,english ,nonconformist1 but of a ,protestant ,reformer1 whose fame covers the world--,martin ,luther4 ,english commemorations of his character and work were held late in #ahge and early in #ahgf4 ,before ,i mention any particulars respecting the ,luther celebration1 ,i repeat what ,i have said elsewhere3 8,there is no other man of a similar order whose fame touches so many topographical points1 and sweeps over so wide a surface4 ,the local reminiscences of ,shakespeare and ,milton1 even taken together1 are few1 and cluster round a metropolis1 a provincial town1 and two or three villages4 ,but how many cities1 castles1 and houses there are in ,germany scattered far and wide which may be said to have ,martin ,luther for their presiding genius6 ,guide-books call attention to some spot where he went1 some fortress or tenement which gave him shelter1 some church in which he preached1 some locality which his name has made famous2 and there are scenes and houses unmentioned in guide-books1 over which lingers the spell of his memory4 ,one comes across mementoes of ,charles ,v4 in divers directions2 but even they are fewer1 less interesting1 and less honoured than those of the monk who gave the emperor so much anxiety1 and who by his devotion1 and energy accomplished the reformation of the ,teutonic ,church4 ,certainly no king1 no kaiser1 can vie with him as to the place he occupies in the thoughts of his own people1 and indeed of the whole ,christian world40 #beb ,washington ,irving concludes his essay on 8,shakespeare and ,stratford-on-,avon10 by remarking it would have cheered 8the spirit of the youthful bard that his name should become the glory of his birthplace1 that his ashes should be guarded as a most precious treasure1 and that its lessening spire1 on which his eyes were fixed in tearful contemplation1 should one day become the beacon towering amidst the gentle landscape to guide the literary pilgrim of every nation to his tomb40 ,it is no depreciation of ,shakespeare's genius to say that above his aspirations after fame1 whatever they might be1 rose the aims and desires of ,luther--a man absorbed in zeal for the salvation of souls1 and for the glory of his ,saviour2 but it would have filled him with wonder1 could he have foreseen the place he was to occupy in the history of the world1 and how the double tower of the ,stadt ,kirche1 in which he preached1 would become a beacon to guide tens of thousands from both hemispheres to the ,augustinian monastery1 where he lived1 and to the ,schloss ,kirche1 where he lies buried4 ,the ,luther ,commemoration in ,england was enthusiastic4 ,soon after ,i left ,kensington an immense assembly gathered in ,exeter ,hall1 to take up points in ,luther's character and work4 ,if ,i remember rightly1 ,i dwelt on that occasion at some length on his domestic life1 often assailed by his opponents1 but held in admiration by ,protestants all over the world4 ,in lectures and addresses1 delivered at ,norwich1 ,peterborough1 ,bedford1 and elsewhere1 ,i dwelt on his manifold excellences and achievements1 at ,leipzig1 at ,worms1 in the ,wartburg1 and his ,wittenberg home4 ,my remarks accorded with those ,i have now introduced4 ,after the close of my pastorate in ,kensington1 ,ealing became my home4 ,the professorships at ,new ,college were continued4 ,sundays were spent in preaching the ,gospel4 ,literary studies were pursued to a larger extent than they had been when pastoral duty claimed chief attention4 ,in #ahgf ,i was grieved by the death of ,lady ,augusta ,stanley1 for she manifested towards me kindness which could not fail to inspire my warmest gratitude4 ,i never knew any other person who had so much dignity and sweetness of demeanour1 one who1 with many-sided sympathy1 could make her numerous guests feel how sincere were her friendly demonstrations4 ,it often surprised me1 as it did others1 how she paid marked attention to all her guests1 however numerous they might be4 ,her tact was admirable4 ,nobody could leave the ,deanery with the idea of having been neglected4 ,her 8,at ,homes0 were extraordinarily popular1 for every one was sure of meeting with notabilities of ,church and ,state1 literature and science4 ,her husband was in full sympathy with her in all these respects4 ,she was intimately acquainted with foreign celebrities1 and her conversation about them was of much interest4 ,she and her mother1 ,lady ,elgin1 spent some days in ,lamartine's house at ,paris1 when violent mobs1 during the ,revolution1 assembled in front of the residence4 ,the ,president behaved bravely1 but expressed fear lest any insult should be offered to ,english ladies under his roof4 ,mother and daughter1 if ,i remember right1 had been offered refuge by the ,president when the utmost peril filled the ,french capital4 ,lady ,augusta related interesting anecdotes of ,lamartine2 and ,i gathered that he habitually indicated no small confidence in himself1 feeling that he was the greatest man in ,france1 as no doubt1 at the time1 he really was4 ,her ,ladyship and the ,dean were well acquainted with ,m4 ,guizot1 and gave interesting accounts of that distinguished statesman1 and of his habits and studies after retirement from public life4 ,i happened once1 when talking of ,earl ,russell1 to make the remark1 that ,i had heard of his cold manner to political acquaintances4 ,her countenance lighted up1 and she spoke with enthusiasm of what he was in the bosom of his family1 and the circle of intimate friends4 ,bishop ,thirlwall was a great favourite with her1 and she related interesting anecdotes of that distinguished man1 indicating a warm heart1 in union with a keen intellect4 ,lady ,augusta's visit to ,st4 ,petersburg with the ,dean1 at the marriage of the ,duke of ,edinburgh1 proved too much for her strength1 and at ,paris in the following autumn serious illness set in4 ,from time to time amendment and relapse excited hope and fear1 until all prospect of recovery vanished4 ,she spoke of friends1 sent kind messages1 and talked calmly and with humble confidence of the other world1 saying1 8,think of me as near1 only in another room4 #8,in my ,father's house are many mansions4'0 ,i had a touching note from the ,dean asking me to be a pall-bearer at the funeral4 ,all chosen for that office indicated causes1 classes1 and places in which she felt an interest4 ,religion1 literature1 and philanthropy1 the neighbourhood in which she lived1 and ,scotland--each had a representative4 ,the assembly of mourners in the ,jerusalem ,chamber2 the spectacle in the ,abbey2 the procession up the nave whilst the ,queen occupied a little gallery not far from the western door2 the calm submission of the bereaved husband1 as he sat by the coffin2 the solemn entrance into ,henry ,,vii4's ,chapel2 the ray of sunlight falling on the coffin as it sank into the vault2 and especially the words1 8,i heard a voice from ,heaven10 sung by choristers invisible at the moment1 as if music came from the ,upper ,temple--these incidents can never be forgotten4 ,it was by royal command that this lady1 descended from the royal ,bruce1 was buried in a chapel reserved for royal persons2 and immediately after the interment wreaths from the ,queen and her children were strewn over the grave4 ,the three benedictions--the ,mosaic1 the ,pauline1 and the ,ecclesiastical--which the deceased loved to hear were pronounced1 at the close of the service1 by the ,dean from a desk in the nave4 ,she had said to him1 8,think of me as you repeat the holy words40 ,he did1 when she was gone as when she was living4 ,the ,dean sometimes referred to his visit to ,st4 ,petersburg in company with her ladyship1 and spoke of his having before him1 as he tied the nuptial knot on that memorable occasion1 no less than four princes1 each of whom was expectant of a crown--the ,prince of ,wales1 the ,crown ,prince of ,prussia1 the ,crown ,prince of the ,netherlands1 and the ,czarevitch2 and he also mentioned this circumstance--that after the wedding party had passed in state through a magnificent hall1 where no provision for a banquet could be seen1 within an hour and a half they sat down to a feast of sumptuous splendour1 reminding him of ,belshazzar's1 not in point of excess1 but in point of regal display4 ,the fact was1 the side-tables had been concealed behind screens and drapery4 ,the middle one had in that space of time been fixed and adorned4 ,i may here mention that one day1 during a visit to the ,deanery1 ,i had much conversation with ,miss ,stanley1 the ,dean's sister1 an agreeable companion1 who freely indulged in some common recollections of dear old ,norwich1 and some friends whom we had both known4 ,she told me a great deal about her good father1 the ,bishop1 dwelling with admiration upon his exceedingly simple habits1 and his determination never to give at the ,palace grand dinners1 but only such as combined hospitality with ,christian unostentation4 ,two or three days previous to ,lady ,augusta's funeral1 ,i breakfasted at ,lambeth1 when ,archbishop ,tait1 amongst other things1 spoke of his desire for some union with ,protestant ,dissenters as far as it was possible2 and this led to proceedings which1 as they have not been reported in any fulness1 may be recorded here4 ,it was a delicate question who should first move in the matter4 ,the ,archbishop wished to invite brethren to ,lambeth1 but what reason was to be assigned for taking such a step8 ,at length it was arranged that some communication should be made to him1 indicative of a disposition on the part of ,nonconformists to confer with ,episcopalian brethren4 ,on such a ground the ,archbishop considered he might bring together bishops1 ready to join in a conference4 ,i undertook to prepare a letter and get it signed1 so that ,dr4 ,tait might feel he had sure footing for what might follow4 ,it was based on a recognition of pleasure felt by ,nonconformists1 in consequence of passages in his recent charges touching religious union4 ,the letter went on to express willingness to meet brethren for consultation respecting co-operation in religious service so far as it might be possible and wise4 ,it was signed by well-known ministers1 and was acknowledged by the ,archbishop under the term of 8memorial10 an expression which1 if ,i remember rightly1 had not been employed by us4 ,four ,nonconformist ministers accordingly went down to ,lambeth to converse on the subject4 ,previous to this interview1 it was my conviction that to discuss the subject of union by itself was by no means desirable1 as it might raise questions which would defeat the end in view4 ,in harmony with this1 the following opinion was expressed by a friendly prelate3--8,such a neutral subject as the progress of irreligious thought1 would do well as a basis for a friendly meeting40 ,in a note received from the ,archbishop before we met1 he said1 8,i beg leave to assure you that all the bishops whom ,i have consulted agree in the extreme importance of this movement1 and in an earnest desire that by proper preliminary arrangements your proposal for a conference may be brought to a satisfactory result40 ,the proposal for a conference1 ,i think1 did not originate with me1 though ,i quite approved of it1 and was glad the ,archbishop had kindly arranged for its being held4 ,i subjoin the following record1 received from ,lambeth1 respecting a conference which the ministers named held with the ,archbishop beforehand3-- 8,may #bdth1 #ahgf3 ,the ,archbishop of ,canterbury saw the ,rev4 ,dr4 ,stoughton1 the ,rev4 ,dr4 ,angus1 the ,rev4 ,newman ,hall1 and the ,rev4 ,dr4 ,aveling4 8,the gentlemen present having heard from the ,archbishop what had passed with the bishops who met at the ,ecclesiastical ,commission1 it was the opinion of those present that there was ample room for united efforts to stem growing infidelity and ungodliness4 8#a4 ,therefore that a united conference as to the best means of attempting to spread the knowledge of the answers to materialistic and atheistic sophistries might be attended with very beneficial results4 8#b4 ,that such a conference might with great advantage consider the lamentable ignorance and indifference as to religion which prevails amongst masses of the community1 and the best modes of meeting these evils4 8#c4 ,that such a conference might also with advantage consider what efforts are needed to rouse the classes above the artisan class to a greater appreciation of the realities of religion4 8#d4 ,that it would be desirable that at such a conference those present should come prepared to state their experience as to the difficulties to be met1 and the proposed remedies4 ,it was agreed that a day after the first week in ,july would be suitable for such a conference4 8,the result of this was reported by the ,archbishop to an informal meeting of certain bishops at the ,room of the ,house of ,lords3 present1 the ,archbishop of ,york1 the ,bishops of ,london1 ,winchester1 ,st4 ,asaph1 ,llandaff1 ,gloucester and ,bristol1 and ,carlisle2 and ,monday1 ,july #dth1 at twelve noon1 was fixed for our gathering40 ,we assembled accordingly on ,july #dth1 and there were present besides the ,primate1 the ,bishops of ,london1 ,winchester1 ,peterborough1 ,gloucester1 ,bath and ,wells1 ,drs4 ,allon1 ,raleigh1 ,punshon1 ,rigg1 ,aveling1 ,angus1 ,cumming1 ,robertson of ,edinburgh 7an old schoolmate of ,dr4 ,tait72 the ,revs4 ,j4 ,c4 ,harrison1 ,newman ,hall1 ,josiah ,viney1 and several others whom ,i cannot call to mind as1 unfortunately1 ,i have not kept a list4 ,the ,archbishop presided1 read the ,scriptures1 and offered prayer4 ,he opened the proceedings by an appropriate address1 and then requested me to give some account of the steps which had led to our meeting together4 ,i could not help referring to some remarkable gatherings in the ,jerusalem ,chamber1 ,march #afdj-a1 convened by ,dr4 ,williams1 at that time ,bishop of ,lincoln1 and also ,dean of ,westminster1 when several other dignitaries met certain ,presbyterian divines4 8,this10 ,i remarked1 8was done by order of the ,house of ,lords1 with a view to settling points of difference between ecclesiastical parties of that day4 ,a scheme of comprehension was contemplated4 ,it came to nothing1 though the intercourse seems to have been pleasant1 and they were hospitably entertained by the convener40 8,this was the last course of all public ,episcopal treatments10 said the witty ,thomas ,fuller1 who added3 8,the guests may now soon put up their knives1 seeing1 soon after1 the voider was called for1 which took away all bishops' lands40 ,i emphasised the fact that we had assembled for a very different purpose1 not to discuss any plan of comprehension1 but to see how parties1 remaining ecclesiastically as we were1 could1 notwithstanding1 unite in defence of our common faith against those who opposed it4 8,we have a common cause10 it was added2 8and let us aim at extending the influence of our common ,christianity--this would bring us into spiritual and practical fellowship1 the most enduring of all bonds40 ,the ,bishop of ,bath and ,wells followed and spoke on the specific point--how we should meet doubts and difficulties in reference to religion4 ,the ,bishop of ,peterborough discussed the subject generally1 with great eloquence and force4 ,the ,bishops of ,london and ,winchester made practical suggestions as to guarding ,christians against scepticism1 and rousing people at large from indifference and neglect4 ,drs4 ,rigg1 ,angus1 and others1 combatted infidel objections and enforced attention to the subject before us4 ,a spirit of harmony pervaded the meeting4 ,we broke up the morning conference at two o'clock1 and then lunched together2 reassembling at three o'clock1 when the ,bishop of ,gloucester1 ,dr4 ,punshon1 and several besides1 resumed the conversation4 ,no representatives of the press were present1 and no report1 that ,i am aware of1 was taken and preserved4 ,we wished to prevent the controversial treatment of what took place4 ,two of those who were there1 together with myself1 received and complied with a request to prepare some brief statement for ,the ,times1 on the character and purpose of our meeting4 ,of course1 the whole matter was criticised afterwards1 chiefly however in private4 ,i do not remember that it was taken up controversially in religious periodicals4 ,to correct some misapprehensions--expressed in a ,dissenting newspaper--,i1 at the request of an esteemed brother1 wrote a short letter of explanation4 ,when we separated1 gratification was expressed by those who were present4 ,some ,nonconformists did not enter into the movement2 others did1 and that most heartily4 ,from several ,episcopalian friends we received assurances of approval and sympathy4 ,it issued in no united action2 no fresh organisation had1 as far as ,i know1 ever been intended4 ,the purpose designed was accomplished by interchanging thought1 collecting information1 and encouraging one another in ministerial work4 ,for ,archbishop ,tait ,i had great respect and affection4 ,he was singularly kind and conversable1 without affecting any official superiority4 ,under his grave countenance1 and habitually serious demeanour1 as one who lived ever 8in his ,great ,taskmaster's eye10 there were veins of cheerfulness and humour in his familiar intercourse--,i felt deeply1 his gentle sympathy1 expressed in a letter of condolence1 on my dear wife's death2 and the last time we talked together1 being interrupted by another person1 he broke off in the opening of what seemed an amusing tale4 ,he appreciated the relative position of ,church and ,dissent1 better than any other dignitary ,i have met with4 ,he would say that ,nonconformists had their traditions1 organisations1 endowments1 and influence1 which gave them a status they were not likely to surrender by bringing over what belonged to them1 into an ,episcopalian organisation4 ,a fraternal modus vivendi1 he regarded as the object to be aimed at1 not an absorption of ,dissenting bodies into the ,establishment4 ,he1 no doubt1 would have preferred to see ,one ,great ,church in ,england1 under a moderate ,episcopacy2 but he seemed to cherish little hope of any such object being accomplished4 ,on a former page allusion was made to ,mr4 ,bagster1 of ,polyglot fame4 ,in the year 7#ahgg7 his venerable wife1 at the age of #ajj within a few hours1 died at ,old ,windsor2 and her accumulated years attracted the notice of ,her ,majesty1 who honoured her with a visit just before her decease4 ,i called at the cottage in which she expired1 after the royal visitor had been there1 and there heard the particulars of the interview4 ,her ,majesty ,i was informed1 brought with her the ,princess ,beatrice2 and1 on their entrance into the bedroom1 where the old lady was lying1 she at once expressed her gratitude for the signal favour bestowed by her ,sovereign1 saying that 8she was looking forward to her own speedy dismissal to the immediate presence of the ,saviour1 where she hoped hereafter to meet ,her ,majesty40 ,pleasant conversation followed1 in which ,mrs4 ,b41 at the ,queen's request1 related her memories of ,george ,,iii41 ,queen ,charlotte1 and the ,royal ,family1 as they used to walk on the ,castle terrace1 in the presence of a large number of loyal spectators4 ,the ,queen manifested interest in particulars respecting the good old lady1 related by her daughter2 and in consequence of the report she gave on her return home1 ,prince ,leopold1 as ,i was told soon afterwards1 paid a visit to ,old ,windsor1 and wished for a rehearsal of what had been communicated by his ,royal ,mother4 ,repeated gracious inquiries from the ,castle followed4 ,at the funeral service a note was put into my hands1 written by the ,duchess of ,roxburgh to ,miss ,bagster1 tenderly touching on that lady's sorrow1 for her late bereavement2 and concluding with the words3 8,the ,queen begs you to convey to all the members of your venerable mother's family1 the assurance of ,her ,majesty's condolence40 ,this note was read to the mourners4 ,in #ahgg ,i made two pilgrimages which left memorable impressions4 ,all my life ,i have been an enthusiastic shrine-seeker1 loving to trace out spots sanctified by footsteps of heroic and holy men4 ,i heartily adopt the words of ,dr4 ,martineau1 8,no material interests1 no common welfare1 can so bind a community together1 and make it strong of heart1 as a history of rights maintained and virtues uncorrupted and freedom won2 and one legend of conscience is worth more to a country than hidden gold and fertile plains40 ,at different periods ,i have visited the birthplaces of ,shakespeare and of ,raleigh1 of ,cromwell and of ,wesley2 the homes of ,knox1 ,hampden1 ,milton1 ,baxter1 and ,howard2 the haunts of ,johnson1 ,goldsmith1 ,watts1 and ,cowper2 the graves of ,bunyan1 ,burns1 ,scott1 and ,chalmers have all had attractions for me4 ,the pilgrimages ,i made in #ahgg were the following3-- ,the first to the ,vosges district in ,france1 searching for ,ban de la ,roche1 the scene of ,oberlin's labours1 and the resting place of his remains4 #bfh ,from ,strassburg my daughter and ,i went to ,mutzig1 situated amidst a theatre of red sandstone hills mantled with woods and vineyards4 ,then from ,mutzig we proceeded to ,fouday1 through valley after valley1 if not exactly picturesque1 yet really pictorial1 and finally approached the parish of the model pastor4 ,in the heart of the village of ,ban de la ,roche1 are the church hallowed by his preaching1 and the grave where he sleeps4 ,three broad slabs lie on the green turf1 side by side1 the middle one inscribed with the words1 8,il fut #fj ans pre de ce canton4--#8,la ,mmoire du juste sera en benediction4'0 ,an iron cross bears the name 8,papa ,oberlin40 ,we were surprised to find the spot1 though highly situated1 so rich in beauty as summer waned2 an afternoon sun warming the crisp air1 and lighting up objects with varied tints4 ,at ,walderbach1 a ,swiss-like village1 full of cottages and fruit trees1 we found the parsonage house in which the good man lived and died4 ,we were welcomed by the present clergyman's wife1 whom we had met before1 without knowing her4 ,the good lady took us over the rooms associated with her husband's predecessor4 ,there was the study where he worked1 and the bedroom in which he slept4 ,some of his furniture is preserved1 with a collection of toys he made for children1 and a large jar full of still fragrant rose leaves1 a few of which were gratefully accepted as a memento of the visit4 ,the other pilgrimage was in ,england to ,broad ,oak1 ,shropshire1 where ,philip ,henry resided and where his son ,matthew was born4 ,it stands where the ,wrexham ,road is intersected by a lane leading to ,whitwell ,church4 ,it is a small farmhouse1 part of a larger one1 with heavy beams1 and a broad chimney corner1 like what one sees in ,anne ,hathaway's cottage near ,stratford-on-,avon4 ,when in its primitive state1 it must have been spacious1 for1 says the famous ,puritan1 8,i have room for twelve friends in my beds1 a hundred in my barn1 and a thousand in my heart40 ,here he resembled 8,abraham sitting at his tent door1 in quest of opportunities to do good4 ,if he met with any poor near his house1 and gave them alms in money1 he would1 besides1 bid them go to his door for relief4 ,he was very tender and compassionate towards poor strangers1 and travellers1 though his candour and charity were often imposed upon by cheats and pretenders40 ,the mention of ,broad ,oak occurs repeatedly in the ,life of the father1 written by his affectionate son4 ,the latter tells of his father's removal to ,broad ,oak1 and the providences concerning him there1 of 8the rebukes he lay under at ,broad ,oak10 and of the last nine years of his life1 in 8liberty and enlargement at ,broad ,oak40 ,at a time when ministerial engagements were by no means so numerous and diversified as they are at present2 when habits of home study1 quiet visitation of the flock1 and catechising the children1 rather than preaching on public occasions1 attending large meetings1 and travelling to and fro along the length and breadth of the land1 distinguished both town and country clergymen2 when those who were connected with the ,established ,church1 and had no restraints put upon their activity1 spent what would be now considered very retired and monotonous lives2 what must have been the secluded and stationary position of an ejected minister between the ,restoration and the ,revolution6 ,no wonder1 then1 that almost every incident and effort belonging to ,philip ,henry's career belonged to the farm at ,broad ,oak1 where he lived and died1 and wrote and suffered1 and walked and taught1 bringing up his children1 and receiving his friends1 and paying visits to his neighbours1 under the shadow of the umbrageous trees which gave a name to his pleasant homestead4 ,i drove over to the house1 or rather that part of it which still remains1 a part of the kitchen1 as ,i suppose1 in which the good man used to preach4 ,the people of the house showed me some relics--the pulpit cushion1 and1 ,i think1 the pulpit itself1 or some portion of it2 also some buttons which belonged to ,philip ,henry's coat4 ,at ,whitwell is a chapel containing ,philip ,henry's monument1 which once stood in the parish edifice of ,whitchurch4 ,at the end of the ,whitwell epitaph are the words1 8,in dormitorium hic juxta positum demisit ,june #bd1 ,anno ,dom4 ,,mdcxcvi1 tatis ,,lxv40 ,was it in imitation of this1 that the words were introduced in ,matthew ,henry's monument in ,holy ,trinity ,church1 ,chester1 8,confectum corpus huic dormitorio commisit #bb die ,junii1 #agad1 ,anno tat #eb08 ,dr4 ,howson1 ,dean of ,chester1 who was staying with me at ,crewe ,hall when this visit was arranged1 intended to be my companion1 for he was a great admirer of the ,henrys2 but illness prevented him4 ,in #ahgg ,i was invited by ,dr4 ,stanley to deliver a missionary lecture in ,westminster ,abbey1 one of a series he had arranged1 in which some friends of his1 not clergymen in the ,establishment1 took part4 ,in #ahgg ,i gave a lecture in the room of the ,society of ,arts on the prospects and perils of modern civilisation4 ,one of the audience was a native gentleman attached to the ,chinese ,embassy--a very intelligent person1 speaking ,english well1 and showing by his conversation how clearly he grasped points of the address he had just heard4 ,it was a singular circumstance that a representative of the largest empire of the world--which not long ago counted all other nations as barbarous--should listen to a barbarian as he represented the good and evil of ,european civilisation4 ,just before ,christmas 7#ahgg7 two or three days were spent at the ,deanery of ,westminster1 and on the ,sunday afternoon ,dr4 ,stanley walked with me on the terrace of the ,parliamentary ,houses1 where we had some interesting talk4 ,he pointed to the palatial edifice at our back as we looked across the river1 and said1 8,this is the palace of the nation02 turning attention to ,st4 ,thomas' ,hospital1 he remarked1 8,that is the palace of the poor02 and next1 looking towards ,lambeth1 he added1 8,there is the palace of the ,church40 ,we discussed the state and prospects of the ,establishment1 and he1 as a staunch advocate for its continuance1 propounded schemes of reform1 which1 looking at the state of parties1 seemed to me quite impracticable4 ,he was filled with an idea of comprehension1 if not within wide ,episcopalian limits1 then by a ,state union of different denominations--for example1 thus3 ,he would have been glad to see a ,presbyterian ,moderator1 a ,congregational ,chairman1 and a ,wesleyan ,president sitting in the ,house of ,lords on a bench with the bishops4 ,he further thought that1 as ,charles ,,ii4 was willing to have ,nonconformist chaplains1 after the ,restoration1 so an ,english sovereign might now1 without any impropriety1 do the same2 and if the ,uniformity ,act were modified so as to allow a ,dissenting minister to enter a pulpit of the ,establishment1 there would be no legal bar in the way4 ,my friend had the widest sympathies possible1 and union1 with him1 was a passion4 ,in some respects ,i have a feeling like the ,dean's1 but ,i hold theological and ecclesiastical principles such as he did not adopt4 ,one fundamental difference between us was that he overlooked the exercise of ,church discipline1 to which ,i attach great importance4 ,the study of ,state organisations has convinced me that the 8union of ,church and ,state0 creates insuperable barriers in the way of ecclesiastical discipline4 ,if the ,church be linked to the ,state1 so that a subject of the ,state becomes thereby legally entitled to membership and communion1--that forms a strong bar to a faithful correction of moral misconduct and fundamental disbeliefs4 ,it was a great difficulty under the ,commonwealth4 ,the devoted and holy ,thomas ,wilson1 ,bishop of ,sodor and ,man1 found it so in carrying on his diocese4 ,he said in his famous 8,ecclesiastical ,constitutions0 that his desire was 8,we may not stand charged with the scandals which wicked men bring upon religion1 when they are admitted to1 and reputed members of1 ,christ's ,church2 and that we may1 by all laudable means1 promote the conversion of sinners1 and oblige men to submit to the discipline of the ,gospel40 ,but for myself1 let me say ,i have not found any difficulty in the maintenance of discipline in ,congregational ,churches4 ,whatever might be the basis of ,dr4 ,stanley's far-reaching comprehension1 it appears to me there might be a much broader range of religious sympathy and co-operation between distinct religious bodies connected with the maintenance of well-accentuated beliefs1 and the exercise of ecclesiastical discipline4 ,in the early part of the following year ,i visited ,edinburgh to lecture for the ,philosophical ,society of that city4 ,my subject was 8,the ,great ,rebellion02 and ,i made a double attempt1 first1 to vindicate the ,parliament policy as against the despotic unconstitutionalism of the infatuated monarch2 and secondly1 to criticise the proceedings of some eminent men on the ,puritan and popular side4 ,the society invited me to lecture again1 when different historical ground was taken1 and a sketch was presented of ,english and ,scotch life in the days of ,queen ,anne4 ,my old friend1 and large-hearted host1 the ,rev4 ,george ,d4 ,cullen1 favoured me with the company at dinner1 of ,dr4 ,goold1 ,moderator of the ,free ,church2 ,dr4 ,hanna1 son-in-law to ,dr4 ,chalmers2 ,dr4 ,alexander1 and others--and we had earnest talk about topics of the day4 ,scotch and ,english elements of thought1 blended so as to bring diversities into view1 without any portion of the acrimony common to polemical debate4 ,true blue ,presbyterianism rose in contrast with milder colours of ,ecclesiasticism4 ,there was no want of thrust or repartee1 but we kept the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace4 ,edinburgh society is of the choicest kind4 ,some of the best talkers may be found on the other side the border2 and memories of celebrities in ,auld ,reekie1 are amongst the most pleasant of my life4 ,on the occasion just noticed1 my friend ,mr4 ,cullen took me over to ,st4 ,andrews2 and there ,principal ,tulloch did the honours of ciceroneship to perfection4 ,in the evening we dined at the house of ,professor ,swann1 where further social enjoyments of a high university order were found to be in store4 ,during this visit to ,scotland a curious fact was related to me by the librarian of the ,university4 ,drummond of ,hawthornden bequeathed books to the library of that institution1 and in the catalogue appeared an item of 8,,mss4 respecting ,mary ,queen of ,scots40 ,these ,,mss4 were long missing1 and inquiries about them were made in vain4 ,not very long before my visit1 the librarian received a communication from some one who said he had1 in his possession1 papers belonging to the ,university2 and on receiving a reply to his letter1 he forwarded them4 ,they turned out to be the missing treasure4 ,how came this about8 ,as well as ,i can remember it appeared that a librarian of the last century put one day into his coat pocket these very ,,mss41 and took them home for examination4 ,he suddenly died4 ,his clothes were sent to a relative1 and amongst them1 the coat containing the documents now mentioned4 ,for a century afterwards they remained forgotten1 and then came to light4 ,the possessor1 finding they belonged to ,edinburgh ,university1 wrote to the librarian as stated above1 and restored them to their proper place4 ,the recovered property was shown to me4 ,it included original papers published some time ago1 and others not previously known2 but1 if ,i may venture to say so1 after a brief inspection1 they did not promise to be of so much service as was hoped1 in throwing fresh light on the mysteries of poor ,mary's career4 ,the seventh ,general ,conference of the ,evangelical ,alliance was held in ,basle1 ,september #ast #ahgi4 ,there was a large gathering of delegates from ,germany1 ,france1 ,austria1 ,italy1 ,spain1 ,holland1 ,america and ,england4 ,the president was ,m4 ,c4 ,sarasin1 ,councillor of ,state1 who is said to have descended from a ,moorish ancestor settled in the canton4 ,he showed himself to be acquainted with ,english literature4 8,let me remind our ,english friends10 he said1 8of the words their great poet puts in the mouth of ,richard ,,ii43 #8,look not to the ground ,ye favourites of a king6 ,are we not high8 ,high be our thoughts4' 8,let us cherish high thoughts1 my friends6 ,are we not the servants of a ,king1 of the ,king of kings1 and ,lord of lords8 ,and is it not ,his work we are carrying on8 #8,die sach' ist dein1 ,herr ,jesu ,christ1 ,die sach' an der wir stehen4' 7,the cause is ,thine1 ,lord ,jesus ,christ1 ,the cause for which we stand47 8,thus let our work be done1 our testimony be given1 our efforts be united1 in the same joyful steadfast spirit1 with the same buoyancy1 with which the ,apostle1 with chained hands1 appealed to his flock at ,philippi1 #8,rejoice in the ,lord always1 and again ,i say1 rejoice4'0 ,these were animating words1 and awakened an enthusiastic response1 when uttered in the old church of ,st4 ,martin1 where colampadius first preached the doctrines of the ,reformation4 ,i give the following resum of some remarks ,i made at the ,basle ,alliance meeting4 ,the ,times reported3 8,dr4 ,stoughton contrasted the gathering of peoples in that assembly1 representative of all nations1 with a meeting held in ,basle four hundred and fifty years ago4 ,christendom was then in a very divided state1 for the spirit of religious inquiry was breaking out1 and the great moot-point was1 in all theological controversy1 #8,where lies the ultimate authority for religious beliefs--in ,popes1 in ,councils1 or in the ,word of ,god8' ,they met that day in times of a somewhat differentcharacter1 but of still deeper and wider agitation1 for the question now was1 not only whether the ,church or the ,bible was the final test of truth1 but also whether reason or revelation should be our guide as to the highest of all subjects which could affect the present and future interests of the human family4 ,but how vast the difference between that famous ,council at ,basle and the ,evangelical ,alliance ,conference of this day6 ,under what different aspects was union regarded by the two assemblies6 ,the one aimed at uniformity1 at a precise and definitely-expressed agreement of opinion1 in relation to theological and ecclesiastical points1 which might be enforced on all ,christendom by pains and penalties1--even death1 to a recreant brother4 ,the other seeks to promote unity1 holding1 after the experience of ages1 that uniformity was impossible1 and that true unity could not only be attained1 but was compatible with a hearty1 loving1 sympathetic ,christian fellowship throughout the family of the redeemed4 ,he then contrasted the appearance of the two meetings1 traced out the history of the followers of ,john ,huss1 and1 in a long and exceedingly able and interesting historical review of the history of the ,reformation1 showed that ,protestant ,england was not only indebted to ,basle for men but for principles2 and1 identifying the two with the work of ,calvin at ,geneva and ,john ,knox in ,scotland1 he contended that the outcome of those early struggles was not only religious freedom in ,europe1 but1 mainly through the ,puritans of ,england1 the religious life and progress of ,america4 ,their simple reliance now1 as then1 was the ,gospel of ,christ1 and freedom to preach and practise its heaven-born truths40 ,i have a great delight in all genuine ,christian union1 but my conception of it is by no means confined to the cultivation of love and sympathy with those1 who in all1 or in most1 respects concur with me4 ,there is an admirable passage in ,julius ,hare's preface to the third volume of ,arnold's 8,rome40 8,we are so bound and shackled1 by all manner of prejudices1 national1 party1 ecclesiastical1 individual1 that we can hardly move a limb freely2 and we are so fenced and penned in1 that few can look over their neighbour's land1 or up to any piece of sky1 except to that which is just over their heads40 ,i took an active part in the early history of the ,evangelical ,alliance1 and ,i rejoice in those points of agreement which are expressed in its ,evangelical faith2 but ,i have never liked its exclusion of some good people from its fellowship1 on the ground of differences in relation to ecclesiastical ordinances4 ,i would look kindly over 8my neighbour's land10 and towards 8pieces of sky0 which are not 8just over my head40 ,i can scarcely bring myself to speak of the sorrow which befell me in ,november #ahgi4 ,my beloved wife then died1 and was interred in ,hanwell ,cemetery1 which pertains to the parish of ,kensington4 ,the beautiful words in ,proverbs are inscribed on her gravestone3 8,her children arise up1 and call her blessed2 her husband also1 and he praiseth her40 ,some time ago ,i read in the ,life of my ,american friend1 ,dr4 ,hodge1 the following passage respecting the deceased companion of his life4 ,i can truly appropriate it to my departed loved one4 8,a humble worshipper of ,christ1 she lived in love and died in faith4 ,trustful woman1 delightful companion1 ardent friend1 devoted wife1 self-sacrificing mother1 we lay you gently here1 our best beloved1 to gather strength and beauty for the coming of the ,lord40 ,my dearest friend ,joshua ,harrison1 who was to her as a brother1 preached a funeral sermon1 in which he said1 8,the strength of her life was her faith in the ,son of ,god4 ,her path1 though the sun shone brightly upon it1 was often a thorny one4 ,her own health was liable to frequent interruptions1 and her heart was pierced again and again by the loss of children1 whom she loved better than herself4 ,oh1 the unmurmuring resignation with which seven several times1 she saw her dear ones carried to the grave6 ,oh1 the courage with which she bore the shock6 ,she never wavered in the conviction1 #8,he loved me and gave ,himself for me1' but felt that these sad sorrows must be only the obscurer manifestations of ,his love4 ,and hence she could write1 #8,here we shall never be exempt from trial and sorrow1 but when we reach that changeless home above1 there will be no need of sanctifying us there4 ,all that is needful to make us meet for that holy place must be done here2 and oh1 how much pruning and purging1 how much of grace and strength we need to help us to walk more closely with ,him4' 8,she has reached that changeless abode now1 and has left all sorrow behind4 ,long1 long had she been waiting1 but the message came so suddenly at last1 that1 without knowing she was dying1 she found herself at home4 ,the words discovered in her desk1 which by copying she had made her own1 received sweet and exact fulfilment3 #8,the way is long1 my ,father1 and my soul ,longs for the rest and quiet of the goal2 ,while yet ,i journey through this weary land1 ,keep me from wandering2 ,father1 take my hand1 ,quickly and straight1 ,lead to ,heaven's gate ,thy child4 #8,the way is long1 my child1 but it shall be ,not one step longer than is best for thee1 ,and thou shalt know1 at last1 when thou shalt stand ,close by the gate1 how ,i did take thy hand1 ,and quick and straight1 ,lead to ,heaven's gate ,my child4'0 ,,chapter ,,xiii #ahgi-ahhc ,,need was felt for some change after my sad bereavement2 so in ,march1 #ahhj1 my daughter and ,i started for ,italy4 ,we tarried on our way a week at ,cannes with my friend1 ,mr4 ,prust1 of ,northampton1 an old fellow-student1 who had a villa in the ,riviera4 ,i greatly enjoyed the climate and scenery1 and felt soothed by walks and drives on the shores1 through the cork groves1 and round about to more distant places of interest4 ,old affections sprang up anew between my friend and myself as we talked of auld lang syne4 ,nothing could exceed the kindness shown by him and his two interesting nieces4 ,i met with some old acquaintances at ,mentone2 amongst the rest1 with a gentleman well known in the political and religious world and closely connected with ,lord ,palmerston4 ,he gave me much information as to what he apprehended was the state of thought and feeling amongst the upper class in reference to ,christianity4 ,there seemed to be a large amount of light-hearted1 thoughtless scepticism on the part of young people2 girls catching from their brothers doubts as to ,god and ,christ and eternity--doubts circulated in conversation and in periodicals4 ,the facts indicated did not strike me as deep and earnest1 but as froth on the surface of common talk2 not1 however1 to be passed over as a trifling phenomenon1 for if those who occupy superior stations in the world have their faith shaken as to natural and revealed religion1 it forebodes mischief to wider circles round them4 ,my informant was inclined to believe that outspoken doubt and disbelief was less to be dreaded than concealed enmity4 ,moreover1 that whilst there was much to excite concern in literature and social intercourse of the present day1 there was also an increase in the higher as well as lower walks of thorough-going ,christian experience and practice4 ,in my own limited acquaintance ,i have been cheered to find instances of what appeared genuine piety where ,i little expected them2 works of benevolence going on nowadays amongst all classes are surely tokens for good1 which ought to fill us with thankfulness4 ,we are all tempted to confine ourselves to one side of the world and ,church picture before us2 but we shall not get at the whole truth by shutting one eye and keeping the other wide open4 ,leaving ,cannes1 we travelled by the ,cornice ,railway to ,genoa1 and there renewed acquaintance with churches1 palaces1 and picture galleries1 seen years before4 ,then tarrying at ,spezzia1 we saw some new specimens of ,italian scenery and life4 ,pisa and ,florence were again visited1 cities in which ,i loved to linger2 and at the end of about ten days we reached ,rome4 ,i had an introduction to ,cardinal ,howard1 who sent me an invitation to visit him4 ,i was met by a ,monseignor friend of his1 with whom ,i had a good deal of conversation4 ,we discussed several topics1 and then touched upon the relations in which ,catholics and ,protestants stood to one another4 ,he considered there was improvement in this respect1 more social intercourse existing between them than was once the case4 ,pio ,nono had a ,jewish friend1 who became a convert4 ,seeing him one day depressed1 8the holy father10 as this ,monseignor called him1 asked what was the cause4 8,i have just lost my father1 who died a ,jew1 and ,i am greatly concerned about the state of his soul40 8,but was he a good ,jew1 devout and acting up to the light he had80 8,yes10 was the reply4 ,then came the ,pope's rejoinder1 8,i will pray for him2 and do you pray for him1 and ,i doubt not that ,god will have mercy on him40 ,these were his words as well as ,i can remember4 ,the drift of the story and its application were intended to show that the deceased pontiff did not despair of a ,jew's salvation4 ,he did not look upon those outside the ,roman pale as beyond the reach of ,god's mercy1 though needing purification in a future state4 ,whilst we were talking the ,cardinal came in4 ,the reception he gave me was singularly cordial1 and we had a good deal of friendly chat relative to the ,stanley family4 ,the favours ,i asked he granted at once2 one was a special introduction to the chief librarian at the ,vatican1 and the seeing more of its treasures than ,i had done when ,i visited the library many years before4 ,he took me into his library1 well furnished with books1 in handsome bindings1 and we had some talk about ,thomas ,aquinas1 in whose writings ,i took an interest4 ,he recommended to me some little books of analysis and comment4 ,he also procured a papal permission for my daughter to see ,st4 ,peter's ,crypt1 which is closed to ladies generally1 on all days of the year except one4 ,the ,cardinal arranged with one of the ,vatican librarians that ,i should have special facilities for seeing historical documents2 and afterwards1 on my reaching the ,vatican by appointment1 ,i was received by an officer1 who accompanied me into one of the magnificent galleries1 which ,i had seen years before1 to find then all book-cases closed4 ,now some of them were opened1 and ,i was permitted to take down any volumes ,i liked2 and ,i at once luxuriated in the inspection of charming ,aldine editions of patristic and other authors--the paper as white1 and the printing as fresh1 as when they were produced four centuries ago4 ,i was surprised to find that provision was made for the use of printed books1 and certain ,,mss41 by readers1 admitted after the fashion in our ,british ,museum4 ,there are catalogues1 giving titles and press-marks2 and1 by writing for what you want upon slips of paper1 and handing them to an attendant1 as in the ,british ,museum1 you attain the volumes desired1 which you can use at desks provided for the purpose4 ,a catalogue of much greater compass than exists at present1 ,i was informed1 is in progress2 but the ,cardinal told me1 it might be a long time before it was finished1 adding1 that ,rome is the ,eternal ,city in more senses than one4 ,he encouraged me to believe that even the archives of the ,holy ,see might be accessible2 but1 far short of that1 ,,mss4 which ,i wrote for1 and examined1 were sufficient to convince me that there is abundant materials for extensive research1 beyond what was formerly possible4 ,besides1 in the vast ,library of the ,dominicans--who once had their monastery at ,sopra ,minerva--a library which is now open to the public1 under certain regulations1 there are the archives of the ,roman ,inquisition2 the historical use which now can be made of them1 appears in many numbers of ,la ,rivista ,christiana1 in which ,i found many valuable extracts4 ,much interesting information respecting early ,italian confessors may be found in those ,inquisitionary records4 ,i saw several ,protestant brethren in ,rome2 and1 besides preaching in the ,presbyterian ,church twice1 was invited to address a large meeting of ,italians1 through the medium of the ,rev4 ,mr4 ,piggott1 who was my kind interpreter4 ,i took occasion to lament that ,italian ,protestants1 whilst not by any means numerous1 were broken up into so many parties2 said that it would be far better if they would work together2 and if that were impossible1 it was at least desirable and easy1 not to interfere with each other's proceedings1 by opposition or uncivil criticism4 ,judging from a response on the part of an ,italian1 ,i was glad to find my remarks were not deemed offensive2 but ,i am afraid they did no real good4 ,whilst in ,rome at this time ,i tried to turn my visit to some account by restudying its ,christian antiquities4 ,christian art in its early state is a subject illustrated by the ,catacombs4 ,the rude paintings and sculptures familiar to every ,roman visitor1 familiar by means of books to thousands who have never seen the originals1 are historical and symbolic4 ,noah and the ,ark1 ,abraham offering up ,isaac1 ,moses receiving the law1 ,jonah and the whale1 ,daniel and the lions1 the three ,hebrews in the furnace--these have a ,christian meaning1 and point typically to truths respecting ,christ's redemption4 ,subterranean ,rome1 it has been well said by a ,french author1 is 8a living book1 palpable1 everlasting10 and there are written on its pages1 in hieroglyphic ways1 truths which are held by all true ,christians1 whether ,protestant or ,catholic4 ,the ,agape or love-feast1 a ship emblematic of the ,church1 the cross1 the fish1 the dove1 and other well-known signs of ,christ and ,his salvation1 occur over and over again4 ,also there are historical pictures of the ,nativity1 and of ,peter denying his ,master4 ,portraits also are found of ,christ1 of ,peter1 of ,paul4 ,the ,virgin ,mary is seen by the side of her husband1 whilst the ,holy ,child1 like an ,italian bambino1 lies in ,his cradle1 an ox licking ,his feet2 close by1 the ,magi are watching stars in the east4 ,no picture or image of the ,virgin1 in solitary magnificence1 at all resembling the ,madonnas of a later period1 so far as ,i can make out1 has been discovered in the ,catacombs4 ,the contrast between the early attempts and the later achievements of ,roman ,christian art in doctrinal significance1 as well as in imaginative conception and technical skill1 is obvious and striking4 ,to pass from the former to the latter requires an immense stride2 to go from examining early representations of gospel facts and principles1 to look round churches and galleries rich in the works of modern ,catholic artists1 is to exchange worlds4 ,the difference in religious meaning is as great as the difference in artistic merit4 ,during this visit to ,rome some remarkable religious meetings were conducted by ,dr4 ,a4 ,n4 ,somerville1 of ,glasgow1 who in other parts of ,italy the same spring1 held revivalistic ,protestant services4 ,those at ,rome occurred on a spot1 to reach which many citizens had to cross a bridge with a toll bar on it4 ,notwithstanding1 on the evening when we attended1 ,i should think about eight hundred people were present4 ,the preacher could not speak ,italian1 and what he said was translated into that language1 by a native ,protestant4 ,everything was skilfully managed1 and the effect appeared on the whole1 solemn and impressive4 ,congregations after the same methods had been previously gathered in ,florence1 where the addresses1 according to report1 had produced considerable impression4 ,sankey's hymns1 translated into ,italian1 were sung at ,rome1 with ,sankey's tunes2 how far solid evangelical results followed ,i could not ascertain4 ,we made1 at this time1 two excursions which ,i must notice4 ,one was very short3 only as far as ,ostia1 where there are still some ,roman remains4 ,the present town is not worth notice1 but the ancient city1 ,hare says in his 8,days near ,rome10 is like ,pompeii4 ,i cannot quite agree with him4 ,the deep ruts of ,roman chariot wheels2 fragments here and there of ,roman pottery1 human bones1 coloured marbles1 and a few architectural relics1 are of interest2 but what attracted me to the spot was the memory of ,augustine1 who1 in his 8,confessions10 paints such a touching picture of his mother ,monica's illness and death4 ,thoughts of that interview1 as related by the converted son1 were the only charm of our visit1 and the hour or two we were compelled to spend in the place1 for the refreshment of our coachman and his horse1 were most dreary4 ,the long1 long gossip going on between a priest and the mistress of the little farm1 betokened the intense idleness and vulgarity of both1--typical1 ,i fear1 of the whole neighbourhood4 ,another expedition we made was of a very different kind4 ,we engaged a carriage to the charming haunts of ,tivoli1 where picturesque objects in the town and its vicinity1 and the stupendous waterfall with manifold associations1 clustering round the immediate neighbourhood1 created memorable delight4 ,next day we drove to ,subiaco1 along an interesting road rich in memories of old ,roman rural life4 ,my daughter wrote in her journal3-- 8,it was a glorious morning1 the sun was shining brightly1 and in the cool spring air1 our three pretty little black horses dashed along the road at a good pace1 so that we soon found ourselves winding in and out amongst the ,sabine ,hills4 ,we climbed up a steep ascent1 only to go dashing down on the other side4 ,the retreating hills1 rising here and there to a great height1 were clothed with trees1 some of a sombre colour1 some fresh with the bright hue of early spring1 with here and there a cluster of silver olives1 making a delightful variety of colour2 whilst1 at our feet1 the roadside was beautiful with anemones1 cyclamen1 honeysuckle1 and saxifrage2 and1 lower still1 ran the refreshing river ,arno40 ,not far from ,subiaco there is a deep gorge with sloping sides of rock and foliage1 reaching down to the river ,arno1 bordered by chestnut trees1 amidst which1 here and there1 rises a tall cypress4 ,the brow of the hill on the side nearest ,subiaco1 is crowned by a far-famed monastery in which1 very different from what it is now1 the great ,st4 ,benedict1 founder of a monastery which bears his name1 spent his early days and prepared for his great life work1 which began at ,monte ,cassino1 on the road from ,rome to ,naples4 ,we left ,subiaco for ,olevano1 and were benighted on our way1 as the horses toiled up hill after hill4 ,we reached ,olevano late at night1 and caused quite a commotion in the narrow street1 by our inquiries after the hotel1 where we were to pass the night1 and which1 ignorantly1 we had passed by1 at the hill-top which overlooks the town4 ,there1 to our delight1 we met with a most enjoyable reception1 as the house is a favourite resort for artists2 and though we blundered into a room1 already occupied by guests1 we were permitted to remain1 and listen to charming stories of the place and its surroundings4 ,after tarrying a few hours next morning1 we had to hasten our departure1 that we might catch a train on the railway from ,naples to ,rome4 ,after leaving ,rome on our way to ,england1 we halted some days at ,venice1 and revived old recollections4 ,i went over points of interest in a visit years before1 and new pictorial and architectural pleasures were enjoyed4 ,we proceeded to ,bologna1 and crossed the beautiful ,lago di ,garda1 spent a day or two at ,trent1 where special services were being held for young people1 and hosts of 8shining ones0 in white1 crowded the churches4 ,in #ahha ,i visited ,italy again1 especially for the purpose of carrying on researches commenced just before4 ,the journey was rapid4 ,reaching ,turin1 accompanied by my dear daughter1 ,i began my work by searching out localities which ,i could easily identify4 ,in other places ,i picked up illustrations ,i desired2 for1 when the mind is bent on a particular inquiry1 it is wonderful how it draws cognate matters to itself4 ,we made an excursion to ,pavia1 and1 on the way1 stopped at the beautiful monastery of ,certosa4 ,pavia1 situated on the river ,ticino1 with a covered bridge1 is interesting1 from its antiquities and history4 ,the churches are specimens of ,lombardic architecture1 and in the ,duomo one was startled to find the tomb of ,augustine1 ,bishop of ,hippo1 whose remains were transferred from ,africa to this city4 ,they were there at the time of our visit1 his monument being full of magnificence and beauty1 in general form and particular details4 ,since ,i was at ,pavia1 the body has been restored to its original resting-place4 ,pavia connects itself with the philosopher1 ,boetius1 by a popular tradition that he was imprisoned in a tower belonging to the city4 ,piacenza and ,bologna during this journey afforded gleanings which helped me to realise important events occurring there at the time of the ,reformation2 but it was in ,florence that ,i did most work1 and spent more than a week from day to day tracking ,savonarola's footsteps through the streets1 from ,san ,marco to the ,palazzo ,vecchio1 and back again1 not forgetting his visit to ,lorenzo di ,medici at his villa in ,careggi1 with views of rich woodlands and grassy fields4 ,but my chief employment was in the public library1 searching out and deciphering original documents1 connected with his trial4 ,according to one account ,savonarola underwent an examination1 first by words1 then by threats1 then by torture2 and on the second day of his imprisonment was put on the rack4 ,the account of the trial which ,i gathered from original sources1 was in harmony with that of ,villari in his life of the martyr4 ,there are two letters appended1 one addressed to the ,pope respecting la vita buono of the sufferer1 and another by a large number of ,florentine citizens4 ,i was especially interested in ,savonarola's ,bible1 which he used to carry under his arm4 ,it is entitled 8,biblia integra10 the type beautifully clear1 the date #adia4 ,it contains some of his prophecies in ,,ms4 ,signor ,guicciardini has contributed a large collection of ,savonarola's works to this ,magliabecchian ,library1 as it is called1 and the catalogue of them runs over sixty pages4 ,after leaving ,florence1 we visited the ,waldensian valleys1 of which ,i have given some account in my 8,footprints of ,italian ,reformers10 and ,i may here add1 that ,i agree fully with ,professor ,comba in his opinion1 that the ,waldenses1 properly speaking1 do not appear in history earlier than the twelfth century1 and then they are seen scattered over the ,south of ,france at ,metz1 and in the ,netherlands--their origin being ascribed by their enemies to ,peter ,waldo of ,lyons1 who does not appear to have visited the valleys4 ,i found the good people in the valleys opposed to the results of ,professor ,comba's researches4 ,an intelligent daughter of a ,waldensian minister said1 8,we do not believe in them at all here40 ,after studying the subject1 let me add1 ,i do4 ,in #ahha my dear friend ,dr4 ,stanley died1 after so short an illness that ,i had no opportunity of seeing him in his last hours4 ,his funeral was an event of national interest4 ,he had much of the mind which distinguished 8that disciple whom ,jesus loved40 ,his singular sweetness of disposition was partly natural1 for he was a gentle1 quiet boy1 winning many hearts2 but it was gracious and spiritual also1 a result of sincere discipleship to the ,divine ,master4 ,i often felt surprised at his extraordinary amount of forbearance under most unjust and cruel attacks4 ,i once alluded to the need of patience amidst such trials1 instancing ,archbishop ,tillotson1 who left behind him a bundle of scurrilous letters1 labelled with the words1 8,may ,god forgive the writers as ,i do40 ,i learned from my friend that once he was accused of infidelity by an anonymous correspondent2 and on another occasion1 after the figures of ,moses1 ,david1 ,paul1 and ,peter had been placed in the choir of the ,abbey1 he received a note beginning with a charge of idolatry4 ,our ,broad ,church ,dean1 and the prelate of the ,revolution were ecclesiastically and socially much alike4 ,as to theology the former told me there is much in the teaching of ,scripture which transcends human conception1 much which1 running along lines of mystery1 he felt himself unable to follow2 but1 at the same time1 he would remark1 there is much more that is plain1 which 8a wayfaring man1 though a fool10 may receive and 8not err therein40 ,to these plain things1 he said1 he desired to cleave2 these plain things he endeavoured to preach4 ,the main difference between others and himself was that certain ,evangelical principles were plainer to them than to him4 ,his interest in ,bible study was intense1 especially with regard to historical and biographical subjects2 and it was well said1 that whilst some critics seemed to delight in destroying certain parts1 his delight was to build them up into a grand whole4 ,his habit was to maintain truth1 so far as he saw it1 rather than to attack and overthrow error2 and his gift of felicitously adapting events and passages of ,holy ,writ to passing incidents and characters1 was truly wonderful2 especially when an opportunity occurred for weaving sacred associations round the walls of his beloved ,abbey4 ,nor did he fail to turn his skill in this respect to admirable account1 when preaching in ,america4 ,dr4 ,stanley's amiableness never betrayed a suspicion of weakness in his character4 ,indeed he had a side almost stern in some of its appearances2 and he fought against what he deemed evil1 with great vehemence2 and stood up very boldly1 ,i know1 against unprincipled people1 declaring that he would not meet them1 except in the presence of witnesses4 ,to see him at his best was to be with him alone1 when he gave full sway to his thoughts and feelings1 expressing them with greater freedom than ,i ever heard him do in company4 ,the most enjoyable time was late in the evening1 after guests had retired2 especially when he conducted me to my bedroom1 candlestick in hand1 and tarried for a good while chatting about subjects and persons of interest to us both4 ,not long before his death1 ,i spent a night at ,westminster1 when we talked about ,oliver ,cromwell4 ,with much pathos he read aloud ,carlyle's description of the ,lord ,protector's last hours2 and1 some time before this1 he told me that he had been engaged in endeavouring to ascertain what became of the hero's remains after indignities done to them at the ,restoration4 ,soon after the ,dean's death1 ,i received from ,mrs4 ,drummond1 his executrix1 a note accompanied by the picture it referred to4 8,in a memorandum left by our dear ,dean1 he desired a photograph of him1 which used to stand in the drawing-room1 should be sent to you1 in remembrance of a sincere friendship40 ,with regard to the composition of historical works he was in the habit of employing such information as he could gather from friends4 ,oxford men have told me1 that he used to lay under contribution whatever he could learn from other people's researches4 ,for these1 however1 he was always ready to make ample returns4 ,dr4 ,stanley told me that he was in the habit of looking at some historical characters through the medium of living people1 who appeared to him1 in one way or other1 to resemble them4 ,excellencies and frailties on the part of deceased individuals1 thus came out more vividly before him4 ,it struck me as a considerable help to a realisation of what departed persons might be2 but it requires to be carefully employed1 lest from resemblances which are real1 we infer other things which are imaginary4 ,his taste was comprehensive4 ,he loved everything which related to ,english history1 especially where it touched his own dear ,abbey4 ,conformity and ,nonconformity he sometimes sought to harmonise in surprising ways4 ,i may add here that there was in the ,abbey a monument to ,dr4 ,watts in a dilapidated condition1 when ,i suggested a plan for its restoration4 ,the plan was adopted1 and in consequence the monument was for a time removed4 ,during its absence ,i received a note containing a playful allusion to the circumstance3-- 8,if some strong ,nonconformist should wander through the ,abbey this week1 he may go away with the impression that in a fit of sudden intolerance the ,dean had torn down the monument of ,isaac ,watts4 ,i assure you that the gaping and vacant chasm in the wall might well suggest such an interpretation4 ,i hope1 however1 in a few days the restored angel and the mended harp of your sweet psalmist will dispel any hopes that may be awakened in ,high ,churchmen or suspicions in ,nonconformists40 ,i was informed not long after the ,dean's death1 that a gentleman in ,kent had in his possession what was said to be ,oliver ,cromwell's skull4 ,a friend of mine procured from that gentleman an invitation to see the relic4 ,a large1 handsome box was placed on a table1 and out of it was taken1 wrapped up in silk1 a man's skull4 ,the lower part of the face was gone1 leaving the upper jawbone entire1 or nearly so2 and within the mouth we saw the shrivelled remains of a tongue1 while some of the skin on the upper part of the face was still preserved4 ,what astonished me was the quantity of hair adhering to the scalp2 and also the following circumstances pertaining to the relic4 ,the inside1 carefully examined by a medical companion1 plainly appeared to have been embalmed2 signs of this were attached to the surface4 ,moreover1 part of a spike penetrated the upper bone1 showing that once the skull must have been exposed in a way common enough1 when men1 put to death for political crimes1 had their heads set up in conspicuous places4 ,finally the head had been severed from the body1 not by a sharp axe1 but by a knife which had hacked and torn the skin4 ,these peculiarities pointed to one who1 having received honourable burial1 was afterwards beheaded with a blunt instrument1 and then treated as a traitor1 by having his head exhibited like those fixed on the top of ,temple ,bar4 ,these peculiarities pertained to ,oliver ,cromwell2 and to no one else4 ,documents are preserved together with the relic4 ,they state that the relic remained publicly exposed for a long time1 till one night a gale of wind blew it down2 that a soldier on sentry picked it up and took it home1 and then became alarmed at finding there was search made after it by public authorities4 ,he concealed it down to the time of his death2 and when danger was over1 the secret was divulged4 ,the skull was afterwards exhibited as a source of profit1 and an account of the exhibition appears among papers preserved in the box4 ,after being withdrawn from public view1 it was privately sold to an ancestor of the gentleman possessing it at the time of my visit4 ,there is a story afloat1 that ,cromwell was not buried in ,westminster1 another corpse being substituted for public interment1 and1 therefore1 that the body hanged at ,tyburn was not his6 ,this story is not to be trusted4 ,in the ,august following ,dean ,stanley's death1 ,i made1 with my friend ,harrison and some of my family1 a tour in ,germany4 ,we were delighted with the ,bavarian ,highlands and the ,bader ,see4 ,we visited ,oberammergau1 and heard much about the ,passion ,play1 and were conducted to the place of performance1 by persons who had taken part in it4 ,they gave us interesting information4 ,the priest of the place is no bigot4 ,he insisted that a ,protestant1 who had died in the village1 should be interred in consecrated ground1 for which1 we are told1 he received a rebuke from ,rome4 ,the drive we had from ,partenkirchen to ,mittenwald called forth exclamations of great delight4 ,in the following winter ,i mixed with members of various denominations1 some widely separated from others4 ,this led me to think a good deal about consistency4 ,i noted down at the time considerations of this kind4 ,everybody admits the palpable truism1 8,truth is true1 and falsehood is false10 and some deduce from that the corollary3 8,then stick to the true1 and eschew the false altogether4 ,countenance what you believe1 by consorting exclusively with such as believe as you do40 ,but1 it must be remembered1 systems are complex1 and cannot be fairly dealt with in the fashion recommended by some4 ,in many cases1 what is condemned as a whole1 contains seeds of another sort4 ,there are estimable people who are not accustomed to analyse what they condemn1 and cannot see what of truth may be found in the midst of error4 ,to look alone at one side of a system1 which1 after all1 has much of truth1 may involve us in error4 ,thinking of ,divine sovereignty1 if not connected with human responsibility1 may land us in ,antinomianism2 to dwell upon responsibility by itself1 may make us ,pelagians4 ,in the summer of #ahhb1 ,i went down to ,rodborough1 in ,gloucestershire1 to visit my friend1 ,sir ,s4 ,marling1 just made baronet1 and to preach1 ,i think1 for the seventh time1 on behalf of the ,sunday ,schools4 ,the ,countess of ,huntingdon1 ,george ,whitefield1 and ,rowland ,hill had all been in some way connected with the chapel4 ,on the occasion now mentioned1 there was a large gathering of day and ,sunday scholars1 a picture worthy of ,wilkie's pencil4 ,sir ,samuel and his lady were encircled by guests old and young1 receiving from them demonstrations of affection in loud huzzas4 ,soon after my return from ,italy ,i attended meetings connected with ,wesleyan ,methodism1 when my friend ,mr4 ,mc,arthur1 7afterwards knighted71 was ,lord ,mayor of ,london4 ,he invited me at different times to meet a large number of ministers of his own and other communions1 and at such times he manifested the catholic spirit by which he was eminently distinguished4 ,i think it was once in his mayoralty that the archbishops and bishops dined at the ,mansion ,house table1 when toasts were proposed1 to which the ,archbishop of ,canterbury had to respond4 ,afterwards ,nonconformists were honoured in the common way1 and it fell to my lot to reply in a few words4 ,the ,archbishop had1 in a good-natured style1 referred to the cares and troubles of his right reverend brethren1 and himself4 ,alluding to what he had said1 ,i ventured to remark ,i was quite content with my humbler position1 and had no aspirations after a seat on the ,episcopal ,bench4 ,further1 ,i pleaded1 as ,i always do1 for catholic union1 and remarked that ,i strove to be a ,christian first2 next1 a patriotic religious ,englishman2 and thirdly1 a devout ,dissenter1 adding that ,i should be ashamed of my ,nonconformity1 if that were so obstreperous1 as to quarrel with the subordinate place ,i assigned to it4 ,at the close of the year #ahhb ,dr4 ,tait1 ,archbishop of ,canterbury1 died4 ,with him ,i had the pleasure of being acquainted soon after his appointment to the ,see of ,london4 ,our relations afterwards were very friendly4 ,i was kindly invited to share in the pleasure of his ,lambeth hospitality2 and at a time of deep domestic sorrow he was one of the very first to express affectionate sympathy in a letter of condolence4 ,i found him always very kind1 and he impressed me with the conviction that in his judgment of ,conformity and ,nonconformity1 and of the relative duties of ,churchmen and ,dissenters1 he took much more sensible views than most of his brethren4 ,he did not seem to anticipate1 as at all probable1 the comprehension of all1 or most1 ,english ,christians within the pale of one community2 since each denomination has its principles1 its traditions1 and its trust property1 and is not likely to merge its peculiarities in the adoption of others4 ,a wise1 liberal1 ,christian modus vivendi was the object of his desire4 ,i attended his funeral1 and met in his residence at ,addiscombe1 a large number of clergymen1 and men of different opinions1 drawn together by a common regard for his eminent moral and religious worth4 ,the trees were bare1 the ground was covered with snow1 and the long procession walked through the park1 the winter sun brightening the scene4 ,the whole struck me as very solemn1 and in harmony with the occasion that had brought us together4 ,my journeys abroad were approaching an end when in #ahhb my daughter and ,i spent a few weeks in ,switzerland1 on the shores of the ,genevan lake1 and in its neighbourhood4 ,one memorable expedition we made was to ,grenoble and the ,grande ,chartreuse4 ,the monastery was difficult of access early in this century1 but now there are well-appointed vehicles for conveying tourists from the railway to the gates of this romantic retreat4 ,the ascent as far as ,laurent du ,pont is up a road lined with acacias1 bordering barley fields1 commanding glimpses of a magnificent valley1 with bosky dells1 cut in twain by the river ,isere4 ,the gorge to the right increases in grandeur as one ascends4 ,purple rocks rise from depths of massy verdure1 sublimity succeeds beauty1 and1 after reaching a broad mountain-girdled plain1 one arrives at a halting place called ,laurent du ,pont4 ,thence the road becomes more steep1 winding along ledges of rock1 whence1 through openings1 one looks down on pine woods1 and sees the stream fighting its way1 like our contested passage through this troublesome world4 ,we reached a thick forest at the top of the pass1 and came to the monastery--a pile1 of buildings sheltered on green uplands4 ,there were before us long walls1 square towers1 and steep roofs1 dappled with dormer windows2 here and there was a slender spire4 ,the buildings stand #dbfh feet above the level of the sea1 and one of the corridors is #ffj feet long4 ,the original foundation dates far back2 but little of what one now sees is older than the seventeenth century4 ,the founder was the famous ,bruno1 who1 with six companions1 retreated to this spot so secluded and desolate4 ,chartre signifies a prison1 but it also expresses what we mean by the word charter4 ,the buildings have been seven times destroyed1 but in the seventeenth century the convent reached its meridian glory4 ,no sooner had we entered the penetralia of the building1 than we saw notices requesting visitors not to smoke1 nor loiter1 nor speak loudly2 and in the distance were monks with white cloaks and cowls1 gliding about like ghosts from the other world4 ,pictures of ,carthusian convents were hanging on the corridor walls2 and the ,chapter ,house exhibited badly painted portraits of past generals4 ,following our guide1 we entered a vaulted cloister1 with windows on one side and doors on the other1 bearing texts of ,scripture1 such as 8,narrow is the way which leadeth unto life10 and 8,whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath cannot be ,my disciple40 ,stations of the ,cross are hung upon the walls2 through a window are caught glimpses of a green garden1 bright and cheery amidst sombre appearances all round4 ,the dormitories have each a cupboard-like bed1 a little reading desk1 a stove1 directions for novices1 a statuette of the ,virgin1 and a crucifix4 ,there are workshops fitted up with lathes1 and a small chapel with an altar cloth1 covered with skulls and cross-bones4 ,inscriptions such as 8,vanity of vanities1 all is vanity10 expressed the characteristic feeling of the inmates4 ,the library is handsome1 well fitted up1 with beautifully bound books4 ,visitors are not admitted to the monastic chapel2 but from a tribune they are permitted to look down on the ante-chapel1 and witness matins at the appointed hour4 ,the brotherhood are remarkable for industry1 being graziers of cattle1 and manufacturers of liqueurs4 ,the clock struck six just after we left the monastery1 and a calm summer evening shone on the old walls1 the green pastures1 and the climbing woods4 ,the pass1 as we descended1 struck us as almost equal to the ,via ,mala in grandeur1 united with beauties which the other scene can scarcely boast4 ,road-making1 tree-felling1 saw-mills1 iron works1 distilleries1 cement manufactories1 told of widespread industry4 ,the old monastery lay behind2 modern enterprise stood out before4 ,we were rapidly driven through ,laurent du ,pont1 as the star-studded sky1 streaked by the ,milky ,way1 overarched the region4 ,we noticed glow-worms in the hedges1 brought out by advancing night1 and presently the wide vale at the foot of the descending road seemed dusted with bright-looking objects like glow-worms2 but they turned out to be the lamps of ,voirons1 where we took the train for ,grenoble1 and finished a day of remarkable interest4 ,,chapter ,,xiv #ahhc-ahhe ,,at this period ,i was engaged in the preparation of 8,the ,spanish ,reformers10 and to give vividness to the work1 with regard to local scenery and circumstances1 ,i resolved in ,march #ahhc to visit the ,peninsula1 where ,i might gather what was possible for the accomplishment of my purpose4 ,my daughter was my companion1 and had been studying ,spanish to render me assistance4 ,we travelled through ,france on our way to the north-east of ,spain4 ,we halted at ,lyons3 in the neighbourhood of it persecution occurred in the second century2 but unlike what obtained in ,spain three hundred years ago1 it was not the persecution of one class of ,christians by another1 but the persecution of the ,church by a heathen world4 ,we find embedded in the ,ecclesiastical ,history by ,eusebius a document giving an account of sufferings by believers at that time who were in the neighbourhood of ,lyons4 ,vienne1 with its glass houses and metal foundries1 coalpits and smoke1 is now passed by travellers1 without any interest2 but in the second century it took precedence of ,lyons1 and had a flourishing ,church1 a member of which--,blandina1 a maiden slave--suffered death as the penalty of her faith4 #cae ,we tarried a night at ,lyons1 drove round the city1 saw the cathedral and other buildings1 and ascended a hill on which stands the church of ,notre ,dame de ,fourvires1 covered and crowded with ex-votive offerings1 in return for miraculous cures by the ,virgin4 ,from the elevation views are caught of extensive scenery4 ,thence we proceeded to ,arles1 rich in ,roman remains1 including a magnificent amphitheatre4 ,the cathedral of ,st4 ,trophimus said to have been one of ,st4 ,paul's disciples1 is an interesting specimen of twelfth or thirteenth century architecture4 ,thence we proceeded to ,narbonne1 a quaint old town1 of importance in ,roman times1 with ramparts still of some interest1 and quaint streets1 through which we had an evening's ramble4 ,the cathedral of ,st4 ,just is an unfinished edifice of the thirteenth century1 with some good tracery in the windows4 ,the city is distant from the sea only about eight miles4 ,thence we proceeded to ,perpignan1 and1 entering ,spain1 reached our destination at ,figueras1 where we were kindly welcomed by our friends1 #caf who are engaged in evangelistic work amongst ,roman ,catholic ,spaniards4 ,figueras is a considerable town1 which greatly interested us4 ,it was the day before ,good ,friday that we arrived1 and we were much amused by a number of boys with wooden mallets vehemently beating the pavement1 which was explained to us as a custom indicative of hatred to the ,jews for having crucified our ,lord2 what the ,jews had to do with ,figueras ,i could not make out4 ,in the evening there was a procession through the streets of a truly magnificent description4 ,it consisted of the gentry in the town1 attired in antique ,spanish costumes1 and presented an imposing spectacle4 ,ladies personated the ,virgin ,mary and other ,scripture characters1 and numerous candles carried by attendants made a splendid illumination4 ,on the following day1 ,good ,friday1 we had a drive into the country1 where we saw and heard of what went on in the way of missionary work conducted by our zealous friends4 ,in the evening we visited a neighbouring church which was illuminated1 and crowded with people engaged in religious service4 ,after this1 we saw in the streets a long procession1 including penitents1 who were fettered with chains4 ,from ,figueras we travelled to ,barcelona1 a city rich in commercial enterprise and wealth1 the streets crowded with people and enlivened by carriages of grandees and wealthy merchants1 as well as by vehicles employed in humble traffic4 ,the cathedral is a noble edifice1 in which we attended ,divine worship on ,easter ,sunday4 ,a priest with difficulty made his way through a densely-crowded congregation to the altar steps1 where he knelt and prayed1 and then mounted a temporary pulpit4 ,as soon as he opened his lips1 all eyes were turned towards him4 ,his voice was marvellous and his attitudes were graceful2 sometimes he was persuasive1 then indignant1 always earnest2 women wept1 tears ran down men's cheeks4 ,the sermon was on our ,lord's resurrection4 ,he insisted on our duty to remember ,christ--8the ,way1 the ,truth1 and the ,life02 and he showed the effect of this on the hearts and lives of believers4 ,he dwelt on the duty of repentance1 and urged people to come to ,christ4 ,in a touching manner he referred to his own experience1 and exhorted the congregation to believe1 pray1 and obey the ,gospel2 saying over and over again1 8,haber f1 f1 f0--8,have faith1 faith1 faith40 ,i met with signs of ,protestant work going on in ,barcelona1 and a gentleman residing there at the time1 told me of what the ,british and ,foreign ,bible ,society was doing in ,spain4 ,he gave it1 as his opinion1 that it exceeded other instrumentalities in the efficiency of its service4 ,i find it stated by a ,spanish author1 that ,barcelona abounds in mendicancy1 and ,i have1 as ,i write1 a woodcut before me representing a pitiable crowd of beggars at one of the cathedral doors4 #cah ,next to ,barcelona1 we visited ,tarragona1 travelling there by rail4 ,tarragona is situated on an eminence commanding a fine view of the ,mediterranean1 and ,i was much interested in the architecture of the cathedral1 a building of the eleventh century1 fully described by ,street in his work on 8,the ,gothic ,architecture of ,spain40 ,whilst tarrying at ,tarragona1 ,i made an excursion to ,poblet1 rarely visited by ,english1 though frequented by ,french and ,german travellers4 ,this place is distinguished by monastic remains of extraordinary magnificence4 ,you wander amongst courts1 cloisters1 and dormitories1 through stately halls1 which once boasted of a magnificent library rich in ,,mss42 through a palace appropriated for the use of royal and noble visitants2 and through a stately church with a nave of seven bays4 ,the architectural grandeur of the whole is amazing2 ,i was surprised to learn that it is so rarely seen by our countrymen4 ,kings and nobles were brought there for interment1 and in that respect it vies with our ,westminster ,abbey4 ,at ,poblet shattered tombs may still be seen2 and few1 if any1 but ,spaniards of purest blood1 were permitted to sleep within the monastic walls4 ,a marble slab may be seen covering the remains of an ,englishman1 described in the ,spanish guide book as 8,felipe de1 ,marquse de ,malbursi y de ,cacharloch10 etc4 ,wharton was the ,english name of this well-known personage1 who was made ,knight of the ,garter by ,james ,,ii4 ,he had become a ,roman ,catholic1 but his father was a distinguished ,english ,nonconformist4 ,our next destination was ,valencia1 to which city we travelled by rail1 enchanted as we approached it1 by beautiful scenery which one does not find abundant in ,spain4 ,augustus ,hare breaks out rather rapturously respecting his approach3 8,day broke in time to show us the first vision of tall palms1 with their feathery foliage1 rising black against one of ,tennyson's #8daffodil skies1' which above1 still deep blue1 was filled with stars40 ,the groves and gardens appeared to me very beautiful2 and the soil is so fertile1 that lucerne is sown fifteen times in the course of a year4 ,valencia has battlemented walls2 and its arched gate1 the ,puerta de ,sarranos1 reminds one of old ,english barbicans4 ,it is an ,oriental kind of place1 and has charmingly arched entrances for light--agimes1--i4e41 openings by which the sun enters4 ,the city is full of memories1 connected with the ,cid1 which ,i have not space to introduce2 but ,i may mention that precursors of the ,reformation entered the city in #acej1--under the name of ,beghards1 who figure rather prominently in the religious history of that period4 ,the ,cathedral of ,valencia is a noble edifice1 and has one magnificent entrance of richly decorated ,gothic4 ,there is1 in the ,colegio del ,patriarca1 a ceremony every week on ,friday1 which attracts a number of people4 ,it consists in letting down an altar piece by concealed machinery2 and then1 by withdrawing a curtain1 there is disclosed a large picture of our ,saviour on the ,cross4 ,those who assemble to witness this ceremony1 are required to appear in mourning4 ,i explored the city from end to end1 and found it by no means so uninteresting as some represent it4 ,we started in the evening for ,cordova1 a long distance2 but as it was accomplished in darkness1 ,i noticed nothing by the way1 except stoppages at stations and a change of trains4 ,we crossed the ,sierra ,morena1 which1 in some places1 at least1 must be very magnificent1 if one may judge from an engraving of tall rocks facing each other1 leaving scarcely room for muleteers to pass between4 ,the approach to ,cordova is inviting1 and the ,moorish city is beheld amidst a fertile region1 across which runs the ,guadalquivir4 ,we had been invited to take up our abode with an exemplary ,scotch missionary in the city4 ,the sojourn was in a quiet street at a comfortable dwelling1 with an open space in the middle of the residence1 planted with shrubs4 ,upon this we looked down from windows in our apartments4 ,one room on the ground floor is sufficiently large to receive a congregation of about fifty people4 ,we were there on a ,sunday and attended worship in the evening4 ,the ,mosque of ,cordova1 now a cathedral1 is one of the most wonderful buildings in the world4 ,the surrounding walls are from thirty to sixty-feet high4 ,the courtyard measures #dcj feet by #baj4 ,once there were nineteen entrance gates1 now there is but one4 ,formerly there were inside the mosque #abjj monolithic columns1 now there are only #hej4 ,what is the coro1 or choir1 of the cathedral1 was erected in the sixteenth century1 after the ,mohammedan mosque had become a ,catholic church4 ,we had pleasant walks and drives in the neighbourhood4 ,the next celebrated place in our route was the far-famed ,granada1 of which expectations were highly raised1 without any disappointment4 ,we wandered about the ,alhambra for several days4 ,the ,hall of the ,lions1 the ,hall of the ,ambassadors1 and the ,hall of the ,abencerrages1--with their arches and columns1 courts and colonnades1 fountains and flowers1--kept us spel-bound day by day4 ,we read ,washington ,irving on the fascinating spots which he describes so vividly4 ,we could but bow to his relentless fidelity1 where he assures us that1 after examining ,arabic authorities and letters1 written by ,boabdil's contemporaries1 he was convinced1 that the whole collection is fictitious with a few grains of truth at the bottom4 ,the fame of the ,alhambra swallows up all which is wonderful in ,granada1 but1 the city retains much besides worthy of a traveller's attention4 ,the prospect you have of the place1 the plain1 and the surrounding hills1 is magnificent2 and the cathedral1 commenced in #aebi1 after the defeat and banishment of the ,moors1 is a building of architectural interest4 ,it contains the ,capella ,real1 with the tomb of ,ferdinand and ,isabella2 also of ,philip the ,handsome1 and his wife ,juana1 8,crazy ,jane10 as she was called1 mother of the famous ,charles ,v4 ,the granddaughter tells us3 8,she committed her soul to ,god and gave thanks to ,him1 that1 at length1 ,he delivered her from all her sorrows40 ,in connection with the cathedral1 we meet with ,fernando de ,talavera1 better known by ,spaniards than by ,englishmen4 ,though he remained a ,roman ,catholic1 he deviated from the common opinions and usages of his age4 ,the ,carthusians have a monastery outside the city1 and on visiting it1 ,i found pictures of ,english priests1 reported to have been martyrs at the period of the ,reformation4 ,no doubt their sufferings are exaggerated on the monastic walls1 but it is a fact1 beyond reasonable doubt1 that there were ,roman ,catholics put to death by ,english ,protestants4 ,we started one morning from ,granada for ,seville1 and1 on crossing the ,vega by the railway1 we saw a good barley crop in the month of ,april4 ,at ,bobadillo1 we got on the ,seville line1 and found the country improve as we came near to the city on the banks of the ,guadalquivir4 ,there1 instead of antique and uncomfortable fondas1 travellers meet with spacious and well-furnished hotels4 ,we tarried several days in the city4 ,the cathedral1 of course1 was the first object of interest2 and1 as soon as possible1 we repaired to it1 and received an overpowering impression1 as we looked above1 beneath1 around4 ,above there is the magnificent roof1 spanning the breadth of the temple2 beneath there lies a large slab covering the remains1 not1 as sometimes supposed1 of ,columbus1 who discovered ,america1 but of ,fernando1 his son4 ,in ,holy ,week an immense ,greek cross1 carved in wood1 is raised over the spot1 and lighted up so as to produce an indescribable effect4 ,the coro1 or choir1 is as grand1 though in another way1 as the nave which leads up to it4 ,in an upper part of the edifice there are preserved ,,mss4 and other memorials of unrivalled ,spanish discoveries1 and they were freely shown to us4 ,we went to the ,museum1 and feasted on ,murillo's pictures4 ,we were also taken by a friend to see another work of the same artist1 since presented1 ,i am told1 to the ,pope4 ,seville was headquarters of the ,protestant cause4 ,the ,reformation did not penetrate much below the hidalgo class4 ,it left the masses almost untouched4 ,in ,seville stood the ,inquisition prison1 till it was removed to a palace in the ,calle san ,mario4 8,here10 says ,mr4 ,wiffen in #ahdb1 8while gazing on the edifice with feelings of awe1 ,i recalled to remembrance those martyrs for the truth1 and1 at the same time1 ,i listened with painful interest to the narration made to me by a ,spanish gentleman1 of an attack on those very premises at a recent period by an infuriated populace1 who suffered but few of the friars confined there for political offences1 to escape with life4 ,the building having taken fire some perished in the flames1 while others fell by the hands of the assassins40 ,the tables were turned just then1 priests were in prison for political crimes1 as heretics had been incarcerated in the sixteenth century4 ,old ,venetian political policy was carried out against ,protestantism1 and the ,inquisition office1 with opened ears1 listened for whisperings of heresy4 ,horrors went on in secret places4 ,i cannot relate them1 but they may be found in what is written by ,limborch and ,llorente4 ,a few miles from ,seville is the monastery of ,san ,isidore--the cradle of the ,spanish ,reformation--and ,i visited the building with deep interest4 ,the chapel remains in tolerable repair1 and is used as a parish church4 ,the chapter-house1 sacristy and cloisters are preserved4 ,ancient pictures hang on the walls1 and old embroidered vestments are shown to visitors4 ,bibles and ,protestant books were of old secretly brought within the walls1 and monks began to read them4 ,i have described ,seville ,cathedral and its treasures at some length in my volume on 8,spanish ,reformers1 their ,memories and ,dwelling ,places40 ,i cannot repeat here what has been said there4 ,but let me say1 the city is full of interest to travellers1 hotels are comfortable1 shops are well stocked with curiosities1 manufactories are hives of industry1 and pictures by great masters are found in churches and private houses4 ,i was enchanted with some of the ,murillos1 and would advise every traveller to visit the ,sala de ,murillo in ,seville4 ,i should have been glad to have prolonged my stay1 and to have revisited spots full of historic interest4 ,but ,i had much before me to see and study in the interior and north of ,spain2 therefore1 though unwillingly1 we took the train one night for ,madrid1 making that a starting point for other explorations4 ,i may mention that during our stay at ,madrid we were entertained in a curious straggling house1 occupied by ,dr4 ,fliedner1 a minister1 who acted as chaplain to the ,german ,embassy4 ,the house1 it is said1 was occupied by the famous ,escovedo1 secretary to the still more famous ,don ,juan of ,austria2 and one night as he was returning home six ruffians waylaid him1 between eight and nine o'clock1 and inflicted on him wounds1 of which he died in half an hour4 ,peres1 a great villain who hated ,don ,juan1 is said to have obtained the sanction of ,philip ,,ii4 for this abominable deed1 prompted by the discovery of an amour between ,escovedo and the ,princess of ,eboli4 ,it is a horrible story of crime and vice1 common in the secret annals of ,spain4 ,in ,madrid ,i had the privilege of using the public library1 and found there a large collection of ,english and ,french1 as well as ,spanish1 literature4 ,i am sorry to say1 that on the shelves1 many volumes in our language appeared1 written by 8advanced thinkers10 tending to the diffusion of anti-,christian principles4 ,and1 in the windows of booksellers ,i noticed works for sale of the same description4 ,the ,bible ,society ,i found at work within limits marked by law1 and ,i attended one evening a ,spanish congregation gathered by ,protestant agency1 and had the privilege of addressing those present1 through the medium of an interpreter4 ,i met with specimens of ,spanish superstition which were very degrading4 ,in one case ,i saw papers1 with a figure of the ,virgin's shoe printed upon them1 sold to ignorant people as a sacred charm4 ,the ,plaza at ,madrid is a magnificent square1 encompassed by a line of handsome buildings with a garden1 fountains1 and an equestrian statue of ,philip ,,iii4 in the middle4 ,here some of the autos were held in the seventeenth century1 and in #ahfi excavations were made1 where incontestable proofs of burnings appeared in bones1 charred wood1 chain links1 nails and rivets discovered in the soil4 ,dr4 ,manning1 in his 8,spanish ,pictures10 wrote soon after the discovery3 8,i visited the spot1 and much as ,i had heard of the horrors of the ,quemadore1 ,i was not prepared for the sight ,i beheld2 layer above layer1 like the strata of a geological model1 were these silent1 but most eloquent witnesses of the murderous cruelty of ,rome40 ,i may here add that ,i saw other mementoes of the ,spanish ,inquisition in underground vaults connected with a house occupied by the ,rev4 ,mr4 ,jameson1 a ,presbyterian clergyman at work in ,madrid4 ,i found recesses walled up1 which it was said had been cells in the days of persecution4 ,of course1 ,i visited the immense picture-gallery in ,madrid2 but the size and number of rooms with multitudes of paintings on the walls1 were so bewildering1 as to make only a confused impression on my mind4 ,spanish art has not the charm for me which it has for many4 ,velasquez and ,murillo1 of course1 are pre-eminent4 ,the latter stands first of all in my estimation4 ,no one1 who has seen only the dirty beggar boys at ,dulwich1 can have any conception of ,murillo's merits4 ,it is in ,seville1 however1 that he must be studied1 if any one would see him at his best4 ,i found no ,murillo in ,madrid which charmed me like those it was my privilege to enjoy in the ,capital of the ,south4 ,there is a good chapter on ,velasquez and ,murillo in ,sir ,e4 ,head's 8,handbook of ,painting--,spanish ,school40 8,velasquez and ,murillo are preferred1 and preferred with reason1 to all the others1 as the most original and characteristic of their school4 ,these two great painters are remarkable for having lived in the same time1 in the same school1 painted for the same people and of the same age1 and yet to have formed two styles so different and opposite that the most unlearned can scarcely mistake them1 ,murillo being all softness1 while ,velasquez is all sparkle and vivacity40 #cbi ,a curious story is told of a picture by ,velasquez--the portrait of ,adrian ,pulido ,pareja4 ,philip ,,iv4 coming1 as usual1 to see the artist at work1 started when he saw this portrait1 and addressing himself to it1 exclaimed3 8,what1 art thou still here8 ,did ,i not send thee off8 ,how is it thou art not gone80 ,but seeing the figure did not salute him1 the ,king discovered his mistake1 and1 turning to ,velasquez1 said3 8,i assure you ,i was deceived40 ,we visited the ,escorial some distance from ,madrid4 ,philip ,,ii4 is buried there4 ,its situation is wild and desolate--a vast expanse of undulations1 scarcely to be called mountainous1 except in the distance1 where snow-streaked sierras send cutting blasts over the slate roofs and against the grey stone walls4 ,the building itself looks like a manufactory1 at best like spacious barracks2 one may think it something between a prison and a convent1 or rather a combination of the two2 at any rate its cold1 stern1 repulsive exterior is a fair type of the builder's character and influence4 ,the only objects of much interest1 and they are in truth most melancholy1 one finds in the monkish apartments1 the monastic chapel1 and the costly sepulchre of the founder and his family4 ,a long and narrow room is shown with brick floor and leathern chairs1 where he dined4 ,next to it is another1 only separated by folding doors1 from which1 when open1 the despot borrowed the light by which he wrote his despatches4 ,in this room is a plain oak table1 with three brass ink bottles on one side1 and a velvet writing-case in the middle2 these1 with the leather-bottomed chair on which he sat1 are carefully preserved4 ,from this room you pass into a third1 low and dark1 a mere cell1 whence through an opening in the wall1 the altar of the monastery chapel may be seen2 there he spent his last hours1 after being1 like his prototype ,herod1 smitten by an angel of the ,lord1 and eaten up of worms2 no death could be more horrible4 ,that chapel is an enormous marble building1 most costly1 most dreary1 and into one corner of the coro he would sometimes steal1 to perform his devotions with the ,jeronymite brotherhood4 ,the sepulchre under the high altar is reached by a slippery marble staircase2 and round the sides of the vault are placed sarcophagi1 one above another2 ,charles ,v4 occupies the topmost position1 ,philip being placed under his father4 ,the dismalness of the spot is unrelieved by any emblem or suggestion of ,christian hope3 not even such a ray falls over it as that which lighted up the mind of the heathen ,cicero1 when he spoke of meeting in the future life an assembly of noble souls4 ,toledo is about forty miles from ,madrid1 and is easily reached by rail4 ,scenery on the way is uninteresting till you get near the city1 when1 crossing the bridge over the ,tagus1 you are reminded of the rocky seat on which sits ,durham ,cathedral4 ,winding through narrow streets of the city and past ,moorish-looking entrances into courts1 called patios1 ,i thought ,toledo was a sort of album1 with ornamented leaves on one side1 and romantic legends on the other4 ,at the foot of ,st4 ,martin's bridge lies a cave1 where ,roderic1 the last of the ,goths1 saw the lady whose seduction caused the ,moorish invasion2 which invasion robbed the monarch of his crown4 ,the cathedral is grand indeed4 ,the cloisters are full of rich tracery1 elegant pilasters crowned with statuettes1 and open windows adorned by elaborate tracery4 ,the interior is worthy of its surroundings and its approach2 and ,i was deeply interested in the ,mozarabic chapel4 ,there is preserved a thin folio1 bearing the name of the chapel1 and containing a ,latin service1 used there every day4 ,with it is connected an absurd tradition1 the story and meaning of which are disputed by archologists4 ,with the cathedral you have connected the name of ,bartolomo ,carranza1 called the ,black ,friar1 whose long story is entwined round the ,council of ,trent1 and with ,philip of ,spain1 who married the ,english ,queen ,mary4 ,he attended ,charles ,v4 on his deathbed1 and was accused of heresy2 and yet the ,pope raised for him a monument in commemoration of his virtues4 ,it is said ,carranza believed in the doctrine of ,justification by ,faith2 and his history from beginning to end appears to me a hopeless puzzle4 #ccc ,in ,toledo is the 8,square ,market10 as it is called2 and here occurred bullfights and burnings1--one of the latter in #aefj1 when ,philip ,,ii4 was present4 ,we returned from ,toledo to ,madrid and leaving the capital1 a week or so afterwards1 travelled to ,valladolid4 ,the chief1 indeed the only1 architectural monument in ,valladolid is found in the combined edifices of ,san ,pablo's ,church1 and ,san ,gregorio's ,college4 ,the facade of the former is an elaborate example of ,gothic flamboyant2 but the gateway of the latter with its heraldic ornaments1 coats of arms1 statues in niches1 and numerous figures1 has a bewildering effect4 ,columbus and ,cervantes both resided in this city2 the former died in the ,calle de ,colon1 the latter wrote the first part of 8,don ,quixote0 in the ,calle de ,rastro4 ,ford1 in his voluminous 8,guide to ,spain10 at the beginning of a notice respecting ,valladolid1 says3 8,in the first street1 above the bridge1 is the site of the old ,inquisition1 the ,court of ,chancery1 and the prison02 adding the remark3 8,the great ,chancery or ,court of ,appeal for the north of ,spain was moved to the present building by ,ferdinand and ,isabella4 ,the inscribed motto1 #8,jura fidem ac pnam reddit sua munera cunctus'--seems rather strong1 to all who know what ,spanish justitia is1 let alone ,chancery in general40 ,incipient stages of reformation come before us in this city4 ,one sees in imagination 8,the ,calle del ,doctor ,cazalla10 of ,jewish extraction1 a man of renown for his ,protestant work1 born in #aeaj2 he had been ,court preacher and champion of orthodoxy1 until he came under the influence of ,german reformers4 ,but he seems by no means to have been a ,martin ,luther1 for1 when he was accused of dogmatising in a ,valladolid conventicle1 he solemnly denied the fact1 and said he had not indoctrinated other people with his own views4 ,his end was not heroic4 ,after being dislocated on the rack1 he recanted with a hope of life1 but he found no escape4 ,the night before his execution1 when acquainted with the final sentence1 the poor man said1 8,i must prepare to die in the grace of ,god1 for it is impossible for me to add to what ,i have said1 without falsehood40 ,we learn that1 after all1 he did not break with ,rome1 but received absolution2 and then1 instead of being burnt1 he was strangled4 ,his house was pulled down1 the spot strewn with salt1 and a column placed where the building had stood4 ,an inscription upon it stated3 8,lutheran heretics assembled here in conventicle against the ,catholic faith and the ,roman ,church40 ,a namesake1 ,francesco de ,vibero ,cazalla1 more valiant for the truth1 remained constant to the last4 ,another martyr behaved heroically1 only lamenting that his wife abjured1 and he saw her dressed as a penitent4 ,but we are told the husband's look never departed from her eyes4 ,in my 8,spanish ,reformers0 ,i have given a detailed account of several sufferers for the truth at ,valladolid4 ,of the cathedral1 ,street1 in his work on 8,spanish ,architecture10 says3 8,nothing could ever cure the hideous unsightliness of the exterior02 and he adds3 8,the side elevation remains as ,herrera1 the architect1 designed it1 and is really valuable as a warning40 ,the author describes ,sta4 ,maria l',antigua1 close to the cathedral1 as the most attractive church in ,valladolid4 ,he says of the city3 8,it was too rich and prosperous1 during an age of much work1 and little taste1 to have left medival architecture of any real value2 yet as a modern city it is1 in parts1 gay and attractive2 being1 after ,madrid1 the most important city of the north of ,spain40 ,from what ,i saw of the place1 ,i can endorse this opinion4 ,we reached ,burgos1 after a short journey1 and found the town much less interesting and agreeable than ,valladolid1 but the cathedral is incomparably superior4 ,the picture of its facade1 doors1 windows1 and towers1 is vividly imprinted on my memory4 ,we were now approaching the border of ,france1 and ,i had memories revived of a first dip into ,spain1 years before4 ,though the land be still the same and the skies the same1 different feelings arise from departure out of a country1 compared with one's entrance into it4 ,we reached a new and very comfortable hotel at ,san ,sebastian1 and there ,i revived recollections of curiosity and interest1 felt years before1 when ,i first crossed the border and became acquainted with the costumes1 the manners and customs of ,spanish life4 ,,chapter ,,xv #ahhe ,,this year ,i paid my third and last visit to ,rome4 ,a comparison of the city and neighbourhood as they were during my first visit with what now appeared1 was very striking4 ,formerly it retained much of the appearance it had in the previous century4 ,there were narrow streets1 bad pavements1 old-fashioned houses2 monks and friars of different orders1 white1 black1 grey1 thronging thoroughfares2 cardinals' coaches with liveried servants1 in gay coats and cocked hats2 the ,pope1 driving down the ,corso1 whilst the whole population watched him with reverence on bended knees3 now these old sights had vanished2 comparatively few ecclesiastics could be recognised by their costumes2 only companies of boys1 in red or blue collegiate garb1 attracted attention by contrast with other people4 ,at ,easter in the olden time the ceremonies at ,st4 ,peter's were gorgeous1 the illumination of the dome brilliant1 the fireworks in the ,piazza del ,popolo unrivalled3 now ,mass on ,easter ,sunday was far from imposing1 there was no feet washing1 no dinner to poor pilgrims1 no ,miserere in the ,sistine chapel1 no blaze of candles in the ,pauline4 ,the ,forum had formerly lines of trees1 groups of cattle1 peasants in rural costume2 now marble sculptures had been brought to light4 ,the neighbourhood of ,st4 ,john ,lateran had been waste and void2 now it was covered with modern houses4 ,what a change in the ,fontana1 outside ,rome1 the traditional site of ,st4 ,paul's martyrdom4 ,the monastery1 when ,i had seen it before was desolate1 now it was surrounded by abundant vegetation2 the culture of the eucalyptus plant being the secret of this transformation4 ,hare laments1 in the following strain1 changes which had occurred in the city and were to be regretted3-- 8,the baths of ,caracalla1 stripped of all their verdure and shrubs1 and deprived alike of the tufted foliage amid which ,shelley wrote1 and of the flowery carpet which so greatly enhanced their lonely solemnity1 are now a series of bare featureless walls standing in a gravelly waste1 and possess no more attraction than the ruins of a ,london warehouse4 ,the ,coliseum1 no longer #8a garlanded ring1' is bereaved of everything which made it so lovely and so picturesque2 while botanists must for ever deplore the incomparable and strangely unique #8,flora of the ,coliseum1' which ,signor ,rosa has caused to be carefully annihilated2 even the roots of the shrubs having been extracted by the firemen1 though1 in pulling them out1 more of the building has come down than five hundred years of time would have injured4 ,in the ,basilica of ,constantine1 the whole of the beautiful covering of shrubs with which nature had protected the vast arches1 has been removed1 and the rain soaking into the unprotected upper surface1 will soon bring them down4 ,nor has the work of the destroyer been confined to the ,pagan antiquities1 the early ,christian porches of ,s4 ,prassede and ,s4 ,pudenziana1 with their valuable terra-cotta ornaments1 have been so smeared with paint and yellow-wash as to be irrecognisable2 many smaller but precious ,christian antiquities1 such as the lion of the ,santi ,apostoli1 have disappeared altogether4 ,and in return for these destructions and abductions ,rome has been given--what8 ,quantities of hideous false rock-work painted brown in all the public gardens2 a ,swiss cottage and a clock which goes by water forced in amidst the statues and sarcophagi of the ,pincio2 and the having the passages of the ,capitol painted all over with the most flaring scarlet and blue1 so as utterly to destroy the repose and splendour of its ancient statues40 ,we visited a very old house in the ,ghetto1 where at the time services were held by a company of ,jewish converts4 ,rude1 uncomfortable and mean1 the place looked to any one accustomed to modern churches2 yet that dreary apartment1 up a flight of stairs1 was typical of places for ,christian worship in the imperial city of the second century4 ,few fashionable people know the existence of the room ,i mention1 and attendants shyly ascend the dirty steps1 wishing to be unobserved2 just so1 no doubt1 it was with some of the companies in the second century who in ,rome 8sang praises to ,jesus as to ,god40 ,in the reigns of ,trajan1 ,hadrian1 ,antoninus ,pius1 and ,marcus ,aurelius1 little was known about the ,gospel by the higher ranks4 ,emperors1 consuls1 magistrates1 marched along the streets in haughty indifference1 or with contemptuous hate towards the new superstition4 ,much inquiry has arisen as to where ,paul lived during his captivity in ,rome4 ,a local tradition affirms that in a subterranean church dedicated to the ,virgin ,mary1 which you pass going down the ,corso1 you have the very 8hired house10 where for two years the ,apostle lived4 ,in the crypt-like place1 there is nothing which looks like a human dwelling2 and the tradition itself1 in a city where such traditions abound1 is of little if any value4 ,a house in the ,ghetto1 extremely ancient1 was pointed out to me by ,dr4 ,philip1 a ,jewish missionary1 as the probable spot2 but his idea seems to have had nothing to rest upon1 except that this old building is in the ,jews' quarter4 ,what is fatal to the identification of the 8hired house0 in either of these spots is that the ,new ,testament indicates it as connected with lodgings occupied by the ,pretorian guard4 ,the 8soldier that kept him0 would not be far away from comrades2 and soldiers in general would be accommodated in the ,pretorian camp1 of which traces exist near the ,porta ,pia--a long distance from the ,corso and the ,ghetto4 ,my third visit to ,rome was the close of my foreign travels4 ,a word more in reference to them4 ,most frequently on my way to other countries1 ,i passed through ,france to ,paris1 either by ,calais and ,amiens1 or by ,havre and ,rouen4 ,let me refer for a moment to the cathedral at ,amiens1 one of the wonders of the world--the largest place of worship ,i know1 except ,cologne ,cathedral1 ,st4 ,peter's at ,rome1 and ,st4 ,sophia at ,constantinople4 ,it takes away one's breath to look up at its rich clerestory1 and its roof1 #adj feet high1 half as high again as that of ,westminster ,abbey4 ,rouen has architectural beauty1 and an historical interest beyond other ,french cities4 ,the ,church of ,st4 ,ouen surpasses the cathedral1 and the ,palais de ,justice is a beautiful specimen of ,civic ,gothic4 ,but associations of what happened in that city1 during the fifteenth century1 surpass its material monuments4 ,poor ,joan of ,arc--most touching example of self-delusion and self-sacrifice the world ever saw--how she absorbs interest as one stands in the ,place de ,pucelle1 where she was burnt1 the victim of ,french ingratitude and ,english revenge6 ,paris is so well known by everybody that no notice need be taken of it here4 ,we now return to ,great ,britain4 ,in the autumn of #ahhe the ,evangelical ,alliance met at ,edinburgh and ,glasgow1 and in the latter city ,i was entertained by the ,lord ,provost1 ,sir ,william and ,lady ,collins1 and met there1 ,admiral ,sir ,w4 ,king ,hall and his lady1 with whom a pleasant friendship sprang up1 and ,i accepted an invitation to visit them at their home1 but his death soon afterwards deprived me of the anticipated pleasure4 ,they appeared to me spiritually minded people2 their society with that of our excellent host and hostess filled me with great pleasure4 ,at the meeting ,i lamented1 as ,i am accustomed to do1 our numerous ecclesiastical divisions4 8,here we are as ,christians connected with denominational churches1 and we may be compared to persons living in an island city1 where we have our own municipal regulations1 where some are in what may be called ,episcopalian ,square1 some occupying ,methodist ,terrace1 some residing in ,congregational ,road1 and some liking to live by the waterside4 ,whilst these differences exist amongst us in this world1 surely it sometimes crosses our minds that they are distinctions of a very temporary nature4 ,the things which are seen are temporal1 but the things not seen are eternal4 ,we are looking away from what is familiar to what is now rare indeed--perfect unity40 ,i have long found it to be one of the sorrows incident to old age to lament the loss of attached friends4 ,in this respect ,i was much tried in the year #ahhf1 for ,i had then to deplore the death of ,lord ,chichester1 who became acquainted with me through the medium of the ,evangelical ,alliance about twenty years before4 ,of late he was unable to attend meetings1 but our intercourse in private continued and increased as years rolled on4 ,descendant of ,sir ,john ,pelham1 who figured in the ,french wars1 described by ,froissart1 and an immediate relative of a well-known political family of the same name in the last century1--the ,earl became an earnest ,christian and an active philanthropist for more than half a century4 ,possessed of wide and varied information respecting men and things1 and being eminently genial and altogether free from ostentation1 his society could not but be agreeable and instructive4 ,it was a treat to hear him recount incidents and conversations of former days4 ,at different times he brought within view ,george ,,iv41 ,william ,,iv41 the ,duke of ,wellington1 leaders of the ,whig party1 and other magnates4 ,he told me that when approaching his majority his father proposed that he should enter the ,house of ,commons1 and the ,duke of ,newcastle promised him a seat for ,newark4 ,before an election arrived the father of young ,lord ,pelham died1 and the son became a peer4 ,it is remarkable that the seat intended for him in the ,lower ,house was next occupied by the now famous ,william ,ewart ,gladstone4 8,the ,grand ,old ,man10 in conversation with my friend not long before his death1 speculated1 in his characteristic way1 upon possible consequences to each1 had the seat been accepted by young ,lord ,pelham4 ,with the ,hare family1 the ,osbornes of the ducal house of ,leeds1 the ,rev4 ,f4 ,d4 ,maurice1 and other distinguished persons1 the ,earl had been intimate1 and could tell many a story about them4 ,though a thorough ,evangelical1 and zealous for all the great truths of ,christianity1 he was singularly free from prejudice against people of different views4 ,he could appreciate goodness wherever it was to be found4 ,the ,prince ,regent1 with old ,queen ,charlotte1 paid a visit to ,stanmer1 the family seat1 near ,brighton1 when the ,earl was a boy1 and an amusing picture in one of the rooms exhibits his ,royal ,highness in dandy fashion--his diminutive mother wearing a wonderful bonnet1 the former earl acting as cicerone1 and his eldest boy riding on a smart pony4 ,the ,stanmer ,pelhams are descended1 on the female side1 from ,oliver ,cromwell1 and have in their possession the ,lord ,protector's ,bible in four volumes1 a miniature of him1 which1 ,i think1 belonged to ,lady ,falconbridge1 and a portrait of ,his ,highness's mother4 ,it is curious to find these ,commonwealth relics associated with mementoes in the family arms1--,i refer to the buckle and strap of ,sir ,john ,pelham1 who assisted in taking ,king ,john of ,france prisoner at the battle of ,poitiers4 ,in addition to these memorials1 mention may be made of a fine copy in the library of ,walton's 8,polyglot10 with the rare preface containing a reference to ,oliver ,cromwell4 ,soon after the death of ,lord ,chichester ,i lost another friend1 ,mr4 ,cheetham1 ,m4,p4 ,his daughters were educated at ,kensington1 and hence an intimacy sprang up between us1 cultivated by visits to ,eastwood1 near ,staleybridge1 where he resided4 ,he was a shrewd1 energetic man1 and figured conspicuously in the ,anti-,corn ,law ,league4 ,his command of the ,lancashire dialect1 and his knowledge of ,lancashire life1 made him an amusing companion1 and ,lord ,john ,russell would sometimes engage him in characteristic recitals1 greatly to his lordship's diversion4 ,mr4 ,cheetham had in early life known much of the ,moravians1 and ever retained a deep interest in that remarkable community1 though to the end of life he remained a constant member of the ,congregational communion4 ,i have long been of ,dr4 ,johnson's mind3 8,if a man does not make new acquaintances as he advances through life1 he will soon find himself left alone4 ,a man1 sir1 should keep his friendships in constant repair40 ,on that principle ,i have habitually sought to make up for losses from bereavement4 ,here let me add a few lines respecting the ,archbishop of ,york1 ,dr4 ,magee1 previously ,bishop of ,peterborough4 ,i first met him at ,norwich where we took part in a ,bible ,meeting1 and in the course of my remarks ,i spoke of 8sinking ecclesiastical differences0 on such an occasion4 ,dr4 ,magee1 then ,dean of ,cork1 made an amusing reference to this1 and repeated it with kindness and humour the next day1 as we travelled together by rail to ,london4 ,we talked incessantly and at the end he pressed me to visit him at ,cork4 ,several years passed without our meeting1 and then at a funeral service in ,westminster ,abbey1 he kindly accosted me1 saying1 that as ,i had not been to see him at ,cork1 ,i must go and see him at ,peterborough1 where1 not long before1 he had been appointed bishop4 ,several visits followed1 which ,i greatly enjoyed4 ,my impression of him as a brilliant talker1 which ,i received on our journey from ,norwich to ,london1 was now increased1 and nothing could exceed his hospitality and that of his amiable wife and daughters4 ,we had several drives2 and one day we sat down together in a picturesque churchyard to discuss ecclesiastical questions1 where1 as he said1 the associations and 8genius loci0 were on his side4 ,i forget altogether what passed between us1 beyond a series of pros and cons1 and can only say that we finished as we began--he a ,churchman1 ,i a ,nonconformist1 but both good friends4 ,once when ,i was at ,peterborough ,i heard him preach in the ,cathedral for the ,bible ,society1 on the jubilee of the auxiliary1 when he took for his text two passages3 8,is not this the carpenter's son80 8,the ,word was made flesh1 and dwelt among us1 and we beheld ,his glory1 the glory as of the only begotten of the ,father1 full of grace and truth40 ,he admirably brought out the ,divine and human sides of our blessed ,lord's personality and then presented this as being in harmony with the ,divine and human elements in ,holy ,writ4 ,as is well known1 he did not use a ,,ms4 in the pulpit2 nor1 as he told me1 was he in the habit of writing his sermons beforehand4 ,he seems to have had the gift of mental composition1 and also of expressing himself extemporaneously in felicitous diction and with quiet ease4 ,nor was he at all verbose1 as many fluent speakers are4 ,he could tell a story as few people can1 sparkling with humour1 and distinct in point4 ,i remember two he told of ,dean ,mansel4 ,taking a lady round ,st4 ,paul's1 she paused to look at a figure of ,neptune with his trident1 remarking that she was shocked at seeing in a church such heathen mythology4 8,why10 rejoined the ,dean1 8that looks more like ,tridentine theology40 ,at a public dinner1 after a toast to ,reform--the word on the paper had an e at the end--8,reform10 the ,dean remarked1 8often ended in an meute40 ,as ,i was preparing for my journey in ,spain ,i met the ,bishop at the ,athenum1 when he told me he was doing the same1 and proposed we should go together1 adding that he could help me with his knowledge of ,spanish4 ,i had heard him speak of his residence in ,spain when he was a boy1 and ,i should have been delighted to fall in with his plan1 but found it quite impossible beforehand with regard to time4 ,however1 we agreed to inquire after each other at consular offices1 as we passed from place to place2 but ,i found ,i was always too late1 or too soon4 ,when ,i called at an hotel in ,madrid1 where he had been staying1 ,i learned he had just left for the railway2 and after our return1 he told me his daughter saw me in the street as they were hurrying to catch a train4 ,how many remarkable facts have been related within the last few years respecting old ,english houses and estates6 ,during a visit to ,lord ,ebury1 at ,moor ,park1 he told me the mansion he occupied had been in the hands of many distinguished families2 and that reminds one of what is said in the ,eastern tale3 8,call it not a palace but a caravanserai40 ,it belonged to the ,abbot of ,st4 ,albans2 to ,neville1 ,archbishop of ,york2 to ,henry ,,vii42 to ,de ,vere1 ,earl of ,oxford2 to ,cardinal ,wolsey2 to ,lucy1 ,countess of ,bedford2 to ,sir ,john ,franklin2 to the ,earl of ,ossory1 who sold it to the ,duke of ,monmouth1 whose ,duchess sold it to ,mr4 ,styles1 of ,south ,sea ,bubble notoriety1 to be afterwards purchased by ,lord ,anson4 ,after changing owners again and again1 it was secured by the ,marquis of ,westminster for his son4 ,lord ,ebury informed me it had never remained in the same family more than two generations4 ,there runs a curious story of the ,lady of the ,earl of ,monmouth1 who possessed the estate in the seventeenth century1--that her ladyship protested against the intention of ,james ,i41 to put his son ,prince ,charles 8into iron boots1 to strengthen his joints and sinews02 for he seemed to have been physically as a boy what he was1 in some respects1 morally as a man--very weak-kneed4 ,in the course of my recollections1 ,i have had much to say of foreign tours1 and also of journeys in different parts of ,england for various religious purposes2 but1 in drawing my personal narrative to a close1 ,i am constrained to add a few lines1 respecting visits to friends in my own county1 where ,i have enjoyed welcome rests amidst ministerial toils4 ,one spot1 long years ago1 where ,i was wont to seek recreation was ,letheringsett ,hall1 near ,holt1 in my native county1 ,norfolk4 ,there still lives ,mr4 ,cozens-,hardy1 whom ,i knew as a boy1 about five years old1 in days when we worshipped in ,calvert ,street ,chapel1 ,norwich4 ,he married a lady whom ,i recollect as a girl1 and who was long the light of his dwelling1 well known to numerous guests4 ,they hospitably entertained me in many of my summer holidays1 and drove me round the neighbourhood called 8,the ,garden of ,norfolk40 ,respecting his beloved wife1 let me quote words which ,i wrote for a short family memorial of her3 8,my last two or three visits found her weak and frail1 but yet a good deal of her old buoyancy would come back as we sat chatting round the fire4 ,she seemed to have a quiet faith in the blessed ,gospel1 but with some shadows of doubt and fear respecting herself4 ,no bold1 self-asserting professions1 as is the case with some1 but a genuine sympathy in reference to the fundamental truths of the ,gospel1 which form the resting-place of all true believers4 ,she seemed to know more of the ,valley of ,humiliation than of the ,land of ,beulah2 not often climbing the ,delectable ,mountains1 but by no means a prisoner in ,doubting ,castle40 ,her good husband has for many years been the main supporter of the ,methodist ,society in ,holt1 and his son1 the eminent ,q4,c41 has been for many years a member of the ,congregational ,church at ,kensington4 ,the large-hearted ,mr4 ,colman1 ,m4,p4 for ,norwich1 married ,mr4 ,cozens-,hardy's eldest daughter1 and in their hospitable homes at ,carrow and ,corton ,i have spent many a happy day4 ,i may add here that amongst delightful sojourns in ,english homes1 ,i gratefully reckon ,stanley ,park1 the residence of ,sir ,samuel ,marling2 a marine villa at ,dawlish1 belonging to ,sir ,thomas ,lea1 ,bart41 also his home at ,kidderminster2 the beautiful ,quinta on the ,welsh border1 belonging to ,colonel ,barnes2 and the marine residence of ,miss ,cheetham1 one of my interesting school-girls at ,kensington4 ,during the later portion of my residence in ,kensington1 there was a considerable increase of ,roman ,catholics residing in the neighbourhood4 ,when ,i first went to it1 a small place of worship sufficed to meet their wants1 but before ,i left1 a large church was built near the ,vicarage1 and another in the high road1 partly hidden by buildings in front4 ,after the formation of a ,westminster ,archiepiscopal see1 the last-named edifice became a pro-cathedral1 where ,cardinal ,manning sometimes officiated4 ,as ,i did not hear of numerous conversions1 in the neighbourhood1 to the ,romish faith1 ,i was curious to know whence the increase arose1 and one day ,i had a long conversation on the subject with ,monsignor ,capel4 ,he informed me that it was owing largely to an increase in the number of priests who had come to reside in the place1 and who attracted many retired people who were desirous of opportunities for confession and spiritual advice4 ,hence1 ,i gathered that the increase of ,catholics in the neighbourhood did not arise from local conversions2 this explained what had been a matter of wonder4 ,the ,monsignor was very sociable and communicative1 and gave much information about ,romanism1 its usages and dignitaries4 ,he had a great deal to say about the political relations of distinguished ,catholics at that time4 ,how far all his reports were to be trusted ,i cannot say4 ,certainly there was much activity amongst ,hammersmith ,catholics4 ,within a few doors of my house there was a sisterhood active in collecting whatever they could of money1 garments1 and other benefits for the poor1 and on the edge of ,brook ,green rose a handsome church1 in which special revival services were held4 ,i attended one of these1 and heard a priest make earnest religious appeals to careless sinners4 ,there was a nunnery not far off1 and from the abbess1 through the medium of a relative1 ,i received an invitation to witness the ceremony of taking the veil4 ,as a spectacle1 there was something about it pathetic and touching1 but as an act of worship the whole struck me as altogether out of harmony with primitive ,christianity4 ,the relative who conveyed to me the invitation was the daughter of a ,dissenting minister1 a girl highly imaginative and poetical1 who made some little stir in earlier life by a book entitled 8,from ,oxford to ,rome10 by 8,one that made the ,journey40 ,she told me of a complimentary note on the subject from a ,high ,church politician2 and ,i found that she had been thrown a good deal in the way of ,oxford 8perverts10 as they were called4 ,she became a decided convert1 and related to me much of what she saw amongst her new friends4 ,by her severe penances she broke down her health until she died1 but not in the religion she had recently embraced4 ,the faith of her childhood1 in its simplicity1 returned in her last days4 ,i do not know that she made a formal renunciation of what she had lately embraced1 but she desired no priestly ministrations1 and fell back upon her ,bible1 and the truths she had accepted in former days4 ,she joined in her father's prayers by her bedside1 and so went home to rest for ever with her ,saviour1 whom she loved amidst all her aberrations of controversial thought4 ,soon after my resignation ,i paid a summer visit to my friend ,mr4 ,george ,moore1 of ,whitehall1 ,cumberland1 the well-known merchant prince4 ,there ,i met ,lord ,justice ,lush1 his lady and daughter1 ,dr4 ,moffat1 ,canon ,battersby1 and ,mr4 ,smithies1 the 8,workman's ,friend40 ,one day we had ,bible readings in a baronial-looking hall2 another day we had outdoor recreations for the villagers1 when a select party dined at the mansion4 ,in the evenings we were taken to places in the neighbourhood to attend ,bible meetings4 ,on ,sunday we went to church in the morning and to chapel in the evening4 ,our host was in all his glory4 ,with the good judge ,i had much conversation1 and heard something of his early life story4 ,he had been on the point of settling in ,america when he was young1 and went there more than once before he finally made a home in his own country4 ,he was a beautiful character1 an example of ,christian politeness1 general intelligence1 and professional learning4 ,in closing notices of towns to which ,i have paid ministerial visits1 let me mention ,hastings1 in which1 from circumstances to be mentioned1 ,i feel more than ordinary interest4 ,i do not speak of the decisive battle on the field of ,senlac1 which ended the line of ,saxon sovereigns and gave to ,england a ,norman king1 but of personal memories1 somewhat unique in their connection4 ,there was1 many years ago1 a venerable ,dissenting minister in the town whose congregation was small1 and it was thought by ,london friends and others1 that a new and larger chapel should be built1 and efforts made to revive the cause4 ,i was invited to preach at the dedication of that building1 and at the close of the sermon found my old fellow-student1 the ,rev4 ,james ,griffin1 was present4 ,he had just before1 owing to impaired health1 resigned an important pastorate at ,manchester1 and1 as he seemed to be recovering strength1 ,i suggested that this new chapel at ,hastings might be a suitable sphere for resuming his ministry4 ,the congregation invited him to become pastor1 and he faithfully and successfully for many years discharged the duties of that office4 ,it became after a time necessary to erect a still larger edifice1 and1 in connection with the opening services1 ,i was for a second time invited to preach to the people4 ,mr4 ,griffin soon afterwards engaged in the erection of another chapel outside the town1 and when the time for opening it approached he invited me to undertake that service4 ,thus a threefold cord of interest attached me to ,nonconformist friends at ,hastings4 ,moreover1 repeated visits on the part of my dear wife and children increased my interest in the town1 and the hospitality of my friends ,i remember with gratitude4 ,my dear friend ,james ,griffin still lives1 adorning the doctrine he has successfully preached for more than half a century4 ,the autumnal meeting of the ,congregational ,union was in #ahhf held at ,norwich4 ,my friend1 the ,rev4 ,edward ,white1 was chairman1 and ,i was invited to read in the old ,meeting ,house1 where ,i worshipped in my youth1 a paper on the early history of ,norfolk ,congregationalism4 ,there was a large gathering of ministers and other friends in the city1 and1 as in other cities and towns1 ,episcopalians received ,nonconformists as their guests4 ,it was my privilege to be entertained by the ,bishop1 with whom ,i had become acquainted while sojourning under the roof of his brother1 ,lord ,chichester1 at ,stanmer ,park4 ,i was received and treated with the greatest kindness and comfort1 and found this ,episcopal home a beautiful example of ,christian simplicity and devotion4 ,the ,mayor of the city received members of the ,union and other friends in ,st4 ,andrew's ,hall on the ,monday evening2 and one afternoon ,mr4 ,colman1 ,m4,p4 for ,norwich1 had a large garden-party in his pleasure grounds4 ,i availed myself of opportunities during the week for rambling about scenes of my boyhood1 amidst many changes in architecture1 manners and customs1 including habits of religious life4 ,the trade of the city had flowed into new channels2 old families such as ,i knew in my boyhood were no more4 ,new faces ,i saw everywhere1 and pensive thoughts were naturally suggested when one traversed memories of seventy years4 ,how different had been my lot from what it might have been6 ,church and ,dissent did not stand in the same relations to each other as they had done once4 ,there was more mutual charity1 more1 ,i believe and trust1 of real religion4 ,certainly1 ,evangelicalism had made way in the ,establishment1 and was not regarded as it had been in days gone by4 ,i took a ramble outside the old city1 and called on young friends2 and so caught glimpses touching borders of auld lang syne4 ,it fell to my lot to occupy a bedroom in the palace exactly to my taste4 ,it is described by ,blomefield in his 8,history of ,norwich40 ,lined with carved wainscot brought from the demolished abbey of ,st4 ,bennet in the ,holm1 retaining still the arms of that abbey--of the ,veres1 and others1 particularly those of ,sir ,john ,fastolff1 their great benefactor4 ,there were also busts of heroes and remarkable men and women1 8brought hither by ,bishop ,rugg40 ,the place recalled images of old1 and stories which had interested me in youth2 if they did not people my dreams1 they coloured my meditations4 ,my 8,recollections of a ,long ,life0 began with a notice of being born in ,norwich2 and as the last visit to my birthplace was at the time now indicated1 ,i think it is a fitting point for terminating my narrative4 ,,chapter ,,xvi ,,in completing this volume ,i propose to take a survey of what ,i have seen and noticed1 amongst distinct religious denominations1 during seventy years4 ,i4 ,to begin with the ,church of ,england4 ,i remember hearing a sermon by the late ,bishop of ,manchester1 at the reopening of ,chester ,cathedral1 when1 in no measured terms1 he dwelt upon ecclesiastical abuses1 as they existed during the last century1 and the earliest part of the present4 ,he exposed the nepotism of bishops1 the worldliness of clergymen1 and the indifference of ,church-people to religion in general4 ,about the same time another prelate privately told me that things in his diocese1 when he was first consecrated1 had reached such a point as made it wonderful how the ,establishment had survived4 ,he complained of the limited power diocesans had at command1 to repress existing evils1 and gave an instance1 how in his own case he had spent a large sum without any effect for the removal of a clergyman who had dishonoured his profession4 ,about the facts charged against the delinquent there could be no doubt1 but proceedings failed through technical objections4 ,i remember when ,i was a youth there were scandals in the diocese of ,norwich1 publicly known1 yet legally unassailable4 ,plurality and non-residence were notorious4 ,preaching was neglected to a shameful degree2 in one case fifteen churches were served by three incumbents4 ,livings had to be sequestered through clerical insolvency or scandalous misconduct4 ,bishop ,stanley wrought a great reformation in these respects1 much to the dismay of delinquents1 much to the satisfaction of parishioners4 ,i remember him perfectly well4 ,of slight figure1 with white hair1 he tripped along the streets of ,norwich on a ,sunday1 to one church after another without giving beforehand notice of his movements1 but surprising rector or curate at the close of the service by rising to pronounce the benediction4 ,he was as unremitting and efficient in his clerical position1 as he had before been in his naval duties4 ,the magistrates' seat prepared ,ambrose for his episcopate at ,milan3 the deck of a ship prepared ,edward ,stanley to rule the diocese of ,norwich4 ,the typical ,high ,church clergyman of my early days was a person perfunctorily discharging his duties1 living on civil terms with his parishioners1 known in the parish by clerical costume1 reading prayers in a surplice1 and preaching in a black gown1 visiting the best society in the neighbourhood1 kind to the poor1 and looking upon ,dissenters as a rather suspicious class4 ,but a great change took place in #ahcb4 ,earnest men1 as we have seen1 arose at ,oxford1 who devoted themselves to the study of certain ,anglo-,catholic divines and ,greek and ,latin fathers4 ,some of them introduced ritualistic practices1 older than the ,reformation4 ,the change under ,henry ,,viii4 and ,elizabeth was approved by them no further than as it wiped away stains from the face of popery4 ,i recollect a ,high ,church layman telling me he liked an ornate service1 but that he was left far behind by the newly advanced party4 ,i have myself witnessed ceremonies in ,anglican churches so nearly approaching the ,romanistic that only a practised eye could discern the difference4 ,there were1 however1 men of another order1 who had a liking for ,anglo-,catholic theology1 but eschewed revived ceremonialism2 and ,i have heard a ,high ,churchman in ,westminster ,abbey preach such a sermon on the necessity of the ,holy ,spirit for the salvation of souls as1 with a few expressions1 a ,methodist might have delivered4 ,he pronounced a glowing eulogium on ,john ,wesley4 ,on one side this clergyman appeared a warm-hearted ,evangelical1 on the other1 he was a staunch ,high ,churchman4 ,when ,i think of ,evangelicals early in this century1 they present a different class from men of the type just described4 ,as a boy in ,norwich ,i heard ,simeon of ,cambridge1 and ,legh ,richmond of ,turvey2 and ,i remember them at this moment as they appeared in the autumn of that year to advocate the ,british and ,foreign ,bible ,society4 ,the former of the two does not come to my recollection so vividly as the latter2 him ,i can now see1 with his pleasant face1 and large spectacles1 mounting1 with a lame foot1 the pulpit stairs of ,st4 ,lawrence's ,church--attired1 not in a white surplice1 but in a black gown3 nothing priestly in his appearance and manner4 ,his sermon was on behalf of the ,society for ,promoting ,christianity among ,jews4 ,he took for his text1 8,for thy servants take pleasure in her stones and favour the dust thereof40 ,with a soft1 winning voice1 and 8a sweet reasonableness0 he discoursed on the interest1 which all ,christians should feel in building up the ,church of ,god1 especially with stones gathered from ruins of the ,house of ,israel4 ,in ,st ,andrew's ,hall he spoke on behalf of the ,bible ,society1 and related a conversation he had on the subject with the ,emperor ,alexander of ,russia1 when he visited ,england after the ,napoleonic wars4 ,he also told touching stories of what the ,word of ,god could do for people amidst sins and sorrows4 ,as to ,charles ,simeon1 whom ,i heard1 he did not penetrate like dew1 but came down with hailstones and coals of fire4 ,at a later period ,episcopalians bestirred themselves in many parts of the country1 and from end to end1 in building and other efforts for church extension1 and ,i recollect ,dean ,alford told me how surprised the ,church ,commissioners were at the liberal response given to challenges for aiding ecclesiastical objects4 ,in #ahfe the old ,act of ,uniformity was modified so as to relieve the consciences of such as scrupled to declare unfeigned consent to everything contained in the ,prayer-,book4 ,now the requirement was an assent to the ,articles1 the ,common ,prayer1 and the ,ordering of ,bishops1 ,priests1 and ,deacons1 and a declaration that the doctrine of the ,establishment was agreeable to the ,word of ,god4 ,in #ahfg a commission was appointed to regulate public worship1 the result of which was unsatisfactory4 ,in former pages of this volume ,i have noticed devoted and exemplary ,churchmen through whom my own soul has been nourished and stimulated4 ,it would be ungrateful not to recognise1 on these pages1 spiritual benefit ,i have derived from sermons preached and books written by living ,churchmen4 ,before ,i close this section of reminiscences touching the ,church of ,england it will be interesting to notice an accession to it of a remarkable person who had previously been a ,dissenter4 ,her name1 now so extensively known1 was ,sarah ,martin4 ,my old friend ,mr4 ,walford often alluded to her in his conversations1 and in his ,autobiography1 written in a series of letters published by his direction1 he gives the following narrative3-- 8,this young woman1 during my residence in ,yarmouth1 supported by her needle both herself and1 ,i think1 also an aged grandmother1 with whom she lived at ,caister1 near ,yarmouth4 ,when ,i first knew her she was1 ,i imagine1 about twenty years of age4 ,she introduced herself to me as one who had been as inconsiderate and negligent of religion1 as she was ignorant of the nature of genuine ,christianity4 ,by some means1 which ,i do not now remember1 she was induced to come to the ,new ,meeting1 where she heard one or more discourses from me1 which1 she assured me1 had produced very deep impressions upon her1 and entirely changed the character of her mind and conduct4 ,she subsequently became a member of the ,church of which ,i was the pastor1 and was most diligent and attentive to the public and private meetings of the ,church4 ,i found her to possess great energy of mind1 by the exercise of which she very soon became well informed in the truths and duties of ,christianity1 and ardently disposed to do any good that was compatible with her station in life4 ,her affection for me was such that it is not too much to say of her1 as ,st4 ,paul did of his converts among the ,galatians1 that1 if it had been possible1 they would have plucked out their own eyes and have given them to him 7,gal4 iv4 #ae74 ,her regard for me1 and the ministry ,i exercised1 continued unalterable through the several years in which ,i resided in ,yarmouth1 after my acquaintance with her commenced4 ,i afterwards saw her several times during occasional visits which ,i made to that place1 when ,i found that she still retained an affectionate remembrance of me40 ,she was in humble circumstances1 and earned a scanty income by the use of her needle2 but she coupled with it extraordinary efforts for the good of others1 and this disposed some ladies1 members of the ,established ,church1 to contribute to her support4 ,this enabled her to devote more time to her charitable work1 and at length she was so absorbed in it that she became a kind of missionary to the inmates of the workhouse and the prisoners in ,yarmouth gaol4 ,she read and explained the ,scriptures to them1 and in devotional service1 she carried on for their spiritual welfare1 she employed parts of the ,church ,prayer-,book4 ,gradually1 ,i infer1 she became attached to those who helped her1 and this association led to her becoming a member of the ,establishment4 ,after her death a commemorative window was placed in ,yarmouth parish church1 and at its reopening1 after a costly restoration1 ,bishop ,wilberforce pronounced an eloquent eulogium on ,sarah ,martin's character4 ,some intimate ,nonconformist friends of mine remained attached to her1 and showed me numerous ,,mss4 in her handwriting4 ,i now return to the ranks of ,dissent and proceed to notice-- ,,ii4 ,english ,presbyterianism4 ,a word on its earlier history will here be appropriate4 ,the ,presbyterians of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries were orthodox4 ,after the ,restoration many of them adhered to the ,westminster ,confession1 but a departure from it1 in some instances1 appeared in the century after4 ,arian and ,socinian opinions began to obtain1 but those who held them claimed connection with the ,presbyterians of the ,commonwealth1 on the ground that they followed such worthies in the exercise of religious freedom and the rights of conscience4 ,their forefathers had repudiated the ,prayer-,book1 and now they1 their sons in the cause of religious freedom1 renounced the ,westminster ,confession4 ,for the most part they remained steadfast in believing ,new ,testament miracles4 ,the ,rev4 ,mr4 ,madge1 a noted ,english ,presbyterian1 sixty or seventy years ago1 said to me once1 he could not understand how a man could be called a ,christian who did not believe in our ,lord's resurrection4 ,during the reign of ,william ,,iv4 the two most prominent ,english ,presbyterians of the old school were the ,rev4 ,mr4 ,aspland and ,mr4 ,madge4 ,the latter ,i knew well4 ,mr4 ,aspland was an eloquent speaker1 and exerted himself conspicuously in the cause of ,unitarianism1 with which he identified the interests of religious freedom4 ,his son1 in writing his father's life1 pourtrays that gentleman's religious connections1 social virtues1 and decision of character2 but does not conceal his warmth of temper1 and dislike to certain eminent ,trinitarians4 ,mr4 ,madge1 before he became minister of ,essex ,street1 ,london1 was for some years settled in my native city1 and presided over a wealthy congregation1 in which were several distinguished literary and artistic people4 ,the ,martineaus1 the ,aldersons1 the ,starks1 and other distinguished families1 were of the number4 ,they worshipped in the ,octagon ,chapel1 as it was called from its architecture1 and for a number of years the building was the most distinguished ,nonconformist place of worship in the eastern capital4 ,it was rather sumptuously fitted up in my boyish days1 and the attendants were not wont to mix much with other ,dissenters4 ,if there were any fault in this1 ,i dare say it was shared on both sides4 ,returning to the ,english ,presbyterians at large1 but especially as they existed in ,london1 ,i must speak of a trust established by ,dr4 ,williams1 of the last century4 ,he was orthodox1 but the administration of funds bequeathed by him came into the hands of those ,presbyterians who deviated from his doctrinal views1 but still retained the ,presbyterian name by which he was known4 ,though ,unitarians in opinion1 they by no means confined their charity to ,unitarian ministers and chapels2 and still the 8,williams' ,scholarships0 are enjoyed by students preparing for orthodox ministrations amongst ,independents4 ,dr4 ,martineau was for some time an administrator of the trust1 but strongly objected to the exclusion of orthodox ministers from its administration4 ,during the last century there were ,presbyterians in ,england holding decidedly ,evangelical views1 and of late there have been numerous congregations gathered1 which1 in their unity1 form what is called 8,the ,presbyterian ,church in ,england40 ,scotch brethren of great renown--,dr4 ,james ,hamilton1 ,dr4 ,young1 and ,dr4 ,archer--,i had the privilege of numbering amongst personal friends1 and they were held in honour by all ,evangelical ,churchmen and ,nonconformists4 ,,iii4 ,another large section of brethren were ,baptists1 distinguished by certain doctrinal and disciplinary views2--the former as ,particular or ,calvinistic1 on the one hand1 and ,general or ,arminian on the other2--the latter as ,open communionists and ,strict communionists4 ,open communionists admit to the ,lord's table those who have not been baptised by immersion2 ,strict communionists confine the ,lord's ,supper to those who have been immersed4 ,such distinctions are now fading away4 ,calvinists and ,arminians are comprehended in the same union1 and ,strict communionists are comparatively few4 ,robert ,hall1 the advocate of ,open communion1 ,i never saw3 he died when ,i was young4 ,joseph ,kinghorn1 his opponent1 a distinguished ,hebrew scholar1 ,i knew well1 as he lived in ,norwich during my boyhood4 ,william ,brock1 who succeeded him1 and afterwards became minister of ,bloomsbury ,chapel1 ,london1 entered the ministry about the same time as ,i did1 and we regarded each other with warm affection4 ,dr4 ,cox and ,dr4 ,steane were widely known in the religious world1 and with both of them ,i entered into a fellowship of work and worship at the opening of chapels and on other public occasions4 ,john ,howard ,hinton was another ,baptist brother1 of whom ,i saw much when he was at ,reading and ,i was at ,windsor4 ,he was more original1 more metaphysical1 more scientific1 and more excitable than others whom ,i have mentioned1 perhaps of a higher intellectual order1 and still greater depth of religious emotion4 ,mr4 ,spurgeon1 who has so recently left the world1 and whose influence and fame extended further than any other ,nonconformist in modern times1 ,i greatly respected and admired2 and though ,i did not share his intimacy1 ,i saw something of him in my own home1 and a little more in his1 where he had a magnificent library1 and received his numerous friends with cordiality4 ,his popularity amongst aristocratic people was1 for a little time1 much greater than is generally supposed1 for ,i was informed by a lady of distinction that for some weeks in his early career he was a leading topic of conversation in upper circles4 ,,iv4 ,i now turn to the ,quaker community4 ,well do ,i remember meetings at the ,goldencroft1 ,norwich1 where1 at the upper end1 sat men and women called ,public ,friends4 ,my mother1 born in #aggj1 told me of yearly meetings held in our old city1 when sometimes ,friends from ,america attended3 and so great was the number of visitors that it raised the market price of provisions4 ,some ladies who came from the other side of the ,atlantic wore dresses with open skirts and green aprons4 ,no bows of ribbon were seen1 while bonnets of black and of lead-coloured silk crowned the heads of young and old4 ,what ,charles ,lamb says in his 8,elia0 corresponds with what ,i recollect1 and what my mother used to tell me1 how 8troops of the shining ones0 were seen walking the streets1 on their way to the house of worship1 where their silence was more eloquent than speech4 ,i have read with sympathy 8,the ,life of ,john ,woolman10 written by himself1 and so warmly recommended by the essayist4 8,get10 says ,charles ,lamb1 8the writings of ,john ,woolman by heart1 and love the early ,quakers40 ,a very serious diversion in theological opinion existed among ,american ,friends early in this century1 and it is because an effect of it appeared in ,england that it is noticed here4 ,a ,french ,friend--the well-known ,stephen ,grellet--travelling in the ,states1 makes this entry in his journal1 under date #ahbb3--8,we proceeded to ,long ,island1 where ,i attended all the meetings1 but here my soul's distress exceeded all ,i had known during the preceding months1 though my baptism had been deep4 ,i found that the greatest part of the members of our ,society and many of the ministers and elders1 are carried away by the principle which ,elias ,hicks has so assiduously propagated among them4 ,he now speaks out boldly1 disguising his sentiments no longer2 he seeks to invalidate the ,holy ,scriptures1 and sets up man's reason as his only guide1 openly denying the divinity of ,christ4 ,i have had many expostulations with him in which ,i have most tenderly pleaded with him1 but all has been in vain40 #cgd ,from what ,i have read in ,american literature touching what is known as the ,hicksite controversy1 it appears to me plainly indicative of a denial among many ,american ,friends1 that ,jesus ,christ1 in the orthodox sense of the term1 was ,divine1 and that ,he did not make any atonement for sin4 ,hicks appears to have been a thorough mystic1 unintelligible to common-sense people4 ,at all events he converted many to his views2 and these views were caught up by some ,friends in this country4 ,to what extent exactly they were adopted in ,england ,i cannot say3 but they created alarm amongst many ,friends on this side the ,atlantic4 ,great sorrow at the abandonment of ,evangelical doctrines led to secessions from ,quakerism on the part of excellent people who had been born and bred in the community4 ,some of them resided1 at the time ,i speak of1 on the borders of ,wales1 others in the county of ,york4 ,they became ,congregationalists1 and in tours on behalf of the ,london ,missionary ,society1 ,i was received hospitably in their homes1 and had gratifying opportunities of witnessing their beautiful ,christian life4 ,joseph ,john ,gurney1 of ,earlham1 felt seriously concerned respecting the ,american defection1 in a community to which he had been attached from childhood4 ,he had studied in the ,university of ,oxford1 had cultivated friendships in other denominations1 was a good classic and ,biblical scholar1 and also an author of theological works4 ,mr4 ,gurney was 8concerned0 about the effect of ,hicksite opinion on ,american and ,english ,friends1 and therefore took up his pen and wrote in reply to the leader who had done so much mischief4 ,mr4 ,gurney1 like his sister ,mrs4 ,fry1 undertook journeys for preaching the ,gospel1 and once he visited ,windsor for that purpose4 ,i was unwell at the time1 but he called and talked by my bedside1 and commended me to ,god in prayer4 ,several ,quaker families at that period were living at ,staines and ,uxbridge2 with them ,i had much intercourse1 especially when we were joined in the advocacy of ,slave ,emancipation4 ,the community1 in both towns now named1 was considerable for numbers and for wealth4 ,friends now dress1 speak and act much like other people4 ,conforming to common custom1 they still eschew all extravagances of fashion4 ,they no longer forfeit membership by 8marrying out of ,society40 8,the ,right ,honourable ,john ,bright0 7how shocked ,george ,fox would have been at the title67 told me once1 that relaxation in strictness as to unimportant points1 had checked a decline in numbers going on before4 ,v4 ,methodism1 of course1 brings to my mind a long train of early associations4 ,not merely names1 but living forms1 of noted preachers belonging to the second decade of this century come back to my recollection4 ,calvert ,street ,chapel was opened about #ahab1 and ,dr4 ,coke preached4 ,i cannot say that ,i remember his sermon2 but1 as noticed already1 ,i distinctly recollect seeing the odd-looking1 diminutive man1 standing on a table talking in the committee room of ,bethel ,hospital #cgg adorned by paintings of foundress and governors4 ,dr4 ,coke energetically addressed on the occasion a number of people1 who had been invited by my grandfather1 to hear the noted advocate of ,methodist missions4 ,many years afterwards ,i mentioned the circumstance to a gentleman1 who at the time took care of the patients1 when he fetched an old committee book1 in which this gathering was noticed1 with a minute expressing the displeasure of the ,governors at such a liberty being taken1 and forbidding anything of the kind in future4 ,the ,wesleyan congregations in ,norwich were then very large1 and local preachers--uncultivated men in humble life--frequently occupied the pulpit in the afternoon service at ,calvert ,street1 and1 remember1 delivered animated discourses likely to do their hearers good4 ,dr4 ,jabez ,bunting was a very influential man among the ,methodists when ,i was young4 ,for many years he was regarded as ruler of the ,connexion1--exerting a despotic sway over the whole body4 ,such general conclusions oftentimes are not fairly drawn from existing facts1 and how far widely extended opinion in the case now noticed1 is justifiable ,i cannot undertake to say4 ,to me he was very agreeable1 and for him ,i had great respect4 ,william ,bunting1 his son1 was of a different stamp from his father1 and though a skilful critic1 he had not his father's gift of authority and rule4 ,before the middle of the century came ,dr4 ,newton1 to open a second chapel1 in the upper part of ,norwich2 his magnificent voice and careful diction produced a powerful effect4 ,i met him in after-life at ,windsor1 when he told me that he was accustomed to leave his home on ,monday morning in the ,manchester circuit1 and travel by coach to the other end of ,england1--perhaps cross over to ,ireland1--and then get back1 at the end of the week1 ready for preaching the next day4 ,he said he weekly delivered five or six sermons1 making them 8on the wheels0 as he went along4 ,he seemed a stranger to physical fatigue4 ,during my ,windsor ministry ,i became acquainted with a noted ,wesleyan1 who was not an itinerant1 but a local1 preacher4 ,he went by the name of 8,billy ,dawson10 and was eminently gifted with humour and pathos4 ,i heard him preach1 and listened to his platform speeches4 ,he was not only naturally eloquent1 but histrionic too2 in speeches and sermons he acted while he spoke4 ,he made you realise what he described4 ,it is said that ,george ,whitefield1 when preaching to sailors1 described a storm at sea so vividly that some of them shouted1 8,take to the long boat40 ,dawson had a like power of realising what he described4 ,he would1 at a missionary meeting1 make a telescope of his resolution1 and putting it to one of his eyes1 describe what he saw in imagination1--perhaps a picture of the millennium drawn from ,isaiah's prophecies4 ,i was young1 just come from college1 at the time ,i speak of1 and made a speech in which ,i used some words which were not so plain as they might have been4 ,after the meeting he spoke to me kindly1 suggesting equivalent terms in plain ,saxon4 ,it was a good lesson for an unfledged bird4 ,when ,i was a member of the ,wesleyan ,society1 ,i attended class according to rule1 and ,i found the practice beneficial1 inasmuch as it was a constant spur to self-examination4 ,the primitive agape1 revived amongst the ,methodists1 exists under the name of love-feast1 at which1 together with eating bread and drinking water as an expression of fellowship1 men and women are accustomed voluntarily to rise1 and give some account of their religious experience for edification to others4 ,these addresses ,i found often interesting and useful4 ,by such means1 a habit of spiritual intercommunication amongst ,methodists is kept alive2 beneficial in some cases no doubt1 but liable to abuse in others1 as most good things are4 ,i am constrained to relate how this habit on the bright side manifested itself on a private occasion during a meeting of ,conference in ,london4 ,dr4 ,jobson1 an eminent ,wesleyan1 invited a party of friends to his house4 ,he kindly included me in the number1 and ,i found at his hospitable board the ,president for the year1 and some ex-presidents4 ,together with them1 ,drs4 ,binney1 ,raleigh1 ,allon1 and ,donald ,fraser were present4 ,our host was a thorough ,methodist1 and very comprehensive in his sympathies1 for he had mixed with different denominations4 ,he had many friends in the ,establishment1 and in early life had studied under an eminent ,roman ,catholic architect1 at whose house he met bishops and priests of that communion4 ,on the occasion ,i refer to1 he in an easy way initiated a conversation which ,i can never forget4 ,he appealed to his guests1 one by one1 for some account of their religious life4 ,all readily responded2 and this is most remarkable1--all who spoke attributed to ,methodism spiritual influence of a decisive kind4 ,to use ,wesleyan phraseology1 most of them had been 8brought to ,god0 through ,methodist instrumentality4 ,dr4 ,osborne was present1 and made some remarks1 at the close of which1 with choked utterance1 he repeated the verse-- 8,and if our fellowship below1 ,in ,jesus be so sweet1 ,what heights of rapture shall we know1 ,when round the throne we meet80 ,the ,norwich ,methodists were chiefly humble folks with a sprinkling of some in better circumstances2 their habits were very simple and they looked upon some who made money as becoming 8worldly10 or at least1 as exposed to temptation4 ,at that time1 however1 such as possessed social comforts could not be justly charged with conformity to the course of this world2 and over their little gatherings in one another's houses there was shed a religious atmosphere such as was breathed in class and love-feast4 ,early in the century on a ,sunday1 between afternoon and evening service1 there might be a large tea-party1 where the preacher1 a class-leader1 and other members of ,society would talk and pray and sing1 till it was time to go to evening service at chapel4 ,this communion seems to me now as ,i think of it such as is described in ,malachi3 8,then they that feared the ,lord spake often one to another1 and the ,lord hearkened and heard it2 and a book of remembrance was written before ,him for them that feared the ,lord and that thought upon ,his name2 and they shall be ,mine1 saith the ,lord of hosts1 in that day when ,i make up ,my jewels1 and ,i will spare them as a man spareth his own son that serveth him40 ,worldly prosperity has since fallen to the lot of not a few ,methodists1 and the usual temptations surrounding wealth have tested their character2 but ,i am thankful to say1 amongst those whom ,i have visited1 ,i have found beautiful instances of adherence to religious principles4 ,i may mention a friend already noticed1 ,sir ,william ,mc,arthur1 ,k4,c4,m4,g4 ,when ,lord ,mayor of ,london he continued his previous ,wesleyan duties2 and whilst bountiful in his hospitality eschewed usages of a fashionable kind4 ,in his year of office the cumenical ,conference was held1 and during its meetings repeated ,mansion ,house invitations were given to friends in sympathy with ,evangelical religion4 ,i attended his funeral1 and in his residence on ,notting ,hill a large number of mourners assembled1 and we had a short devotional service together1 very touching1 tender1 and beautiful4 ,my personal recollections of ,methodism1 which roll back more than seventy years ago1 linger round ,yarmouth and ,norwich4 ,at ,yarmouth ,i used to worship on a ,sunday in a curious old-fashioned square chapel1 with galleries on the four sides4 ,there was a deep one opposite the two entrance doors1 and attached to the front of that gallery was a pulpit--by what means1 as a boy1 ,i never could make out4 ,the preacher ascended from behind by a staircase1 invisible to the congregation1 and then from the top of the staircase descended by two or three steps into a curiously shaped pulpit4 ,i distinctly recollect the venerable ,joseph ,benson1 then a patriarch1 who had been associated with ,methodists in ,john ,wesley's time4 ,i think ,i see him now1 of slender frame1 venerable aspect1 and wearing a coat of dark purple4 ,of course ,i have no recollection of what he said1 but he was regarded as a saintly man in those days4 ,in the autumn ,yarmouth was frequented by a number of mariners from the north--coblemen they were called--who had come to fish for herrings off the ,yarmouth coast4 ,they were staunch ,methodists1 and used to hold a prayer-meeting after the general service4 ,how those men used to pray with stentorian voice1 which called forth loud 8,amens0 from voices all over the chapel6 ,in ,calvert ,street1 ,norwich1 there used to be special services on ,christmas-day4 ,after a prayer-meeting at six o'clock in the morning there was preaching at seven o'clock1 when hymns appropriate to the season were sung1 accompanied by violins and wind instruments of different kinds4 ,i did not fail1 between five and six o'clock1 to rise and cross the city in order to be in good time for these services4 ,they usually commenced with the hymn-- 8,christians1 awake1 salute the happy morn ,whereon the ,saviour of mankind was born2 ,rise to adore the mystery of love1 ,which hosts of angels chanted from above2 ,with them the joyful tidings first begun ,of ,god incarnate and the ,virgin's son4 8,then to the watchful shepherds it was told1 ,who heard the angelic herald's voice3 #8,behold1 ,i bring good tidings of a ,saviour's birth1 ,to you and all the nations upon earth3 ,this day hath ,god fulfilled ,his promised word1 ,this day is born a ,saviour1 ,christ the ,lord4'0 ,with the ,methodist chapel in ,calvert ,street my earliest religious thoughts are connected4 ,watch-nights and love-feasts1 are sacred in my recollection4 ,,vi4 ,respecting the ,congregationalist denomination1 of which ,i have spoken already1 let me add that in #ahgg ,i was requested by ,dr4 ,schaff1 of ,new ,york1 to give my impression of prevalent beliefs amongst us4 ,i replied as follows3 8,looking at the principles of ,congregationalism1 which involve the repudiation of all human authority in matters of religion1 it is impossible to believe that persons holding those principles can consistently regard any ecclesiastical creed or symbol in the same way as ,catholics1 whether ,roman or ,anglican1 regard the creeds of the ancient ,church4 ,there is a strong feeling against the use of such documents for the purpose of defining limits of religious communion1 or for the purpose of checking the exercise of free inquiry2 and there is also a widespread conviction that it is impossible to reduce the expression of ,christian belief to a series of logical propositions1 so as to preserve and represent the full spirit of ,gospel truth40 7,see ,schaff's 8,creeds of ,christendom10 p4 #hcc47 ,no doubt there may be heard in some circles loose conversation1 seeming to indicate such a repugnance to creeds as would imply a dislike to all formal definitions of ,christian doctrine2 but ,i apprehend the prevailing sentiment relative to this subject among our ministers and churches does not go beyond the point just indicated4 ,many of them consider that while creeds are objectionable as tests1 and imperfect as confessions1 they may have a certain value as manifestoes of conviction1 on the part of different communities4 ,some people write and talk on the subject of present opinion1 with a positiveness which only omniscience could warrant4 ,no mortal can know what is going on in the minds of thousands1 touching momentous subjects2 yet such knowledge is requisite for the confident conclusions of certain critics4 ,we may speak decidedly of what is commonly taught in a community1 yet this should be done with qualifications and no farther4 ,silence on momentous points may prove a loss as to the full wealth of theology2 but ,i am thankful for gain at the present day in richer views than formerly of our ,lord's character1 and the bearing of it upon life and conduct4 ,let me add1 however1 if ,redemption in all its fulness be not prominent in pulpit ministrations1 power will be gone4 ,some suppose we are making theological advance1 and that discoveries are opening akin to those in physical science2 but people who have more carefully surveyed the wide field1 and more observantly studied the history of religious thought1 discover that much as seen at first sight1 is chiefly a falling back upon what was old and forgotten4 ,in closing what ,i have to say of modern ,congregationalists1 ,i venture to notice deceased ministers whom it has been a privilege to number amongst my friends4 ,i knew but slightly the ,rev4 ,william ,jay of ,bath4 ,he has been incidentally noticed in these pages already1 for he was old when ,i was young4 ,he rose from a lowly rank in life to be regarded as teacher and companion by the intellectual and noble4 ,mrs4 ,hannah ,more valued his ministrations and cultivated his society4 ,wilberforce used to attend his chapel when staying at ,bath2 and an ,indian ruler1 when in ,england1 went to hear him at ,surrey ,chapel1 and expressed great admiration of the sermon4 ,the next to be mentioned is ,john ,angell ,james of ,birmingham4 ,i remember perfectly well the first sermon ,i heard him preach when ,i was a student4 ,the text was3 8,our conversation 7or citizenship7 is in heaven40 ,his voice was richly toned--a genuine birth gift improved by culture4 ,he introduced the following illustration3 ,a pilgrim in the ,middle ,ages1 on his way to ,jerusalem1 passed through ,constantinople4 ,a friend took him from street to street1 pausing to point out attractions1 in magnificent buildings1 and the rich scenery of the ,golden ,horn4 ,he wondered the traveller was not enchanted4 ,the latter replied3 8,yes1 all very fine1 but it is not the ,holy ,city40 ,the application was obvious and well enforced4 ,dr4 ,raffles of ,liverpool--noticed already as one of my companions to ,rome--and ,dr4 ,hamilton of ,leeds1 well known throughout ,england1 won the affections of their people by sympathetic intercourse1 and interested them by eloquent instructions and appeals4 ,the former enunciated his carefully prepared periods with a voice naturally musical1 the latter delivered his thoughts in condensed sentences1 which reminded one of a person taking very short steps4 ,there was an intellectual power in the sermons of the last-named1 not indicated in those of the former4 ,john ,alexander of ,norwich ,i cannot pass by without notice4 ,like ,david1 he was a youth with ruddy countenance4 ,his speech throughout a sermon fell gentle as a snowflake1 without any coldness of touch4 ,he read much1 and made good use of what he read4 ,the charm of his private life and conversation exceeded the effect of his public ministry1 though that was great4 ,i must mention another name4 ,john ,harris was for some years a secluded pastor at ,epsom1 little known4 ,he wrote 8,the ,great ,teacher10 but though far above the common level of such literature1 it made little impression1 compared with its merits4 ,a prize was offered for an essay on ,covetousness and ,christian ,liberality4 ,harris won the prize1 and printed the essay4 ,the effect was instantaneous4 ,the book sold edition after edition1 and the author's name became generally familiar4 ,requests for his services were universal4 ,he was everywhere talked about1 and when he preached places were crowded4 ,his popularity lasted as long as he lived1 but he died when he was fifty-four4 ,he was unassuming1 kind-hearted1 generous to poor ministers1 genial in conversation1 and beloved by all who knew him4 ,another brother must be mentioned--,baldwin ,brown--of superior intellectual type1 well educated1 an extensive reader1 and one who delighted in a large circle of sympathetic friends4 ,he gathered round him a good congregation1 composed chiefly of thoughtful people1 who became assimilated to his characteristic teachings4 ,he wore himself out by incessant study and pulpit service4 ,i must not pass by ,david ,thomas of ,bristol1 my fellow-student and friend through life1 whose elevated and genial character won from a wide circle warm attachment1 and whose unique pulpit power captivated all capable of sympathising with one so thoughtful and so good4 ,nor can ,i omit ,alexander ,raleigh1 my successor for a short period at ,kensington1 who fulfilled a ministry dear to many who listened with delight to his characteristic teaching4 ,the last name ,i mention is that of ,samuel ,martin1 minister at ,westminster ,chapel4 ,he had gifts of a peculiar description1 which marked him off1 and made him stand by himself1 both as minister and man4 ,his appearance1 voice1 manner1 habits1 were all his own4 ,he lived for his ,church1 in whose interests he was thoroughly absorbed4 ,no one not intimately acquainted with him could have an adequate idea how he loved his flock1 and lived for their welfare week by week4 ,i had reverent affection for him as a saintly man1 and ,i witnessed evidence amongst his large circle1 in town and country1 how he watched for souls as one that must give an account4 ,his congregation during ,parliament months included several ,m4,p4's1 whom he gathered together for patriotic prayer4 ,his neighbour1 ,dr4 ,stanley1 had a reverent regard for ,mr4 ,martin1 and ,i know that the ,dean and ,lady ,augusta went to ,westminster ,chapel to hear his voice and worship with his people4 ,he spoke to me of him in terms of strong affection1 also telling me of a brother clergyman who1 after a visit to his sick chamber1 pronounced him one of the most saintly men he had ever seen4 99 99 99 99 99 ,printed by ,hazell1 ,watson1 ,viney1 ,ld41 ,london and ,aylesbury4 ,,footnotes #gg ,faulkener's 8,history and ,antiquities of ,kensington10 p4 #cag4 #gh #ahic4 #hj 8,christian ,workers of the ,nineteenth ,century10 ,s4,p4,c4,k41 p4 #baf4 #hh;a 8,life of ,e4 ,b4 ,pusey10 i4 #ccf4 #hh;b ,ibid41 ii4 #cc4 #hi 8,life of ,pusey10 ii4 #h4 #abf ,early ,independent ,churches had been particular in their relations to one another2 and they would not recognise new communities without satisfactory evidence of character1 principles1 and conduct4 ,they became more isolated afterwards4 #agf;a ,now ,archbishop of ,york4 #agf;b ,a very good account of this under the title of 8,lectures on ,bible ,revision10 has been published by my excellent friend and late colleague at ,new ,college1 ,principal ,newth1 ,d4,d4 #ahc 8,memorials of a ,quiet ,life10 i4 #bcg4 #ahd ,dr4 ,raleigh1 ,sir ,charles ,reed1 and others1 were examined4 #aic ,that was whilst ,i was in full work at ,kensington1 and not very long after our new chapel was built1 while a debt of #ajjj rested on it4 ,i said ,i could not leave my charge whilst that debt remained4 ,as soon as ,i had declined the ,new ,college principalship1 my congregation swept off the debt as expressive of gratitude for my remaining amongst them4 #aig 8,ecce ,homo10 chap4 iv4 #bcj ,written about #ahhc4 #bcc ,i am glad that at ,kensington1 a liturgical element has been introduced1 such as ,i should have approved1 but could not accomplish1 because ,i knew it would then be disapproved by many4 #bdh ,with a short ,memoir by ,robert ,hall4 #bej ,in what ,i have ventured to say about pulpit preparation ,i have hoped to help my younger ministerial brethren4 #beb 8,homes and ,haunts of ,martin ,luther10 p4 #d4 #bfh ,since my visit to ,ban de la ,roche ,i discovered that1 in a part of the country not far off1 an ,irish missionary1 ,columbanus1 in the sixth century laboured for the temporal1 as well as the spiritual1 welfare of the people4 ,see ,wolf's 8,country of the ,vosges10 p4 #bad4 #cae ,eusebius1 8,eccl4 ,hist410 ,v4 ,i1 #b4 #caf ,pastor and ,madame ,rodriguez4 #cah ,de ,aniccio1 8,l',espagne traduit de ,italien40 #cbi 8,life of ,wilkie10 p4 #dgb4 #ccc ,i have gone into this story in my 8,spanish ,reformers10 p4 #ahe4 #cgd 8,memoirs of ,stephen ,grellet10 vol4 ii41 #acj4 #cgg ,see page #b4