fifth to the close of the eighth chapter, that I felt the influences of the Holy Spirit enlightening my mind; I seemed to live in another world, the darkness filed away from my intellect, my soul was in extacy-I was able to appreciate the light and beauties of the gospel. For many weeks I could not proceed any farther, I was so engrossed with the reasoning in these chapters; and though I dared not utter my sentiments, many and warm were the contests that occupied my thoughts. The infamous Bull of Gregory XVI. to force the Roman Catholics of Poland to obey the Czar in everything; induced him to order, not only the Romanists, but even Jews and Protestants, to embrace the most degrading faith of his abominable church. Every cruelty, barbarity, trick, and cunningness were used to reduce all the Sclavonian nations into social and religious bondage to the Czar; a proclamation was issued to all the Protestant, Jewish, and Roman priests, to bow to him as their earthly god, whilst the government of St. Petersburgh ordered the incarceration of every priest who should be so wicked as not to obey the friendly advices of the renegade bishops. A great number renounced their priesthood to evade persecutions, and still more tried to seek safety by leaving their homes and country.

All the priests of my diocese rallied round my Bishop Gutlowski, to decide what course they must pursue. Our first step was to write a work in defence of Christianity, without mentioning any particular church. This task was confided to me, and in a few days I presented the manuscript to the bishop, who approved and ordered it to be printed. No sooner was it out than the bishop was sent prisoner to Mogilow, where he was most cruelly treated during two years. At the request of the Czar, the Pope sent a letter to this worthy man, intimating, that he had better either obey the emperor, or resign the bishop's title for a pension, on condition to leave the country. Upon the receipt of such paternal order, the bishop instantly disrobed himself, exclaiming as he did so, "Is it thus that the head, the father of religion, acts? Then away with the Romish and Greek churches, I will belong to neither! Away with the garb and the pension! I would rather die in exile and poverty, than remain longer in any church save the church of the apostles, which is the church of Christ." An escort arrived, and he was chased away as a vagrant out of the city, and lives now in Galicia, in the town of Lwow, named by the Austrians, Lemberg.

I then wrote another book on the same subject, which was printed and circulated; in consequence of which, enquiry was made, and the writer soon discovered. I was then imprisoned in my own house, having a military guard stationed at my door. This was kept up for six months, during which time I was frequently questioned by the

commissioners why I wrote against the churches? I answered them to this effect; shewing them my Bible, I said, "It is here that I find which is the true church: what I have said I mean, although my life should pay the forfeit." They answered me by saying, "You are as foolish as your bishop; of course, then, you are ready for the same reward?" I replied, "Yes, that or any other for Christ." This closed the conversation; but at midnight, there came four gens d'armes, six cossacks, and one officer, with a kibitka, which is a prison carriage for conveying prisoners to Siberia. The officer entered my room, and standing before me, with a pistol in one hand, and a written order in the other, read to me the mandate, enjoining silence on pain of his firing on me. I was at liberty to take with me whatever I chose; but I was to be conveyed to the commissioner of justice, though I did not know his residence. I was placed in the carriage, and without knowing where, travelled for several days without a light, till we came to the town of Minsk, in North Lithuania. Here I remained some time, till one evening at ten o'clock, a carriage came to the door, and the officer giving a written order to the keeper of the prison, he brought a heavy chain, with which he bound me. I was carried off to Tobolsk. During the whole of the way I was not allowed to see the light, and upon arriving at Tobolsk, the prison presented itself to my view. It had indeed a terrific appearance; its massive gates-its high walls, were apparently too great to be scaled or escaped from. The third day after my arrival I was taken before the commissioner, same questions that had already been put to me.

same answers.

who asked me the To these I gave the

He then read me the decree, that my dress was to be taken from me, and that I was to be habited in the prison garb, with this difference, that the cross was to be imprinted on the breast with red cloth. I was to be put to hard labor; my food was to be of the commonest sort, and very limited in allowance. At the expiration of a week the governor searched every prisoner, to ascertain if any of us possessed money. I had, however, taken the precaution before his arrival, to secrete my money in paper, in a beam of the roofing. I was then removed to another cell, where there were ten priests, seven of them Roman Catholics, and three Protestants, who ordered me to perform the same work in which they themselves were engaged, cutting wood from morning till evening.

(To be concluded next month.)

POETRY.

味

THE SHEPHERDS OF BETHLEHEM.

WHAT was that light,

Streaming like mid-day glory from the skies
Upon the shepherds, who kept watch by night
On Bethlehem's silent plains with sleepless eyes?
Was it the sun

Or moon, or star, or brilliant meteor there,
That through the trackless realms of space had come
To pierce the darkness of the midnight air?
Oh! brighter far

Was that effulgent blaze of dazzling light,
Than moon, or meteor, sun, or sparkling star
That e'er on earth illumed the day or night.
The shepherds stood

Appalled and fearful at the wondrous sight-
That burst upon their midnight solitude,
And turned the ebon darkness into light.
But soon a voice-

An angel's voice, the solemn stillness broke.
His blessed accents bade their hearts rejoice,
And calm and comforting the words he spoke.
"Fear not," he said,

"Good tidings of great joy I bring for thee,
"A Saviour born in Bethlehem's manger laid,
"Shall set the world from sin's deep thraldom free.”
He paused, and then

The heavenly host joined in a loud acclaim,
"Good will on earth, and peace toward all men,
"And highest glory to God's sacred name."
How blessed, he

Who looked and listened in that wondrous hour!
In the dread presence of that company,
Chaunting the praises of Almighty Power.
And doubly blest

Will be the souls, that on the last great day,
Sinless shall enter on the promised rest,

Through Him who then assumed our mortal clay.

ANNIE WHITE.

ARE THEY NOT MINISTERING SPIRITS?

AND is there care in heaven? and is there love

In heavenly spirits, to these creatures base,
That may compassion of their evils move?
There is :-else much more wretched were the case
Of men, than beasts; but O! the exceeding grace
Of highest God! that loves his creatures so,
And all his workes with mercy doth embrace,
That blessed angels he sends to and fro'

To serve to wicked man,—to serve his wicked foe.
How oft do they their silver bowers leave,
To come to succour us that succour want!
How oft do they, with golden pinions, cleave
The flitting skyes, like flying pursuivant
Against fowle feendes to ayd us, militant;
They for us fight, they watch, and dewly ward,
And their bright squadrons round about us plant,
And all for love, and nothing for reward;

O why should heavenly God to men have such regard!

Spenser.

THE FLOWERS OF EARTH AND HEAVEN.

A sunbeam fell upon a snowy mound,—

It quickly melted 'neath that shining ray,
And dark and desolate it left the ground
When it had faded from that spot away.
But soon a plant its lovely leaves put forth,
And in the centre of its tufted green,
Fair as the purest pearl of matchless worth,

A snow-drop's dazzling, low-bowed head, was seen.
A sunbeam fell upon a hardened heart;

Its worldly pleasures faded quickly then,

Conscience was roused; yet hard it seemed to part
From all the tempting joys of worldly men.

But soon a plant sprung up of spotless hue,

And bore a flower-Peace was its blessed name

Its leaves expanded daily as it grew,

And holy now that once hard heart became.

ANNIE WHITE.