text says "entreating" the Pope of Rome "that by his command he might be made a Christian;" but his confusion would arise entirely from putting his own construction on Bede's words. The "be made a Christian :" it says nothing whatever about being "made a Roman Catholic." Those who infer the latter add to the text in a most unwarrantable manner. Contemporaneous histories state that Eleutherius sent two Papal emissaries -SS. Fugatius and Damianus-to Lucius. This was probably done with a deeply-laid plan of making that king a Papist; but for once crafty Rome outwitted itself, and in attempting to make a Roman Catholic, accidentally made a Christian. Alban being yet a pagan, at the time when the cruelties of wicked princes were raging against Christians, gave entertainment in his house to a certain clergyman.2 2 Few historical incidents have been more perverted than the history of St. Alban. The unprejudiced reader might hardly be persuaded to believe that Romanists have claimed St. Alban as one of their saints. Yet so it is! Away with the thought, and let us contemplate this most interesting story in its true light. Who was Alban? A pagan. Who was the certain clergyman ? A clergyman of the British Church, and hence a clergyman of the Established Church of England. What brought the blessing of conversion to Alban ? Entertaining his clergyman. For what did Alban subsequently suffer martyrdom? Entertaining his clergyman. For what object, then, should the modern Christian strive with might and main? To entertain his clergyman! Let us for a moment imagine ourselves upon the rising ground above the vale of Varlingacestir. The fertile plain beneath our feet is clothed with. the primeval oak, and with virgin verdure as yet unturned by the ploughshare. Here meanders the tortuous river; there rises aloft the wooded knoll; on this side a noble stag, startled at our unwonted appearance, bounds nimbly down the hill into the vale below; on that the wild horse whinnies to his fellow. But what is that we see nestled among the clustering beeches? It is a house-the home of Alban. do we find in the house? And who A clergy man! It is sweet to contemplate that clergyman. Nay, may we not even imagine him in the becoming garb of our own days, and, in our mind's eye, picture him, "all umbrella and spectacles," hurrying, hot, breathless and perspiring, into the house of Alban with his enemies at his coat-tails. This man he observed to be engaged in continual prayer and watching day and night.3 3 By "day and night," we are to understand that the clergyman read family prayers night and morning for the household of Alban; by his "watching," that he was ever nervously cutors. fearing the appearance of his perseHow beautifully this demonstrates the similarity between the British clergyman of the fourth and the nineteenth centuries—alike nervous; alike reading family prayers night and morning to the households of their hosts! The aforesaid clergyman having been some days entertained by him, it came to the ears of the wicked prince that this holy confessor of Christ, whose time of martyrdom had not yet come, was concealed at Alban's house. Whereupon he sent some soldiers to make a strict search after him. When they came to the martyr's house, St. Alban immediately B |