in Lower Egypt, which was considered one of the grandest cities in the world. It was noted for its magnificent library, which is said to have contained nearly 700,000 volumes, which were all destroyed in the wars of Julius Cæsar and the Saracens. Egypt is much celebrated for its pyramids, which were considered one of the seven wonders of the world. The basis of the largest occupies eleven acres of ground, and its perpendicular height is 500 feet. To the west of the Red Sea, and to the south of Egypt, lay the country of Ethiopia. In the mountains of this country, the river Nile has its source. To the west of Egypt was the country of Lybia, which extended along the Mediterranean as far as the Great Syrtis. In Lybia, was the noted city of Cyrene, which was the native place of Simon, whom the Jews compelled to carry our Saviour's cross.

To the north-west of Syria was the country of Asia-Minor, which lay between the Mediterranean and Black Seas. It was divided into the provinces of Cilicia, Pamphylia, and Lycia, which bordered on the Mediterranean; Caria, Lydia, and Mysia, which bordered on the Ægean Sea; Bithynia, Paphlagonia, and Pontus, which bordered on the Black Sea;

Galatia, Cappadocia, Lycaonia, Pisidia, and Phrygia, which were interior provinces. Asia, when mentioned in the New Testament, generally comprehends only the provinces of Phrygia, Alysia, Caria, and Lydia. In these provinces were the cities of Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamus, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea, in which were the seven noted churches of Asia, to which the apostle John sent the seven epistles. The city of Ephesus was celebrated for a magnificent temple, dedicated to the goddess Diana, whom the Ephe sians regarded as the principal object of worship. This temple is said, by some of our an→ · cient authors, to have been the most celebrated building of antiquity. They assert that it was 425 feet long, 220 broad, and supported by 127 elegant marble pillars seventy feet in height; and the time occupied in building it was 200 years. The apostle Paul visited Ephesus twice, the last time staying about two years, preaching and working miracles, which were attended with great success. Ephesus now consists of a few mean cottages, inhabited principally by herdsmen and farmers. In Cilicia was the town of Tarsus, which was the birth-place of St. Paul. In the province of

Pisidia, was the city of Antioch. Paul and Barnabas visited this city, and converted great numbers by their preaching, which so enraged the unbelieving Jews, that they prevailed on the chief men of the city to expel Paul and Barnabas from the country. They then went into the city of Iconium, where they preached and worked miracles, and converted multitudes, both Jews and Gentiles. But the unbelieving Jews stirred up the Gentiles to persecute the apostles, therefore they were obliged to fly for refuge to the neighbouring cities of Lystra and Derbe. At Lystra, Paul healed a man who had been a cripple from his birth, at which the people were so amazed that they supposed them to be Gods, and began to pay them divine honours, which the apostles found some difficulty in repressing. In the province of Mysia was the city of Troas, where Paul was directed by a vision to go into Macedonia.

To the west of Asia Minor was the Ægean Sea, in which were the islands of Samothracia, Samos, and Patmos, to the last of which the apostle John was banished, during which time he received his revelations.

To the west of the Egean Sea was the

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country of Greece, of which the chief city was Athens. The inhabitants of this city were much celebrated for their learning and refinement, but their religion was the grossest idolatry. The apostle Paul visited Athens, and endeavoured to introduce among the Athenians the worship of the true God, for which he was brought, before the court of the Areopagus. He there delivered a noble discourse, which was the means of converting Dionysias, one of the judges.

On the isthmus joining the Pelaponnesus to the west of Greece, was the city of Corinth, which was the most wealthy city in Greece. Here St. Paul preached with great success, but suffered much persecution from the Jews.

To the north of Greece was the province of Macedonia, the capital of which was Thessalonica. In this city the apostle's preaching was the means of converting great numbers, which so much displeased many of the Jews, that they raised a great disturbance in the city, which caused Paul and his companion to retreat to the town of Berea, which was a few miles south-west of Thessalonica. Here the apostles laboured with great success; for we

read that they searched the scriptures daily, to see if those things which the apostles delivered unto them were true.

Philippi was a noted city of Macedonia. In this city, St. Paul's preaching was attended with the conversion of Lydia and her household, and many others. To the north-west of Macedonia was the province of Illyricum, the southern part of which was called Dalmatia. To the west of Macedonia and Illyricum was the Adriatic Sea, which separates them from Italy. The capital city of Italy is Rome, which was once the metropolis of the world. The apostle Paul being unjustly accused of persuading the Jews to renounce the Mosaic ceremonies, went to Rome, in order to appeal to the emperor. He staid at Rome for about two years, during which time, though he was in imprisonment, he preached the gospel with abundant success. The apostle was in Rome at the time of the general persecution of the Christians under Nero, when he and the apostle Peter suffered martyrdom. To the south-west of Italy is the island of Sicily, in which was the town of Syracuse, at which St. Paul halted on his journey to Rome. To the south of Sicily was the island of Melita, on which St. Paul