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soul, and this by a very beautiful descrip-| tion of the progress of the pardoned spirit. It winds up by a solemn expression of assurance that the deity will not refuse to forgive the man for whom the whole tribe has thus prayed. No sooner has the chief finished, than the person next in dignity steps forward and repeats the confession again, placing his hand upon the head of the calf. A second time, therefore, are the sins of the deceased placed on the scape-calf. A third time is it done. Then the calf is led to the outskirts of the assembly and turned loose. It has become sacred, and may never be called the property of any man, or feel the yoke upon his neck. The usual fate of the scape-calf is, doubtless, to become the prey of the tigers that abound on the hills.

The song is chanted by the performer. The portions marked as chorus are repeated by all the people, so that there is a continual chant and refrain, in which the assembly becomes as one man : —

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E'en all the thirteen hundred sins That can be done by mortal man May stain the soul that fled today.

Stay not their flight to God's pure feet.

Chorus. Stay not their flight. He killed the crawling snake.

Chorus. It is a sin. The creeping lizard slew. Chorus. It is a sin.

. Also the harmless frog. Chorus. It is a sin.

Of brothers he told tales.

Chorus It is a sin.

The landmark stone he moved.

Chorus. It is a sin.

Called in the Sirca's aid.

Chorus. It is a sin.

Put poison in the milk.

Chorus. It is a sin.

To strangers straying on the hills He offered aid but guided wrong. Chorus. It is a sin.

His sister's tender love he scorned And showed his teeth at her in

rage.

Chorus. It is a sin.

He dared to drain the pendent teats Of holy cow in sacred fold.

Chorus. It is a sin.

The glorious sun shone warm and bright

He turned his back towards its beams.

Chorus. It is a sin.

Ere drinking from the bubbling brook

He made no bow of gratitude.

Chorus. It is a sin.
His envy rose against the man
Who owned a fruitful buffalo.

Chorus. It is a sin.

He bound with cords and made to plough

The budding ox too young to work. Chorus. It is a sin.

While yet his wife dwelt in the house

He lusted for a younger bride.
Chorus. It is a sin.

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rage

He tore his cloth from side to side.
Chorus. It is a sin.

The father of his wife sat on the
floor,

Yet he reclined on bench or couch.

Chorus. It is a sin.

He cut the bund around a tank,
Set free the living water's store.
Chorus. It is a sin.
Against the mother of his life
He lifted up a coward foot.
Chorus. It is a sin.

Prayer. What though he sinned so much,
Or that his parents sinned?

What though the sins' long score
Was thirteen hundred crimes?

Oh! let them every one
Fly swift to Basva's feet.
Chorus. Fly swift.
The chamber dark of death
Shall open to his soul,
The sea shall rise in waves,
Surround on every side,
But yet that awful bridge,
No thicker than a thread,
Shall stand both firm and strong.
The yawning dragon's mouth
Is shut-it brings no fear.
The palaces of heaven
Threw open all their doors.

Chorus. Open all their doors.

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too, where both ceremonial and song can have come from. It is no Turanian idea. That is clear. It is almost too deep in its denunciation of sin even for an Aryan nation. We can think of no parallel but in Semitic tribes. Even the minor ideas seem Semitic. The burning pillar which each has to clasp the righteous coming unhurt through the ordeal - reminds of the pillar of fire that burned in Horeb and again in the wilderness of Sinai. The thread bridge recalls the sharp sword that spans the Mahometan gulf. Yet there is no shred of evidence to connect the Badagas with any Semitic race. Their language is purely Aryan, and abounds with words that preserve in Southern India forms that seemed lost for ever with the ancient Gothic. But the subject must not tempt us on. May the hope be indulged that these specimens of the folk-songs of Southern India may tempt others to dig in the same productive mine, and show us how and when our Dravidian cousins separated from the parent stock?

AT the meeting of the French Academies the Minister of Public Instruction, who presided, stated that owing to the exertions of the two committees appointed at the beginning of the siege of Paris to take measures for the preservation of the works of art and literature in and near the city, none of the collections or monuments were at all injured during the siege. The civil conflict however which followed, was more disastrous:

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It destroyed to the last leaf several of our great collections of books- - the library of the Louvre, those of the Hôtel de Ville, Prefecture of Police, and of the Council of State. We have lost at the Gobelins magnificent tapestries executed after Raphael, Boucher, Lancret and several modern masters. Two hundred and twenty-two ancient tapestries, monuments of that art in which we have so few rivals, have disappeared in the flames. Lastly, the directors of the Observatory inform us of the destruction of two instruments of geodesy and an astronomic clock. The great equatorial has been considerably damaged, but not in the most essential portions. A broken window and the disappearance of a few articles do not forbid us from saying that we have saved entire the Museum of Medals. The manufactory of the Gobelins, which at first was believed to have been destroyed, and which has suffered cruel losses, has been able to resume its operations, and is to-day in full activity.'

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Respecting projects of restoration he added: "It is said that the Municipal Council of the

Seine has resolved to reconstruct the Hôtel de Ville according to the conceptions of Domenico di Cortona. One of our greatest artists will restore to us the Tuileries in the elegant form devised by Philibert Delorme. Open arcades, supplying the place of the solid buildings raised by Jean Bullant and Père Ducerceau, will connect the new palace with the two great wings of the Louvre, and will bring the Place du Carrousel in direct communication with the gardens."

Ir is pretty well known to students of German art that Lucas Cranach, the most prolific of Saxon painters, lived and died at Wittenberg, where he was in such esteem as to be twice elected to the office of burgomaster. Less known is the fact that Lucas Cranach kept an apothecary's shop. This shop, called the "Adler," was at the south-west corner of the market-place of Wittenberg, and was first opened by Cranach in 1520. The house above the shop, restored to something of its original state in 1723, was that in which Lucas Cranach lived; it was also that in which his son, Lucas Cranach the younger, burgomaster of Wittenberg, died in 1586. On the 26th of September a fire broke out in the " Cranach "house and reduced it to ashes, and so one more of the classic edifices of the time of the Reformation is lost to us.

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CHAPTER XV.

A VERDICT ON THE JURY.

furnished these things in a handsome manner, from his own great house some five miles distant. But in spite of the As to the second inquest, I promised custom of the country, I was for keeping (as you may remember) to tell something away from it all, upon so sad an occasion. also. But in serious truth, if I saw a And one or two more were for holding chance to escape it, without skulking aloof, although they cast sheep's-eyes at watch, I would liefer be anywhere else al-it. most except in a French prison. After recording with much satisfaction our verdict upon Bardie's brother which nearly all of us were certain that the little boy must be the Coroner bade his second jury to view the bodies of the five young men. These were in the great dark hall, set as in a place of honour, and poor young Watkin left to mind them; and very pale and ill he looked.

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However, the Crowner rubbed his hands, and sate down at the top of the table, and then the foreman sate down also, and said that, being so much upset, he was half inclined to take a glass of something weak. He was recommended, if he felt like that, whatever he did, not to take it weak, but to think of his wife and family; for who could say what such a turn might lead to, if neglected? And this reflection had such "If you please, sir, they are all stretched weight, that instead of mixing for himself, out, and I am not afraid of them;" he he allowed a friend to mix for him. said to me as I went to console him: The Crowner said, "Now, gentlemen "father cannot look at them; but mother in the presence of such fearful trouble and and I are not afraid. They are placed ac-heavy blows from Providence, no man has cording to their ages, face after face, and foot after foot. And I am sure they never meant it, sir, when they used to kick me out of bed and oftentimes I deserved it."

I thought much less of those five great corpses than of the gentle and loving boy who had girt up his heart to conquer fear, and who tried to think evil of himself for the comforting of his brethren's souls.

But he nearly broke down when the jurymen came; and I begged them to spare him the pain and trial of going before the Coroner to identify the bodies, which I could do as well as any one; and to this they all agreed.

66

any right to give the rein to his own feel-
ings. It is his duty, as a man, to control
his sad emotions; and his duty as a fam-
ily-man, to attend to his constitution."
With these words he lit a pipe, and poured
himself a glass of Hollands, looking sadly
upward, so that the measure quite escaped
him. Gentlemen of the jury," he con-
tinued with such authority, that the jury
were almost ready to think that they must
have begun to be gentlemen
till they
looked at one another; "gentlemen of the
jury, life is short, and trouble long. I
have sate upon hundreds of poor people
who destroyed themselves by nothing else
than want of self-preservation. I have
made it my duty officially to discourage
such shortcomings. Mr. Foreman, be
good enough to send the lemous this way;
and when ready for business, say so."

When we returned to the long oak parlour, we found that the dignity of the house was maintained in a way which astonished us. There had been some little refreshment before, especially for his Hon- Crowner Bowles was now as pleasant our; but now all these things were cleared as he had been grumpy in the morning; away, and the table was spread with a and finding him so, we did our best to noble sight of glasses, and bottles, and keep him in that humour. Neither was it silver implements, fit for the mess of an long before he expressed himself in terms admiral. Neither were these meant for which were an honour alike to his heart show alone, inasmuch as to make them and head. For he told us, in so many useful, there was water cold and water hot, words - though I was not of the jury also lemons, and sugar, and nutmeg, and a now, nevertheless I held on to them, and great black George of ale, a row of pipes, having been foreman just now, could not and a jar of tobacco, also a middling keg be, for a matter of form, when it came to of Hollands, and an anker of old rum. At glasses, cold-shouldered, worthy Crownfirst we could hardly believe our eyes, er Bowles, I say, before he had stirred knowing how poor and desolate, both of many slices of lemon, told us all, in so food and furniture, that old grange had many words-and the more, the more always been. But presently one of us hap- we were pleased with them-that for a pened to guess, and Hezekiah confirmed it, thoroughly honest, intelligent, and hardthat the lord of the manor had taken com- working jury, commend him benceforth passion upon his afflicted tenant, and had' and as long as he held his Majesty's sign

manual, to a jury made of Newton parish | moving; and Simon backed further and and of Kenfig burgesses! further away, without any power to gaze We drank his health with bumpers elsewhere. Then Evan Thomas turned round, every man upon his legs, and then from him, without any word, or so much three cheers for his lordship; until his as a sigh, and looked at us all; and no clerk, who was rather sober, put his thumb man had power to meet the cold quietness up, and said "Stop." And from the way of his regard. And not having thought he went on jerking with his narrow shoul- much about his troubles, we had nothing ders, we saw that he would recall our at all to say to him. thoughts to the hall that had no door to it. Then following his looks, we saw the distance of the silence.

This took us all aback so much, that we had in the witnesses - of whom I the head-man was there already and for fear of their being nervous, and so confusing testimony, gave them a cordial after swearing. Everybody knew exactly what each one of them had to say. Bnt it would have been very hard, and might have done them an injury, not to let them say it.

The Coroner, having found no need to charge (except his runner), left his men for a little while to deliberate their verdict.

"Visitation of God, of course it must be," Stradling Williams began to say; "visitation of Almighty God."

After waiting for us to begin, and finding no one ready, he spake a few words to us all in Welsh, and the tone of his voice seemed different.

"Noble gentlemen, I am proud that my poor hospitality pleases you. Make the most of the time God gives; for six of you have seen the white horse." With these words he bowed his head, and left us shuddering in the midst of all the heat of cordials. For it is known that men, when prostrate by a crushing act of God, have the power to foresee the death of other men that feel no pity for them. And to see the white horse on the night of new moon, even through closed eyelids, and without sense of vision, is the surest sign of all sure signs of death within the twelvemonth. Therefore all the jury sate glowering at one another, each man ready to make oath that Evan's eyes were not on him.

Now there are things beyond our knowledge, or right of explanation, in which I have a pure true faith, for instance, the

Some of the jury took the pipes out of their mouths and nodded at him, while they blew a ring of smoke; and others nodded without that trouble; and all seemed going pleasantly. When suddenly a little fellow, whose name was Simon" Flying Dutchman," whom I had twice beEdwards, a brother of the primitive Christians, or at least of their minister, being made pugnacious by ardent spirits, rose, and holding the arm of his chair, thus delivered his sentiments; speaking, of course, in his native tongue.

"Head-man, and brothers of the jury, II-I do altogether refuse and deny the goodness of that judgment. The only judgment I will certify is in the lining of my hat, Judgment of Almighty God, for rabbiting on the Sabbath-day." Hezekiah Perkins, I call upon thee, as a brother Christian, and a consistent member, to stand on the side of the Lord with me."

His power of standing on any side was by this time, however, exhausted; and falling into his chair, he turned pale, and shrunk to the very back of it. For over against him stood Evan Thomas, whom none of us had seen till then. It was a sight that sobered us, and made the blood fly from our cheeks, and forced us to set down the glass.

The face of black Evan was ashy grey, and his heavy square shoulders slouching forward, and his hands hung by his side. Only his deep eyes shone without

held already, and whom no man may three times see, and then survive the twelvemonth; in him, of course, I had true faith

for what can be clearer than eyesight? Many things, too, which brave seamen have beheld, and can declare; but as for landsmen's superstitions, I scarcely cared to laugh at them. However, strange enough it is, all black Evan said came true, Simon Edwards first went off, by falling into Newton Wayn, after keeping it up too late at chapel. And after him the other five, all within the twelvemonth; some in their beds, and some abroad, but all gone to their last account. And heartily glad I was, for my part (as one after other they dropped off thus), not to have served on that second jury; and heartily sorry I was also that brother Hezekiah had not taken the luck to behold the white horse.

Plain enough it will be now, to any one who knows our parts, that after what Evan Thomas said, and the way in which he withdrew from us, the only desire the jury had was to gratify him with their verdict, and to hasten home, ere the dark should fall, and no man to walk by him

self on the road. Accordingly, without | him to Newton with much ado; but as for more tobacco, though some took another going to Bridgend that night, he found glass for strength, they returned the fol- that our church-clock must be seen to, the fowing verdict: very first thing in the morning.

:

"We find that these five young and excellent men "-here came their names, with a Mister to each "were lost on their way to a place of worship, by means of a violent storm of the sea. And the jury cannot separate without offering their heartfelt pity the Crowner's clerk changed it to "sympathy"-"to their bereaved and affectionate parents. God save the King!"

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After this, they all went home; and it took good legs to keep up with them along "Priest Lane," in some of the darker places, and especially where a white cow came, and looked over a gate for the milking-time. I could not help laughing, although myself not wholly free from uneasiness; and I grieved that my joints were not as nimble as those of Simon Edwards.

But while we frightened one another, like so many children, each perceiving something which was worse to those who perceived it not, Hezekiah carried on as if we were a set of fools, and nothing ever could frighten him. To me, who was the bravest of them, this was very irksome; but it happened that I knew brother Perkins's pet belief. His wife had lived at Longlands once, a lonely house between Nottage and Newton, on the rise of a little hill. And they say that on one night of the year, all the funerals that must pass from Nottage to Newton in the twelvemonth, go by in succession there, with all the mourners after them, and the very hymns that they will sing passing softly on the wind.

So as we were just by Longlands in the early beat of the stars, I managed to be at Perkins's side. Then suddenly, as a bat went by, I caught the arm of Hezekiah, and drew back, and shivered.

"Name of God, Davy! what's the matter?"

"Can't you see them, you blind-eye? There they go there they go! All the coffins with palls to them. And the names upon the head-plates:- Evan, and Thomas, and Hopkin, and Rees, and Jenkin, with only four bearers! And the psalm they sing is the thirty-fourth."

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"So it is! I can see them all. The Lord have mercy upon my soul! Davy, Davy! don't leave me here."

He could not walk another step, but staggered against the wall and groaned, and hid his face inside his hat. We got

CHAPTER XVI.

TRUTH LIES SOMETIMES IN A WELL.

THE following morning it happened so that I did not get up over early; not, I assure you, from any undue enjoyment of the grand Crowner's quests; but partly because the tide for fishing would not suit till the afternoon, and partly because I had worked both hard and long at the "Jolly Sailors:" and this in fulfilment of a pledge from which there was no escaping, when I promised on the night before, to grease and tune my violin, and display the true practice of hornpipe. Rash enough this promise was, on account of my dear wife's memory, and the things bad people would say of it. And but for the sad uneasiness created by black Evan's prophecy, and the need of lively company to prevent my seeing white horses, the fear of the parish might have prevailed with me over all fear of the landlord. Hence I began rather shyly; but when my first tune had been received with hearty applause from all the room, how could I allow myself to be clapped on the back, and then be lazy?

Now Bunny was tugging and clamouring for her bit of breakfast, almost before was wide-awake, when the latch of my cottage-door was lifted, and in walked Hezekiah. Almost any other man would have been more welcome; for though he had not spoken of it on the day before, he was sure to annoy me, sooner or later, about the fish he had forced me to sell him. When such a matter is over and done with, surely no man, in common-sense, has a right to reopen the question. The time to find fault with a fish, in all conscience, is before you have bought him. Having once done that, he is now your own; and to blame him is to find fault with the mercy which gave you the money to buy him. A foolish thing as well; because you are running down your own property, and spoiling your relish for him. Conduct like this is below contempt; even more ungraceful and ungracious than that of a man who spreads abroad the faults of his own wife.

Hezekiah, however, on this occasion, was not quite so bad as that. His errand, according to his lights, was of a friendly nature; for he pried all around my little room with an extremely sagacious leer,

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