The use of this table is, that when we have it before our eyes, it presents a far more faithful portraiture of the class than the eye is apt to behold when looking upon the individuals themselves. It is the calm, unprejudiced, and therefore the impartial view of each boy's character.

The appearance and manner, for instance, of William Martin, were really striking, particularly when he was desirous to please, that he might shew off his superiority to other boys in his class; and his quick and intelligent readiness in answering my questions was quite refreshing after my patience had been well nigh wearied out by the almost impenetrable dulness of George King, the very expression of whose clumsy-featured countenance was discouraging in no common degree.

Now the attention that any mere schoolmaster, who had no other end in view but making what he might term a fine scholar, would have had its natural effect upon these two boys. William Martin, who was disposed to learn, would have learnt much with little trouble to the teacher; King would have learnt little, with much trouble to the teacher. But we had the table of ability and disposition before us, and, moreover, we endeavoured never to lose sight of two considerations-first, that we were following up the engagements made at baptism, and according to the baptismal vow; and, secondly, that we were educating immortal beings for their stage of trial and responsibility in time, and for their great account in eternity. We were tempted to encourage Martin, and to leave King to his stupidity. We did just the contrary, without neglecting Martin. Our great object with him, was to give, with affection and seriousness, lessons of humility, to teach him to see that natural quickness and readiness are mere gifts, and, if unsanctified, may be turned into snares. With patience and quiet perseverance we laboured (for labouring it might well be called) with our poor heavy dunce, George King. His good temper and humility we endeavoured to keep in view when we felt provoked and discouraged by the slow development of his intellectual qualities, and we restrained ourselves to encourage instead of condemning him. The field, in one instance, to be cultivated, was rather that of the heart; in the other, that of the heart and mind together. The one individual was like a spear which did not need to be sharpened, but rather to be turned into a pruning hook; the other was like an unformed mass of iron, that needed hammering and sharpening, and filing and polishing, before even a plough coulter could be made of it. My excellent schoolmaster being, like myself, quite convinced of his former errors in teaching, and having a single object in view-the glory of the Heavenly Father of the children-now sought most earnestly to train his scholars for the inheritance of their Father's kingdom. I do not mean that he sought to prepare them only

for the enjoyment of heaven, but for the homely and every-day duties of earth; for though it is true that the kingdom of our Lord is not of this world, that kingdom is in this world. The church militant it must be, but still it is the church. God gave his blessing to what was now truly a labour of love. We did not doubt but he would do so. He still bestows his blessing upon our exertions. We believe he will continue to do so; for in what path of duty is a man forbidden to expect the assisting grace of his most gracious Father, when the child approaches him in the prevailing name of his blessed Son? What I write now, I write from experience, and a bitter experience, of the effect of my own folly, my own want of consideration, my own carelessness in the deep and heavy responsibility of my calling, as one engaged to guide and feed, and guard the lambs of my Master's sheepfold. In a lowly and convinced spirit, as taking shame to myself, and heartily disposed to esteem others better than myself, I entreat any, who have met with disappointment from a parish school, to search out the real cause of their disappointment, keeping in mind the statement I have now laid before them. They who are interested in the conversion of heathen and idolatrous nations to the kingdom of God and his Christ, are generally convinced, that the chief means to be used for that glorious end, is to bring up the children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. All their anxiety is, that the children of the heathen be well taught, by being won to love the Christian faith, to receive the truth in the love of it. Nothing would be more dreaded, than wearying them by mere dry and unprofitable statements. No, let us but once form in the children," it is said, "a taste for the religion of the Bible, and they will grow up to manhood in the love of it, and so will Christianity become the religion of the land." Do we act sufficiently on such a principle, when the children of England, and of the church of England, are under our care? and yet, if the child is Father to the man, the English man will certainly grow up with many of the feelings and principles of the English child.

66

C.

PARISH CHURCHES.-No. XIII.

WALSINGHAM CHURCH AND PARISH, Norfolk.

THE name of "our Lady of Walsingham" would probably be familiar to many of our clerical readers, were it only that in the Book of Homilies she is classed with the "Diana Ephesia" of paganism, or the "dumb stocks and stones" of Compostella, Rome, or Jerusalem. (Homily xiv. part 3.) History has assigned her a full share of illustrious and royal pilgrims; and a small road-side chapel, existing in an adjoining parish, is still

considered as the spot where visitors of every rank submitted to the usual penance, and concluded their journey barefoot, as entering on holy ground. Henry VIII. himself-according to Sir H. Spelman, who was a schoolboy at this place not sixty years afterwards (Biographie Universelle)—was generally reported to have submitted to this austerity of discipline; "possibly to propitiate the saint, whom in a very short time he was about to banish from her shrine; for, in the 30th year of this very same Henry, Cromwell, that spoiler of monasteries, had the image of our blessed lady taken to Chelsea, and burned." (Spelman's Icenia, folio, p. 149.) And, in that year, we read of an insurrection in Walsingham in consequence," the inhabitants finding that the suppression of pilgrimages to the virgin in that town would, in a great measure, be the decay of it; but they were soon quieted." (Blomfield's Norf. folio, vol. ii. p. 150.) Thus all the sources of the revenue of this monastery were intercepted or dried up. Its lands and property were alienated; its elegant and far-famed chapel became ruinous and decayed; and the costly jewels and relics, which had excited the wonder of Erasmus not long previous, fell into other hands, and were applied to other purposes. The testimony of so acute an observer, and the opinion of so celebrated a man as the author of the Book of Colloquies, may properly take the lead in this parochial investigation. It may lead us to appreciate the blessing of a pure and reformed church, and may serve to illustrate the progress of the scriptural as well as" rational theology" which had begun thus early to sap the foundations of Popery.

The pilgrimage of Erasmus to Walsingham may have preceded that of Henry. He composed, on this occasion, an elegant Greek ode ω χαιρό Ιησε μητερ ευλογημενη, &c.—which was published at Cologne, with other tracts of Erasmus, in 1519, and is entitled, "Erasmi Roterodami Carmen Iambicum ex voto dicatum Virgini Walsingamicæ apud Britannos." In his " Colloquy on Pilgrimages," he has left us a most interesting dialogue of correct and classical Latinity, describing the actual condition of the shrine of the "Parathalassian Virgin, the most renowned in Britain," (et virginem Walsinghamiensem Parathalassam vocat Erasmus,) says Sir H. Spelman in his Icenia. Among the multitude of relics which Erasmus saw at Walsingham, was the pretended milk of the virgin, exhibited in a crystal vase with the solemnity of Catholic devotion. A reformer in heart only, he kissed the consecrated vessel, repeating an internal prayer, "Virgo Parens," &c., (vide Erasm. Coll. de Peregrin. Relig. erga,)" O Virgin Mother, whose pure breast was deemed worthy to nourish thy son Jesus, the Lord of heaven and earth, grant unto us also, that being purified by His blood, and becoming as little children, we may grow in that dove-like simplicity which, ignorant of malice, fraud, and deceit, desires, without ceasing, the sincere milk of