animal, clad with precious priestly ornaments, was solemnly conducted to the middle of the choir, during which procession a hymn in praise of the Ass was sung in a major key. The original hymn was in the following words :

*This hymn is in Du Cange, iii. 426, 427, and the Dictionnaire des Moeurs. There were several other Feasts of the Ass, as that celebrated in France, instituted in honour of Balaam's Ass. The Ass also figures in Naogeorgus's description of the ceremonies on Palm Sunday in England,

The following is a translation of four stanzas of this Sacred Ode, in the Miltonian style, though no version can equal the sublimity and grandeur of the inimitable original :

"I understand more than the Ancients, because I keep Thy precepts."— Psalm cxix. 100.

"The WORD of God gave him to understand things better than he could do by Tradition, and all the learning that was handed down from preceding ages. In short, the WRITTEN WORD is a surer guide to heaven' than all the Doctors and FATHERS, the Teachers and Ancients, of the Church; and the sacred WRITINGS kept, and kept to, will teach us more wisdom than all their writings."-Henry in loc.

INTERIOR OF THE INQUISITION.

In June, 1842, was exhibited in London a curious model of the Inquisition at Coimbra, in Portugal, which horrible prison was destroyed by the populace in August, 1820. The model was in miniature, on a scale of half an inch to a foot, and conveyed a perfect idea of the original building. Mr. Young, the constructor, was at Coimbra when it was destroyed, and had the best opportunities of making a correct model. He inspected the horrors which were discovered when the roof and walls were pulled down, and the numerous dungeons, torture-rooms, corridors, galleries, council chambers, secret passages, &c., were disclosed. The place had evidently been contrived by the most ingenious architects of prison torments. It contained wells for dipping or drowning refractory prisoners, stoves for baking them, and other contrivances, such as the malevolence of a fiend or an inquisitor must have been exhausted in inventing.

Reader! is not this description enough to make the very blood

in your veins curdle? And what guarantee have you that such a hell shall not one day exist in England, and your posterity become its victims? None; but in firm resistance to the progress of Popery, and a refusal to be imposed upon by its plausibilities. Its gorgeous vestments, its splendid ceremonies, and its insinuating smiles, are the foreground of the picture; but look steadily, and in the background you will perceive the dungeon, the well, the oven, and the stake. Not only has Popery these in reserve, but she even designs them, and counts the time lost until she can employ them. Poets have described a HELL, but Popery has exemplified it; and, next to being the perpetrators of such enormities, is the guilt of helping to make a way for their return. Those who say that Popery has changed, neither speak from their own knowledge nor the authority of Papists, for they maintain that it is unchangeable; it will only change its nature when falsehood enlists in the cause of truth, and cruelty becomes the servant of mercy.-M.

WHERE'S THE DIFFERENCE?

King James II., hearing that the Duke of Buckingham was somewhat out of order, thought that a proper season for working upon his credulity and making him a convert to Popery, and accordingly sent Fitz-Gerald, an Irish priest, to him, to use his utmost endeavours for that purpose, The Duke, who had been apprised of the intended visit, as also of the motive, and was consequently prepared for the reception of the priest, was no sooner informed of his arrival, than he gave orders for his introduction with great ceremony, which the Father thought a happy omen, The usual compliments having passed, he desired him to sit down; an inquiry into the state of the Duke's health followed, and, on owning himself indisposed, the Father, after expressing great concern about his future welfare, declared the design of his coming, and by whose orders he came. His Grace pretended great willingness to be better instructed, if he were in any error, but desired that they might take wine together previous to

their entering upon the discussion. To this the priest agreeing, a bottle of wine was called for and brought; but, guess the poor Father's surprise, when the Duke, a man of incomparable sense, and a celebrated wit, taking the CORK out of the bottle and stroking it several times, with great gravity asked him how he liked that HORSE. The poor priest was confounded to the last degree at such an extraordinary question; and the more so, when the Duke, finding that he remained silent, repeated the question without the slightest change in his countenance, persisted in stroking the CORK calling it a HORSE, and launched into the most extravagant praises of its goodness and beauty. The priest at length replied, that he found his Grace had a mind to be merry, that he had chosen an unseasonable time, and would, therefore, call again. "Merry !" said the Duke, in seeming surprise, "I assure your Reverence I was never more serious in all my days; why! is not your Reverence of the same opinion?" Pointing to the CORK, he asked, "Do you not think it as fine a STEED as ever you saw in your life? What fault can you find with it?" "I beg your Grace would compose yourself a little, and consider," said the priest. "Consider what ?" said the Duke. "What objection have you against him? You certainly have not sufficiently observed him." Ah, my Lord," replied the Father, "Do you not see that it is but a CORK? and do you not know that you took it but a few minutes ago out of that bottle?" "A very pretty story, indeed," said the Duke. What! would you persuade me that this fine COURSER, which I have been so long commending and stroking, is but a CORK, and that I am under a delusion ?" "Nothing more certain, my Lord," replied the priest. "I would not be too positive of anything," said the Duke calmly, "perhaps my illness may have discomposed me more than I am aware of, but I wish you would convince me that I am mistaken. I say this is a HORSE; YOU affirm that it is a CORK : how do you prove it to be so ?" "Very easily, my Lord-if I look at it, I see it is a CORK; if I take it into my hand, I feel that it is a CORK; if I smell at it, I find it is but a CORK; and if I bite it with my teeth, I am assured that it is a CORK— so that I am convinced of it by THE EVIDENCE OF ALL MY SENSES.” believe your Reverence may be in the right," said the Duke (as just

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