recovering from a dream), "but I am subject to whims ; let us, therefore, talk no more of it, but proceed to the business that brought you hither." This was just what the Father wanted, and accordingly entered upon the points in dispute between Papists and Protestants. The Duke, stopping him short, told him that their doctrine of TRANSUBSTANTIATION was the most difficult for him to believe; and if he could but prove that single Article, all the rest would soon be got over. The priest, not doubting that he should soon make the Duke a proselyte, entered upon the common topics used by those of his persuasion, insisting greatly upon the words, "This is my BODY, and this is my BLOOD," &c. To all which the Duke replied that these were but figurative expressions, and no more to be understood, literally, than those others "I am the VINE," "I am the DOOR;" besides which, he continued, the BREAD and WINE still remain UNCHANGED as before, AFTER the words of consecration." "No, my Lord," cried the Father, "with humble submission, there is only the appearance or form of these elements; for they are actually changed into very real body and blood." "Nay," said the Duke, "I will convince you to the contrary, Father, by your own arguments. I look upon it, and I see it is BREAD ; I touch it, and feel it is BREAD; I smell at it, and find it is BREAD; and if I bite it with my teeth, I am assured that it is BREAD; so that I am every way convinced thereof BY THE EVIDENCE OF ALL MY SENSES. Remember the CORK, Father! remember the CORK !"

Is there any Romish priest in Bristol who will dare to put his wafergod to the TEST? We challenge him to the PROOF.

DO THE PRIESTS REALLY BELIEVE THEIR OWN STATEMENTS? ASSUREDLY NOT.

AN ILLUSTRATION.

A member of the Popish religion having married a Protestant lady, often endeavoured to convert her to his faith, but in vain; she continued unshaken. Believing, however, that she might perhaps be the happy instrument of convincing him of his error, she consented to accompany her husband the following Sunday, and go to mass,

provided she might be allowed to make and bring her own wafer. The priest, on being consulted, agreed to the proposal, exulting in his heart over her anticipated conversion. The day arrived, and at the proper time she went, taking with her the promised wafer. The priest received and consecrated it according to the rites of the Romish Church. He was about to put it into her mouth, as usual on such occasions, when the lady, looking at him very seriously, inquired "If he really believed it was now the VERY BODY AND BLOOD OF CHRIST, and if his faith were sufficiently strong to allow nim to receive it as so TRANSUBSTANTIATED ?" "Undoubtedly," he replied. Then," said the lady, "mine is not; for in the composition of this wafer I have mixed a large portion of arsenic. EAT IT, if you believe it. I do not." The priest was confounded. The eyes of her husband were opened; he renounced the LYING doctrine of his church, and lived and died in the faith of the BIBLE.

66

THE UNGRATEFUL BOY.

The Session had closed, no new mischief was planning,
And safely I dreamed of the clauses of Canning;
When, soft at the door, some one scratched like a mouse,
Crying, "Pray take me in to a seat in your HOUSE."

From my slumbers I started, exclaiming, "Who's there?"
"I want," it replied, "your possessions to share;
"Teazed, tantalized, worried, and stripped to the skin-
"I'm poor little POPERY, pray take me in."

Soft pity prevailed as I listened to him,

The light, all but out, I hastened to trim;

Then opened the door, when, a boy, he did stand,
With a cross on his breast, and a pike in his hand.
His wants I relieved, I indulged all his wishes,
And gave him his fill of my loaves and my fishes;
I stirred up the fire, and roused the dull embers
And in my warm bosom I cherished his members.

Revived and refreshed the false urchin arose,

While his members began their new strength to disclose;
And laughing, he cried, "Let us try, my good host,
"If my pike its old vigour and keenness hath lost."

Then deep in my bosom he darted the steel-
"Ah! ah! foolish heretic, how dost thou feel?
"No longer teazed, worried, and stripped to the skin,
""Tis poor little POPERY now TAKES YOU IN.

Anacreon in Dublin.

THE LYING PRIESTS; OR, THE IMPOSTORS
DETECTED.

"As the great Powers have resolved to take into their consideration the circumstances of the civil war, now happily at an end in this country, a few incidents connected with it, which have come under my knowledge, may perhaps be interesting to you, as serving to illustrate its real character, and the moral influences under which those who fought on the side of the Sonderbund were induced to act. I have already informed you, in a former letter, that the priests in Lucerne had been actively engaged in denouncing from the pulpit the Federal cause, and assuring their ignorant and misguided hearers that they had nothing to fear, as the Holy Virgin had declared that she would defend the city and paralyse the exertions of its besiegers. This is strictly true and the announcement was accepted to the letter by the people, to a much larger extent than you would believe possible in an enlightened age like the present. Yet the priests themselves, who were foremost in deceiving the people, were the first to acknowledge their mistake themselves when the time of proof arrived. The worthy curé of the little village of Eliken, midway between Roth and Lucerne, on the Sunday previous to the siege, told his congregation not to be alarmed even if they should see the enemy advancing to their village, for that on their arriving there Heaven would pour down its wrath upon them and destroy them. Singular to relate,

;

however, when three days afterwards the Federal troops were actually on their march through Eliken to take possession of Lucerne, the worthy curé came out to meet them, bearing, not denunciations of Divine vengeance, but a propitiatory oblation in the shape of fifty bottles of champagne, which were cheerfully accepted. I heard of one man who, in the fervour of his credulity, declared, in the presence of the gentleman who informed me, that he so fully believed in the announcement of the Virgin's promised interposition, that if she should fail of her promise he would never believe in anything again.

"More-I have seen some curious little brass amulets, with the effigy of the Virgin on one side and the Cross on the other, which were sold in great numbers to the people as charms against all possible injuries* in battle. Those sold at seven and ten batzen (about 10d. and 15d. of our money) were efficacious against musket and carbine balls; those at twenty batzen (about half-a-crown) were proof against cannon shot also! The purchasers of these medals were also presented with a card, of which the following is a verbatim transcript, capitals, italics, and all :

'O MARIE

CONCUE SANS PECHE,

'PRIEZ POUR NOUS, QUI AVONS RECOURS A VOUS !

'Quiconque, portant une médaille miraculeuse, récite avec piété cette invoca

tion, se trouve placé sous la protection spéciale de la Mère de Dieu; c'est une promesse de Marie Elle Même.'

Which, being interpreted-if indeed I may be excused for profaning the honest English tongue with such blasphemy-is,

'Oh Mary !--conceived without sin-pray for us who have recourse to you. * A similar gross imposition is attempted to be practised by the Popish priests in Bristol.-ED. B. P.

A.D. 1557, May 7, "RICHARD SHARP, a weaver, and THOMAS HALES, a cobbler, were BURNT at St. Michael's-Hill, for religion. August 13, THOMAS BENION, a shearman, for denying the Sacrament of the Altar to be the very body and blood of CHRIST, really and substantially." Another MS, adds that a young man (a carpenter,) and EDWARD SHARP, a Wiltshire man, aged three score, were also BURNT. Bishop Holyman refusing to officiate, the BURNINGS

K