wish him the greatest happiness that he can enjoy in this stage of an immortal existence: the consciousness that he has not only faithfully done his duty by them who through many a trying scene and hardfoughten action have gallantly done their duty with him, but also that his powerful ‘appeal' has awakened many a dormant recollection, struck many a chord of long-silenced feeling, and elicited from the followers of the Captain of their common salvation whom he also follows, a sterling proof that the British nation has not forgotten her worn-out and disabled sailors; but desires to prove to them that even now the pure Christian charity, which,

Like a sweet little cherub sits smiling aloft,
Will look out a good berth for poor Jack.

THE WILD GARLAND: or Prose and Verse illustrative of English wild-flowers and forest-trees. By S. Waring, Author of the Minstrelsy of the Woods,' &c. Second edition, with additions. Frys.

A VERY pretty miscellany, containing about a dozen accurately coloured plates of flowers, which every English cottage child will recognize as familiar to his eye. Some of the poetry is really beautiful, the prose entertaining, and the whole bespeaks a mind fully alive to that continual feast which God has spread before us, in the exquisite works of his hands.

THE PROTESTANT.

WHATEVER may be done towards the rescue of this country,' said my uncle, will be effected by divine power, in answer to the prayers of God's people. But as the Lord works his will by ordinary means, it does not follow that the revival will be brought about by sanctified instruments. Suppose my household to be visited by a deadly disease: I make my supplication to the Most High for its removal; and I look for an answer to my prayer in the blessing vouchsafed to medical skill, though the healing potion may be prepared and dispensed by worldly hands. What would you think of me, if I neglected to watch, or refused to rejoice over the favourable symptoms of my suffering family, because the physician may not have prayed over his prescription, nor the apothecary over his mortar? Even so, I am able to bless God for any approach towards political soundness of view, and propriety of treatment, on the part of those who must be the means in God's hand of healing the hurt of the daughter of my people.'

'And do you perceive such an approach, uncle?'

'I think so: indeed I am sure of it. A large and leading portion of the Conservative press has hitherto studiously avoided taking up the ground on which Protestantism must stand in open avowed opposition to Popery, as a system of spiritual iniquity. They have been willing to concede to it a place among religious

communities, keeping distinct the theological faith and political practices of the Romanist. In this they were farther strengthened by the honourable conduct of our Howards and a few others, who have not yet been summoned by infallible authority to sacrifice their gentlemanly feelings of rectitude, and respect for obligations entered into with an honest purpose of being true to their knightly word, to the interests of their wily church. Sir Robert Peel and his fellowemancipators expressed no conviction that they erred politically, much less that they sinned against God, in admitting Popery to the high places of the land; and the press in general has denounced as fanatical and chimerical all proposals for undoing the mischief. I certainly mark a growing disposition in both quarters to abandon this untenable ground, and to acknowledge that the recent developement of vigorous life in the old Popish principle, charitably supposed to be defunct, of 'no faith with heretics' must throw us back upon our ancient, strong position, No peace with Rome.'

'I wish you would explain to me, uncle, the matter to which you so often refer; the late exposure of duplicity in parties taking the oath.'

First, read the oath itself: here it is, as taken upon the gospels, within the last few months, by every separate Romanist now holding a seat in Parliament, 'I do swear that I will defend to the utmost of my power the settlement of property within the realm, as established by the laws: and I do hereby disclaim, disavow, and solemnly abjure any intention to subvert the present church establishment as settled by law within the realm; and I do solemnly swear that I never will exercise any privilege to which I am or

may become entitled, to disturb or weaken the Protestant religion or Protestant government in the United Kingdom: and I do solemnly in the presence of God, profess, testify, and declare that I do make this declaration, and every part thereof, in the plain and ordinary sense of the words of this oath, without any evasion, equivocation, or mental reservation whatever. So HELP ME GOD!' This is the pledge, the solemn pledge given by every member of the Romish church, on his admission to the exercise of legislative or other public functions under the British crown. A short time ago, Saverio, an archbishop of that church, titular bishop of Malta, having this oath tendered to him, as a member of the council in that island, with a noble, and alas! a singular uprightness of mind, refused to take it. He knew that his obligation, as a Romanist, to labour in all possible ways for the destruction of Protestantism, was utterly incompatible with such a pledge: he therefore referred the matter to Rome. No doubt the Pope and his propaganda most heartily regretted the unreasonable conscientiousness of this priest: but, after a long delay, they were compelled to answer his honest appeal. The official reply states that the form of oath having been examined, it is found not to be approvable by the holy see, and that it never has been approved of. Consequently it comes under that class denounced in a decree of Gregory IX. and Innocent III., which being contrary to the interests of the church of Rome, are not to be considered oaths, but perjuries!"

'But surely this oath cannot have been administered to, and taken by, all who have obtained the benefits of that emancipation act, during nine years,

throughout the British empire and its vast colonies, without a reference to their head of the church.'

'If, my dear, you will indulge in such uncharitable surmises, I cannot help it. But, seriously, the utmost stretch of mortal credulity cannot admit the possibility of the Irish members being ignorant of the fact. They have taken an oath every session, the keeping of which would, according to the infallible decree of infallible pontiffs, be perjury. All enlightened Protestants were fully aware of the fact: but so long as the parties at Rome kept their own counsel, we could not prove that the afore-mentioned decree was still in force. It was for the providence of God, acting upon the not fully seared conscience of a naturally honest man, to bring to light these hidden things of darkness, and to show us the extent of our peril-too. late, perhaps, to avert it, but sufficiently early to involve in tenfold condemnation all who shall promote, or in any way connive at, the sacrilegious mockery to be repeated every time these men resume their adjuration of the great and terrible name of the Lord God, to witness their commission of what a power which they exalt above HIM has declared to be perjury. The occasion on which this has been so broadly laid open before the British public, was the majority obtained in the Commons' House on the 15th May, when the question of appropriating the revenues of the established church in Ireland to purposes totally unconnected with religion-exclusively subservient to popery and infidelity, was carried by a majority of nineteen votes hostile to and disturctive of the Protestant church. No fewer than thirty-seven men, who had taken the oath which we have just read over, voted on that night in direct, deliberate viola