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in the lowest depths of affliction, that the influences of the Dove had descended upon it, and that solemn voice was uttered, that, in pronouncing her well-pleasing in the sight of Heaven, had consecrated all her future life to do the will of God. They had pledged their first vows by that grave; and Eric knew that the heart of Brynhilda was now his own. The long gloom that had passed over him had also tended to refine and hallow his affection, and blend with it more of the thoughts that belong to immortality, as well as to teach Brynhilda the worth of constancy, goodness, and truth. When, on their return to Heriulfsness, they renewed, in a public manner, the vows of the wilderness, their future lives bore witness to the value of the lessons revealed there by Him who orders all events for good.

Soon after the burial of Thorwald, the ship of the Northmen was on a homeward passage; but they left their best and bravest in the lone forest, there to slumber till the earth and sea give up their dead. Other expeditions of the Northmen visited New England; but they finally abandoned the idea of colonizing it; and the records of their stay are only found in the writings of Eric and the rhymes of their ancient Skalds.

Thorwald and Therida slept on their beautiful promontory; but Time came by, and demolished the memorials of their place of rest. The wooden crosses crumbled and mingled with the soil. The little mound sunk to a level; but the wild bird and the flowers and the squirrel returned annually to enliven the quiet spot. Year after year, the trees shed down the same peculiar shadow, until Time had eaten away their vitality, and made their sepulchre. Long in the future, when the pilgrim with his holy zeal lifted there the hymns of his lofty enthusiasm, he little deemed that Christian dust had hallowed that lonely shore, and a brother and sister were there laid to sleep in his own glori

ous faith of a blessed resurrection.

The traditions of the red man kept no hold on their memories. The free and beautiful creatures of the wild lived their passing hour above them; and then the

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A SURE ROAD TO COMPETENCY. Nor one man in five hundred will make a fortune; but a competency and an independent position is within the reach of most men. This is obtained most surely by patient industry and economy. If a man has ordinary talents and ability in any profession or trade, he can, by pursuing an economical, persevering course, be pretty sure of finally obtaining an indeLet his expenpendent position in life. ses fall below his income. Let him live cheap, very cheap if necessary; but let him be sure and make his income more than cover his expenses, which can be done in almost all cases, notwithstanding the positive denial of ever so many housekeepers. A man may not have more than two or three hundred dollars a year, and may have a family as large as that of John Rogers, and he can find a way to live comfortably and lay up something into the bargain. There is much-nay, all

in knowing how the thing is done; and that is the thing people who are going to make money have got to learn.

It is wonderful how few real wants we have, and how little it takes to give genuine happiness. If we could get rid of our artificial, senseless, and expensive way of living, we should find ourselves better off in purse, in prospects, and in heart. Let any one who has any ambition to go ahead in life, try the experiment this year, and see how much there is in economy. Make your expenses less than your income, and see how much you will have gained, not only in money, but in the feeling that you are in the condition which the Yankees denominate "forehanded." Try it.

NATURE is God perpetually working.

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DR. FRANKLIN tells us most charmingly in his autobiography how he picked up his early education. His father had been able to give him two years' schooling,from his eighth to his tenth year, then he went into the soap-boiler factory, and from that to the printing-office. In the latter place, he laid the solid foundation of his subsequent character. He used to borrow a book at a time of the booksellers' apprentices, whom he was on friendly terms with, and sit up late to read it, so as to return it before the storekeeper should miss it in the morning. Such a lad could not be kept down by all the combined powers of the world. He ate his dinners at the printing-office, while the rest of the hands had gone home, and saved time enough on such occasions to study arithmetic, some of geometry, history, rhetoric, and logic. He taught himself to read pure English, by reading the essays of the Spectator, noting down their leading thoughts and sentiments, and then, after a few days, taking his written notes and putting them in the best English he could command of his own. By comparing his productions with those of the Spectator authors, he could at once detect his own faults, and became alive to their beauties. Thus he became a clear and engaging writer; and thus he made himself the man he was in his day and generation.

THE slender conduits of a flower or a leaf, the finest nerves in an insect's eye, are regulated by unerring laws. Surely, then, the career of nations is not without an appointed orbit.

THE HENRIAD.

By Rev. C. F. LeFevre.

ESSAY ON THE CIVIL WARS OF FRANCE.

(Concluded.)

As soon as Henry III. heard of the death of his brother, he hastened from Poland, and came to France to take possession of the dangerous heritage of a country rent by factions fatal to its sovereign, and flooded with the blood of its inhabitants. He found nothing on his arrival but parties and troubles continually. Henry IV., King of Navarre, put himself at the head of the Protestants, and gave new life to the party. On the other hand, the young Duke of Guise began to astonish the world by his great but dangerous qualities. His genius was more enterprising than that of his father; he seemed, moreover, to have a favorable opportunity of reaching the summit of greatness to which his father had opened the way for him. The Duke of Anjou, then Henry III., was looked upon as incapable of issue, from infirmities, the result of youthful debaucheries. The Duke of Alencon, who had taken the name of Duke of Anjou, died in 1584, and Henry of Navarre was legitimate heir to the throne. Guise endeavored to secure it for himself, at least after the death of Henry III., and to take it from the house of the Capets, as the Capets had usurped it from the house of Charlemagne, and as the father of Charlemagne had taken it from his lawful sovereign. Such a bold project never seemed better, or more likely to succeed. Henry of Navarre and all the House of Bourbon were Protestants. Guise began to get the good-will of the nation, by affecting a great zeal for the Catholic religion. His liberality gained the populace, while the clergy, the friends in the Parliament, the spies at court, and the office-holders throughout the kingdom, were devoted to him. His first political step was an association, under the name of the Holy League against Protestants, for the security of the Catholic religion. Half the kingdom eagerly entered into this new confederation. Pope Sextus V. gave the League his benediction, and protected it as a new Roman

militia. Philip II., King of Spain, according to the policy of sovereigns who al ways concur in the ruin of their neighbors. encouraged the League, to the extent of his power, in the prospect of rending France to pieces and enriching himself with the spoils. Thus Henry III., always the enemy of the Protestants, was himself betrayed by the Catholics, besieged by secret and open enemies, and of less authority than a subject, who, submissive in appearance, was really more a king than himself. The only way of escaping from this trouble was, perhaps, to join Henry of Navarre, whose fidelity, courage, and indefatigable spirit were the only barrier to oppose the ambition of Guise, and who could retain for the king all the Protestants, which would have been a great weight in the balance. The king, ruled by Guise, whom he mistrusted but dared not offend, intimidated by the pope, betrayed by his council and bad policy, took an opposite course. He placed himself at the head of the Holy League, in hope of becoming its master; he joined Guise, his rebellious subject, against his successor and brother-in-law, whom nature and good policy pointed out as his ally. Henry of Navarre then commanded in Gascony a little army, while a large body of troops came to his succor from the Protestant princes of Germany. He was already on the frontiers of Lorrain. The king thought that he could, at the same time, subdue Henry of Navarre, and get rid of the Duke of Guise. In this design, he sent the Duke of Lorrain, with a very weak and feeble army, against the Germans, by whom he must be inevitably routed. At the same time, he sent his favorite Joyeuse against Henry of Navarre, with the flower of the French nobility, and with the most pow erful army that had been seen since Francis the First. He failed in both instances. Henry IV. entirely defeated this redoubtable army at Coutras, and Guise gained a victory over the Germans. Henry of Navarre made no other use of his victory than to offer a sure peace to the kingdom, and his succor to the king. But although a conqueror, he was refused, the king fearing his own subjects more than the

They killed

isters of his vengeance.
Guise in the king's cabinet; but these
same men who had killed the duke, refused
to stain their hands with the blood of his
brother, because he was a priest and a
cardinal. As if the life of a man who
wore a long gown and a band was
more sacred than that of a man who wore
a short one and a sword!

The king found four soldiers; who, at the offer of the Jesuit Mainbourg, not being so scrupulous as the Gascons, killed the cardinal for a hundred crowns apiece. It was under the apartment of Catherine de Medicis that the two brothers were killed; but she was entirely ignorant of the design of her son, having the confidence of no party, and being deserted by the king.

prince. Guise returned to Paris victorious, and was received as the saviour of the nation. His party became bold, and the king more contemptible; so that it looked as if Guise had conquered the king instead of the Germans. The king, pressed on all sides, awoke, but too late, from his lethargy. He tried to put down the League; he wished to secure some of the seditions of the citizens; he forbade Guise to enter the city; but he found to his cost what it is to command without power. Guise, in spite of his orders, came to Paris; the citizens took up arms; the king's guards were arrested, and he was made a prisoner in his palace. Men are seldom good enough, or bad enough. If, at that time, Guise had taken away the liberty or the life of the king, he would have been master of France; but If such a revenge had been clothed he suffered him to escape, after having with the formalities of the laws which are besieged him, and thus did too much, or the natural instruments of the justice of too little. Henry III. fled to Blois, kings, or the natural veils of their iniquiwhere he convened the States General of ties, the League would have been territhe kingdom. These States resembled fied; but wanting this solemn form, the the Parliament of Great Britain in their act was regarded as a frightful assassiconvention; but their operation was differ- nation, and only irritated the party. The ent. As they seldom met, it was gener- blood of the Guises strengthened the ally an assembly of inefficient people, League, as the death of Coligni had wanting the experience of taking just strengthened the Protestants. Many measures, and all was confusion. Guise, towns in France openly revolted against after having driven his sovereign from his the king. He came to Paris; but he capital, dared to face him at Blois, in the found the gates closed against him, and presence of a body representing the na- the people in arms. The famous Duke tion. Henry and he became reconciled; of Mayenne, younger brother of the dethey went to the same hotel; they there ceased Duke of Guise, was then in Paris. had intercourse together. One promised, He had been eclipsed by the glory of on his oath, to forget all past injuries, Guise during his life; but after his death, the other to be faithful and obedient for the king found him as dangerous an enemy the future; but at this very time, the as his brother. He had all his great king projected the assassination of Guise, qualities, and only needed his lustre and and Guise was planning to dethrone the eclat. The party of the Lorrains was king. Guise had been sufficiently cau- very numerous in Paris. The great name tioned to beware of Henry; but he had of the Guises, their magnificence, their too contemptible an opinion of him to liberality, their apparent zeal for the think him bold enough to attempt his Catholic religion, had rendered them the murder. He was the dupe of his secur- favorites of the citizens. Priests, women, ity. The king had resolved to avenge citizens, magistrates, all united with himself of him and his brother, the Car- Mayenne in the pursuit of a vengeance dinal of Guise, the companion of his they esteemed lawful. The wife of the ambitious designs, and the boldest pro- duke presented a request to the Parliamoter of the League. The king himself ment against the murderers of her husprovided the poignards, which he gave to band. The suit commenced in the ordisome Gascons, who offered to be the min-nary course of justice. Two counsellors

were appointed to learn the circumstances called Sorbonne. He was twenty-four of the crime; but the Parliament went years of age. His stern piety and dark no further, the principals being in the interest of the king.

The Sorbonne did not follow this example of moderation. Seventy doctors published a writing, in which they declared that Henry of Valois had forfeited his right to the crown, and that his subjects were released from their oath of allegiance to him. But the royal authority had no such dangerous enemies in Paris as those called the Sixteen, not because of their number, for there were forty of them, but because of the sixteen districts of Paris into which they had divided the government. The most prominent of all these citizens was a certain Le Clerc, who had usurped the great name of Bussi. He was a bold citizen and a bad soldier, like the rest of his companions. These Sixteen had acquired absolute authority, and in the result became as insupportable to Mayenne as they had been terrible to the king. Moreover, the priests, who have always been the trumpeters of all revolutions, thundered from the pulpit and gave their assurance from God that whosoever should kill the tyrant would inevitably enter paradise. The sacred and dangerous examples of Jehu and Judith, and all the assassinations consecrated in Holy Writ, were sounded all over the nation.

and melancholy temperament soon led him to fanaticism, aided by the importunate clamors of the priests. He took upon himself to be the liberator and martyr of the Holy League. He communicated his project to his friends and superiors. They all encouraged him, and canonized him in advance. Clement prepared himself for this regicide by fasting and prayer for whole nights together. He confessed himself, took the Sacrament, and then provided himself with a good knife. He went to St. Cloud, where the king's quarters were, and asked to be admitted to the prince under pretext of revealing to him a secret which it was important for him to know immediately. Being brought into the presence of His Majesty, he prostrated himself before him, and with a modest blush on his face, presented him with a letter, said to be written by Achilles de Harlay, first president. While the king was reading, the monk thrust the knife in his body, and left it sticking in the wound. Afterwards, with a confident air, and his hand on his breast, he raised his eyes to Heaven, patiently awaiting the result of his assassination. The king rose up, plucked the knife from his body, and struck the murderer with it across his forehead. Many of the courtiers ran to him at the noise. Their duty In this fearful extremity, the king was required that they should have arrested at last obliged to seek the aid of that the murderer to question him and endeavsame King of Navarre whom he had be- or to discover his accomplices; but they fore refused. This prince was more sen- instantly killed him, which led to the sussible to the glory of protecting his brother-picion that they were but too well acin-law and his king than to the victory he had obtained over him.

He led his army to the king; but before the arrival of his troops, he sought him alone, with a single page to accompany him. The king was astonished at this mark of generosity, of which he himself was incapable. The two kings marched toward Paris with a powerful army. The city was not in a condition to defend itself. The League tottered to its fate, when a young religionist, of the order of St. Dominic, changed the whole face of affairs. His name was James Clement. He was born in a village of Bourgogne,

quainted with his design. Henry of Navarre then became King of France by right of birth, acknowledged by one party of the army, and deserted by the other. The Duke of Epernon and some others left the army alleging that they were too good Catholics to take up arms in favor of a king who did not go to mass. They secretly hoped that the overthrow of the kingdom, the object of their desires and hopes, would afford them an opportu nity of becoming sovereigns in their country. In the mean time, the murder by Clement was approved of by Rome and consecrated in Paris. The Holy League

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