expected the inundation of letters which poured in from almost every corner of the country. It appeared that the people were everywhere greatly stirred. They were taken by surprise, and were struck with the mysterious peculiarity of the event. That so many Romanists should receive the letter on the same day, and that no Protestant neighbour should get one, seemed to indicate that it must have been sent by some one who was well acquainted with each particular locality. The letters were accordingly read with peculiar attention. The portion in Irish puzzled many who could not read that language, and this led persons who had before shunned the Irish Scripture Readers to go to them to get the paper read, and thus a friendly communication was opened with many Romanists who were afterwards led to read the Scriptures.

The effect was of course various with various people, and in different places, but in general the result was an anxiety to possess the papers, a serious impression that there was much that was true in them, and a desire to inquire further, and to know more. The conduct of the priests varied in different localities. The communications from the north say that the priests were in general quiet, and endeavoured to obtain the papers from the people by fair means, though with expressions of disapprobation. The persons who wrote from the south and west, and from some parts of Louth and Cavan gave account of great violence on the part of the priests, and strong efforts to prevent any one from keeping or reading the papers, yet multitudes of instances were given in which the people either resisted or evaded the priests command, and retained their letters.

It is quite impossible to convey to the mind of the reader anything like an adequate idea of the general excitement that was produced, and which was continued for a time, as the extent of the letters became known through the communications between friends in distant parts of the country. The people in Cork and Kerry found that those in Donegal and Derry had the same letters on the same day. Dublin and Galway, Louth and Limerick, distant and divided districts, all alike favoured in the same manner, at the same time, and with the same distinction of creed. This kept the excitement alive, and left a wondering expectation on the minds of the people looking for what was to come of so strange a matter. Though no great impressions can be given by a few specimens of the communications received, yet it may be well to show the nature of these accounts by inserting two or three of the letters written by persons who gave the information without suspecting that they were communicating with the author of the letters. It is difficult to select from the large number that were forwarded to me, but almost at hazard I take the following:

PEASANT WOMAN DRESSED IN THE ANCIENT IRISH MANTLE, Still worn in Galway and Kerry, but in few other places. From its Mantilla shape evidently of Spanish origin.

From the County of Donegal.

Feb. 14, 1846.-I have been very uneasy that I could not have written to you sooner, and in particular to let you know about a vast number of anonymous letters which are in circulation among the Romanists of this part of the country, and have even met with some of them in G. also. I have to let you know that the minds of many of them in this part are much agitated by these letters; but I am happy to remark that they have laid the foundation of many useful conversations I hope, in my travels among the people; and I have reason to hope and believe they will be the means of raising a spirit of inquiry among many of them, which may be blessed to the breaking off those tyrannical chains by which they are so strongly bound by these cunning and crafty Italian policemen, who are daily lying in wait to deceive; and it may yet come to pass that these letters may be acknowledged by some of them to be what they are represented to be-that is, "a voice from heaven." Dear lady, I think it necessary to let you know that these letters came to the country in the beginning of the week, which gave the people an opportunity of having a week's perusal of them, before the priests had time to have them published in the chapels, as the priests did not neglect doing so on the following Sunday. This they have done (I am informed) with the wisdom of the serpent, by making as light of these letters as possible, telling the people to light their pipes with them, which I am certain many of them may do; but I am convinced this will not be general; and I have reason to think they have kindled a fire in the hearts of some, which will never be quenched by the powers of darkness.

From the County of Cork.

Jan. 30, 1846.-There are some most excellent tracts sent through the post to several quarters of Ireland. They are causing great noise. The priests are furious about the matter, and the Popish press also; but the people read them and I have every reason to hope they will do incalculable good. The priests order whoever receive them to bring them to themselves without reading; but I have heard some of them say they "would not give them to priest or minister:" they are very happily written.

From the County of Kerry.

Feb. 25, 1846.-I had three letters from different parts of the country, asking me if I could get any of these English letters, to send them by post, for that they had seen some with a pedlar who sold them at threepence each. Very many got them, that do not own to them, so as not to have the priest come to hear it.

While these communications afforded abundant proof that a powerful impulse to inquiry had been given, it was important to ascertain the state of feeling by personal observation, and I undertook more than one journey to Ireland with this view. Everything that I saw and heard in these visits, tended to confirm the impression produced by the information I had received. It was in the course of these visits that I first went to Castelkerke, where the Providence of God opened the way for the first direct Missionary efforts. I found there an open door for making the experiment which would test the principle I had so strongly pressed upon my clerical brethren, and which they had so strongly opposed, and I entered into it the more readily because I felt the necessity for having some ostensible reason to assign to my friends in England for my otherwise unexplained absences from home. The story.

of the Castelkerke Mission must have a chapter to itself; and attention to the chronological order of its events must not interrupt the narrative of those efforts of which I have yet only related the first.

It was essential that the interest excited by the letters of the 16th January should be kept alive. There were many names on the original lists which had not been taken into the first flight of letters. It was determined that a second issue of letters should be sent, in which these should be included with as many of the former as possible. The experience I had gained in my recent inquiries gave me the clue to the subject of which to treat, and a tract came forth, entitled "Irishmen's rights;" it shewed that every Irishman had a right to read the Scriptures; and it explained that the rule of the Church of Rome does not positively deny this right, but requires that nobody should read them without the permission of a priest, and it advised the people to go to the priests and ask for such permission.

This suggested another step in the work, a preparatory letter was drawn up to the priests; the Catholic directory supplied the names and addresses of all the priests in Ireland, and this letter, accompanied by chosen extracts from the Douay version of the New Testament, was sent by post to every one of them Regular and Secular. This letter was as follows:

Reverend Sir,-You are respectfully requested to give serious consideration to the following argument, concerning which your practical opinion may shortly be called for.

You are no doubt aware, that it is by a mistake that the Protestants assert that the reading of the Bible is absolutely prohibited by the Roman Catholic doctrines.

You are also aware, that the true state of the case is, that the laity are forbidden to read any version of the Holy Scriptures, without ecclesiastical authority first had and obtained in the form of a written permission from the priest.

The priest is thus constituted the judge of the propriety of granting such permission in each particular case, and of conceding to any individual of his flock such licence to read the Holy Scriptures in whole or in part, as to him may seem right. While therefore the reading of the Scriptures by the laity is restrained and limited, not only is no restraint or limit imposed upon the priest, as regards his own reading of the Bible, but it is distinctly required of each priest that he should make himself acquainted with the Holy Scriptures; in order to be able to form a judgment, whether they may be safely read, in whole or in part, by any individual of his flock who may apply to him for such a permission as he is authorized to grant.

It being thus plainly the duty of every priest of the Roman Catholic Church to read the Holy Scriptures himself, you are respectfully asked-Have you read the Holy Scriptures?

If not the whole, have you at least read the New Testament?

Have you read it in the original Greek? or, should this be difficult to you, have you read the Latin Vulgate ?

Have you made yourself acquainted with the versions in English, and in Irish, which are those likely to be found in the hands of your flock?

If this should not be the case, it is respectfully suggested to you, that you should apply yourself to such reading at once; or how could you be

capable of forming a judgment, in case any of your flock should exercise this undoubted right of asking your permission to read the Scriptures, upon such reasonable grounds as no honest man ought to refuse to consider?

Suppose a dozen or twenty respectable Roman Catholics, such as farmers, or tradesmen, or gentlemen, living in your parish, were to ask such a permission from you, what reason could you give for refusing, if you had never read the Scriptures yourself? It is by no means unlikely that such an application may be made to you by even a greater number than a dozen or twenty.

In the letter to the people enclosing the tract called "Irishmen's rights," it was stated that the priest of the parish had "lately had a friendly letter sent to him respectfully reminding his Reverence of his duty to read the Bible himself," a copy of this letter to the priest was enclosed, and the person was told that according to the rules of the Church of Rome any body may read the book of God, if he has got a permission under the hand of a priest. To enable the person who received the letter to act on this rule two things were added in the same cover, one was a permission to search the Scriptures signed by "A true priest," the other was a single leaf of the New Testament in English and another in Irish. This was said to be "a drop of the water of life;" and it was added, "it seems a pity to tear up a Bible on purpose, but all the leaves shall go for a shower of drops amongst you, all over Ireland; whatever leaf you chance to get, you can go to your neighbour and see whether his leaf comes next, and so you may help one another by putting your drops together."

My unwearied helpers set to work with ready zeal, and we got together sixteen thousand of these letters, they were not sent on one day as before, but in divisions as they were ready. They were posted mostly in Edinburgh and London, and were received in the months of August and September, 1846. The permission was as follows:

PERMISSION BY AUTHORITY.

This is to certify that the Blessed Lord Himself gives you, Mr. full and free permission and commandment to "Search the Scriptures" (John v. 39), in the language you understand; and I would advise you as a friend, lest the Lord should judge you and punish you for neglect of his Word, to take the Bible and search it, and to try if I am telling you the truth, for He has laid it upon me to send this permission to you.

I am your Friend, and

A TRUE PRIEST.

The result of this issue threw great light upon the effect produced by the former letters, many persons took care to say nothing about what they had received, and this was evidently with a desire to prevent the papers from being taken from them; they had profited by experience. Many on the other hand refused to receive them, and they were returned