reasons were partly, that she wished to superintend her maidens in the preparation of dinner, and partly that she was afraid of walking out in her gown of skyblue silk, lest there should be rain; whilst her gown of mouse-colour was more frayed in the bodice than she cared to be remarked by an ancient admirer.

“Our spirituality, what do they? Some be clerks of the kitchen ; some surveyors or receivers."—LATIMER

THE day, which followed the preceding conversation was Saturday; and Master Brandon with Sir Francis Farel made a morning's walk thereon, into Edderton. Anciently the smithy stood apart from the village, about a quarter of a mile, which when these two friends approached, they were stopped by an angry altercation, to which, when they had listened awhile, Master Willoughby with Sir Francis advanced to the door of the smithy; inside which stood Abel Fulton the smith, with his heaviest hammer on his shoulder, and his round face red with wrath, whilst he watched the motions of the parish constable, whom Sir Bray, the curate, was encouraging to the execution of his office. Sir Bray doffed his clerical cap to Master Brandon, and inclined towards him reverently, he being in his heart glad to have a business interrupted, the which threatened him with discomfiture, and perhaps with bodily danger.

"Abel, Abel," Master Brandon said, “art thou not called the quiet smith ?"

Abel Fulton dropped his hammer, and answered, "Now, hear your worship. Ever since I acquainted farmer Howden, in secret, how Master Bray wronged him in the matter of the black horse, which your wor ship may have seen sometimes lame in the off hind leg, hath Mr. Bray been pestiferous upon me, troubling me mightily about religion." £ risati b'ordiw ad

"It is a lie," Master Bray answered, "Every one knoweth, that the proclamation of his most gracious Majesty, whom God preserve from papistical machinations, and from all other devilish arts, doth command strict inquiry to be made in every parish after such as pray in the Latin and not upon the English Primer. Also yester morning, the unmannerly knave laughed at the church-door, whilst our worshipful vicar, and his most respectable and virtuous bride were coming away from the chancel, where I, most unworthy to do it, had celebrated between them the praiseworthy ordinance of lawful marriage. The wicked caitiff is suspected to be a contemner of married priests, contrary to the King's statute."....

May it please your worship, what I said at the Tabbard last evening was, that clergy be sometimes guilty of worse matters than lawfully marrying aged women."

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I guilty! Hast any person ever heard does your worship smith, art looking at me? As regards Jemima, the horse Jemima, I mean the mare which I sold to Humphrey Howden so cheaply. Art laughing, caitiff? Verily, thou shalt rue thine impudence in the compter; thou shalt sit in the stocks, shalt stand in pillory, shalt be whipped at the town-post, as also at the cart-tail. Thou shalt be bored through the tongue, shalt be branded on the cheek, both cheeks. Insult the clergy, wilt thou, thou dirty smith and Papist?”

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Your worship, did I look at him? I never did. I looked at your worship's self."

7 - 00 / bar Then the curate told the constable that he must needs procure additional assistance for the arrest of the stubborn smith. But Master Brandon said, “Is the vicar at his house, or hath he accompanied his fair bride to Atherton-Hall? This morning, I have had an entire buck presented me. The fat, Sir curate, lieth along the ribs lusciously thick."

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Doth it so ?" inquired Master Bray. Doth it lie a finger's depth along the fourth rib? Has your wor+ ship inquired into its age? The fore-foot has your worship examined it? Was the animal skilfully killed? Some of your huntsmen do mangle the flesh shamefully,

and that often in the sweetest parts. How many days hath the breath of its nostrils been out?”iedi „išowoLLÀ Master Brandon answered, “I have a haunch for a friend, which hath not one scratch upon it. But touch ing our neighbour here?",

If your worship doth desire it, I could forget his wrongs towards myself, who am his curate; but concerning his obstinate contempt of the English Primer, the king's proclamation is express against it."

"Your worship," Abel Fulton replied, "my father and my grandfather said paternoster and credo on the mass-book, and in that manner did they instruct me. And what harm? This I do know, for it is what I see, that there be no such farriers now-a-days as before St. Dunstan was banished."

Master Bray answered with great contempt, No undoubted Christian hath ever prayed in Latin. And I have heard that Dr Hopps, who hath greater repute for learning than all the cardinals, doth hold that Adam, the original of us all, did, beyond doubt, pray in his mother-tongue."

Master Brandon smiled pleasantly, and said, "Abel, the King doth order us to pray in English."

It hath been said," answered Abel Fulton, “that the German friar hath a devil; and certainly the religious troubles all began with him. In our church, when the Holy Mother of God was pulled down, the people shouting for Luther the while, I swore never to pray after Luther's manner, though now it is a long time since. And they do say, that the King's Primer is Cranmer's making, and not Luther's book at all."

-d Be satisfied, smith, the Lutherans pray not after the fashion of the Primer." I 1

Your worship is certain? Then assuredly will I get the schoolmaster to teach me e the English paternoster." „9*60

Then Master Brandon said," Sir curate, wilt thou honour the noble buck I spoke of, so far as to accept a haunch of his venison ??act agt greh dicob eheyti

Many thanks, worshipful sir," said Master Bray. "bbishall be at my poor home an hour hence at fartħustlümede droit silt blgusm ob asmesand woy to 90102

Also Master Brandon put a silver piece into the constable's hand, and said, "The quiet smith seemetha loyal subject. Art thou the officer hereabouts, who once remarked, that the better policy maketh the people love the authorities? It was a good saying. Good morning to you all!"

When Master Brandon was returning home, Sir Francis laughed aloud, and embraced him, and said, "The League hath deputed me to England to nego tiate their business. Better they had secured thy help, wily Willoughby! Admirable Brandon, didst come by that astuteness innocently? Verily a lawyer's practice were inadequate to give it. Certes, thou couldst balk Lucifer of a victim; for hast thou not pacified an angry priest?"

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"But then, Francis, Satan hath not that unappeasable appetite for venison which the curate hath. I know. not how it may be with the German priests, but very commonly among the clergy of this neighbourhood, the, staunchest heresy-hunter may be thrown off his scent, if you but cross it with venison." og

"That is well," said Sir Francis." And always it has been well for the world, that the priesthood have had their foibles, for they would have been irresistible, for evil at least, could they but have denied themselves feasting, as well as marriage."

THE FREE CHURCH" IN SCOTLAND DEPUTATION TO AMERICA.

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AFTER having laid England under contribution in a way and to an extent quite unexampled, the " Free Church" sent a deputation across the Atlantic. Three of the number have returned, and various accounts have been given of their success. The probable results of their exertions are estimated at about £9000. Though this sum can scarcely be considered adequate to the labour its collection has cost, and though we t believe it comes far short of the expectations formed regarding it, still it is sufficiently large to excite some

curiosity to know on what pretences it was obtained, and from what particular denominations it was print cipally drawno From the accounts which appeared in the newspapers,considerabled lights was thrown on these points, and the comparatively small degree of success attained accounted for. These convinced us that the fact of the Free Church still clinging in theory to the principle of Establishments, had kept the contributions so low, while a systematic playing fast and loose with that principle, was the cause of their reaching even the height they did. For proof of this, we need only refer to the marked difference between the manner in which that principle was treated by Dr Macfarlane in his letters to the Duke of Sutherland, and by Dr Cunningham, when he underwent examina tions and produced his credentials before the first meeting of American clergymen he addressed. The greaterR part of the subscribers to the Free Church" fund, we also gathered from the same source, belonged to the more strictly Calvinistic denominations and although we learned with extreme pain that any who hold the prin ciples usually termed Voluntary, had been induced to give their aid to those who had so vilified them, yet we did firmly believe that all the more enlightened of our American brethren, and especially those whose religio ous sentiments are kindred to our own, had carefully abstained from giving any aid to this deputation. In this expectation, however, we have been disappointed. We have been undeceived by reading an article in the Free Church Magazine, entitled, "Notes on America, by one of the Free Church Deputation," of which Mr Chalmers is understood to be the writer. The Notes are confined to Boston. They contain little information on the peculiar object of his visit, except in one stance, to which we shall come presently. They consist of a general and highly favourable description of Boston and its society, an account of of the interior of the churches, and the mode of worship, and of a rather ela elart borate explanation of the exact difference between the forms of Presbyterianism and Congregationalism prevail in New England. The writer seems to have beell highly delighted with Harvard College, which he