It was supposed that this noble ship would make her first voyage to California; but her vast capacities were finally filled for Liverpool, and no ordinary national pride was felt in view of the impression which she would make upon the merchants and masters of England, when she should reach their ports, under the command of her gallant captain, late of The Sovereign of the Seas. But this voyage she never sailed. She was ingloriously burned at the wharf in New-York, when chafing upon her fastenings, all ready for the sea. What will be her fate, or future transformation, remains yet to be seen. But not a "smell of fire" passed over her builder's hopes and plans. A large ship, second only to herself, The Champion of the Seas, was in the process of construction, and has since been launched and sent to the English firm by whom she was ordered a model and an illustration of American skill. The reputation earned by these ships has brought into Mr. M'Kay's hands a vast amount of European orders; and his yards are now pressed to their utmost power to execute them. He has himself planned, and is rapidly constructing, a new line of packet-ships, to run between Boston and different European ports. The vessels will be of the first class; and we can readily imagine how popular a line, both for passengers and freight this must be, prepared at this hour of the maturest experience of the builder, combining every advantage that human invention has secured to the marine art; elegant in accommodations, fleet as the wind, and as strong as timber, iron, and copper can render them. During the past ten years, a fleet of ships, some forty or more, any one of which would be a reputation for a man, has been issuing from the yards of Mr. M'Kay-all of them marked with the genius of their builder, and defending his fame in every successive trip.

It is an interesting fact, that not one of his ships has ever put into a port in distress, or cost the underwriters a dollar for repairs, in consequence of any defect in its construction.

yet be a powerful competitor with steam in the carrying business upon the high

seas.

It is grateful to record, what may already have been inferred, that in private life, and as a citizen, our great builder illustrates all the genial and generous traits of character that belong to, and adorn the true Christian gentleman. Success, then, to his noble enterprises! And may he long live to give wings to a commerce, which, if sanctified by the gospel, will become the evangelizer of the world. In the present condition of the world, commerce, in its great arena of navigation, is among the chief means of civilization and progress. Such a genius as Mr. M'Kay's is of more value to the race than that of the great soldier, or even the great statesman; we take pleasure, therefore, in paying this tribute to his merits.

When thou hast told of the lost and the dying,

Bid thou thy strain of lamenting to cease ;Sing thou of Him, on whose promise relying, Guilt may have pardon, despair may have peace:

Sound thou of worlds where the seraph is sweeping

Harpstrings unworn by the war-notes of men; Lands of delight, where no mourner is weeping;

So shall my spirit be tranquil again.

LUTHER CARRIED OFF BY HIS FRIENDS ON HIS RETURN, 1521.

NEIT

EITHER Spaniard nor Roman was to lay hand on the teacher of the German nation, so strong in the faith; German fidelity and noble princely care had prepared for him a secret asylum.

"But because Luther had been outlawed by the emperor, and excommunicated by the pope, God inspired the wise Elector of Saxony to give orders, through confidential and trustworthy persons, to take prisoner for a time the outlawed and excommunicated Luther, as the pious servant of God, Obadiah, the teacher of King Ahab, kept one hundred priests for a time concealed in a cavern, and fed them, while the Queen Jezebel sought their life. Our doctor consented to this step at the anxious desire of good people."-Mathe

sius.

While all is indignation and rage at Worms, that the daring offender should have been allowed to escape, the time is gone by, and he soars invisibly over his enemies from the heights of the castle of Wartburg. Happy and safe in his dungeon, he can return to his flute, sing his German psalms, translate his Bible, and thunder at the devil and the pope quite at his ease. "The report gains ground," writes Luther, "that I have been made prisoner by friends sent from Franconia;" and, at another time, "I fancy it was supposed that Luther had been killed, or condemned to utter silence, in order that the public mind might relapse under that sophistical tyranny which I am so hated for having begun to undermine." However, Luther took care to let it be known that he was still alive. He writes to Spalatin : "I should not be sorry if this letter were

lost by some adroit neglect on your part, and should fall into our enemies' hands. . . . The priests and monks who played off their pranks while I was at large, have become so alarmed since I have been a prisoner, that they begin to soften the preposterous tales they have propagated about me. They can no longer bear up against the pressure of the increasing crowd, and yet see no avenue by which to escape. See you not the arm of the Almighty of Jacob in all that he works, while we are silent and rest in patience and in prayer! Is not the saying of Moses herein verified, Vos tacebitis, et Dominus pugnabit pro vobis, The Lord shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace?"

Captain Berlepsch and Burkard Hund, Lord of Altenstein, with their servants, stopped Luther's carriage in a hollow way near the castle of Altenstein, in the direction of Waltershausen, and carried him off.

His companion, Amsdorf, had to

proceed alone, Luther's younger brother having fled, alarmed at sight of the approaching horsemen.

LUTHER BEGINS HIS TRANSLATION OF THE BIBLE AT THE WARTBURG.

THE heroic monk has suddenly vanished from the busy market-places of the world; we find him in the quiet chamber of a Thuringian castle disguised as Master George, absorbed in the study of that volume which, since the dark days of Erfurt, had become the shining star of his life. This book was now to speak in the German tongue to German hearts; such was Luther's resolution, and his labor in his Patmos.

"While our doctor was kept quite secretly at Wartburg, he was not idle, but pursued dayly his studies and his prayers, and devoted himself to the Greek and Hebrew Bibles, and wrote many cor solatory letters to his friends."-Mathesius.

"In the meantime," he writes, "I intend to translate the New Testament into our mother tongue, as our people wish. O that every city had its own translator, so that this book might be in the hands and hearts of every one! ... I have taken upon myself a burden which surpasses my strength. Now only I perceive what a translation means, and why hitherto no one has ventured to put his name to one. It is to be hoped that we may give to our Germany a better translation than the Latins possess. It is a great work, well worthy that we should all labor thereat."

Luther dates his letters, From the region of the clouds; From the region of the birds; or else, From amidst the birds singing sweetly on the branches, and lauding God day and night, with all their strength; or again, From the mountain; From the Island of Patmos. It is from this, his wilderness, (ex eremo meâ,) that he pours forth in his sad and eloquent letters the thoughts which crowd upon him in his solitude. "What art thou doing at this moment, my Philip?" he says to Melancthon; "art thou not praying for me?

For my part, seated in contemplation the live-long day, I figure to myself the image of the Church, while the words of the eighty-ninth Psalm are ever present to me, Nunquid vane constituisti omnes filios hominum? Wherefore hast thou made all men in vain?' God! what a horrible spectre of God's wrath is this abominable reign of the antichrist of Rome! I hate the hardness of my heart which does not dissolve in torrents of tears, mourning over the sons of my murdered people. Not one is found to rise up, take his stand on God's side, or make himself a rampart unto the house of Israel, in this last day of wrath? O, papal reign, worthy of the lees of ages! God have mercy upon us!" (May 12th.)

BELOW, LUTHER'S DEPARTURE ON HORSEBACK FROM

THE WARTBURG.

To the left above, Luther and the Swiss students in the inn called the Black Bear, at Jena. To the right, Luther in the circle of his Wittemberg friends recognized on their entrance by the Swiss students. THE spiritual knight left his Patmos armed with his best weapon,-his Bible. The news of the disturbances and confusion at Wittemberg bereft him of all peace in his solicitude.

Wittemberg under a much higher protection than that of the elector. In this business the sword neither can nor ought to assist. God alone must here work without human care or interference: therefore he who hath most faith will in this matter protect most."

In this confidence he had begun his journey; and thoughts like these occupied his mind most likely when, at Jena, in the inn called the Black Bear, he opened his heart so cheerfully and affectionately to the two Swiss students, Johannes Kessler and Rütiner, from St. Gall.

One of them, Kessler, has described this meeting: "In the sitting-room we found a man sitting alone at a table, a little book lying before him he greeted us kindly, and called us forward to sit beside him at the table; he offered us drink, which we could not refuse; but we did not imagine he was other than a horseman, who sat there dressed according to the custom of the country in a red cap, simple breeches and jacket, a sword at his side, holding with his right hand the pommel of the sword, with the other his book. And we asked him, 'Master, can you tell us whether Martin Luther be at this time at Wittemberg, or at which place he may be found?' He replied, I am well informed that Luther is not at this time at Wittemberg; but he is soon to be there. Philip Melancthon is there, however; he teaches Greek, and Hebrew also, both which languages I would truly recommend you to study, for they are necessary for understanding the Scriptures.'

A few days later these Swiss men meet the same horseman at Wittemberg, at the house of their countryman, Dr. H. Schurf, by the side of Melancthon. "When we were called into the room," relates Kessler, "behold, we find Martin, as we had seen him at Jena, with Melancthon, Justus Jonas, Nicolaus Arnsdorf, and Dr. Schurf, all telling him what has happened at Wittemberg during his absence. He greets us smilingly, points with his finger, and says, 'This is the Philip Melancthon of whom I spoke unto you.'