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account of the defeat of Amalek, and of His determination to manifest His displeasure against that wicked people. The second passage is Exod. xxiv. 4, in which we are told, that Moses wrote all the words of the Lord.' The third is, Exod. xxxi. 18, where it is said, that God gave the two tables of the law to Moses, which were written on tables of stone by the finger of God.""

"Writing upon stones, of which the tables given to Moses were the first specimen, so far as we know, appears to have been common afterwards in every age, and among most nations. Thus Job exclaims: 'O that my words were written in a book; that they were engraven with an iron pen, and lead, in the rock, for ever! (Job xix. 23, 24.) Very long inscriptions are still found on the stones of the ruins of the most ancient cities in the world. Travellers assure us that in the neighbourhood of Mount Sinai there are mountains and rocks of considerable size, which are covered with writing, but which, on account of the injury it has sustained from the lapse of years, cannot now be decyphered.

What is said in the second and third passage? What appears to have been a common mode of writing among most nations? What is said of it in Job? What are found on ruins in ancient cities? Of what do travellers assure us?

"You will recollect also that Samuel, when he had gained a great victory over the Philistines, took a stone, and set it up in a public place, and wrote on it

the word EBEN-EZER, which means 'that he wished to acknowledge in the fullest way he could, that he had gained that advantage, not by his own might or wisdom, but by the help of God. (1 Sam. vii. 12.)

1 Samuel, vii. 12. Then Samuel took a stone, and set it between Mizpeh and Sheu, and called the name of it Eben-ezer, saying, Hitherto hath the Lord helped us.

What did Samuel do after his victory with the Philistines? What does the word Eben-ezer mean?

"The apostle Paul, referring to the law, as written by the finger of God on tables of stone, tells us, that these divine precepts are written by the Holy Spirit of God on the heart of every real Christian. (2 Cor. iii. 3.) It should be the subject of our constant supplications that they may be thus engraven. Each one should say, 'Write all these thy laws on our hearts, O Lord, we humbly beseech thee!'

"In very early periods, we read of records on lead. Inscriptions are also found on many of the bricks which are still picked up where Babylon once stood. The Romans preserved their laws and records on tablets of brass.

"It appears from the Scriptures, that the prophets sometimes wrote upon tables of wood."

"But when did they first make paper ?"

2 Cor. iii. 3. Written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God, not in tables of stone, but in fleshly tables of the heart.

What does the apostle Paul tell us? Repeat a verse from Corinthians. What should be our constant supplication and prayer? What do we read of in very early periods? What are found on bricks picked up where Babylon once stood? How did the Romans preserve their acts and records? What appears from the scriptures? Of what was paper first made?

"That is uncertain, Harry. We know that it was first composed of the papyrus, the celebrated rush of the Nile, from whence it derives its name. There was, however, a manufactory of paper at Memphis, at least three hundred years before the time of Alexander. The Romans, in after ages, made it perfectly white and smooth."

"It was.

"What an useful rush the papyrus must have been !" It not only supplied the Egyptians with paper, but they procured a sort of sugar from its juice; the harder parts of the plant were made into cups, and ribs of boats; the softer parts were formed into ropes, sails, cloth, shoes, strings, and wicks for lamps. The Egyptian reeds were also generally used for pens." "What an useful invention paper was!"

"It was indeed; a work of any size written on bark, or on boards, spread over with wax, must have been very inconvenient."

But for

"Why, father, it would have filled a wagon !" "Well, I suppose it would. But for ages the papyrus furnished the world with paper; and near the close of the eleventh century, paper began to be made with linen rags.'

What was made at Memphis? What did the Romans afterwards do? Of what other use was the papyrus? Why was the making of paper an useful invention? When was paper first made of rags ?

"The book that our Lord unrolled must have been in writing?"

"Certainly."

"Then, were they not very dear, as it would take a great while, you know, to write out a book ?"

"They were. In the reign of our Alfred, in the ninth century, a bishop was obliged to go to Rome to buy books; for one of which the king gave him eight hides of land, or as much land as eight ploughs could till.' Stow informs us, that, in 1274, a Bible sold for 331. 6s. 8d. Archbishop Ussher tells us, that in 1429, the price of one of Wickliffe's Testaments was 21. 16s. 8d.; which the good bishop remarks, is as much as will now (in 1630) buy forty."

"It would buy many more now, father."

"It would; according to the rate at which I bought them for our charity-school, it would buy one hundred and thirteen."

"Well, what a difference!"

"Dr. Henry, the historian, might well remark, noticing this subject, that none but kings, bishops, and abbots could be possessed of any books; which is the

Were writings dear in ancient times? What did king Alfred give a bishop in return for a book? What does Stow tell us? What was the price of one of Wickliffe's Testaments? How many books would the sum have purchased in 1630? How many would it buy now? Who were the sole possessors of books in ancient times?