BENEDICTINE ABBOT.

In the early period of the French revolution, when the throne and the altar had been overturned, and the infuriated spirit of devastation was wasting the distant provinces, a Bendictine monastery in the department of La Vendee, was entered by a tumultuous band; the brotherhood were treated with the most wanton and unprovoked cruelty and the work of desolation and plunder was pursuing an uninterrupted course, when a large body of the inhabitants rallied, drove the despoilers from the place and secured the ring leaders, whom they would have punished most promptly, had not the venerable abbot, who bad received the most wanton indignities from these very leaders, rushed forward to protect them. "I thank you, my children," said he"for your generous and seasonable interfe "rence, let us show the superiority of the religion "we possess, by displaying our clemency, and "suffering them to depart." The sufferers felt so overpowered by the abbot's humanity, that they fell at his feet, and entreated his forgiveness and benediction.

SLEEPERS REPROVED.

A methodist preacher once observing, that several of his congregation had fallen asleep, sud

denly exclaimed with a loud voice, "A fire, a "fire!" "Where, where," cried his auditors, whom he had roused from their slumber; "in "the place of punishment," added the preacher, "for those who sleep under the ministry of the "holy gospel."

Another preacher, of a different persuasion, more remarkable for drowsy preachers, finding himself in the same situation with his auditory, or more literally speaking, dormitory, suddenly stopped in his discourse, and addressing himself in a whispering tone to a number of noisy children in the gallery, "silence, silence, children," said he, "if you keep up such a noise, you will "wake all the old folks below."

CHURCH ON FIRE.

Fox, in his Book of Martyrs, relates, that "there was one Mr. Mallary, master of Arts, of "Christ's College, Cambridge, who, for opinions "held contrary, to the determination of the

holy mother Church of Rome, was convened "before the bishops and in the end sent to Ox"ford, there openly to recant and to bear his

faggot, to the terrour of the students of that "university. It was appointed that he should "be brought solemnly into St. Mary's church "upon a Sunday, where a great number of the

"head doctors and divines, and others of the "university were assembled, besides a great "number of citizens who came to behold the "sight. Dr. Smith, then reader of the Divinity "Lectures, was appointed to make the sermon "at his recantation. All things thus prepared, "cometh forth poor Mallary with his faggot upon "his shoulder: the doctor was also in the pul"pit to make his sermon: he had scarce pro"ceeded into the midst thereof, when suddenly "was heard in the church, the voice of one cry"ing in the street, Fire, Fire;' the occasion of "which was one Hewster coming from All-hal"lows parish, saw a chimney on fire: and so passing in the street of St. Mary's church, "cried, fire, fire,' meaning no hurt. This sound "of fire being heard in the church, went from

66

one to another, till, at length, it came to the "ears of the doctors, and at length to the preach"er himself. These, amazed with sudden fear,

began to look up to the top of the church and "to behold the walls; the rest seeing them "look up, looked up also. Then began, in the "midst of the audience some to cry out, "fire, "fire.' Where?' saith one, Where?' saith "another. In the church,' saith one. The "church was scarce pronounced, when in a “moment there was a common cry, the church

"is on fire, the church is on fire by heretics.' "Then was there such fear, concourse, and tu"mult of people through the whole church, that "it cannot be declared in words as it was in "deed. After this, through the stir of the peo"ple running to and fro, the 'dust was so raised "that it showed as if it had been smoke. This, "and the outcry of the people, made all men so "afraid, that leaving the sermon they began together to run away; but such was the press "of the multitude running in heaps together, σε that the more they laboured the less they "could get out; they thurst one another in such "sort, that they stuck fast in the door, and there "was no moving forward or backward. Then "they ran to another little wicket on the north "side; but there was the like or a greater throng. "There was yet another door towards the west, "which though shut, and seldom opened, yet "now they ran to it with such sway, that the σε great bar of iron (which is incredible to be "broken) being pulled out, and broken by force "of men's hands, the door notwithstanding "could not be opened for the press, or multi"tude of people. At last when they were there "also past hope to get out, they were all exceed"ingly amazed, and ran up and down crying. " out that the heretics had conspired their death:

"one said he plainly heard the fire; another "affirmed that he saw it; and a third swore "that he felt the molten lead dropping down (( upon his head and shoulders. None cried "out more earnestly than the doctor who preached, who in a manner first cried out in "the pulpit, These are the subtleties and trains "of the heretics against me, Lord, have mercy upon me; Lord, have mercy upon

66

me.'

"In all this confusion, nothing was more fear"ed than the melting of the lead, which many "affirmed they felt dropping upon their bodies. "The doctors seeing no remedy, that no force

nor authority could prevail, fell to entreaty and "offered rewards; one offered twenty pounds, "another his scarlet gown, so that any man "would pull him out, though it were by the ears. "A president of a college pulling a board out "from the pews, covered his head and shoulders "therewith against the scalding lead, which they "feared much more than the falling of the "church. One thought to get out at a window; " and he had broken the glass and got his head " and one shoulder out, but then stuck fast between "the iron bars, and could move neither way:

others stuck as fast in the doors, over the heads "of whom some got out. A boy was got up on "the top of the church door, and seeing a monk