from the Bishop, who now addressed those nearest him, saying in a tone of cheerful benignity,—

"You have often heard, my friends, of that most respectable individual, the oldest inhabitant.' Perhaps I am not only the oldest in Clanmarina, but in the kingdom, seeing that more than eightysix years of deep experience have taught me its dangers and its sorrows, till nothing now is left me but the undying hope of a world to come. Who does not often ask himself,--Why are we brought into this world, and why are we taken out of it? Life is an awful gift, which we have each received, and must each sooner or later resign; but mine has now reached its latest verge. Years and infirmities tell me that this must probably be my last visit to so distant a part of my diocese; and before the grave closes between me and every earthly duty, I have desired once more to waru you all of the evils and dangers fast approaching your own homes. I cannot live to share them with you, but I would willingly die to-morrow to shield you and all those I love from such perplexities as are approaching. The curtain of history is now rising over a deep tragedy, in which every truehearted Briton must bear a part, to defend or to lose his all. An Italian flag has been unfurled within the heart of our great metropolis, and bold defiance bid to our laws and religion, therefore all must now be actively true to the flag of old

England. Like Thomas à Becket, a Cardinal asserts in England now the right divine of Popes, to govern wrong, and would have you build on the most fatal of quicksands your hope for time and for an endless eternity”

The stranger, evidently roused to the deepest interest, now stole out from his obscure retreat and noiselessly placed himself close behind Lady Edith, in a position more advantageously to see and hear the venerable old Bishop, whose voice for one short moment faltered with emotion; but instantly recovering himself, he continued in a tone of dignified firmness, till his eye in glancing from face to face suddenly rested on the young stranger, when with a start of evident astonishment he paused, looked again, and became obviously much perplexed.

During the whole of his subsequent address, the Bishop's attention seemed again and again fixed with wondering interest on the distinguished looking young stranger, to whom at length he seemed almost entirely to direct his words; for the incognito's eyes appeared to exercise the fascination of a serpent over all who once caught his brilliant glance, while the whole expression of his countenance became instinct with genius and vivacity.

"It becomes daily more evident, my friends," continued the Bishop, "from the silent progress

of Jesuitism during the last few years in this country, that once again there must hereafter be a death-struggle in Britain for the possession of your Bibles and of your consciences. Men who are indifferent on the subject will tell you, that our ancient adversary the Pope is now a mere wandering old priest, obliged lately to escape from his own subjects disguised as a livery servant, and who is yet protected only by the bayonets of a foreign republic; but Sinbad's Old Man of the Sea will very soon be re-acted in this country, if we trust in such plausible representations. The Pope seems crippled in all his resources, and yet never for centuries has his power been so influential in England as at this moment; and the danger you have all to apprehend is not from the open honest warfare of soldiers on a battle-field, or its extent might be measured and avoided. No! it is the clandestine, the marvellous but imperceptible expansion of the Jesuits around us which ought to be feared, and their masquerading manoeuvres, while Protestants sleep on in a vague ignominious dream of safety. The warfare of opinions and principles is stealing surreptitiously into the family circle of many a husband and parent, who believes he has fortified his home and his children impregnably against jesuitical influence; but let all now make assurance doubly sure."

to Lady Edith and Beatrice. "The Jesuits are like the lily of the valley; once planted, no power of man can trace their progress or entirely root them out. They grow and spread in all directions, silently and unnoticed, appearing always where least expected, and not very much wanted."

"A Dean of our Church once said," replied Lady Edith, in an under tone, "that the Pope, when weeding his garden, throws the worst weeds over our English wall, and there are tears in many a family now which would sorrowfully testify to their progress."

"there

One

"In Europe," whispered the stranger, are more than a million of priests,-a Popish militia, thoroughly trained and most skilfully drilled, with no other earthly tie but their order, who form an invisible army, with which the Pope is gaining victories every day. His chief energy in recent times is directed to the wealthy English, who are entrapped by secret devices, strange beyond the wildest dreams of romance.. young and beautiful cousin of mine is nibbling now towards the bars of a convent, and I tell her, if once she enters the confessional, such an insight will be gained into her character and secret thoughts, that there will remain no limit to the power of Father Eustace to seduce or to terrify her. She will, I greatly fear, break her mother's heart, and soon abandon every divinely appointed

duty, to be employed in working dresses for the priests, and in making delirious proselytes like herself."

"Careless men," continued the Bishop earnestly, "consider this a mere question of religion for the clergy, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing to general society; but no! it is an attempt, my friends, on the part of Rome, chiefly through female influence, to gain in this country supreme power, as well as unlimited wealth. This the Popish priest will succeed at last in doing, unless the Protestant garrison, aware that they have adversaries within and without, be each man at his post, as alert to defend as the assailants are to attack. Their opponents seek not religious equality but political predominancy; therefore it is the interest even of infidels to maintain the independent dignity of man as his God created him, relying, we Protestants believe, on the guidance, not of men or angels, but of God's own Spirit, and of God's own word."

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Very different from the frauds, the deceptions, and the juggler's tricks I have seen at Rome, to entice and deceive wealthy and weak-minded converts;" muttered the stranger indignantly between his teeth, while the aged Bishop paused to recover himself. "Their slavery becomes worse than that of the negroes, for no despotism on earth is equal to that of a Popish priest usurping the place of