days, and died October 15. The body was brought over to England, and by the queen's command was buried with great state in St. Paul's Cathedral. Sydney is described by writers of his time as the most accomplished man of his age. "Virtuous conduct, polite conversation, heroic valor and elegant erudition," says Hume, "all concurred to render him the ornament and delight of the English court; and, as the credit which he possessed with the queen and the earl of Leicester was wholly employed in the encouragement of genius and literature, his praises have been transmitted with advantage to posterity." Nothing that Sydney wrote was ever published in his lifetime. His chief poem is the "Arcadia"-or, '—or, as he called it, "The Countess of Pembroke's Arcadia "-and was dedicated to "Sydney's sister," the "fair, good and learned" countess whose fame was sung by Ben Jonson. The "Arcadia," published in 1590, was completed in 1593. His songs and sonnets, entitled Astrophel and Stella, appeared in 1591. In prose Sydney wrote his most celebrated work, The Defence of Poesy, published in 1595. Sydney's prose was the most flexible, harmonious and flowing that had as yet appeared in our language; and, notwithstanding the conceits into which it runs-characteristic of his age-it frequently rises into stateliness of expression and nobleness of feeling. J. C. M. BELLEW. accomplished singer, and was secretly married to her in France, and again the ceremony was repeated by license on his return to England, in 1773. Between 1775 and 1779 he produced a series of sparkling comedies, of which the School for Scandal is best known, ranking as one of the finest wit-comedies in the language. His maidenspeech was delivered in the House on the 20th of November, 1780, when he was listened to with every mark of respect, but his appearance did not entirely satisfy his friends. In February, 1783, Mr. Sheridan first came into direct contact with Mr. Pitt, who was then chancellor of the exchequer. Sheridan's Begum speech has always been famous as an extraordinary exhibition of eloquence. It was delivered in the House of Commons in 1787, in connection with the case of Warren Hastings. When the House of Commons resolved to impeach Warren Hastings, Sheridan was chosen as one of the managers. He was called upon to reproduce as far as possible his splendid oration of the preceding year. Mr. Sheridan always lived and acted without any regular system for the government of his conduct, and for the last few years of his public life he seldom spoke in Parliament. He terminated his political career with a splendid proof of eloquence. This was in 1812, when the overtures for peace which had then recently been made by France were the subject of discussion. Sheridan died in poverty and disgrace, deserted by all save one or two of his old friends, on Sunday, July 7, 1816, in the sixty-fifth year of his age. ROBERT COCHRANE. JUSTIN MCCARTHY. REV. NORMAN MACLEOD, D. D. THE beltown, Argyleshire, June 3, 1812. He studied at Edinburgh and Glasgow, and for some time acted as a private tutor. He was ordained pastor of the parish of Loudoun, Ayrshire, in 1838. He removed to Dalkeith in 1843, and to the Barony parish, Glasgow, in 1851. There he worked earnestly and unweariedly for the elevation of the people of his parish, taking a deep interest in both home and foreign missions. In 1854 he preached before the queen at Crathie. In 1860, at the request of Mr. Alexander Strahan, the well-known publisher, he undertook the editorship of Good Words, and some of his most popular works appeared in its pages. In 1867 he visited India as a deputation from the Church of Scotland, ostensibly to give a new impetus to mission work in India. to mission work in India. On his return he delivered his memorable address on missions before the General Assembly. He died at his residence in Glasgow on Sunday, June 16, 1872, universally regretted by all classes of the community. HIS versatile writer was born in Cork,HIS noted clergyman was born at CampIreland, in the month of November, 1830. After receiving an ordinary education there he went to Liverpool, where in 1853 he became connected with a newspaper. Later, repairing to London, he established himself as reporter of the House of Commons on the staff of the Morning Star. Appointed Appointed foreign editor of that paper in 1861, he so commended himself to the management that he was promoted to be editor-in-chief in 1864. He resigned this position in 1868 to travel in the United States. He remained in this country about three years, and visited thirty-five of the thirty-seven States of the Union. Besides many contributions of great freshness and value to the principal reviews and magazines, he wrote several novels, which are clever, but not remarkable. Among these are A Among these are A Fair Saxon, Lady Judith, Dear Lady Disdain and Miss Misanthrope. He published a volume of essays entitled Con Amore, and one on Prohibitory Legislation in the United Stales, displaying the practical workings of the "liquor laws" in Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Iowa and other States. He is ROBERT COCHRANE. CHARLES DIBDIN. poe HARLES DIBDIN was born at Southampton in 1745. His mother was in her fiftieth year, and he was her eighteenth child. He was educated at Winchester and intended for the Church, but his love of try and music was so marked that after studying a short time under the well-known Kent, organist of Winchester Cathedral, he was sent to London, and at sixteen produced an opera at Covent Garden Theatre called The Shepherd's Artifice. In 1778 he became musical manager at Covent Garden, and in 1782 built the Surrey theatre. In 1789 he commenced those entertainments called "The Whim of the Moment." in which he introduced and performed his compositions. "Poor Jack" was one, and immediately established its author as a popular favorite. The charming ballad "Poor Tom Bowling" was written on the death of an elder brother, who was captain of an East Indiaman. In 1796, Dibdin erected a theatre called the "Sans-Souci" in Leicester Square, but disposed of it in 1805 and withdrew into private life. He was never a provident man, and consequently had made little or no provision for declining years. His embarrassed circumstances being represented to the government, a pension of two hundred pounds per annum was granted. In 1813 he was attacked by paralysis, and finally sunk to rest in July, 1814. As a ballad-writer and as a composer of sea-songs Dibdin has made himself a name which will last as long as English poetry is read; his fluency in composition was so great that he has left us nearly nine hundred. No man better knew how to please the popular an Oriel fellowship and received prizes for both a Latin and an English essay. He received deacon's orders in 1815, and was advanced to the priesthood the next year. He remained at Oxford, first as public examniner, and then as a tutor, from 1818 to 1823. During all these years, and until 1827, he had been composing, little by little, the beautiful poems which in the latter year were published in two small volumes entitled The Christian Year, containing a set of verses, in different metres, for every Sunday and holy day of the Church's calendar. The work, which supplied a real want in the most charming manner, became at once extremely popular. Poetical, harmonious, mystical and devout, it inculcates reverence, trust in God, home virtues and unsordid friendship. It finds its best illustrations in the experience of all, and leads devotion like simple household prayers. "Morning" and " "Evening' have no rivals in the expression of sweet and simple piety. The success of The Christian Year caused his election, in 1831, to the professorship of poetry at Oxford, in which he succeeded Dean Milman, and which he held for ten years. The great Tractarian, or Anglo-Catholic, movement, which many high churchmen had been excogitating in secret, is said to have had its first manifestation in the university sermon of Keble on national apostasy" delivered on the 14th of July, 1833. Of the Tracts for the Times, which stirred Protestant England to its depths, Keble wrote but four; they came to a violent end with "No. 90," written by John Henry Newman, who not long after went over to the Catholic Church. In 1836, Keble became vicar of Hursley, where he remained during his life. His principal later works-very much less known than his Christian Year-are Prolectiones Academica (1844), Lyra Innocentum (1847), some volumes of simple Parish Sermons, and a Life of Bishop Wilson (1863). He died at Bournemouth on the 29th of March, 1866. Keble College, at Oxford, inaugurated in 1870, is a living memorial of the pious poet founded and endowed by his friends and admirers; the memoir of his life was written in 1869 by his friend and fellowscholar at Corpus Christi, Sir John T. Coleridge. A THE PRODIGAL SON. FROM THE GREEK OF ST. LUKE. CERTAIN man had two sons, and the younger of them said to his father, Father, give me the portion of thy substance that falleth to me. And he divided unto them his living. And not many days after the younger son gathered all together and took his journey into a far country, and there he wasted his substance with riotous living. And when he had spent all, there arose a mighty famine in that country; and he began to be in want. And he went and joined himself to one of the citizens of that country, and he sent him into his fields to feed swine. And he would fain have been filled with the husks that the swine did eat, and no man gave unto him. But when he came to himself he said, How many hired servants of my father's have bread enough and to spare, and I perish here with hunger! I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight. I am no more worthy to be called thy son make me as one of thy hired servants. And he arose, and came to his father. But while he was yet afar off, his father saw him, and was moved with compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him. And the son said unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight: I am no more worthy to be called thy son. But the father said to his servants, Bring forth quickly the best robe, and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and shoes on his feet, and bring the fatted calf and kill it, and let us eat and make merry; for this my son was dead and is alive again, he was lost and is found. And they began to be merry. Now, his elder son was in the field, and as he came and drew nigh to the house he heard music and dancing. And he called to him one of the servants, and inquired what these things might be. And he said unto him, Thy brother is come, and thy father hath killed the fatted calf because he hath received him safe and sound. But he was angry, and would not go in; and his father came out and entreated him. But he answered and said to his father, Lo, these many years do I serve thee, and I never transgressed a commandment of thine, and yet thou never gavest me a kid that I might make merry with my friends; but when this thy son came, which hath devoured thy living with harlots, thou killedst for him the fatted calf. And he said unto him, Son, thou art ever with me, and all that is mine is thine. But it was meet to make merry and be glad, for this thy brother was dead and is alive again, and was lost and is found. REVISED TRANSLATION. It marks your bravery." Tsze-kung followed, on whose words the judgment was, They show your discriminating eloquence.' At last came Yen Yuen, who said, I should like to find an intelligent king and sage ruler whom I might assist. I would diffuse among the people instructions on the five great points, and lead them on by the rules of propriety and music, so that they should not care to fortify their cities by walls and moats, but would fuse their swords and spears into implements of agriculture. They should send forth their flocks without fear into the plains and forests. There should be no sunderings of families, no widows or widowers. For a thousand years there would Yew would have no be no calamity of war. * Yen Hwuy, the favorite disciple of Confucius, was born about 521 B. C. His idea as to how he could bring about a millennium is remarkable, but, considering mankind at that age especially, Utopian. opportunity to display his bravery, or Ts'ze to display his oratory." The master pronounced, "How admirable is this virtue !" When Hwuy was twenty-nine, his hair was all white, and in three years more he died. He was sacrificed to, along with Confucius, by the first emperor of the Han dynasty. The title which he now has in the sacrificial canon-" Continuator of the Sage" was conferred in the ninth year of the emperor, or, to speak more correctly, of the period, Kea-tsing, A. D. 1530. Translation of JAMES LEGGE, D. D. SELECTION FROM THE PHILOSOPHER SEUN. FROM THE CHINESE CLASSICS. EUN flourished about 270 B. C. He was SEU an able reasoner, and taught that the nature of man is evil and that all propriety and righteousness, laws and regulations, are the artificial product of the sages. MAN'S NATURE IS EVIL. Mencius said, "Man has only to learn, and his nature becomes good," but I reply, It is not so. To say so shows that he had not attained to the knowledge of man's nature, nor examined into the difference between what is natural in man and what is factitious. The natural is what the constitution spontaneously moves to; it needs not to be learned, it needs not to be followed hard after. Propriety and righteousness are what the sages have given birth to. It is by learning that men become capable of them; it is by hard practice that they achieve them. That which |