His seeking baptism at this time, and expecting to be employed as a catechist, rather argues that he had none other than purely Christian projects in contemplation. He seems to have retained a lively and grateful recollection of this period; and Mr. Roberts has received a letter, purporting to be from him, since his arrival in Nankin, thanking him for his kindness, and assuring him that when he attains to the Empire, he will circulate the Scriptures, and put down opiumsmoking.

The northern prince, and Lae, one of the other high officers, also spoke of Lo-ho-sun, as the good man who treated the people medically, gratis; the latter said that he knew him personally. Lo-ho-sun is the Chinese name which Mr. Roberts bears.

Fun-yun-san, who was taken prisoner with Hungsew-tseuen, and who is now titularly known as the southern King, belonged to the same or the adjoining village with him, in the Hwa-hien district, and was baptized by him at a very early period. He itinerated with him in Kwang-se, and continued to do so up to the commencement of the revolution, except for a short period, during which he is said to have paid a visit to Dr. Gutzlaff; he appears to have made more converts than Hung-sew-tseuen, and was certainly the first leader of the section that afterwards adopted

Hung-sew-tseuen as their leader; for there were three parties recognized by the imperial authorities,—this, and a second, headed by "Luig-shih-pah," of whom the local authorities report, that "he joined, in 1849, the Protestant sect at Kin-teen, in Kwang-se; and coming frequently to Sai-i, the district magistrate of that city discovered his proselyting ways, and ordered his house to be burnt, but the culprit managed to escape." In 1851, he is again alluded to as having "a large number of followers, with whom he captured Walling, on the borders of Kwang-se and Canton;" in reference to him orders were sent, that "The notorious Luig-shah-pah, of the religious banditti, should not be suffered to effect a union with the equally guilty Hung-sew-tseuen." And a third, who were probably Triads, and who may have proclaimed Tien-teh, if there was any such person, but who, there is reason to believe, eventually joined Hung-sew-tseuen's party -these were all driven to make common cause, and to seek mutual protection from oppression and unjust exactions.

The impression at Canton, even later than 1850, amongst the best informed, was, that it was only a taxriot, that would soon be put down. Little is known of particulars previous to that date, but it is abundantly evident from several sources, and amongst others, the

alleged confession of Tien-teh, that Fun-yun-san, who is called the "inventor of a story about a Heavenly Father," and afterwards Hung-sew-tseuen, were employed in organizing the movement, and in impressing upon it a Christian character, as far as they knew how ; which it appears, from the same source, that they effected as early as 1850, at which time the latter was proclaimed Emperor by his followers, with the title of T'hae-ping-wang. It may have been that the death of the Tartar Emperor, Tao-Kwang, which took place at the commencement of this year, suggested this period as a fitting time to set up their claimant for the throne.

At first, and while their objects were simply religious, they were content with the simple designation of "Shangte-hwin," "the Society of God!" but when they had determined upon the expulsion of the hated Mantchoo tyrants, the subversion of the idolatrous system, and the incorporation of the whole nation into one empire of "Universal Peace," they adopted the style of "Tae-ping-teen-kwoh," the Celestial Kingdom of Universal Peace.

Marvellous are the providences which seem to have marked this man's career.

Had he obtained his second literary degree, he

might have lived and died unheard of beyond his own circle, a miserable Chinese functionary.

Had he accepted baptism, he might have been employed as a native catechist, and because not appreciated, have produced little or no results.

Had he been taken to the governor of Hong Kong, he would have been a three days' wonder; his life would have been wasted in expectations never to be realized.

On the other hand, had he been better instructed in the truths and practice of Christianity, he in all probability would not have been a reformer of the kind necessary for China; reformation in morals and religion, so to speak-would not have been possible, unless a reformation in the State had first taken place. Time certainly, and who shall say how long, judging from former experience in the world, must have entered more largely as an element in the change.

Each or all these were turning-points, not in his history only, but in that of all China at least the religion of Islam did not appear to turn more truly upon the flight of a little bird, than does the religion and happiness of China upon the rejection of the youthful Hung-sew-tseuen.

Refusing baptism, except upon the condition of being employed-and having no other means of sub

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sistence he left Mr. Roberts and passed to Kwang-se: to which place all the Christians seem eventually to have retired, as the only place of safety, now that Christianity had been proscribed; " their meetings for the worship of Yesu having been prohibited as meetings for the propagation of corrupt doctrine."

This distrust would naturally suggest itself to them, as there it was that there were the greatest number of worshippers of Yèsu, under a common ban, and bound together with a common tie, and seeking, together with life and light, liberty of conscience. There also and in the adjacent districts of Que-chew and Yunnun there were people of Miou-tze and Chinese descent who had retained their independence, rejecting alike the jurisdiction of the Tartars and their customs.

Those of them of Miou-tze descent never adopted the prevailing idolatry or threw it off at some early period, and retained their independence even in the time of the Chinese dynasty of the Mings; but their hostility to the Tartars seems to have been more intense, owing to the severer restrictions they were subjected to by them.

The question may well suggest itself, Why was it that they did not adopt the current idolatry? Was it that they possessed some knowledge of a purer faith amongst them, or a tradition that their ancestors had?