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The Son of God-God's only Son-
His glory put aside :
Salvation's mighty work is done;

Incarnate Jesus died.

Our God is love! He gives us grace
To run the holy way:

With joy we run the Christian race
That leads to upper day.

Strong in Jehovah's might we prove

Against our every foe;
Arrayed in armour from above,
That armour lays them low.

Our God is love! that love the spring
Of never-ending joy :
That love let hallelujahs sing,
God's love our tongues employ !

Miscellaneous.

THE PASHA AT BUSSORAH.-To sit in the presence of the pasha, when the whole court are standing around him, is an honour and respect which an European hardly knows how to estimate; and gives the missionary a standing in society which enables him to do much good among the bigoted mussulmans. After we had partaken of refreshment, consisting of delicious grapes, apples, apricots, limes, pomegranates, along with a glass of anise, the best liquor I ever tasted, which is manufactured from the twigs of a certain species of tree, the dinner was announced. A large cloth was spread before us, upon which a small table one foot high was put, on which a round silver tray, which contained several dishes, was placed. Under each dish a linen cloth or napkin, to wipe the fingers, was laid; which is very necessary, as there are neither knives, nor forks, nor spoons. The food consisted of boiled rice, boiled mutton, fowls, and a few smaller dishes of sauces. The pasha then putting his hand into the dish, after saying "Bishmillah," began to eat. Each of us followed his example, when the rest, who sat not like ourselves, cross-legged, but upon their heels, began to tear the flesh from the fowls with their fingers, and devoured it with a celerity which would be estimated in Europe voracious. Cutting with knife and fork is never performed at any table in the east. The pasha, to mark his regard to me, put often with his bare fingers some choice bit upon my plate, and this he continued to do to others to whom he wished to show some particular regard; but, as if to mark one out as a great favourite, he would do it by taking a morsel and placing it on the tongue, which the favourite held out for the purpose. During this part of the feast we were entertained with vocal and instrumental music, &c. All the performers executed their parts well; and every thing that was upon the table was well dressed after the Turkish style. The pasha was very cheerful, and contributed every thing in his power to please his guests. The pasha having risen from the table, all rose after him; and then each of us, after washing our hands, was

From "Samuel's Journal of a Missionary Tour through the Desert of Arabia to Bagdad." Edinburgh: Maclachlan, Stewart, and Co. pp. 323. 1844,

served with a pipe and coffee. Their mode of amusing themselves, when away from the restraint of the divan, left me little opportunity to speak about the gospel; but I am happy to say, that though I have not been able to do much good, yet my presence prevented them from evil talking and wicked practices. One of those which I may specify was the dipping of two Jewish boys under the water, who, when they rose, their tormentors seized them and twisted their legs together, and with their left hand, seizing them by the neck, pricked their fleshy parts with a pin they had in their right hands, so that the poor creatures would open their mouths to cry. They were then instantly dipped head over ears in the water, whilst the bubbles were seen ascending, and the gurgling of the water in their throats heard. This created such amusement to the spectators, that roars of laughter and the clapping of hands resounded from shore to shore of the river. Their tormentors, being thus applauded, repeated this inhuman play; so that I was compelled to go up to the pasha, and beg of him to put an end to such cruel amusement. This, however, was a check to the mirth of the whole society, and I was looked upon as an intruder, since the pasha gave orders to relieve these poor Jews, who, when they came out of the water, came up and prostrated themselves before the pasha, and then afterwards turned to me and kissed my hand. Though they could not gratify their evil passions, the pasha was so much pleased that, when we were about to return home, he told me he was going to salute me; and, on passing the Turkish fleet, he ordered a double salute to be fired. In the evening, I conversed with three Jews, whose minds seem to be impressed with the truths of Christianity.

THE POTTER'S FIELD, or Aceldamus, which I had never before visited, attracted my attention very much. On that spot, Dr. Wild discovered, in 1839, a cave, containing a great number of skulls, which, according to his statements, were not those of Jews, but of foreigners. By this circumstance the fact was established beyond doubt, that this is the very field which was bought for the thirty pieces of silver, paid to Judas as the reward of his treason. Since then, many others have visited the cave; and new chambers have been discovered, where the bones of thousands lie mouldering. In fact, the vicinity of Jerusalem abounds in caves and subterraneous passages, where the bones of the millions who once worshipped on mount Moriah are whitening. It has been often a matter of surprise to travellers that so many skulls should be heaped together in one cave. It is explained in the Talmud, which informs us that it was the custom of the Jews to bury their dead in a particular place, and, after the flesh was destroyed, to gather the bones together, and place them in some vault. Many families had their own vaults.

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REMARKABLE PLACES. No. VIII.

NETLEY ABBEY.

(Looking east.)

"Fallen pile! I ask not what has been thy fate;
But when the weak winds, wafted from the main,
Through each lone arch, like spirits that complain,
Come hollow to my ear, I meditate

On this world's passing pageant, and the lot
Of those who once might proudly, in their prime,
Have stood with giant port; till, bowed by time,

Or injury, their ancient boast forgot,

They might have sunk, like thee; though thus forlorn,
They lift their heads, with venerable hairs

Besprent, majestic yet, and as in scorn
of mortal vanities and short-lived cares
E'en so dost thou, lifting thy forehead grey,
Smile at the tempest, and time's sweeping sway."

BOWLES.

NETLEY abbey is situated about three miles from Southampton, and stands upon a declivity rising from Southampton water. The name Netley is

VOL. XVII.

generally deemed a corruption of Letley, Latelie, or Lettlely, under which the place is mentioned in "Domesday Book." It has been supposed to be corrupted from the Latin "De Læto loco," or joyful place. It was founded by Henry III., A.D. 1239, and the style of the building is quite in accordance with that of this period. The first charter is not extant; but in a short one of confirmation, dated March 7, 1251, it is called "Ecclesia sanctæ Mariæ de Loco sancti Edwardi ;" hence it was sometimes called "Edwardstowe." The seals of the abbey, of which three are known, describe it as "the abbey of St. Mary of Edwardstowe." Henry placed on the foundation a few Cistercian monks, usually regarded as the most aspiring and encroaching of monastic orders, brought from the abbey of Beaulieu, in the New Forest, founded by king John at the commencement of the thirteenth century; many interesting remains of which are extant, and which will pro

N

bably be described in some future number of this magazine. Little is known of Netley for the first three hundred years after its foundation, except the names of the abbots. At the dissolution the foundation consisted of an abbot and twelve monks; their possession producing, according to Speed, 1607. 25. 94d., but according to Dugdale, 1007. 1s. 8d.

"Among the many debts of gratitude," it is remarked, "which we owe, if we would but acknowledge them, to the monastic institutions, is the fostering care which they extended from the earliest times to our literature. The holiness attached to the buildings of the church marked out ecclesiastical edifices from the first as repositories of archives and writings; and as early as the fifth century a separate place had been set apart, attached to the great church at Nola, as a depository of manuscripts, under its librarian and chancellor." So says the "Christian Remembrancer" for May, 1844; and the remark is sometimes true. But the riches of the good monks of Netley did not consist in their library. Leland found them possessed of only one book, a copy of Cicero's Treatise on Rhetoric; which is indeed remarkable, seeing that much of the time of the monks was engrossed in copying and illuminating manuscripts, which are still extant as proofs of great labour, and even of mistaken piety. The Cistercian monks, however, have been accused by their enemies, and they are not few, in having devoted more attention to the luxuries of the table than the folios of the study. In 1537, Netley was granted by the king to sir William Paulet, afterwards marquis of Winchester, one of the most remarkable statesmen of his time, who died at the age of ninety-two, A.D. 1572, having seen a hundred and three descendants, and was buried in the church of Basing, in which parish stood his castle; which, after a siege in the civil wars, was captured by the parliamentary forces, many being slain, and the then marquis with others taken prisoners.

This abbey passed to Edward Seymour, earl of Hertford, son of the protector Somerset, who is said to have made it his residence. It is stated in the parish register of St. Michael's, Southampton, that the queen's majesty's grace came from the castle of Netley to Southampton, on the 13th of August; from which it is inferred that queen Elizabeth visited lord Hertford in August, 1560, and went thence to Winchester on the 16th. The abbey, it is supposed, at this time was known by the name of the castle. "But we might be led to suppose that the house inhabited occasionally by the earl of Hertford, and then known by the name of Netley castle, was rather the old fort below the abbey, of which the ruins still remain. It is not improbable that at this time many parts of the abbey were in a sufficient state of repair to be fitted up for the reception of the queen's attendants" (Beattie's Castles and Abbeys).

About the end of the seventeenth century it became the property, it is said, of the earl of Huntingdon, from whom it passed into the hands of sir Bartlett Lucy, who sold it to a Mr. Taylor, a builder, of Southampton, by whose death, owing to a fracture occasioned by the falling of a stone upon his head, the progress of demolition was stopped. There is an old superstitious legend that he had been forewarned in a dream that such an occurrence would take place.

The abbey has become a complete ruin. It is embosomed among oaks and other trees which rise in thick clumps around it. Some of these, springing up from the midst of the roofless walls, spread their branches over them. A great part of the grey stone is enveloped in ivy. The site of the ruin is of considerable extent. The buildings seem to have formed a quadrangular court, which when perfect must have been very grand; but scarcely any thing more is now to be seen, except the remains of the church or chapel which occupied the northern side, and which was in the English style of architecture, and built in the form of a cross." It appears to have been about 200 feet in length, by 60 in breadth, and to have been crossed at the centre by a transept of 120 feet long. The walls can still be distinctly traced throughout the whole of this extent, except the north transept. The roof fell upwards of forty years ago. Its fragments, many of them sculptured with armorial bearings and other devices, lie scattered over the floor. Many broken columns still remain; and there are also windows in different portions of the wall, the ornamental parts more or less defaced. The east end is the most entire, and the great window here is of elegant proportions, and elaborately finished. The arches of the south transept are remarkably elegant. "It is probable," says Dr. Beattie, "that a tower rose above the intersection of the transepts with the church, although no distinct traces of it now remain. Tradition says that its lofty pinnacles formerly served as land-marks to the sailors in their way up Southampton-water." Besides the church, various other portions of the abbey, such as the kitchen, refectory (which appears to have been the largest room in the building), confessional, and sacristy, are pointed out. The whole place appears to have been surrounded by a moat, traces of which are still discernible; and two large ponds, in perfect preservation, still remain at a short distance from the buildings, which no doubt used to supply fish to the inmates. Their undisturbed waters present an aspect of solitude extremely beautiful. The first is nearly square, bordered with underwood, and backed with flourishing oaks. The upper pond is still more picturesque, being partly overhung with thick trees. The monks, we have seen, had little to occupy them in a literary point of view. About two hundred feet distance from the west end of the church, and nearer the water, is a small building, called "Netley castle," or fort, which was erected by Henry VIII.

The chief attraction of Netley, however, consists in the singular loveliness of the spot, sufficient of itself to attract visitors, of whom there are vast numbers, even were there not a vestige of the ruins to be seen, or no record of the grandeur of the building in bygone days. Although in a great measure concealed from the eye by trees, the ruins still form a beautiful object from many points. The destruction of the ivy, however, has much lessened the effect.

M.

SABBATH MEDITATIONS.

No. X.

SEPTEMBER 8.-FOURTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER
TRINITY.

Morning Lessons: Jer. v.; Matt. ix.
Evening Lessons: Jer. xxii.; Rom. ix.
MORNING.

"Jesus, seeing their faith, said unto the sick of the palsy, Son, be of good cheer: thy sins be forgiven thee."-MATT. ix. 1, 2.

earth, and stand before thee with thy name upon our foreheads, and ours written, O Lamb of God, in thy book of life. Amen, amen.

EVENING.

"If ye will not hear these words, I swear by myself, saith the Lord, that this house shall become a desolation."-JER. xxii. 5.

Meditation.-"No example ought to be of more force with us Christians than the example of Christ, our Master and Saviour, who, though he were the Meditation." Forasmuch as they had displayed Son of God, yet did always behave himself most reso great a faith, Christ also displays his own power; verently to such men as were in authority in the with all authority absolving the palsied one's sins, world in his time; and he not rebelliously behaved and signifying in every way that he is equal in power himself, but openly did teach the Jews to pay tribute to him that begat him. And observe, this he implied unto the Roman emperor, though a foreign and a from the beginning, by his teaching, when he pagan prince: yea, himself, with his apostles, paid taught them as one having authority;' by the leper, tribute unto him; and, finally, being brought before when he said, 'I will, be thou clean;' by the centuPontius Pilate, a stranger born and a heathen man, rion, when, upon his saying, 'Speak the word only; being lord president of Judea, he acknowledged his and my servant shall be healed,' he marvelled at him, authority and power to be given him from God, and and extolled him above all men; by the sea, when he obeyed patiently the sentence of most painful and curbed it with a single word; and by the devils, shameful death, which the said judge pronounced and when they acknowledged him as their judge, and he gave most unjustly against him" (Homily, tome ii.). cast them out with great authority" (St. Chrysostom).

Prayer.-0 Jesu, Saviour of souls, behold us brought unto thee by thy good Spirit, palsied by the corruption of our nature and the disease of indulged sin; behold, we come unto thee humbled, suppliant, and believing: have compassion upon our spiritual need and sickness, and let none of us depart without that blessed word, "Son, be of good cheer thy sins be forgiven thee." We beseech thee, look down with tender compassion also upon those which know not thee and think evil in their hearts. Turn, Lord, O turn them unto thee: let not their unbelief be unto death eternal; but raise them up and heal them, that they may glorify thee, O Son of man; and that, confessing thee before men, they may be confessed of thee before thy Father which is in heaven.

O blessed Shepherd, open thou the door of thy fold, that we thy sheep, knowing thy voice, may, with thy faithful disciple Matthew, arise and follow thee. Yea, we know thy voice, Lord; for thou callest not the righteous, but sinners, unto thee: therefore didst thou humble thyself, and sit down with publicans and sinners, that they might feed on that spiritual meat and drink, by which they lived on earth, and now live for ever. Even so, O, thou good Physician, we pray thee, humble thyself unto us, sick and sore, needing to be healed of our diseases; for we know ourselves to be neither whole nor righteous, neither abide we in the form only of outward service and sacrifice, but place all our hope and trust in thy mercy, as the faithful High Priest, who hast made reconciliation unto God for the sins of thy faithful and justified people.

Lord, let it be in our hearts to forsake the broad way which leadeth to destruction; not vainly striving, as he that putteth new cloth to an old garment or new wine into old bottles, to reconcile the life hid in thee with the things of earth which perish with the using; but do thou give us new hearts, and a new spirit put within us, that through thy grace we may be able to purge out the old leaven, and that the body of sin in us may be destroyed. Thus shall we walk before thee in newness of life, and be preserved both in soul and body, until the former things be passed away, and we shall see a new heaven and a new

Prayer. O Lord, our heavenly Father, high and mighty, King of kings and Lord of lords, by whom kings reign and princes rule, we beseech thee, let not their ears be dull of hearing, but fill them with understanding, that they may listen to thy word, and execute judgment and righteousness. More especially, we pray thee, for Jesu's sake, to pour down the plenteousness of thy heavenly favour upon the beloved queen whom thou hast set over us; and so replenish her with the grace of thy Holy Spirit, that she may alway incline to thy will and walk in thy way. Be unto her a helmet of salvation, and a strong tower of defence against all her enemies; and so strengthen and settle her in thy faith and fear and love, that truth and justice, religion and piety, may be established among us; and that, this life ended, an entrance may be ministered unto her abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

And unto us, thy servants, send down, we implore thee, such a measure of thy preventing mercy, that we may not despise government or think evil of dignities; but be thou our helper, that we may cheerfully obey her who hath the rule over us, and that every soul amongst us may be obedient unto the higher powers. For, as there is no power but of thee, O God, so all the powers that be are ordained of thee. Grant us to be subject unto them not only for thy wrath's sake, but also for conscience sake; rendering unto all their due-tribute to whom tribute is due, custom to whom custom, honour to whom honour. May we, above all things, be strong in the grace which is in Christ Jesus, lifting up holy hands, and making continual supplication and intercession unto thee for our sovereign the queen, and all that are in authority under her; so that it may be well with us, and that we may prosper in her days. Help us, good Lord, help us give us hearts to love and dread thee: give us increase of grace, to hear meekly thy word, to receive it with pure affection; and, diligently living after thy holy commandments, to bring forth the fruits of the Spirit: so shall not her house become desolate, nor we, her people, be ashamed and put to confusion for our wickedness. This we beg for Jesu Christ's sake, our most blessed Lord and Saviour. Amen. S. K. C.

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FOSSIL REMAINS.

No. IV.

THE GLYPTODON.

THE order of animals denominated "edentata," are distinguished by the absence of incisor teeth, and also by the termination of the extremities in long claws, usually four in number, which partially embrace the extremities of the bones from which they are prolonged, so that each forms a kind of pointed hoof. The order may be separated into two distinct groups; one consisting of the edentata-proper, and containing the ant-eaters, armadillos, &c., all which are insectivorous; the other the tardigrada, from the slowness of the movement of the animals composing it, and containing the sloths.

The true edentata are distinguished, like other insectivorous mammalia, by their pointed muzzle, particularly remarkable in the ant-eaters, peculiar to the warm and temperate regions of South America. Destitute of teeth, they possess a long thread-like tongue, which they insinuate into ant-hills and the nests of the termites (or white ants), whence these insects are withdrawn by being entangled in the viscid saliva that covers it. Their fore-nails, strong and trenchant, enable them to tear open these nests, and also furnish them with means of defence.

Most of the other true edentata are burrowing animals, and are covered with a dense armour, composed of hard scales, arranged in a tesselated manner, or fitted together like stones in a pavement. Between the different bands of these there are narrow rings of membrane, which allow the body to bend. They have claws adapted for digging, seven or eight cylindrical molars on each side, and a tongue but little extensible. Of these animals the armadillos are the chief, found principally if not entirely in South America. It is a peculiarly harmless and peaceful creature, and obliged to submit to insult, without any power of repelling its enemy: it is consequently attacked without danger, and liable to various persecutions. Being covered, like a tortoise, with a shell, or rather a number of shells, its proportions are not easily discerned. It appears at first a round misshapen mass, with a long head, and a very large

tail sticking out at either end, as if not of a piece with the rest of the body. It is of different sizes, from a foot to three feet long, and covered with a shell divided into several pieces.

Its size, and the different disposition and number of its plaits, have been considered as constituting so many species. In all, however, the animal is partially covered with his natural coat of mail; which resembles a bony substance, covers the head, the neck, the back, the sides, and the tail to the point; all, in fact, but the throat, breast, and belly, which are covered with a white, soft skin. These apparently naked parts, however, are covered with the rudiments of shells, of the same substance with those upon the back. The skin, even in the softest parts, seems to have a tendency to ossify; but complete ossification takes place only on those parts which have the least friction, and are most exposed to weather. The shell covering the upper part of the body, differs from that of the tortoise, in being composed of more pieces than one, which lie in bands over the body, and, as in the tail of the lobster, slide over each other, and are connected by a yellow membrane in the same manner. The animal thus has a motion in its back, and the armour gives way to necessary inflexions. These bands are various in number and size, and from them the animals have been distinguished into various kinds. In general, however, there are two large pieces that cover, one the shoulders and the other the rump. In the back, between these, the bands are placed in different numbers, lapping over each other, and giving play to the whole. Besides their opening crossways, they also open down along the back, so that the animal can move in every direction. In some there are but three of these bands between the large pieces; in others there are six; in a third kind there are eight; in a fourth kind nine; in a fifth kind twelve; and, lastly, in the sixth kind there is but one large piece, which covers the shoulders, and the rest of the body is covered with bands all down to the tail. These shells are differently coloured in different kinds, but most usually they are of a dirty grey. In the larger kinds the shell is much more solid than in the others, and the flesh is much harder and unfit for table. These are generally seen to reside in dry upland grounds; while the small species are always

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