intimates the priests did their flagellations, as not to feel any pain from it.-What shall we say of the Quixotism of CERVANTES, in thus boldly attacking this abuse, amidst a credulous laity attached to it, and a knavish clergy, interested in the continuance of the imposition? The adventure of the speaking head, which Cervantes tells us, "was broken in pieces by "order of those watchful centinels of our "faith, the gentlemen of the inquisition," and that of the prophesying ape, as to whom Don Quixote expresses his surprise, that he has not been accused to the inquisition, and examined by torture, till he confess by virtue of what or whom he divines,-are both levelled at the inquisition. In that of the restoration of Altesidora to life, Sancho Panza was dressed in the ridiculous dress, which was worn at the stake by the victims of the inquisition, as Cervantes himself tells us. Even if he had not risked the observation, the allusion would have been obvious, on comparing the account of Sancho's dress, with the following account of the execution of the Bohemian Martyr, JOHN HUSS; who was burnt alive in 1415,

6

for holding that, in the eucharist, the wine as well as the bread ought to be administered to the laity; They put a paper coronet on his 6 head, on which they had painted three devils, 'with this inscription, AN ARCH HERETICK; and said we devote thy soul to the infernal 'devils.' When the painted paper was put ' on his head, one of the bishops said, "now 6 we commit thy soul to the devil." At the 'stake the paper crown falling off his head, 'the soldiers put it on again, saying, that it 'must be burnt with the devils whom he 'served.'-The devoting of the soul of their victim to the infernal devils, was pro salute animæ.-On these painted flames and painted devils, however, Sancho sarcastically observes, "WELL ENOUGH YET! THESE DO NOT BURN

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ME, NOR DO THOSE CARRY ME AWAY.". Sancho's account of his own orthodoxy, is very catholic :- -I" believe in all that our "holy church prescribes: and I mortally hate "all Jews and Hereticks."-What, however, this original and inimitable author might have done, and how far, in his display of the vices and corruptions of papal Rome, he would have

surpassed all that LUCIAN has said on the follies. and absurdities of Polytheism, may be conjectured from an anecdote in the Segrasiana :Upon the French embassador complimenting Cervantes on the wit and humour of Don Quixote, he replied, "I would have made it "much more diverting, if I had not been "afraid of the inquisition."-The reader may, perhaps not dislike to be reminded briefly of some of the leading incidents of his life.CERVANTES was born in October 1547, and was educated at Madrid. In 1571, he lost his left hand at the battle of Lepanto; and in September 1575, as he was passing in a galley to Spain, he was taken by a Corsair and carried a slave to Barbary. He obtained his liberty in 1580; returned to Spain, and devoted the remainder of his life to literary pursuits. His Galatea was published at Madrid in 1584. For the next ten years, he was employed in writing for the Spanish stage, and produced no less than thirty comedies during that period. From 1594, he passed some years in La Mancha, where he was employed on his DON QUIXOTE; the first part of which

he published at Madrid in 1605, and the second part in 1615: he died in his sixty-ninth year, on the 23d of April 1616, the same day that deprived the world of our dramatic poet, Shakespeare.

Page 149, line 19.

BISHOP HOUGH generally kept a sum of money by him for contingencies. As examples of the use which he made of his hoarding, I will give two well authenticated anecdotes; one of a public nature, the other of a private one.-The collectors for a charity calling on him for his contribution, the Bishop ordered them L500.; and his secretary making some demur to so large a sum, he said, “ you "are right, Harrison, it is not enough. Give

the gentleman a thousand pounds; you will "find them in my bureau."-The other is of a private nature.-A poor widow applied to him for mitigation of a fine on the renewal of her lease. The Bishop heard her story, forgave her the whole fine, and presented her with L100. towards the support of a numerous

family; saying to his steward, how can we "apply this money, good Harrison, to a better "purpose?"

Page 162, line 1.

ABOUT the beginning of the eighteenth century, efforts were made by an association of pious and elevated individuals, both of the clergy and laity, the objects of which, as expressed in the preamble to their first subscription rolls were "promoting Christian know"ledge, by erecting catechetical schools, by "raising lending-catechetical libraries in the "several market towns of the kingdom, and by "distributing good books." The EDUCATION of youth, by the erection and estsblishment of charity and Sunday schools, was adopted by them, as an object of the first importance; and it appears by the statement of the Society in the year 1741, that no less than sixteen hundred charity schools had already been established in England and Wales. All this was admirably calculated to check the gross and licentious manners, which had prevailed