in a blaze. On reaching the spot, I found that the fire had proceeded with so much rapidity, that nothing could avert the progress of the flames. The windows were all broken out with the excessive heat; and the whole building, from the ground-floor to the summit, was one unvaried mass of flame. Some hundreds of persons were collected, and several engines; but nothing was of any avail. The men belonging to the office had been there some time, and, by risking their lives, had rescued from the flames about 150 reams of paper, nearly all the copper-plates, and a small quantity of type:all besides was consigned to destruction. I entered my office, to secure my papers; but the heat was scarcely supportable, and the light occasioned by the flames was as bright as day. I succeeded in rescuing the greater part; but many of them, I fear, are since irrecoverably lost. Presently, the roof of the great building fell in, and, carrying with it floor after floor, (for the whole was seven stories high,) gave free passage to the smoke, ashes, burning paper, and other combustible matter, which mounted in the air, and whirled like falling rockets. Some pieces of flaming paper were carried near Everton, more than a mile distant. After some time, the eastern wall fell in with a horrid crash. But even the brick and lime scarcely deadened the fire, which continued to burn with irresistible violence, until all the combustible matter within its reach was nearly consumed. The flames then subsided; but the books, paper, and other articles capable of feeding the devouring element, though buried in the rubbish, continued to burn all the day, and all last night; and even yet the whole is not extinguished. Thus Caxton printing-office, which on Monday evening was a stately pile of building, now lies a heap of ruins, a dread memorial of desolation by fire.

"From what cause the fire originated has not been ascertained. Every thing was secure about half-past eight. It is presumed, that some sparks from skyrockets which were put up near the buildings, might

have entered through some crevice; but of this there is no evidence. The fire was first discovered, a little before one, by a watchman, who sprang his rattle, and gave the alarm. It first appeared in the north-west corner, in an upper room; and, unfortunately, near an hour elapsed before any engines could be procured; they being employed about a fire in another part of the town. They came too late to be of any service. By this disaster nearly one hundred persons are out of employ. The property was insured to the amount of about £36,000; but this will not cover the loss. Printing-presses, copper-plate-presses, and thousands upon thousands weight of type, together with whatever the fire could not consume, now lie buried in the ruins. This day a large part of the wall fell; and other parts are hourly expected to descend to the general heap. No lives were lost, and, I believe, no serious accident sustained. What the event will be, respecting the publishing business, so far as I am concerned, I cannot say. Mr. Fisher is expected to return on Friday or Saturday; after which, when something is determined on, I hope to write you again.

"Give my love to all the dear children and family, and believe me to be,

"Your affectionate husband,
"SAMUEL DREW."

This unlooked-for catastrophe, though it did not impede the publication of the Magazine, deranged, for a season, the general Caxton business, and led the proprietor, at the following midsummer, to transfer his establishment from Liverpool to London. Availing himself of the temporary cessation of business which this removal occasioned; Mr. Drew took his departure for Cornwall; and, after a short visit there, commenced his labours in the metropolis.

SECTION XXIII.

Mr. Drew's first residence in London - Effect of his preaching on a Roman Catholic- His degree of A. M. conferred ·Death of Mrs. Drew- Its consequences Mr. D.'s attachHe declines a Professorship in the

ment to Cornwall London University.

IN entering upon the last scene of Mr. Drew's literary labours, the mind involuntarily reverts to the circumstances of his early life. However marked the contrast between the commencement and the close of his career, there was a gradual progression; and, in tracing it, the successive openings of Providence cannot be overlooked. When he first became known as an author, a literary friend predicted, that he would one day become a resident in the metropolis, as the only place where his talents would be properly rewarded;' and, a few years afterwards, his friend Dr. Clarke wished that he were in London, because there he would be brought into being, and made useful to himself.' The prediction and the wish were now accomplished.

Dr.

Here Mr. Drew had the pleasure of becoming acquainted with many of the literati; of renewing his former intimacy with Mr. Britton; and, upon Clarke's removal from Millbrook, of finding himself again united to his friend and counsellor. Here, too, he was joined by his wife and three of his children.

His ordinary occupation being similar to that in which he was engaged while in Liverpool, it needs no further notice, than that all the works issued from the Caxton Press passed under his supervision, and rendered his continual presence at the office necessary. For this reason, he resided near Islington, contiguous to which the printing department of the Caxton establishment was situated. Here he held the office of class-leader among the Methodists; and, in London, as in Liverpool, he seemed to fill an intermediate station between the travelling and the local preachers. At first he was considered as the common property of all the circuits; and he received appointments in each. But, being a resident in the City-Road, or First London circuit, his name, for some years, appeared only on that plan; though his frequent invitations to preach charity sermons in the vicinity of the metropolis left him very few vacant sabbaths.

It was not long after he came to London, that a Roman Catholic female, passing the City-Road chapel, while Mr. Drew was preaching, had the curiosity to stop and listen. Her attention was forcibly arrested by his address, and she made various inquiries respecting the preacher, especially when and where he would preach again. More than once she attended his preaching, and felt so deeply interested in his discourses as to seek an introduction. She was invited to his house; and the result was, that, after a few conversations, she abjured the tenets of Romanism, and became a devout Protestant; connecting herself, we believe, with the Wesleyan Methodists.

In May, 1824, the degree of A. M. was conferred upon Mr. Drew, by Marischal College, Aberdeen. The diploma was presented by Henry Fisher, Esq., of the Caxton Press, who felt great pleasure in thus shewing how highly he valued Mr. Drew's services. The instrument is dated May 6th. Professor Kidd, in a letter to Mr. Drew, of the 11th, writes thus: "I congratulate you, most cordially, on your new title of A. M. Our college has enrolled you among its Alumni; and I hope this will be honourable to both parties. It was your gratitude that first drew my attention to you. Your expressions of grateful regard to Mr. Whitaker, of Ruan Lanyhorne, first attracted my notice of your name. You are indebted to Mr. G-, for first interesting himself in procuring you this honorary distinction. To him, I know, your heart will feel grateful."

The gentleman to whose kindness Dr. Kidd refers, informing Mr. Drew of what the college was about to do, observes, "Dr. Brown, the Principal, remarked, that he should feel particularly gratified in assisting to confer an honour on one who was his antagonist in the Prize Essay, and Dr. Glennie is equally desirous of lending his countenance."

In his diploma Mr. Drew was inadvertently styled Reverend. Assuming this as an authority, the epithet, unknown to him, was prefixed to his name, as editor of the Imperial Magazine; and hence, he was thus designated in the newspaper reports of his speeches at the anniversaries of religious and charitable institutions. An acquaintance, who knew his aversion from being so called, inquired his reason for sanc