selves well off in being admitted to an audience, after three hours' waiting. We were introduced into a room in the front of the building, in which was no person but the emperor and ourselves, without any other ceremony than a valet's pushing open the door, when the emperor came immediately forward to meet us, and shook each of us cordially by the hand.

The emperor speaks English grammatically and very intelligibly, yet he prefers French, and to my great regret, when he understood that the French was Stephen Grellett's native tongue, he expressed all that was most important and interesting in that language. William Allen being charged with the address and books, first presented the former, which the emperor received, but did not open, observing, that as he already knew what it contained, he would not spend the time in the formal ceremony of reading it. The books were then presented, each of which he very politely opened, and inquired what they treated of. He then expressed his satisfaction in having attended the meeting, and inquired whether our meetings were always conducted in that manner? He was answered in the affirmative, but that there was not always speaking in them. Do you then read the Scriptures in them? We replied we did not, adding, that we believed true worship consisted in the humble prostration of the soul before God, and that speaking or reading was not necessary to produce that effect. He answered, I am of the same mind. He then asked, if we used any set form of prayer? We replied that we did not, as we held, that the spirit of

prayer can alone be poured forth, according to the condition of the mind at the moment of supplication: because, even the most hypocritical and abandoned may use a form of words. The emperor replied, I think you are right, and I believe there is not a day passes in which I do not pray, though I find, that my mind is not satisfied with a mere form of words, but must express itself suitably to its present condition; but, continued he, you know that Jesus Christ gave his disciples a form of prayer. We answered yes, but that we believe it was done, only to instruct them in what they should principally pray for, without intending to confine them exactly to the same words. To this he assented; but why, said the emperor, did none of your society ever come into my country? and added, with an air of condescension and kindness, "if any of them do come on a religious account, do not let them wait for an introduction, but come directly to me, I shall be glad to see them, I shall be very glad to see them.”

After many very judicious remarks and observations, respecting the rise, state, and discipline of Friends, he asked, with a look expressive of a desire to render them some service, if government inflicted any penalties or pains upon us, for the observance of our religious tenets. We informed him, the government protected us, at which he seemed pleased. William Allen now

very ingeniously turned the conversation to the education of the poor on the British system, expatiating on its merits above all other systems, on the principle of its including all. This was a very proper prelude to

the introduction of Dr. Bell, who was waiting in a room below, for an audience with the emperor.

The subject of the discourse turned upon the slave trade, and I could not but remark with what condescension he replied to Stephen Grellett, when he asked, "May I be permitted to make one petition to the emperor?" He answered, "Yes; what is it," with a look that seemed to denote the pleasure he felt, at the thoughts of having an opportunity of conferring some kindness upon us.

Stephen said, "It is on behalf of the oppressed Africans." Now Stephen had before stated that he had resided many years in America, though he was a native of France, and the emperor being rather hard of hearing, mistook the word Africans for Americans, and, in the most dignified manner, replied, "Why, I think I have done all I can for the Americans." This, though a mistake, the mistake was by no means uninteresting information. Stephen immediately explained himself, and expressed in strong terms the enormous wrongs of injured Africa.

The emperor said, "It is true they are our brethren, they are like ourselves." From this conversation we are firmly persuaded that, with whomsoever this iniquitous practice rests, the Emperor of Russia is free from the blood of Africa.

During the whole of the conversation, which lasted an hour, the emperor stood, and occasionally laid his hand on the person he was addressing. I could not but remark the familiarity with which he asked con

cerning the friends' time of rising, getting their meals, and going to bed and upon being informed, he seemed much pleased, and said, "When I am in my own country, I generally rise at five, but in England it is sometimes later than that before I can get to bed; they get up so late, dine so late, and have so many disagreeable dishes to set before one, and sit so long after dinner drinking wine, which injures the body, hurts the mind, and does no good to any person whatever, that I have no time for reflection."

"I should like to spend a day in some Friend's family, to see how they pass their time." He observed he felt a difficulty in opening his mind to any one but his sister, but that to her, as their views were the same, he could open himself, to their mutual strength and comfort. Near the close of the interview, Stephen Grellett addressed the emperor emphatically, expressive of his fervent desires for his preservation, in the language of the apostle, "May grace, peace, and mercy, be multiplied unto thee now and for ever."

The emperor, laying hold of S. Grellett's hand, said, "This address will be as a cordial to me as long as I live; I shall part with you as with friends and brothers."

PRAYER is one of the most powerful means of recalling our minds from the vanities of life to serious thoughts; to a proper sense of God and our duty; and to all the high objects with which we are intimately connected, as rational and immortal beings.

Surrounded, as we are, with the objects and pleasures of the world; busied with its avocations, and continually immersed in its pursuits, man would become altogether the victim of sense, and a prey to its temptations, if there were not some stated occasions which brought him home to himself, and to the thoughts of another world. Prayer has a much more impressive effect for this purpose, than can be expected from simple meditation.

An immediate and solemn address to an omniscient Being, in whose presence we consider ourselves as then particularly seated, tends to produce a higher degree of serious and awful recollection, than would arise from a mere soliloquy of the mind with itself. In prayer the soul approaches to the borders of an invisible world, and acts as a spirit holding intercourse with the Father of Spirits; it drops for a time the remembrance of its earthly connexions, to dwell among everlasting objects. Prayer by this means both composes and purifies the heart; it gives the soul its proper elevation towards God, and has a happy effect to counterwork the dangerous impressions made by the corruptions of the world around us.

In the next place, prayer is useful not only as a corrective of our natural levity and forgetfulness of God, but as an actual exercise of the best affections of our nature, which are thereby confirmed and strengthened. As far as prayer is not a mere emission of empty words, but speaks, as it ought to do, the language of the heart, it is an assemblage of all the affec