Richard, whose fame you are well acquainted with, that if he opposed his decrees, he should learn how hard it was to kick against the pricks: that he would not endure the least contempt of himself or of God, whose place he held upon earth, but would punish every disobedience without delay, and without respect of persons.'

I have been ready to smile while writing these words, at the absurd arrogance of this King of kings,' but one expression changes the feeling of ridicule into horror-' God, whose place he held upon earth.' What blasphemy is this! How, at the great day, when earthly powers shall be known no more, will such expressions confront and condemn the proud sinner! Christianity was in this century spread, partly by the sword and partly by the zeal of missionaries; Pomerania, the Island of Rugen, Finland, and Livonia were among the countries that received it; but religion embraced through compulsion can be of little avail.

Eric, King of Sweden, who effected the conversion of Finland, was murdered while engaged in devotion. His tomb still remains at Upsal. Before I close this story of the twelfth century, 1 must tell you of the rise of the University of Cambridge, as I know you are interested for it, as well as for Oxford.

The Danes, the destroyers of literature, had included it, in its infancy, in their devastations : but in the year 1109, some monks hired a barn at Cambridge, where they assembled every day.

One read grammar, in the morning; another logic, in the afternoon; and a third gave lectures, in the evening, on rhetoric; while another preached on Sundays and holidays in the same place. This barn soon became too small to contain all those who had some taste for learning, and therefore crowded to it, and the lecturers were obliged to get separate places for their schools in different parts of the town; from whence grew the Colleges of Cambridge.

I have said nothing in this story of the Eastern Church, for the best possible reason, because there was nothing to be said. I showed it to you in the last, almost extinguished under the influence of Mahometanism.

CENTURY XIII:

REVIEW OF THE GENERAL CHURCH.

In the history of the General Church, whose state I am now endeavouring to describe to you, there is still little to interest or to please. My materials have of late been scanty, but we now approach a more interesting period : before, however, we enter on it, I shall just give a very rapid sketch of the state of Christendom at the commencement of the thirteenth century.

Crusades were still undertaken for the recovery of Palestine, at the summons of Pope Innocent III. but they proceeded no further than Greece, where the contenders for the throne of Constantinople engaged their swords in their cause; and during fifty years Christians forgot their 'holy war' against the Saracens, and made war on each other. During this time Constantinople was twice taken, and the distracted empire reduced to a deplorable state. The Roman pontiffs, seizing every opportunity to aggrandize themselves, advanced their power and authority to the most enormous height: this

Innocent made and unmade kings at pleasure. His treatment of John, King of England, I dare say you are acquainted with; and have felt indignant at reading, that a King of England was obliged to lay his crown at the feet of a Pope, and consent to wear it again as his free gift, while he submitted to a tribute of 1000 marks yearly.

To oppose the many heretics whom the abuse of papal power and the scandalous corruptions of the church were daily creating, Innocent instituted the order of Mendicant Friars; who, renouncing all the luxuries that drew upon monks and the clergy in general the odium of mankind, pretended to have left all for Christ, and begged their bread from door to door, barefoot, and girt with a rope. These were afterwards separated into two great orders, Franciscans and Dominicans, and the lesser ones of Carmelites and Hermits of St. Augustine.

It is almost impossible, in these short stories, to give you an idea of the influence and power of these beggars. To use the words of an ecclesiastical writer, The world bowed down before them their cord bound men as with links of iron, and kings and prelates trembled: they became universally spiritual guides, and engrossed by degrees all power and all employments.' These orders comprised likewise most of the learning then possessed, as well as commanded the greatest influence. As they were instituted to contend with heresy, (this word in the Romish vocabulary you must re

member, means generally all that is pure, and scriptural, and good,) their labours were especially directed against all who opposed the doctrines, or did not conform to the practices of the Papal See. Dominic, the head of the Dominican order, was a cruel, bloody, unrelenting man; but, as I shall have occasion to mention him hereafter, I shall only tell you now, that his followers, styled, from their labours to strengthen popery, preaching friars, and, from their black dress, black friars, spread into all parts, busily advancing the honour of their fraternity, and the interests of the Pope. They went to London, and the place in which they settled there is still called Blackfriars. Though united together in the work of exterminating heresy, the Dominicans and Franciscans were at constant enmity with each other: jealous and contentious, they unceasingly struggled for the aggrandizement of their own order, and occasioned the most bitter feuds and animosities. The Franciscans were so named from Francis, an Italian, who, though an ignorant fanatic, was the zealous and successful servant of the Roman Pontiffs; and his followers, who were held by them in the highest esteem, by their arts and their influence were the support of papal power, and the upholders of the reigning superstitions. These two orders of friars contrived to hold mens minds in dark submission, and prevent their seeing the rod of iron with which, in the plenitude of his power, the Roman Pontiff swayed both kings and people.