of comparative safety, and which, in the exaggerations of their zeal, had often appeared as important as the vital doctrines of Christianity, now appeared lighter than vanity itself. The endless divisions and subdivisions of restless and unappeasable polemics, the doubtful gloss, the minute distinction, the metaphysical subtlety, the verbal nicety

labour as profitless as the attempt to divide an unit, or discover parts in a pointwere all forgotten. And with one voice and one heart the congregation called on their ancient pastor to offer up his prayers with and for them, peradventure for the last time.

In this hour of extremity not only were systems compromised, but all distinction of characters was absorbed, as bodies lose their varieties of colour on the approach of night. The petulant acrimony of the deacon, the stern enthusiasm of Boanerges, the fanatic fury of Mattathias, were all subdued, all silenced, and the pure faith and meek holiness of the aged Pierre rose like the ark triumph

ant over the waves, under whose prevailing waters the tops of the highest mountains were covered.

Towards midnight the voice of Pierre ceased, from his exhausted strength; and the whole multitude prayed in silence with their faces to the earth. Such was their absorption of spirit and intensity of devotion, that a shriek from one of the females was unheard, till its repetition made those who were near her demand the cause. Apart from the rest, she said she had heard an arrow whistle past her, and seen it lodge among some bushes at the entrance of the defile. Some, upon hastening to the spot, found the arrow still quivering there, and exclaimed in terror they were betrayed, and the signal was given for the work of slaughter.

Pierre checked the alarm by pointing out to them that the arrow was purposely sent in a direction where it could do no mischief; and he ventured even to intimate his hopes that it might rather be the effort of a friend to warn them, than of a foe to molest them.

A few moments of agonizing expectation passed, while this hope was to be confirmed or defeated:-they were soon over. A second arrow came whizzing past them in the same direction, and those who watched its flight saw a scroll attached to it. An hundred hands were instantly employed in searching for this missile, whose friendly purport was no longer matter of doubt, even to the most desponding. It was found and unfolded, a light was quickly struck, and it was singular that amid this poor and illiterate multitude, there were more to be found who possessed the rare acquirement of being able to read, than in the Castle of the Lord of Courtenaye--so intense had been their zeal for obtaining the knowledge of Scripture. The superscription was "To the Church which is in the wilderness." And Boanerges, to whom it was given to be read, recognized the hand-writing of a chaplain of the Count of Toulouse; a man zealously attached to the cause of the Albigeois, and no less so to the Jewish phraseology, by which the more

enthusiastic of that day delighted to distinguish themselves. It contained the following words:

"Whereas ye are as men appointed unto death, and as prisoners in the hold where there is no water, and because many dogs have come about you, and fat bulls of Basan close you in on every side; therefore now look up and lift up your heads, for your deliverance draweth nigh, for behold he whom men call Raymond, even the lord of Toulouse, hath confronted the man of sin, which is antichrist, whose palace standeth on the seven hills. And lo, he hath passed over from the South. and cometh up to the help of the Lord against the mighty, even as Barak, the son of Abinoam, came up from Kedesh Naphthali with ten thousand men at his feet, all of them mighty men of valour, men who draw the sword. And because ye have sent aforetime messengers to him saying, Slack not thy hand from thy servants, but come unto us and help us, that we perish not; therefore now be strong and of good courage, for, as

the Lord liveth, before the morning be spread upon the mountains, your help shall be swift and sure, and though ye mourn with a very great mourning, like the mourning of Hadadrimmon in the valley of Megiddo, yet a little while and your name shall be no longer Bochim,* but your name shall be called Mahershalal-hash-baz,t because of the prey and of the spoil which the Lord shall give you of your enemies round about. And behold I, even I, have sent a swift messenger (whose running is as the running of Ahimaaz, the son of Zadok, who overran Cushi by the way of the plain, in the matter of Absalom,) and I have straitly charged him saying, make no long tarrying or delaying, and it shall be if the men, the children of Belial compass thee round about, that thou shalt make fast the letters to a swift arrow, and "-Here the manuscript was torn, and nothing but the signature was legible. "Written in the tenth day of the sixth month, even the

* Weeping. + Haste to the spoilswift to the prey.