testants as protestants refused permission to have | a mere journal reflecting their common sentiments, while there are in France twenty Roman-catholic journals freely allowed and circulated. Had the periodical in question contained violent controversy on religious points, or political articles of a disturbing nature, its suppression might have been justified by some of those fine-drawn reasons of which the strong-box of "state necessity" is ever full; but its tone was mild as that of a sucking-dove; and the utmost that could be said about it was that it was a protestant periodical.

But I will give its history. The province of Brittany is composed of five departments, containing a population of half a million of Romancatholics, and perhaps three or four thousand protestants. There are several protestant places of worship scattered over the country, principally in towns on the coast, and a sprinkling of protestants in the interior. Some of the ministers are from England, and some are from France; and they are paid by their own congregations or the state, as may be. But until lately no means existed of uniting these scattered members into one body; and therefore they remained dispersed and isolated, unable to produce common action, or concert measures for the support or extension of their religion. However, in the autumn of 1851 a meeting of protestants was held at Quimper, in the department of Finisterre; and it was determined to form a society, to be called "The Society for the General interests of Protestantism in Brittany." The object of the society was generally to support and develop protestantism, by the distribution of the scriptures and religious works, by assistance to suffering brethren, and by such other means as might be thought advisable, without interfering in any way with political matters; and the affairs of the society were to be conducted by a committee composed of ministers, and also of certain members of the church of England then resident in the country. To carry on the society, funds were to be raised by subscription and donation; and I am happy to say that a very cordial response has been made to the appeal, showing that the want was a real one. Let me, in passing, strongly recommend this society to all who are disposed towards the extension of protestantism. By its medium much good may be done by small means. Brittany, degraded as she is, and debased by the yoke of Rome, has yet much to interest Englishmen. Sprung from our forefathers, the Celts, she yet preserves her affinity of language and customs; and across the narrow channel which separates her from the land of her nativity wafts many a sigh for light and help. Among her sons, steeped as they are in superstition and ignorance, are many already rescued from their primeval darkness, and numberless others catching at intervals faint rays of light, and anxiously desiring its further development. And this is saying much, when we reflect that the bible has been translated into the Breton tongue only within the last thirty years. Thirtyfive years ago, and Brittany was in as profound a night as was England in the dark ages! For the poor Breton the bible existed not: his sole guide was the miserable marsh-light of man, leading him only to doubt and destruction;

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and, when we think of this, we are entitled to say that there must be a devotional feeling in the country which has made the progress which Brittany has made since this period. All these scattered sparks will be kept alive by the society I have named, and their number and power increased. A feeling of union, itself the parent of increase, will be produced, warmth and emulation will be created, individual action, often eccentric and erroneous, though well meant and springing from Christian motives, will give place to general action, and that cohesion be effected, which will their enemies an united front. Already a cheerful enable the protestants of Brittany to oppose to response has been made to the call for aid put forth by the society; but much remains to be done, and, unless friends in England give their help, I fear that much will remain undone. French people do not give like Englishmen ; they have not the same habit of generosity: you must beg hard to get a trifle; so that, though the society has a long list of contributors, the sum total is small. As I once heard a friend, a liberal, openhearted man observe, "Never mind the items; tell me the tottle of the whole." I therefore do very strongly recommend the society to the notice of all those members of our church who wish well to the protestant cause, as one conceived in a really catholic spirit, independent of sect or party. Any subscriptions or donations may be paid to the rev. Mr. Le Fourdrey, Pasteur, Brest, Finisterre, who will furnish all information desired; and in England, Thomas Seare, esq., barrister, 36, Chancery-lane, London, has kindly undertaken to receive anything on account of the society.

But to return. Among other things the committee of the society resolved to commence the publication of a monthly periodical, to be called "Le Bulletin Evangelique pour la Basse Bre tagne," to be supported by subscriptions, and the society to pay the balance of expenses. This was to be sold at a low price, or distributed gratis as might be deemed most advisable; and the contents were to be of a religious and moral tendency, without directly entering upon controversial points. The idea had been entertained for some time, though it had gone no further than the idea; but now that the plan was embodied, it met with immediate support; and in a very short time upwards of one hundred subscribers were obtained. The work was accordingly commenced, and the first number printed; but, on the printer sending two copies to the sous-prefet, as required by the law, objections were made, resting upon an ob solete law now little thought of. In order, however, to take them upon their own ground, these objections were all cleared up; but still the sousprefet was unconvinced, though he was silenced. True to the usual policy of the jesuits, there were barriers within barriers, and, after all, an impregnable citadel; for, after various comings and goings, throwing of dust to blind and gain time, and the various other artifices resorted to by men who have previously resolved to refuse you, the matter was referred to the prefet; a functionary of whom Englishmen have happily no conception whatever. As despotic, and often more unreasonable, this worthy officer is like the grand lama of Thibet, shrouded in such mystery as to affright all who have to deal with him. He is the provincial in

carnation of the central government, imbued with their most extreme notions, and, as he copies them at second-hand, often out-Heroding Herod in his desire to serve them (i. e., himself, by keeping his place), and doing all in such a sic volo sic jubeo manner as we had thought was not to be found in western Europe since the time of Robespierre, and the great revolution of 1793. Before this great Cæsar, then, the case was laid for his imperial nod. No pleading allowed before him: he was above all that, and knew it by instinct and the report of the sous-prefect; all was pure reason in his atmosphere, without need of law or lawyers. But great bodies move slowly, and the nod was long in coming, until one bright morning the sphynx spoke in terms, if not oracular, yet as dictatorial as ever issued from the lips of a king or kaisar. Thus ran the decree of this modern Cyrus : "In virtue of the discretionary powers entrusted to me, I forbid the publication of the journal of which a copy has been submitted to me." No reason or reasoning given, nothing of the nut but the kernel, stet pro ratione voluntas-take it if you like, if not let it alone: this was the upshot of all the pains taken to clear up the objections of the sous-prefet, who made a stout fight, and fought in sweet security, knowing what a friend he had in his superior in case of a defeat.

This decree was the death-blow of "The Bulletin," as there is no appeal from the prefet, or at least an appeal is utterly useless. Besides, what Frenchman would dare to stand up and oppose such a high personage? Certainly the French character is a puzzle. They shake the world with their struggles against arbitrary power some two or three times in a century; and then, as if content with the effort, or fatigued with the exertion, quietly succumb to a tyranny tenfold more galling than before. For awhile they declaim eloquently and nervously against despotism; until, roused by the appeal, the whole people rush headlong to arms, and not only pull down the despot, but also the whole fabric of government; and then they set to work as energetically to build up and replace what they have pulled down, cementing the stones more firmly, and making the walls stronger than before. For myself the only explanation I can give to their fickleness in general, and this one in particular, is their ignorance of fixed principles in religion and morality; wanting which, they act from impulse, changeable and changing as the idle wind. In political economy, too, they are wholly ignorant; hence they frequently fall into the most lamentable and absurd errors. Witness the attempt of Louis Blanc to form national workshops, which were to employ the country and enrich the government; whereas, as is well known, no government can compete with private enterprise, or do so cheaply and well as is done by individuals. All this had been long well known and demonstrated, but the truth had not reached France; and thence the attempt and failure in question. In 1848 they drove away Louis Philippe, for the immediate cause of forbidding a great political banquet, and established a republic on the widest basis, got tired of their creature, and submitted by degrees to part with it, and voted heedlessly for Louis Napoleon, not knowing why. It is well known that many peasants and country people thought he was the old Napoleon come again. Having

subsided into quiet, they allowed the vehicle to run on without regarding it, until it was suddenly and violently overturned on the 2nd December. I venture to say that history presents no parallel with the conduct of France at that period. O the contrast between France and England! Happily we have long since achieved our revolution, and are now enjoying the fruits of it; but how was it achieved? Not by fitful and feverish efforts, but by a calm and continued struggle against arbitrary power, persevering through good and evil report until the victory was gained. Steruness was met by sternness: then came the tug of war, when man met man in civil strife, each fighting for his principles to the death; but no massacres, no excesses disgraced the cause; and to this moment, looking back with that absence of prejudice which age inspires, we are able to applaud the manner in which our liberties were won.

But to resume the thread. The decree of the prefet was the death-blow of the little "Bulletin," and established the principle that protestantism in Brittany was thenceforth to be mute. Let Romanism shout and vaunt as it will; but let protestantism keep silence, or be gagged. For, as I have before said, there was nought of controversy in the work: the contents were mild as mother's milk with water; but protestants had no right to speak at all, the insolents! it annoyed the Roman-catholics, our good and right trusty friends: therefore, finally, let protestantism be dumb.

I could but be amused with the different manner in which the pill was swallowed by different people. In general the French friends shrugged expressively, and said nothing; and but very few exclaimed against the tyranny with that abhorrence and indignation which it merited; but the English, ah! how angry they were! They were for appealing to the government, memorializing the prefet, moving heaven and earth for help, and declaiming in strains sufficiently moving to arouse a Gallic Hampden. But all in vain: the fate of the "Bulletin" was sealed, and all that remained for our compatriots was carefully to bottle and cork down their wrath for another occasion, hoping that time might not weaken its virtue.

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The above is a sample of the manner in which protestants are treated in Brittany. It very greatly lessens the pleasure of living there; and I doubt not but that many English protestants will soon quit the try. To be exposed to perpetual suspicion and surveillance, to have all your actions watched, and probably misconstrued, is disgusting to Englishmen; and, as they happily are not obliged to submit, it is probable many will fly the inhospitable soil. I some time since saw the treasurer of the society I have before alluded to, and he expressed to me his conviction that he was under the surveillance of the police, and was in daily expectation of a domiciliary visit, which said visit is not conducted with French politeness.

Since writing the above, I am informed that there is yet hope for the "Bulletin." It seems that the new law on the press, recently issued, enacts that its provisions shall only be applicable to journals or periodicals treating of politics or matters of social economy. Religion or religious works are in no wise al

IRISH SUPERSTITION.

IN our May part, p. 339, a description was given in one of Mr. Hobson's papers of the penance undergone by the pilgrims to the island in Lough Dergh. An illustration is here introduced of a "Saint's Bed." It is cause for gratitude to God that the word of the gospel seems to be spreading so extensively in Ireland, that we may hope ere long the numbers of pilgrims will be diminished. The following article gives a cheering view of the progress of Reformation principles.

THE REFORMATION IN IRELAND.

(FROM A DIGNITARY OF THE UNITED CHURCH). MY DEAR SIR,-Many matters prevented me from replying sooner to your letter of the 14th March, and informing you of the progress of the reformation in this locality.

Under the divine blessing, that great work is progressing rapidly in parts of this country; and I

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do believe that the reported number of converts within the last few years, amounting to 80,000, is not at all exaggerated.

In the diocese of Tuam alone, where the celebrated John McHale carried, and still endeavours to carry, matters with a high and haughty hand, there have been 10,000.

In my own parish, the number, though not great, still includes some whose history and state are interesting. One of them, now a scripturereader in Newmarket, county Cork, thus writes: "This place is now very quiet. Some time ago the bigots of the parish, headed by the emissary of antichrist, paraded the town, dipping bibles in tar, and other combustible matter, and then committing them to the flames. This haughty priest was shortly after hurried by an excruciating disease into the regions of eternity, to account for and to be judged by that word of God which he despised and burned. In fact, all those who took a prominent part in the affair have been swept off the land of the living by the divine Avenger. But, thanks be to God, it has been overruled for good; for the majority of the Romanists are fully

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VOL. XXXII.