you can send some one to meet her there; but I rather think he would proceed immediately to Clonmel.

My father was so decided in his objections to my going, that nothing I could have urged would have weighed with him. He fancies that I am ill, and that the journey would be too much for me, and therefore I am obliged to yield, although on many accounts I wished to have gone to you. I should have been less missed at home, and being older than Jane, melancholy scenes are more my province.

If her society yields you any consolation, my dear cousin, we shall be repaid for the sacrifice of her company at home; and I hope and trust that you will permit it to be so, for her sake, for your mother, for your little girl's, and for all those interested for you (and no person I believe in affliction ever excited more), do not, my dear cousin, cherish those feelings, those gloomy miserable feelings, which cannot be right in the sight of heaven. They will intrude, I know, and it will be a hard and long lesson for you to forget that such things were, and were most pleasant, but I think you may prevent yourself from dwelling on circumstances that can only agonize you, and tend to no good purpose. You are fond of Jane, and I think her good sense and good feeling will be of service to you. Do not reject her good offices, my dearest cousin, and remember it is only the idea that her society will be comforting to you that could induce her to take so long a journey by herself, and a separation from all her own family. You will, I am sure, my dearest cousin, consider this, and not let her experience the mortification of feeling that her efforts are unavailing, by seeing you refuse all consolation. I hope you will be able to come to England early in the autumn-change of place may then do something for you; and, at any rate, you may be sure of meeting with sympathising friends.

It is a great mortification to me not to be able to be with

you and my aunt now, and I don't think myself that the journey would have been of any disservice to me, but my father seemed so determined to think that it would, that I saw from the first he would not permit me to go. I am only low and nervous, and the best remedy for that will be, learning that you, my dear Catherine, are restored to some degree of tranquillity; to that peace of mind which passeth understanding; that lasting peace which the world can neither give nor take away. Religious enthusiasm cannot last: it may elevate your feelings for the time, but it is like the effects of ether, renders you more wretched after it has evaporated.

Adieu! my dear cousin; console all your friends, absent and present, by returning in some degree to your former self; and, be assured, the spirit of your departed darling will be best pleased by viewing you resigned and patient. Ever, my dear Catherine,

Your affectionate cousin,

M. R. WARDE.

"This extract points out that the writer, though a very strong Protestant, believed that Popery was progressing and would do so even more, and thus are evidenced the sobriety and clear sightedness of her views.

Besides the fact that the Romanist exercises the right of private judgment in as responsible, though in a lazier manner, by deciding upon the infallibility of the Church, it has always appeared wonderful to the Editor, that Romanists who believe that the powers of the Apostles were transmitted fully by the apostolical succession theory ever go to a doctor. In the days of the Apostles such persons were taken to them or handkerchiefs brought from their bodies, gave health. That they should go without money is not surprising, remembering the case of Simon Magus; but we read of no

failure as to a cure in the Acts of the Apostles. It has been said "miracles were not always wrought by the Apostles," but in the Romish Church the greatest of all miracles, Transubstantiation, is held to be unfailing.

Now Transubstantiation lacks the essential characteristic of a miracle which is to make a supernatural fact apparent to the lookers on. Regeneration has been instanced as contrary to this definition, but this example the Editor refutes by the words, "the wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh and whither it goeth, so is every one that is born of the Spirit!" Nothing is more evident to beholders than a change of character, however gradually it may be manifested. Moreover, Mr. Ffoulkes in his able pamphlet called "The Church's Creed or the Crown's Creed," points out that in the Church of Rome care is taken that the Pope should not be poisoned in receiving the Sacrament, as if Christ's sacred body could convey effectual poison!—that body so full of virtue, that in touching the hem of the garment in contact with it, the poor woman, of whom we read in the New Testament, was cured of her disease!

June 6th, 1827.

MY DEAR CATHERINE,-Being again disappointed of a frank from Lord Barham to whom I wrote for one, but having since heard he was still in town, or at Brighton, I cannot now expect it; I must put you again to the expense of postage, a thing I had hoped to have avoided, for when one has nothing very fresh to communicate one feels a little diffident of the value of their epistolary intelligence, when it is to travel far and cost much; yet I think if mine be of value any where, it is in that quarter to which I am now sending this messenger of friendship and goodwill to be received in the same spirit in which I send it. As a proof of the affection I feel for all the members of

the family who will read this, and be pleased to find that all is well with me and mine, at least as far as a breaking up constitution at the grand climacteric will allow me to be, for I have frequent returns of my complaint-whatever that may be-at present it is nameless; I can hardly define it. But I suspect that in time it will take a more decided character, and then I shall judge better what to expect from it; in the meantime I must endeavour to draw the best advantage I can from it, by turning my thoughts there, where only true joys are to be found, and from the passing scenes of a world where the changes and chances of things and of men and of women are more against than for me.

As to my interest in the reformation of Ireland of which you wrote so sanguinely, can you doubt that I should be delighted to hear of the whole world worshipping our Creator and Saviour in the purest form of religion which is known, and divested of all the errors tacked to it by Popery; it is my nightly and daily prayer, that our Established Church may become a truly Apostolic Church, at which all nations may congregate and worship in all the simplicity delivered to us by its Divine founder; more especially do I pray that the true light may shine on these United Kingdoms, and much do I rejoice when I read of converts from Papistry to our simple faith; but sad is the drawback on the pleasure I derive from this, when, in the next page, I see Protestants become apostates and new converts returning to their former errors; this it is which has checked me from offering my congratulations to you on those promises of reformation which are so frequently held forth in the papers. The more I examine Popery by the only criterion we have (the Holy Scriptures) the more surprised I am that any rational being can renounce our mode of worship for that of the Roman heathenish form. I can believe that those brought up Papists may continue so from the force of habit, and a wilful shutting

of the eyes to the light of reason; but how those born to a purer faith can lower their reason to the belief in the puerilities the mummeries of Popery, I may say say its blasphemies, is past my comprehension. It must be its pomp and pageantry, its absolving from sin, assumed as that Divine Power is by its priest, which draws them over to its standard. The Almighty suffers these delusions to continue for a time, and times, and half a time, and when he thinks fit He will overthrow them all, and the Saviour shine forth in the fulness of His glory; so be it. I have been lately reading a very excellent work-a history of the Reformation—which, in its introduction, carries you back to the earliest period of Christianity and proves the false claims to antiquity of the Roman Church. Since then errors seem to have crept in in comparatively modern times. I cannot recollect the author's name, but you have doubtless heard of and read it before this time; it is a very good addition to Milner's History of the same period, and if you have not read it, I recommend you to get it. It is in two quarto volumes and will make a good library book.

We have not had such a spring this year as the last; everything is nearly three weeks backwarder than in the last year. I hope you have been accommodated with the same showery weather we have had, for the good of the "pratie" grounds, which abundance is so necessary to the welfare of your poor Irish, who, if they have been forward with their crops, may soon be saved from starvation. I trust that they have shewn a little more foresight than usual in putting them into the ground. You may, if you please, distribute the three pounds to the poor creatures from us, as we have taken it on ourselves with I wish we had something better worth sending, but you know how little we have at our command. Your affectionate aunt,

S. WARDE.