GIBRALTAR.—The north side of Gibraltar rises bluffly from the sands of the neutral ground. It bristles with artillery; the dotted port-holes of the batteries, excavated in the rock, are called by the Spaniards "Los dientes de la veja," the grinders of this stern old Cerbera. The town is situated on a shelving ledge to the west. As we approach, the defences are multiplied; the causeway is carried over a marsh, which can be instantaneously inundated. Every bastion is raked by another; a ready-shotted gun stands out from each embrasure, pregnant with death a prospect not altogether pleasant to the stranger, who hurries on for fear of accident. At every turn a well-appointed well-fed sentinal, indicates a watchfulness which defies surprise. We pass on through a barrack teeming with soldiers' wives and children, a perfect rabbit warren when compared to the conventual celibacy of a Spanish "quartel." The main street, the aorta of Gibraltar, is the antithesis of a Spanish town, Lions and Britannias dangle over innumerable pot-houses, the foreign names of those proprietors combine strangely with the Queen's English :-" Manuel Ximenes lodgings and neat liquors." All the commerce of the Peninsula seems condensed into this microcosm, where all creeds and nations meet, with nothing in common save their desire to prey upon each other. The town is stuffy and seacoaly, the houses wooden and druggeted, and built on the Liverpool pattern, under a tropical climate. Gibraltar would be intolerable to an unemployed man as a permanent residence. The eternal row-dow-dow of drums, the squeaking of the wry-necked pipe, the ton de garnison, the military exclusiveness of caste, the dagger distinctions of petty etiquette, embitter the dolce far nients of a southern existence. Gibraltar, nevertheless, to the passing stranger abounds in wonders of art and nature—in the stupendous bastions and batteries the miles of galleries tunnelled into the mountain, the Dom Daniel cave of Saint Michael, the glorious Catalan Bay, the terrific precipices, the heaven and earth-sweeping panoramas from the heights-the hospitality-the activity, intelligence, industry, and taste, which have rendered every nook and corner available for comfort, ornament, and defence.-Quarterly Review.

PRIVATE RATES FOR THE POOR.-In compliance with the request of the reverend gentleman to whom it is addressed, we insert the following letter: "Poor Law Commission Office, "Somerset House, July 2nd, 1839. "SIR,-The Poor-Law Commissioners desire to acknowledge the receipt of your letter, of the 13th of April last, respecting private rates for the relief of the poor, and to express their regret that due answer thereto has been accidently delayed.

"The Commissioners have now to state, in answer to your inquiry, that so far from sanctioning private rates, they consider them very objectionable, for several reasons, inasmuch as they improperly interfere with the relief of the poor as provided for by law, both as respects the mode of relief and the parties by whom it is administered; and as respects parishes comprised in a union; the practice has been, in some instances, resorted to with the view of enabling an individual parish to evade its fair proportion of the general expences of the union, by depending the future averages of such parish.

"In calculating fresh averages, however, care will be taken to include all expences incurred for the relief of the poor, whether defrayed out of the poorrates or derived from any other source, included in the definition of poor-rates in the 109th section of the Poor-Law Amendment Act, such as the private-rate alluded to in your letter.

"The Commissioners concur in the views expressed in your letter as to the expediency of relief to the able bodied being restricted to the workhouse, and as to the impolicy of giving relief in aid of wages, whether such relief be given from the poor-rate, or from a private-rate in the nature of a poor-rate.

Signed, by order of the Board,

"To the Rev. James Rudge, D.D.

"E. CHADWICK, Secretary."

POPERY.-The greatest difficulty in contending with Popery is its extreme adaptation to the corruption of our fallen nature. It can meet every desire,

and soothe every anxiety. For the literate, it has great stores of learning; for the illiterate, it has its images, pomps, and shows; for the self-righteous, it has innumerable ways of external service; for the devout, it has its unceasing prayers; for the musician, it has the most exquisite chaunts and anthems; for the painter, the most splendid efforts of human art; for the imaginative, all the visions of fancy, its gloomy cloisters, lights, and processions, and incense, and beautiful churches with painted windows; and priests with splendid garments. To quiet the conscience, it has doctrines of human merit; to alarm the indifferent, it has fears of purgatory; to raise the priesthood, they can make a little flour and water into a god and worship what they make. For the man of the world, and the lover of pleasure, each sin has its indulgence and its penance. All men at times are under fear of God's wrath; and at such times Popery gives them a sop that satisfies them for the moment, and sends them into the sleep of death. It covers every lust, it calms every fear. It is the devil's cumming device of twelve hundred years' growth for leading countless myriads to perdition.—Bickersteth's Progress of Popery.

MAKING A WILL.-Persons who have occasion to re-execute wills, or to make codicils or new wills should be very careful to execute them in strict compliance with the terms of the 9th section of the New Will Act. That clause requires that all wills or testamentary papers should be signed by the testator in the presence of two witnesses who must also attest the signature in the presence of the testator, and of each other. For want of compliance with this requirement the Prerogative Court in London has refused to give effect to several wills. In one case, in which the motion for probate was rejected, the testatrix had executed the will by a mark in the presence of one witness, who subscribed the same; she afterwards acknowledged the mark in the presence of the same witness and of another present at the same time, the latter witness only at that time subscribing the paper, This was held to be a non-compliance with the terms of the act.

APPARENT ANNUAL MOTION OF THE SUN:--In his late work on astronomy, Mr. Mudie thus cleverly and simply illustrates the apparent annual motion of the sun :-" Place a table in the middle of the room, and set a candle on the table in such a manner as that the flame shall be nearly on a level with the eye. Then retiring a little from the table, but looking at the candle, walk round towards the right hand, and the candle will appear to walk round in the opposite part of the room towards its right hand also. That is, when you are to the north of the candle, it will appear to move eastward while you are moving westward. In this state of things, you have only to suppose that the walls of the room represent the region of the stars, that the candle on the table represents the sun at rest in the centre, as the walls which represent the stars are at rest outwards around; and that you represent the earth in performing its annual motion round the sun,"

NOTICES TO CORRESPONDENTS.

" EPISCOPALIAN” is requested to call at the Publishing Office.

"W. T.H. F." in our next.

The letter signed" Fortiter et Recte" shall appear next month.

"Dr. R.'s" Letter, No. 7, shall appear in our next.

Owing to a press of matter, we have no room to notice, in the present number, several publications sent to us for Review.

We recommend" Douglas's Criterion of Miracles" to the attention of" L. F. S.” in answer to his question respecting the Scotch Church, we have always understood that it entertains perfectly orthodox views on the Trinity.

WILLIAM EDWARD PAINTER, STRAND, LONDON, PRINTER.

HISTORY OF THE CATHEDRAL OF SALISBURY. It is difficult to conceive an object more striking to the traveller who journeys over the wide plain which surrounds the city of Salisbury, than the distant view of the spire of its beautiful cathedral. Bursting on his sight, as he approaches within a few miles of the city, it appears with singular advantage, contrasted with the comparative barrenness of the surrounding country; with much more, indeed, than if it stood in the midst of a highly cultivated scene richly ornamented by the bounty of nature. Often as we have journeyed over those extensive downs, wearied with the sameness of the prospect, a new train of thought and feeling has been excited in our minds, when that exquisitely proportioned spire, which seems almost to melt into the sky, has come unexpectedly in view. We have been led to meditate with admiration and gratitude on the genius and skill of those architects of other days, who raised these noble and enduring structures, and on the piety of those noble and generous individuals, who dedicated their wealth to the most holy of all purposes, the raising of temples to the Most High.

The Cathedral at Salisbury, in addition to the advantage which it possesses from the effect of contrast with the surrounding country, is rendered much more striking in appearance, by the position in which it stands relatively to the city itself. It is situated in the midst of a large piece of green ground, a circumstance which permits the eye to rest upon the whole building, or any one part of it, without having its attention diverted and its sense of beauty disturbed by the presence of any of those mean and unsightly buildings, which too often either closely surround, or even obscure our noblest structures, both ecclesiastical and civil.

The diocese of Salisbury originally formed part of that of Winchester, from which other bishoprics were in the course of time

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formed, one of which was seated at Dorchester, in Oxfordshire, and another at Sherborne, in Dorsetshire. The county of Wilts appears to have been under the ecclesiastical superintendence of the latter see for a considerable period, until the year 909, at which time a new see was founded at Wilton, under which Wiltshire was placed. In 1058, Hermann, Bishop of Wilton, having united that see to the bishopric of Sherborne, removed the seat of the two sees thus combined to Sarum, or Old Sarum. Having done this, he very soon began the building of a cathedral, which, however, he did not live to complete. His successor, Osmund, proceeded with the work, and having finished it, endowed it with considerable revenues, placed in it thirty-six canons, and confirmed what he had thus done by a charter, bearing date April 5, 1091. The church so endowed was solemnly dedicated exactly one year after. Being placed in a very exposed situation, however, it appears to have sustained considerable damage by a tempest within a very short time after the dedication. This circumstance did not prevent Osmund from proceeding in his work. He very soon repaired the damage which it had sustained, placed secular canons on the foundation, wrote and transcribed some books for the instruction of the clergy, among which was the Use or Breviary of Sarum, which he compiled for the church under his government. He is said also to have made many other foundations, to have beautified several churches, and to have erected a noble library for the use of his church. He died in December, 1099, having presided over the see for twenty years.

Roger, who succeeded Osmund, played a very conspicuous part in his day, and appears altogether to have been a very extraordinary person, according to the account given of him by his contemporary William of Malmesbury, who states that the king "had made him regulator of his household; and on becoming king, having had proof of his abilities, appointed him first chancellor, and then a bishop. The able discharge of his episcopal functions led to a hope that he might be deserving of an higher office; he therefore committed to his care the administration of the whole kingdom, whether he might himself be resident in England or absent in Normandy."

It was during the prelacy of Herbert Poore, who succeeded to the see in June 1194, that the idea was conceived of removing the Cathedral to another situation, in order that it might be remote from the castle of Old Sarum. Permission to do this was obtained from the king, but although the bishop proceeded so far as to fix upon a piece of ground as a site, he was not able to effect any more. It was reserved for his successor to bring this plan to accomplishment. Richard Poore, brother of the last bishop, was translated from the see of Chichester to that of Salisbury in 1217. His first care was to complete the removal of the Cathedral. A place having been fixed upon, application was made to the king for a charter, and each of the canons bound himself to give one-fourth of his revenue for the space of seven years, towards the expense of erecting the new Cathedral. A plot of ground called Merrifield was fixed upon as the site of the new church, and a chapel of wood for temporary pur

poses, was immediately consecrated by the bishop, and an adjoining cemetery was also consecrated. These preparations having been made, on the 28th of April, 1220, the foundation was laid of the present Cathedral of Salisbury, with circumstances of great ceremony and splendour, and in the presence of a vast assemblage of persons of all ranks. The building proceeded with such rapidity that the bishop cited all the canons to be present on Michaelmas-day, 1225, five years after its commencement, at the celebration of divine service, having previously consecrated three altars. On the day after the festival of opening the new church, a special chapter was called, to deliberate upon the affairs of the church, at which thirty-six canons were present.

The Bishop obtained a charter from Henry III., which confirmed the new church in all the privileges and immunities which had belonged to the old Cathedral, and also granted to it some new ones. After having done so much for the new Cathedral, by exerting not only the influence which he possessed in its favour, but also by endowing it largely from his own funds, he was translated in 1228 to the see of Durham.

Robert Bingham, who succeeded Bishop Poore, prosecuted the building of the Cathedral with great vigour. But although he presided over the see for eighteen years, and involved the treasury in a debt of 1,700 marks, he left the buildings still unfinished. He was succeeded by William de York, who was Provost of Beverly Minster, who also exerted himself in carrying on the works belonging to the Cathedral, which he nearly completed, but the honour of finishing it was reserved for his successor, Egidius, or Giles, de Bridport, who is said to have entirely completed the Cathedral in the space of two years from his accession to the see. He appointed a grand festival to be held on the 30th of September, 1258, for the full dedication of the new Cathedral. This ceremony was performed by the Archbishop of Canterbury, in the presence of a large assemblage of prelates, nobles, and persons of distinction in the neighbourhood. The Church, therefore, was built in a period of thirty-eight years, but additions were made to it at a subsequent period. The expenses incurred up to this time are stated to have amounted to 40,000 marks, or, 26,666/. 13s. 4d. During the occupation of the see by Robert de Wyvile, who was consecrated in 1329, the Cathedral received some additions, among which were the erection of the upper part of the tower and spire. After this we do not find any alterations taking place until the episcopate of Richard Beauchamp, who was advanced to the see in 1450. He appears to have built the great hall of the episcopal palace, and also to have raised a handsome chantry chapel on the south side of the Lady Chapel in the Cathedral, in order to contain his body and a monument. He was the first also of the Bishops of Salisbury who held the office of chan cellor of the order of the garter.

During the occupation of the see by Humphrey Henchman, who was consecrated in 1660, some material but not very tasteful alterations were made in the form and decorations of the choir of the Ca