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attention to more important persoages."

We have already expressed our dissatisfaction with the want of originality in the plot. We think, too, it might have been managed with greater effect. Love can break, and has broken, far stronger bonds than those with which the author has encircled his heroine; and we think the story would have carried with it a deeper interest and a higher moral, had Matilda been made to violate the duties of a mother with those of a wife, and feed his altar not only with the sacrifice of a husband, but of a child. She should have

died too, we think, not from any of the common accidents of nature, not from the neglect or contumely of the world, not from any change in the affections of one for whom she had given up all, but in the full possession of everything that she had looked forward to as necessary to her happiness, from that deep and settled consciousness of irrecoverable guilt and shame working like madness in her brain, and turning the cup of happiness into bitterness and poison. There is, however, much deep feeling and power displayed in the working up of the closing scene of the catastrophe with which the story concludes. In justice to the author, we extract a portion of the last pages

"Ormsby's absence had been unexpectedly protracted, by the difficulty he had found in accumulating from so many different quarters, and in a foreign land, the conclusive proofs of Santelmo's birth, and in tracing his identity through the different situations of his early life. But at length Matilda received from him the glad tidings that his disinterested labours had been brought to a successful termination, and that the evidence he had obtained was such as could not be resisted in any court of justice. He added, that, as the speediest mode of returning to her, he should embark in a felucca at Genoa, and again should have the inexpressible delight of beholding her on the day immediately succeeding that in which she received the letter. In conclusion, he congratulated himself on the intelligence he had received from England, that Sir James Dornton's divorce bill had already passed one branch of the Legislature, and that, therefore, almost immediately upon his return he should have it in his power to make her irrevocably his.

"I am aware,' said her friend, Mrs Sydney, upon this intelligence being communicated to her, I am aware that, in the minds of many excellent persons,

very considerable doubts are entertained as to the propriety of these marriages; but, in my humble opinion, it is contrary to the benevolent principles of our religion to place any one in a state of irreclaimable sin. Many I know of those who have been thus redeemed, have been irreproachable as wives and mothers; and, in your particular case, I trust that the salutary interval of solitary repentance may have so chastened your mind, as that you will be properly prepared solemnly to undertake these new duties." Matilda bowed her head in humble acquiescence.

"The morning of the day on which Ormsby was expected was serene and

brilliant; it was one of those extraordinary efforts of nature, which, in that delicious climate, defying the calculations of the calendar, charm one with a feeling of summer security even in the midst of winter. Matilda had persuaded her friend to accompany her to the farther extremity of the terrace which faces the sea; and on the smooth and sunny ho rizon her eye had long been fixed, endeavouring to catch the first glimpse of the expected vessel. But there was not, on all this wide expanse of waters, even one white wave to be seen, which for a moment she could mistake for a shining

sail.

Still it was early, and the kind efforts of Mrs Sydney to calm her impatience were for some time not entirely without success. Yet hour passed after hour, and still he came not. At length the sun, which had played on the rippled surface before them, had now retired in its daily course to glitter on the still snowy summit of the Alps behind them; and the short hectic cough of Mrs Sydney, which this chilly change aggravated, reminded Matilda of the danger of indul ging in the selfish pleasure of longer detaining her there. She insisted, therefore, on her immediately leaving her, and returning home.

"When deprived of her companion, Matilda's impatience, of course, increased. With so fair a wind,' she thought, 'he might have been here before now.' As she uttered these words, she started at a sudden gust which, rustling in the fallen leaves, carried them before her in a sort of whirlwind, to a considerable distance. In her present state of nervous excitement, even so trifling an incident for a moment checked that bounding sense of happiness which she had previously in vain endeavoured to repress, though her reproving conscience told her, that the pleasure she anticipated was a forbidden and guilty one. But this transitory uneasiness again subsided with the moment

ary agitation of the passing breeze which caused it; and yet a little while she indulged the unbroken hope of the expect ed meeting.

"Left alone to revel uninterruptedly in the enjoyment of her excited feelings, she now eagerly sought a remote promontory, from which she thought she might command a more distant prospect of the course he must come. But when at length she did reach that point, wide and wild enough was the scene that met her view, yet far different from that which she had fondly anticipated.

"Those alone who have actually experienced the awful manner in which, without the least warning of impending danger, tremendous squalls suddenly burst upon the Mediterranean, can form any adequate idea of the almost miraculous change which now took place in the appearance of all things around, and of the accumulating horrors which abruptly presented themselves to the anxious eye of our heroine. Heavy rolling clouds were collecting on all sides-their darkness and gloom aggravated by the struggling rays of the setting sun, which were making a last effort to pierce through their increasing density.

"As she reached the rock she had so anxiously sought, the extensive waste of waters were still discernible, yet not, as an hour since, just rippling their other wise unbroken surface, but curling their monstrous heads' to meet the lowering vapours from above. For a moment she stood rooted to the spot, unmoved even by the violence of the gale, which blew with peculiar force around the point. A cold chill ran through her veins. Even as suddenly as the outward appearance of all around had been sadly changed, the fond hopes she had so lately cherished yielded to an overwhelming sense of impending evil. The low hollow murmur of distant thunder lingered like the knoll of death upon her ear. She pressed her hands upon her breast, and rushed wildly down upon the beach. Utterly unconscious was she how long, with feelings of mental agony far superior to any sense of personal suffering, she wandered in the neighbourhood of that dreary point.

"It was only in the aggravation of her fears for him in whom self was utterly absorbed, that she felt the pelting rain which drenched her light garments; it was only as it impeded her clearer view of the boundless ocean, that she regarded the heavy spray which dashed unceasing ly against her delicate frame. But it was no fleeting form assumed by the evervarying spray,-it was no fancied creation of her troubled spirit, when, almost

within reach of the shore, rising upon the darkness before her, a light sail met her eye. One moment she caught it, as waving wildly in the wind, it flapped heavily over the heads of those from whose control it had broken. It was but a moment, and the last appalling scream of human misery struck upon her ear, as it swept sadly by-mingling with the howling of the tempest.

"Those whose career had been thus abruptly closed, were not more unconscious of all that followed the harrowing sound of their expiring agonies, than was the poor sufferer who had been fated to witness them; for almost lifeless, drenched with the rain, and her arms outstretched towards the sea, extended upon the beach, the unfortunate lady was found by her anxious friend,-who had till now in vain sought her from the beginning of the storm, which she knew was so calculated to excite her well-grounded fears for the safety of one on whom her whole happiness depended.

"It was with the greatest difficulty that when assistance had been procured, Matilda could be prevailed upon to quit the spot on which she had been found. Her senses had suffered from the shock she had experienced; and they were only partially restored, to endure the pangs of a premature labour. Long and doubtful was the struggle; and it was late in the following day, when the almost unconscious mother strained to her broken heart a female child, whose untimely birth and delicate appearance did not promise a longer continuance of life, than could be hoped for its evidently dying mother."

We now bid farewell to Matilda and its author. We say its author, for amid the more stimulating pursuits in which Lord Normanby has already taken no undistinguished part, it is perhaps scarcely to be expected that we shall soon meet him in that character again. Should his ambition, however, still point to distinction in the walks of literature, we can assure him that his present work is one rather of promise than performance, and that it will require a very strong and effective concentration of his powers, to place him even on a footing of equality with many of his competitors. At all events, the present article will show that we are disposed to regard his efforts with no unfavourable eye, and give the lie to those who accuse us of mixing politics with literature, and of refusing, under any circumstances, to do justice to the productions of a Whig.

THE CHURCH OF ENGLAND.

CIRCUMSTANCES Over which we had no control, but in which, were we to enter into a minute detail of them, the public could take no manner of interest, have alone prevented us from returning, as we had designed to return, in our last Number, to a consideration of the present state and probable future prospects of the Church of England. We commence our present paper with this declaration, because we are not anxious to conceal that a small part only of the task which we have assigned to ourselves has as yet been accomplished. No doubt the subjects already touched upon are of very vital importance; they are, moreover, in every one's mouth, and therefore we treated of them first. But there are other matters behind, of no less serious moment, which, though they may not perhaps be spoken of quite so frequently, are neither left unnoticed, nor suffered to pass without censure. To these, in the proper order, we mean to draw the attention of our readers; and as we are happy to find that the tone in which our former discussions were delivered has not been looked upon, as we were half afraid it might be looked upon, as impertinent, we can give no better pledge for our future moderation, than by assuring them, that they will not find that tone altered to the last.

Before entering upon what may be regarded as a new topic, it may appear but just and reasonable to notice such omissions in our review of the Book of Common Prayer, as have either occurred to ourselves since that review went forth, or have been pointed out to us by others. These, though not numerous, chance to be of considerable consequence. An anonymous correspondent has, for example, suggested, that in case of a revision of the liturgy, it might be proper to increase the number of sentences prefixed to the exhortation, by certain texts, such as Gen. xxviii. 17, or Habak. ii. 20, inculcative of reverence for the place of assembly. The same writer recommends a removal of the word Trinity from the Litany, which, continues he, "though a firm believer in the doctrine, I cannot but think an unscriptural mode of address to the Deity the invariable designation of the King by the simple title of our sovereign

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lord' the insertion before the general thanksgiving of those words in the communion service, Let us give thanks unto our Lord God,' 'It is meet and right to do so,'-and a dif ferent mode (the present, where there are many communicants, being rather tedious than edifying) of administering the elements of the Lord's Supper. These suggestions," he adds, " may be deemed of secondary importance. Some of them, no doubt, may be thus thought of; but we are far from considering them all as equally unimportant. Let us see.

With respect to the texts of scripture referred to, unquestionably there could be no impropriety, if there were little positive benefit, in placing them where our unknown friend desires to see them placed. A great deal is gained towards securing the attention of a congregation to the solemn duty in which they are about to be employed, if you succeed in impressing them with feelings of awe and reverence towards the place of assembly; and were we sure that the repetition of any sentences from the Bible would produce this effect, we should strongly urge the measure. But we question. whether anything which is done often and regularly, comes not, in the end, to be regarded with indifference, and hence we are apt to consider this suggestion as one of secondary importance only. So is it also in the case of the sentences advised to be taken forthe communion service. These, inserted as our correspondent points out, could do no harm; we scarcely think they would do much good. But of his remaining suggestions we shall take more notice, because we consider them more deserving of it.

We know not what to say as to the wisdom of omitting the word Trinity from the daily service of the Church. It is true that the term occurs not in scripture; that it never came into use till long after the canon of scripture was completed; and that, like all human language, when applied to the Divine Being, it necessarily fails of creating any just or intelligible idea in the mind of him who uses it. The very same thing may be said of the clause which follows it :-" Three persons and one God," the word person signifying something individual,

the festivals of Christmas, Good Frid day, and Easter Sunday, the divinity of the Son had been plainly stated, the divinity and personality of the Holy Ghost had been declared with equal distinctness in that of Whitsunday, whilst to the worship of the Fa ther, every day of the year is supposed to be dedicated. Not to have devoted one day to the worship of the Trinity, would have been to have the people in doubt whether there were not three separate Gods deserving of their wor ship. Our correspondent will now, we trust, perceive why we cannot agree in the propriety of his sugges➡ tion. We love not the term more than he does; but it is, and has been, so intimately connected with the most important doctrine of Christianity, and is so thoroughly interwoven into all the services of the English Church, that you could not drop it without endangering the one, and absolutely unhinging the other.

tangible, and confineable; and it be ing utterly impossible for the human mind to divest itself of that idea, as often as the word "person" happens to be uttered. But if we be induced, for these and similar reasons, to strike out particular expressions here and there, from our liturgy, it is absolutely impossible to determine where it be hoves us to stop. The fact is, that no language can possibly express a distinct notion of the Supreme Being, because no distinct notion of that Being can be formed by man; nor, we are disposed to imagine, by any other creature. Even of his attributesthough we speak of them continually we know nothing; for what are eternity and omnipresence to us, except sounds, without any definite sense? Though, therefore, it be true, that the term Trinity is an unfortunate one, and though it certainly occurs not throughout the pages of scripture, we should be sorry to see it expunged from the Litany of the English Church, because the measure could hardly fail to produce far greater evils than those which it might be intended to remedy. If the doctrine be taught in scripture, as we conscientiously believe it is, the English Church must and ought to have some term or another by which to express its belief in that doctrine; and the doctrine and the term are, from long usage, so completely associated together, that where the one is dropped, the other is understood to be rejected. Now, though we have already said, and again say, that the Church would act wisely in blotting out the Athanasian creed from her formularies, we would never advise any measure, calculated to excite the most remote suspicion, that the English Church had erred from the true faith, and become tinctured with Socinianism. Besides all which, you could not omit the phrase under consideration from one part of the Prayer Book, without omitting it from all. Your festival of Trinity Sunday must accordingly be set aside; and we confess that we look up to that festival with too partial an eye, to give our consent, at least, to its overthrow. It has always struck us, as a proof of the great wisdom of the compilers of the liturgy, that they have there taught the important doctrine of a Trinity in unity in a way so quiet, if we may be allowed the expression, and so inoffensive. In

Of his remaining observations, relative to the titles bestowed upon the king, and the admiration of the elements in the Lord's Supper, we think very differently. Not only do we disapprove of the application of such language as is applied in the English Liturgy to the reigning monarch, but we conceive that the whole thing would be rendered far more solemn, and far more touching, were the name of the prince entirely struck out. To speak, in an address to the Deity, of" our most religious and gracious King," whether that king chance to be a really religious person, or the reverse, is to be guilty of something which we do not choose to designate; whilst the introduction of a modern Christian name, such as George or Frederick, into the middle of a pathetic prayer, has always appeared to us to savour prodigiously of the bathos. We know very well, that the phrase above alluded to, has, like other objectionable phrases, received its peculiar explanation. king of England," say that class of writers who imagine that they are serving the interests of the Church, by representing her as absolutely incapable of improvement" the King of England is declared in our liturgy to be most religious, not in his individual capacity, but because he is the head of the Church."

The

We are not pleased with this explanation, not only because it bears a

strong resemblance to jesuitical sophistry, but because we can discover no solid authority upon which it is grounded. But were it ever so correct, why employ language in any depart ment of public worship, such as shall stand in need of interpretation? We have already recorded it as our opinion, that the State-prayers recur with too much frequency, and with too much formality; we have now only to add, that were the royal family to receive the benefit of the Church's prayers once on every occasion of meeting, it would be sufficient. Greater effect, also, would be given, were the name omitted, for the introduction of which there is no necessity. There are no rival princes now-a-days-one in St James's, the other over the waterand hence no man will pray, who prays at all, except for the monarch actually in possession of the throne.

Again, it is impossible not to concur in the sentiment, that if, under any circumstances, the present mode of administering the elements in the Lord's Supper be tedious and unedifying, the sooner that mode is changed the better. In our former paper on this subject, we said, that the Communion service had our unqualified approbation. We commended it then, because it is striking without mummery, affecting without being superstitious; and so far as these facts are concerned, we again repeat our commendation. But it is nevertheless quite true, that where the bread and wine come to be administered by a single priest to an hundred and fifty or two hundred communicants, the continual repetition of the same phrases to each individual of the number, causes, and can hardly fail to cause, at least extreme languor and listlessness both in the clergyman and in his congregation. To remain so long, too, as the process requires, in a cold church, especially in the season of Winter, may prove, and frequently does prove, injurious to the health of old and delicate persons. We see not why the Clergy should not be permitted to administer the elements to three or four communicants at once. In bestowing confirmation, we observe that the Bishops never scruple to set the canon aside after this fashion; the same liberty might, we think, be taken by the priests at the altar. Still we

should wish to see this change effected only in cases of absolute necessity for it cannot be denied, that much of the solemnity of the ceremony is destroyed when even two persons partake of the elements, and are addressed by the priest at the same time.

Our correspondent has farther thrown out a hint or two on the subject of baptism, under the idea that the matters to which he refers may not have occurred to ourselves. He objects, for instance, to the service, because God is first of all entreated to grant to the child remission of his sins, and yet the child is immediately after represented as innocent. Doubtless there is an apparent contradiction here; but we have always considered it as so trifling, and so easily seen through, that it never once struck us as deserving of notice. The truth appears to be this, the forgiveness of sins here prayed for has no reference, and can have none, in the case of a mere infant, to sins past, farther than as the infant, in common with the whole human race, is affected by the transgression of its first parents. In the guilt of that transgression the infant cannot, indeed, partake, for guilt is an act of an individual mind, and acts of the mind are not hereditary. Still the child is liable to the penalty incurred by the fall; and hence, when the priest prays that God will grant to it forgiveness of its sins, he only employs a peculiar language to express a scriptural idiom, an idiom by which the terms sin and guilt are often used where the consequences arising from sin are alone intended to be expressed. Or it may be, that the forgiveness of sins spoken of in the baptismal service, has reference to such sins as the child shall in after life commit—it certainly can have no reference whatever to sins past, which the child has not committed. Such is the light in which we have hitherto regarded the question, and by thus regarding it we have escaped its difficulties; but it is manifest that others have been less fortunate; for if one so well versed in these matters as our present correspondent have experienced a shock, how must the thing strike the multitude? and hence we have, therefore, no hesitation to say, that the ceremony so far stands in need of revision.

Besides these, there are other cir

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