by those who have time and talents for the investigation. I conclude with the words of my forefather

"Cities were then perishing, when they could not distinguish the good from the bad." ANTISTHENES.

In the dark ages of ignorance and superstition, there lived in the west of Scotland a wealthy gentleman, whose name was Melvil. His residence was a little paradise. It was situated in an extensive plain, beyond which verdant hills rose on every side. A beautiful avenue, shaded with aged elms, led to his house, which was one of the most elegant pieces of architecture to be found in those days. Before, there was a grass plot bordered with flowers. At the distance of a few paces was a semicircular hedge; a little beyond, a profusion of evergreens; and behind these a wilderness of majestic oaks and beeches bounded the view.

Mr Melvil had every good quality that can adorn human nature. He had passed his youth in study; and in the pursuits of literature, the walks of science, and researches into the wonderful economy of nature, his enlightened mind possessed a source of never-failing pleasure. He had married at the age of twenty-six; but his wife and three children had in the space of five years gone down to the grave. Mr Melvil's affliction for their loss had through time yielded to the comforts of religion and the pursuit of his favourite employments. Thus his days glided on with serenity and delight, till old age stole insensibly upon him.

He had enjoyed the most uninterrupted tranquillity, till a story sprung up among his domestics, that the house and grounds were haunted by a spirit. One declared that she had seen a most frightful spectre in the great stair-case; another, that, in coming up the avenue at a late hour, he had seen a figure more than mortal stealing upon the silence of the night, and gliding among the elms. A third solemnly averred that at midnight a ghastly face had appeared at his window, and vanished again with a dismal groan. Often was the old gentleman's door burst open at the dead of night, and a long story told him by a servant about this supposed ghost, while he or she who related it looked fully as pale as the object described.

Mr Melvil once or twice yielded to the importunities of his domestics to go and look at the spectre, but never did his eyes behold it. He at last commanded them all to teaze him no longer on the subject, under pain of being dismissed; and imme

diately

diately after he had a will made, by which he declared, that if his nephew, Frank Freeman, (who was his lawful heir,) should, through superstitious fear of ghosts or spectres, quit that house as his place of residence, it should go to a Mr Buchanan, a much more distant relation.

Mr Melvil died a few years after making this settlement, and Frank entered with joy upon his valuable inheritance. This young man had many amiable dispositions; but he was very ignorant, for, from an impatience of temper and a narrowness of mind, he would not take the trouble to acquire knowledge. He affected, however, to laugh at superstition, while in his heart he was not a little troubled at the accounts of this spirit, which was said to have been seen by his servants.

One night he imagined he heard a cry of murder" near the house, but, on opening his casement, he could discover nothing. Another night one of the servants rushed into his chamber pale and breathless, and informed him that he had distinctly seen a tall figure stalking in the dead of night near to the hedge, and, that it vanished so suddenly, he could not discover whither it went. To ascertain the truth of the narration, Mr Freeman determined to watch by himself for its appearance on the following night.

When the time arrived, he placed himself accordingly at the his chamber-window. He opened the casement, and looked out. It was a dark and dismal night. No moon, nor even a single star, glimmered in the dreary expanse of heaven. Not a breath of air stirred the trees, but a dead and awful silence reigned around. At length the loud screaming of an owl echoed far and wide. Mr Freeman suddenly felt his blood chilled, but reflection on the cause dispelled his fears. Soon after the clock from a neighbouring steeple tolled twelve. This was a second alarm to the but not so violent as the first. The owl screamyoung man, ed again, and presently after a figure in white glided majestically along by the hedge-side, and vanished among the trees. Mr Freeman's pulse beat fearfully, and his eyes stared wildly after the form. It appeared again from among the trees, and, stalking towards the middle of the grass-plot, groaned heavily, waved its hand, and, uttering a cry of " murder!" sunk into the ground. Mr Freeman stood petrified with horror, and it was long till he could recover sufficient strength to close the casement, and retire to bed. All that night he had frightful dreams, and next day ordered his servants to get every thing in readiness for his instant departure to the north, where he resolved to purchase another property. Mr Freeman that very day left his house, which he solemnly swore he would never enter again while he lived.

Shortly after this, the other relation, Mr Buchanan, entered

to

to the possession of the property. But no spectre appeared after he went to reside there. It was discovered that, when he had heard of the terms of the will, and the story of the supposed spirit, he determined to profit by it, and hired a fellow of great ingenuity to personate a ghost, and thus work on the superstitious fears of Mr Freeman. This man had digged pits in the grass-plot, which he covered skilfully over, and, by wrapping himself in a white sheet, groaning, and sinking into these pits, he had completely attained the object in view; but, not being satisfied with his reward, he sought out Mr Freeman's address, and wrote to him, revealing the trick. Mr Freeman claimed the property in a court of law on the ground of fraud, but he failed in his action for want of sufficient evidence; and, besides, the condition in the will was judged to be so express, that it could not be departed from.

Mr Buchanan, however, did not long enjoy his his ill-gotten possession, but died in a few years after, of a fever brought on by intemperance.

The property then returned to Mr Freeman. As he had a scruple of conscience, however, about breaking his oath, he would not enter the house; but often warned his children, when they should go to that charming residence, to beware of the folly of superstitious fears.

W. C.

An Account of the Foundation of the Academy at Geneva.

SCARCELY had the reformation of religion delivered the minds of men from Papal tyranny, when the inhabitants of Geneva set about the means of disseminating a knowledge of the sciences, and promoting a taste for them. The general council, held 21st May 1536, founded a school for the instruction of youth, and the minister Antony Saunier had the care of it. In 1541 Calvin began to give lectures on divinity, which brought a great many students to Geneva. This success encouraged them greatly, and in the month of February 1542 Calvin proposed to the council to render the college more complete, and to establish an academy, in which the citizens and strangers might have an opportunity of acquiring real and extensive learning. He renewed this proposition in 1556, and the council resolved in 1558 to build a new college; but, as the finances of the republic were exhausted, they appealed to the liberality of the citizens: they were not deceived; the college was built, and the state constituted the administrator of the money collected for the establishment. The virtuous Bonnivard in particular, on 10th September 1558, bequeathed all his property to the magistracy, in order to be applied to the foundation and support of the new college. Upon 5th June 1559, the laws of the academy were published in the church

of

of St Peter, in the presence of a great number of learned men, citizens, and strangers. Calvin made an oration in French, and informed them that the council had resolved that that day should be considered as the day of the foundation of the academy, and to promulgate its statutes; he exhorted them to pray to God for its prosperity. Michael Roset, secretary to the republic, read in French the laws of the academy, the confession of faith which it behoved the professors, the regents, and the students, to make, as well as the oath they were to take. He then stated who the persons were that had been elected to fill the offices of the academy and college; that Theodore de Beze had been elected rector by the venerable company of pastors, and that his election had been approved of by the council; that the same formalities had been observed in electing the professors and regents; that John Calvin, who had for so long a period taught divinity, had been nominated professor in that science with Theodore de Beze; that Antony Chevalier was to be professor of Hebrew, and Francis Beraud of Greek, and John Tagaut of philosophy. Seven regents were announced, and in the course of that year 240 children attended the seventh class in order to learn to read. Lastly, a principal in the college was nominated, in order to regulate the internal economy, under the direction of the rector. This principal was for a long time the regent of the first class. After the rules of the academy were read, Beze, the rector, delivered an oration in Latin suited to the occasion, and Calvin concluded with prayer. Michael Roset drew up a minute of what had been done, which was passed into an act of the academy, and published in Latin and French in small 4to, under the title, "Promulgatio Legum Academiæ Genevensis, Oliva Roberti Stephani." Though without a date, it was published in June 1559.

It appears from this that the venerable company of pastors, together with the professors, elected the rectors, professors, and regents; but that it was necessary to present them to the council, in order to be confirmed and approved. The police of the academy and of the college was intrusted to the same body. At last the 'council thought that it would be more convenient to choose one of their members to be associated with the academy, and elected Michael Roset, to whom they gave the title of arch-grammateus, or chancellor. In 1581, this office was conferred upon two members of the council, who assumed the name of scholarchs, and presided in the assembly of professors. Their office was to take care of the buildings of the college, and receive the money. The buildings were finished in 1562, and during that year another class for the explanation of Scripture was added; and in 1565 two professors of law were elected-Henry Scrimger and Peter Carpentier. It is particularly worthy of being remarked, that in 1576 they retrenched the confession of faith, which the scholars had to

make.

make before being admitted into the academy. They perceived that intolerance was the enemy of learning, and that the confession kept back Papists and Lutherans.

In the same year, "The Order of the School of the City of Geneva," compiled by Calvin, and approved of by the petty council in 1559, was further sanctioned by the ecclesiastics, by the petty, the grand, and general council. The council, in the month of May, distributed prizes to those scholars who deserved them. This ceremony is now (1786) observed in June. In 1575, it was enacted," that the rector should be brief in his oration, and that Beze should add something; that the professors should dispute upon some subject; and that the scholars should pronounce a short speech of their own composition."

The ninth class, designed to teach children to read, was established in 1579.

Geneva, which had experienced so many misfortunes, knew better than the other nations to divide the lot of the unfortunate. In 1554, it was an asylum for some persecuted Englishmen ; they were permitted to have a church, and pastors to do duty. The fugitives enjoyed this privilege till 1560, when greater quietness and liberty were restored to their native country. The Italians, whom the general persecution raised against the reformation had expatriated, experienced in Geneva the same protection. They were received with distinction; they had a church in which divine service was performed in their own language, and this establishment in part subsists to this day.

The times now began to be very troublous. A ruinous war deprived the republic of its finances, which were but small. The council judged it expedient rather to provide the means for defending the city, than to maintain the academy. They resolved in 1583 to dismiss the professors of law and philosophy; but the (associates) company of pastors, terrified at the serious consequences of such a determination, employed the whole of their credit with the council to engage to indemnify that expense. They were heard. Nevertheless, in 1586 circumstances became so critical, and the public misfortunes so great, that the council were forced again to dismiss the professors of Hebrew, of law, of philosophy, and Greek. They were, however, re-established in 1587. They did more; a third professorship of divinity was founded, but afterwards dismissed in 1589.

He

The academy assumed a more stable form in 1591. James Lect was sent into England and Holland to solicit assistance. brought from Holland 14,000 livres which were granted by the government, upon condition that the school of theology should be again established. The school was not abolished in reality, for Theodore de Beze continued, not only to give lectures gratui

tously