justify offensive wars when they are necessary to punish or to prevent injuries; a principle broad enough to cover all the wars ever likely to be waged to the end of the world. I fully believe that most of the wars which have desolated modern Europe have been wrong on both sides, and that the whole system of war as now conducted is far removed from that gentleness, humility, and love which the Gospel requires.

As the day approaches when men were to beat their swords into plough-shares and their spears into pruning hooks, it was to be expected that a spirit in opposition to war would go forth into the world. But the friends of peace will gain nothing by running to extremes. These always produce a reaction which throws back the reformation they were intended to advance. If you would carry forward any cause with the resistless current of public opinion, you must not shock that opinion by extravagancies. In the present case you must not bind the Christian world hand and foot and throw them to the mercy of the Turks.

The principle of absolute non-resistance has been chiefly drawn from the sermon on the mount. The injunctions there given to turn the other cheek, to go the second mile with him who has compelled you to go one, to give to him that asketh, to lend to him that would borrow, and to give your cloak to him who by process of law has taken your coat, all manifestly stand on the same footing, and are either all literal precepts or all proverbs. And if proverbs, they only throw out general principles which are to be limited by common sense and other parts of Scripture.

What first convinced me that they were proverbs, was to find them in company with one which, taken literally, would prohibit all resort to civil law. This surely must be a proverb. If a man by a law suit takes away half your property, it cannot be meant that you should give him the rest. Much less can it be intended that you should never resort to the laws of your country for protection. Such a principle would not promote the happiness of the world. It would go to abolish all human laws and leave society in the state of the wild Arabs: for if the good may not resort to law, none may, and the law ought to be given up.

And if men may not appeal to civil courts, but must leave all things to arbitration, most of the results of judicial experience and most of the benefits of uniform rules would be lost; for both the experience and the rules are embodied in the common law which is founded on the decisions of courts. And into what a chaos would this loss plunge the rights of society. Those texts therefore which seem arrayed against law suits, must be understood as pointed only against a litigious spirit and in favour of that forbearance which will consent to be defrauded to a supportable degree rather than contend.

The injunction therefore about the cloak must be proverbial, and this fixes the character of all the rest. Indeed the rest bear intrinsic marks of being proverbs. Who will suppose that we are bound to give to every vagabond whatever he may take it into his head to ask? or that we must lend to every thief whatever he may pretend to borrow? The meaning is, that we should respect the wants and wishes of others as far as reason approves. If a ruffian drags you one mile and drops you there, it cannot be meant that you should rise up and go with him another; for that might disoblige him no less than yourself.

It means only that we should be meek under oppression and not hasty or violent in asserting our rights. So also when we are directed to turn the other cheek, it cannot be meant that we should literally court another blow, for Christ did not this in the judgment hall; it only means that we should exhibit great meekness and patience under injuries. How far this forbearance is to be carried, is not to be learnt from the parable itself, but from other parts of Scripture and common sense.

LESSON CI.

An Oriental Bazaar.—Howison.

A STRANGER should visit the Bombay bazaar in the evening. It is a street about half a mile long, with shops on each side throughout its whole extent. These are brilliantly lighted up at night, and one in strolling along may observe distinctly every thing that goes on in them.

He

will here see a range of cloth-shops, full of native women examining the goods, disputing about their value, and urging the seller to lower his price. Then his attention will be drawn to the shed of a brass-manufacturer, where highly-polished jars of all sizes stand glittering in rows, and where the incessant hammering of the artificers drowns the voices of the crowds in their vicinity.

On advancing a little further, he will see a confectioner's shop hung with festoons of dried fruits and sweetmeats, and environed by crowds of children longing for the luxuries that are displayed before them. The next shed will be that of a vegetable merchant, who offers for sale the various edible productions of the east, from the pine-apple down to the common yam; opposite him perhaps is the office of a shroff, or native banker, who sits at a table covered with gold, silver, and copper coins, and changes money at a small per centage. His scales and weights stand beside him, and he subjects to their test every piece of metal that is presented to him for negocia

tion.

A dealer in grain next attracts the attention; the back part of his shop is crowded with bags of rice, grain, maize, &c. and in front, samples of the different articles are exhibited in large baskets, from which he measures out the quantities required by his customers. A little way off will be a barber's shop full of people, and resounding with their voices and merriment. Its bustling possessor talks with volubility, and the pleased and attentive countenances of his auditors testify that he is a humourist and a story-teller.

Meanwhile the street is crowded with men, women, and children, of different casts and complexions, and with donkies, oxen, and Paria dogs, the noise of whose united voices is deafening and incessant. Sometimes a Parsee drives furiously through the bazaar in a gig, and disturbs the loitering throng, and makes it open its ranks with sudden haste and alarm; or a European in a palanquin, surrounded with panting himmauls, will force his way amidst the motley assemblage.

The tumult of the whole scene not unfrequently receives some addition from the meeting and intermingling of two herds of bullocks, carrying bells upon their necks, and groaning under the blows inflicted by their irritated

drivers; and at this crisis, perhaps a marriage-procession passes down the bazaar. accompanied by hosts of people bearing torches, and by a party of native musicians, singing, and beating large drums and blowing horns. Things now reach an extremity which is insupportable to a European, and he must immediately take flight if he wishes to retain his senses and to preserve his hearing.

LESSON CII.

Brutus' Speech.-SHAKSPEARE.

you may hear.

you

ROMANS, Countrymen, and lovers, hear me for my cause; and be silent that Believe me for mine honour; and have respect to mine honour, that may believe. Censure me in your wisdom; and awake your senses, that you may the better judge. If there be any in this assembly, any dear friend of Cæsar's, to him, I say, that Brutus' love to Cæsar was no less than his. If, then, that friend demand why Brutus rose against Cæsar, this is my answer: Not that I loved Cæsar less, but that I loved Rome more.

Had you rather Cæsar were living, and die all slaves; than that Cæsar were dead, to live all freemen? As Cæsar loved me, I weep for him; as he was fortunate, I rejoice at it; as he was valiant, I honour him; but as he was ambitious, I slew him. There are tears, for his love; joy, for his fortune; honour, for his valour; and death, for his ambition.-Who's here so base, that would be a bondman? if any, speak; for him have I offended. Who's here so rude, that would not be a Roman? if any, speak; for him have I offended. Who's here so vile, that will not love his country? if any, speak; for him have I offended.-I pause for a reply :

None! Then none have I offended.-I have done no more to Cæsar than you shall do to Brutus. The question of his death is enrolled in the capitol; his glory not extenuated, wherein he was worthy; nor his offences enforced, for which he suffered death.

Here comes his body, mourned by Mark Antony; who, though he had no hand in his death, shall receive-the

benefit of his dying-a place in the commonwealth; as which of you shall not?-With this I depart; that, as I slew my best lover for the good of Rome, I have the same dagger for myself, when it shall please my country to need my death.

LESSON CIII.

The Miracle.-A GERMAN PARABLE.

ONE day in Spring, Solomon, then a youth, sat under the palm-trees, in the garden of the King, his father, with his eyes fixed on the ground, and absorbed in thought. Nathan, his preceptor, went up to him and said, Why sittest thou thus, musing under the palm-trees?

The youth raised his head, and answered, Nathan, I am exceedingly desirous to behold a miracle.

A wish, said the prophet, with a smile, which I entertained myself in my juvenile years.

And was it granted? hastily asked the Prince.

A man of God, answered Nathan, came to me, bringing in his hand a pomegranate seed. Observe, said he, what this seed will turn to! He thereupon made with his fingers a hole in the earth, and put the seed into the hole, and covered it. Scarcely had he drawn back his hand, when the earth parted, and I saw two small leaves shoot forth-but no sooner did I perceive them than the leaves separated, and from between them arose a round stem, covered with bark, and the stem became every moment higher and thicker.

The man of God thereupon said to me, take notice! And while I observed, seven shoots issued from the stem, like the seven branches on the candlestick of the altar.

I was astonished, but the man of God motioned to me, and commanded me to be silent, and to attend. Behold, said he, new creations will soon make their appearance.

He thereupon brought water in the hollow of his hand from the stream which flowed past; and lo! all the branches were covered with green leaves, so that a cooling shade was thrown around us, together with a delicious odour. Whence, exclaimed I, is this perfume amid the refreshing shade?