place him in an insignificant or contemptible point of view; if a court of justice is described (which, of all our institutions, next to the Church, is most worthy of respect), the functionaries are represented as heartless and selfish, and the judge is made to utter some coarse jest at the expense of a criminal who is being tried for life and death. The author of these precious stories (and I have not alluded to the worst parts of them) is evidently quite unaware of the miserable taste and mischievous tendency of this style of writing. It is impossible to keep these books out of our libraries, unless you have better works to order instead of them, and these continually coming out. Now, when we consider that the same plan which we have adopted here in Churchover, of clubbing together for the purchase of new books, is spread over the whole country, that every considerable town, and even where there is no town, almost every neighbourhood, has its book-society amongst the most intelligent part of the community, what an influence must this sort of reading have with the mass of educated people! Then, to descend a step lower, there are our lending-libraries instituted in every parish, for the more instructed and intelligent amongst the poorer classes, and those immediately above them. I have been amused to see how wellthumbed the volumes in our parochial library soon become, especially those which are written in an entertaining manner. It has often occurred to me that we have an important opening in these libraries for the introduction of sound knowledge amongst all classes of people. A tolerably well-written book, not too expensive, on almost any subject, is sure to find its way into these quarters, which are generally inaccessible to purely theological works. Many persons, who will not look at a tract or a sermon, will receive the same principles if prepared for them

in the shape of a small octavo or duodecimo, which is not too long and tedious; and who knows, when you once get the ear even of a careless reader, how the truths which you may convey shall operate on his mind? Suppose you try your hand, Charles, at some short volume, which shall unite soundness of principle with a popular style of writing; I would engage it shall have a good circulation."

"You forget, sir, that my pen is continually employed in preparing for the pulpit, and my whole time occupied in parochial duties."

"True, you are right; with nearly three thousand souls under your care, your attention and time is due to your parish. But would it not be easy to find clergymen with smaller parishes, or good lay members of the Church, who have leisure for this important branch of usefulness? I question whether they could do more effectual good to the cause of truth, than by employing themselves in this department of literature. If my own powers of imagination were not well nigh dried up by old age, I think I would endeavour to set on foot a series of such volumes. I would not have them too grave, nor, on the other hand, too light and trifling. They should not be religious novels. It is impossible to avoid much unprofitable trifling in books, the main point of interest in which is some love affair. At the same time they must not want sufficient incident to lead forward even the most careless readers. We must take our readers as we find them, and provide accordingly. They are careless, but, to do them justice, not uninstructed, or unable to digest strong meat, if you serve it up in such a manner as to overcome their indolence. The fact is, that men of business, who have spent their whole day at their counting-house, or chambers, are unable, even if they were willing, to give their minds to books which

require deep attention. When they have glanced their eye over the newspaper, they take up some volume of light reading, which may amuse and interest them; and therefore, if we would influence them through this channel, we must provide for them sound instruction in an agreeable form. A great mistake in persons who have attempted this style of writing, is, that they have not thought it necessary to put forth the whole power of their mind, but have provided crude and trashy matter, which men of strong minds and power of reasoning, like our intelligent middle classes, yawn over, or laugh at. I want to see books which shall beguile the reader onwards, while, at the same time, they furnish him with thoughts which will fix themselves in his mind, and strike him as sound and valuable."

"Is not the task which you propose rather a difficult one?"

"Not so difficult as you may imagine. Any man who could write a good argumentative sermon, well illustrated, and brought home to the feelings by a warm application, might, if he would turn his mind to it, produce the volumes which are wanted. It is but the application of true principles to the daily affairs of life, more pointedly and particularly than can be done from the pulpit. Half the listeners to sermons seem unconscious that what they hear is intended for their every-day practice. What we want is, the home-application of religious truth to the various circumstances of life, and the infusion of good sterling principle into our every-day literature. The press has done its worst against the Church; let us storm the batteries, and turn them against the enemy."

Thus did the shrewd and worthy president of the book-society go on, alternately generalizing and particularizing, until he had tied up his papers and

books; and taking his young friend's arm, he sallied homewards.

Having made this chapter serve the double purpose of apologising for the appearance of the present volume, and introducing our principal characters, we must now travel backwards in the course of time, and give a more detailed account of the two gentlemen with whom the reader has somewhat abruptly been made acquainted.

RETROSPECTIVE.

CHAPTER II.

Let none now blame me, if in discipline
Of virtue, and of civil uses' lore,

I do not form them to the common line

Of present days, which are corrupted sore,
But to the antique use which was of yore

SPENSER.

BEFORE Commencing our story, it will be necessary, first of all, to state, in general terms, what is the sort of character which it is intended to delineate.

Briefly, then -we mean to draw a picture of one who, in all the social relations of life, acts on Christian principles; one who, as a father or son, a master or servant, in public or in private,-in short, in what