received these clothes from the Dutch, whom he knew were a different nation from the French, he was still more surprised, and called his attendants, who stood in a row behind, saying, "Mark this: "these do not belong to the same nation with the "French, yet you see they give them clothes, learn "to do so too." A house and attendants were provided for them all by the King, where they lived very comfortably for five months.

On another occasion, when Mr. Oucruyt was with the second King alone, while viewing from his window a great storm at sea, he said to Mr. Oucruyt," I heard from my grandfather and from my "uncle, that all these things were made," pointing to the sea, &c. "Did you ever hear of that?"Made! said Mr. O, do you mean that the sea made itself?" No, no, I do not mean that: I mean made by its Maker." O yes, said Mr. 0- -—, all white people know that. told you," replied the second King,

"I have

"who it

was that told me, now tell me how you know it." On which Mr. Oucruyt told him about the Bible,

ORIGIN of the PRINCE of WALES'S CREST.

THE famous battle of Cressy,* was fought between the French and English in the year 1346. The French army was divided into three lines, the first was led by John de Luxembourg, King of · Bohemia, who had long been famous as a general, but whom age had deprived of his sight; yet so Vol. ix. earnestly

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* Cressy is a village on the river Authie, in Picardy, a province in the North of France.

earnestly did he pant after martial glory, that he could not be persuaded from engaging in the hottest part of the battle. He caused the reins of his horse to be interlaced with those of two valiant knights, and rushed between them to the spot where Edward Prince of Wales fought in person, (this prince was commonly known by the name of the Black Prince, because he wore black armour, and was son to Edward the third, the then reigning monarch of England); with this gallant youth, only sixteen years of age, the old Bohemian sovereign exchanged several random strokes, but soon, with his valiant companions, fell among the slain; victory being decidedly on the side of the English. The crest of the fallen king consisted of three ostrich feathers, and as he had acted in the capacity of a volunteer under the King of France, he took the motto "Ich Dien," which signifies in the German language," I serve." This device young Edward assumed to himself, and the Princes of Wales have ever since retained it in their arms.

The HISTORY of WM. BLACK, the Chimney Sweeper.

(Concluded from page 314.)

"I rejoiced to hear that I was about to change my situation, and though the idea of becoming a chimney sweeper may not appear very pleasing, yet I was glad by any means to escape from the workhouse which I heartily detested. In the morning Mr. Brush came and took me away with

him as we came near to town, I was exceedingly delighted to see the carts, and the gay coaches, and the splendid things and persons of London. But I soon found my hopes of happiness to be vain, for my master was a most surly ill-natured creature, and very frequently flogged his apprentices most unmercifully. I being younger than most of them, was exposed also to their ill treatment, and I really think if I had not been naturally very hardy from being bred up in a workhouse, that I should not have long survived.

In this situation I became worse and worse as I advanced in years, so that even my wicked companions and neighbours would sometimes cry out,

shame, shame, you are too bad, very bad.' All the religious instruction which I received was from being forced sometimes to go to church with my master's wife or children, though this I very much disliked, and have often refrained from cleaning myself on a Sunday, that I might not be compelled to go to church, and thus lose some hours of play or vicious pleasures.

One morning when it was scarcely light, I was sweeping a gentleman's chimnies, and being at the top of the house, I resolved to amuse myself by going to the adjoining roof, and attempting to frighten the servants by shaking my brush at the garret window, and groaning. As I was getting over the division which separated the two houses, to carry this frolic into execution, the bricks gave way, and I fell down to the ground, If the house had been as high as most in London, I should certainly

Ff2

certainly have been killed on the spot. I was quite insensible for a long time, but on recovering I found myself in the hospital; my head was much hurt, and one of my arms broken. I laid upon my bed in very great pain of body and of mind. Oh! if I had died, said I to myself, where should I have now been: I have heard of a heaven, but I could never have hoped to have reached it; I have heard of hell, and there I must have been condemned for ever to remain. How dreadful the anger of God, and how much have I deserved his severest punishments. With such thoughts, my mind was distressed all the long, long, sleepless night, I sometimes thought of praying, but then it struck me, that God whose name I had so often blasphemed, would not hear such a wretch as I was. However, one night the agony of my soul was so great that I groaned out God be merciful to me a sinner.' Then I withdrew my words, adding, with a flood of tears, I am too great a sinner to be pardoned, I cannot dare hope for mercy.' There is mercy with God,' exclaimed a man who was in the next bed to mine and overheard me; Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners who feel their own exceeding sinfulness, who cry out to him for mercy, and believe that he is able to save unto the uttermost them that come unto God by him. I was as great a sinner as you, but I have found mercy, and Jesus invites you- Come unto me all ye that are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Though your sins be as scarlet they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson they

6

shall

shall be as wool.' Can this be so said I, this information is too good to be true, is not God too holy to forgive me, and am not I too great a sinner for Jesus Christ to pardon? No, replied he, if the word of God be true, the gospel is glad tidings of great joy, it speaks pardon and peace to the guilty, while the holiness as well as the mercy of God are shewed forth in the atonement made by Jesus Christ. If you had not been injured by your fall, you would have had no occasion for the surgeon's aid, so if we liad not been spiritually wounded and diseased there would have been no necessity for a Saviour. The whole need not a physician, but those that are sick.

During the whole of the night and the succeeding days, I was employed in meditating on what this poor but pious shoe-maker had said; I thought on the love of Christ, and my own sinfulness till I wept like a babe, and could do nothing but lift up my heart to God, and place my confidence in him. I had many opportunities of conversing with my companion after this, and my mind every day received additional instruction. My doubts and fears were removed, while the Shoe-maker read the Bible to me and I was imploring the divine assistance and blessing: thus did God manifest himself to the poor Chimney-sweeper's boy more than he does unto the world.

As both of us became gradually better, I earnestly requested my friend, whose name was Adams, to teach me to read the Bible, which spoke so much about Jesus Christ, and shewed Ff3

the