foolish vanity. On the occasion of coronations, however, all this is concealed, the chair being sumptuously adorned with velvet and cloth of gold. I have not space to describe the various chapels, of which there are eleven, all more or less noteworthy, especially Henry VII.'s, which is regarded as one of our finest Gothic buildings, nor can I give any details of Poet's Corner, rich with the names of men whose writings will endure as long as the English language. Indeed, every nook and corner of the abbey has its history, and a long day might be spent in exploring it. Religious services are held three times daily, and those on the Sabbath are generally very largely attended. Standing at the great western door, and looking round upon the costly sculptures, one cannot but reflect upon the pains and expense which are often taken to perpetuate men's names for the admiration of posterity, and yet how futile; many of the inscriptions are already illegible, and the crumbling tombs teach us, with solemn emphasis, that things seen are temporal. May it be our holy ambition to have our names written, not on perishing stone, but in the book of life. Just across the road is Westminster Hall, a noble room, 239 feet long by 68 feet wide, and 42 feet high. This is almost as old as the adjoining abbey, and has many historical associations, but no remarkable architectural features, except the richly carved roof, executed in the fourteenth century. On the south side are doors leading to the Houses of Parliament, and on the north side other doors, leading to the law courts. Many of the streets of the city of Westminster, which lie adjoining the abbey, are noted as the residences of thieves, and those low vicious characters which are to be found in all densely populated places; but if we could penetrate these wretched slums we should find evidence that many efforts are made to reclaim them, and to carry the light of the gospel to these dark hearts and homes. But now, turning our faces north, we proceed through Parliament Street, and come to what may be termed the official quarter, for here are located the principal Government offices. The Foreign Office, the Treasury, the Horse Guards, the Admiralty, the Board of Trade, &c., &c., transact their business in buildings, only one or two of which have any architectural pretensions. Through an archway in the Horse Guards we get a passing view of St. James's Park, already described in chapter i., and immediately facing us is the banqueting hall of Whitehall, the only portion left of the old palace of this name. It was in front of this building the scaffold was erected upon which Charles I. was executed, and the centre window is said to be that through which he stepped to meet his unhappy doom. A few yards further we come to Charing Cross and Trafalgar Square, a spot which has been described as the finest site in Europe. OUR PRIZE CALENDAR. October. By EMILY C. DUKES, BRISTOL. 1st.—Queen Mary crowned at Westminster, 1554. She was a bigoted Catholic, and persecutor of the Protestants. 7th.-Zimmerman, a noted Swiss physician, died 1795. He is also celebrated as a philosopher; several of his publications have been translated into English, and are highly esteemed, particularly his "Dissertation on Solitude." 9th.-Louis XII. of France married at Abbeville, in France, 1514, to the Princess Mary, sister of Henry VIII. of England. 11th.-Edward Colston died 1721. His memory will always be revered for his philanthropy and for his numerous charities, which are recorded on his monument in All Saints' Church, Bristol. 12th.-Prince Edward, son of Henry VIII. and Jane Seymour, born 1537. This pious young prince became king on the death of his father, at the age of ten. The completion of the Reformation was the great event of his reign. 14th.- Battle of Hastings, fought between Harold, King of England, and William, Duke of Normandy, 1066. 19th.-Kirke White died 1806. This amiable young man was a scholar, a poet, and a sincere Christian. 20th. Battle of Salamis, fought B. c. 480, between Themistocles and Xerxes, King of Persia, who had invaded Greece. 21st.-Lord Nelson killed in action, off Cape Trafalgar, 1805. 22nd. Sir Cloudesley Shovel shipwrecked. On his return from the siege of Toulon, in France, he, with the whole of the crew of his ship, were wrecked on the Scilly Isles, off the coast of Cornwall. 25th.—Sir Philip Sidney killed at the Battle of Zutphen, 1586. This gallant young soldier was an earnest Christian, and before he expired said, "I fear not to die, but I am afraid lest the pangs of death may be so grievous that I shall lose my understanding." 27th.-Dr. Henry Hunter, a celebrated Presbyterian divine, died at Bristol, 1802. His works are numerous; they consist chiefly of translations from the French, and six volumes of sermons entitled "Sacred Biography." 28th.-Alfred the Great, King of England, died 900. He was a prince of great learning and courage. 29th.-Sir Walter Raleigh executed 1618. He was a man of extensive knowledge, strict honesty, and the author of numerous works. Certificate of Merit awarded to Alfred G. Honourable Mention.-P. H. H.; Lottie B.; H. C. T. T has been well said, satires en eroted bassidend Tom 2000 treilag STEPHEN GRELLET, THE INDEFATIGABLE WORKER. renunciation. We hear persons talk much about the successors of the apostles; Stephen Grellet was one, although a Quaker. He might be compared to John the Beloved, with a heart full of tenderness, ever longing for the salvation of men; and while his trust in the Divine power as a continual support for the Christian was strong and full, yet he clung also with loving confidence to the dear brethren with whom he worked. name of Stephen Grellet has been embalmed by no spiceries of eloquent praise; no stony monument (we believe) remains as a record of the estimation in which his fellowmen held him-after he died. Yet his life-work was great, great in its simplicity, and its selfNOVEMBER, 1869. M 242 Stephen Grellet, the Indefatigable Worker. Stephen Grellet was born November 2nd, 1773, in France, during the troublous days which preceded the French Revolution. His father was a man of wealth and position, and received an honorary title from Louis XVI. The family was Roman Catholic, and had been so for centuries. Under these circumstances, which contrast strangely with the after life of the humble Quaker, Grellet was brought up, being educated at home by tutors, until he was old enough to be sent to the university of Lyons. Very early in his life he had some perception of the nature of true faith. As an instance, he tells us that when about six years old, a difficult Latin task was set before him, which his memory refused to grasp, and as he happened to turn towards the window of his chamber, and looked out on the material world around him, he said to himself, "Cannot the God who has formed these give me memory also?" Kneeling down at his couch, he prayed with fervour, and rising up, took the book again, and found that he could easily master the lesson. His college life had an unfavourable influence upon his heart. The hollowness and falsity of the Romish creed became apparent to him, and he sought happiness, or at least, forgetfulness, in the pursuit of pleasure. The troubles of the land led Grellet's parents, at length, to send him to Coblentz with two of his brothers. At one part of their journey the lads were recognised as belonging to the hated aristocracy. Abuse was hurled at them by an insulting crowd, and Grellet says he stood with his hands in his pockets grasping his pistols. "I waited to see what they would do, and resolved, after destroying as many as I could, to take my own life at the last. No thought of eternity was before me, no sense of remembrance that there is a God." They escaped the peril and reached Coblentz, A friend advised them to leave Europe, and they sailed for Demerara at the close of 1792. There the brothers spent two years, | and then proceeded to New York. Here Stephen Grellet's conversion took place, through the apparently accidental circumstance of his reading the writings of Penn, being at first interested in him merely as a statesman. A gentleman he knew invited him to meet at his house some members of the Society of Friends; and the conversation of one of these, a certain Deborah Darby, very deeply impressed him. The Friends were looked upon with suspicion by most of the New York people, but Grellet determined to join himself to them. He spoke first in the public assembly on the 20th January, 1796. At this time his position in temporal matters gave him some anxiety, and he had to support himself by teaching the French language. News from France added to his trials. His parents and other near relatives were now in prison, and were in continual danger of their lives. Grellet prayed for them almost unceasingly, and also for their enemies, which was truly an exercise of Christian love, for his father's most violent foes were those who had at one time professed themselves his friends. His petitions for his parents were signally answered. The day had been fixed for their being led to the guillotine, when the all of the Jacobins opened the prison | engagements of business; for though doors and set them free. Grellet, having been fully accepted as a pastor by his brethren, at once engaged energetically in evangelistic work. He became fully convinced of the truth of the doctrine, which is especially characteristic of the Quakers, viz., the secret guidance which Christians receive from the Spirit, both in temporal and spiritual things. As an instance we are told that at one time when the yellow fever raged in Philadelphia, he heard a voice, telling him he was about to be seized by that disorder, yet that he must go to the city and attend upon the sick. He did so, went about fearlessly, and was taken ill. Those around him thought that he was passing away, and his coffin had actually been ordered. But he heard another utterance to this effect,"Thou shalt not die, but live; thy work is not yet done." He gradually recovered, and took up his abode in Philadelphia for three years. He now devoted much time and toil to gospel work. He visited from house to house; distributed tracts and religious books, and strove, as he says, "to hold out to others what he actually knew of the redeeming love and power of God." In 1799, when he was about twentyfive, he undertook a tour in the service of the gospel, travelling about four thousand miles through the States, giving public testimony everywhere to the cause of Christ. In 1804 Grellet was married to Rebecca Collins, a lady whom he had long known. Occasional tours of a missionary character occupied all the time he could withdraw from the a pastor, he declined to receive support from his brethren, and preferred to labour with his own hands. In 1807 he journeyed to Europe, going first to the south of France, and seeking out everywhere the members of the despised sect to which he belonged. At the town where he had been brought up he met his mother, whom he had not seen for seventeen years. She was still a Papist, and persuaded Grellet to visit her confessor, hoping that he might influence him. The treatment Grellet received from this man was so insulting, that his mother began to doubt the creed she had so long held. In 1809 Grellet travelled through Virginia, North Carolina, Tenessee, Kentucky, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and parts of other States, labouring very abundantly. Two incidents of this journey give us some light at to the character of the man. He found in Kentucky that when he held a meeting in any place the innkeeper usually refused afterwards to receive payment for the refreshment Grellet had had; and he therefore decided to settle his bill first, and then ride on without refreshment to the next halting-place, which he would reach fatigued and exhausted. He had also a wonderful preservation from drowning. Going down a steep hill in a vehicle, the horse made a sudden leap, and threw Grellet, his wife, and a young friend into a deep millpond. With remarkable presence of mind he rescued himself, his companions, and the horse also from their perilous position. (To be continued next month.) |