arose "with healing in his wings," "when the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy."

While in Egypt my text-book was the work of the straightforward and ingenuous old Herodotus, explained and elucidated by the discoveries and researches of more mod. ern travellers, with that inimitable of all compilers and his. torical commentators, the indefatigable and unrivalled Hee. ren, whose profound sagacity is only surpassed by his clear, perspicuous, and methodical manner of collating and digesting the vast amount of historical evidences found in the books of every language of the present day, as well as those obsolete two thousand years ago.

But in his great work, entitled "The Politics and Inter. course of the Nations of Antiquity," while he draws largely upon the rich stores of deep-hidden lore contained in the written and traditionary histories of the Indian, Ethiopian, Egyptian, Persian, and Phoenician nations, and the more familiar testimonies of the Macedonian, Greek, and Roman empires, he has devoted the most obscure corner of that temple, which he has dedicated to his newly-perfected sci. ence, to the historical records of that "peculiar people" who once "multiplied" great and "goodly cities," "fenced cities in Judah."

It may have been incompatible with the plan of his great work to confer more than a few general remarks upon a people who certainly maintained but a secondary (political) consideration among ancient nations, and who were for so long a period of their national existence a mere football, bandied about by the royal competitors of the Nile and the Euphrates.

But if this magnificent historiographical architect, this modern Agamedes, has deigned only to appropriate one of the humblest niches in his beautiful temple to the presiding deity of Palestine, another Trophonius has arisen, who, as a recompense for his abilities and devotion to the cause

FULFILMENT OF PROPHECY.

97 which appertaineth to the "knowledge of salvation," deserves "whatever gift" it is "most advantageous for mortals to receive;" not that sudden deliverance from all "the ills that flesh is heir to," and the subsequent total annihilation, as it was understood to be and preached by the refined and eloquent heathen, but a long life of virtuous enjoyment here, and hereafter an immortal "crown of glory that fadeth not away."

The Reverend Doctor Keith, in his "Evidence of the Truth of the Christian Religion, derived from the literal fulfilment of PROPHECY," has founded upon that "rock of our salvation," the Holy Scriptures, a temple, whose strength and durability will ensure it a longer duration than any of the colossal monuments of Egypt, and whose symmetry of proportions and beauty of details surpass all the magnificence of the temporal house of God, erected by the man of "wisdom and understanding" upon the eternal hills of Jerusalem.

Each brazen column thereof is inscribed with the name of an inspired prophet, while every golden capital is typical of the crown of glory worn by each sacred writer, and made manifest to human understanding, as the several prophetic warnings are literally fulfilled.

The sole presiding deity of this holy fane is the beautiful image of Divine truth, to whom every knee should bow, and every heart of its" abundance cast in unto the offering." Had the Herculean mind, the patient industry, and dis criminating tact of the Professor of Gottingen been directed towards the same glorious object as were the less brilliant talents of the humble minister of Kincardineshire, what incalculable benefits might they not have conferred upon the Christian cause? Yet there is consolation in the every. day's experience, that "the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong."

The pilgrim who journeys amid the obscurity which at VOL. II.-I

So

present pervades the Holy Land, with the Scriptures for his guide, may well exclaim with the sacred Psalmist, "Thy word is a light unto my feet and a lamp unto my path." At every step the clouds of mystery recede before the “light” of divine truth, and bright sparks of conviction flash across the mind at each sublime revelation. To those who, like myself, are not sufficiently well read in the sacred text, thereby requiring the assistance of an enlightened and scientific commentator, "Keith's Evidence" is invaluable. far as I have yet travelled in the regions alluded to in holy writ, particularly in Egypt, Syria, and Palestine, I have been equally astonished at, and enlightened by, the abundance of truth and evidence which this great biblical scholar and powerful defender of our faith has brought to bear upon the prophecies. More particularly as he has never had the advantage of a personal inspection of localities and present institutions; but has been obliged to rely solely upon the frequently conflicting testimonies of mere curious travellers and such superficial observers as myself. I shall be deprived at this time of the pleasure (to you as well as myself) of examining how far the material evidences (setting aside the spiritual) of Dr. Keith are borne out by the facts which have come under my own observation. I shall therefore defer it until I shall have passed entirely through the Holy Land, when I may, perhaps, give you the result of my limited observations on this interesting subject. I will now, as before proposed, devote this afternoon to a hasty review of some of the most prominent objects within the walls of Jerusalem.

Our tent is situated on that spot formerly without the walls of the city, which was called Calvary; but which is now enclosed within the modern walls, so that we are en. camped not many yards distant from the church of the Holy Sepulchre.

To this latter place our steps were first directed, when,

SITE OF THE CRUCIFIXION.

99

accompanied by our missionary friends, we made our first tour of the interior monuments of the city. We had not yet seen anything within the city beyond the canvass walls of our tent.

When I entered the first street, and inquired of our reverend cicerone its name, he replied, "This is the Via Dolorosa,' the street by which our Saviour was led to execu tion; and here is the very spot on which that awful tragedy was enacted." Turning round, I beheld a huge, misshapen pile of buildings, which I was informed covered the actual site of the cross, and also of the sepulchre.

Notwithstanding I was aware that this was the first object of interest I was to meet with, I was taken by surprise by the unseemly mass of stone and mortar then before me. Can it be possible, I exclaimed, that this most holy of all places on earth is permitted to be thus profaned? Where is the beautiful temple once erected by Helena? Nothing remains of its ruins but a few columns of its chaste and elegant Corinthian portico, built up in the rough façade of the present barbarous monument. The temple of Solomon itself, or the more sublime Parthenon, yea, even the gigantic mother church of Rome, the gorgeous palace of St. Peter, or a monument combining all the splendours of the three, would be an object unworthy to occupy this sacred site. Had the Empress of Byzantium merely enclosed the holy area with a triple wall, and on the rent rock of the crucifixion placed a simple cross, no Christian would ever after have dared to desecrate it with vainglorious and perishable monuments of art. Then the Christian pilgrim, when the black clouds of the tempest enshroud the holy mount, and the voice of God is heard in dreadful thunder, and the red, forked lightning is dealing out destruction around, might approach the foot of the cross under auspices more appropriate to the awful scene on the day of the crucifixion, and more in unison with those feelings that should be entertained upon this spot.

Why should I now occupy your time, and again excite my already too indignant feelings, by entering with you into this temple of ecclesiastical barbarism, and reviewing the hundred disgusting details of monkish frauds contained within its walls?

You have frequently read descriptions of this bazar of beads and crucifixes, of the stage-machinery of this mockholy opera-house, and of the disgraceful scenes here enacted during the saturnalia of Satan, which take place during our Holy Week. I have also read of them, but it is my good fortune to be here when the deluded mob has dispersed, and the fatigued mummers have retired to their convents to feast upon the profits of their annual fair.

Desiring to avoid seeing any of those ceremonies which so scandalize this holy spot, we obtained a special permis. sion of the proper authorities to visit the church at an hour, when no other persons should be present.

The doors were unlocked for us, when the Italian cice. rone monk, who met us at the door, commenced (first crossing himself) his whining, nasal recitation, and, like the itin erant showman, he began, "Questo, signori, e il luogo dove il nostro santissimo, illustrissimo Signore Jesu Christo," &c. After a long exordium, he pointed to a large flat stone in the pavement near the door, enclosed by a railing, on which, it is said, "the body of Christ was washed and anointed previous to its being laid in the tomb." Our padre proceeded to point out other equally veracious objects, and would for the fiftieth time have chanted to us his "Questo, signori," had we not silenced him by directing Giovanni to hand him his expected backshee, with a request to leave us to ourselves. Our reverend friend Mr. W. then explained to us the various objects to which the monks attach a history, and which all devout pilgrims are bound to put as much faith in as they do in the "real presence" in the wafer.

Among other things to which the deluded pilgrims bow