NOTE S.

NOTE A. p. 32.

He who has never doubted yet,

Has never yet believed.

THE assertion conveyed in these lines must not be understood to imply that infidelity, either complete or partial, is a necessary stage to belief in Christianity. The doubt meant is a candid hesitation in examining the evidence for and against gospel truth; and, on every occasion, not only a perception of any objections made, but an acquiescence in them as objections, until they have been satisfactorily removed. The besetting temptation of the christian profession, when Christianity is triumphant, is to assent to all things without proving any. Now although it cannot be denied, that even when assent is thus indolently given-when there is, properly speaking, no reason for the hope within the believer he may live soberly and piously under the influence of the religion to which he is attached; still we are commanded to make faith a practical principle-the great practical principle; and for faith to become this, it must be acquired by the natural and only process-the progress from doubt to assurance.

NOTE B. p. 44.

Who kindled with the kindling brand,

A torch that blazed throughout this land.

"Be of good cheer, brother; we shall this day kindle such a torch in England as I trust in God shall never be extinguished." -Latimer's words to Ridley at the stake.

NOTE C. p. 72.

The story is related of Dudley Lord North, in the reign of James I., and the medicinal properties of the Tunbridge Wells spring are said to have been thus first made known.

NOTE D. p. 73.

The subject of these lines was at one time an object of great interest to some friends, through whom I was introduced to her. The account received was, that she was born and educated in a low class of society, and was naturally a plain rustic character; but that she was subject to fits of insanity, (if it might be so called,) and that while these lasted, she not only taught herself several ingenious and elegant kinds of work, but displayed in her conversation, powers of mind and refinement of feeling quite unaccountable, and at variance with her former character, especially when speaking on religious topics. When her fit was over, she appeared to relapse into her former dull self, forgot all her accomplishments, was incapable of recovering them, or learning any new ones; and lost all her eloquence and imagination. She appeared to be about eighteen or nineteen. In the verses, I have done little more than throw into metre, what fell from her on one of the occasions I saw her. I regret to add, that she was subsequently discovered to have been practising an imposture, (certainly a very skilful one,) in all those points that made her history marvellous.

THE END.

R. CLAY, PRINTER, EREAD-STREET-HILL.