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an announcement which, although long expected, excited the utmost indignation. The disgusting ceremony took place at Holyrood, at four o'clock in the morning; few of the nobility were present, and the people received the intelligence with gloomy silence and disapprobation.

Mary Stuart soon began to pay the penalty of her imprudent marriage. Even on her wedding day she had a violent quarrel with her husband. Events, full of ill-omen, succeeded each other with the utmost rapidity. A league was immediately organized by the nobles against Bothwell. They took up arms in defence of the infant prince, whose life, they alleged, was in danger from him. The queen published a proclamation, in which the confederate lords were arraigned as traitors, and all her friends were summoned to her standard. The two armies met; attempts at mediation were made, without success; they then drew near for conflict, but the royal troops were evidently indisposed to fight, and a cry arose, that some means must be found to avoid a collision. A single combat was then proposed and accepted. But before Bothwell could obtain Mary Stuart's consent to enter the lists against the stern Lindsay, defection was spreading rapidly in the royal army, and in a few minutes the panic was general. Bothwell, after bidding the queen farewell-for ever, as it proved-fled; and Mary Stuart was taken prisoner. After a brief confinement in Edinburgh Castle, she was conveyed to Loch-Leven Castle. Having been imprisoned in this lonely building for nearly twelve months, she effected. her escape, by the aid of two young men, whose sympathy had been awakened by her misfortunes. The news spread rapidly through the land, and in a week she found herself at the head of an army of 6,000 men. Again she fought, and again she was defeated; and, with the exception of a few faithful friends who clung to her, the host of champions which the morning sun had looked upon, had melted away. Flight was her only resort; and, thinking that she would be safer in England than in her own country, she pressed southwards, passed the borders, and entered the dominions of her rival cousin, into whose faithless arms she trustfully threw herself.

And now commenced that terrible era of exile and captivity, extending over nearly nineteen weary years, during which the fallen and fugitive sovereign was made to experience all that the jealousy, perfidy, and vindictiveness of Queen Elizabeth could inflict. Her life was little better than a lingering death. She was subjected to continual harassments, by being removed from one place of confinement to another, often changing her keepers at the same time; while almost every successive change of abode was attended by more rigorous restraints. It cannot be denied, that Mary was far from guiltless in her conduct, and often furnished her persecutress with pretexts for the severity of her measures. She was again and again detected plotting against the tranquillity of the state, the ascendency of Protestantism, and, as the queen alleged, against her own life; but these conspiracies originated chiefly with her numerous friends and partizans, in England and Scotland, and on the continent, and were carried on with the view of

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effecting her liberation, and restoration to her throne. In schemes of this kind it was but natural that she should concur and co-operate, feeling, as she did, that she was most wrongfully detained. Frequently was she tantalized and tortured with promises of a speedy release, which appear to have been made merely with the view of securing a fuller measure of her confidence for some sinister purpose, as in every instance the poor captive found herself basely and bitterly betrayed.

At length, after eighteen years of Mary's life had been thus consumed in sorrow, suspense, and thraldom, Elizabeth and her ministers began to grow impatient, and longed for some plausible pretext for putting her to death. Too soon an opportunity offered, of which they eagerly availed themselves. A plot for the assassination of Elizabeth, known as the Babington Plot, came to the knowledge of Walsingham, the secretary of state. It was disclosed to him by one of the conspirators. By suborning this traitor, and giving him instructions how to act, he perfidiously determined to involve Mary Stuart in the secret negotiations, and when furnished with sufficient evidence of her guilt, to procure her condemnation and death. When the scheme had reached its crisis, Mary was one day suddenly arrested, and all her private papers were seized and conveyed to London. She was taken to Fotheringay Castle, to undergo her trial. After due preparations for this solemn ordeal were made, she refused to acknowledge the jurisdiction of the court. She denied that it had any right to arraign or try her, who was still a queen, and in no sense subject to the laws of England. This dignified refusal to plead caused considerable delay. At length, however, from the constant efforts made to shake her resolution, she yielded. The trial then took place. She was condemned to death; and Elizabeth signed her death-warrant. Contrary to her request, she was executed privately, at Fotheringay Castle, on the 8th of February, 1587. For this purpose, a scaffold was erected in the hall, covered with black frieze. At eight o'clock in the morning, Mary, still beautiful, though worn by long suffering and sorrow, came forth from her apartment. In the prospect of a violent death, she preserved her serenity and queenly dignity. After spending some minutes on her knees, offering fervent prayers for her coreligionists, her son, who was then reigning in Scotland, her cruel rival Elizabeth, and all her enemies, two of her faithful female attendants approached, and began to disrobe her, their tears flowing profusely as they performed this mournful office. Instead of weeping, rejoice,' she said to them, with the utmost sweetness and composure, I am very happy to leave the world, and in so good a cause.' Even the rude nature of the executioner was touched by the scene, and, falling on his knees, he supplicated pardon for the act he was about to commit. She replied, that she pardoned everybody. Assisted by the two masters of the works, she then laid her fair head upon the block. The arm of the headsman was unnerved, and he aimed the blow unsteadily. She was cruelly wounded, but not killed. The blow was repeated and the unhappy Mary Stuart was no more! Great had been her sins-and terrible was the retribution.

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SUGGESTIONS

Correspondence.

REGARDING SUNDAY-SCHOOLS' AND THE

MIMPRISS SYSTEM OF GRADUATED

STRUCTION COMPARED.

SIMULTANEOUS IN

To the Editor of the Monthly Christian Spectator.

SIR,-A contemporary writer✶ has justly termed your correspondent's 'Suggestions regarding Sunday-schools,'† 'an earnest and eloquent paper,' and 'well worth the attention of all thoughtful teachers;' and, in the course of his remarks, identifies the 'Suggestions' with 'Mr. Mimpriss's plan.'

One of the most highly esteemed ministers of the day, the Rev. Samuel Martin, in a paper On the best Method for producing religious Impressions on Sunday Scholars,' read at the meeting of the Congregational Union, held at Leicester, said: 'Mimpriss, in his graduated system, has developed and arranged a hidden principle, upon which every successful teacher must have taught.'

To secure attention to your correspondent's very valuable 'Suggestions regarding Sunday-schools,' also to the limited and partial development of 'The Mimpriss system,' to be here afterwards given, it may be well to transcribe the following the popularity of the rev. lecturer as an advocate for Sabbath-school reform being my apology :

Extract from a Lecture "ON PROFESSIONAL ABILITY IN TEACHING," delivered before the Liverpool Sunday-school Institute, October 27, 1848, by the REV. C. H. BATEMAN, of Hopton, Editor of the "BIBLE CLASS MAGAZINE."

'The third system is that of Mimpriss, commonly called "The Graduated Simultaneous System," and which, as far as books and general apparatus, as well as original conception, are concerned, is the most perfectly elaborated system of any yet presented to our Sunday-school teachers. The books are invaluable, and the research of their laborious and pious author amazing. I know of no books containing so much information and such a mass of important suggestions upon teaching in such space as these; and I deem them the most precious contributions to our Sunday school teachers that have as yet graced our religious literature. Indeed, it is impossible to speak of the works in too high terms. One objection has been raised to the system, viz., that it confined the attention of the scholars too long to too limited a portion of the word of God. This has, however, been fully met by the "Manual" for the highest grade, which contains large and well-explained portions of all parts of the Bible; so much so, indeed, as to meet, I imagine, all that can be desired in this respect. To my own mind, it is by far the best system, and I believe, on examination, will be found in the long run the cheapest we could adopt. It not only gives all the information that our time will allow in the Sunday-school, but bears largely on the entire discipline and working of the institutions where it is introduced. So high is my estimation of

it, that I believe if it could be fairly brought before all the teachers of our land, and their minds duly informed upon it, it would be ultimately so extensively adopted as to form the ONE SYSTEM for our schools.'

Unity of aim, and adaptation of the means to the end, are so apparent in 'Suggestions regarding Sunday-schools," at pp. 193-200 of your magazine for April, and The Mimpriss system of graduated simultaneous instruction,' that I respectfully solicit opportunity to present, as briefly as possible, some of their parallels in sentiment and working:

In The Union Magazine for Sunday-school Teachers,' for April, p.141. + See Monthly Christian Spectator' for March.

66

I.

SUGGESTIONS, &c.-(P. 195.) COMPARE.

"That original object being, it must be borne in mind, the instruction of the young, as the truth is in Jesus" (a)" all other teaching only subserving to 70).

it

COMPARE.

*
THE MIMPRISS SYSTEM. -(P. 185.)
(a) Subject-The Life of Christ.

Believing the gospel narratives of the life and ministry of our blessed Redeemer to be eminently calculated to interest and instruct the youthful mind, the author of this system has for twenty years been anxious to bring the directors of our Sabbath-schools to the consideration of a more systematic teaching of "The Life of Christ," not, indeed, to the exclusion of other portions of holy writ, but as the basis of a connected and comprehensive study of the contents of both the Old and New Testaments.

By the contemplation of Him who is presented in the Gospel narrative, a flood of Divine light is thrown upon the writings of Moses and the prophets, by which we are enabled intelligently to enter into the great purposes of God in Creation, in Providence, in Redemption.'

(b) The system embraces a course of study, inexhaustible as the subject, in "The Gospel Narratives of the Life and Ministry of Christ," divided into one hundred lessons, harmonized, and chronologically arranged according to Greswell's "Harmonia Evangelica;" with "Geographical Notices,” “Exercises,' "Explanations," having "Practical Lessons deduced from the history; and the whole illustrated from every portion of the holy Scriptures from Genesis

to Revelation.'

II.

SUGGESTIONS. (p. 197.)

"The children are assembling; each one has a place, and takes it; they are arranged in concentric or parallel benches, on a gallery or sloping floor, the youngest nearest the teacher on the lowest tier; the eldest on the highest."

THE MIMPRISS SYSTEM. COMPARE.

For the general examination, arrange the children thus: The first grade, or infant classes, nearest to the examiner; the others, in order beyond-having the Bible class, or fifth grade, the farthest off; the teachers of the respective grades taking their seats with their classes.'

III.

SUGGESTIONS.-(P. 197.)

This preliminary business is soon accomplished; a short hymn is sung, and a brief prayer spoken amidst general silence. Each scholar, from the youngest to the eldest, now opens his book; a little one rises, and reads aloud a simple version of a passage in our Saviour's life; a few questions scattered here and there elicit answers which show that the lesson has already been well conned (a); and reference is made, without hesitation, to a large map upon the wall' (b). See Suggestions." The Mimpriss System,' fourth paragraph, 'For the Superintendent, &c.'

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THE MIMPRISS SYSTEM.-(P. 185.) COMPARE.

(a) Its adaptation is to every scholar, whether the infant who knows not the alphabet, or the most advanced in the Bible class; hence we call it "graduated" and the same subject or lesson being taught in the whole school, at the same time, we call it also "simultaneous."

The 'Mimpriss system' will be quoted from 'A General Outline of the Mimpriss System of Graduated Simultaneous Instruction,' as appended to 'A Harmony of the Four Evangelists,' pp. 185—191, published by Varty and Owen, 31, Strand.

Order of Instruction.-(P. 189.)

First Grade.-Tablet lesson.

1. Oral, in single words, to be repeated singly by the children. 2. Oral, in sentences, to be repeated singly by the children.

3. Catechize, in two courses of questions.

4. Read single words from the tablet, to be repeated singly by the children. 5. Read short sentences, to be repeated singly by the children.

'6. Catechize, as in No. 3.

7. Examine in the printed words.

8. Give picture definition, and catechize.'

The whole five grades are minutely worked out in "A full Development of the Mimpriss System," &c., published by Varty and Owen, 31, Strand.

(5) A map, or chart, exhibiting every event in the life and ministry of our blessed Redeemer, is provided for fixing in the mind, by visible representation, the localities of HIS labours, that the classes may apprehend the largeness of his love, "who went about doing good."'-(P. 189.)

IV.

SUGGESTIONS.-(P. 197.)

'An older scholar next rises and reads; it is the same incident, but the narrative is fuller; other questions accompany it, glancing wider, and more explanatory information is both called forth and imparted.'

THE MIMPRISS SYSTEM.-(P. 185.)

The Second Grade answering to the above.

The four Gospel narratives being harmonized and interwoven into one, and the chronology and geography of the facts recorded visibly delineated in The Teacher's Class Chart, the mind is thereby greatly helped to take an intelligent grasp of the whole history, as well as of its particular parts, and the youthful mind is thus concentrated upon the Son of God, our great example.'

Order of Instruction.--(P. 190.)

1. Geographical reference to the "Teacher's Class Chart," for the number and locality of the event, as given in the second line of the Manual. (a) 2. Give topographical and statistical information, and catechize.

3. Communicate the history in the words of the first grade, orally, and catechize in few words.

4. Communicate the history in the words of the lesson for the second grade, orally, in sentences, and catechize alternately.

5. The class to read singly a sentence from the printed tablet.

6. Catechize in the history throughout.

7. Give the explanations of the words, and catechize alternately.

8. Recommence and catechize on the explanations, transposing their order. 9. Give the picture definition, and recapitulate, by catechetical examination, the history, geography, and explanations.

10. Exercise in the "Preceding History."

11. Geographical exercise, by tracing the history in the "Teacher's Class

Chart."

12. Deduce "Practical Lessons" from the history.'

V.

SUGGESTIONS.-(P. 197.)

'A third time, and in yet completer form, the narrative, which is not a long one, is read by a yet older child, and wider questions still are asked and answered.'

THE MIMPRISS SYSTEM.-(P. 190.) COMPARE.

The Third Grade, answering to the above :

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