pure, soft iron. As it was reported that this mass was only the extremity of an immense vein of the metal, a commission was given to Don Michael Rubin de Celis to examine the spot, and the following is an abstract of his account.

"The place is called Otumpa, in lat. 27, 28 S. and the mass was found almost buried in blue clay and ashes. Externally, it had the appearance of very compact iron; but internally was full of cavities, as if the whole had formerly been in a liquid state. I was confirmed in this idea (says our author) by observing on the surface of it, the impressions of human feet and hands of a large size, as well as of the feet of large birds, which are common in this country. Though these impressions seem very perfect, yet I am persuaded, that they are either a lusus nature, or that impressions of this kind were previously on the ground, and that the liquid mass of iron falling upon it, received them. It resembled nothing so much as a mass of dough, which having been stamped with impressions of hands and feet, and marked with a finger, had afterwards been converted into iron.

On digging round the mass, the under surface was found covered with a coat of scoriæ, from four to six inches thick, undoubtedly occasioned by the moisture of the earth, because the upper surface was clean. No appearance of generation was observed in the earth below or round it to a great distance. About two leagues to the eastward is a brackish mineral spring, the only one to be met with in all the country. The earth in every part about this spring, as well as near the mass, is very light, loose, and greatly resembling ashes even in colour. The grass of the adjacent parts is very short, small, and extremely unpalatable to cattle; but that at a distance is long and extremely grateful to them; from all which circumstances, it is probable, that this mass was produced by a volcanic explosion. Its weight might be estimated at about 300 quintals. It is likewise an undoubted fact, that in these forests there exists a mass of pure iron, in the shape of a tree with its branches. At a little depth in the earth are found stones of quartz, of a beautiful red colour, which the honey gatherers, the only persons who frequent this country, make use of as flints to light their fires. They had, formerly, carried some of them away, on account of their peculiar beauty, being spotted and studded as it were with gold. One of these, weighing about an ounce, was ground by the governor of the district, who extracted from it a drachm of gold."

The native iron, said to have been found about Senegal, has a cubical form; and out of this, the black inhabitants make dif

was now almost seared with a hot iron; when it pleased the Lord to awaken me by a singular Providence.

One day I received a letter from a young man who had formerly been my apprentice, previons to my omitting family prayer. Not doubting but I continued domestic worship, his letter was chiefly on this subject: it was couched in the most affectionate and respectful terms: but judge of my surprise and confusion, when I read these words :-"Oh, my dear master, never, never, shall I be able sufficiently to thank you for the precious privileges with which you indulged me in your family devotions: Oh, sir, eternity will be too short to praise my God for what I learnt there. It was there that I first beheld my lost and wretched state as a sinner: it was there that I first knew the way of salvation; and there that I first experienced the preciousness of Christ, in me the hope of glory.' Oh, sir! permit me to say, never, never, neglect those precious engagements you have yet a family and more apprentices; may your house be the birth-place of their souls." I could read no further every line flashed condemnation in my face-I trembled -I shuddered-I was alarmed at the blood of my children and apprentices, which I apprehended would soon be demanded at my soul murdering hands!

Filled with confusion, and bathed in tears, I fled for refuge in secret-I spread the letter before God-I agonized, andbut you can better conceive than I can describe, my feelings; suffice it to say, that light broke in upon my disconsolate soul, a sense of blood bought pardon was obtained, &c. &c. I immediately flew to my family, presented them before the Lord, and from that day to the present, I have been, and am determined, through grace, that whenever business becomes too large to permit family prayer, I will give up the superfluous part of my business, and retain my devotion. Better to lose a few shillings, than become the deliberate murderer of my family, and the instrument of ruin to my own soul."

MEMOIRS OF THE MARTYR POLYCARP.*

The following is an affecting account of that servant of God who was Bishop of Smyrna, in the second century, and a martyr for the cause of Christ.

POLYCARP was one of the Apostolic fathers, or one of those early christians, who had been taught the religion of Christ by

lycarp said, should make a deep impression on the mind of young Irenæus. The venerable and holy man, full of christian love, like St. John, who had been his teacher, would relate with deep sensibility, and ardent love, the things which his master, John, had told him of Jesus. That blessed disciple, our readers will remember, leaned on Jesus's bosom, and no doubt had most glorious things to tell to others concerning the Saviour.

From Irenæus we learn, that there were persons living in his time who had heard Polycarp relate, that St. John the disciple of Jesus, going into the bath at Ephesus, and seeing Cerinthus in it, leaped out of it immediately, and cried, let us haste away, lest the bath fall, for Cerinthus the enemy of the truth, is in it. Irenæus also relates, that when Marcion, a man who rejected the whole of the Old Testament, and a great part of the New, called to Polycarp in the street, and said, Polycarp, own us; Polycarp replied, I do own thee to be the first-born of Satan.* Hence we see that the Apostles, and their immediate successors, were careful to avoid all fellowship with persons who were enemies of the faith and obedience of the gospel, although they might be called christians.

It may not be improper to make an observation here, on the character of the Roman emperor, Antoninus Philosophus, Marcus Antoninus, or Marcus Aurelius+ Antoninus, for he is known by all these names. Notwithstanding all the eulogiums which have been given to this emperor, and the many moral sentiments which may be found in his book of Meditations, the unoffending christians were persecuted unto death by his orders; and because they would not sacrifice to idols, he asserts that when they were martyred, they died from mere ignorant obstinacy. In his reign, Justin Martyr was put to death, and in his reign Pylycarp also sealed the truth with his blood. Mr. Gibbon, in one part of his history of the decline and fall of the Roman empire, when speaking of this emperor, tells us of the "unsuspecting goodness of his heart ;" but in a subsequent pompous ebullition of infidelity, he says, that "during the whole course of his reign he despised the christians as a philosopher, and punished them as a sovereign."

*Eusebius, 1. iv. c. 15.

Like good Aurelius let him reign, or biced
Like Socrates, that man is great indeed

Pope's Essay on Man.

But Pope is no authority on such subjects. His good Aurelius was a murderer of the Christians; and Socrates so far an indolater as, in his very last moments, to desire that a cock might be offered to Esculapius. Socrates died of a dose of hemlock; Seneca ad by bleeding.

Meditations, dook xi. sect. 3.