mined to keep him secreted in the Castle of Wartburg to await better times; which his wisdom foresaw were fast approaching. Those who were entrusted with a knowledge of the transaction did not divulge the truth; the actors played their parts skilfully; the secret was well kept, and Luther remained for a time secure from his enemies.'

John, surnamed the Constant, succeeded Frederic, who at the head of a numerous and powerful body delivered the solemn protest against the decree of the last Spire's diet, which gave rise to the denomination of PROTESTANTS.

The death of this illustrious ancestor of our Prince, only made way for another, John Frederic, surnamed the Magnanimous, who was as zealous in the cause of the Reformation as his predecessors. This elector was defeated and deposed in the Protestant war with Charles V.

After the decline of the Ernestine Electors of Saxony, their ducal successors are seldom met with, until late years, in the pages of history hence the information we shall be able to give concerning many of them is not so full as might be wished.

On the deposition of John Frederic the Magnanimous from the electoral dignity, certain towns and districts of Thuringia, and among the rest Weimar, Jena, and Eisenach, were allotted to his family. The principality of Coburg also reverted to him on the death of his half brother, John Ernest, in 1553. This prince, who married a daughter of Philip I. Duke of Brunswick-Grubenhagen, built the Castle of Erenburg, the usual residence of the princes of Coburg, and where Prince Albert received the rudiments of his education. He died, without issue, in 1553.'

of Germany, was attended with consequences peculiarly calamitous to the house of Coburg. When in the autumn of that year the French approached the Saxon frontiers, Duke Francis, with his consort, retired from Coburg to Saalfeld, which latter town is situated beyond the Thuringian mountains, which form the barrier of North Germany. Prince Leopold, then but fifteen years old, was the companion and support of his infirm father; for Ferdinand was detained by his duty in Austria, and the truly German spirit of Prince Ernest had carried him to the head quarters of the King of Prussia. The French appeared before Saalfeld, the castle was stormed, and the ducal family which was in it, were exposed to all the dangers and horrors of that disastrous battle, which cost Louis Ferdinand of Prussia his life. This was more than Duke Francis was capable of supporting; his constitution, already impaired by disease, sunk under the accumulation of misfortunes, and he died in the beginning of December, deeply regretted by his family and country. He left his possessions to the father of the subject of this Memoir: Ernest Anthony Charles Lewis, Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld.

The duke has been twice, married; first, to Dorothy Louisa Paulina Charlotte Frederica Augusta, daughter of Augustus, the last duke but one of Saxe-GothaAltenberg, from whom he separated on the 31st of March, 1826. On the 23d of December, 1832, the duke married Antoinette Frederica Augusta Maria Anne, Princess of Wirtemberg. By the first marriage the issue was Ernest Augustus Charles John Leopold Alexander Edward, hereditary Prince of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, born on the 21st of June, 1818; and Albert, the illustrious consort of Queen Victoria, on the 26th of August, 1819. He receiv

tion in the castle of Erenburg. His masters were chiefly selected from the college of Coburg; and his early progress was such as to foretoken that proficiency in his studies, which was fully realized on their completion.

After the death of his mother, and when Duke Earnest contemplated a second alliance, it was thought expedient that the prince should be removed for a time from home, and he became the visitor of her Royal Highness the Duchess of Kent, and the fellow-student of his future fiancée. At this time Prince Albert had completed his eleventh year, and while participating in the instruction which was provided for his illustrious cousin, it may be presumed the foundation of a friendship was laid, which subsequent visits and maturer years have ripened into warmer feelings

circumstances rarely attendant upon regal marriages.

Prince Albert remained in England about fifteen months, residing chiefly at Kensington and Claremont. Upon his father's second marriage, he returned to his native country, to resume a close application to study, after a plan laid down by Duke Ernest, and rigidly adhered to by the Prince. So assiduous was he, that at the age of seventeen he passed, with honour to himself, an examination which admitted him into the University of Bonn, whither he repaired to complete

his education.

The Alma Mater of Prince Albert was founded by the King of Prussia in 1818; and perhaps of all the universities with which Germany abounds-each excellent and celebrated throughout Europe -none could have been selected with greater judgment by the guardians of the Prince than the University of Bonn. The principles upon which it was founded were thus laid down by his Ma

dressed to Prince Hardenberg :

I confidently hope that it will act in the spirit which dictated its foundation, in promoting true piety, sound sense, and good morals. By this my faithful subjects may know and learn with what patriotic affection I view the equal, impartial, and solid instruction of them all, and how much I consider education as the means of preventing those turbulent and fruitless efforts so injurious to the welfare of nations.' Such were the liberal sentiments with which this university was undertaken, and such have been doubtless instilled into the mind of one of its most illustrious pupils.

Prince Albert, besides the advantages to be derived from the studies he followed, must also have acquired from his associates, while at college, some of that independence and manly spirit for which the German collegian is celebrated.

'The circle of those with whom he had intercourse at Bonn was select, and, with few exceptions, restricted to the families of the professors. One of them observed, in a letter received during the Prince's residence in the college, that he was a general favourite for his amiable manners, his spirited conversation, and the propriety of his conduct. This appears, also, from the certificates of proficiency which were granted him by the several professors whose lectures he attended, and, at the end of his course of study, by the council of the university. When, after these probationary years, he returned to Coburg, enriched with knowledge, fit for the public service, and resplendent with health, the inhabitants of the duchy vied with each other in demonstrations of the heartfelt interest they took in this happy event of the ducal house.

Prince Albert paid a second visit to England in 1838, when he came hither with his father, to

witness the ceremony of the coronation.

Towards the close of last year, rumours were afloat concerning the royal marriage, and on the 23rd of November, her Majesty informed the Privy Council of her determination.

We cannot but feel truly thankful that her Majesty's choice has fallen upon a Prince whose personal character and family recollections are all in favour of that pure and reformed religion which is professed among us. On some accounts it might have been desirable that his Royal Highness had been a few years older; but the experience thus acquired would have been dearly purchased, had he been thrown more amongst those connexions of his family, who for present advantages are prepared to renounce their Protestant character, and become, outwardly at least, conformable to the Romish faith. From this danger we trust his Royal Highness will, by his early marriage, be preserved, and we cannot but hope that the importance attached to his character as a PROTESTANT Prince, as evinced by the amended address of the House of Lords, may induce his Royal Highness to adhere with greater firmness to the Protestant faith.

We rejoice, indeed, at observing the language which our gracious Sovereign has recently used on this important topic. In the admirable congratulatory address presented to her Majesty on the throne by the University of Cambridge on Friday, February 25, it was observed that

His Royal Highness the Prince Albert, independently of the virtues and high qualities which have obtained for him the splendid distinction that he now enjoys, has other peculiar and powerful claims upon the regard of the British nation. In this exalted personage we behold a descendant of that

ancient Saxon race, to whose wisdom and valour we justly ascribe the origin of our envied constitution and national greatness; in him, also, we recognise a prince, who numbers amongst his ancestors those illustrious ornaments of the House of Saxony, through whose effectual aid and generous devotedness to the cause of pure religion, the great champion of the Reformation, was mainly enabled, under divine providence, to triumph over his adversaries, and to establish the Protestant faith upon a firm, and, as we humbly trust, upon an immoveable foundation. Animated by a grateful sense of the many privileges and benefits which we have so long enjoyed under the parental sway of the House of Brunswick, we pray your Majesty to believe, that, as it is our bounden duty, so it will be our earnest and constant endeavour, to promote within the walls of our venerable University the cause of religion and learning, and to instil into the minds of the youth intrusted to our care sound principles of loyalty, a warm and steady attachment to the constitution in Church and State, and sentiments of the most profound devotion to your Majesty's Royal person and government.'

To which her Majesty was pleased to answer :

I am duly sensible of the value of the historical recollections which connect the illustrious House of Saxony with the great cause of the Reformation.

'I shall ever hold it to be my duty to remember the services and promote the interests of the University of Cambridge. And in accepting your congratulations upon this union, I assure you that you may rely upon my desire to encourage science, and upon my protection of institutions calculated to diffuse amongst my people the benefits of enlightened education, and the blessings of pure religion.

The decided tone here adopted, affords reason to hope that her Majesty's responsible advisers feel it necessary to assume a more Protestant aspect than heretofore, and though they will doubtless do every thing in their power to retain the support of the party, without which their administration cannot for a moment exist, yet very possibly that party may find it necessary to concede something, rather than lose all.

Meanwhile we must not expect too much. There is obvious danger lest designing persons should endeavour, by the seductions of pleasure, to draw off the attention of her Majesty and her cousort, from any serious attention to business. Attempts of this nature

are understood to have succeeded with persons of maturer age, and we must therefore, neither give way to surprise, or to any severity of censure, should such be the case at present. Let us ever remember that the hearts of sovereigns are in the hands of the Lord, that he turneth them whithersoever it pleaseth him; and let us therefore daily pray for our sovereign, for her irresponsible adviser Prince Albert, and for all her responsible advisers, that they may be disposed to recommend and adopt such measures as may be for the glory of God, the welfare of our sovereign, and the peace, prosperity, and promotion of true religion in these realms, and throughout the world.

WELL, we hope we are, or that at least we shall be before we die; it does not depend upon going to the Sacrament.' If a traveller has taken a contrary road, he may hope, and we may hope, that turning back he will attain his end : but to hope that he will reach it by going on, is the trust of folly; it is impossible! Salvation does not indeed depend on going to the Sacrament-Judas went there, and Satan entered into him-but it does depend on our being brought into that state of mind, in which nothing but necessity could keep us from it. We never argue that our children's love does not depend upon their obedience, their compliance with our wishes, and enjoyment of our presence; or say that our health does not depend upon our appetite, or strength, or

ease; that the sanity of our mind does not depend on the rationality of our actions and conclusions; because in natural things we make no confusion between the evidence, and the cause of our condition. Coming to this table is not the cause of our faith and repentance, any more than faith and repentance are themselves the cause of our salvation: but as faith and repentance are necessary to salvation, the sacraments are necessary as evidences of these, and by inference, as our church declares them, necessary to salvation: as acts of obedience to the divine command, they are indispensably necessary to our abiding in his love. If any man love me, he will keep my commandments." "This do in remembrance of me."-Extracted from The Table of the Lord."

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AND thus ended the first interview with poor Rachel, in which I was enabled to see the workings of her mind, and in some measure to comprehend her depth of woe. God

had written bitter things against her, and made her to possess her former iniquities; his wrath pressed hard upon her, and her soul was filled with trouble." And whilst her conscience testified that her life had been one of perpetual backsliding, and departing from the living God, she was appalled at the prospect of appearing in the presence of this holy and heartsearching judge. She knew by bitter experience the terrors of the Lord. She felt that to her the Almighty was a consuming fire; and in the promises of the Gospel, the message of reconciliation, and the way of peace through a crucified Saviour, she had been made to believe she had no interest. Poor Rachel had been led into a wilderness, and there were none to speak comfortably unto her. She had no friend to guide, no hand to direct her to words of consolation. For her there seemed to be no balm in Gilead-no physician there. No good Samaritan to pour oil and wine into her wounded spirit-to lead her to the house of mercy-to point her to the Lamb of God who taketh away the sin of the world-to tell her of the good Shepherd who laid down his life for the sheep.

And is it possible that any calling themselves Christians could think themselves justified in seeing misery like this, and yet as the Priest and Levite, pass by on the other side, leaving the sufferer to live and die in despair, without words of sympathy or efforts of alleviation. Alas! that any professing to know God should thus

in works deny him. What doth the Lord require of us-to do justly, love mercy, and walk humbly before him; and no profession of zeal, faith, or piety will avail, if we are deficient in the charity which is kind, forbearing, humble, which thinketh no evil, rejoiceth not in iniquity, beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endareth all things. And I would seriously exhort all who have persuaded themselves that they are ordained to eternal life, to examine well the ground of this persuasion, and the evidences of their being so ordained; are they bringing forth the fruits of faith— is there much sorrow for sin, and humility on account of it-much faith in the Saviour, and much of his Spirit's influence in the heart and conduct. Can it be said of such,See how these Christians love one another.'

There are, it is to be feared, some in every parish who are very ready to appropriate the promises of God to themselves, and his threatenings to their neighbours; and it is almost a hopeless task to attempt to open their eyes to the danger in which they stand. Should any such read this narrative, let them remember the cautions and warnings which are addressed to the self-confident and presuming, and let them beware how they incur the woe which our Saviour denounced upon the Scribes and Pharisees. Hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men, for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in."

"

There are many opinions on this most disputed and difficult subject, and it is easier to point out those which are decidedly wrong and dangerous than to decide upon that