SEVENTY YEARS AGO.

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any think this too strongly expressed I ask them to read the "Life of the Prince Consort," People's edition, Part II., page 30. The extract to which I refer is in a memorandum by Baron Stockmar. "The moral part of the nation execrated this Prince (i. e. George IV) during the whole of his life." I should hesitate to use the word "execrated" even in reference to him, and still more to apply it to the latter years of his reign. Respected and loved he could not be; but it was supposed in our country villages that "wine and women" had less influence over his latter years than before. But when it was known throughout the country that he was dangerously ill and likely soon to die, godly men thought it was a very serious thing, after such a life, to pass to the great account; and I remember one of our lay preachers fervently praying that those who ministered to him might deal faithfully with him about his soul.

George the Third was hopelessly insane, and his eldest son-the Prince Regent, afterwards George the Fourth-had been invested with full powers. Patriotic Englishmen blush as they recall the time of the Regency, and feel that the country owes an immense debt to Queen Victoria for maintaining the purity of the court, and frowning, as she has often nobly done, on wickedness in high places. The world knows that the prince was an undutiful son, as well as an unfaithful husband; but he was on the whole a better sovereign than a man, though his behaviour to his ministers was not always manly and dignified. Let none of us forget that "righteousness exalteth a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people;" and the higher the rank of the sinner, the greater the "reproach" of the sin. The weighty words, spoken by the mouth of God thirty centuries ago, are as true and important to-day as when first uttered-"Them that honour me I will honour; and they that despise me shall be lightly esteemed." But leaving princes and nobles, let us describe a scere in the domestic circle-tender and instructive. In the year of which I am writing, a godly mother writing to a greatly gifted son, then in his thirteenth year, said, "The first time I saw your face I repeated these beautiful lines of Watts's cradle hymn

'May'st thou live to know and fear Him,

Trust and love Him all thy days;

Then go dwell for ever near Him,
See His face, and sing His praise;"

and this is the substance of all my prayers for you." The lad to whom this affectionate epistle was written was born in Leicestershire, and was afterwards known as Lord Macaulay.

It hardly needs to be added that at the time of which I am writing, there were no railways or telegraph, no penny postage, and that Reform Bills were unknown. The country was engaged in a fearful and protracted struggle with a proud and mighty foe, whose power had begun to wane, and who a few months later was sent to Elba. The Leicestershire lad to whom reference has just been made, in writing to his father on the fall of Bonaparte, made some very just and important observations, remarkable for one so young, and added, "We almost seem to hear the Almighty saying to the fallen tyrant, 'For this cause have I raised thee up, that I might show in thee My power.'"

What was the condition of the General Baptist churches seventy years ago? Our number of members was a little over 6000. We had no Home or Foreign Mission. The Itinerant Fund realized, in 1813, £29 28. The College (Academy, it was then called) was in a transition state. The Governors had committed the management of it to the Association. Joseph Jarrom had been chosen Tutor in the place of Dan Taylor; but there was no student till several months later, when John Jones, whose memory is still fragrant to all who knew him, entered on his studies. We cannot say that the former days were better than these; but let us not boast over our fathers. We have facilities in working for Christ denied to them, and well will it be if we are as faithful and earnest in serving our generation as many of them were. The question for each of us is, What can we do more for our blessed Saviour than we are doing? Can we give more? Can we pray more? Let us awake to a sense of our responsibilities, and may our zeal in His holy service abound more, for "the night cometh, when no man can work."

What was the condition of Indian Missions seventy years ago? Very different from what it is to-day: the progress indeed has been very wonderful. The three remarkable men whose names have immortalized Serampore, were, in 1813, diligently and faithfully pursuing their work, but though living under the Danish flag, they were often sorely harrassed by the Calcutta authorities; and in 1812, several missionaries who had recently arrived, were summarily required to leave the country. It is satisfactory to add that the Governor-General (Lord Minto) who so cruelly treated the servants of Christ, was himself required by the Court of Directors to resign his high office at an earlier period than he wished. The year 1813 was memorable in the history of · Missions as the time when Missionary Toleration was settled: the debates in the House of Commons were long and animated, but the good cause triumphed. Two of the speeches were very remarkable. One by Charles March, Esq., M.P. for Retford, was anti-missionary, but very eloquent, and his references to the missionaries intensely bitter and contemptuous. The reply by Wilberforce was one of the happiest efforts of his sanctified eloquence. He rebuked with manly dignity the contemptuous references to "Anabaptists and fanatics," saying that the men thus referred to were not to be so disposed of, and adding, "I can only admire that eminence of merit which I despair myself to reach, and bow before such exalted virtue." Adverting to the number of petitions which had been presented, he said, "Let no man think that the petitions which have loaded our table have been produced by a burst of momentary enthusiasm, or that the zeal of the petitioners will be soon expended. No, Sir, it will be found to be steady as the light of heaven. While the sun and moon continue to shine in the firmament, so long will this object be pursued with unabated ardour till the great work be accomplished." So be it, we say, and let all the people say, Amen. The majority was much greater than had been expected; and Wilberforce devoutly adds, "I heard afterwards that many good people were praying for us all night." What wonders have been wrought by prayer! JOHN BUCKLEY.

Letter from Reb. T. Bailey.

JACK THE AFRICAN.

I MENTIONED in a previous letter that Captain Taylor's negro servant "Jack" had applied to be baptized. I am now happy to inform you that on Sunday week, Aug. 5th, to our satisfaction, and his evident delight, his wish was gratified. Some little difficulty was experienced as to the language in which the services should be conducted; but by having part in English and part in Oriya, this was satisfactorily arranged, though Jack afterwards informed me he understood the English best. Captain Taylor spent the day with us, and in many respects it was one of special interest.

HEAVY RAINS.

On Sunday, Aug. 12th, I was at Padri Polli. The rains of late have been so heavy and frequent, that having no adequate protection available, I was in doubt as to the wisdom of venturing out; but there were special reasons for my wishing to keep this appointment, and though the waters were nearly at flood, and the current unusually strong in many of the nullahs we had to cross, the rains happily held off, and the journey was accomplished in safety. The season is very favourable for the rice, and I was assured that the crops had never looked more promising. Two young men were proposed as candidates.

A CANDIDATE FOR BAPTISM.

On the return journey I was joined by Ramswammy, the Hindoo who was to have been baptized with "Jack" on the previous Sunday, but had been sent into the district to serve a warrant, and so had been prevented. He is a chuprassi, or messenger, in one of the local courts, and as the serving of warrants in the surrounding district is a part of his work, he is never sure of his time. He expressed the great disappointment he had experienced, and his fixed determination to embrace the first opportunity he found of observing the ordinance.

A CONVERTED PILGRIM.

On arriving at Berhampore I found a young man waiting for me with a letter from a colporteur at Chicacole requesting me to baptize the young man. His case is an interesting one, but as he knows neither Oriya nor English, only those of our friends who understand Telugu can communicate with him. He is from the French settlement at Pondicherry, and was on his way as a pilgrim to Benares when he met with the colporteur, and was induced to change his plans. He has been educated in a Lutheran mission school, and is about twenty-five years of age.

SIGNS OF PROGRESS.

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A fortnight ago I was visited by several influential members of the Oriya Sobha" here, who invited me to attend one of their meetings. They afterwards came in a body to my house, when I enjoyed a most acceptable opportunity of becoming acquainted with them. The Telugu element in the town is so large and powerful that there is great need of activity on the part of the Oriyas, and there are many ways in which their interests may be promoted by a society of this kind. As my own work lies almost exclusively among the Oriyas, I am specially interested in their welfare, and am happy to do all I can to promote it. One of the members is the dewan of a neighbouring rajah, and gave me a hearty invitation to itinerate in his rajuary in the cold season. Another is a resident of Berhampore, and secured us a most favourable opportunity for preaching when we visited his part of the town. Both these men have occasionally attended the services at the Mission chapel.

THE REV. H. WILKINSON, we regret to say, has had another apoplectic fit, and lies in a very precarious condition. In this time of need will our friends remember him and his devoted wife in their prayers?

THE S.S. "DACCA," in which Mr. Pike and family were to come to England, has already passed Suez, and ought to reach London early in January.

School-Room and Chapel, Cuttack.

THE engraving of the General Baptist Mission School-room and Chapel, Cuttack, is from a photograph by Mr. H. Beck. The chapel, which is to the right hand, was erected in 1874, under the superintendence of Mr. F. Bond, at a cost of £1200, and is capable of holding 700 or 800 persons. The school-room was built under the superintendence of Mr. H. Beck, in 1882, and, with the site, cost about 17,000 rupees, or about £1500. Towards this amount a liberal friend in Cuttack contributed nearly £1000. Both buildings were opened free from debt. The school-room, which is described as "a noble, commodious, and really beautiful building," contains a large assembly-hall, and a number of class-rooms. It is used for both day and Sunday school purposes.

Jottings from Rome.

BY REV. N. H. SHAW.

GOOD NEWS FOR ENGLISH VISITORS TO ROME.

THERE is now a special train every week between London and Rome. It is a train of sleeping cars, and runs along the Riviera. Every Saturday morning the train leaves London at 10.0, and by way of Dover, Calais, Paris, Marseilles, Nice, Genoa, and Pisa, arrives in Rome on Monday morning at 10.45. That is, the whole journey from London to Rome, only occupies forty-eight hours and forty-five minutes. There is a similar train from Rome to London, which only occupies forty-five hours and thirty-five minutes on the journey, leaving Rome at 8. 15 on Monday evening, and reaching London on Wednesday evening at 5.50. The route is a very beautiful one along the shore of the Mediterranean, almost all the way from Marseilles. If more is paid for sleeping cars, it should be remembered, that all hotel and other expenses, consequent on staying one or two nights on the way (as is generally necessary when travelling by other trains) are thereby saved. I shall rejoice if this arrangement

should induce more of our friends to visit us.

GREAT NATIONAL PILGRIMAGE.

On the 9th of January, Rome will be full of pilgrims from all parts of Italy to the tomb of Victor Emmanuel. More than one hundred thousand were prepared to come, but the railway authorities have declared that they cannot bring more than eighty thousand persons. The result is, that it has been necessary

to restrict the numbers proportionately from every town and province. The pilgrims will stay nearly a week, I suppose, and I hope we shall be able to preach the gospel to many of them.

THE UNKNOWN GOOD EFFECTS OF THE GOSPEL.

I have no doubt that a great amount of good is done by our efforts in Rome which we can never tabulate. I have just heard of a man who has been attending our meetings at Via Montebello, but has not made himself known to us. A baby was born to him the other day, and the priests wanted to christen it, but he declined, saying that he had been attending our meetings, where he had learnt enough to prevent him from desiring or permitting such a ceremony. He added that he intends to be an Evangelical. I do not know this man, at least by name, and it is only in a very incidental way that I have heard of him. I am told that his wife is anticipating with pleasure coming to our meetings as soon as she is strong enough. I have little doubt that there are many such effects of our work of which we know nothing.

WORK AMONG THE LITTLE GIRLS.

Mrs. Shaw has begun a Thursday afternoon meeting for little girls. From twelve to twenty of these poor little creatures come, and for two hours are