"Friday,at Velletri.-Here there are many readers of the Bible. At night I preached in the Town Hall, which the Syndaco lent for the purpose. Many respectable persons listened to a discourse on the Word of God, and how to read it. I had to thank the Lord for what at the time occasioned me some annoyance. I had arranged for the meeting on the previous Monday, but not receiving the letter, I had to defer my visit. I found that on the day I should have passed along that road, the brigands had been near and had carried back with them to the woods two gentlemen, for whose life they required a ransom of nearly £3000. "Saturday.-Returned to Albano, and on the Lord's day went early to Rome. Spoke in the morning at worship, and evangelized in the evening. 64 Monday, 11 a.m.-Spoke at the United Prayer Meeting, and started afterwards for Viterbo. We arrived at Monte Rosa about half-past eight. This is a small village of 400 or 500 inhabitants, The malaria covers it. I could not find a house to stay at in which the fever was not. At the inn where we were obliged to stay, there were seven or eight cases. The room in which I slept was under the roof, which had been scorched all day by the sun, and over a stable where the heat from the oxen made it like a stove, and where a poor man lying in the manger delirious with fever. At this inn there was no food to be had, no window that could be opened, no servant to be found, no matches that would light, and we were obliged to beg two or three from a poor man in the road. was in three or four shops. Though somewhat discouraged, I continued, and the Lord opened the way. In the fourth and fifth shops I gave to several, who received them gladly, and after this I continued to give without any refusals, Two colporteurs, who were at that time in the city, came to see me, and complained that the distribution would injure the sale. On inquiry I found their sale was most limited, and I gave them a proof that the distribution would rather help than hinder. I had suspended the work for a few minutes while taking breakfast at the caffé, and forty or fifty persons were standing round the door. The colporteur said that those outside only wished the book because it was offered without price, and that they would not give a farthing for it. The officers of the army and gentlemen of the city had accepted it with pleasure-such an example always excites the people to obtain it for themselves. We therefore opened the door and let the people in. I then said "You desire to have the book ?' 'Will you give half a franc to one, 'Yes.' for it?' The man pulled out the money and took the book. Others would have bought, but as very many were poor, and I do not sell, I told them to find a room for a meeting, and come to hear the Gospel and receive the Scriptures without money. A room was soon found, and the hour fixed. At one o'clock I went to a little room, where I found about thirty men ready to listen. After prayer and a short discourse I entered into conversation with them. All, without exception, declared their desire to become Christians according to the Gospel. Not being able to send an evangelist to them, and not expecting to return for some time, I begged them to read at least a chapter every day, and to meet to gether and read a Gospel or an Epistle at least once a week. The master of the house offered the room for the purpose, and thus they agreed to meet. It seems to me that this is the only way in which the work can be carried on in this province. We have not the means of sending men, and if the means were forthcoming, there are not the men to send. After commending them to God and to the Word of His grace, which is able to build them up, I went to another room on the other side of the city, in which about one hundred persons, men and women, were gathered to hear and to receive the Word. Here I repeated what took place in the former meeting, and found the same reception, the same warmth, the same earnest entreaty for my quick return. Each person received a New Testament. Several women conversed freely. RECEIVING THE SCRIPTURES WITH JOY. At four p.m., started for Ronciglione, and gave Scriptures by the way to shepherds able to read, and also to a company of soldiers stationed near a wood infested by brigands. The soldiers being sent there during the summer, were thankful to have something to read. We reached Ronciglione at half-past eight, and arranged for a meeting at the inn on the morrow morning. About eighty or ninety were present. When the service was ended they all clapped their hands,and received the Scriptures with great joy. When they went out from the inn, the people seeing such a number, ran to see what might have occasioned it, and being informed, desired to have the Scriptures. At 10 a.m., we started for Rome, and passing Monte Rosa left some few Testaments. Arrived at Rome at halfpast eight p.m., and finding some brethren meeting in Via Babbuino, gave them a short account of our journey. OBSERVATIONS. "During this visit I was struck with several results which I have long desired to see in Italy. "1. The people did something themselres. Some offered money for criptures, some found rooms, some called their friends, some offered wine, some helped to keep the crowd back, some asked me to their houses, and others -all-asked me come again. "2. Rooms were found at the shortest possible notice, and in good situations, which in Italy is very difficult, and the Gospel was announced to persons of "3. Though they feel it hard to be "4. In this way a whole province might be evangelized in a very short space of time by one evangelist, and at a comparatively small expense," Tidings from Norway. E continue to receive interesting accounts of the progress of this W mission. The four brethren it was resolved to engage last year, in addition to Mr. Hubert, are now in the field with every appearance of the Divine blessing on their labours. Of the work at Tromsoe, the most northerly town of Europe, under Brother Hansson, Mr. Wiberg sends us the following account from Mr. Larrson's letters. "I have now to tell you a little of the work of the Lord in this northern region. The Lord continues still to crown our labours with his blessing, especially the labours of brother Ola Hansson, here in the town. There are not long intervals between baptisms, so that we now number ninety members in the church. I cannot as I wish thank my dear Jesus that he so mercifully sent brother Hansson to us. The state of the church is now good, as I hope. As to myself, I have most of my time, been travelling around in the country, preaching the Gospel. Since I wrote you last I have preached sixty-three sermons in the parishes of Karlsoe, Trances, Tromsoe Quæfjorden and Arnon. In Quofjorden, I baptized three, of whom two have lately been enabled to trust in Christ, and one has belonged to the old dissenters. Here the field is large, but the labourers are few, and many gainsayers. Great ignorance is prevailing among the people. Dear brother, pray for Norway, salute the brethen at Stockholm; and if you write to London, be so kind as to salute the brethren there, from a humble pilgrim here in the far north, who is travelling through this wilderness to the heavenly Zion, hoping to meet them where there will be fulness of joy." In Memoriam. WING to the necessity of going early to press last month, we were unable to notice the decease of our venerable and esteemed friend and colleague the Rev. Dr. Hoby, which took place on the 20th November, 1871, in the 82nd year of his age. With the omission of one year only, Dr. Hoby was a member of the Committee for the long period of fifty-two years. He was elected on the General Committee at the Annual Meeting of the Society, held at Cambridge, on the 7th October, 1819, and was also chosen one of the Central Committee, by which the ordinary business of the Society was transacted. Of the generation immediately succeeding the founders of the Society, among his colleagues may be found the venerated names of F. A. Cox, Gurney, Gutteridge, Robert Hall, Joseph Hughes, Kinghorn, Ryland, Steadman, and Winterbotham. But of them all there remains among us now only one, our aged, but vigorous friend, Mr. James Hobson, of Kettering. Of his other contemporaries on the Committee still living, may be mentioned Mr. John Sheppard, of Frome, who was elected in 1821. From the date of his election, Dr. Hoby took a deep interest and an active share in all the transactions of the Society. He aided it with his counsels during the anxious period of the Serampore controversy, and was among the leaders in the strife that issued in the destruction of slavery in the British Empire. As the friend, and ultimately the biographer of Dr. Yates, and the Rev. W. Pearce, he was in intimate correspondence with the Indian Mission, which enjoyed his deepest sympathy. He entered with intelligence and zeal into the discussion with the British and Foreign Bible Society, and was one of the founders of the Bible Translation Society, the existence of which he regarded as a regretful necessity; one of his last public appearances was in the chair at its Annual Meeting last year. The cause that he served with his counsels and prayers, he liberally supported with his purse, and as pastor of the Churches at Mazepond (his first pastorate), Weymouth, Zion Chapel, Birmingham, and Henrietta Street, London, he sought to quicken in the hearts of his people the missionary spirit, and led them, by his example, to take an earnest and abiding interest in the progress of the kingdom of God. Though firm in the utterance and maintenance of his principles, he had a broad and a loving heart for all who loved his Lord and Master. The Evangelical Alliance enjoyed his confidence, and he became from the first one of the most constant in attendance among the members of its Com mittee. By all good men he was held in high esteem and warm affection, for the fervour of his piety, the Christian gentleness of his life, the elevation of his prayers, and the nearness to God in which he daily lived. We part from our friend with deep regret and sorrow; but we can testify of him that he feared God above many. He has been gathered into the garner of the Lord as a shock of corn fully ripe. He served his day and generation according to the will of God, and has fallen asleep in Jesus. "The memory of the just is blessed." E. B. U. Missionary Notes. CALCUTTA. Our esteemed friend, the Rev. Goolzar Shah, announces his safe arrival in Calcutta, on the 26th of October. He received a hearty welcome from the missionaries and the native church, to whom he had already given some of his experiences in England. He was about to prepare lectures on the subject. He found his son very ill, which in some measure shadowed the joy of his return. He expresses himself as deeply grateful for the kindness of friends in this country. SERAMPORE.-The Rev. Thomas Martin mentions another candidate for baptism at Johnnugger. He is the son of a native Christian, and his coming forward is an indication of the state of things in the village. Between 50 and 60 persons regularly attend the Sunday afternoon service. BENARES.-The Rev. W. Etherington writes that he was about to visit the towns and villages between Patna and Benares, to attend a mela, and afterwards proceed on a tour in Central India, for the purpose of preaching the gospel. He has just completed an edition of a grammar in Hindi. CALCUTTA, INTALLY.-On the first Lord's day in September, the Rev. G. Kerry baptized seven persons; two were girls from Mrs. Kerry's school, and another had been a day scholar. There were two more awaiting the sacred rite. JAMAICA. We are indebted to the Rev. W. Dendy for the following comparison of the churches and ministers in Jamaica. In 1860, there were 77 churches, and 38 ministers; in 1871, there were 97 churches, and 41 ministers; an increase of 20 churches, and only 3 ministers. He adds, "What is to be done?" BROWN'S TOWN.-The Rev. John Clark reports the baptism of 49 persons, his daughter being one of the number. Mr. Fuller was present, and effectively addressed the people. At the missionary meetings and services on the Sabbath, the chapel was over-crowded to give a hearty reception to Mr. Fuller. JERICHO.-The Rev. John Clarke reports that he has lately baptized sixteen persons at this place, and nine at Mount Hermon. The inquirers' classes have also received accessions. He mentions that our venerable friend, the Rev. |