horror and despair. I am certain it's a bad place to die in, let them say what they will about the excellent people here. I was not happy in my own native town, Morality; but I am much less happy in this place."(a)

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"Well, Miss Fearful," said I, taking courage, "I will tell you a little secret. I never was less fond of a city in my life, than of this whether it is from my afflictions experienced here, or what, I cannot say, but I long to find rest and happiness, and I am determined to go with you, if you have no objection, "Objection!" cried Miss Fearful, ❝ dear Mrs. Markwell, I shall be delighted to have your company; but I hope you will be ready by the day after to-morrow, for I am resolved to leave on that day, and no later; in fact, I am now going to take my place by the coach." "Take two places," said I, "and there is a guinea to pay for my deposit-farewell." So saying, I shook hands with her, and went home with a lighter heart than I had felt for many a day or week.

On parting with her, I recollected that she had given me a list of the white and black fleet of ships,) and turning out of my pocket several letters from one and the other, some of condolence, from the Bishop and his Rector, on the death of my poor husband; others of reproof from the Archdeacon, my brother &c., on my serious turn of mind, and gloomy disposition, I at length found Miss Fearful's paper, and I will merely transcribe it for the amusement or edification of my readers, without further comment,(): merely observing, that, its perusal filled my mind with terror, dismay, and perplexity.

Besides these first line-of-battle ships, there are others less in size, named-The Esther, Captain Mordecai; The Hannah, Captain Eli; The Deborah, Captain Gideon; The Phoebe, Admiral Peter; and other worthy champions in the Royal Navy.

No sooner was my intention made known, than the Archdeacon, my friends, and my acquaintances, one and all, objected. They said the country was unwholesome, rocky, damp. One said it was hilly; another said it was fenny; another declared it was always raining there; another maintained that there was no rain at all, it was sandy and dry. My brother said I wanted to shut myself up in a convent; in short, if it had not been for a power which seemed granted me to stand firm against all these objections, I should have given way, but I was resolved. I packed up some things, left others with my landlady, and, having taken leave of my children, I seated myself in the vehicle, and soon left the towers, and steeples, and domes of the city, far behind.

We were now advancing to the principality of MEANS, a large peninsula of irregular form. The country is uneven and rocky, with fields of brambles, and thorn hedges, (a) very hilly in the high road, but having thousands of patches of verdure in every direction, in which, if travellers settle, they are often in danger from the volcano, which, in its eruptions, buries whole cities and villages under its lava and ashes. Vast numbers of sign posts are seen all over this country, with the words "Beware of Settling" on them; but many of these have been defaced and broken by some malicious persons, and the advice is not followed, because unknown. We passed through several of these towns and villages, called ORDINANCE TOWN, TRACT VILLAGE, MEDITATION TOWN, MORTIFICATION CITY, ALMSDEEDS VILLAGE, SERMON TOWN, and many others. At length, we mounted the bottom part of the Volcano of DIVINE LAW, and

Beside these huge battle ships, there are-The Anakim, Captain Emim; The Amalek, Captain Edom; The Rabshakah, Admiral Ashdod; The Sennacherib, Lieutenant Lackish; The Royal Jezebel, Admiral Baal; The Moab, Captain Chemosh; The Leviathan, Captain Lucifer; The Wizard, Captain Endor; with many others of smaller size.

reached the city which is built about a hundred yards from the base, on a side of the mount where the rock, like a needle shoots up fifty yards perpendicularly above the crater, which is twentyone thousand feet above the level of the sea, and thus forms an impenetrable barrier and wall to the city underneath it; (a) yet, even here, the hot ashes fall in an eruption, and do great damage, overwhelming many houses, swallowing up thousands of the inhabitants. () In this city are many shops, particularly of booksellers, where the Bible, in every size and binding, may be purchased cheap. I bought one for my pocket, but as I still wished to keep my Gazetteer by me, I was obliged to wear two pockets, one for the Bible, one for the World; and thus was able to seek for advice from the wisdom of this world, and that to come, earthly and heavenly. Here Miss Fearful and I passed a week very pleasantly, and heard several good preachers; one of whom read very pointedly in the lessons for the day, "Flee from the wrath to come;" I took it into my head that there was going to be an eruption of the Volcano, and I was resolved to quit the house. (c) Miss Fearful could not do so however, because she had found out a relation in the town, and was on a visit of a month or so to her. Thus circumstanced, I resolved to go on alone, to the land's end, and there to remanin for awhile in Holy SABBATH TOWN, and see what God would graciously do for me. I had read the Bible more than ever. I tried to understand it, I wished to remember its precepts and its many beauties, and I desired to talk of its wonders. To be short, I parted from Miss Fearful and went to PRAYER TOWN; where I bought a book of Prayers. I tried to learn some by heart. In this place I intended to wait for Miss Fearful, but looking up and seeing the mysterious sign post,Beware of settling :" defaced as it was, and almost destroyed, I determined to proceed on my poor travels, and with indescribable difficulties, arrived in Holy Sabbath Village, a deserted, lonely, forlorn place. Trouble enough I had to get away from Divine Law Town. (a) There were no conveyances, no comforts for travellers. The roads were bad, said the Innkeepers; and bad enough they certainly were. There were banditti every where. There were archers with poisoned arrows,

(a) Exodus xix. 23. (b) Heb. xii. 29. (c) Isaiah xxxiii. 18. (d) Psalm lxxxviii. 15, 16.

who shot at travellers from all directions. There were pits and bogs; there were wild beasts. &c. No representation, however, could daunt me, I was resolved to advance; and at length found a sort of waggon, which went once a fortnight to the coast to convey provisions to the black fleets, whose boats swarm round these shores to keep off the pirate fleets, as they call them, and to intercept passengers from going to them. In this waggon I and another female took our places, and after a long and wearisome journey reached Holy Sabbath Town as I have said. Here I found out one Inn like a fisherman's hut: I was thankful to take my abode in it, and to enjoy the calm of the place built on the ocean, and by consequence, muddy and dirty; but not near so filthy and muddy as the shores of Profession Town. I went to church, and passed my Sunday in reading, prayer, and duties; and in the evening I laid the Bible on my table, and looking up to the heavens from the chapter in Ezekiel xxxvi. 26, where it says, "A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh." I said to myself "But how is this to be done?" I turned over a few leaves, and stopped at these words, “The preparations of the heart in man, and the answer of the tongue, is from the Lord." Prov. xvi. 1. Why, thought I, there is an island of that name, I have seen it from here, and will go to it. I immediately went down to my landlady, and enquired how this little voyage was made. "Ah, you are off I see," said my hostess, "I never keep my customers long. This place is filled and emptied, filled and emptied.” "Where do the people go to?" I asked, "do they all go to PREPARATION-OF-HEART ISLAND ?"

:

"Aye, they all go there who lived strictly here; I can't keep them. Now, you'll get none of our boats to take you; they cannot, and dare not; our king wouldn't let them; but the sands are dry at low water for miles and miles; and if you can hire a mule, or walk, you may easily get there. But mind lady, that you need not expect to come back again, for you'll be drowned."

"Oh, never fear that," said I laughing, "I am only going for an excursion. Let me have a mule, I will pay you, and I will leave my trunks with you till my return." And thus I set off

for the Island over the sands, which were filthy and dark. However, my soul was employed on other matters, and I heeded not inferior things. But now, I reached the Island, with only a hut upon it, where one or two travellers were; who, however, hid themselves from me, and seemed absorbed with their own meditations. I threw the bridle over the mule's head, and let her browse among the short herbage, and drink of a small stream by the hut; then I walked to and fro on the shore, my heart full of indescribable emotions; wondering, hoping, wishing, I knew scarcely what. But soon I perceived a white boat floating on the waves, tied by a small cord to a post. The pennant was white, with a red cross and lamb, which sign I well remembered. Inside the boat was painted in fair characters, "Come out of her my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins." Revelations xviii. 4. "The Spirit and the bride say, Come, and let him that heareth say come; and let him that is athirst come; and whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely." Revelations xxii. 17.

As I read these words, my soul seemed lighted up with hope and joy; I put one foot into the ferry boat, and was preparing to place the other, when an arrow of gold whizzed through the air, and pierced my very heart, I only cried out, " God be merciful to me a sinner!" and dropped senseless to the bottom of the little vessel like a stone.(a)

(a) Isaiah xi. 16

END OF PART I.