how long I may live, although my Creator may soon call me away.' To us it seemed that he had some presentiment of his departure. He spent the whole of that night in a watchful manner, and at dawn of day, i. e. the fourth, he directed that what we had commenced should be diligently written down. Having done this we walked in procession until the third hour, as the custom of the day required. But one of us was staying with him, who said to him, there is only one chapter more my dear master that is wanted. Does it seem difficult for you to be further questioned?' He replied,' it is easy-Take up your pen and write quickly,' which he did. At the ninth hour he said to me, I have some valuable things in my chest, i. e. pepper, garments, and frankincense. But run quickly, and bring to me the old men of our monastery, that I may distribute to them those little presents which the Almighty hath given me. Rich men in this world strive to give gold and silver, and whatever things are precious. But I, with great love and gladness, will distribute to these my brethren whatever God may have given me.' He then addressed each of them, admonishing and imploring them to offer up prayers for him, and to preach, which they promised to do. All were weeping and mourning when he said they were not to see his face again in this world.' But they rejoiced when he said the time is come when I shall return to him who made me, who created me, and formed me of nothing: I have lived a con

siderable time, my righteous judge beholds my life. The time of my dissolution is at hand, and I desire to be dissolved and to be with Christ.' Speaking these and many other sentences in a cheerful frame of mind he spent the day; the evening of which approaching, the above-named youth said dear master, there is only one sentence more that is not written.' He replied, write quickly.' After a little while the youth said, it is now finished;' when Bede said, thou hast told the truth, it is finished. Support my head in your hands, for I am much delighted to sit opposite that holy place where I have been accustomed to pray; that even whilst sitting I may be able to invoke my Father.' Thus reclining on the floor of his cell when he had chaunted, Glory be to the Father, to the Son, and the Holy Spirit,' and having pronounced the words Holy Spirit, he breathed his last, and departed to the celestial regions. All who beheld the death of this holy father said, they never saw any other person depart this life in so devout and tranquil a frame of mind. For as thou hast heard, so long as the soul was in his body he sang glory to the Father, and other praises to the glory of God, and with outstretched arms he ceased not to return thanks to the living God. Know, my dear brother, that I could mention many other things respecting him, but my unskilfulness in the language obliges me to be brief. I hope, however, by God's assistance, from time to time, to write you more respecting him of those

very things which I have seen with my own eyes or heard with my own ears

FOURTEENTH CENTURY.

WICKLIFFE.

Died A.D. 1384, aged about 60.

THE Morning Star of the Reformation. Pope Urban was so hot in his wars against Clement, the French Pope, his adversary, that he had no leisure, and less list to attend unto Wickliffe's matters. By the occasion of which schism God so provided for poor Wickliffe, that he was in some more rest and quietness, and returning again within short space, either from his banishment or from some other place, where he was secretly kept, he repaired to the parish of Lutterworth, of which he was Rector, and there quietly departing this mortal life, slept in peace in the Lord.

* Vita Bedæ et Epist. de ipsius morbo et obitu Appendix Hist. Eccl. Gen. Angl. Auctore sancto et venerab. Bedæ, una cum reliq. Oper. Hist. cura et studio Johannis Smith, S.T.P. 1722, fol. 792, et seq.

FIFTEENTH CENTURY.

JOHN HUSS.

Born about the year 1376, died A.D. 1415, aged 39.

The good man, even in the hour of death, considers the pains of his dissolution to be nothing else but the breaking down of that partition which stands betwixt his soul and the glorious presence of his God.-ADDISON.

A FAMOUS divine and martyr. Born in Bohemia, and educated at Prague. Huss was removed from prison to prison for six months; suffering great hardships from those who had the care of him, and at last was condemned of heresy by the council of Constance, in his absence, and without a hearing, for maintaining that the Eucharist ought to be administered to the people in both kinds. The emperor Sigismond complained of this. In pretended compliance, Huss was, on the 5th and 7th of June, 1415, brought before the council, and permitted to say what he could in behalf of himself and his doctrines; but every thing was carried on with noise and tumult, and Huss was soon given to understand that they were not disposed to hear any thing from him, but a recantation of his heresy, which, however, he absolutely refused, and was ordered back to prison. On July 6th, he was brought again before the council, when he was condemned of heresy, and ordered to be burned. Doctor Huss heard his sentence without the least emotion; he kneeled down, with his ey

lifted upwards towards heaven, and said, with all the

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spirit of primitive martyrdom, 'May thy infinite mercy, oh my God, pardon this injustice of my enemies; thou knowest the injustice of their accusations; how deformed with crimes I have been represented; how I have been oppressed by worthless witnesses, and an unjust condemnation: yet, oh my God, let that mercy of thine, which no tongue can express, prevail with thee not to avenge my wrongs." The bishops stripped him of his priest's garments: a serenity, a joy, a composure, appeared in his looks, which indicated that his soul had cut off many stages of tedious journey in her way to the point of eternal joy and everlasting peace. The bishops delivered Huss to the emperor, who put him into the hands of the duke of Bavaria. His books were burnt at the gate of the Church, and he was led to the suburbs to be burnt alive. When he came to the place of execution, he fell on his knees, sang portions of psalms, looked stedfastly towards heaven, and repeated these words: "Into thy hands, oh Lord! do I commit my spirit; thou hast redeemed me, oh most good and faithful God. Lord Jesus Christ assist and help me, that with a firm and patient mind, by thy most powerful grace, I may undergo this most cruel and ignominious death, to which I am condemned for preaching the truth of thy most holy Gospel." When the chain was put about him at the stake he said, with a smiling countenance," My Lord Jesus Christ was bound with a harder chain