We will commence our brief notes this month with a remark or two on the word "duke," which we are accustomed to apply to a certain rank of the nobility. It has now lost its more ancient signification of a military leader, a meaning corresponding with its derivation. In Gen. xxxvi. 15 we read: "These were dukes of the sons of Esau: the sons of Eliphaz," etc. Wickliffe thus translates part of Matt. ii. 6: "Of thee a Duke shall go out, that shall govern My people of Israel." Joshua Sylvester, in his version of Du Bartas, applies the term to Moses:

"The great duke that, in dreadful awe, Upon Mount Horeb learned the eternal law."

It will hence be seen that the old translators judiciously chose this word to convey their meaning, though it sounds oddly in our day.

The verb ear (Lat. arare) anciently meant to plough the ground. It is necessary to remember this in reading those passages where the word occurs; for the modern reader is apt to associate with it the idea of corn in the ear. In Luke xvii. 7 the authorized version has "plowing; " but the older version of Wickliffe reads "erynge" (earing). Examples of this use of the word are almost innumerable in our old authors. For instance, Holinshed writes: "For this day men that do ear the ground there do oft plough up bones of a large size, and great store of armour."

From the note we give on the following text, the student may gather how necessary it is to follow an old poet's advice:

"Take pains the genuine meaning to explore."

"But after long abstinence Paul stood forth in the midst of them, and said, Sirs, ye should have hearkened unto me, and not have loosed from Crete, and to have gained this harm and loss " (Acts xxvii. 21). On the concluding words of this verse, Mr. W. A. Wright, a very eminent linguistic scholar, remarks: "The Greek is here literally translated; but the English phrase conveys an erroneous idea, as if it meant to incur danger, whereas it can be proved by numerous examples to mean escape or avoid danger. The Geneva version renders it: So should ye have gained this hurt and loss,' and adds, in a note, that is, ye should have saved the loss by avoiding the danger.' Our good old translators here show their scrupulous fidelity; for, in their reverent desire to preserve the very words of the original, they have involuntarily been led to adopt a phrase not free from ambiguity. In a like reverent spirit we hope the reader will pursue his study of the inspired volume; and if our efforts shall contribute in any degree however small, to exhibit more fully its surpassing excellence and the beauty and force of its language, we shall indeed have received an ample reward.

THE JEW AT THE BIBLE-STAND.

We have several causes of rejoicing, both amongst English-speaking and other people; but let me mention one instance in connection with our brethren of the Bible-stand. As you know, at the eight windows there are seated eight men, natives of the countries repre

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sented. Each of these gives a portion of the pure word to his countrymen who may apply for it, and strives to enter into conversation with them. the day of the opening a young Jew from Constantinople approached the Hebrew window, and asked for a gospel. St. John's was given to him, and about

a week after he called to purchase the whole of the New Testament. He told the giver (a converted Jew), that he had read the gospel with the deepest interest, and added that he was living in a private Jewish college in Paris, undergoing a course of studies, as he intended to be a rabbi. Several Old Testament Scriptures which testify of Jesus were pointed out to him and compared with the New. A short time afterwards, he arranged to meet the gentleman at his lodgings, and they spent several hours together in searching the Scriptures. A silence of some weeks followed, when the young Jew came to the Bible-stand, and told his friend that he was in great trouble. His tutor had found him using the New Testament as a class-book, and reproved him. Upon this he said boldly, "I believe that Jesus of Nazareth is the Messiah, and that He rose from the dead." He was threatened with immediate expulsion, and therefore left and went to a friend of his father's, who is a Roman Catholic. This friend wished to introduce him to the Archbishop of Paris, but he had come to the Biblestand for conference and advice. He spoke boldly and lovingly of Jesus as his Saviour, and added sorrowfully that the confession of His name would close his father's door to him. After due investigation a correspondence was opened with the directors of the Home for Jewish Converts in London. As the young man has great natural talents, and wishes to be a Christian pastor instead of a rabbi, they agreed to take and fit him for the ministry.

The other day he left for England, followed with the prayers of all our Christian workers.

AN EXHIBITION BIBLE-CLASS.

On the 24th of last month some of the exhibitors consulted me about having a kind of mechanics' institute, i.e. a room for reading and writing, etc., in the park, for the benefit of young Englishmen. They were quite ready, they said, to bear the expense of it themselves. I therefore took the hint, and the following day invited some young men, members of a Christian union, to

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a meeting at 56, Avenue Montaigne, on the Friday after, with the view of establishing an Exhibition Bible-class. In this we had the hearty co-operation of a young surgeon from the London Hospital, who is staying for two months in Paris, and several other Christian friends. Sixteen came; and after singing and prayer we read the first chapter of the Acts of the Apostles, with suitable remarks from ourselves. A deeply religious tone pervaded the meeting, and several young men remained behind for personal conversation. Before parting, a set of subjects was arranged for future meetings. At the second meeting there were thirty, and on the 4th of this month forty-three; so our numbers are increasing. The spirit of inquiry and of supplication and prayer has been given; so this meeting is likely to prove a most important means of usefulness. Make special prayer for its success, that many of our young men may be savingly converted.

A PLEASING INCIDENT.

An incident, very pleasant for us, occurred at a tea which was given to a number of English waitresses at the Exhibition. Some mention was made of our tea to the 1000 persons at the close of the last Exhibition. One of the young women exclaimed, "I was there, and Miss S- gave me a book which has been a means of blessing to me; and I have brought it here." She took from her pocket "The Anxious Inquirer;" and, upcn opening it, there was the letter, printed upon green paper, which you [a friend of the writer's] wrote, and had it placed in each of them. In your name, I expressed pleasure at seeing the book and hearing of its value to her. Upon inquiring into her religious state, I found that she had holy desires and had for years been striving to be good, but that she had not yet realized the preciousness of Jesus as her Deliverer from the penalty and power of sin. She seemed much pleased when told her that I would send her name and address to you, in hopes that you would write a few lines to her.

The English sailors are delighted with "Rob Roy" Macgregor, the zealous evangelist who preaches Christ from his yacht in every European country. "Here is one who knows how to speak to us of Jesus," they say. He is now visiting in his skiff all the boats on the Seine, and speaking of the Saviour to all whom he finds in them. He was saved, when an infant, by his father, Col. Macgregor, who, in the loss by fire of the Kent Indiaman, threw him into one of the boats. When at Cambridge, he gave clear presage of what he was likely to be; taking an honourable place among the "wranglers," and equally distinguishing himself upon the river. When he left the university, and settled in the Temple as a barrister, he soon found work to do-work for the glory of God and the good of man. He became an active worker in the ragged-school movement; he had a principal hand in organizing the "shoe-black brigade," and took a leading part in the establishment of the Open-air Mission and the Pure Literature Society. With all this, however, he has a keen sense of the value of a holiday. For the last ten or twelve years he has spent about two months in the summer in active exercise and enterprising travels, and within the last three years has adopted a new mode of travelling, taking long voyages in a canoe constructed by himself. This is a light boat, holding one person, and capable of passing in calm weather from England to France and of ascending the longest and widest rivers. A canoe club has been formed, of some fifty or sixty members, of which the Prince of Wales is honorary president; and the Emperor has had a canoe made, after John Macgregor's model, for his son. "Rob Roy," as he is fond of subscribing himself, thus sets an example worthy of imitation by all young men, in never being ashamed of his religion, and, while enjoying the innocent pleasures of this life with a relish that only the Christian has, at the same time never forgetting the life to come and that thousands are perishing round him for lack of that which he himself enjoys.

A QUESTION FOR BIBLE-CLASSES. "There is," I observed, "a short verse in the Bible which contains the Saviour's highest title, His sweetest name, His work, His death, His resurrection, and second coming. Tell me which verse it is." I repeated the question several times; and our clever friend, turning it over hastily in his mind, exclaimed

"Shall give that up: no talent for biblical research, all directed to the practical."

66 But," ," said his wife, "it must be a verse worth knowing; so much in it."

"Like the Bible," observed my friend of the prayer-meeting, "condensed

riches."

"The verse must have the words 'Mighty God' in it," observed one of the boys, "as that is the highest title; while the little girl said that "Redeemer' must be there," as that was certainly the sweetest name.

No verse containing the two could be thought of, and by general request I answered the question. Taking out my pocket Bible, I read slowly 1 Thess. i. 10, "And to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come;" observing that "His Son," or Son of God, is the Saviour's highest title; "Jesus" is His sweetest name, for "6 He saves His people from their sins;" His work" delivered us from the wrath to come; while His death and resurrection are contained in the words "whom He raised from the dead."

SUNDAY-SCHOOLS IN PARIS.

I was enabled to take some little interest in the Protestant Sunday-schools of Paris, and there addressed the one which meets in the American church. The children are French-born, but their parents are English or American. They were so deeply interested in my account of mission work in London, that they sent their quarterly missionary collection to our Society. I took charge of the boys at the annual gathering of Protestant children which took place in the Cirque Napoléon.