as if he were a bold reformer of the corruptions of the papacy, (p. 212); and of the doctrine of the Antichrist of the Apocalypse being yet to come, as if it were peculiar to Cardinal Bellarmine. (ib.) We confess too that we feel great objections to the method he has pursued, of making a sort of paraphrase of the text of the Apocalypse, partly from his own words, and partly from passages brought together from the Psalms, and other Scriptures. This is not to harmonize the Scriptures but to confuse them, and to run the almost inevitable risk of misinterpretation; by putting passages together, which have no real connection with each other. Nor do we see in truth what object is gained by it. For example, the words of the Apocalypse, (xi. 19,) "And the temple of GoD was opened in heaven," are thus paraphrased by our author : "And the secret place of the Tabernacle was opened in heaven, using the words of Ps. xxvii. 5. Now what information do we gain from this, unless we conclude, that the temple of GOD said in the Apocalypse to be opened in heaven, is to be regarded as identical with the secret place of the tabernacle, spoken of by the Psalmist ? But does Mr. Hoare really mean to say this? Is there anything of secret place, or of secrecy in the words of the Apocalypse? Is not the contrary strongly implied in the words, "the temple was opened in heaven, and there was seen in His Temple the ark of His Testament ?"* Unlike the earthly temple, which concealed the ark in that secret place, into which none but the High Priest himself could enter, this heavenly temple was opened, and the ark was seen within it by all the inhabitants of heaven. Here then our author makes use of a passage of Scripture to introduce an idea the direct opposite of that which is implied in the words he has undertaken to paraphrase. Or, to take another view of this paraphrase, are we to understand it to be our author's opinion, that the words of the Psalm which he has thus employed, are to be regarded as prophetically descriptive of the same period, or of the same event, (whatever that may be) which is foretold in the passage of the Apocalypse before us? Hitherto the Psalmist has been understood as uttering a prayer for the continuance of those blessings which he enjoyed in the worship of GOD, and in the ordinances of His House, together with an expression of his confidence in the protecting Providence of GOD. "One thing have I desired of the LORD, that will I seek after;-that I may dwell in the House of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to inquire in His Temple. For in the time of trouble, He shall hide me in His * And so Bishop Newton, Mr. Hoare's great authority, understands the passage : after quoting the words as above given, he says, "that is, more open discoveries were now made, and the mystery of GOD was revealed to the prophet." Mr. Faber too explains the opening of the temple to signify the removal of all external impediments to the knowledge of the Gospel.-Sacred Calend. Vol. III. 346. and seq. pavilion, in the secret of His tabernacle shall He hide me." We confess we do not understand how it is possible even for a commentator on the Revelation to make these words a prophecy describing the same things, and predicting the same events which are foretold in the passage, "And the temple of GOD was opened in heaven, and there was seen in His Temple the ark of His Covenant and there were lightnings, and voices, and thunderings, and an earthquake, and great hail." We scarcely think that Mr. Hoare will venture to defend his paraphrase on this ground.* One example more must suffice to illustrate what has been said on this part of the subject, and we shall take it from our author's "Harmony" of the same chapter. The sounding of the seventh trumpet, was followed in the vision, by the announcement that the kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our LORD and of His CHRIST; with the adoration and song of the four and twenty elders, that song in which they give thanks to GOD, because the time was come in which He should give reward to His servants, and destroy them that destroy the earth. This mysterious song Mr. Hoare paraphrases by substituting for it the following pasfrom the Psalms and other portions of the Old Testament: sages "Blessed be the LORD GOD Who only doeth wondrous things, And blessed be His glorious Name for ever."-Ps. lxxii. 18, 19. "For the kingdom is the LORD's, He is the Governor among the nations."-Ps. xxii. 28. "The heathen raged, the kingdoms were moved, He uttered His voice, the earth melted."-Ps. xlvi. 6. "He shall avenge the blood of His servants, And render vengeance to His adversaries, He shall be merciful to His land and to His people."-Deut. xxxii. 43. "He shall save them, and lift them up for ever."-Ps. xxviii. 9. "He shall spoil those that spoiled them."-Ezek. xxxix. 10. "He shall destroy those that destroyed the earth."-Jer. li. 25. "Let the people praise Thee, O LORD, Let all the people praise Thee."-Ps. lxvii. 3. Now here we ask again, what is the benefit to be derived from this sort of paraphrasing? what do we learn from it? How does it throw light on the text? And does Mr. Hoare really imagine that this is to harmonize the Apocalypse with other prophecies of Holy Scripture? In the first place, he has omitted the main feature of the song of the Elders; his paraphrase does not contain one word of allusion to the mysterious completion of " the time of the dead," their judgment, and the "reward" to be at length given to the servants, In the corresponding passage of the next vision, (Rev. xv. 5,) Mr. Hoare still adheres to his notion of the temple being a secret place: his paraphrase of the passage is," After that I looked, and behold the secret place of the tabernacle of witness was opened in the heavenly places." and prophets, and saints of GOD. Again the passages he has brought together from the Psalms have no relation whatsoever, either to each other, or to the day of judgment, and final retribution. They are therefore, either applied to what they have no natural relation to, or else they are plainly misinterpreted. We therefore feel ourselves called upon to protest in the strongest manner against this mode of "harmonizing" the Scripture: we think it fraught with the utmost danger; and calculated most seriously to mislead the unlearned. One word more respecting a sentence which has already been partially quoted from our author's preface. "I have endeavoured," he says, to approach the subject in that spirit in which alone the Scripture can be read with profit; comparing, indeed, spiritual things with spiritual, but seeking always to correct the too forward conclusions of individual judgment by a proper deference to the teaching and authority of the Church." If by this application of S. Paul's words, Mr. Hoare alludes to his peculiar mode of paraphrasing the Apocalypse, by bringing together fragments from other parts of Scripture, we utterly protest against this being a comparison of spiritual things with spiritual in the sense intended by the Apostle. Even if those words could signify the comparison of one passage of Scripture with another, it would be necessary, in order to render such comparison profitable, to bring together not fragments of verses but contexts; and to compare the object, intent and period of one prophecy, with the object, intent and period of the other. Of course it is needless to say that S. Paul in the words alluded to, did not intend to speak of even this legitimate comparison of Scripture with Scripture; but of the mysterious evidence of Christianity which was derived from immediate inspiration, πνευματικοῖς πνευματικὰ συγκρί νοντες. It gives us great pleasure however to find in the remainder of the sentence above quoted, so distinct a recognition of the principle that "the too forward conclusions of individual judgment," ought to be corrected, " by a proper deference to the teaching and authority of the Church." We could have wished that Mr. Hoare had carried out this principle more fully, by taking into his definition of the Church, the primitive Christians of early times, instead of confining himself as he has done to the authority of a very small school of English Divines: but we are too happy to see this principle so fully and distinctly recognized to find fault with a defective application of it in a writer of our author's prepossessions. We take it as one among many other indications that the PopeAntichrist theory of prophetical interpretation is on the decline amongst us, and that even those whose prejudices and inclinations lead them most to that side, are beginning, in ways almost imperceptible to themselves, to be ashamed of it, and to abandon the fundamental principles upon which it rests. MADELEINE: A TALE OF AUVERGNE. fact. By JULIA Madeleine: a Tale of Auvergne, founded on fact. We turn this month from the busy factories of Manchester to the hills and valleys of romantic Auvergne, from our own immediate times to the days of the French empire-and we find the very same problem that was to "work out the fate of John Barton upon earth" exercising no less severely the mind of the simple peasant girl, Madeleine Guérin. "The fact which struck Madeleine was that the poor suffered in a manner which could never have been intended by their beneficent Creator, and that they had a right to relief. She remembered that the widow had forgiven the rich on her deathbed, and on comparing this fact with her sad history, she could not help coming to the conclusion that when a human being dies of want or misery the whole community are to blame, and ought in reality to be held answerable for that being's death. But, granting this to be the case, what was she to do? Could she alter a state of things which had been enduring for ages, and would probably endure for ages still? She could not, but she might at least do her share, and an inward voice told Madeleine that if every one adopted this principle the whole world would soon be right. Her first step was to ascertain the exact amount of poverty which prevailed in Mont-Saint-Jean. This she did in her own quiet and silent manner; and, though people wondered why she now came so often to the village, visiting the poorest cottages in preference to the more comfortable dwellings, none suspected her real motives. Madeleine already knew that there were many poor families in her native place, but she had not been prepared for the extent of the wretchedness which she now witnessed. Her first impulse was to relieve the poverty of the miserable sufferers by giving them money and food; but, though this plan succeeded in some cases, it failed in many others. The money was often squandered away in an improvident manner, and the food so soon consumed that Madeleine wondered whether she had really done any good by her charity. She soon perceived, indeed, that the poor are too frequently their own enemies; but with a truly Christian spirit she attributed this to their condition. She did not, like so many individuals, divide society into two classes, the wise rich, and the foolish poor. A little experience taught her that human nature was the same in the aristocrats and the plebeians of Mont-Saint-Jean, though she saw that it is unfortunately the fate of poverty to bring out the recklessness and improvidence which increase its evils. "But, though Madeleine always came to the conclusion that the poor, such as they are, have a right to relief, or, to speak more plainly, that the mere act of living gives us all an equal right to live, she often asked herself, when she saw how soon her means of administering this relief would be exhausted, whether she had adopted the best method of effecting her object. The thought was one well worthy of consideration, and henceforth it became uppermost in Madeleine's mind." Very different, it will have been already perceived, was the result. In the one case the fact received into a mind unhumbled by religious discipline was resented with all the bitterness of a private injury. The other embraced it first as an illustration of the general prevalence of evil, not without acknowledging her own share therein, and next as a call to vigorous personal exertion for its mitigation or removal. But we must proceed with our tale somewhat more methodically. And the first question that occurs is, what are the relative proportions of truth and fiction which it contains. But here the author is not very explicit, telling us on the one hand that in describing the character of the heroine she has failed to do her bare justice, and, on the other, that her work is not to be considered one of pure biography. Nevertheless it is a question that sufficiently answers itself, we think, as you turn over the pages. The character of Madeleine we conceive to be in all essential points historical; those of the Curé and the mayor fictitious. In fact any one who has read the "Promessi Sposi," can scarcely fail to perceive that the prototype of M. Bignon is to be found in the Don Abbondio of Manzoni. These two functionaries contribute to the tale its chief dramatic effect. The story opens with a well drawn scene, eminently characteristic of Madeleine's delicate and high-toned feeling, in which she liberates her lover from the engagement in which they had long stood to each other. We give only the first portion of it. "Maurice,' said she, in a low yet singularly musical tone, and addressing her betrothed in the dialect of the country, why are you thoughtful this evening?" "On hearing her words, Maurice started and looked up. Am I more thoughtful this evening than at any other time?' he evasively answered. "No,' she calmly replied, for you have been sad and given to moody thought since the month of June.' "Maurice eyed his betrothed with some surprise. 'Madeleine,' he observed, after a short pause, explain yourself.' "I will,' she gravely replied: it was in the month of June, at the feast of Saint John, that you first met Rosette Besson.' "Maurice coloured deeply, and said in a displeased tone: 'I understand; you are jealous. I thought we had agreed that there should be confidence between us.' "It is because there must be truth and confidence between us that I speak as I do now,' answered Madeleine, with the same calmness, ' and |