and, strange though it sounds, believe it. You have been guided, depend upon it, by a merciful God, in yielding yourself my prisoner. Your abode must at present be in one of our four towers; but your fare shall be no severer than we can help, nor your treatment in the least harsh. And not many weeks shall pass before I may obtain for you a full pardon, on condition of your becoming subject to the laws of this Abbey as one of my dependents. As for you, poor child, if your story prove wholly true, whereupon my mind holds small doubt, it is a sad one indeed. The Great Head of the Church, as our worthy Chaplain would tell us, hath been greatly glorified in the true witness you have borne for Him. By His help and guidance I may be able to see you righted. It happens that I am called on the day after to-morrow to a Commission, under Her Gracious Majesty's seal, at Winchester, on certain persons charged with high treason, and conspiracy against the Church of England; amongst whom my papers inform me are two from your village of Clairton in Wiltshire. So, child, go with the attendant who cometh to a lodgement prepared for you with my Lady's women of the household; and pray in your nightprayers that God will bless our journey and designs. You too, friend," he added to Swayne, “must be ready to go with us to make known your share in the child's wrongs. Our Chaplain, if he hath not retired to rest, will bless you both as you pass the hall."

So saying he called for his Esquire, who led them to their quarters. Annie could hardly bring herself to believe she was not dreaming when she awoke the following morning to find herself safe within the strong walls of Beaulieu, in a neatly-furnished and comfortable chamber, with homely roses and honeysuckles peeping in at the window; above all, with a book of

devotions fastened to an oaken fald-stool by the bed-side. From her window she could command a partial view of the beautiful river they had come up the night before, now flashing in the morning sun: the woods on either side, in all their bright May-green, broken here and there with a patch of meadow land, gorgeously carpeted with buttercups and marsh-marigolds. From the trellised porches of a few neighbouring cottages issued children, wearing the green kirtle of their order, skipping away in happy noisy groups to early school. She was holding the holy book provided for her, having finished her usual devotions, when the door suddenly opened, and a young woman bade her prepare to meet the Lady of Beaulieu, and, ere she had time to collect herself, the lady herself was in the She retained traces of great beauty, but with

room.

a somewhat severe look and harsh quick voice. "Well, child," she said, after regarding Annie with an eager interest for a minute or two, so you have really gone through all these strange adventures they tell me, have you?" and she insisted on being told, from Annie's own lips, what had befallen her since she was first carried off from Clairton. "And did you pray to GoD and keep a good conscience all that dark time, without a voice to guide you, a book to read, or a friend to cheer you ?" she inquired with more affectionate interest. When Annie, in her simple manner, told her of her mother, the heart of the noble lady of Beaulieu was quite overcome, and tears filled her eyes. "And pray, my child," she suddenly exclaimed, "are you not Scotch, either on your father's or mother's side? speech, if my ears deceive me not, would tell.”

So your

"My mother was from Scotland," replied Annie, with something like timidity, "and they used to tell me I have an uncle now in the service of the Queen,-Mary-”

"Hush! child," interrupted Lady Montague, "name her but in a whisper, save in my presence. And if ever henceforward you need a home and a mother's help, look

to me. Child! I feel I could love you. Take these gold and silver pieces to supply your present necessities. My husband, the Lord de Montague, will make known. your case to the Bishop and Chancellor at Winchester; and so far you travel with me in my own coach. Hark! the bell tolls for matins. An hour after be ready to set forth."

She kissed Annie affectionately on the forehead, slipped a small purse into her hands, and departed. Passing through the hall, the Chaplain was heard to say: "Your Ladyship will be pleased and thankful to the Great Disposer of all hearts to hear that the robber prisoner shows signs of genuine conversion. He hath confessed. his sins with tears and cryings, and I have declared absolution as far as my office goes. He will occupy the penitent's seat in chapel."

Two hours before noon the party set out for Winchester under a guard of fifty or sixty well armed yeomanry.

The Editor's Desk.

WE have not recently received many books that seem to call for any lengthened notice at our hands; but we may mention a valuable volume of sermons on the Festivals of the Church, by the Rev. J. PURCHAS, written in a simple and forcible style; and Mr. BROWNE'S Sussex Sermons, the contents of which are of a practical, and thoughtful character, in language most admirably adapted,

as the title tells us, to a rural congregation. A short poetical Christmas tale, by one of our contributors, should have received mention from us last month. It is simple

and graceful, and well adapted for a little child's use; the author has caught some of that rare quality,—an ability to write for children.

The most important book, though not the largest in bulk, is one entitled, Is Symbolism suited to the Spirit of the Age? by W. WHITE, (London; Bosworth,) which we would most strongly recommend all, who value our judgment, to read. It is not elaborate, like the magnificent preface to Durandus, neither perhaps does it go so fully to the root of the matter; but yet it is a work for general circulation, and that perhaps for this very reason. The style is good; and we are glad to welcome a layman of so much sound sense and good taste as a fellow-labourer in the good cause. "Symbolism," he says, "has been defined as the having something in common with another by representative quality." It is not meant that that something is necessarily of the same nature with its counterpart, but that it has an immediate and real correspondence with it. And thus it does not consist in merely applying certain significations, ingeniously devised to certain forms arbitrarily chosen, "but in an innate harmony existing between the symbol and the thing symbolized. Questions having been raised as to the correctness of this definition, and as to the nature and office of symbolism, it may be well to state more at length the view of it here supposed. Symbolism, then, is regarded as the endeavour to discover and carry out, in works of art, the same system of spiritual teaching which is found in the works of nature; and according to this account of it, symbolism may be called exactly analogous to the spiritual teaching of nature,the dif

ference being that the latter is the voice of God in His works, the former the expression of spiritual truths in the works of man.'

The author then shows how, in the works of Keble and others, and above all in the books of Holy Writ, figurative language and symbolical allusions everywhere abound. Some of those selected from Scripture are peculiarly appropriate and striking. He remarks, "that the elements, which represent to us heavenly things, are really and essentially symbols, as well as means whereby those Divine things are verily and indeed communicated. We are taught to discern in water a figure of spiritual washing; in oil the anointing of the HOLY GHOST; in the dove a symbol of the same blessed Spirit; in the lamb our true sacrifice," &c. There is much truth, as all will acknowledge, in the following:

"Great are the difficulties of disciplining and restraining the thoughts at all times. Habits of thought, like other habits, can be formed and reduced to order only by rule and discipline; and men may be at times slow in forming good, and overcoming evil habits, from mere neglect, or possibly from want of something to remind them, from time to time, of their duty; and hence arises the value of our being able to place some object in such a position as to meet the eye at the moment of temptation, to remind us of duties which we are otherwise apt to neglect or delay through mere forgetfulness. But, above all other times and places, men have most need to look to their thoughts when they go to Church, where, from the nature of the case, they are for the time cut off from natural teaching; yet still they need to be reminded of Him, Who is ever present where two or three are gathered together in His Name, and of the nearness of that Presence, lest they go before Him with careless, or it may be irreverent behaviour; and with a mind beating on the things of the world, the eye is prone to wander,—and the eye ministers to the mind.””