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feelings. He looked through the long vista of his future career without dwelling on the intermediate stages, while, moreover, blindness veiled his soul. The sequel, however, tested his real character; for it is seen that he became a scourge to the children of Israel; and, if he did not exceed, he certainly reached, the limits of the Prophet's prediction. "It is impossible," observes Bishop Butler, "to say how far the first act of irregularity might disorder the inward constitution; but repetitions of irregularities would produce habits; and thus creatures made upright would become depraved in proportion to this repetition."

A painter once, desirous of procuring a picture of innocence, drew the likeness of a child at prayer. The little suppliant was kneeling by his mother's side. The palms of his uplifted hands were reverently pressed together. His rosy cheek spoke of health, and his mild blue eye was upturned with an expression of devotion and peace. The portrait being finished, the artist hung it up in his study. He afterwards desired to procure a picture of guilt to serve as a contrast to that of innocence. Years rolled away. The painter became an aged man. The picture of innocence still adorned his studio. At length his cherished wishes were fully realised. In paying a visit to a neighbouring jail, the artist beheld a man whose whole appearance denoted the finished profligate. On the floor of his dungeon lay a culprit heavily ironed. Wasted was his body, pale his cheek, and anguish unutterable was seen in his hollow eye. Nor was this all. Vice was visible in his face, guilt was branded on his brow, and horrid imprecations burst from his blaspheming tongue. The painter, having executed his task, bore away the picture, and placed it by the side of innocence. But who was the child that kneeled in meek devotion by his mother's side? and who the wretch that lay manacled on the dungeon-floor, cursing and blaspheming? The two were one! Led from the path of rectitude into the ways of guilt, the child became at length the blood-stained murderer. The brow that in childhood was bright with peace and joy, in manhood became darkened by guilt and shame. O! if a Prophet could have

foretold to that fond mother that her child would have proved the wretch he did in after-years, would she not have exclaimed, with honest indignation, "But what! is my child a dog, that he should do this great thing?"Hazael.

PORTLAND.

PORTLAND, although popularly denominated an island, is really a peninsula, being joined to the main land by a narrow strip of pebbly beach, about ten or twelve miles in length. Portland itself is about five and a half miles in length, and two in breadth, and consists for the most part of a bed of free-stone, resting on a bed of clay. The upper strata, next below the scanty vegetable soil, are called roach, or "capping," and belong to the Wealden group: they are of little value, and only used for rough purposes; they contain, however, abundance of fossils, the remains of fresh-water shell-fish. Below, at the depth of near forty feet from the surface, is the well-known Portland-stone, of which so many noble structures have been built, particularly St. Paul's Cathedral, the Monument, and Westminster Bridge. This freestone, which is said to be the whitest and best of any in England, belongs to the upper division of the Oolite group. Between these two divisions is a layer of earthy matter, called the "dirt-bed," from a foot to eighteen inches in thickness, which appears to have been a vegetable soil, as it contains many silicified roots, and trunks of coniferous trees, the remains of an ancient forest. It also contains the remains of plants allied to the Zamia Spiralis of South Australia. Some of these petrified fragments of ancient trees are laid prostrate, while others are standing, with the roots attached to the soil, in the position in which they grew.

The clay on which the island rests is similar to the Kimeridge clay, and contains an impure coal, denominated "coal-stone."

Portland probably owes its name to Port*, a Saxon chief, who, with his two sons, Mægla and Bieda, landed at

• The landing-place of Port is otherwise described in the Saxon Chronicle. (Oxon. 1692.) "An. DI. In this year came Port to Britain, and his two

Portsmouth, in the beginning of the sixth century, and is supposed to have extended his dominion over the island. A party of Danes, probably the first that visited England, landed here A.D. 787, and having slain the Governor, and made a general massacre of the inhabitants, gained possession of the place. It was attacked and plundered by Earl Godwin, in his rebellion against Edward the Confessor. The manor belonged to the see of Winchester, but was sequestrated to the Crown by that King in consequence of an accusation which he brought against his mother, Queen Emma, and the Bishop of that diocese; but it was restored, with many others, when the Queen had proved her innocence by walking barefoot over nine red-hot ploughshares,— a mode of trial then common, but which must often have proved as dangerous to the innocent as to the guilty. William Rufus erected a castle here, which, in the reign of Stephen, was taken by Robert, Earl of Gloucester, and held for the Empress Matilda. The ruins of this castle are still to be seen in the grounds of Governor Penn, of Pennsylvania Castle, on the eastern side of the island. The manor, which in the reign of William the Conqueror had been alienated from the see of Winchester, was re-granted to it by Henry I. Being purchased by Gilbert de Clare, and subsequently reverting to the Crown, it was successively bestowed by Henry VIII. on his Queens, Catharine Howard and Catharine Parr. After the suppression of the monasteries, Henry, apprehending an invasion from the Papal powers of the Continent, built a strong castle on the north side of the island, and another on the opposite coast, between Portland and Weymouth. In the beginning of the civil war Portland Castle was seized by the Parliamentary forces; but the inhabitants being inclined to the royal cause, it was soon recovered for the King, and, after proving a powerful check to the garrison at Weymouth, was one of the last places that surrendered to the Parliament. Portland

sons, Bieda and Mægla, with two ships, at the place which is called Portsmouth, (Portes-muthe,) and at once landed. And there they slew a certain young Briton, a very noble man." The same chronicler, A.D. DCCCXXXVII., calls the place in Dorsetshire by the name of Port. Hence Portland.-EDS.

Castle still presents an imposing aspect; but that on the opposite coast is in ruins. The highest part of the island, called "The Verne," rises majestically behind the castle, to the height of four hundred and ninety feet, and is often seen capped with clouds, the early but certain prognostics of a storm.

The coast of Portland being rocky, and Chesil beach peculiarly dangerous in stormy weather, two lighthouses of unequal height have been built on the hill, or south extremity of the island. Near them is a remarkable hole in the ground, connected with a cavern open to the sea. The soil is not barren, the herbage is good, and the arable land produces wheat, oats, and barley. But the great bulk of the inhabitants gain their living by working in the quarries. A colossal pier is in course of erection for rendering Portland-roads a secure harbour of retreat in stormy weather, for ships going up and down the British Channel.

A few years since there was no resident Minister in the island; and as the only communication with the main land was then by boat, which was sometimes interrupted for many days together, the inhabitants were often deprived of public worship and instruction on the Lord's day, and funerals were either delayed, or performed without the accustomed rites. There are now two Ministers of the Established Church, one Wesleyan Minister, and one Independent, resident in the island, with their respective congregations and places of worship. The Wesleyan chapel is one of the largest in Dorsetshire.

The first Methodist sermon preached in Portland was on November 12th, 1745, from Luke xviii. 35–43; on the cure of the blind man near Jericho. The Rev. Charles Wesley and John Nelson spent about three months in Portland, preaching the Gospel to the inhabitants. Many were awakened, and some converted and formed into a Society. The sight of the men at work in the quarries is said to have suggested to Mr. C. Wesley the thought which he has expressed in one of his hymns, composed during his stay in the island, and first given out by him, and sung by the congregation in Portland, at one of the Sunday-morning services:

"Come, O Thou all-victorious Lord,
Thy power to us make known;
Strike with the hammer of Thy word,

And break these hearts of stone."

In 1791 Robert Carr Brackenbury, Esq., visited Portland. Under his preaching several felt the power of truth, and yielded to conviction: a Society was formed, comprehending a few of the survivers of the old Society. He was joined by Mr. George Smith, who came to assist him. In 1792 Mr. Brackenbury began to build the chapel, which, together with a house for the Minister, he completed at his own expense. But such was the spirit of opposition among the inhabitants, that while the chapel was building, it was found necessary to keep watch by night, to prevent the destruction of what had been done in the day. The storm of persecution continued to rage for a considerable time. On one occasion, while Mr. Smith was preaching at Easton, a large concourse of persons assembled to interrupt the service, broke in the windows, and beat off the tiles from the house; for which two of the offenders were prosecuted, and at the Sherborne Quarter Sessions fined twenty pounds. Since that time the Society and congregation have had peace; opposition has given way, and the preaching of God's word has been attended with saving power, to the conversion of many.

Fair island, won from darkness and the deep!
The mist of years thy early dawn hath veil'd:
Thy coasts, by time and tempest still assail'd,
'Mid ocean's angry waves their station keep;
And like a bastion frowns each rocky steep:

Thy double Pharos, oft in darkness hail'd,
To warn and save the seaman hath avail'd.
Rear'd from thy quarries, o'er the river sweep
Bridges high-arch'd, and palaces aspire:
While here thy strong-limb'd sons their harvests reap.
They too are saved from vice and error's flood;
Warn'd by the light of truth: for Wesley's lyre
And Brackenbury's accents bade them weep,
And turn from sin to serve the living God.

JOHN W. THOMAS.

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