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public to lend assistance, especially as the Society has nothing to trust to but voluntary contributions.

June 2.- Anniversary of the Charity Children.—According to annual custom, the Charity Children, of both sexes, educated by voluntary subscriptions in the metropolis, attended at St. Paul's Cathedral for divine service. All the principal streets leading to that majestic temple, at ten o'clock, became so much crowded, as to be rendered almost impassable, Shortly after ten o'clock, the children belonging to the different institutions commenced arriving at the Cathedral, ranged two and two abreast, each school being distinguished by different banners, and headed by their teachers and governesses, accompanied by the parish beadles in their liveries, and with their staves. The seats were under the great dome, and rose one bench above another to a great height. The usual psalms and anthems were sung by the choir, the children, to the amount of about six thousand, joining in the chorusses.

Charge of Fraud.—Marlborough-street.-Yesterday Isadore Madox was brought before Mr. Roe, the sitting magistrate, having represented himself as Captain of a French vessel from India, and in that assumed character stating that he was recommended by two ladies of fashion, having obtained for two shawls the sum of ten guineas. For one of these, which he said was made of Asbestos, he first asked eighty guineas, which he said was not a third of its value, and, for the other, ten; but he afterwards took ten for both. On an honest shopkeeper being consulted, it was discovered that the pretended India Shawls were of very inferior English manufacture. He was taken into custody, The honest tradesman attended before the magistrate yesterday, and being sworn, said, that both shawls were of British manufacture, that which was said to be of Asbestos, was not worth 7s. The other, which was the best of the two, was worth about 15s,

The prisoner, in his defence, said, that if the shawls were not India manufacture, he had himself been grossly imposed upon, for he had purchased them of a foreign captain as such, and paid a very long price for them. He was remanded, as

it is expected that there are several similar charges against him.-How many people, who think they have made great bargains by smuggling, are taken in!-Honesty is the best policy; to say no more of it.

Society of Arts.-The annual distribution of the prizes bestowed by the Society for the encouragement of Arts, Manufactures, and Commerce, took place at the King's Theatre, in presence of an immense assemblage of ladies and gentlemen. There were one hundred and seventeen prizes bestowed, nearly one-half of which were received by females.

Many of the inventions for which premiums were adjudged, were exhibited, and excited considerable approbation. Upon presenting the large silver medal, and a purse containing fifty guines, to Mr. J. Roberts, St. Helen's, for 'his apparatus to enable persons to breathe in air loaded with smoke and other suffocating vapours, the Duke of Sussex observed, that the individual to whom this reward was adjudged was a man in indigent circumstances-a miner. His Royal Highess said it gave him peculiar pleasure to present this premium to such an individual, as it proved that no condition of life was too humble to entitle the possessor of talent to public honour and reward, when that individual directed the energies of his mind to the public good.

Mr.W.Salisbury, of Brompton,was rewarded with a medal, for his communications respecting the material used in Tuscany, for fine plat, of which the Leghorn bonnets are fabricated. The imitation of Leghorn bonnets has been for several seasons a subject of research, both here and in Ireland, and it is stated in the Report of the Irish Peasantry Society, that a person was sent to Cabir, in Tipperary, to establish this manufactory, whose professed view was to import straw from Italy, and have it manufactured; this was early in 1823. That Society have now printed their Report, in which it is stated, that 300/. worth of straw were consequently brought to Waterford. In the mean time straw of the same species was found growing on the Galty mountains, within two miles of the site of this intended manufactory, and a bonnet was made thereof at Bandon, more closely resembling the true Leghorn than any hitherto exhibited. The children who made it received the rewards, Nos. 33 and 34.

Why need we send to Italy for a material that grows plentifully in Ireland?

The Canadian chiefs, and the Grecian youths, who are now educating in this country, were present at this interesting exhibition, and appeared much pleased with the proceedings.

TO CORRESPONDENTS.

We have received P. P. G.; A Herefordshire Servant ; A Constant Reader; à Paper on the advantages of Industry; I. C.; K. B.; and some Selections from different Authors.

S. M. E. is not disturbed without reason. We shall consider the subject. The discussion of it would, we fear, be likely to lead to a controversy, which we wish to avoid. F. S. E. shall be attended to.

A. Z., and other communications, were sent to the Printer, but were obliged to be postponed till next month.

THE

Cottager's Monthly Visitor.

AUGUST, 1825.

*

(Continuation of Reflections on Joshua xxiv. 15.) "As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord."

We have already briefly considered these words as they regard our individual duty to serve the Lord: there is yet another point of view in which I wish to press them on your attention. I allude to the declaration of Joshua, that not he only, but his house also should serve the Lord.

We are each of us individually called to the practice of personal holiness; it is our first concern to be ourselves the servants of the Lord, to work out our own salvation; but our duty does not stop here; we must have a tender concern for the spiritual good of others; we must strive to engage them also in the same service, on which we have ourselves entered. In a more peculiar manner is this duty incumbent on us towards those whom Providence hath specially committed to our care,our children, our servants, and all those who are in any way members of our families. It is written, "If any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith," (hath by his actions dishonoured that religion, which, with his lips, he may profess), and thus" is * Page 241.

worse than an infidel." If this be true of our negligence to provide them" with the meat that perisheth," surely we are much more bound to deal out to them, according to our measure, that " meat which endureth unto everlasting life."

There are many passages of Holy Scripture, which plainly enforce our religious obligations towards those of our own house, and set forth the blessed effects which attend our faithful discharge of this duty. We have the warning example of Eli, whose house was severely visited because, though himself a righteous servant of the Lord, "his sons made themselves vile, and he restrained them not." We may learn from this, that we are not to allow of sin in those over whom we have authority. If they go astray, we are "in anywise to rebuke them that we bear not sin for them," that the guilt of that sin, which our rebuke might have prevented, lie not at our door. We learn also, that a slight reproof will not hold us acquitted of this duty-Eli had mildly reasoned with his sons" why do ye such things? Nay, my sons, for it is no good report that I hear;" but he restrained them not" he did not exert that power over them, which, as a parent, he ought to have possessed, to restrain them from sin.

We will now turn to the encouraging instances set before us of the blessing which attends our fulfilment of this duty. They are very numerous, but I will confine myself to that of Abraham, the Father of the Faithful. The Lord Himself bears this memorable testimony to him, and assigns this as the reason why the promised blessing should descend to his seed, "for I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the Lord to do justice and judgment:" not only shall he lead them aright, while he is over them; but he shall so "train them up in the way they should go," that when he is no more they shall not depart from

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it." The Law of God shall be written in their hearts, and their footsteps shall not slide.

Our fallen nature does not, of itself, incline to that which is good. We have need then of holy teaching to instruct us what our duty is, to shew us our inability of ourselves to do it, and to lead us to Him who can and will make our darkness light, and our crooked ways straight.

In the word of God, our duty is laid down in terms so plain, that he who runs may read, and in terms as plain we are commanded to teach His statutes "diligently to our children, to talk of them when we sit in our house, and when we walk in the way, when we lie down, and when we rise up." "Precept must be upon precept, line upon line," we must not grow weary in the work; it must be our daily task

Many among you, perhaps, will exclaim "who is sufficient for these things?" We are unlearned ourselves, how shall we teach others?

There is a wisdom that cometh from God," dis4tinct from all worldly learning. "He giveth it to all men liberally: ask of Him, and it shall be given you as largely as you ask." You all have, or may have, your Bibles to go to.-St. Paul, writing to his youthful disciple Timothy, reminds him of the high privilege he had enjoyed," that from a CHILD he had known the Holy Scriptures, which were able to make him wise unto salvation." He exhorts him to continue in the things he had learned, and had been assured of, knowing of whom he had learned them;" he rejoices over the unfeigned faith that is in him, which dwelt first in his grandmother Lois, and in his mother Eunice:" thus plainly tracing back from generation to generation the fruits of holy teaching. We are not told of this family that they were rich, that they were powerful, that they were learned, but that they were pious: