clerk was so hardly pressed in the argument that he became enraged, and threw the Bible away. Mr. Roe took it up, and kept it for his future arguments with the people, giving them Scripture out of the priest's own Bible. A very remarkable proof of the character of these Headford converts was given in the season of my visit. Messrs. Lockhart and Rinolfi, an Oxford pervert and an Italian priest, had made a pilgrimage through these western villages, for the purpose of withstanding the effect of the Protestant missions to the Roman Catholics. They came to Headford to hold an out-door meeting for this purpose. The Protestant clergymen of Headford published an account of this missionary visit among their converts. In this they say, in reference to the congregations at the church:

"The Sunday congregations have so increased within the last three years, that those in the morning are twice as large as what they formerly were, and those in the evening are much larger than what the mornings used to be. To meet this, a gallery sufficient to accommodate sixty persons had to be erected, though the church previously was too large for those who were accustomed to assemble within it.

"Among the most regular attendants on the means of grace, were the converts, who are principally trades-people and farmers.

"The respectable bearing, and, above all, the devout attention of these people, and the congregation generally, often struck visitors, and favorably impressed even the most captious.

"To promote this desirable movement, controversial lectures were held in the church, and classes in the curate's house—both of which were frequented by anxiously-inquiring Roman Catholics. The daily schools also were well attended by Romish children; indeed, they constituted nearly one half of the scholars. The Irish teachers also had a large number of pupils; so that, under God, the clergy had succeeded in bringing under direct Scriptural instruction two hundred out of the five or six hundred Roman Catholics in the town of Headford. The most strenuous efforts of the local priests failed to stop this hallowed work, by trying to evoke the evil spirit of discord. Roman Catholics and Protestants, nevertheless, lived as neighbors, and good feeling existed between both parties in the town and its vicinity. The readers could go out into the country unmolested, and had access into three fourths of the Romish houses. The enemy could not be expected to remain much longer inactive, or leave their cause to the energy of the parish priests, who had totally failed in repressing the movement. Dr. MacHale seemed impressed with the necessity of bringing in extraordinary assistance, and making a bold effort to regain his lost position. He accordingly had it an

nounced on the 10th of April, in the several chapels about Headford, and also those of the neighboring towns, 'that the Rev. Messrs. Lockhart and Rinolfi, missionary-priests, well known in Ireland, would, on the 1st of May, open a special mission in Headford, to bring back those of the Church of Rome who had lapsed, and confirm those who still adhered to her communion.' As this was the first visit of these gentlemen to Headford, their mission was looked forward to by both parties with considerable interest and expectation."

The account of all the discussions and interviews between the Roman Catholic "missioners," as they were called by their own people, and the clergy of the parish, is too long for insertion. The result of the effort was just what I traced subsequently in other places, as the issue of all attempts to arrest this remarkable movement of reformation.

"It was from the mission of this Mr. Lockhart that extraordinary results were expected by the Church of Rome. Archbishop MacHale promised to come in person to gather the anticipated fruits. The lapsed were invited to return and apply for reädmission into the Church at the hands of this dele-gate of a foreign bishop. Accordingly, it was announced that Dr. MacHale would, at the close of the mission, on Sunday, the 8th of May, hold a con-firmation and a reception of the lapsed in the general burial-ground of Headford, amid the ruins of the old Roman Catholic church of St. Ferseus, Kilurse. This was done in order to revive, if possible, all by-gone prejudices. The spirits of their departed relatives, over whose graves they were to assemble, were to be invoked to bear witness to the renewal of their baptismal vow, and the registry of a promise of eternal fidelity to the Church of Rome. A platform was erected in the church-yard, and decked out in the most striking manner. People from a circuit of fifteen miles were summoned to witness the imposing spectacle. Archbishop MacHale himself appeared, gorgeously attired, and full of expectation of a fruitful harvest. But lo! amid the hundreds which thronged from all the neighboring towns, in addition to those from Headford and its vicinity, not one single convert was among them to ask reädmission into that Church which was abandoned because of its lamentable apostasy from 'the faith once delivered to the saints!'

"This mission not only thus gloriously FAILED in recovering the lapsed, but also was unproductive in reviving the spirit of Romanism in those who still adhered. The correspondent of the Evening Freeman says that six thousand persons were present on the occasion; but of this large number only three hundred and fifty (!) came forward for confirmation. Dr. MacHale's address on this day was violent to the utmost degree; indeed, he told the people 'to hate the converts and Protestant missionaries, and to regard them in the same light as they would the man who should seduce his neighbor's wife, or steal his goods.'"

VOL. II.-7.

This was the state and result of Protestant missions to the Roman Catholics, as I found the work in Headford. Long shall I remember the open kindness and affectionate hospitality which I enjoyed at the rectory there, and the useful and agreeable counsel we took together upon the great interests of the Redeemer's kingdom.

On Monday, I accompanied the Bishop to Galway, where we met the Rev. Messrs. Dallas and Eade, Secretaries of the Irish Church Missions Society, and several other clergymen. Our walk through the town brought its localities to my view. It is a place of great antiquity, and was originally settled by a colony of Spaniards, whose descendants still retain the traces of a Spanish physiognomy, and differ exceedingly in appearance from the general Irish race. The town is situated upon a large and beautiful bay, opening immediately upon the ocean, and appears admirably adapted to commercial enterprise and prosperity. But, like all Ireland, it bears the evidence of centuries of decay. There is one large collegiate church in Galway, the clergy of which are a warden and four vicars. I did not see the interior of the church, however, as the visit was to the "missions" in Galway, and not to the parish. The Rev. Mr. Brownrigg conducted us to the mission-schools. Here the Scripture-readers employed in this mission, and the children of its schools, were assembled to meet the Bishop. We first met eighteen Scripture-readers assembled in one room, to whom the Bishop delivered a short address of paternal counsel and kind encouragement. These readers are exposed to constant persecutions. Nowhere have the poor and ignorant people over whom popery holds its reign of terror, been more excited to violence against the word of God than in this region and neighborhood of Galway. An amusing illustration of this spirit of ignorant hostility occurred in this town but a week before my visit. Three Roman Catholic gentlemen from Dublin arrived there on a journey of their own pleasure, and while walking about the town, distributed some half-pence to the ragged beggars who followed them. Their appearance was so respectable, and their conduct so unusual, that the cry was raised they were "bribing jumpers," (as the new converts from popery are called.) Imme

diately a crowd gathered round them, and yelled after them, and pelted them with stones and dirt, until they were obliged to fly into a house for security. To such acts of hostility the Scripture-readers are constantly exposed. Their daily expectation is to be assaulted in some manner, and the people are constantly urged by the priests to do so. They need, therefore, all the encouragement and support which can be given them in their arduous work. The Bishop's address to them was adapted to do them much good, and it was a grateful sight to witness his affectionate condescension and kindness, as exhibited in this interview.

From this room we proceeded to the mission-schools, which were in the same building. Here were about two hundred youth of both sexes, all converts from popery, in two large and convenient rooms. The school-house has been licensed by the Bishop for public worship, and the missionary holds his regular public services here. The children received the Bishop with their Irish shout, "Cead mille Fahlia!"-"ten thousand welcomes." They were an animated, happy company; but wretched and poor in their outward appearance. The Missionary Society sedulously forbids any donations to them, to lead them to the school, or any rewards to them from its funds. No motive of temporal present gain can be mingled with their reasons for attending. They are in the schools therefore, just as they come from the poverty of their wretched homes, though there are numerous Christian friends who would be glad to clothe them in comfort. This constant aspect of poverty can not fail to excite in the visitor the strongest commiseration. But the attempt to alleviate it, redoubles the charge of "bribing jumpers," and Christian kindness has to yield to Christian prudence, in cutting off occasion from those who seek occasion against its works of love. I am safe in saying, you could scarcely find in any of our Atlantic cities, dozens of such ragged, wretched-looking objects as I saw abounding in hundreds among the popish population of Ireland. I can as truly say, that the very poorest condition in which I have ever seen an Irish family in this country, is in all respects more comfortable and sheltered, than the habitual abodes of misery in which I saw thousands in my tour through

the western parts of Ireland. I believe no other people on earth can present a more wretched and degraded aspect to the eye of a traveller, than that which marks the multitudes of this impoverished and idle population. From them the children of these mission-schools have been mainly gathered. The intense interest with which they learn the Scriptures, and the clear intelligence of them, which they acquire in a few years' instruction, certainly exceed any expectation or belief I could have entertained. To prevent absolute want while at school, each child receives a scanty supply of meal or soup, which has given occasion to another epithet of reproach by which the Papists distinguish the missionaries, "soupers."

The mission-schools in Galway are some of the later efforts of the Society. The children, therefore could not be expected to be so well-informed as some of the others. I examined them, however, in some of the doctrines of Scripture, and was much gratified, and equally surprised, at the knowledge of the truth which they displayed.. I will only select a few of the many questions and answers, in my various examinations of these mission-schools from the accurate and abundant notes which I took at the time. In these Galway schools, I questioned the girls on the way of salvation. Their answers were immediate and very distinct. "What is the way of salvation?" Answer, by one: "Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved;" by another, "I am the way, the truth, and the life." "Is there any other way?" Answer. “There is no other name under heaven given among men, whereby we may be saved." "What is salvation?" Ans.-"To be saved from sin, and death, and eternal punishment." "Who saves us?" Ans.-" the Lord Jesus Christ. The blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth from all sin." After they had well described the work of the Saviour and of the Holy Spirit, in our salvation, I asked them: "Where do we learn about Christ?" Ans." In the word of God." "What is the word of God?" Ans.-" All Scripture is given by inspiration of God;" by another, "Holy men of old spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost." "What do you mean by inspiration?" Ans. by one.-"The Holy Ghost filled their minds ;" by another, "The Holy Ghost told them the words to write."