gem of the island, the beautiful church. Never having heard anything of this fine building, we were astonished to find anything so imposing towering over the small dwellings of the fishermen and shopkeepers. It is a cruciform structure, built in the style of the transition from Norman to Early English, and consists of a nave and aisles, transepts, tower, and chancel, and contains free seats for nine hundred people. The history of it is very touching:-Some years ago Colonel Le Mesurier, hereditary governor of Alderney, married a lady whose virtues and acquirements rendered her not only a blessing to her husband but also to the island. Their union was a happy one, and only one thing disturbed their felicity, namely, the absence of offspring. After thirteen years, it at last pleased Heaven to send them two sons; and overjoyed at the success of their prayers, the worthy parents established a school, projected a new church, and dedicated their youngest son, afterwards the Reverend John Le Mesurier, to God's more peculiar service, by bringing him. up with the idea of entering holy orders. They did not live to carry out their plans, but their second son survived his brother, and this church is the monument of his zeal for God's service and his respect for his parents' wishes.

This is the modern poem I alluded to. The ancient one is as follows: In the early days of the Gospel, St. Magloire was head. of the monastery of Sark. Sad tales reached him of the rapine and lawlessness committed by the wreckers of Alderney, and often, as he stood on the coast of his own quiet island and looked at the blue line of the less favored shore, he sighed heavily and longed with all his soul to convert the savages who inhabited it from the error of their ways. At last he fixed upon a suitable instrument.

A monk called Vignal was renowned in the monastery for the austerity of his life and for the strength of his will. Upon him did St. Magloire fix to carry the news of salvation to the unquiet islanders, and by him, without hesitation, was the dangerous mission accepted. And in truth it needed no slight bravery to encounter perils like these. A little time before, a Spanish ship laden with treasure, with noble knights and ladies, was sailing one tempestuous night near those rugged shores; amid the darkness and the howling of the storm she struck upon the Casket rocks. Straining their eyes to watch the slowly-coming dawn, the fearful passengers to their great joy at last beheld a crowd of boats approaching the wreck, to which they clung in their agony. But their hearts sunk. within them as they perceived the crews to consist of barbarians, whose faces betrayed no compassion for their lot. These savages swarmed up the sides of the wreck and soon pillaged it of every valuable; whilst the unarmed passengers hoped against hope that when their greed was satisfied they would save the lives of those on board. And for a moment these hopes seemed likely to be realized. The savages beckoned the Spaniards to their boats, and seated them.

in groups of two or three to each boat. But instead of landing them in safety, they rowed them far from the wreck, and dropped them one by one into deep water. By some means one little child managed to escape observation, and landing amongst the savages when they returned ashore, disappeared amongst the rocks. But there was no escaping his awful doom: he was soon traced and discovered, a little grave was dug, and in it the poor boy was laid, sand was shovelled over him, stones were pressed down upon it, and deaf to his smothered cries, which the fishermen say are still heard far away, the persecutors left him to his fate. This tale and many more were repeated to Vignal, but did not deter him from his purpose. Faith and valor are alike in all ages, and his history bears a remarkable resemblance to that of our own Samuel Marsden, who bravely landed in New Zealand and passed the night amongst the cannibals who had eaten his companions. During fifty years the Church he planted has flourished to such an extent that four bishops and a numerous staff of clergy are all too little to continue the work one poor Missionary began, and in the remote isle of Alderney a splendid church, and a God-fearing population, alike testify to the labors of the recluse of Sark. Two men accompanied the latter on his voyage, and after a quiet passage they entered the little bay, and, like the Spanish wreck, were immediately surrounded by boats filled with fierce-looking men. Some invisible hand, however, appeared to hold back their ferocity, for they gazed wonderingly upon the audacious strangers and allowed them to land in peace. Vignal fell down upon the strand and prayed that Heaven would bless his purpose; then bearing the sacred sign of our redemption, he and his two companions marched on singing a solemn litany. The holy strain attracted the barbarians, and they soon gathered round the monks, looking on them with a hushed awe, while Vignal began to preach. With a clear and ringing voice he declared to them the tidings of salvation. Stern faces bowed in prayer, while tears flowed freely, as the message reached their hearts, and ere long Christian doctrines were received and Christian rites were celebrated. Since this, the inhabitants seem always to have been a gentle and tractable race, and to have received kindly those who came to do them good. At the time of the Reformation they were entirely neglected by the English Church, and fell into the hands of French Calvinists, who had pastoral charge of the island for some time, when St. Vignal was dethroned from his position as patron saint of the island and St. Ann substituted in his stead,-why, I know not. In 1818, to their great joy, an English Bishop visited the islanders; and in 1850, the Bishop of Winchester consecrated this new church of St. Ann. It is a great pity the Channel Islands should not have a bishop of their own, for at present their ecclesiastical organization is miserably deficient. Dr. Adam Clarke visited Alderney and had an enthusiastic welcome from the islanders, who were with difficulty

induced to allow him to depart, and John Wesley preached with great success on the quay of Bray Harbour.

The old church, a small, mean building, has been removed, but the tower still stands, and bears on its ancient front the town clock. Passing it, we continued our walk through the town, and saw herds of the far-famed Alderney cows hanging about its outskirts ready to be milked. These, sometimes called Alderney, sometimes French, and sometimes Guernsey cows, are generally tethered in the fields, and are milked three times a day. We extended our walk into the country, and came out upon flat ground without hedges, and with hardly a tree to be seen,-but all seemed cared for and cultivated with pains. It may not be generally known that, before the militia was established, the island was guarded by women during the absence of the fishermen; and their costume, which then partly consisted of bright scarlet cloaks and white caps, often struck terror into the hearts of hostile seamen, and caused them to be mistaken for military. These women kept up large watch-fires, and were in all respects an efficient guard.

1

We returned to the harbour by the sea-shore, passing beautiful rocky promontories, where the waves roared with that deep and melancholy sound Pollok must have heard when he spoke of

"The grand eternal bass of Nature's anthem,"

so different to the conventional watering-place regular beat of the tide upon a smooth and sandy beach. On one of the outlying rocks provisions always used to be placed in a cave, so that those who might chance to be wrecked there should not deem it an inhospitable shore; but somehow or other these provisions used daily to disappear, and it was discovered that hungry fishermen occasionally resorted there and played the same trick naughty Norwegian boys do to Necken.

up

the

A violent thunderstorm took place during the night, and the next morning there was so little wind that we thought we should have been unable to get under way. Before noon a light breeze sprang up, and what there was of it was fair, but soon the sun burnt wind, and we remained in sight of the Caskets all day. Towards sunset we suspected a squall was coming on from the dead silence which reigned in the forecastle, and the attitude of the men, who crowding together like so many great bears, with their shoulders up to their ears and their eyes fixed on the horizon, were listening and watching, as if they expected something exciting. "In squaresail" was the first thing, of course, and then the vessel was prepared to meet the enemy, which appeared in the form of an array of heavy black clouds. No fresh milk next morning, alas! We were rolling along beautifully under squaresail somewhere near St. Alban's Head.

The heights near Swanage, and the great white cliffs called "Old Tarry and his wife," were passed and admired; then came the long,

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66

low, reddish line of coast, so dear to geologists, by Christchurch, Bournemouth, &c., and then our old friends the Needles (when you get outside them, you are indeed regularly sewn up," as a witty friend of mine once observed,) their white and jagged summits crowned by flights of screaming sea-birds.

E. H. M.

VIII. THE SIXTH ANNUAL EXHIBITION OF THE SOCIETY OF FEMALE ARTISTS.

THIS Society has again to be congratulated on a steady advance in the merits of the pictures exhibited; an advance all the more marked in the absence of many exhibitors of established reputation. Why, we would ask, are Miss Gillies, Mrs. Elizabeth Murray, Madame Bodichon, Mrs. Benham Hay, Miss Osborne, Mrs. Lee Bridell, Miss Solomon, and several others, unrepresented? Surely there must be something wrong in its very organization when these ladies, some of them acknowledged leaders in their several departments of art, take no place either as members or exhibitors in the Society of Female Artists.

Amidst much which is promising and some excellent, Miss Louise Rayner, and a name new we think, Mrs. Hussey, take prominent places. Miss Rayner has seven pictures in the present exhibition, in oils and body-color, all vigorous and forcible, and evincing careful study and free handling. (46) "Rosslyn Chapel," a large oil painting, is especially bold and vigorous; there is a peculiarity in the texture of the paint, and the way in which it is laid on, to which we are not surprised to find exception taken, and the same may be said more or less of the remaining six pictures. The effect produced is unquestionably vigorous and real; how far it is altogether legitimate, or how far the thick layers of body-color in some will stand the test of time, are questions we leave Miss Rayner to ponder and solve. (130) "West Bow, Edinburgh," is an admirable piece of street-painting and perspective, a really masterly picture, so also is (169) Head of the West Bow," and (177) "The Vicar's Chapel, Wells." If, in the exhibition of last year, Miss Rayner somewhat disappointed her admirers, she has amply made amends in this, and we may look for rapid progress at the hands of this vigorous and industrious artist.

Mrs. Hussey's pictures, six in number, are chiefly water-colors. (12 and 13), "Views in the Isle of Wight," (27) "Twilight," (60) "Cottages at Studlam, Dorset," are treated with a depth and fervor of feeling which evinces the true artistic feeling in the painter, and appeals at once to the imagination of the spectator; they are very charming and poetical pictures. Mrs. Dundas Murray has a very

SIXTH ANNUAL EXHIBITION OF FEMALE ARTISTS.

44 clever oil painting, (35) "Grève de Lecq, Jersey," which makes one long for summer and the coast; and a spirited suggestive picture, (86) "The Bass Rock, Frith of Forth-approaching storm." A Mrs. R. exhibits three pictures. (101) "Rock in Jersey,' is of a very high order of merit; Turnersque as it is in effect, there is no servile imitation; and its freedom and grace of handling, and its poetical rendering, make it one of the most noticeable pictures in the collection. E. V. B., the Hon. Mrs. Boyle, has an exquisite sepia drawing, of "The Angels adoring the Infant Christ," which is replete with chaste beauty and grace.

(135) "A Border Peel Tower-Moonlight," by Miss Lucy Archer, is a clever picture treated in an original manner. We shall hope to see more from this lady's pencil.

Miss R. Swift has six pictures, of which (57), "Escape of Grotius from Löwenstein," is the most noticeable. It is a large and carefully painted picture, but wants interest.

"A Study of Color" (65), by Florence Peel, is rich in effect, but why are the leaves of the roses so massive? There are two small pictures of strawberries, one by a French artist, Mdlle. Delion, (88,) and the other by Mrs. Withers, (191,) inimitably painted. "The British Queen and Keen's Seedling" of the latter lady are perfectly fragrant. We see the same price, ten guineas, is affixed to each, and certainly there is honorable competition between them. Mrs. Withers has also a very carefully elaborated and highly-finished painting, (146) "Study of Garden Rock-work, with Robin and Nest."

Mrs. Backhouse's (154) "Beginning Life," and (198) "A Year in Place," are full of life and enjoyment. The cheery little face in both pictures is irresistible. (8) "Rose Bradwardine asking Edward Waverley to construe a difficult passage in Tasso," by Miss Justine Deffell, is a picture of considerable pretension and merit. A little more strength, and a little less conventionality, and it would take a higher rank than can be awarded to it as it is. Mrs. T. J. Thompson, whose name is, we think, new to us, has an "Evening at Genoa," which, for the atmospheric sunset effects of that glorious climate, deserves high praise. The figure on the terrace would have been better omitted.

Miss G. Swift's (73) "Shrimpers waiting for the Tide," is clever, but too clean and conventional.

We must not omit to mention a small picture, easily overlooked, but a true study of nature, by Miss Townsend, (92) "Day before Rain-November."

Miss Gastineau has several pictures, all of which bespeak her master, whose peculiar excellence of finish his daughter nearly approaches.

Miss Lance has a fruit-piece, (180,) with much of the rich coloring and fine texture of her father. A successful career lies before this artist, if only she prove true to her art.