RELIGION OF THE ANCIENT | heathen religion, and a great num BRITONS. THE DRUIDS. No one can tell exactly the origin of the first inhabitants of the British islands which we now call "Great Britain." This we do know, that they came from some part of the East, and spoke a language not unlike the present Irish or Scotch Gaelic; they wore very long hair, and had scarcely any clothing, except a few things made from the skins of beasts; and they had their own skins marked and painted with curious figures, something like the Red Indians and the South Sea Islanders of the present day. The houses they lived in were mere huts made of the boughs of trees, which could be easily removed from place to place. Generally these huts were of a conical form, the roof tapering to a point, and with a hole in the top to let out the smoke. The fire was kindled in the centre, the inhabitants sitting round about it on bundles of rushes which formed both seats and beds. Gradually they became more civilised and their condition improved; but this progress was greatly hindered by continual fighting, for, just as in most barbarous countries now, the people were broken up into numerous tribes, each under its own chief, and they were constantly quarrelling, fighting, and destroying each other. These people-Celts or Kelts as they are called-had a sort of No ber of priests to attend to it. These priests were called Druids. doubt you have heard the name before, and it is about them and their religion we want to tell you some things in this paper. They had great power over the people; they made all the laws, they taught many useful lessons, and did all they could to make the people very brave and heroic. For example, they told them of heaven; but their heaven was a noble island, full of all things glorious and bright and grand-great and powerful warriors, fine horses, splendid war chariots, golden mountains, and crystal rivers. None could expect to get to the golden island but those who possessed magnanimous and heroic qualities. The weak, the timid, and the fearful could never enter there. The Druids were very learned in many things; many of them studied very hard-they were the instructors of the people—but what they called the mysteries of their religion were kept profound secrets, which they said the common people ought not to know, and it was unlawful to commit it to writing. This gave them great power over the people, who regarded them altogether superior beings and held them in awe and veneration. as But many of the doctrines the Druids taught were very bad. Perhaps the worst of these was the offering of human sacrifices. In these horrid rites the priestesses took an active part. The poor we are but imperfectly informed. creatures who became the victims They had no church or temple in were persons infected with in- which to worship; all was done in curable diseases; persons con- the open air, generally in groves of demned to suffer death for their oak trees, for which, with the mislecrimes; captives taken in war; or toe, they had a special reverence. persons who, from some reason or Their "place of worship" was a other, vowed to sacrifice them- circle of large stones, round which selves. But failing all these, poor they walked following the circle of innocent creatures were made vic- the sun. In the centre of this tims. Sometimes large images of circle there was placed a large wickerwork were made and filled stone called a cromlech, or altar, with children and grown persons, supposed to be the stone on which who were all burned alive as an the human sacrifices were offered. offering to some heathen god! In the following sketch of an old There were other forms of offer- Druidical ruin the altar-stone is ing human sacrifices, about which the only thing complete. The long dark groove in the stone they had a famous college, to which is believed to be the place where the body of the victim was laid, and the five deep oblong holes the receptacles for the blood! When the Romans invaded Britain the Druids began to lose their influence and power. At a place called Mona or Anglesea, in Wales, young priests came from all parts to be instructed in the mysteries of Druidism. It became at last a refuge for the persecuted priests, for the Romans saw they never could bring the Britons into subjection until they destroyed the power of the Druids. So, in the About year of our Lord, 61, Suetonius land for more than a year. determined to invade Mona and this time last year, Mr. Taylor destroy the college and the Druids. returned to China on board the He had a number of ships made ship "Lammermuir," taking with with flat bottoms, as the shore was him a number of male and female steep; in these he took over the evangelists. Two spheres of lainfantry, and the cavalry followed, bour were open to them during swimming and floating the horses their passage out, which is geneas best they could. On the shore rally about four months. One was stood a group of armed men, and their learning, as far as they could women were running up and down, by the help of Mr. Taylor, the ru dressed in black garments, their diments of the Chinese language, hair dishevelled, and torches in and the other was the spiritual their hands. The Druids also were welfare of the 26 or 30 sailors comthere, lifting up their hands and posing the crew of the "Lammeruttering dreadful execrations. But muir." In this latter work their the Romans rushed upon them, efforts were remarkably blessed. broke down their altars, overthrew their sacred groves, and the priests and priestesses, together with the buildings, were consumed in the flames. Some of the ruins are yet to be seen at Mona. From this blow the Druids never recovered their power in Britain. "Every plant which my Heavenly Father hath not planted shall be rooted up." The Gospel has made our country great; but of this we cannot speak now. Reader, be thankful to God that you did not live in England in the days of the Druids. THE SAILORS ON BOARD THE "LAMMERMUIR." MANY friends of our own China Mission know the Rev. J. Hudson Taylor, who pleaded the cause of China so earnestly throughout Eng About two months after they sailed, Mr. Taylor, writing to a friend in England, says, speaking of the crew, "Twenty have already professed to put on the Lord Jesus Christ since we left our native land. Three others confess to have been believers before sailing, leaving eleven for whose conversion we still pray and labour. I can give you but little idea of the precious answers to prayer we have received, and of the change wrought in some of these dear men. Four of them were Romanists. -now they are resting in the finished work of Jesus, and prizing his precious words. Both the mates and all the four midshipmen are included in the number converted. We hope to see the others brought in ere long-for did we not ask God to gather together a crew to whom he would bless his own Word, befor the men were engaged? and will he 66 not continue to answer prayer as ings with some who would not he has already done? I do wish attend more public ones. Miss you could have been with us some-Desgraz began reading with the times, when we have received spe- four Swedes, Miss Faulding with cial answers to prayer. Our joy the German, Miss Bowyer with the has literally overflowed, and we cook and the South-sea Islander. have wished that our friends at Miss Barnes holds a reading class home knew one-half the blessing for those who wish to learn to read that God has poured out upon us. English, which has been blessed to 'As is often the case, God has the conversion of several; while › singled out some of the men who the other brothers and sisters have seemed most unlikely, and who at taken their part both in private first manifested most opposition to conversations and in the public the Gospel. And those who were meetings. Recently we have com. a terror to the rest of the crew, are menced having a second service i now seated at the feet of Jesus, the saloon on Sunday evenings. clothed, and in their right minds.' The meetings for Scripture-reading Others again, being foreigners, and every evening were commenced in knowing little English, seemed dis- a very small room amidships. couraging cases; but the Lord That proving too small, it was opened their hearts to the truth. removed to a larger. It could not The work has been steadily pro- be held in the forecastle on account gressing. We commenced by having of the opposition of some of the -one service on the Lord's-day men; especially of two very de-. Romanists. morning in the saloon, by Capt. termined characters Bell's permission, at which the men But numbers increased. Six, eight, were invited to be present. A few ten, fifteen, twenty, and more of them came. Then the young persons were present. One of the men commenced a service in the Romanists was converted, and then forecastle, three afternoons in the the other, and began to attend the week--on Sunday, Tuesday, and meetings. The last one held amidThursday. Nor were our sisters ships had about 27 or 28 persons less active. Mary Bell commenced present. Now, however, all the a Bible-class, which soon grew into opposition party had come over to a meeting for reading the Scriptures the Lord's side, and the men themand prayer every night, Mrs. Nicol selves proposed removing to the and others joining with her; some forecastle. The first meeting there were converted, and these meetings was held the night before last; became general, and were com- many of our own number and most monly conducted by Mr. Sell or of the sailors were present. It was myself, while Mary Bell was seek- truly a pleasant sight. Card-playing out and holding private meeting had for some time given place to Bible-reading, and foolish songs to hymns. But now we and they were met-believers, brothers and sisters in Jesus, from various parts of the new and old world, and from the islands of the sea-all journeying towards the same home. Some were seated on their sea-chests, some on planks, some on chairs which had been taken forward, others on various parts of the ship's fittings; while one or two, more than half ashamed to be seen, and yet drawn by something they themselves perhaps did not understand, were hiding behind the capstan, or hanging about the doors. The meeting commenced by singing the hymn 'Come, let us join our cheerful songs with angels round the throne.' Mr. Sell engaged in prayer, and was followed by a converted West Indian, who in broken English poured forth his soul to God. Then the latter part of John xii. and part of John xiii. were read, verse by verse, and conversed about. Another hymn was sung; prayer was offered by one of those present, and Miss Barnes, who had just come in, gave thanks and praise to God for the conversion of one of the men, who had been in the deepest distress for some time, and with whom she had been speaking on the deck, where his duty had detained him. Then one of the sailors asked for, Oh! happy day that fixed my choice,' after singing which, prayer was again offered by one or two, and the meeting was closed by singing the hymn commencing, 'Come, ye: that love the Lord, and let your joys be known,' and then followed such a shaking of hands, and such warm expressions of Christian love, and such mutual exhortations as did one good to see. Truly the Lord is answering wonderfully the prayers of his dear people, who in. England bear us up at the throne of grace. -- “ Thursday, 23rd. We had such a happy meeting again last. night. Another of the men, the second of the four Swedes, had found peace, and three others were seeking Jesus. The first mate, Mr. Brunton, and three of the men,. joined in prayer, and the joy was so great that it was with difficulty that I was able to get the meeting concluded half an hour after the time for doing so had come." In a letter to his mother, Mr. Taylor, speaking of the sailors, says:-"During the Sunday night,. or early on the Monday morning, one of the sailors who had been brought to Jesus was nearly lost overboard. The bowsprit, which projects in an almost horizontal direction in front of the ship, has four sets of ropes supporting it. Some go up to the foremast, some out on each side, and some down under it to what is called the martingale. The ship was lying over when he fell from the jibboom. Instead of falling into the sea, providentially he fell into one of the ropes which run out horizontally on each side of the booms, but which, |