"The day of the funeral being arrived, chests of cypress, one for each tribe, were drawn in carriages." Cypress wood is particularly durable. It is said to resist the worm, moth, and all kinds of putrefaction, and to last for several hundred years. Our own Weever, in his " Funeral Monuments," ascribes the durability of Egyptian coffins to their having been made of cypress; and Horace likewise mentions the "hateful cypress,' as peculiarly adapted to funereal purposes. The Athenian people, for the more convenient administration of justice, and other objects, were divided into ten tribes. These afterwards increased to twelve. "These carriages contained the bones of all that belonged to each particular tribe. An empty bier also, with a pall over it, was borne in the procession in honour of those who were missing, who could not be found at the collecting of the slain. Any citizen or stranger that chose it might attend the funeral. Women also, who were related to the deceased, were present at the sepulchre, as mourners." Before this time, and during the sway of Solon, women were rarely allowed to be present at funerals, and only those who were above sixty years of age. As is now the custom anong the Turks and other eastern nations, the female sex, among the Greeks, were almost entirely excluded from society. The degree of civilization which a nation has attained, may generally be estimated from the consideration shown to the female sex. "The remains" of the dead "were then deposited in a public monument, situated in the handsomest outparts of the city." This was called Ceramicus: it was the public burialground at Athens, and contained various national edifices. "In this were constantly interred all that died in war, except the men of Marathon. For them, on account of their extraordinary valour, a tomb was erected on the spot. The rites of sepulture being ended, a person selected by the state, highly esteemed for his wisdom, and of superior nature and dignity, pronounced over them a suitable pane this manner they buried them. Over those who perished in the first campaign, Pericles, the son of Xantippus, was chosen to speak. And at the proper time coming forth from the monument, and ascending an elevated tribunal, made for the purpose, that the most distant parts of the crowd might hear him, he addressed them." Pericles was at that time at the head of the government of Athens, and was highly distinguished for his rank, taste, and eloquence. Few men have ever surpassed this illustrious personage in those talents and qualifications which constitute the statesman. As a public speaker, and as having a most refined taste in architecture, music, painting, and poetry, few are comparable to him. He died of the plague which almost depopulated Athens in the third year of the Peloponnesian war, and not long after he had pronounced the eloquent eulogy on his countrymen, to which reference has already been made. London. DIDYMUS SECUNDUS. DIVINITY OF CHRIST. I CANNOT find, in the lively oracles, a single distinctive mark of Deity, which is not applied, without reserve or limitation, to the only-begotten Son. "All things whatsoever the Father hath, are his." Who is that mysterious WORD, that was "in the beginning, with God?" Who is the " Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, the first and the last, the Almighty?" Who is he that "knows what is in man," because he searches the deep and dark recesses of the heart? Who is the Omnipresent, that has promised, "Wherever two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them?" the light of whose countenance is, at the same moment, the joy of heaven, and the salvation of earth? who is encircled by the seraphim on high, “and walks in the midst of the golden candlesticks ?" who is in this assembly; in all the assemblies of his people; in every worshipping family; in every closet of prayer; in every holy heart? "Whose hands have stretched out the replenished them with inhabitants, and garnished them with beauty, having created all things that are in both, "visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers?" By whom "do all things consist?" Who is the "Governor among the nations, having on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, King of kings, and Lord of lords?" Whom is it the Father's will that "all men should honour, even as they honour himself?" Whom has he commanded his angels to worship? whom to obey? Before whom do the devils tremble? Who is qualified to redeem millions of sinners from the wrath to come, and preserve them by his grace to his everlasting kingdom? Who raiseth the dead, "having life in himself to quicken whom he will," so that at his voice "all who are in their graves shall come forth;" and death and hell surrender their numerous and forgotten captives? Who shall weigh in the balance of judgment the destinies of angels and men? dispose of the throne of paradise? and bestow eternal life? Shall I submit to the decision of reason? Shall I ask a response from heaven? Shall I summon the devils from their "chains of darkness?" The response from heaven sounds in my ears,―reason approves, and the devils confess,-This, O Christians, is none other than the Great God, our Saviour! Indeed, the doctrine of our Lord's divinity is not, as a fact, more interesting to our faith, than, as a principle, it is essential to our hope. If he were not " the true God," he could not be "eternal life." When, pressed down by guilt, and languishing for happiness, I look round for a deliverer, such as my conscience, and my heart, and the word of God assure me I need ; insult not my agony by directing me to a creature, to a man, a mere man like myself! A creature! a man! My Redeemer owns my person. My immortal spirit is his property. When I come to die, I must commit it into his hands. My soul, my infinitely precious soul, committed to a mere man! become the property of a mere man! I would not thus entrust my body to the highest angel who burns in the temple above. It is only the be their refuge in the hour of transition from the present to the approaching world. In short, my brethren, the divinity of Jesus is, in the system of grace, the sun to which all Its parts are subordinate, and all their stations refer; which binds them in sacred concord, and imparts to them their radiance and vigour. Take from it this central luminary, and the glory is departed; its holy harmonies are broken; the elements rush to chaos; the light of salvation is extinguished for ever.-Dr. Mason. ANECDOTE OF JOHN HOWARD. DURING his stay at Vienna, Howard was introduced to the Queen of Hungary, and had the honour of dining with her on some public occasion, when the nobles of her court and the foreign ambassadors were her guests. A circumstance also occurred at Vienna, which strongly evinces his love of truth, and the fearlessness of his character in speaking it, at all times and in all companies. Dining one day at the table of Sir Robert Murray Keith, our ambassador at the Austrian court, the conversation turned upon the torture, when a German gentleman observed, that the glory of abolishing it in his own dominions belonged to His Imperial Majesty. "Pardon me," said Mr. Howard, "His Imperial Majesty has only abolished one species of torture, to establish in its place another more cruel; for the torture which he abolished lasted at the most a few hours; but that which he has appointed lasts many weeks, nay, sometimes years. The poor wretches are plunged into a noisome dungeon, as bad as the black hole at Calcutta, from which they are taken only if they confess what is laid to their charge." "Hush!" said the ambassador, "your words will be reported to His Majesty." "What!" replied he, "shall my tongue be tied from speaking truth by any King or Emperor in the world? I repeat what I asserted, and maintain its veracity." Deep silence ensued, and every one present admired the intrepid 14 THE FEMALE CHARACTER. FERSONAL piety forms the distinguished excellence of the female character. "Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain; but the woman that feareth the Lord, she shall be praised." The virtues to which we have alluded are the glory of a woman, but piety constitutes the crown of her glory. I speak not of that piety which exists only in name, but of that which has its seat in the heart; which subdues the native alienation of the mind to God and holiness; which transforms and new-creates the soul; and which concentrates its faculties, and concentrates them for ever, upon the living God as its portion. Religion in woman, as well as in man, is not only of "the operation of God," but the result of reflection, comparison, and choice, and consists in a cheerful and happy renunciation of all the heart holds dear, for Jesus Christ, and of every opposing interest for his kingdom and glory. And this is her distinguished excellence.. Let the fear of God, and the love of Jesus Christ, control her domestic virtues; let the humility, patience, faith, hope, charity, and resignation of the Gospel, become interwoven with her personal accomplishments, and sweeten and govern her conduct; and how lovely is such a woman! It has frequently been remarked, "that pious women are not only more numerous, but more pious, than pious men." In a woman, piety is more apt to be uniform and persevering, amid multiplied obstacles, and accumulated discouragements. And if she possesses large measures of grace, her religion will be more ardent, than the religion of the other sex. Such were Hannah, Elizabeth, Mary, and Anna; and such have been a multitude of others, of whom the world was not worthy. If woman was first in transgression, she is most lovely in her penitence. If she was first in her infidelity, she is most faithful in her attachment; "last at his cross, and earliest at his grave." Hers is the piety which purifies the heart, and overcomes the world. Hers is the piety which raises the eye and heart to God; which consecrates to him those ardent affections, that youth; and renounces for him the pride of life. Hers is the piety which urges to |