son of the Church to consider what the consequences must sooner or later be, if this state of things go on. The Church of England was never, perhaps, in greater danger than she is at present. Harassed on all sides by increasing sects of Protestant Dissenters, and openly menaced with ruin by the Roman Catholics, it is high time that something like unanimity and zeal for the common cause should prevail among her members. To create this,

however, she must again be placed in such a situation as to enforce the respect of all thinking persons. She must be delivered from the thraldoin into which she is at present cast; nor can any more effectual means be devised for obtaining so desirable an end, than by vesting her once more with the power of legislating in spiritual affairs, for herself. In plain language, RESTORE THE CONVOCATION.

NOT far from the town of, in -shire, where I passed some weeks in the early part of the present summer, is the pleasant village of Halliburn, much resorted to by persons visiting the county, sojourners in the adjacent town-health-hunters, viewhunters, antiquity-hunters, felicityhunters,-Time-killers; in short, to whom anything serves for a lion, and as a point in view for an hour's excursion. But there are really things worth sceing in and about that same village of Halliburn, as those friends can bear witness-those dear fellowview-hunters, in whose company I explored it. They will remember, how, after sundry and various consultations, as to when we should go, and how we should go, and at what time, and for how long, and after consulting the Guide-book, and recalling all we had ever heard reported of this or that place, by such or such a person; and after all talking together for an hour, and each suggesting a different plan, and one premising on the best authority, that such a road was in an impassable state, and a second rejoining, from still better authority, that it was as smooth as a gravel walk-and one prophesying it would rain, and the rest staking their lives that it would not rain-and some proposing to walk, and others to ride-and one voting for a car that would hold all, and another for a brace of donkey-carts-the matter in debate, at last, resolved itself into something of a settled plan, our clashing votes subsiding like a parcel of little frothy waves into one great billow; and it was definitively agreed, that we should go to Halli

burn-that we should dine early and set out early, to enjoy a fine long summer evening in rambling about there with our books and pencils-that we should go in a car, and that we should go that very evening. Don't you remember all this, dear friends of mine?

and how quickly we dispatched our dinner, and how we packed up the pencils and sketch-books?—and how James was sent off for a car, of which description of vehicle, one of us averred there were hundreds to be hired at every corner-and how James was gone a mortal time-and how we called him all sorts of names-" loitering," and "stupid," and “ blind," and what not-and how he came back at last, looking as innocent as a dove, and puffing like a grampus-and how it turned out that there were but two cars in the whole place, and that by superhuman exertions he had at last secured one of them-and how we flew down stairs and found it at the doorand how it was a very odd-looking vehicle! mounted up like a tub upon stilts and how it cocked up so behind, we could hardly scramble inand how, when we were in, we looked at the horse, and did not like him, and then at one another, and did not like each other's looks-and how we went off at last, bang! with such a jerk, as jerked us altogether in a bunch, with our eight hands up in the middle, like four pigeons in a pie—and how we tore down the street like fury, and whisked round the corner like a whirlwind-and how the beast of a horse pranced, and snorted like a griffin— and how one of us vowed he was a griffin, and no mortal horse--and how

another of us was partly of the same opinion-and how we all hated the irregularity of his proceedings, and the jolting, and swinging, and bumping of the tub-and how at last we all attacked the driver, and insisted on getting out-and how we all blest our stars on once more touching terra firma-and how we found out that we had narrowly escaped the fate of Mazeppa, having actually been tied on to the tail of a wild horse, whose proprietor had allotted to us the honour of breaking his spirit, or our own necks.

Out of evil often good proceedethour proud spirits were humbled. We had enough of prancing steeds, and jumping chariots-we had tasted of exaltation, and were satisfied-we had been set up aloft, and were glad to come down again-so with meek minds, and amiable condescension, we entrusted ourselves, deux à deux, to a couple of donkey carts, and off we were once more!-Ours, you know, Lilias! leading the way. And, don't you remember-can you ever forget that blear-eyed goblin, that attended us as a running footman? shuffling along by the side of his donkey, and regaling us, chémin faisant, with his amiable conversation. One of his eyes, you know-the right-with its little rusty tuft of eye-brow, had wandered half-way up into his forehead; the other (leaving a long, black, shaggy eye-brow in its natural place) had dropped down hill (languishingly half closed) towards the left corner of his mouth, which lovingly twitched upwards to meet it half-way; and his nose was puckered down all on one side into the cheek, by a great red and purple seam; and he was all over seamed and speckled with black, red, and purple, for the poor wretch had evidently been blown up and halfroasted some time or other, though never the worse for it when we had first the happiness of beholding him, except in the afore-mentioned trifling disarrangement of physiognomy, at which, for my part, I was so far from conceiving any manner of disgust, that I thought the countenance had more than gained in character and expression, (which is everything you know,) what it had lost in the trifling point, regularity of features. There was something infinitely piquant! something inexpressibly wild and pictu

resque (quite Salvatorish) in the tout ensemble! the whole face had undergone a facequake! and sparks of the volcanic flame were yet visible in the one little ferret eye, that gleamed in his forehead like a live coal, as he ran on beside us, now vehemently exciting his donkey to super-donkeyish exertions, now declaiming to us, with all the fervour of a dilletante guide, on views, antiquities, curiosities, fossils, minerals, snail-shells, and Roman pavements. He was a jewel of a guide! "Take him for all in all, we shall not look upon his like again!"

Well! you remember we alighted (unlighted, as an old lady of my acquaintance used to say,) at the entrance of the village, and there again debate ensued, as to where we should first shape our course. There was the church-a fine old church! to be seen, and perhaps sketched. There was a famous grotto, of which the Guide-book told wonders; and, lastly, there was, within a pretty walk of the church, an old, old house, the oldest in the county, a manor-house, the property of one of the most ancient families in the kingdom, the family of the De la Veres. That venerable mansion was, I believe, the greatest attraction to us all; but, like dainty children, we set it aside for bonne bouche, and decided to begin with the grotto. Strange misgivings erept over us, when we were directed through the village street, to the door of a mean-looking house, and told that was the entrance to "the cool cavern! the mysterious grot !”—and when, instead of a Nymph, a wood or water-nymph, an Oread, a Dryad, or a Hama-dryad, there came forth to greet, and introduce us to the romantic solitude, an old, frightful, painted hag, with her elf-locks bristling out in papers like porcupine quills from under the frills and flappets of a high French cap, and in her ears, (prodigious ears they were!) two monstrous gold rings, that looked like the handles of a copper tea-urn. We shrank back at sight of this Gorgon, but she strutted towards us with her arms a-kimbo, and there was a sinister determination in the tone in which she said to us, "Walk in, ladies, and see the grotto." She looked determined that we should see it, and we looked at her claws and her fierce eyes, and felt she was not a person to be affronted; so, as our

evil stars had led us to the entrance of her den, we submitted to fate, and followed the sylvan goddess-followed her through a dark, dirty, narrow passage, out at a little mean door, into an enclosed back-yard, about forty feet square, divided into four compartments, containing a parterre-a wilderness a castle-and the Grotto! -and over the entrance to this Elysium, was flung a wooden arch, painted sky-blue, whereon it was notified in gold letters, that" the whole was to be seen for the inconsiderable sum of sixpence a-head; moreover, that tea and rolls, and all other refreshments, were furnished on equally reasonable terms." Oh ye Gods!-so we poor innocents had been betrayed into a sixpenny teagarden, and, sure enough-therejust opposite to us-perched upon a grass mound, in the-the-the donjeon keep of the castle, I suppose, sat six merry mortals, in a state of earthly beatitude, their faces shining in the red-hot evening sun like fresh varnished vermilion coach-pannels, swilling tea and negus, and stuffing down hot rolls, bread and butter, and cold ham, with most romantic fervour. We paid our sixpences, and made our retreat as quietly and civilly as possible, having first, to pacify our conductress, poked our noses into the dirty coal-hole, stuck with bits of glass, oyster and periwinkle shells, which she called "The Grotto ;" and you, my dear Lilias, had the complaisance to mount up to the battlements of the castle, (where, by the by, you looked like Sister Anne in Bluebeard,) in compliance with the Gorgon's importunities. To you, therefore, we were indebted for her gracious patronage, when, on inquiring, as we left the enchanted garden, whether strangers were allowed to see Halliburn House, she replied, with a consequential toss of her head, that she was well known there, and that if we applied to the butler in the name of "Madam Simpson of the Grotto," we might be sure of immediate admittance. So much for the first of our three lions; and truly we had obtained sixpennyworth for our sixpence, in the patronage of " Madam Simpson of the Grotto."

Five minutes' walk brought us to the next object in our itinerary, and here no shock awaited us. No human Gorgon-no officious guide-no Madam Simpson, to fling open the low

white wicket, and cry, "Walk in, ladies, for sixpence a-head."

Sole guardians of the gate, two fine old maples arched over it their interwoven boughs; and many others, and several majestic elms, were grouped together, or stood singly, in and about the churchyard. A few cottages, with pretty, neat gardens, were scattered around; and at the further end of a broad, smooth grass-plat, parallel with the churchyard, and separated from it only by a low stone-wall, stood the rectory, a long, low, irregularly shaped building, of common brick, and with a tiled roof, but made picturesque by the rich and mellow colouring of age, and by the porches, pent-houses, and buttresses, the additions of many successive incumbents, and by a noble old vine, that covered the entire front, a great part of the long sloping roof, and had even been trained round one of the gables, up to the very top of a high stack of clustered chimneys.

Behind the church and rectory appeared an undulating sea of foliage, ancient oak and beech, with here and there a graceful feathery birch, glancing and shivering in the sun, like silvery froth above the darker waves ; and beneath those venerable trees, winded away a broad, shady, park-like road, to which a gate opened from the lane that ran along, behind the church and rectory. That road was the more private approach to Halliburn House, the ancient mansion of the De la Veres, and every object in the surrounding scene was, in one way or other, associated with the past or present circumstances of that venerable race. The whole village had, in former times, been a fief of their extensive lordship, and great part of it was still in their possession. The living was in their gift, and had always been held by a younger son of their house, till the branches began to fail about the old family tree. The church had been erected by their pious progenitors, and many succeeding De la Veres had beautified and enlarged it, and added gallery and organ loft, and adorned the chancel with carved and gilded work, and its long window, with painted glass, emblazoned with the twelve Apostles, and with the family escutcheon; and had enriched its altar with pix and chalice of massy embossed silver, and with fine damask napery, and with high branched candlesticks of silver gilt;

still trace the prominent cheek-bones, and the bold martial brow

"Outstretch'd together, are express'd He and my ladye fair, With hands uplifted on the breast, In attitude of prayer: Long-visaged-clad in armour, heWith ruffled arm and boddice, she."

Their heads repose on a tasselled cushion, and a greyhound couches at their feet and on the sides of the tomb-- is it really impossible to make out any part of that long inscription? Surely some words are yet legible here and there-some letters at least. See! that great R is plainand the next letter, i—and all the following ones may be spelt out with a little patience and, lo! the name that was doubtless consigned to immortality-" Sir Richard de la Vere."-And then!-lower down, on that third line, the word " Plan-tagenet"—and then again, “Kg. E-w——,” Edward, surely-and those figures must have designated him IIId of the name, for immediately after, "Cressy" is plainly discernible. And on the shield -what countless quarterings have been here! One may trace the compartments, but no more-and the rich mantle! and the barred helmet! and then-oh, yes-surmounting the helmet, there are the ducal coronet, and the fine ostrich plumes, the noble achievement of the De la Veres, won by that grim knight upon the plain of Cressy-"Requiescat in pace"-Sir Richard de la Vere!

And on this other tomb are also extended two figures, male and female -and theirs is the fashion of a later age. There is the slashed vest, and the bulky, padded shoulders and chest, and the trunk hose, and long pointed shoes, with larger rosettes, of Elizabeth's or James's era.-And the small ruff and peaked beard of the male figure, and the chain, and the great thumb ring-all perfect.-And the lady's little jewelled skull-cap, and monstrous ruff, and hour-glass shape, and the multitudinous plaits of her nether garments.-And on that compartment of the tomb, the shield, with the proud bearings, is visible enough. It hath been emblazoned in colours proper, and patches of gules and azure yet cling to the ground-work, and that griffin's claw is still sheathed in or.—

And the surrounding inscriptions are all legible. In the compartments opposite, are the names of "Reginald de la Vere," and "Dame Eleanor, his wife, the only daughter and heiress of Sir Marmaduke Hepburn." And in the next, and next, and yet another, of three" faire sonnes," who preceded their parents to the grave-and last(here is no vacant space,) of "Agnes de la Vere, their onlye daughter."Ah! yes-the same. See there the end of all things!-Illustrious descentheroic deeds-worldly prosperity-parental hopes-strength, youth, and beauty!" Sic transit gloria mundi."

Look! in that dark corner of the chancel, at the termination of that narrow passage running along from the communion table behind the two monuments, is a low strong iron door, just visible from the family pew. More than half a century hath passed away since that door hath grated on its rusty hinges, but before that period, frequently were its heavy bars removed, and down the narrow stair to which it opens, generation after generation of the De la Veres descended to their "dark house of kindred dead," till no space remained unoccupied in those silent chambers. And it should seem that the extinction of the ancient race drew near, from the time that their sepulchral home, having received the apportioned number for whom its rest was prepared, closed its inexorable doors against their posterity. Certain it is, that from about this time the name has been gradually perishing away from among the rolls of the living, till it rested at last with three persons only, the son and two daughters of the tenth Reginald.

That son was named after his martial ancestor, but the last Richard de la Vere lived and died a man of peace, a widower, and childless; for the wife of his youthful love had been taken from him in the first year of their union, and, from the time of her death, withdrawing from the world and from public life, and well nigh from all neighbourly intercourse, he had lived entirely at the old family mansion with his two unmarried sisters, whose veneration for the last male survivor of their ancient race, as well as their strong affection for him, suffered them not to murmur, even in thought, at the life of total seclusion, which, in all probability, condemned them to one of