that the oral law was given to fence in and secure the written word.'

• Then, it would seem, Christianity is contrary to the Talmud, but not contrary to the oracles of God?'

'Rather, that the Talmud, like a candle, throws light on the subject, and reveals that contrariety to God's law.'

Or, like a false mirror, so distorts both objects, that their beautiful harmony is changed into the most discordant ugliness. I wish, Cohen, that you would ask among your learned men for some Talmudical extracts for instance, the laws of the Mishna, relative to the hallowing of the Sabbath-day, take them with you, and study them on the road. If you like, I can supply you with a volume; but it must be on condition that you show it to a competent judge, and let him tell you whether or not it is a correct transcript of your oral law.'

'I saw such a book on the table last night,' said Alick eagerly; and I will borrow it.'

And let Da Costa read it with you.'

Certainly; but, remember, on the authority of my proper teachers, I receive that book as of divine obligation, unless I find it plainly contrary to scripture, or common sense.'

'Yes: and when you have detected the falsehood of the oral law, when you find how imperative on you is the observance of the ceremonial law, which you cannot keep, and when you have smarted a little under that universal schoolmaster, the moral law, you will come, weary and heavy-laden, to Christ, who alone can deliver you from the curse; justify, sanctify, and ultimately glorify you, by his free grace,' Alick answered not: he lifted his eyes to the Mount

and thought of the words, "How often would I have gathered you!" He then asked for Charley.

Dear little fellow! he was asleep, after praying most earnestly for you. I have great hope of his recovery; but be it life, or be it death, he is the Lord's.'

66

At that moment the Muezzim's loud, monotonous voice broke upon their ear, Prayer is better than sleep there is but one God, and Mahomet is his Prophet." Alick exclaimed, 'Prayer is better than sleep there is but one God alone; and Mahomet is an impostor.'

'Hush!' said Captain Ryan, 'you must not beard the lion in his den.'

The lion in his den, sir! the yelping cur in the lion's den, you mean. The lion! O, Lion of Judah, who shall stir thee up?-when, when wilt thou rouse thyself, and rend in pieces every intruding foe!'

Ah, Cohen; when you know that Lion of the tribe of Judah in his character of the Lamb that was slain, you will bless his long-suffering forbearance, and desire, not the life of that wretched pagan, but his soul.'

'I don't desire any man's life,' said Alick, in a tremor of half-subdued passion: 'but I want our own city, the city of our ancient solemnities, the land that God gave to Abraham and his seed for ever I want them delivered from these defilers, and restored to us, at once the sons and the lords of the soil.'

So do I! and when you acknowledge your King, he will speedily trample underfoot every obstinate enemy.'

May he hasten the day!' exclaimed Alick. His vehemence had, however, attracted the notice of an Egyptian officer, who was narrowly eyeing him; and Captain Ryan drew him away; at the same time telling him that the prayer he had just uttered was more effectual than a thousand armies in bringing about the consummation so ardently longed for. He once more, plainly, earnestly, admonishingly set before him the Gospel: he spoke of the dangers that he was about to brave, the hourly deaths to which he must be exposed, and showed him the insufficiency of his present faith, the vague, unsatisfying nature of his hope for futurity. Alick listened, and assured him that he would not trifle, but seek by all means to become established in whatever he should find to be the truth. Once more they parted; and at sunrise the two Hebrews left the Holy City.

Their course lay towards some lofty mountains, the intricate passes of which were familiar to Da Costa; who told Alick they were infested with rapacious Arab hordes, but that he had the promise of an escort from a powerful Sheikh, who would, if necessary, accompany them in person. 'I long,' said Alick, to get among the wild Arabs: they are our half brethren, you know; the children of Abraham.'

'Ay, and so were the Edomites; and what they were to Israel in the desert, these sons of Ishmael will prove to us, their poor kinsmen, if we be not wary.'

'What trace bave you of Wilhelm ? '

'A very uncertain one; but we think he is in a Maronite convent among the distant mountains. Probably, on Lebanon.'

What are the Maronites? how distinguished from others of these multifarious intruders upon our property?'

'The Maronites are, emphatically, Papists. No race of men upon earth so devoted to the old fellow at Rome. It is nauseating to a degree to hear them talk about him. You know, in Palestine here, the monks are chiefly foreigners; I mean recent importation of live stock, distinguished from the foreigners whelped on the soil. Northward, however, whither we now proceed, the convents are peopled by the latter class. The Maronites are native Syrians; not forming a part of the Romish Church, but given to the same edifying practices. A curse upon all idolatry!' He added, clenching his teeth, and scowling as Alick had once or twice before seen him do, when adverting to poor Wilhelm's adventures. He took no notice of it, but proceeded, 'Do tell me what you think of Popery, as distinguished from the other sects of Christianity?'

6 'Why, it is all idolatry,' answered Da Costa; 'but with this difference, that in England, Popery is the only branch of it that worships stocks and stones; while here, every form of Christianity does so. You know what a jumble there is in London; Churchmen, Presbyterians, Baptists, and some fifty more who agree in nothing but eschewing image-worship, and deifying the Nazarene; but here there is no Protestantism-all, Greeks, Latins, Armenians, Maronites-all follow the practices of the original racethe seven nations whom our fathers cast out of the land.'

'How bitter he is!' thought Alick; then aloud he said, 'After all, Da Costa, seeing we have the

true faith, should we not rather pity these people, and pray for them?'

'Of course,' replied the other, carelessly: 'but Cohen, I'll answer your question as to Popery more to the point. I do hold it to be the most abominable prostration of human intellect on the part of the many to the few that ever under heaven existed. As to the other sects, they invest the object of their worship with the character and the attributes of the Most High; they say he did such works as man could not perform; they believe that he rose from the dead and ascended into heaven; and for this they even allege supposed predictions in the Bible, which, if they would bear the meaning assigned to them, might justify such belief: but Popery, not content with all this, superadds such a mass of senseless enormities, the adoration of images, wafers, and dead people for whom they don't claim any divinity at all, that the multitude who allow a knavish priesthood to lead them into it for their own palpable gain and honour, must be brutified far below the nature of man.'

'And it is notorious,' said Alick, that not only our scriptures but the New Testament also denominate idolatry as hateful to God: how can such practices prevail, where the authority of the Bible is admitted?'

"Through the assumed power of what they call the church, to add to the word of God, and to bind the peoples' consciences to do not only what he has not commanded, but what he has forbidden.' Then, as if suddenly recollecting himself, and wishing to prevent farther remark, he exclaimed, After all, the Turk is the most sensible fellow among them, not