V, with one very large bright star at the lower end, that star is called Aldebaran, it is of a dark red colour, and often observed at sea for calculating the longitude. Now for my favorite constellation. Lower down again to the East of the Pleiades you will find three stars in a line, and three again underneath like a needle, with here and there some large stars. That is the constellation Orion, you will find it any evening in that direction about eight o'clock till April, and again in November to the end of the year. Arcturus,

a magnificent star, is also just before us in the E. N. E. N. Surely, sir, I have met with these names somewhere in the Bible.

S. To be sure you have; the prophet Amos, in speaking of the power of God, bids the careless of his day to "seek him that maketh the seven stars and Orion," while Job asks, "Canst thou bind the sweet influences of Pleiades ;" and it is a pleasing thought, that while every thing hath changed and is changing here below, the glorious objects above us are the same as in the days of the Patriarchs: and we have yet a more comfortable assurance, that though the earth should pass away, and those stars should fall from heaven, God's word will not fail, nor one promise fall to the ground. But here we must part: may we one day, instead of gazing as now upon the star of evening, meet with the myriads of the blest in the presence of him who is to his people the Bright and Morning Star. TRE.

LORD BURLEIGH.-That great and wise minister was used to say, 'I will never trust any man not of sound religion, for he that is false to God, can never be true to man.'

THE IDOLS OF THE SAXONS.

'The next, according to the course of the days of the week, was the Idol of the Moon, whereof we yet retain the name of Monday, instead of Moon-day, and it was made according to the picture here following:

The form of this Idol seemeth very strange and rediculous for being made for a woman, she hath a short coat like a man: but more strange it is, to see her hood with such two long ears. The holding of a moon before her, may seem to have been to express what she is, but the reason of her chapron* with long ears, as also of her short coat, and pyked shoes, I do not find. Description by Verstegan.

In our February number we gave a list of seven of the idol deities, which, in the early times of Britain, not only received the adoration of the English Saxons, but furnished names to the various days of the week. Of these the Idol of the Moon, whence comes MONDAY, stands the second.

It was for the purpose of getting rid of this gross kind of idolatry, which the Saxons had brought with them into Britain, that Augustin, or Austin, was sent hither by Pope Gregory the First, about the year 600. The incident which is said to have led to this measure is very striking and curious; and though it is one with which many of our readers are, doubtless, well acquainted, as forming an interesting portion of early English history, we cannot deny ourselves the the pleasure of stating it in the old and quaint stile of a writer of 1605, (R. Verstegan.)

It happened in the time that Aella reigned King of Deira, sometime a part of the kingdom of the Northumbers, that certain English children of that country, (whether taken in war and so transported by enemies, or that it were tolerable among Pagan people to sell away their children,) were brought to Rome to be sold, (as captive heathen people are wont to be among Christians,) and standing there in the market. A cer+ Chaperon, French, a hood.

tain reverend religious father, named Gregory, being a man (as witnesseth Venerable Bede) of the greatest virtue and learning of his time, coming thither, and beholding them to be of a very fair complexion, ruddy and white, with yellowish hair, demanded of the merchant that had them to sell, of whence they were? which being told him, he asked if they were christened? It was answered that they were not: whereat, fetching a deep sigh, he said, Alas! that the author of darkness should yet detain people of such bright countenances in his possession, and that those with such fair faces should inwardly carry such foul souls. Demanding by what name this people were called, answer was made him that they were called Angles or rather (if it were pronounced as they called themselves,) Engelisce, that is to say, English. The reverend Father perceiving this name to allude unto the name of Angeli, in Latin, said, Verily, not without cause are they called Angles, for they have faces like Angels, and meet it were that such were made partakers and coheirs with the angels in heaven. Then demanded he the name of the province from whence they came; and it was answered him, They were of Deira. That is well, quoth he, for they are to be delivered De ira Dei, that is, from the wrath of God, and called to the mercy of Christ. What is the name, quoth he, of the king of that country? It was answered that his name was Alla; unto which name also alluding, ALLELUJAH, quoth he, must be sounded in that prince's dominions to the praise of Almighty God his Creator. And being stricken with much compassion to behold that such angelical people (in respect of their great beauty and comeliness,) should continue the bond-slaves of the foul

fiend of hell, he went, &c.' Then follows an account of Gregory's intention to visit England, towards which he took a three days' journey; of his recall by the entreaty of the people of Rome; and lastly, on his elevation to the popedom, of his sending Augustine and certain other monks to this country. They after some difficulties and their long journey, arrived in the Isle of Thanet,' where King Ethelbert gave them audience, the result of which was the baptism of the monarch and of most of his subjects, the turning away of the people from serving and sacrificing unto their idols, THOR, WODEN, FRIGA, and the like; overthrowing the synagogue of Satan, and breaking down the abominable idols before mentioned.'

Although it is certain, that through this conversion of the Anglo-Saxons by Augustine, Rome laid the first stone towards the foundation of her po wer in England; it is equally clear, that before that time, the Christian Church existed here and in Ireland, independent of that of Rome. Augustine could not prevail on the British bishops in Wales to own allegiance to the Roman Pontiff; and Bede mentions, that the Irish bishops and priests differed from Rome, in the observance of Easter. The learned Archbishop Usher, in his treatise on the State and Succession of the Christian Churches, has shown this point at large. • He proves, from authors of undoubted credit,' says Mr. Hone in his Life of Usher, that even in the darkest and most ignorant times Christ has always had a visible Church, untainted with the errors and corruptions of Romanism, and that these islands do not owe their christianity to Rome.' This is an answer to the inquiry, 'Where was our religion before Luther?"

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