in default of obtaining this justice quietly, Bonnivard prepared to brave all the powers of Savoy with his half-dozen arquebusiers. There never seemed a more Quixotic enterprise. First he sent a herald to proclaim through his seignory that no person should execute ducal or Papal orders therein on pain of the gallows; and the doughty proclamation was followed up by a captain and handful of soldiers taking possession of the domain for the prior, "under the very beards of the Pope and the Duke," as he triumphantly records. But a detachment, well-nigh as small, of the ducal men-at-arms took it from him again in a short time, and he had gained nothing by his feat but the rumour of its daring.

It was the Duke's ceaseless desire to get possession of the priory of St. Victor, which would give him footing close to the gates of recalcitrant Geneva. Bonnivard being aware of this, annexed his priory to the hospital of the city, which should receive the revenues on his behalf. The Duke was exasperated when he heard of this measure. Not long afterwards Bonnivard wrote to him for a safe conduct, that he might visit his aged mother, who resided within the Savoyard territories. "I will consult her and my brothers," said he, "as to your Highness's proposal for exchanging my priory," The passport was granted, but only for the month of April. As soon as he had gone over the mountains, the Duke's emissaries in Geneva began to stir up the minds of the people against him, insinuating that he was away to betray their interests. His mother, hearing of these embroilments, besought him to take refuge in some neutral state. Bonnivard thought of Friburg. April was ended before he left Seyssel, where his mother lived; but the Duke renewed his safe-conduct for May, having all the time in his thoughts the breaking of that granted to John Huss by Sigismund. He feared not but that he should easily get absolution— was not Bonnivard almost an open heretic? And so, as the latter rode one day out of Lausanne, a band of Savoy soldiers were waiting for him in a black pine forest on the heights. Neither spur, sword, nor safe-conduct could avail to deliver him; they bound him with cords to his mule, and led him through the loveliest part of Switzerland to the place of confinement they had prepared. He became the Prisoner of Chillon; "and there I remained," he writes in his Chronicles, "for six long years."

The Duke visited him, and, irritated at his unbending deportment, ordered that he should be treated with severity. So he was transferred, from the room where he had been at first shut up, to one of the rock-hewn dungeons below the level of the lake, which encircles the castle to a depth of eight hundred feet. Here, across one of the vaults, is a beam black with age, on which the condemned were formerly executed. In the cells are seven pillars ;

or rather eight-one being half merged in the wall; in some of these are rings for fetters and the fettered; in the pavement the steps of Bonnivard have left their traces."

"Thus," says D'Aubigné, " a brilliant existence was suddenly interrupted. What humour, what originality, what striking language, what invention, what witty conversations were abruptly cut short! Bonnivard never recovered from those six years of strictest captivity. He was like a bird which, while giving utterance to the sweetest song, is caught by a gust of wind, and beaten to the ground; ever after it miserably drags its wings, and utters none but harsh, unpleasing sounds. Bonnivard wanted the one thing needful. He was not one of those of whom it is said, "Their youth is renewed like the eagle's.' The brightness of the Reformation eclipsed him."

When he left Chillon he found Geneva free and reformed. With the former change he had much sympathy, and also with the latter -so far as the removal of abuses went; but Bonnivard was not a spiritual man. He had laughed at the miracles of monks; his keen and graceful wit had dissected the Roman Church in its vulnerable points many a time; but he was much more a man of the Renaissance than of the Reformation. The good news of the Gospel was to him only the sound of a pleasant song. Therefore he was laid aside in the captivity of Chillon when the work of regenerating Geneva was to be done by men with nobler aims; when the Divine Ruler of the earth was about to set souls free.

For what he had done and suffered the people repaid him with great gratitude and such honours as they had to bestow. He enjoyed a pension and the house of the Vicar-General, and was admitted (1537) into the Council of the Two Hundred. The public library of Geneva was founded by him, with a donation of all his books and manuscripts to the Republic. The date of his death is uncertain; some authors state that he survived till 1570. His priory and the lands attached were bequeathed to the State in his will; and his name is revered as that of the greatest of Genevese patriots.

OUTSIDE THE CHURCH.

No. I.-BIBle Women.

"SOME fourteen years ago a fresh effort began in one of the lowest parts of London, to deliver to the people 'THE MESSAGE FROM GOD,' by the hand of a poor woman like themselves. She showed them the book that contained it, pure and simple. She said she

was a messenger sent, not to give it them (for they would then soon have taken it to the pawnbrokers), but to persuade them to purchase it, little by little; for each one would find that there was a message in it for him and her. She knew it had a message for herself, and she wanted those like her to listen to it."

Thus quietly "L. N. R." describes the origin of a movement with which she herself has been so usefully and honourably associated, and which is second to none in importance amongst the agencies employed to reach the poor of London. Five pounds was deemed all that was necessary to commence it, and this the British and Foreign Bible Society had the honour of contributing. Since then upwards of two hundred thousand pounds has been spent in various Bible mission purposes. One poor, simple woman went into the lowest haunts of St. Giles, simply to declare the message; now two hundred and fifty agents are employed in the same good work, and the success has been solely achieved without any of the machinery employed in the conduct of religious societies generally. There have been no public meetings, and no advertisements; those connected with the work have simply prayed in faith, and there has always been an ample sufficiency for their increasing needs. The story of the work is a deeply interesting one, and a few of its more important features will, we trust, interest our readers.

To begin with, the first object of the first Bible-woman was to interest the poor in the Word of God, and to excite a desire in their minds to possess it. She was immediately met with, "Ah, you cannot tell our struggles for a livelihood!"-to which she replied, "Yes, indeed, I can. I am quite as poor as you are. I know it all. But do get this book; it contains balm for all your sorrow. I bring it to you because I have found it so good for myself." This went home to the hearts of those whom she addressed, and, poor as they were, in one month there were seventy Bible subscribers, amongst them being two Romanists and some of the lowest characters in St. Giles.

Social reform followed in the wake of Bible reading; mothers began to feel that they and their children might be more cleanly in their persons; that, even if they were in tattered garments, these might be made the most of; and that the foulest cellars might be kept clean. "Mothers' classes" were started for the outdoor poor, and soon began to exercise a humane and beneficial influence. From St. Giles the work advanced to the dust-heaps of Paddington; and, in the course of a little while, the work which was being done in St. Giles was being carried on in three other districts, and in each it was found that the poor would sooner receive a visit from one of their own class than from a "lady" visitor. This, in

brief, was the origin of a movement which, as it has grown, has had no higher, but also no lower, ambition than that of reaching the vast population of the London poor, who, as "L. N. R." truly says, "do not possess the elementary knowledge which fits them to understand the ordinary kind of pulpit teaching. The little they learned in childhood is all forgotten. They have heard of Christianity only from those who preach the Gospel as a 'law' of purity, which irritates them, and they have turned away the more determined to persevere in their indulgences of intoxicating drinks, low theatres, Sunday sleep, and Sunday excursions. These are their substitutes for the peace and joy of true religion."

The first principles of the Bible Mission could hardly be more simple: the Bible is fitted to reach our lowest population; the poor are the best missionaries to the poor; working together in a Bible Mission is of more importance than any ecclesiastical differences. How well these principles have worked may be seen from the many tokens of success which have attended the efforts of the Bible-women. The "mothers' meetings" have been specially useful. You will hear one say, "I'll come, marm, if they be all bad and ragged like myself; but I'll never go to no more churches. I went once, and got a seat by a quality; and, if she didn't pull all. her things so close round her, that I up and went out." Is it to be wondered at? Another, a poor, suffering creature, who had long been ill, said, Yes; He was good to me-such a bad woman as I've been, too!" Alluding to her sickness, she added-"'Twas the worst bout I've had, yet I call it the best; for some good words kept to me all the time, and they was like a rock to lean upon. I got them at the 'mothers' meeting': 'I know that my Redeemer liveth.' He is my Redeemer; He's bought me; He died for me."

One more instance:-A man, who was visited by the superintendent of the Bible-women, said, "I like that new woman of yours, and I'll tell ye why-'cos she's never been in this room yet five minutes before out comes the Book. Now, I am a rough chap, as you well knows, and I'm not too good; and if there's one thing I dislike more than another, 'tis having to sit to listen to the Bible; for it makes me feel awful uncomfortable-you knows how I fidgets about." And yet he was reminded that he liked the new Biblewoman because she read the Bible to him!

"Well, ye see, I reckon this way,-you knows what a sight I think o' my little Tom, there; well, whether folks likes it or not, I can't help talken about him, and catchen hold of him, and showen him off; and I says to myself—if these 'ere good people loves God so much as they says they does, and thinks so much of His book, then they ought to talk on Him, and pull out the Book that shows

Him off, and I respects 'um for it too, and I aint without a few thoughts of being like 'um."

Arising out of the Bible Mission have been two or three important agencies, at which a glance must be taken. For instance, there is the "tailor's class" for the wild boys in neglected districts, which has done good service. A clever lad is appointed storekeeper of needles and thread, and the Bible-woman gives out patches and good words at the same time. That this movement is an attractive one may be judged by the fact that recently, while twelve boys were at work, thirty more were hovering round the door trying to get in. Then, Bible-women nurses form the new branch of a work in London. These are nurses who have been Bible-women, and have been thoroughly trained for their work. Very valuable have been the services of these Christian women, not only in the care and attention they bestow upon the sick, but in the words of instruction and consolation they are fitted to speak. The poor, as is well known, dread a workhouse nurse; but of the Bible-woman nurse they will speak such words as these:-" She is the right sort of woman, 'mum; she understands everything. The poor was never waited on in this style afore to my knowledge. Then she's a Christian. I don't want no gossips, only I wish I could read." There is now abundant evidence to prove that the services of the Christian trained nurse are most welcome, as working in the same district with her sister the Bible

woman.

Another most important institution, and this is the last at which we can glance, is named "Dormitories for working girls." These originated in the cry of the "watercress girls," who had to sleep in lodgings all too dear, and surrounded by most debasing associations. It was found that they could well afford to pay threepence per night; and when the fact was mentioned in the Missing Link" it took roct at once in many a benevolent heart, and cordial offers of assistance were speedily forthcoming. "We offered to provide them gas-light, fire, and quiet comfort for threepence a night—a sum which they must pay anywhere else for far inferior accommodation; and taking six at first to bring into training, proposed, in the same house, to carry on the Clothing and Bedding Clubs,' and also the 'Mother's Class,' and little 'Working and Reading Meetings,' which, by God's blessing, had accomplished so much." The plan, after some discouragements, succeeded, and the house in Dudley-street became a picture of plain comfort and tidiness." L. N. R.'s conviction is that if these "Dormitories" were wisely multiplied in over-crowded districts, numbers of young girls who are now living a wild street life would come under a motherly influence, at once civilising and evangelising. There are now three