and rehearse it in the ears of Joshua, that I will utterly put out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven."

In pursuance of this denunciation, Saul was sent against Amalek, "and smote them, and utterly destroyed the people with the edge of the sword." 1 Sam, xv. 7, 8. The fugitives having re-assembled, and somewhat recovered themselves, "David and his men went up, and invaded them; and David smote the land, and left neither man nor woman alive." 1 Sam. xxvii. 8. 9. And, subsequently, "the sons of Simeon, in the days of Hezekiah, king of Judah, smote the rest of the Amalekites, that were escaped, and dwelt in their habitations." 1 Chron. iv. 41, 42. Since that period, neither place nor name remains to the sons of Amalek, save the history of their warfare against the chosen people of God, and of their awful punishment.

"And he looked on the Kenites, and said, Strong is thy dwellingplace, and thou puttest thy nest in a rock: nevertheless, the Kenite shall be wasted, until Asshur shall carry thee away captive."

The Kenites are very little known to us. They appear to have been a tribe or kindred nation to the Midianites. Jethro, the father-in-law of Moses, is called in Exod. iii. 1. "the priest of Midian:" but in Judges i. 16. his posterity are called "the children of the Kenite, Moses' father-inlaw." It seems also that some of these tribes dwelt with, or near the Amalekites, for Saul, when sent to destroy Amalek, "said unto the Kenites, Go, depart, get you down from among the Amalekites, lest I destroy you with them." 1 Sam.

upon them, since they dwelt not alone, as an independent nation, but rather as sheltering under the protection of more warlike Amalek. That the remainder of the prophecy came to pass is not less certain, since Asshur, or Assyria, in the days of her strength, swept over all the kingdoms of Syria and Arabia, even unto the borders of Egypt, and carried all alike into captivity.

But the prophetic vision now takes a wider range. Heretofore Balaam's eye had been cast over divers pastoral tribes and nations, living in ease and amity, and knowing little of tyranny and war. The history of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, sojourning or travelling over the fertile plains of Syria, unmolested and in peace, presents a strong contrast to the times which followed, under the four great military monarchies.

But Balaam now sees the rise of the first of those 66 four great beasts," whose lineaments were afterwards more distinctly revealed to Daniel. He sees the Assyrian conqueror, ravaging the fairest part of the peopled globe, and leaving desolation wherever his footsteps passed. He exclaims, "Who shall live when God doeth this?" But in an instant his eye penetrates still further into the gloom, and the fall of Asshur, as well as the rise of that power, comes clearly into his view." And ships shall come from the coast of Chittim, and shall afflict Asshur, and shall afflict Eber, and he also shall perish for ever."

With respect to Asshur, there can be no doubt; but the mention of Eber has, we think, led to some errors. Many commentators are inclined to connect Eber, as the forefather of Abraham, most closely with the Hebrew nation, and judge that the latter are here alluded to. But Eber is never in Scripture identified with the Hebrews, nor is there much ground to suppose

that their name was derived from this descendant of Shem.

Let it be observed, that Shem is particularly termed, in Genesis x. 21," the father of all the children of Eber." And in following the chronology we find that Eber had two sons, Peleg and Joktan. Peleg is recorded to have been the father of Reu, one of the progenitors of Abraham, and of the chosen seed. But the other children of Peleg are not named, from which we gather that they were none of them distinguished as heads of tribes or nations.

But Joktan, the other son of Eber, had thirteen sons, and several of their names bespeak the founders of nations. Such were Sheba, and Ophir, and Havilah, and one or two others, who gave their names to various countries of the east. And after they had been enumerated, it is added, "These are the sons of Shem, after their families, after their tongues, in their lands, after their nations.' Nothing can more clearly express that the sacred historian had here been describing the settlement of a portion of the earth, by the various tribes which descended from the second son of Eber.

When, therefore, Balaam predicts that the ships of Chittim "shall afflict Eber," we recur back to this list of the children of Eber. We do not look to the Hebrew nation, because they are never designated in Scripture, the "children of Eber." But we find in the tenth of Genesis, that the children of Eber peopled and divided among them a large part of Asia, the various countries of which are well known to have been held by their descendants. We understand, therefore, by the affliction of Asshur and of Eber, those conquests of the Greeks by which all the countries peopled by the descendants of Asshur and Eber were subjugated, and the sovereignty founded by the children of Shem

was overthrown by the enlargement of Japheth's race, and the increase of their power and dominion.

It has also been said that the expression "he also shall perish for ever," must be applied to Chittim, and not to Asshur or Eber. This interpretation we suppose to have arisen from the unwillingness of those commentators who had identified Eber with Israel, to suppose that the latter, Israel, could perish for ever." But not adopting this view, we are not liable to this difficulty. And it appears to us quite improper to apply the term, He, to "the ships of Chittim," the agents in the affliction of Eber.

That Chittim, or Kittim, refers to the islands and maritime coasts of the Mediterranean, is well known. The author of the first book of Maccabees, speaking of Alexander of Macedon, who so greatly "afflicted Asshur and Eber," says that he "came out of the land of Chittim ;" and numberless other instances might be adduced, if there were the least necessity, to show that the word "Chittim" is always used for the people of Greece, Italy, and the Mediterranean islands.

The fulfilment of this prediction took place, in the most distinct and remarkable manner, more than one thousand years after it was uttered. Balaam spoke these prophecies about the year 1452 B. C. In the

year 334 B. C. Alexander of Macedon transported his forces in a fleet of a hundred and sixty vessels, across the Hellespont, "coming out of the land of Chittim," and in the four years which followed, he greatly afflicted both Asshur and Eber. The Assyrian empire had been merged in the Persian; and it is most probable that the Persians descended from one of the sons of Joktan, the son of Eber. Ashur and Eber, then, were thus visited in strict accordance with the prediction. In the year B. C. 330, the Persian empire fell, and

DEAR B.-In compliance with your earnest request, I now proceed to give you some account of the Roman Catholic church, as it exists at present in Italy. A full and complete account indeed, is more than I can attempt, but I shall endeavour to select those particulars which display the more peculiar features of Romanism. A traveller is first struck by the splendid ceremonies of the Romish church, and some time must elapse before the effects of the first impression give place to more serious thought, and he can begin to inquire into the doctrines of the church, whose externals are so gorgeous. Such at least was the case with myself, and I shall therefore first describe some of the ceremonies I witnessed, and afterwards give an account of the doctrines taught by the Roman Catholic clergy to their people. It will be more convenient to class those ceremonies according to their subjects, and not confine myself exactly to chronological order, and I shall therefore begin with the services connected with the death of one pope, and the elec

ton of another.

Pope Leo XII. died on the morning of Tuesday, February 10, 1829, and notice was soon given by the tolling of the bells of every church in Rome. As the Pope died in the Vatican, the splendid ceremony of transporting his body thither, could not take place; but when a Pope dies in the Quirinal, or any other palace, his body is carried by torch light in great state on an open bier to the Vatican.*

*It is understood, that while the Pope's body remains in his private apartments, a servant enters the room at the usual hour, and asks what his Holiness chooses to have for dinner, and one of the attendants gravely replies, His Holiness does not dine to-day, because he is dead.'

On Friday the 13th. the body was brought down to St. Peter's from the Sistine chapel on a bier, accompanied by the cardinals, an immense number of other ecclesiastics and attendants, and all the magistrates of Rome, and deposited in the chapel of the holy sacrament, dressed in a handsome pontifical robe, and so placed, that the feet projected through the iron railing which incloses the chapel.

A space immediately in front of the body was kept clear by the Swiss Guards, and those who desired were allowed to enter at one end of this space, kiss the Pope's slippers, and pass out by the other end. This ceremony was well arranged, and went on without any confusion. I entered and stood some time near the body, which was very unpleasant, notwithstanding the profuse application of perfumes. The face was much discoloured, its features nearly gone, and it appeared to be covered by a fine transparent membrane to keep it together.

The crowd around seemed anxious to show their respect to the dead body, and pressed forward as rapidly as possible to kiss the slippers. All ranks from the highest to the lowest, seemed actuated by the same feelings, and before Ï left the church, many thousands had gone through the ceremony, which continued during the next day.

Meanwhile the workmen were employed in preparing a niche, situated on the north side of the church above a small door leading to the robing-room of the singers, where the body of the last deceased Pope is always deposited until either a proper mausoleum is prepared for him, or his successor dies. In the latter case his body is taken out and delivered to the canons of St. Peter's, who give a formal obligation to produce it

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at any time on demand. quiem was also sung for the repose of the Pope's soul in the chapel of the choir. The music was very solemn and beautfully executed.

On Sunday evening the Pope's body having previously been placed in a coffin of cedar wood,* inclosed in one of lead, and outside of all another wooden coffin was deposited in the niche; the broken plaster of the wall was soon repaired, and the spot marked by the simple inscription: DEPOSITUM LEO XII. The funeral service for the Pope continues nine days, which commence the day after the Pope's body is laid out in state in the chapel of the sacrament. Each morning the cardinals, assisted by the papal choir, perform a solemn mass of requiem. This takes place on the first six days, in the chapel of the choir, and on the last three at the foot of the catafalco, which has by this time been erected in the middle of the centre nave of the church. This catafalco is a sort of temporary monument, and varies in form and size according to the taste of the architect, and the sum of money allowed to be expended its That erection. upon in honour of Leo XII. was in the form of an Egyptian pyramid standing on a lofty base, and slightly truncated, the whole erection being about 100 feet high, and having a candelabrum of the same height at each corner. On these candelabra an immense quantity of wax lights were placed, consuming, it is said 1000lbs. each day. Had this been exhibited at night instead of noon, the effect would have been striking, as it was, it looked poor, as artificial lights must always do when con

* Three velvet purses are placed beside the body in the innermost coffin, containing gold, silver, and copper coins, bearing on one side the impress of the Pope's countenance, and on the other the most celebrated events of his reign.

trasted with the clear light of day. The catafalco was adorned by various water-colour drawings representing the Pope's bust, and the principal actions of his reign, long inscriptions in his praise in not very classical latin, and also emblematical statues which I found were composed of hay covered over with stucco, perhaps the only materials which could be brought into use in so short a period.

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After the mass of requiem is finished, five absolutions are pronounced. This service is repeated on the two following days, and on the ninth day, a prelate appointed for the purpose, pronounces funeral oration on the deceased Pontiff. This concludes the services connected with the dead body. After which, the attention of all Rome is naturally drawn to the proceedings connected with the election of a successor. From the death of one Pope to the election of another, the church is considered as a widow. The cardinals meet in congregations every day, in order to give necessary instructions and orders, and receive visits of condolence from the ambassadors, but the chief power is placed in the hands of the cardinal chamberlain, who, exercises, during the vacancy, a great part of the papal power, and is attended by the Swiss Guards.

The cardinals take certain oaths relating to the election of a Pope, and against simony, &c. They re-appoint or confirm the Governor of Rome-break the fisherman's ring of the late Pope, and also his leaden seal, and appoint two cardinals to superintend the preparation of the conclave. They proceed in successive congregations to confirm all the official persons in Rome, and the ecclesiastical states in their situations; to elect the confessor, who is to officiate in the conclave-together with two physicians, and one surgeon, an apothecary, two barbers, and two