service. These men constitute Schamyl's executive in time of peace, and his most trusty soldiers in time of war. It is said no one of them has ever fallen alive into the hands of the enemy. Among them there is also a hierachy, every 10 men having a leader, and every 10 such bands a captain. Orders and decorations, too, are not unknown in Schamyl's scheme, neither are emblems of disgrace. Of the former, the highest is a pair of silver epaulettes, which give the wearer the rank of a prince. Of the latter, the most remarkable is a piece of felt, which is tied round the arm or sewn to the back. Men who have the misfortune to acquire this ill-favoured distinction, which indicates cowardice, generally seek to rid themselves of it by the sacrifice of their lives in battle.

CHARACTER OF CHARLES X. OF SWEDEN.

This extraordinary man approached closer than any warrior of modern times to the great men of antiquity. More nearly even than Napoleon, he realized the heroes of Plutarch. A stoic in pacific: he was a Cæsar in military life. He had all their virtues, and a considerable share of their barbarism. Achilles did not surpass him in the thirst for warlike renown, nor Hannibal in the perseverance of his character and the fruitfulness of his resources; like Alexander, he would have wept because the world did not remain to conquer. Indefatigable in fatigue, resolute in determination, a lion in heart; he knew no fear but that of his glory being tarnished. Endowed by nature with a constitution of iron, he was capable of undergoing a greater amount of fatigue than any of his soldiers; at the siege of Stralsund, when some of his officers were sinking under the exhaustion of protracted watching, he desired them to retire to rest, and himself took their place. Out-stripping all others in speed, at one time he rode across Germany almost alone in an incredibly short space of time. At another, he defended himself for days together at the head of a handful of attendants, in a barricaded house against a thousand Turks. Wrapped up in the passion for fame, he was insensible to the inferior desires which usually arouse or mislead mankind. Wine had no attractions, woman no seductions for him; he was indifferent to personal conforts or accommodations, his fare was simple, his dress plain, his lodgings as rude as those of the meanest of his followers. To one thing his attention was exclusively directed, on one acquisition his heart was set. Glory, military glory, was the ceaseless object of his ambition, all lesser desires were concentrated in this ruling passion, for this he lived, for this he died.

That his military abilities were of the very highest order may be judged of by the fact, that with the resources of the poor monarchy of Sweden, not at that period containing two millions of inhabitants, he entirely defeated a coalition of Russia, Denmark, and Poland, headed by the vast capacity and persevering energy of Peter the Great, and numbering not less than forty millions of subjects, under its various sovereigns. Nor let it be said that these nations were rude in the military art, and unfit to contend in the field with the descendants of the followers of Gustavus Adolphus. The Danes are the near neighbours and old enemies of the Swedes; their equals in population, discipline, and warlike resources. Thirty years had not elapsed since the Poles had delivered Europe from Mussulman bondage by the glorious victory of Vienna, under John Sobieski, over two hundred thousand Turks. Europe has since had too much reason to know what are the military resources of Russia, against which the two mightiest powers of Western Europe in recent times have been so signally tasked; and though the soldiers of Peter the Great were very different in point of discipline from those that repelled the legions of Napoleon, and are now taxing the resources of France and England

both, yet their native courage was the same, and they were directed by an energy and perseverance on the part of the Czar, which never has been exceeded in warlike annals. What then must have been the capacity of the Sovereign, who, with the resources of a monarchy not equalling those of Scotland at this time, could gain this extraordinary success over so powerful a coalition from the mere force of indefatigable energy, military ability, and heroic determination!

Charles, however, had many faults. He was proud, overbearing, and opinionative. Like all men of powerful original genius, he was confident in his own opinion, and took counsel from none; but, unfortunately, he often forgot also to take counsel from himself. He did not always weigh the objections against his designs with sufficient calmness to give them fair-play, or allow his heroic followers a practical opportunity of crowning his enterprises with success. He had so often succeeded against desperate and apparently hopeless odds, that he thought himself invincible, and rushed headlong into the most dreadful perils, with no other preparation to ward them off but his own calmness in danger, his inexhaustible fecundity of resources, and the undaunted courage, as well as patience of fatigue and privation with which he had inspired his followers. It is surprising, however, how often they extricated him from his difficulties; and even in his last expedition against Russia, which terminated in the disaster of Pultowa, he would to all appearance have proved successful if the Tartar chief Mazeppa had proved faithful to his engagement. Like Hannibal, his heroic qualities had inspired a multifarious army, omnium gentium, with one homogeneous spirit, rendered them subject to his discipline, faithful to his standard, obedient to his will. But in some particulars his private character was still more exceptionable and stained with the vices as well as virtues of the savage life. Though not habitually cruel, he was stern, vindictive, and implacable; and his government was stained by some acts of atrocious barbarity at which humanity shudders, and which must ever leave an indelible stain on his memory.

BIOGRAPHY.

MR. FRANCIS WILLIAMS, OF NORLEY.

THE subject of this brief memoir was born in Wales, in the county of Flintshire, about the year 1788. When about four years of age, his mother died. This was, indeed, a great loss to him, for by this event, he was deprived of that maternal care which mothers in general exercise over their children. His father shortly afterwards again entered into the matrimonial state; but the wife of the father was not the mother of the son; she did not act towards him a mother's part, consequently he did not obey her from love, but from fear; and obeying, in the first instance, only from fear, he soon became, as I have learnt from himself, a disobedient child. His father, though possessed of a considerable amount of property, which placed him in comfortable circumstances, nevertheless allowed his moral training and his education to be almost totally neglected; and he might with propriety be said to grow up like the wild ass" colt.

At an early age, he left the parental roof, and entered a cheerless world, for the purpose of procuring his own livelihood. After the lapse of some years, during which he passed through various scenes, he came to live at Norley. Shortly after coming to this neighbourhood, he was united in marriage with his now sorrowing and bereaved widow.

It will at once be seen, from the neglect of his moral and religious training, that he was not likely to have had much thought in reference to religious matters, and at this period of his history it might be said he was

as destitute of the knowledge, as of the enjoyment, of the one thing needful. No sooner, however, was he settled in life, than he appeared to have a fixed determination of acting, according to the ideas he then had of the true principles of morality. He was industrious, frugal, and honest, and endeavoured to owe no man anything; and, by the blessing of Providence, he was enabled so to do. As to the exact time when the first religious impressions were made upon his mind I cannot say; but shortly after his marriage he commenced attending the Methodist chapel, and derived spiritual advantages from so doing. After attending the ministry of the Wesleyans for some time, he began to seek the Lord, and to meet in class. His religious impressions were deepened, and he soon realised the fulfilment of the promise, "Seek, and ye shall find," and was enabled to believe on Christ as his Saviour, and found that, by believing, he had peace and joy. This would be about the year 1824; and from this time until the time of his death, he continued in fellowship with the people of God.

For many years during the latter part of his life, he gave evidence of increased attachment to the ordinances of religion, and to the house and people of God; these people were his people, and their God his God. He delighted in attending not only to the public preaching of God's Word, but also the more private means, and was often to be found at the prayermeetings, uniting with his brethren in their supplications at the throne of grace. From the commencement of his religious course he made it a matter of duty to take along with him his family to the house of God, and to bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord, and the good effects of this early training of his children, have been, it is hoped, manifest in their subsequent life. He had six children, all of whom, I believe, fear God; and five of the six, at the time of his death, were united in fellowship with the people of God.

He was a man of a firm mind, and was not to be moved by every trifle. When he had once taken his stand, there was a great degree of firmness, not only in religious matters, but also in worldly. This might sometimes appear to his disadvantage with the casual observer, but it was because of his respect for sound principle, that he was firm in following out the sentiments of his own mind. When the division took place in the Methodist Societies in various parts of the Connexion, in the year 1835, he at once joined the Wesleyan Association, believing their principles to be more in accordance with the teachings of God's Word; and not only he, but, I believe, every member of the Wesleyan Society in Norley united with the Association. He was actively engaged at this time in rendering every assistance in his power towards the erection of a new chapel, and after its completion, he took an active part in all that related to the welfare of the Society, and the interests of the chapel. The ministers of that denomination ever found a hospitable home at his house, and are still cheerfully entertained by his bereaved widow.

During the year 1850, he had a severe illness, which much reduced his bodily strength, and it was thought by some of his friends and family, that it would be difficult for him to recover. Nevertheless, he did recover, and appeared, to a great extent, to enjoy his usual health and spirits.

This, however, was only temporary, and during the following year he had a second attack, and was soon brought to a bed of affliction. There appears to have been some presentiment in his own mind that his days were numbered; for previous to this, one Sunday evening, after returning from chapel, he abruptly inquired how long it was to the School Anniversary; and being told a fortnight, he said it will be hard work for me to live till then. He was permitted to attend the chapel on that occasion, but it was the last time. When he was first afflicted, it was with difficulty that he could fix his mind, to his own satisfaction, on divine things, although

he firmly relied on the Saviour, and was assured in his own mind that Christ would not then forsake him; still, he said, he did not feel that happiness that he had before felt, and which he desired then to feel. He continued to pray, and to rely on Christ, to trust the Saviour where he could not trace him. During a part of his illness, he felt a strong thirst combined with faintness, to remove which he had recourse to water, and partook freely of it; and when having drank, he often exclaimed, "Bless the Lord for water." But still he expressed himself as not feeling the Lord so gracious to him as he desired, and said that there was a burden on his mind that he wished to have removed. He had a severe conflict. He prayed, and his friends prayed with him, that the Lord would manifest himself to him in a gracious manner; and, thanks be to God, their prayers were answered. The burden was removed, and the Lord revealed himself in a wonderful manner, On one of the members of his family going into the room after he had received this blessing, he said, "All my fears have left me." another member of his family he subsequently said, "I have had a happy time with Jesus! Yes, I have had a happy time with Jesus!" After this he appeared to have no more doubts or fears, and gave satisfactory answers to various questions afterwards proposed to him, with respect to his spiritual state. He remained for nearly a week in a calm and composed state of mind.

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A short time before his departure, on the afternoon of the day he died, his pain was exceedingly great, and he exclaimed, "O my forgiving Lord!" His pain abated. He said little more. Shortly before he died, he said, "They are coming; put the horses in, and let us be going." Then he was still, and without a struggle or a groan, his spirit took its departure on the 16th September, 1851, from that body which it had inhabited for a little more than threescore years. He died in peace. "Blessed are the dead that die in the Lord." His death was improved in the Association chapel, Norley, by a sermon, preached by his son-in-law, Mr. James Edwards, of Frodsham, from the following words-" And David's place was empty." 1 Sam. xx. 25. F. W.

MR. JAMES SHORROCKS, OF MELLOR, BLACKBURN CIRCUIT. THE late Mr. James Shorrocks was born in Barker-lane, in the neighbourhood of Mellor, near Blackburn, in September 1780. His parents, who were in respectable life, and possessed of considerable property, were, professedly, members of the Church of England, and brought up their children in accordance with the views generally entertained by the members of that community at that period. Little is known of the early life or history of our deceased friend, but he appears to have been brought under the influence of religious truth about the twenty-seventh or twenty-eighth year of his age, by the instrumentality of the Methodists. By what particular means he was induced to attend upon their ministry is not now known, and it is much to be regretted that he has not left any written account of his religious experience, nor the least record of his conversion to God, or first setting out in the way to heaven; not even so much as any of his Society tickets: and when urged a few weeks before his death to commit to writing some account of his religious life and experience, he merely replied, "It is not worth it." In consequence of this lack of materials, all the information we can obtain respecting his commencement in religion, has been gleaned from one or two of his early associates in the service of God who still survive him. Being led to attend the preaching of the Gospel among the Methodists, the Word came home with power to

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his heart, and he saw and felt himself to be a guilty condemned sinner, on the brink of eternal ruin. His convictions were deep and strong: "the spirit of bondage unto fear" rested upon him by day and by night; and when speaking of that period, he has more than once said to the writer, "I was as miserable as I could be, and was constantly wishing that I had never been born; or that I was any thing but a human being." How long he continued in this unhappy condition we have no means of knowing, but according to his own testimony it appears to have lasted for some time; and during its continuance he was in the habit of retiring into the fields at night to utter the plaintive sentiments noticed above, and to pour out his soul in earnest prayer to God for mercy and forgiveness. That mercy was at length revealed to his soul in the pardon of his iniquities, and the evidence of his acceptance with God through Jesus Christ, was graciously imparted to his mind. This blessed change in his feelings and spiritual condition is said to have taken place in the evening after the labours of the day had closed. He was in the warehouse putting some pieces of cloth in their proper places, all the hands were gone home, and being alone, he kneeled down to pray, and while he was thus engaged, the burden of guilt and condemnation was removed from his mind, spiritual light fell on his soul, and he felt satisfied that he had passed from death unto life. This confidence and happiness he retained for a season, but like many others, after a while he found himself attacked on this point by severe temptation; his confidence began to falter, and doubts at times returned. About this time a revival of religion was going on in the Blackburn Circuit; a person of some celebrity was announced to preach at a village called Great Harwood, and Mr. Shorrocks, in company with a number of neighbours and friends, went over to the preaching; the divine influence and power were eminently present during the sermon, and in the prayermeeting that followed, several persons professed to have found peace with God. Our deceased friend and his companions were graciously visited and blessed that night, and when they were returning home, they stopped several times to sing and pray in the fields. It was a beautifully fine starlight night, and when they were engaged in those exercises in the open air, and in the stillness of the night, the subject of this brief notice was so filled with the love and peace and joy of God, that all his doubts were at once and for ever removed. Referring to that event, he said to the writer, "It was a beautiful starlight night; and when I was in that field, I was so filled with the love of God, that all doubt was gone; it is almost fifty years since, but I have never doubted any more." According to the best information that can be obtained, it is about forty-seven years since that memorable and deeply important evening. It would seem that his father had been called away by death before his son was made the subject of this salutary and blessed change, but being married and settled in the world, his mother had gone to reside with him, and having himself experienced the blessedness of religion, he was very anxious that his family should enjoy the same benefits. To secure that important end, he laboured most assiduously, and in a short time he had the happiness to see both his mother and wife truly converted to God. The mother, who was about sixty years of age, became a pattern of diligence and regularity in her attendance on the means of grace, and although she lived a mile from the chapel, and the roads were bad, and the nights often dark and stormy, with no gas lit up to show the path, she was hardly ever absent from any of the means, whatever the state of the weather might be in winter or in summer. She held on her way through every difficulty or discouragement that presented itself, and at length died happily in the faith and hope of the Gospel. His wife also, Mrs. Shorrocks, maintained her integrity to the end of her life, and descended into the grave in sure and certain hope of