sorting to us, and charging us with being the authors of his misfortunes. When this unhappy sufferer came forward from the dark part of his prison, I was struck with the ashy paleness which appeared on his countenance. His whole body trembled most piteously; and gave me such an impression of the force of human misery as I shall not easily forget. I addressed him in one of the few Turkish words which I had learnt, Korkma-Fear not ;" but I was too conscious that I might as well address the winds. He knew that he had good cause to fear; that he was in Turkish hands; and that he was alike beyond the reach either of mercy or justice. How melancholy the condition of Turkey, may perhaps, in part, be illustrated by the circumstance, that "Korkma-Fear not," appeared to me to be one of the first Turkish expressions with which a stranger becomes familiar. It intimates, that Turkey is so pre-eminently the land of fear, that one of the most common forms of speech is the exhortation to escape from it.

After much uncertainty and delay, our friends were at last sentenced to be imprisoned, sine die, in the Bagnio. The Bagnio is a place of confinement and labour, connected with the Turkish Arsenal; and it is the receptacle of some of the worst criminals of the capital. Into this abode of misery men are thrown, and often forgotten, for ever. They fall victims to the plague, or to excessive suffering; and

even though the time of their imprisonment should be expired, they sometimes cannot emerge, from want of the aid in superior quarters which is requisite for that purpose. To give any proper description of a place so horrible, would be a hopeless effort. My heart sickens at the recollection of that reiteration of cruelties and wrongs which are ever experienced by the inmates of that doleful place. In speaking of the Bagnio, I have frequently cited, from "Pollock's Course of Time," a passage relating to one place, and perhaps only one, still more melancholy:

And there were groans that ended not, and sighs
That always sighed, and tears that ever wept,
And ever fell, but not in Mercy's sight."

Even this language did not appear to be inapplicable to the Bagnio of Constantinople.

In such a prison as this, and for eighteen months, were our friends exposed to all its trials, uncertain if they should ever be delivered. It is not surprising that, under such persecutions, one of their number should lose his constancy. We had the pain to find that the Rabbi was unable to bear up against them. "He was born a Jew, and he would die a Jew! This was the melancholy resolution which he formed. Indeed, it was much more surprising to find the other two stedfast. Notwithstanding the blandishments, caresses, and kind promises which were made to the younger John on the one hand, and the seve

rity of his trials on the other, nothing could shake his purpose. He resisted the tenderness of maternal affection, when that tenderness solicited his denial of Christ; nor could a father's authority produce any stronger effect upon him. On the elder John no kind promises were lavished. He was considered the ringleader of the heresy; and therefore was his fate determined, as far as Jewish influence could prevail. I saw, in the hands of the Chief Dragoman of the Porte, a petition, signed by the three principal Jews in Constantinople, imploring the death of the accursed Chaim Castro." But all this malevolence failed to move him.

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I am far from considering these Jewish Converts as men of mature Christian experience. Indeed, I have, in general, such extreme suspicion of the Jewish character, that I should even fear to declare that I considered them as unquestionably converted, in the highest sense of the word: but whatever were my fears concerning them, I cannot but express my admiration of the patience which was given them. When I asked myself the question, How could you endure such sufferings, were you summoned to bear them?' I own, I trembled at the idea. And yet there were two converts from Judaism, with a knowledge of Christianity extremely limited, with no Christian society, and under circumstances scarcely admitting of any consolation, who suffered faithfully, for eighteen months, all these sorrows,

and finally emerged faithful to Christ their Mas

ter.

I shall not pursue the history of our converts, nor of the subsequent impression which has been produced on others of their nation. Were Turkish misrule to give place to justice and religious toleration, I cannot but think that multitudes of Jews in the Ottoman Empire would confess the faith of Christ Crucified. But, under present circumstances, I am not sanguine in my expectations. Let us hope, that the period will soon arrive, when the words will be applicable to Israel, in the most happy and comprehensive sense - Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! for, lo! thy King cometh unto thee, meek, and having salvation.

CHAPTER XV.

CONCLUDING REFLECTIONS.

Scientific Tourists, too often chargeable with folly and cruelty-Duty of Missionary Labour at length recognised-The object of Christian Missions compared with that of Howard-Subject of rejoicing, that the light of Christianity is returning to the region from whence it first emanated.

BEFORE We allude once more to the Missionary visits which of late years have been made to the countries of the Levant, it may not be uninteresting to refer to visits of a different character.

Multitudes of Englishmen have made tours in the Levant, for purposes of curiosity and science. They have gone thither to ascertain the site of ancient cities, to measure the dimensions of ancient temples, to trace ancient rivers to their sources, to make collections of medals, to discover manuscripts, to bring to light concealed statuary, to examine the plants, the minerals, and natural productions of those lands, and to accomplish other objects of a scientific character. On returning to their native country, they replenish our Museums with the fruits of their researches; and publish learned volumes, giving the narrative of their discoveries. These