same time forcibly back to his place. At the opposite side of a half-bank, half-hedge, I had perceived, between two gigantic leaves of some southern plant, two human heads in juxtaposition, about as far onward as to be on a line with our leaders' noses. At the sight of these faces and their unmistakeable expression, all the histories of Spanish banditti, with all their terrific details, flashed across my prostrate brain, which they seized upon with the greater violence from my having always affected in conversation to hold lightly these perils, which I really conceived much to be exaggerated. Such a chance had especially never entered into my calculations for this excursion. "What shall we do?" I whispered. "Run for it?" Smuggins seemed to hesitate, as if in doubt as to the efficacy of any precaution within our power. I stood up, pretending to take a view of the country, and gradually turned in the direction of the brigands to reconnoitre. I only found the confirmation of my terrors at the sight of two guns, one resting its butt-end on the ground, and supporting with its muzzle the arm of a robber; and the other laid by the side of a cloak, near some agricultural implements. The features of the men were ferocious. Pointed threadbare hats rested on their eyebrows. Piercing eyes; sallow olive, or rather brown mahogany cheeks, cut into deep furrows; and ragged beards and moustachios. These characteristics belonged to the two with but slight shades of difference, which, in my hurried glance, quite escaped me; and what completely appalled me was the cool, unconcerned manner, in which they awaited the moment for advancing upon us, quietly gazing at the coachman and his labours, while they leaned against the bank over which they were looking. We held rapid council and determined to pretend not to notice them; and after having pulled our vehicle out of the rut, to order the coachman to turn back and get away as fast as possible. The provoking quietness of my companion puzzled me in no small degree, and added to my panic, for he evidently did not believe the fellows were robbers. "For God's sake," I said, in an earnest whisper, and turning my back in their direction," don't keep looking at them: our safety depends on our not appearing to notice them. They may otherwise suspect us of endeavouring to escape, and being unarmed we are entirely at their mercy!" Smuggins said nothing, but did all I wished, and we speedily lifted the machine out of the rut. Jehu either did not see the robbers, or, like ourselves, pretended not; or, perhapsand the thought came over me like thunder-might be playing into their hands, and had taken advantage of the rut to deliver us up to his friends. However this might be, he looked much surprised on receiving the order to face about, and assumed the resigned expression usual with these Continentals when they simply exclaim, "Oh, Ingleses!" by way of accounting for every eccentricity. During our occupation of lifting out, Smuggins had remarked that a rood or two of this road might, if cut out in squares and removed with care, be laid down in Oxford Street in continuation of some of the woodpavement experiments. He would be glad to see the omnibi, as he termed them, floundering about in it, or the lord-mayor in his statecarriage. All my anxiety was trifling compared to the astonishment which now followed it, on finding that we were fairly off without any movement being made by the malefactors, nor a single report assailing our ears, nor ball whizzing between us; nor, for all I knew or know, for I took care not to look back, any change in the lazy attitude the brigands had preserved during the whole transaction. "Well, this is fortunate! I suppose we did not look worth rifling," was my companion's observation, and I told the coachman the cause of our change of arrangements. "Hombre!" was his exclamation; "kaa-ladrones!" and he added that they were no more robbers than he was himself (which might possibly not alter the case). He had seen them all the time, and knew them for labourers, who were then only preparing to leave the field for the mid-day siesta. Ile partly succeeded in removing the prejudice I had formed against these certainly sus picious-looking rustics, to whom, at Nevertheless, that afternoon some- I back on the alcazar in disgust. I had been worried out of the cathedral, shamed off the Christina promenade, and Smugginsed away from the bullfight. An insufferable suspicion began to haunt me that my own ignorance, folly, over-sensitiveness, — in short, my own fault in some way, had occasioned these failures. cannot describe to you how this idea stung and aroused me. I grew headstrong. There was nothing whatever at Italica but mud. Thither it was, nevertheless, that I had last intended to go. I resolved, therefore, now to go to Italica. There was no necessity for rehiring our coach-and-four; the river passes within half a mile of the place, and we could boat it. No sooner had I, after stamping for a short time up and down my room after dinner, arrived at this resolve, than I hastened to the café frequented by the recent companion of my misfortunes to re-enlist him. He was much pleased with the idea. Every thing on the water would do; and we appointed a meeting at the bridge for the following morning, there to embark. That morning I sallied forth, firmly resolved to conquer my destiny or die in the effort; but who can foresee from what quarter will proceed his discomfiture? What did I behold on arriving at our rendezvous ? Mrs. Smuggins on the arm of her son! This omen I could not mistake. I foresaw in the instant that somehow, I could not guess how, our fortunes would be marred. I, therefore, saluted my friends with much sadness, and proceeded to engage a boat. Mrs. S. had, like myself, the habit of picking up information at her inn; the more easily, as she was lodged at a French house, where an English lady's maid, who accompanied a family of travellers, had fallen in love with the landlord, and remained in quality of landlady, no one inquired how legitimately. This personage had strongly recommended her guest from Whitechapel to visit a large Jerominite convent, situated a little way up the river; and hearing the son announce his boating expedition, had advised her to take advantage of so favourable an opportunity, since they must pass within sight of the convent. This subject was, therefore, the first to be broached on our taking our seats in the boat. I was indifferent, as I foresaw that something must upset my plan; nor, in fact, could I decently oppose the lady's wish. We, therefore, ordered the helmsman to steer for the convent, which was situated at about half the distance to Italica, and on the righthand side. We did our best to beguile the time by agreeable conversation. Mrs. Smuggins expressed curiosity to know why I so persisted in wishing to see Italica. I told her that it was because it had been built by the Romans, and that we used to learn about that nation at school, for I was ashamed to tell the real reason. She then made much inquiry about convents and nuns, which I found it difficult to answer. She wished to know why the nuns did not marry, and why they could only be seen through a grating like people afflicted with the plague. I answered these questions to the best of my ability, as I had never studied the subject; stating, that I presumed the first custom was the result of their bad taste; and the second, its well-merited punishment. informed why they were called nuns. She next expressed a desire to be This question I did my best to evade, from a sincere feeling that I could not satisfy her curiosity; but such was the pertinacity with which she insisted on having some explanation of this, for which she shrewdly enough remarked that there must exist some reason, that at length I found it necessary to say that they were probably called nuns because nun of them knew the reason. At this juncture the boat gave a grind, and we were aground in the middle of the Guadalquivir. Mrs. S. turned very pale, and her alarm was not diminished on hearing her son rap out various energetic English expressions directed to the boatmen. I, however, told her there was no danger of our being drowned in so shallow a stream; a consolation which I felt not myself, having read that it was formerly navigable for large ships 200 miles higher up. In a short time, by dint of pushing and pulling, and one of the men getting out of the boat, we were shoved off and continued our voyage. It was not difficult to arrive in sight of the convent, but a landingplace could not be found. The banks were every where abrupt; not high enough to be picturesque, but just too high for a lady to reach terra firma by a jump. At length the sailors made choice of a part where they asserted there were steppingplaces, although I could discover no difference between one portion of the shore and another. Mrs. Smuggins, whose natural protector had instantaneously reached the top of the bank by two bounds, and was reconnoitring the country, seemed to rely upon me with all that irresistible dependence peculiar to her feeble sex. I had placed my right foot on a break of the earth in the bank, which was perpendicular, or nearly so. Finding myself thus in a firm posture, with the other foot on the edge of the water, I offered one hand to the lady, while, with the other, I grasped the root of a stunted shrub. Mrs. S. stood on the side of the boat, which had been pushed as much as possible against the ground, otherwise it must have yielded to her weight; and, taking my hand, she made an effort to ascend, putting one foot near to mine on the ground, and the other on a projecting clod which I pointed out. I then mounted another step, and placed a foot on the top of the bank, urging Mrs. S. to make an effort to follow, and pulling her hand with my whole force. Thinking us safe, the boatmen had ceased to pull the boat shoreward; and it had, consequently, left its place and was veering round, when, at so unpropitious a moment, the clod gave way under Mrs. Smuggins's upper foot, and she operated a descent which, although gradual-as she had to pull me after her part of the way ended in her reaching the surface of the water. I had slipped and slipped, until I was at the extreme edge, and still held her hand; and her garments being buoyed up by the wave, and forming an extensive circle around her, she appeared by no means uncomfortably poised on the cool element. She exhibited the panting effect usually observed on entering cold water; but I thought her seat must be the more refreshing and agreeable, since such had been her state of alarm during the half minute of her suspension beneath the sole support of my hand, that the perspiration now stood on her cheeks, and rendered her gloveless hand scarcely tenable. Mrs. Smuggins did not, however, view her position in the same light, but exclaimed at length, in much agitation, that she felt something. "Never mind that," I replied, to tranquillise her; "it can but be a fish!" "Oh, horrors!" she screamed. "What! food for the fishes ?" But this degrading fate was averted, as also the glut it would have occasioned in the Seville fish-market, by the aid of the men who had taken to the water, seeing the lady's danger, and come to her rescue. I then called to the youth to return, that we might make the best of our way home. I cannot express to you, my dear Grubley, how tired I have been of this place ever since that excursion, and it is probable that I shall be hundreds of miles from it when next you hear of me. RELIGIOUS MOVEMENT IN GERMANY. Ir is now not much more than a twelvemonth since the attention of men in this country was first called to the present religious movement within the Roman Catholic Church in Germany. Since that time the movement has advanced with great rapidity, and has assumed such an aspect and revealed such a condition of men's minds, as must fix the anxious regard alike of spiritual and of civil rulers, and command the notice of every Christian heart and of every intelligent mind. Its first originators, indeed, have been allowed to fall into comparative obscurity. Some have prudently confined themselves to the care of the particular flocks which have chosen and installed them as pastors, while others, such as Ronge and Dowiat, have been permitted to amuse themselves with an idle and unproductive crusade. These two men have entirely let themselves down from the dignity of the priestly character, and, assuming that of the demagogue or agitator, have worshipped and burned incense to the people. As the constituted authorities were naturally unfavourable to them, or, at the most, neutral, they have seldom been permitted to hold their assemblies in churches or halls, and, in consequence, the so-called Second Reformation has become in their hands a business of dinners and noisy toasts, of crowds and vivats. Indeed one of the most remarkable features of the movement is, that no leaders have appeared; no man of wisdom, energy, character, or commanding talent, who could offer himself as a centre round which the zealous multitudes might gather and organise themselves. The Lutheran reformation unavoidably favoured the developement of individual self-sufficientness. It did so in two ways. 1st. By its possessing within itself no regularly transmitted priesthood. 2ndly. By the principle which it recognised, that faith and religious knowledge ought to be the result of individual investigation and research, and not of teaching as a transmitted or an inherited faith. Its only band was the subscription of a formula, the inefficiency of which became very early apparent; and hence, in process of time, the ill-constructed fabric fell to pieces, overwhelming in its ruins more than the outward constitution and influence of a church. Few of our readers are ignorant of the antichristian and haughty character that prevails in the literature and science of Germany. The German people are characterised not so much by the pride of birth, or of wealth, or of arms, as by the pride of thought. Science and philosophy have an invincible charm for them, and these instruments they apply with equal freedom to Livy and the Pentateuch, to the Gospels and to Justin Martyr. There is no check of reverence, no trembling at the Word of God. Accordingly phi losophy for a time reigned alone. Bare reason possessed the chair and the pulpit. The times of the Porch and the Academy seemed to have returned, only with the materials of the Gospel and with the instrumentality of the Church. Wherever the the knowledge of letters, and in GerBible and the hymn-book carried many that is alike with the Popish * Mission der Deutsch-Katholiken, von G. G. Gervinus. Heidelberg, 1845. The Mission of the German Catholics, by G. G. Gervinus. Dr. Theiner's Beitritt zur Deutsch-Katholischen Reform. Weimar, 1845. Dr. Theiner's Adhesion to the German Catholics. Ob Schrift? Ob Geist? Verantwortung gegen Meine Ankläger, von G. A. Wislicenus, Pfarrer in Halle. Leipzig, 1845. Letter? or Spirit? Reply to my Accusers, by G. A. Wislicenus, Pastor in Halle. Bekentnisse von Uhlich. Leipzig, 1845. Confessions of Uhlich. Neue und doch alte Feinde, von Johannes Ronge. Dessaw, 1845. The Last Enemies the same as the First, by John Ronge. and the Protestant population, there a proud philosophy entered and sat down. It lifted up its voice at every street-corner, and glided like a serpent into every bosom. And what has it done? There is no sacred thing which it has not profaned, there is no veil which it has not rent in twain, there is no shrine which it has not polluted, there is no honourable thing which it has not made vile. "Goethe and Schiller," says Gervinus with triumph, "Voss and Jean Paul, Winkelman and Wieland, Forster and Lichtenberg, have cleared all the barriers of dogmatical Christianity, and the educated portion of the people have followed their example, every man according to his best ability." With a limitless faith in the future history of man, and in the inherent power of self-developement that that pervades the species, it is not to be wondered at that mere progress should with them be the grand idea. Whither that progress at any given moment may be tending is less clear, and, in the estimation of its worshippers, of no great consequence; for history, read with the eye of science, shews that the species has advanced through all changes and circumstances, toward and untoward. The individual or the nation may have gone down, but the great human family has been carried steadily forward to its maturity. They feel, and the business of the day is to declare it, that they have already attained (in Germany) a point of developement to which the Reformation, nay, all history, nay, Christianity itself, was only an introduction. The new reformation has been the great subject of the year that is past, and a year in the present state of the world is worth a quarter of any former century. Where we at this moment write, in one of the busiest of the free imperial cities, it is the universal subject. By priest and peasant, by scholar and merchant, in the clubs and cafés, the German Catholic Church is the constant topic of discussion. An entire new literature has sprung up; and Buonaparte and the Kaisers, Goethe and Schiller, have yielded their place in the print-shops to Ronge and Kerbler. Scarcely have the anxieties of a rather troubled monetary period, and VOL. XXXIII. NO. CXCVIII. those of a deficient, or at least a doubtful harvest, been able to command their share in the labours of the periodical press. Since the synod of Leipzig, which rather rashly and prematurely announced a creed, conferences have been held in Stuttgart and in Berlin, in which all northern Germany has shared, and all southern Germany sympathised. In these the chief idea has been to widen the popular basis; even the state-andschool question has been broachedfor the church-and-state question was virtually answered long ago, and is now passed by as frivolousand a so-called emancipation or enfranchisement of the female sex has been gravely propounded. In the meantime a certain sort of worship has been carried on. The pulpit and the altar have not ceased, but the pulpit has become a stage for the orator who is thrust into it, who bows his head to the audience, because they are the representative of that universal humanity which is his god; while the altar is but the convenient place where Christian worship may be parodied, and the holy sacraments profaned. They who know the heart of a Roman Catholic priest, must be aware what an entire overthrow all his faith and sentiments must have sustained ere he can look upon the altar with any eye but that of worship, or proclaim from his place that the holy sacrament is no longer a mystery. Yet so thoroughly are men loosed from their former anchorages, that it is affirmed of Dr. Theiner, the best man whom the New Reformation can boast of, that he has consented even to the principle that the holy Eucharist shall not be celebrated on other than holy days, except at the request of some individual who desires to partake of the communion. While such things were going forward, Rome has been silent, contenting herself with excommunications. With these her children have grown too familiar, and they have learned to despise them. They whose faith and allegiance have not been shaken, shrink from the rude blusterings of a popular gale, and are withdrawing themselves from public places and from mixed society. Such Protestants as have any faith or fear of God remaining in them, all the |