The Editor's Desk.

MOST, if not all of our clerical readers will remember an article which appeared in the Christian Remembrancer, July, 1854, and which those who were acquainted with his style and great learning, attributed at once to Mr. NEALE. He has now, we are happy to say, acknowledged it, and under the title of Medieval Sermons, has produced a work of the greatest interest, from which even the unlearned will be able to form a good idea of mediaval sermonology. The introduction is admirable, and contains some clever, though rather severe remarks upon the preaching of the present day. Upon one or two points we must confess we do not quite agree with Mr. Neale, for preaching in the present day has become quite different to what it was some twenty-five years ago,-to go no further back. If it were not that Mr. Neale tells a good anecdote about himself, as well as the well-known one of a learned living prelate, who has a peculiarly clear manner of expressing himself, we should have felt much disposed to break a lance with him upon the greater clearness of extempore preaching, (which need not be extempore thinking,) over written discourses: we mean, that if fairly done, it is more easily understood by the people than any elaborately written oration. We think that the great mistake pointed at by the anecdote of the Bishop, is the attempting to be plain, an attempt which often not only perplexes the hearer, but confuses the preacher also. One of the anecdotes however we must give.

"The other anecdote was related to me by another prelate of our Church. He happened to be staying in a country village, when a stranger was accidentally called in to preach. His text was, 'There was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews: the same came to JESUS by night.' His sermon was very much to the point, so far as educated persons were concerned. But, on the following day, the Bishop happened to inquire of an old woman in the parish, if she had understood, and how she had liked the discourse. Very much indeed,' was her reply: 'and I always did hear say that it was by night the fairies danced on Harborough Hill.

So much for the preacher's description of the character of the Pharisees."-P. 47.

At all events, we have to thank Mr. Neale (which we do most heartily), for one other of his many contributions to the literature of the Church, and we hope he may long be spared to benefit others by that vast store of learning which he has accumulated during his many years of painful study.

We are glad to meet Mr. ARCHER GURNEY once more in the exercise of his poetical powers. Songs of early Summer (Longman, Brown, and Co.,) is the title of his new volume, though we think a more appropriate one might have been found. Gurney can write a good ballad, and we do not care how many he gives us. We like the present volume almost better than its predecessor, and cordially recommend it to those who love pleasant, and easy flowing poetry. It is moreover, a handsome-looking volume, well got-up. We wish the two stanzas entitled Maudiana had been left out, as well as one or two other little poems. But where so much good is to be found, it seems ungenerous to find fault with what may after all be summed up as matters of taste.

Memorials of Admonsham, and Chesham, Leycester, in two Martyr Stories, (Saunders and Ottley) is the title of a book which contains two tales of deep interest, worked out with great skill, whether or not the readers may be disposed to agree with everything they contain.

We have received a charming book for children, entitled, Stories on the second table of the Ten Commandments. The story of the Drummer Boys is particularly touching, as is that of the Little Choristers. If priests or parents want a good healthy book for children, this is the best we know. For ourselves, used as we are to read works of this class, we did not lay this down until we had read every tale it contains. The engravings also are remarkably good. It is altogether a first-class book.

Mr. NEWLAND's first volume of Sermons, intended to develope the teaching of the Christian year, is a very handsome-looking one, and printed in capital type. The materials of the Sermons are, it is needless to add, good,

-though we should be glad to see two Editorial notes either left out or altered. When complete, we shall have a valuable series, and if the style is now and then rather heavy, we must remember that we have solid matter to compensate for it.

Mr. OXENDEN is a plain, sensible, practical writer,one who can really write for the people. We wish he were altogether one in opinion with us. But though this is not the case, his Pathway of Safety contains much that is profitable and highly calculated to do good.

The Amusing Library we are glad to see proceeds with vigour, from which we should augur that the talented Editor has met with the success he so richly deserves. The adventures of Jules Gerard, the Lion Killer, are the exact commodity for those who rejoice in the marvellous and the daring. We confess that ever and anon, to use a common but expressive phrase, we held our breath" for very fear, and were thankful when we found the exploit had been safely performed. All his acts have been prompted, it appears, by charitable feelings, and to confer benefits, and therefore are to be regarded in a different light to similar tasks undertaken for other purposes, and which seem to us like tempting Providence.

Sonnets, chiefly Astronomical; and other Poems. By the Rev. J. A. STOTHERT, (Dolman) did not seem at first a very promising title. We remember, somewhat slightly, certain rather difficult matters, which fifteen or sixteen years ago, we used to try to understand at College, and wondered if we should find them here. The title, however, is the worst part of the book, for the poetry is good, and if mathematics could be generally speaking put forth in so agreeable a form, we should not despair of being mathematicians. Mr. Stothert is a poet of a good school, depending more upon his ideas than high sounding words, or any peculiarities which distinguish writers of our day. Take the following:

EVENING.

"The sun declines, amidst a golden calm,

No speck on yonder deep and tender blue;
Within those depths, profounder, lost to view,

From earth and sea comes Nature's festal psalm;
The stillness falls upon my heart like balm.
The scene is old, its beauty ever new,
Bathing the classic ruin of a few

Lone columns shadowed by the waving palm.
'Neath such a heaven, 'twere shame to hear the din
Of strife, the beating of man's anxious heart

For peace, the far-resounding cry of sin,

The wound, the pain, which knows no healing art To still the weary spirit's thirst for rest,

Unlike the calm which sleeps to-day on Nature's breast."

THE TIDE.

"Slow rolls the wave across the Ocean wide,
Past seas of calm, through elemental roar,
Kissing the sands of many a tropic shore,
By ice-bound coasts where living glaciers slide
Down to the deep; slow rolls the restless tide,
Heaving beneath the Ocean's level floor,
Twice in each day returning evermore,
At intervals which dark and light divide;
Stirred by the queenly Moon's attracting power,
Each drop throughout the vast abysses thrills
And trembles as it owns her mighty dower;
Even so the ruling motive, as it wills,
Attracts the heart by impulses of love.
Would it were always true to One above!"

A DREAM.

"In a foreign city dwelling,

While I lie in balmy sleep,

Springs of thought within me welling,
Inner senses vigil keep.

"Travelling through an English valley
Till the night is on the wane,
By the limes' o'er-arching alley
Entering now an ancient fane.

"Moonlight shadows, slowly creeping
Noiselessly on floor of stone,
Lead me where my friend is weeping
Shrouded in the gloom alone.

"Two fair babes of his are lying

In the hollow vault beneath;
There was comfort in their dying
Crowned with infancy's pure wreath.

"Now we talk of them as living

Far beyond our darkling night;
His sad heart awhile misgiving ;-

Have they reached the Godhead's sight?

"Vaulted aisle, asunder rending,

Shows a wintry sky o'erhead;
Two bright crowns of stars descending,
Hover o'er the kneeling dead.

"Straight, our soothed senses thrilling,
Comes a voice of silver tone,
Both our hearts with sweetness filling,
Steals through aisle and chancel lone :

"Not so ends their plaintive story,
Leaving them in dreamy rest;
Your dear infants are in glory,

Throned on their SAVIOUR's breast."

The Grace of Holy Orders, a Visitation Sermon, by the Rev. H. L. JENNER, (Masters) appears to have provoked a diversity of opinion. Hence its publication, of which we are glad, for though the Sermon was perhaps scarcely equal to the occasion, it is yet a useful discourse, and will do good.

CHURCH NEWS.

was

THE choral union, formed at Staines, near Windsor, with Mr. Pate as organist and choir-master, is progressing, we are glad to hear, most favourably. It has held its first anniversary under happy auspices, the Bishop of Oxford (who with the Bishop of London is a patron) preaching the sermon on the occasion. The music was of a thoroughly Church character. The Torquay Society, formed also for the same purpose, has held its second anniversary at S. Mary Church, when the sermon preached by the Rev. H. Newland, Vicar. A pleasant gathering took place afterwards, and an agreeable evening was spent, enlivened by glees and other music. have on a former occasion spoken at large of the claims of S. Margaret's College, Crieff,-and writing of music reminds us that the annual concert was given at the end of last term (June), and the prizes were distributed. We are glad to learn that many pupils are entered for next term, as from everything we hear, it continues to maintain its position as one of the most excellent, and best conducted establishments of the day.

We

The Bishops of London and Durham, have, it is al