they found, as was to be expected, that the people had, as yet, but a scanty knowledge of Scriptural truth, of which, however, they seem to be deeply sensible; and that the heads of families, representing about 70 souls, (of the 400 Greek Christians of the place,) had signed a mutual promise to keep together in searching the Scriptures, and especially in endeavouring to have their children educated according to the pure Word of God; and that there were others similarly disposed, but who, from motives of prudence, had not yet been requested to sign the paper. A little later they addressed to me a petition, signed by above a dozen heads of families, breathing a modest and altogether Scriptural spirit, in which they intimated that they would remain in connexion with the Greek Church; but praying most earnestly that I would pity their children and provide them with the means of giving them a Scriptural education, the want of which they so deeply felt for themselves. Upon this, considering all the circumstances, I was led to, and did immediately purchase a house sufficiently large for a boys' and girls' school, and a dwelling for the master's family; and I appointed an intelligent, promising young man, originally from Nazareth, but living at Nablous, as schoolmaster, under the superintendence of the two most influential Christians of the place.

"On the 5th of September the school was opened, with twenty-one boys. But on the next following Lord's day a most fulminating excommunication was read in the Church, in the name of the Greek Patriarch, against all those who should continue to send their children to what was called the English school, with the threat that, although they should afterwards repent, they could never be readmitted into the (so-called) Orthodox Church. (I have some reason to suppose that the Patriarch was not aware of all the bitter contents of the excommunication, since he understands but little Arabic;—but why does he not learn the language of his flock?) The effect of the Anathema, which in fact was against the Bible alone, was different from what had been expected; for the next day several persons joined our friends, and asked leave to send their children to the school. At that time the cholera appeared at Nablous, and all correspondence has been all but interrupted. I learn, however, that the school has continued uninterrupted, although the father of the schoolmaster has died, with two other of our friends; I hear also that several isolated Christian inhabitants of the mountains of Samaria are about to remove to Nablous, in order to have their children educated in our school, which now numbers twenty-five boys."

On this I would remark, that it is a great mistake to suppose that the Greek Patriarch and other Prelates are opposed to education; and I have no doubt that if the Nablûsians had represented to His Holiness their great anxiety for Scriptural instruction, he would have done his best to supply it, as his worthy brother, Methodius of Antioch, is doing in his flourishing schools at Damascus. Why was he not applied to?

Next, the qualification in Bishop Gobat's reply, ("I could not approve of their leaving their Church, at present,") reminds me very unpleasantly of a passage in an "Important and special Appeal" of "the Malta Protestant College," the first of whose avowed objects is, "The gratuitous education of Natives from the different Regions of the East, as Missionaries, Schoolmasters, Scripture-readers, and Interpreters." (Prospectus, p. 6.) The recent events at Nablus are thus alluded to in the Appeal, and there is no difficulty in assigning the Letter here cited to the Author of the Annual Letter above quoted, which contains a much fuller, but more cautious, statement of circumstances :

"Never perhaps was there a period when such agents as the Malta Protestant College is preparing as teachers of the Gospel were so much needed. An irrepressible spirit of inquiry has been everywhere awakened along with the downfall of empires, and the revolutions of nations. We have lately received deeply interesting intelligence, which goes to show that numbers in the East, and belonging to the Western Churches, are in the sad condition of fully seeing the deadly errors of their own systems, without having any guides to instruct them in the knowledge of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. A letter recently received from Palestine states, that a great movement has taken place amongst a community of Arabs belonging to the Greek Church. You will rejoice,' says the writer, 'to learn the great effect which has been produced by the circulation of the Scriptures, and conversations, among the Arabs about Nablous. The people became so interested, that all the Christian inhabitants at Nablous have thrown off the yoke of their priesthood, and have separated from the Greek Church. They now ask for a Protestant clergyman and a schoolmaster, but neither can be procured. They are resolved to form themselves into a Protestant community, that they may follow the religion of the Gospel.' This is a sad state of things. Here are men thirsting for the waters of life, and no one can be found to minister to their wants."

A sad state of things, indeed,-in a sense very different from the one here intended; for when it is remembered that this Malta Collegethough under Episcopal sanction-is composed of an union of all Protestant denominations and sects, including not only foreign Lutherans and Calvinists, but Presbyterian and Independent Separatists from the Anglican Church; and that one of its fundamental principles is a denial of the Scriptural doctrine of Baptismal Regeneration, (Prospectus,) who that loves Apostolic doctrine, order, and discipline, can wish it God speed? As it has been my lot, in the course of Divine Providence, to declare to three of the Patriarchs, and other distinguished Prelates of the Orthodox Churches of the East, the good faith of our own Metropolitan, and the friendly disposition of the Anglican Church, it is my duty to enter my solemn protest, valeat quantum, against this aggressive policy, as a direct violation of the terms on which the Anglican Bishoprick at Jerusalem was established.

DESCRIPTION OF ANCIENT LOCK AND KEY.

THE iron padlock, of which a sketch is annexed, was found in 1839 in the fosse of the ancient tower, commonly called the Tower of David, at Jerusalem. It was forwarded to His Imperial Majesty by the Russian Consul at Jaffa, as being a very curious and perhaps unique specimen of ancient mechanism.

The lock itself is of forged iron, of a square form, weighing about 38 Russian pounds, and in size 9 by 9 English inches. The mechanism is enclosed in a cylinder between three and four inches in diameter. The key, five pounds in weight, five inches in diameter, and thirteen in length, is introduced through an opening in one of the iron ends of the cylinder, and at a certain distance from the entrance the wards or projections of the key press six springs, simply and ingeniously constructed, and by keeping them compressed permit the removal of that end of the padlock to which the bolt adheres, leaving the interior visible. To lock it, the key has simply to be withdrawn; compression being removed, the springs instantly return to their grooves, and no way of opening can be used except that of breaking the lock or applying its own key.

The exterior of the lock is covered with a grooved pattern, into which, in all probability, ornaments were soldered. On its disinterment, the channels were filled with an earthy substance so much hardened by time, that it could with difficulty be extracted.

On the lower extremity of the lock, and at the end of the bolt are cavities in which it is evident that escutcheons have been fastened, as the end of the key still bears the traces of incrustation in copper and silver.

Its form, weight, and the manner in which it must be attached, prove that it can only have been made use of to fasten a large door or gate, such as that of a city or tower.

Does not the double cross on the key indicate that at the time of its manufacture the Christians were yet masters of Jerusalem? The arms of the city were a double cross d'or on a field argent. Its perfect preservation may be accounted for by the extraordinary thickness of the metal, the mechanism being so completely concealed in the depth of the cylinder that the rust could with difficulty reach it, especially if we bear in mind the dryness of the soil in southern latitudes.

THE END.

By the same Author.

SERMONS

Preached at Jerusalem, in the Years 1842, 1843. 8vo. 10s. 6d.

THE KINGLY OFFICE OF CHRIST :

A Sermon preached in the Chapel of King's College, Cambridge, on the Festival of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin (being Founder's Day), 1849. ls.

Preparing for Publication.

THE HOLY LAND:

Travels in Palestine from Dan to Beersheba, with an

especial view to the Elucidation of its Ancient Geography.