the body."

When M. ---- had proceeded in this manner for ten or twelve minutes,
bringing the truth to bear especially upon the minds of his new
audience, he perceived the mayor wiping his eyes with the cuff of his
sleeve, who, rising at that moment from his seat, exclaimed:

"Sir, I acknowledge that I have heretofore felt an enmity towards
many of the people whom I here see before me; and have, as far as my
influence extended in my official capacity, endeavoured to break up
what I have considered their illegal assemblies, and to coerce them
back within the pale of the mother church, which one after another of
them have been abandoning for years past. But if all that you have
expressed be true, and is in conformity with the sacred volume of
God's word, and if the book which you hold in your hand is a correct
translation of the original copy, I beg you to sell it me, that I may
peruse it myself, and give the reading of it to others better able
to judge of its contents: and if I there find the promises and
threatening as stated by you to be correct, you may rely upon it that,
so far from persecuting these in other respects harmless people, I
will hereafter be their friend."

On hearing this, M. ---- immediately requested the widow to bring
several Bibles from the case which he brought with him in the
Diligence, and which had reached the house according to his direction;
one of which he presented to the mayor, and one to each of his
catholic associates. On the mayor's offering pay for the one put into
his hand, M. ---- observed, that he had much pleasure in presenting
it to him, as well as to his companions, in the hope that they would
hereafter not only become the friends of this interesting people, but,
what was of more importance, the friends of Jesus Christ, who is the
"_only_ Mediator between God and man."

With this they took their departure: M. ---- observing to them, that
his heart's desire and prayer to God was, that, by a careful, humble,
and prayerful perusal of that sacred volume, their understandings
might become enlightened, and their hearts imbued with the riches of
divine grace; that they might thereby be led hereafter to advocate the
very cause which they had hitherto been attempting to destroy; and
that, when they had done serving God their Saviour here below, they
might find themselves among that happy number "whose names are written
in the Lamb's book of life."

They left the house, all of them i