"GIVING OUT" HYMNS.

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preachers being present, the conversation turned on what is termed "giving out" hymns in the pulpit,— that is, reading every two lines previous to singing them. Mr. Holland thought that it would be advantageous to abandon the practice in chapels, where not only almost every individual had a hymn book, and could read it, perhaps as well as the minister; but where there was an organ too. The Rev. Mr. Haswell admitted that one ground for the original adoption of the practice, the rarity of books, had ceased to exist; and moreover, that the singing, especially where there was an organ, was somewhat injured by the breaks in the tune; but then, he contended, that much was still gained by the degree in which the attention of the audience is kept up, or intelligibly recalled to the subject, by the practice in question. Montgomery was, on the whole, of the same opinion. "It is," said he, "the old Methodist practice, and has long worked well: whether there would be sufficient reason for adopting such a practice now, for the first time, is another thing; but it certainly secures to the preacher a command over the service which I should advise Mr. Haswell and his friends not to give up." As to the breaking up the tune and verses of a given hymn, they had, he proceeded, "at one time a practice among the Moravians that went much further: the minister, sitting in the meeting, first read a verse, and then struck up a tune, which was immediately caught by the organist and choir, and sung by the audience; another,

stand at the top of the pulpit stairs. At the period in question, the minister was beginning to broach some of those Unitarian notions which finally prevailed in the chapel: on one of these occasions, old Congreve was so excited by what he heard that, forgetful alike of the presence of others and his own feebleness, he laid hold of the preacher's collar, exclaiming, "Come down with thee, thou preachest false doctrines!"

and another portion of hymns, in different metres, and the notes often pitched in as various keys, were, in like manner, given out, and sung." He had often, when a boy at Fulneck school, lain in bed and listened, with inexpressible delight, to this social singing.

In October appeared "A Memorial of the Rev. J. B. Holmes, late Bishop of the Church of the United Brethren." To this volume was prefixed an "Introduction" of an hundred pages, from the pen of Montgomery, whose name, however, in consequence of some oversight, was omitted altogether. On presenting a copy of the work to Mr. Holland, who immediately noticed the omission, the poet remarked, that he could only account for it from the circumstance of his having neglected formally to write it upon the proof-sheet, while passing through his hands. He regretted the accident, he said, because the appearance of his name would, doubtless, have led certain classes of persons to read the book; and thus have made them, in some degree at least, better acquainted with the early history of the Brethren's church. The "Introduction" itself contains, perhaps, fewer passages strikingly indicative of Montgomery's style than almost any other of his compositions of a similar character: but it is, however, not the less valuable on that account, for there is reason to believe it is exactly what he intended it to be, a plain and affecting abstract of a very little known, and less considered, chapter of the "Book of Martyrs," written, as it originally was, in the mingled blood and tears of that ancient church, the line of whose bishops had descended unbroken, amidst the desolation of fire and sword, to him whose simple autobiography and literary remains form the substance of the volume in question. In reply to a remark, that the writer of the "Introduction" had forborne to say

MEMORIAL OF A MORAVIAN MINISTER. 229

anything about the doctrines or discipline of the "Brethren's Unity," as distinguished from other Christian churches, Montgomery replied, that he had once intended to have done something of the sort; but that the length of the narrative connected with the persecutions, testimony, and resuscitation of the Moravians as a people, which were comparatively so little known, on the one hand, and his own involuntary faintness in the task on the other hand, prevented him from doing more. In a note accompanying a present of the book to his old friend Mr. Roberts, one of the most liberal * supporters of the Brethren's missions, he says: "The memoir of our Brother Holmes may be found too minute to be generally interesting; but read only what you like; I do not set you a task, but offer you the opportunity of seeing Christian patience and labours in a new form."

* So liberal, indeed, that in the first instance Montgomery hesitated to accept the money (1007. we believe), till the donor had reconsidered the grounds on which he proposed "to consecrate so large a sum to so worthy a purpose."

СНАР. ХСІІІ.

1845.

INDICATIONS OF AGE. LORD ELDON'S OPINION

66

ON SLAVERY. — LETTERS AND AUTOGRAPHS. THE SHEFFIELD CLUB."-POETICAL PUFFS.-WHIT-MONDAY.-ETHNOLOGY.-THE FAIR.-ILLINGWORTH'S "VOICE FROM THE SANCTUARY.". MONTGOMERY'S OPINION OF THE WORK.-AMERICAN THEOLOGIANS, SWISS VISITOR AT THE MOUNT.-GIFT OF A SILVER INKSTAND.-THE BURYING BEETLE.--INTERVIEW WITH BRYANT THE AMERICAN POET. CONVERSATION. THE MAPLE IN AUTUMN. VERSES ON THE DEATH OF A CHILD. BASALT COLUMNS. POCAHONTAS.-PYBUS.-LETTER TO REV. P. LATROBE.

MONTGOMERY entered upon the new year in feeble health, and with rather more than his usual depression of spirits; the latter, perhaps, a consequence of his being involuntarily made a party in some process of litigation between the claimants to ownership of a tilt and grinding-mill, on the river Don, upon which he had, as already mentioned, a considerable mortgage. Although his memory was, on the whole, remarkably tenacious, as it had ever been, he appeared rather more liable to forgetfulness on recent and indifferent subjects.

January 11. Holland: "This is the second volume of the Life of Lord Eldon.' Do you recollect the passage relative to his opposition to the abolition of the Slave Trade in 1807?" Montgomery: "Yes; though not perfectly-read it." The passage, pp. 21-22.

LORD ELDON AND THE SLAVE TRADE. 231

vol. ii. ed. 1844, was read. Holland: "I think Mr. Twiss has hardly dealt satisfactorily with the subject. I can understand, and believe that the Lord Chancellor might entertain a persuasion that the cause of justice and humanity would gain nothing by the abolition, as then proposed; but I cannot admit, with his biographer, that the results have but too amply fulfilled his forebodings; much less am I prepared to concede that 'for want of the requisite concurrence on the part of foreign states, the total suffering endured by the African race, instead of having been diminished, has been frightfully augmented.' To say nothing of the historical insubstantiality of the alleged fact, it must be obvious, that if Great Britain had not abolished the Slave Trade until the co-operative consent of all other parties interested had been secured, it would have been existing at this day." Montgomery: "Aye, that it would: as to Lord Eldon, his mind had been so long and so deeply conversant with questions of property, in the legal and abstract view of them, that it was not easy for him to regard in any other light the claims of those persons who had so long held human beings to be propertymere chattels real.'' Holland: "As to the incidental evils which, after all, exist - however much to be deplored they are no more to be charged upon the abolition of the Slave Trade, than the recent iniquitous proceedings at Tahiti are to be laid to the account of missionary success." Montgomery: "Certainly not; nor than the Inquisition itself is to be attributed to Christianity, because it has been established by its professors.'

Something was said about poetical and other favours being written for, and transmitted to, parties who failed to acknowledge them. Montgomery: "Of the numerous persons who persecute me in this way, including