land from Thracia. They were called Picts, because they coloured their faces with several sorts of colours, which gave them a fierce and horrible appearance. They landed in the east part of Leinster, and fought with the Lageniens, in which battle the prince of Leinster was wounded, and many of his men slain. When this news reached Ereamhon, he went out with a considerable force against the Picts, whom he completely defeated; nor would allow them any footing in Ireland, and sent them off to a country north-east of this island, which is that now called Scotland, where he also sent many of the progeny of Breogan, called Brigantes, and of the Tuatha de Danans.

Cathluan was the first king of the Picts in Albain, (Scotland now.) After him sixty Pictish kings reigned, ending with Constantine.

Of the Tuatha de Danans, I find another record, which states that a grievous battle, called the Battle of Tailtean, had taken place between the Milesians and the Tuatha de Danans, in which the latter were totally defeated, their kings slain, and most of their forces. All who escaped fled for concealment to the woods and caverns of the earth, leaving the land to the conquerors. In time they crept forth, and by degrees becoming familiar with the new inhabitants, they obtained the liberty of subjects.

I shall here conclude my letter, which I fear you will find tediously lengthened. After I have done with Keating's early details, of which I have merely taken short extracts, I think you will find a considerable improvement in Irish history. I have taken up Keating, from finding that the different accounts of the same time, which I have read, have evidently

been taken from his, (or principally so,) which makes me think that no documents more authentic than his bave been discovered.

THE ROYAL BRIDAL.

A SHOUT of joy, both deep and loud
Burst from the lips of that dense crowd,
And spoke a nation's pride,

As moving through the crowded street,
With courteous smile, and glances sweet,
Came England's royal bride.

And when the glorious sun went down,
Gaily through London's olden town,
Shone forth a gorgeous scene;
Wreath, star, and coronal gleamed there
In honour of the young, the fair,

Of England's wedded Queen.

Yet put those bridal flowers away,
Life is not a summer's day,

Of long festivity;

Rather let the prayer be made,

Rather be the blessing said,

Our royal bride, for thee!

Hush, oh hush, the music's strain!
Or, if its chorus breathe again,
Rather let it be,

A supplication loud and long,
Breathed from the lips of that vast throng,
On lowly bended knee!

Prince, peer, and peasant-each must know,
In changeful guise, of joy and woe,
Their hourly, daily share;

Yet would we not this day, the less,
Ask for some boon thy life to bless,
Then what shall be our prayer?

Oh! be thou queen, or peasant girl,
In cotton robe, or braid of pearl,
As wedded wife,-above

All earthly boons, that can be given,
Or asked for thee from bounteous heaven,
We'll ask, for Home's fond love!

M. A. S. Barber.

263

NOTES ON GENESIS.

CHAPTER III.

1. THE first art the deceiver practices against the woman is to infuse into her mind discontent against the will of God; the manner in which the question is put "Yea, hath God said you shall not eat of every tree of the garden?" evidently implying a supposed hardship in the restriction.

2. The woman at first feebly vindicates the goodness of God by admitting that they were allowed the use of all the trees save one, but at the same time she makes no observation calculated to discourage and silence the tempter.

4. This assertion is, in a sense, true. Natural or bodily death did not immediately occur, though the body then became subject to death; but a far heavier than bodily death was connected with the act of disobedience-spiritual death-death from the life of God that was in them.

5. This is also true: they did acquire a new knowledge; but the tempter concealed from her view that for the acquisition of blind, contracted, human knowledge they were to forfeit the heavenly wisdom, which had hitherto flowed into, and ruled their hearts. (See note on ii. 17.) It is by partial truth more frequently than by open falsehood the devil deludes and destroys the blind followers of error.

Misapplied truth

was one of the weapons he used against the Lord himself in the temptation, which he parried, putting Satan to silence by quotations from scripture, shewing the false use he made of the truths he asserted. This, be assured, my child, is the only method of developing the deceptions of Satan, whether silently instilled into your mind or openly taught by his human ministers. Whatever interpretation of any given passage of scripture does not coincide and harmonise with the general scope and tenor of the whole must be false, since God is the author of all, and will not contradict himself. Observe here into what fatal error the smallest deviation from the truth of God may lead us; we may believe many truths and yet be lost from our misapprehension of others.

6. The woman must, no doubt, have before observed that the fruit was pleasant to the eyes, and appeared good for food; but knowing it to be prohibited, she had viewed it without desire, until the idea, now suggested, of hardship in the prohibition, combined with the desire of independence, which is inseparably connected with discontent under the commands of a superior, awakened her wishes to such a wild and frantic height as cast aside every restraint of fear or gratitude, and induced her to commit the crime to which, perhaps but a few minutes before, she had not even an inclination.

"And gave to her husband, and he did eat." We heré find no arguments urged; he loved the creature more than the Creator, and yielded to her instead of obeying Him.

As on this great and awful event, the fall of man, turns every thing most deeply and lastingly important for us to know, it behoves us to pause here, and