;

The cliffs of Wye, near the castle of Chepstow, are uncommonly picturesque, especially the ridge which forms the left banks of the river below the bridge; this is extremely lofty, of a concave form, and tinted with a great variety of hues red, white, grey, and yellow, are beautifully blended, while the sober green is afforded by the foliage of the oak that skirts the top of the craigs, or shades their sides; the darker ivy is likewise apparent, starting at intervals from the crevices of the rocks, and twining its tenacious arms in all directions. The massive and imposing remains of the castle form the most grand and prominent feature in this almost endless assemblage of sublimity and beauty; they cover a large track of ground, and range along the brow of the perpendicular cliff which impends over the Wye.

The area of the castle is divided into four courts. The grand entrance to the fortress which leads into the first court is by a circular arch between two round towers; here are seen the shells of the grand hall, kitchen, and numerous apartments, of considerable size, still attaining appearances of baronial splendour. A few of these rooms are tenanted by the family, to whom the castle is let.

At the south-eastern angle of this court is a round tower,
G. 28.

now called Harry Martin's Tower, which was the keep, or citadel; the inside front presents a pointed entrance, over which are square windows; and the whole seems of a date posterior to the original structure, while the outside appears in its ancient state, is massive, and bears striking marks of its Norman origin.

Martin was confined in this tower for the space of thirty years; but, instead of its being-as often represented -a dark and miserable dungeon, it possesses apartments sufficiently airy, and of large dimensions. The first story of the tower contains a room which was occupied by himself and his wife; over it were lodgings for his domestics. The chamber in which he usually lived is not less than thirty-six feet in length, and twenty-three in breadth, the height being proportionate; it had two fire-places and three windows, two of which seem to be the original apertures; the third was probably enlarged for his convenience. Here this dauntless republican breathed a determined hatred to royalty, to the day of his death.

the

Martin was a native of Oxford, and was born in 1602; he received the rudiments of education in that city, and was admitted a gentleman commoner of the University College; at age of fifteen he took his bachelor's degree, and, in 1619, repaired to London for the study of the law. He possessed great talents, which were improved by classical attainments; but his temper was extremely capricious and volatile, which indisposed him for the grave study of the law; he was soon relieved, however, from that necessity, by espousing a rich widow. He commenced his political career in 1640, by joining the party adverse to the court. For the last ten parliaments of Charles the First, he represented the county of Berkshire, made a conspicuous figure in the Long Parliament, and was among the foremost to display anti-monarchical principles, of which fact Lord Clarendon gives a striking instance.

Mr. Hyde, walking near the parliament-house at Westminster, in the church-yard met with Henry Martin, with whom he was intimate, and, upon inquiry into the nature of the pretensions of his party, Martin declared that they did not think one man was wise enough to govern all; which was the first word that Mr. Hyde ever heard to that purpose. Martin added disdain and insult to his hatred of monarchy, and, at Longworth, tore to pieces the king's commission of

array. About 1642 he forced open a great iron chest within the college of Westminster, and took out the crown, robes, sword, and sceptre, used at the inauguration of the kings, observing, that there would be no further use for such toys. He was one who signed the death-warrant of the king, and, on that occasion, his trifling temper was very apparent. It has often been related, that Cromwell and Martin in passing the pen bespattered each other's faces with the ink.

On the west side of the court which contains Martin's prison, near a round tower called the old kitchen, a gate opens into the second court, now a garden, at the extremity of which another gateway leads into the third court, and to an elegant building, usually called the chapel.

EVENING REFLECTIONS.

BY J. R. PRIOR.

Man's joys and sorrows, like the hues of light,
In time's elision and his life unite;
Contrast of colour in the sky appears,
And every changing prospect peace endears:
The leaves of earth, that move upon the rays,
Instruct the heart to feel,-the lip to praise :
Young shadows, lapsing on the wavy stream,
Like silent sleep in weary eyelids steem.
What is not seen, felt, heard, or understood,
But points the way to Universal Good?'
Between the lands and skies the clouds are spread,
Guarding, alike, the living and the dead.
The sun retires, the dark'ning air pervades
The golden remnants shrinking into shades;
'Wet in her lap,' the moon leans like a wreck,
To which the evening star conveys a speck
Of hope-like brightness :-sister stars look through
The heavenly elements of spacious blue;
Wisdom and grandeur from the throne of night,
And constellated worlds revolve in light:

Without one tear of dew, or sigh of wind,
Heaven's tranquil glory whispers

"

Be resign'd!'

FATAL FANATICISM.

Incredible as the following horrible detail of facts may ap pear, there is no reason for doubting their authenticity, the whole having been publicly and juridically proved before the tribunals of Zurich, to have taken place in the year 1823.

In the northern part of the canton of Zurich is a little vil lage or hamlet, named Weldensbuch, the inhabitants of which, amounting to about twenty-five families, are employed in agriculture. Amongst these, the family of Jean Peter was considered to be the most prosperous and happy, until the deplorable event which plunged them into misery and ignominy.

Marguerite Peter, aged twenty-eight years, one of the six children of Jean Peter, had acquired for some years back, amongst the fanatics of the country, a reputation for sanctity. She was considered a woman endowed with supernatural knowledge, and intrusted with a mission from heaven to relume the torch of faith. Her natural enthusiastic temperament had been excited and nourished by preachings to such a pitch, as to give her, in the ignorant eyes of those around her, an air of inspiration. By this means she insensibly acquired a most unbounded influence over her father, her brothers, sisters, and servants, and had even succeeded in forming numerous assemblies of persons of both sexes and all ages, who in these pious orgies, delivered themselves up to the most revolting practices that folly and superstition can suggest. One Saturday morning, about ten o'clock, a great number of persons, many of whom had been especially sent for by Marguerite, had assembled in the house. Marguerite made them ascend into one of the upper rooms, and there declared to them in a prophetic tone, that the day was at hand when blood shall be shed for a multitude of souls, and that there was not a moment to be lost, if they wished to snatch the victory from Satan."

"I see," added she, "the ghost of my grandmother, who reveals to me, that in order to save the souls of my father and mother, it is necessary that one of us should lay down his life. I myself am ready to give mine, in order to redeem with my blood the souls of several millions of the living and the dead." She concluded by ordering those persons present to strike their breasts with their hands, which they accordingly did. After

this exordium she seized an iron mallet, and inflicted several blows with it upon her brothers, Ursula Kundig, and John Moser. Their blood soon flowed in abundance, and the life of her brother had nearly paid the forfeit of the holy vigour with which she applied the mallet. He was hurried away from her devout fury in the arms of a female servant, named Marguerite Jaeggli. Elizabeth Peter then offered herself as the first victim, upon which her sister Marguerite, and her friend Ursula Kundig, fell to striking her upon the head until she expired under their blows. Her sister Susanna, and Henry Ernst, helped on the work of blood also with the handle of a large scissors, and a piece of timber torn from the partition. Marguerite then declared to those present, that her sister, though apparently dead, was alive in the spirit, and the Lord would not fail to recall her to visible life. Then announcing her own resurrection as an approaching event, she commenced preparations for her own suffering.

It may be asked, what was Peter, the father of the family, doing during these hideous scenes? He was in a room below stairs, very calmly occupied with his domestic affairs. He saw with indifference his son brought down bathed in blood, and in a dying state, and he awaited with great calmness the dreadful catastrophe preparing above stairs; so completely had a stupid fanaticism stifled in his heart every natural sentiment. In the meantime, Marguerite seated herself upon the bed, on which was the still palpitating body of her sister, and commenced striking herself on the head with the iron mallet; but not satisfied with self-execution, she commanded Ursula Kundig to take the fatal instrument and try her hand. This did not even content her, for she exclaimed, that as she was the expiatory victim offered by Christ to his Father for the ransom of several millions of souls, it was necessary that she should not only die, but die the death of the cross. these words Ursula and the others present shuddered; but she became indignant at their weakness, and said to her friend, "What? you do not wish to do any thing for Christ? take courage-strike! may God strengthen your arm!" At this command, Ursula redoubled her blows, and the blood, which soon followed in abundance, was received into a bucket. This was termed the precious pledge of the redemption of many. Marguerite then called for a razor, and told Ursula to scar

At