wise he would cut his throat and suck his blood. I can not swear, that the snake heard and understood this ele. gant invocation. He then began piping with all his might, lest the snake should be deaf; he had not piped above five minutes, when an immense large covne capelle (the most venomous kind of serpent) popped his head out of a hole in the room. When the man saw his nose, he approached nearer to him, and piped more vehemently till the snake was more than half out, and ready to make a dart at him: he then piped with only one hand, and advanced the other under the snake as it was raising itself to make the spring. When the snake darted at his body, he made a snatch at his tail, which he caught very dexterously, and held the creature very fast, without the least fear of being bit, until my servants dispatched it. I had often heard this story of snakes being charmed out of their holes by music; but never believed it, till I had this ocular demonstration of the fact. In the space of an hour, the Faquir caught five very venomous snakes close about my house." J. W. REMARKS ON THE SECOND BOOK OF ESDRAS. (Continued from page 338.) TO THE EDITOR OF THE ORTHODOX CHURCHMAN'S SIR, THE MAGAZINE. HE following extract from Clemens Alexandrinus deserves to be added to those preceding. Επει, και τη Ναβεχοδονόσορ αιχμαλωσία, διαφθαρείσων των γραφών κατα της Αρα ξερξε, το Περσών βασιλέως, χρόνος, επιπνες Εσδρας, ο Λευίτης, ὁ Ιερεύς, γενομενός, πάσας τας παλαιας αυθις ανανε εμένος προφήτευσε γραφας. Hence it appears that Clemens was as firmly persuaded of the authenticity of the book in question, as the other fathers were, and that he was also convinced that Esdras restored the Scriptures, upon the authority of 2 Esdras xiv. 40, &c. Tertullian, indeed, speaks of this opinion as unquestionably received.-Secondly. This passage leads us to suppose that Clemens considered the author of the canonical and apocryphal books to be one and the same, an opinion to which I have been induced by further investigation to incline.-Thirdly. Though Eusebius asserts that Clemens quoted books that were not canonical, he Vol. X. Churchm. Mag. for June, 1805. does 3 I does not specify this book as one of them. (Euseb. Eccles. Hist. lib. 6. cap. 13.)-Fourthly. The conclusion which Basnage has drawn from the passage in Clemens, is as follows: Inasmuch as St. Irenæus, Clemens Alexandrinus, and Tertullian have adopted his version concerning the restoration of the Scripture, we must place him at the end of the first, or at the beginning of the second century." (Histoire des Juifs, tome vii. p. $4.) I shall now pass on to St. Cyprian, who, according to Dr. Gray, is supposed to have derived the notion that the end of the world was at hand, from passages in the second book of Esdras. (See Dr. Gray's Key to the Old Testament.) It appears then that St. Cyprian considered the book in question as authentic; and this fact is sufficient for my present purpose. I must next observe by the way, that Lactantius has followed Justin Martyr in quoting a passage from Esdras, which is supposed never to have existed in the books ascribed to Esdras, either canonical or apocryphal; nor do we know to which book of Esdras they allude. Justin Martyr indeed accuses the Jews of having expunged the passage. To proceed. Athanasius asserts that when the books of Scripture had perished by negligence during the Babylonish captivity, Esdras preserved them, and at length made them public. (Athanasii Opera, Par. 1608. tom. 3. p. 150.) But a still more important testimony is that of St. Ambrose. The first passage which I shall alledge is the fol lowing: "Si hinc faciunt quæstionem quòd creatum spiritum dixit, quia creatus spiritus, Esdras docuit, dicens in quarto libro, et in die secundo iterum creâsti spiritum firmamenti." Comp. 2d Esd. vi. 41. (Ambrosius de Sp. S. lib. 2. § 6.) My next quotation from St. Ambrose is this: "Animarum autem superiora esse habitacula scripturæ testimoniis valdè probatur. Siquidem et in Esdræ libris legimus [2 Esd. vii. 32] Quia cùm venerit judicii dies, reddet terra defunctorum corpora, et pulvis reddet eas, quæ in tumulo requiescunt, reliquias mortuorum. Et habitacula, inquit, reddent animas, quæ his commendatæ sunt, et revelabitur altissimus super sedem judicii. Hæ sunt habitationes, de quibus dicet Dominus multas mansionès esse apud patrem raum, quas suis, pergens ad patrem, discipulis præpararet. Sed Esdra usus sum scriptis, ut cognoscant Gentiles ea quæ in Philosophia libris mirantur translata de nostris.—De. nique et Scriptura habitacula illa animarum promptuaria Runcupavit: nuncuparit: que occurrens querela humanæ, eò quod justi, qui præcesserunt, videantur usque ad judicii diem, per plurimum scilicet temporis, debitâ sibi remuneratione fraudari, mirabiliter ait coronæ esse similem judicii diem, in quo sicut novissimorum tarditas, sic non priorum velocitas. [2 Esd. v. 42.] Corona euim dies expectatur ab omnibus, ut intra eum diem et victi erubescant, et victores palmam adipiscantur victoria. Illud quoque non reliquit occultum eò quod superiores videantur, qui ante generali sunt, infirmiores, qui posted. [2 Esd. v. 45, &c.] Comparavit enim utero mulieris partus hujus sæculi, quoniam fortiores sunt qui in virtute juventutis nati sunt, infirmiores qui tempore senectutis.-De justarum animarum ingenti lætitià per septenarium ordinem digestà. Ac de admonitione ut et nos studium adhibeamus, quo anima nostra Deo appropinquet, et ab eo uon separemur. Quo etiam modo hoc facere debeamus, quodque non vereamur illum omnibus debitum finem, in quo Esdras remunerationem sua devotionis invenit-hic ordo, inquit, animarum quæ sunt justorum, quos etiam immortales non dubitavit dicere in quinto ordine, eo quod spatium, inquit, incipiunt recipere fruentes et immortales. Hæc est, inquit, requies earum per septem ordines, et future gloriæ prima perfunctio, priusquam in suis habitationibus quiete congregationis munere perfruantur. Unde ait propheta ad ang lum. Ergo dabitur tempus animabus postquam separate fuerint de corpore ut videant de quo modo dixerit et dixit angelus, Septem dies erit libertas earum ut videant in septem diebus qui prædicti sunt sermones, et postea congregabuntur in habitaculis suis.- Non timeamus igitur recipi ab hominibus, non vereamur illum debitum omnibus finem in quo Esdras remunerationem sua devotionis invenit, dicente ei Domino. Tu enim recipieris ab hominibus, et conversaberis residuum eum Filio meo et cum similibus tuis [2 Esd. viii, 51.]. Quod si illi gloriosum et jucundum erat cum similibus conversari, quanto nobis gloriosius erit et jucundius ad meliores pergere et conversari cum eis quorum facta miramur? Quis utique prior, Esdras an Plato? Nam Paulus Esdræ, non Platonis secutus est dicta. Esdras revelavit, secundum collatam in se revelationem justos cum Christo futuros et cum sanctis, [2 Esd. vii. 28.] Hinc et Socrates ille festinare dicit ad illos suos Deos, ad illos optimos viros. Nostra sunt utique que in philosophorum literis præstant." (Ambrosius de Bono Mortis, cap. 10. and 11.) I have only to observe on this important passage in St. Ambrose, that his quotation from 2 Esdras de septena rio ordine is the only one not in part to be found in our copies of Esdras. In the Arabic manuscript, however, there is a long passage respecting the intermediate state, which may induce us to conjecture that this part of Esdras is lost. Having now brought down my testimonies to the latter part of the fourth century, I shall leave to the reader to form his own judgment upon them, before I proceed with the enquiry. I am, Sir, Your obedient humble servant, JUVENIS. I TO THE EDITOR OF THE ORTHODOX CHURCHMAN'S SIR, MAGAZINE. Thank "A LAY IMPROPRIATOR," (p. 262.) for his good opinion of me. I have seldom put pen to paper of late indisposition has prevented me. I have had an inflammation of the lungs from a cold caught in the churchyard, and it had well-nigh conducted me thither. This warm weather helps me much; though I fear it will go hard with me next winter; but God's will be done." I should conceive that your correspondent can "erect a monument to his own family, and on the wall of his own chancel, the repairs of which he is bound to make good, without being liable to any demand from the vicar." This appears to me to be the abstract law of the case; but we must remember that questions of this kind do not merely depend upon law, but are settled by custom likewise. The "Lay Impropriator," therefore, will act prudently to inquire what has been the practice in the parish of which he holds the great tithes, and whether any precedents subsist, operating for or against him. With respect to the second point, whether the vicar can demand any fee for the conveyance of the corpse through the church to the chancel?" Your correspondent will see that inasmuch as the body cannot be deposited in the chancel without the performance of the burial-service, he must needs be chargeable with the customary fee for that duty. In the church where I am curate, fees for interment (i. e. a grave) are paid both to the rector and to the parish, except in the chancel, where the rector alone receives fees, although by custom the parish repairs the chancel. If a body be laid partly in the chancel and partly without, the entire fees are received both by the rector and the churchwarden, who receives for the parish. I am, Sir, A LONDON Curate. TO THE EDITOR OF THE ORTHODOX CHURCHMAN'S MAGAZINE. I SIR, RETURN you my thanks for inserting the memoir of my father, which I sent to you some short time ago, by the hands of a friend. With regard to your query contained in a note, p. 323, of your Magazine for May, 1806, I am unable to answer you in a satisfactory manner. What might be my father's reasons for not publishing "The history of the life, reign, and death of Philip II. King of Spain, &c." or his "History of the Parisian massacre, &c." the MSS. of which are remaining among his papers, which have withstood the assaults of time, it is quite impossible, at this distance of time, even to conjecture. I was myself, his eldest son, and had only just completed my thirteenth year at the time of his death; therefore not of age capable of having his ideas or wishes on this point communicated to me. Since I came to years of maturity or rather since I have been in holy orders, (now upwards of eighteen years,) and have had leisure to look into his papers with care and attention, I have felt fully convinced, that materials might be selected from them sufficient to make one or two volumes in 8vo., which would both reflect honour on his memory, and give satisfaction to the sound and learned friends of the Church of England. Should such encouragement be held out, it will give me pleasure to exert my small abilities, in editing such a selection: but, as I wish not for a single farthing of emolument from such |