Sunday. Some of the last date as far back as the reign of King Stephen; but the funds are now that flooring consists of more durable materials—otherwise applied.

A singular instance of prospective liberality occurs in the will of Mr. William Vick, a merchant of Bristol; who, being of opinion that the erecting a stone-bridge over the river Avon, from Clifton Down, in Gloucestershire, to the opposite side of Leigh Down, in the county of Somerset, for carriages, as well as horse and foot passengers, toll free, would be of great public utility; and he had heard and believed that the building of such bridge was practicable, and might be completed for less than £10,000; for the advancing and effecting so useful a work, and for the encouragement of contributions thereto, he directed that the said sum of £1000 should be placed out at interest, until the same should accumulate or increase to the said sum of £10,000, which, when effected, the society was to expend so much thereof as should be necessary in erecting such stone-bridge, and in defraying the needful expenses. The total amount of accumulated principal and interest on the 14th October, 1821, was reported to be £4139 98. 8d.; and it was estimated that, supposing the interest on this sum to continue to be accumulated in a compound interest ratio, it would amount to £10,076 0s. 10d. on the 14th October, 1851. The commissioners were subsequently informed, that, in consequence of suggestions which had emanated from them, a higher rate of interest had been computed on it by the society, which was carried back in the calculations to 1782, and that thereby the accumulated principal and interest (which appeared to be in the company's hands), on 2d October, 1821, was £6074 178. 5d.' So much having been accumulated, an iron bridge has been erected at the place named in the will.

There are some remarkable charities connected with cows. In the parish of Bebington, Cheshire, a small benefaction was made in 1620, by William Hulme of Poulton, to enable the minister and churchwardens to lend a cow, at eight groats a year, to each of three poor and godly parishioners. Others have since added to the bequest, and, in 1835, as many as eight cows were on the roll. Each individual contributes five shillings a year for the use of

his cow; and these contributions, with occasional additions from small fines imposed by the magistrates, enhance the value of the charity. On the 25th of April, in every year, these parish cows are publicly inspected. At Woodchurch, and at West Kirby, in the same county, there are similar charities, one having thirty-nine, and the other twenty-four cows. At Marston, Oxfordshire, there is a piece of bushy land, extending to about twenty-six acres, on which twelve of the poor have a right of common for a cow. The privilege, which is considered worth from 258. to £2 a year, is conferred by votes of the landowners and the vestry. At Minehead, Somersetshire, there is a farm of twenty acres of land, with the necessary buildings, and a certain amount of stock, the whole producing a revenue of about £1100, which is distributed annually to the poor, in coats, cloaks, blankets, and money. This charity arose out of the operation of an act of parliament in the eighteenth year of Charles II., against importing cattle from Ireland, and giving half the proceeds of any seizure of illegally imported animals to the poor. A seizure having been made at Minehead, in 1669, the profits of the moiety purchased the property which now supports the charity. At Waddesdon, in Buckinghamshire, the Duke of Marlborough bequeathed the milk of a cow to the poor of the parish, fixing the charge of the animal and its keep on the tenant of his farm of Lodge Hill. The cow is called the 'Alms Cow;' and in 1833 its milk was distributed to twenty-two individuals daily, one person receiving it in the morning, and another in the evening. At Alresford, in Essex, Edmund Porter, by will, dated 27th May, 1558, directed that John Porter should have a house called Knapps, with the appurtenances, church-fences, and caprons, which comprised thirty-one acres of land, to him and his heirs, upon condition that they should give, forever, the morning milk of two able milk beasts to the poor people of this parish every Sunday yearly, from Whitsunday to Michaelmas; 3s. 4d. on Good-Friday; and a like sum on Christmas-day. This milk-tribute has subsequently been commuted for a money-payment, which is distributed in bread amongst the poor."

We often hear of wealthy individuals endowing hospi

tals for the benefit of claimants of their own name. The following conceit of a Derbyshire legatee is only a degree more absurd:-'Henry Greene, by will, dated 22d December, 1769, gave to his sister Catherine Greene, during her life, all his lands in Melbourne and Newton, and after her decease to others, in trust, upon condition, that the said Catherine Greene should give four green waistcoats to four poor women every year, such four green waistcoats to be lined with green galloon lace, and to be delivered to the said poor women on or before the 21st of December yearly, that they might be worn on Christmas-day.' Melbourne, in Derbyshire, has had more eccentrics than Mr. Greene. A Mr. Gray rivals him in oddity. 'Thomas Gray, by his will, bearing date the 25th of April, 1691, directed his executrix, Mary Gray, and others, to lay out £200 in the purchase of lands; and out of the profits of such land to lay out six nobles yearly to buy six waistcoats of gray cloth, edged with blue galloon lace: and 40s to buy three coats of gray cloth, to be faced with baize; and that four of the said waistcoats should be given yearly to four poor widows, or other poor women living in Castle Donnington, who were to be of good behavior and endeavor to live honestly: and the other two waistcoats to two poor widows or women of like behavior of the parish of Melbourne: and two of the coats to be given yearly to two poor men of Castle Donnington, and the other to a poor man of Melbourne.'

There are a few charities in support of bull-baiting, but now properly devoted to better objects. At Prince's Risborough, Buckinghamshire, a charity of unknown antiquity, called the Custom of the Bull and Boar, is still in operation, but also in a modified form. 'Up to about 1813, a bull and a boar, a sack of wheat, and a sack of malt, were given away to the poor by the lord of the manor of Prince's Risborough about six o'clock every Christmas morning. This practice was then discontinued, and for about five or six years after the discontinuance, beef and mutton were distributed to the poor about Christmas, in lieu of the above articles.' The change was judicious, for, of old, when the doors were opened, 'they rushed to the feast prepared for them with so little deco

rum and forbearance, that often, in their zeal for priority, they inflicted wounds on one another with their knives. The whole of the remaining portion of Christmas-day is also stated to have been spent by many of them in publichouses.'

The work under notice professing to afford nothing beyond examples of curious charitable bequests, is of course silent upon the gross amount of capital yearly expended in England for benevolent purposes. From other sources we are enabled to add, that in 1839 the compulsory poor-rate amounted to £4,406,907. In 1835, the gross revenues of endowed schools and other educational institutions supported by voluntary bequests and contributions was, as nearly as could be ascertained, £748,178. The hospital charities of the country are supported by a gross sum, certainly not less than a million annually; whilst such bequests as form the subject of the volume before us may, at a moderate conjecture, be set down at £100,000 per annum. Leaving out, therefore, all calculations of casual charity, of funds collected by societies for the relief of specific objects of commiseration and want, missionary and other religious communities, &c.; exclusive of these, the sum collected and distributed in England every year may be with confidence said to exceed six millions sterling, or twice the amount of total revenue of the kingdom of Belgium !*

A CANADIAN SCENE.

ON a raw Sabbath morning, after a night of heavy rain, in the month of August, we were assembled round the breakfast-table in our log-cabin, when the sound of a horse's hoofs, followed by a smart rap on the door, announced a visitor. It was Mr. Reid, who informed us that his child, which had been missing on the plains the

* In 1838, the total revenue of Belgium was 94,967,326 francs.—Budget Général for that year.

night before, was not yet found, and begging of us, as we were near the ground, to turn out and assist in the search.

What are called plains in Canada are ranges of high ground, which stretch through the country, usually parallel to some lake or river, and extend in breadth from two or three to twenty or thirty miles. The soil is sandy, and, except near a stream, thinly wooded; while the ground is covered with swarth, intermixed with the most brilliant wild-flowers, and occasional beds of blueberries and wild strawberries; thickets of brush, frequently interspersed, rendering it difficult for a stranger to keep his course.

It is usual to make picnics to these fruit-gardens, and several of our number had been there the day before. On their return, they mentioned Mr. Reid searching for his child, but we had no apprehensions for its safety. Some immediately started for the appointed rendezvous, while those who were left behind to look after the cattle were not slow in following. Scarcely had we reached the foot of the ridge, which was about a quarter of a mile from our house, when a severe thunder-storm commenced, accompanied by heavy rain; and as we entered the forest, the roar of the storm, with the crash of fallen trees, had a most awful effect. We thought of the terrors which must be felt by the poor lost one, and fervently wished it might be in some place of safety. Holding on our way, the smoke of a large fire soon brought us to head-quarters, where we found a number of people assembled, going about without any sort of organization. The father had gone to seek some rest, after wandering the woods all night, calling on the name of his child, for they had got the notion that any noise or unknown voice would alarm the child, and cause her to hide.

Inquiry was now made for those who lived near and were best acquainted with the woods, and all of us were assigned different portions to search. My course lay through a dense cedar-swamp, in the rear of our clearing. I wandered alone until towards evening, and never did I spend a Sabbath whose impressions were more solemn. My footsteps fell noiselessly on the deep moss, beneath which I could frequently hear the trickling streams, while the thunder roared above, and the hoary trunks of the