For the Christian Journal.

Translation of the Sonnet of Des Barreaux.

"Grand Dieu, tes jugements sont remplis d'equite."

Justice, great God, in all thy deeds we see;
To bless thy people still dost thou delight:
But I have sinn'd so often in thy sight,
Unless that justice strict impeded be,
Thy saving grace can never pardon me.

So great my wickedness, that nought aright, O Lord! but vengeance can on me alight. Thy word opposes my felicity;

Thy mercy waits destruction on my head.
Fulfil thy wishes, for they glorious are;
Let e'en these tears offend that now I shed;
Strike!-burl thy thunders!-give me war for
war!

Dying, I bow-yet how shall fall, O God!
Thy bolts upon a spot unbath'd in Jesus'
blood?

care?

Arise, my soul, on wings sublime Towards heaven, and view thy portion there.

And say, can aught beneath the skies,
Compare with the celestial prize?
Oh! look beyond this chequered scene

To fairer realms of peace and love;
Let faith survey the joys unseen,

The mansion that's prepared above, Where thou shalt see thy Saviour's face, And rest secure in his embrace. Say, O my soul! with this in sight,

Shall aught besides thy thoughts employ !

Shall earthly trifles give delight,

Or earthly cares thy peace destroy?
Wilt thou its vanities pursue,
With heaven and glory full in view?
Ah! no-the presence of my God
Outweighs my pleasure and my pains;
I long to reach his blest abode,

And mount to the celestial plains;
Before his gracious feet to fall,
And feel that God is "all in all."
Yet would I patient wait his will;

While he commands, I'll gladly stay;
With faith and zeal my course fulfil,
Then burst my chains and soar away,
And find an everlasting rest
Upon my dear Redeemer's breast:

ORDINATIONS.

On the first Sunday after Easter, April 29th, the Right Rev. Bishop Brownell held an Ordination in Trinity Church, New-Haven, and admitted Mr. Bardsley Northrup to the holy order of Deacons.

On Friday, May 18th, the Right Rev. Bishop Hobart held an Ordination in Trinity Church, New-York, and admitted Mr. Ezra B. Kellogg to the holy order of Deacons. Morning Prayer was conducted by the Rev. Benjamin T. Onderdonk, an Assistant Minister of said Church, and an appropriate Exhortation delivered by the Bishop.

CONSECRATION.

On Friday, May 25th, St. George's Church, in the town of Flushing, county of Queen's, in this state, was conse crated to the service of Almighty God, by the Right Rev. Bishop Hobart. Morning Prayer was conducted by the Rev. Thomas Breintnall, Rector of Zion Church, New-York, aided, in the reading of the lessons, by the Rev Henry U. Onderdonk, Rector of St. Ann's Church, Brooklyn, and an appropriate discourse delivered by the Bishop, who was attended, in this interesting and impressive solemnity, by a number of his clergy.

St. George's Church is built near the site of an edifice of the same name, which had been, for about eighty years, the place of worship for the parish; but the decayed state of which rendered necessary the erection of this new church. For the accommodation of the increased and increasing number of parishioners, the present edifice is of considerably larger dimensions than the former; and it is finished in a much superior style. It is a neat, chaste, and commodious building, very creditable to the taste and skill which planned and executed it.

deep, which he left with the reputation of being an excellent classical scholar a reputation which he sustained through life. He was ordained in his native country, and came over to America in 1785. Soon after his arrival in the United States, he took charge of the church in Stepney Parish, in the state of Maryland. After remaining in this parish several years, he removed to Newport, Rhode-Island, and was made rector of the church in that place; from thence he removed to Norwalk, in Connecticut, and took charge of St. Paul's Church, in which he officiated some years. He then relinquished this parish, and removed to New-York, where he taught a grammar school; in which he distinguished himself as an able teacher. When Dr, Bowden was called from the office of Principal of the Episcopal Academy at Cheshire, to a Pro/fessorship in Columbia College, he was elected by the Trustees of the former institution to be his successor. After continuing at the head of this institution several years, he resigned his situation, and returned to New-York in 1806. The remainder of his days were passed between New-York and Connecticut. During the last years of his life, he preached only occasionally, and had no permanent care. His time was passed chiefly in writing on Theological-subjects. He compiled and published a book of Chants, which did credit to his skill in the science of sacred music. He also published a work of considerable size, in the form of dissertations on primitive psalmody, the main design of which was to prove the impropriety of singing metre psalms in the worship of God, and to introduce the ancient practice of chanting. He was also the author of a series of letters on the Christian ministry, addressed to the Rev. Dr. Blatchford, besides several sermons and tracts on various subjects. Dr. Smith was a man of various and extensive learning; but the study of Theology was his principal delight, in which his attainments were surpassed by very few. He was intimately acquainted with Ecclesiastical history in its various branches, and well versed in polemical Theology. His memory was remarkably capacious and retentive, and

his understanding quick and clear. He would call up at will the various treasures of his memory, and was ready, on all occasions, to give a full and lucid answer to any question in the line of his profession, however difficult. His colloquial powers were very great, and he was gifted with surprising rapidity of thought, and felicity of expression. He was agreeable as a companion, and gentlemanlike in his deportment. As a preacher, though he had a considerable foreign accent, he was always interesting and instructive, and often eloquent. His constitution was always infirm, on which account he was subjected to much pain through life, and as a public character to many inconveniences. In the latter years of his life, his infirmities constantly increased, until they terminated his earthly existence. His trials and sufferings through life were great and varied, but he endured them with Christian fortitude, submission, and cheerfulness. He has gone, we trust, to a world where sorrow and suffering are unknown. He met the approach of death with composure, and hailed the blessed day when he should be released from this vale of tears. P. S.

To Correspondents.

The age of miracles having passed long before the time of Synesius, the extract from that author is deemed unsuitable for the Christian Journal.

The "Thought on the Efficacy of Prayer" has already appeared in our vol. iv. p. 126.

THE Publishers earnestly request that they may be furnished, as soon as practicable after their publication, with the Journals of the several Diocessan Conventions, and the Reports, &c. of the Religious Societies formed within our communion, as it is their wish to make the Christian Journal a Register of all Documents and Proceedings throwing light on the history and situation of our Church. With the same view, they will be thankful for early notice of Ordinations, Institutions, &c.

No. 7.]

Of the Establishment of the Moors in Spain, and their Expulsion from that Country. Extracted from a Review of Thurtle's History of Spain.

To understand how the country became so easy a prey to the Moors, we are to take the following data as our guide. Witiza, a Gothic prince of Spain, a man of a cruel disposition, and of dissolute habits, had put out the eyes of Theodofrid, duke of Cordova, and killed his brother Favila, with a stroke of his club. This Favila was father of Pelagius, the first king of Spain. Roderick, son of Theodofrid, stimulated to revenge by the death of his father, planted the standard of revolt in the heart of Andalusia, his native country; Witiza was deposed, and the successful Roderick was elected king in his stead, A. D. 707.

The beginning of Roderick's reign was marked by deeds of military prowess and many popular acts; but few can stand safe upon the dangerous pinnacle of pre-eminent greatness, and not grow giddy. Roderick, surrounded by the power and splendour of a court, gradually lost sight of virtue, and sullied the former brightness of his name by oppression and tyranny.

The two sons of Witiza, who had been brought up at the foot of the throne, and who had indulged illusive hopes, that though the monarchy was elective, one or the other of them would have been raised to the regal chair, dissembled their rage at being thus placed in a private station; but their uncle Orpas, Archbishop of Toledo and Seville, fanned the smouldering flame, which was eventually kindled into a blaze by count Julian. To the defence of the latter, Roderick had intrusted the important fortress of Ceuta, which was closely besieged by the Moors, under the command of Musa, the lieutenant VOL. V.

[VOL. V.

of the caliph Walid. The Moorish ge neral began at length to despair of succeeding in his enterprize, when he was agreeably surprised by a message from the Christian chief, offering to devote himself entirely to the service of the Moslems; and, as an earnest of his future services, he promised to yield up the fortress he had so long and so gallantly defended.

The fate of nations often depends on the event of a moment; that of Spain was decided by the base and unnatural perfidy of one of her native children. The original cause of her downfall must still, however, be traced to the licentious and rapacious conduct of Roderick, which had greatly alienated the affections of his people, and, finally, involved his kingdom in all those horrors which were the natural result of its invasion by the Arabs.

As for count Julian, whatever might have been his provocations, (and they are variously given), his treachery in betraying his native land, and gratifying, at the expense of the lives of thousands of his fellow-countrymen, his revenge for a private wrong, will stamp his character with infamy for ever.

The Moorish general, upon receiving the unexpected and pleasing intelligence, that the Christian chief had resolved to sacrifice all his patriotic feelings at the shrine of revenge, sent an express to the caliph, soliciting his per mission to prosecute the conquest of the peninsula. Walid returned a favourable answer; and the vicegerent of the commander of the faithful in Africa began the busy work of preparation. Justly, however, suspecting the fidelity of his new ally, he despatched, at first, one hundred Arabs, and four hundred Africans only in four vessels, who pas sed over from Tangier, or Ceuta, and landed, without opposition, on the op posite side of the Straits, and in the

25

ninety-first year of the Hegira. Their uninterrupted and almost unlooked for success, induced Musa, the following spring, to send five thousand veterans, under the command of a dauntless chief, called Tarik, who disembarked his troops near Gibraltar, (Gebal al Tarik), in the vicinity of which he threw up considerable intrenchments.

Roderick affected at first to despise this invasion, but he was soon convinced of his folly. The Moorish army increased every day; many Christians joined the Moslems; and the defeat of the Spanish troops, under the command of Ebroica, proved, that the invading enemy was not to be treated with contempt. The Gothic monarch, amazed at the increasing and gathering storm, started from his throne, grasped the spear, and summoned his nobles to attend him. Ninety or a hundred thousand men obeyed the call, and had they been as faithful as numerous, Musa would have had cause to repent his bold attempt. The two armies met on the banks of the Guadalete, near the town of Xeres. For three successive days the contest continued, and the Christians appeared during the whole of that time to have had the advantage: the Moors fainted under the weight of multitudes, and Musa, surrounded by sixteen thousand of his prostrate countrymen, addressed the survivors in the following emphatic speech:-"My brethren, the enemy is before you, the sea is behind you; whither would you fly? Follow your general; I am resolved either to lose my life, or trample on the prostrate king of the Romans." The fourth day's battle decided the fate of Spain: the two sons of Witiza, who held important posts in the army, and Orpas, Archbishop of Toledo, basely deserted the royal standard, and joined that of the crescent. The degenerate Roderick, who was reclining on a car of ivory, drawn by two white mules, his head encircled by a diadem of pearls, upon observing their defection, quitting his conspicuous situation, and mounting Orelia, the fleetest of his horses, fled, and was never heard of more! His horse and trappings were found on the banks of the Guadalquivir, but his body was

never discovered. There are, however, authors who affirm, that after leading a life of penitence and prayer in some secluded cell, he expatiated a life of wickedness by an exemplary death; but these idle tales deserve little credit; it is most probable that he was drowned in the waters of the Bætis, or Guadalquivir; and that the head which was exhibited at Damascus before the palace of the caliph, as his, was that of some meaner person. Thus perished Roderick, the last of the Goths; he fell, not as a patriotic and heroic king should, fall, at the head of his faithful subjects, lamented and honoured; but, after a shameful and inglorious flight, he found an unknown grave, while his memory remains indelibly impressed with cowardice and shame.

Those "Children of the hills and sons of Spain," who disdained submission, fled to the northern provinces, and, under their prince Pelagius, maintained there a noble independence. That spirit which so long animated the Cantabrians to resist the Roman power, and which enabled the Spaniards to erect a kingdom, small, it is true, in the midst of anarchy and confusion, still actuates and ennobles their immediate descendants.

The Moors in the meanwhile took possession of the most beautiful parts of the country. The royal legion of Damascus was planted at Cordova; that of Emessa, at Seville; that of Kinniarin, or Chalcis, at Jaen ; that of Palestine, at Algeziras, (which formerly belonged to count Julian), and Medina Sidonia. Toledo became the residence of the natives of Persia and Yemen ; while ten thousand horsemen of Syria and Irak, the most noble of the Arabian tribes, pitched their tents in the luxuriant environs of Grenada.

In the immediate provinces of Arabia, none but Mahomedans were permitted to dwell. It was considered as a spot particularly hallowed by the birth and death of the Prophet; and therefore to be inhabited only by the Faithful. But the vanquished of other nations, after the first effervescence of the human mind was subsided, were permitted to retain their religion by paying a fine. Thus this nation of