be enlightened, the Holy Fathers declare that the Almighty would send to them from above, even one of his ministering angels!

To the most superficial observer it is too apparent that Ritualists cannot remain in their present abnormal position. They cannot possibly continue to minister in the Anglican Establishment, which naturally has no sympathy at all with their so-called Romanistic proclivities. They must of necessity, if consistent, either walk in the broad way of Anglicanism, or in the narrow way of Catholicity. They must, if consistent, hold by the Establishment of the sixteenth century, or enter into the communion of that one-that only true Church of Christendom which is coeval with the existence of Christianity—which is Catholic and Roman - which walks under Apostolic guidance-which attaches a meaning to every rite, and which breathes the breath of life into the least as well as the greatest act of religion. Apart from this Catholic Apostolic Roman Church, these mystic rites are dead -these religious ceremonials are devoid of vitality-these gorgeous vestments are a snare-these confessionals are a sham-these celebrations are a delusion of the wicked one, and the whole system of sacramental acting in the present Ritualistic Churches is an egregious hallucination which may please but not satisfy; which may amuse but not consolewhich is superficial and not substantial—which is a painted cobweb devoid of all reality-which perhaps may not unhappily be assimilated to those deceptive apples which grow with such luxuriance on the banks of the Dead Sea, that are beautiful without, but utterly empty within!

This indeed is a most disastrous state of things for immortal souls. Prayers earnest and persevering have been long offered to bring about a change-that change, blessed be God, has come. The dove with the green branch of hope has returned to the ark, signifying that the deluge of heresy, which for 300 years had inundated the whole island, is rapidly subsiding. The times, therefore, are full of augury -"Coming events cast their shadows before." An altar for Iona, and High Mass in Westminster Abbey !

THE SCOTTISH ANTIQUARIAN SOCIETY, THE DUKE OF ARGYLL, AND ICONOCLASM AT ΙΟΝΑ.

WITH these observations, which may not be out of season at the present time, when Great Britain is in such a state of Ritualistic excitement, let us turn attention to the interesting paper which was read, on the ruins of Iona, before the Antiquarian Society in Edinburgh. That society, which numbers amongst its members many of the most cultivated spirits of the day, has been established for many years to watch over and to report on the religious and national antiquities of Scotland. It has been eminently successful in its endeavours, and has brought within its walls a rare collection of highly-valued relics. Many of them, it is true, do not belong to Saints-as since the religious revolution of the sixteenth century, such are not found amongst us in the calendar-they are the relics of the most notorious sinners, such as Knox and Co. Still the feeling which dictates the conservation of the memorials of the past, is akin to that which induces Catholics to respect the relics of the Saints and Martyrs. This sentiment is most natural and praiseworthy, and extends itself to kindred objects—to the ruined cathedral, the dilapidated monastery, and the desolated cemetery.

Mr. Drummond, R.S.A., read the notes of his autumnal excursion as follows:

"I finished my last autumn peregrinations by revisiting Iona. On board the steamer from Oban, I foregathered with my former landlord on the island, who informed me that I would find matters very different from what they had been on my previous visit; that last summer the Duchess of Argyll had lived ten days on the island, that even the Duke himself had been there at the same time, and

that the Marquis of Lorne had taken up the matter of preservation keenly-in short, everything was in the way of being reformed. In the evening after landing, I sauntered up towards the ruins of the Cathedral, and was surprised in passing to find the gate of St. Oran's Churchyard standing open. This was not promising, after the glowing account I had heard on board the steamer of the careful manner in which the antiquities were now looked after. On going in, and looking over the various monuments which I had seen a couple of years ago, placed within two enclosures, and surrounded by an iron rail, I was astonished to find one of them amissing. This was the memorial slab to the four Priors, thought by many to be the finest specimen of Celtic art in the cemetery. Opinions differ as to this, but certainly it is the most elaborate and perfect; but I am afraid it will not long continue so, as I found it between the two enclosures, and over it every tourist now walks on his way to the Chapel.

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"In St. Oran's Chapel is a richly-decorated stone, having sculptured on it the figure of a Prior under a canopy. This was carried off a long time ago from Iona, and used as his family tombstone by a proprietor near Scoor, in Mull. It goes by the name of "the stone of the boll of barley," such having been the bribe to the ignorant boatman who committed the theft. It may be satisfactory to know that the barley was lost in a storm as the boat was crossing the Sound of Mull. Misfortunes overtook this family, and the old lady who represented it attributed their calamities to this tombstone, and, under this superstitious feeling, had it returned a few years ago. Now, surely this system of appropriation ought to be put a stop to, and that by the strong hand.

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Let us glance at the Cathedral, and the state of matters there. Think of the sacred precincts in connection with it being now let to the innkeeper to graze his cattle!

In the grounds surrounding the cathedral stands.

the magnificent St. Martin's Cross. This is considered a model of handsome proportion."

This lamentable account of Iona having been given, the following conversation took place :

"Mr. SKENE thought that after the very strong statement Mr. Drummond had made as to the state in which he found the monuments in Iona, it was the duty of the Society once more to make a representation to the Duke of Argyll. He did not think they should allow his Grace to suppose that the islands were managed as he no doubt thought they were. Last summer he (Mr. Skene) spent a week in Iona, at the time when the Archbishop of Canterbury was in the island. The Duke sent his chamberlain to conduct the Archbishop over the ruins. On entering the Cathedral, the first thing the Archbishop asked was if there were no remains of the chapter-house. The chamberlain conducted them to the place, and the first thing they found was six inches of cow dung in the bottom of it. On asking the cause, it turned out that the innkeeper had the pasture of the field in which the ruins were. The ruins were divided from the innkeeper's ground by a low dry-stone wall, and he was in the habit every year of pulling down a portion of this wall, and letting his cattle graze among the ruins. He (Mr. Skene) had no doubt the Duke of Argyll was exceedingly anxious that the ruins should be properly taken care of, and if the Society were to put before him any practicable scheme they would find him perfectly willing to give effect to their views. He believed the chamberlain was equally anxious, but there seemed to be in his case a deficiency of perception of what was required for the preservation of such monuments.

"Mr. STUART said it was not the first time that the Society had approached the Duke of Argyll, both directly and indirectly, on this subject. Some years ago, along with the late Sir James Simpson, who was a personal friend of the Duke, he waited on his Grace, when in Edinburgh, to represent the state both of the ruins and of the monuments. The Duke said he had enclosed a certain number of the

monuments, so as to prevent the continual treading of visitors. But when one saw how very small was the number enclosed, the steps taken did not seem to show much perception of what was required. It was represented to his Grace that a system of chipping and destroying the inscriptions was going on, and it was suggested that the government would be willing to put the ruins in order, and to keep them in order if his Grace would permit it, and without depriving him of the property. The Chief Commissioner of Works, who was in Scotland at the time, seemed perfectly willing to take charge of the island. The Commissioner went on a visit to Roseneath, and he (Mr. Stuart) afterwards heard that the matter was likely to be arranged.

“Last year, when Mr. Drummond called attention to the disgraceful state of the monuments, a notice appeared in the papers and came under the eye of the Duke, who stated to Sir James Simpson his displeasure, and indicated that he thought the Society were too hard upon him. This, with various other things, made him (Mr. Stuart) believe that his Grace was in rather a touchy humour on the subject just now; and it would therefore require very delicate handling. If anything was to be done, it would be more successful if Mr. Skene, as a personal friend of the Duke, were to draw his Grace's attention to the subject.

"Mr. Skene said that what he pointed at was not that they should make a proposal to the Duke, but merely that the facts Mr. Drummond had put before them should be represented to his Grace by the Society. He could perfectly understand that the Duke might not very much relish the proposal to transfer the custody of the monuments to the Government, because, curiously enough, notwithstanding all the want of necessary care, it so happened that his Grace was particularly proud of being both the owner and custodian of the ruins."

Apart then from religion altogether, it is deeply to be lamented that the Duke does not manifest more patriotic feeling, in the endeavour to conserve the national monu