Among the numerous hymns composed by James Montgomery, are many of the rarest beauty. The thoughts are often sublime, while the versification is absolutely faultless. The piece commencing "Prayer is the soul's sincere desire," deserves especial mention; but we have not space for any quotations, as we wish to introduce one more author, whose poems are few indeed, but of surpassing excellence. We refer to H. F. Lyte, who died in 1847. To us, the following poem appears to contain unnumbered beauties. We never tire of reading it:

"ABIDE WITH ME!"

Abide with me! fast falls the eventide;
The darkness deepens: Lord, with me abide!
When other helpers fail, and comforts flee,
Help of the helpless, O abide with me!
Swift to its close ebbs out life's little day;
Earth's joys grow dim, its glories pass away;

Change and decay in all around I see;
O Thou who changest not, abide with me!

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II

I need thy presence every passing hour:
What but thy grace can foil the tempter's power?
Who like Thyself my guide and stay can be?
Through clouds and sunshine, O abide with me!

I fear no foe, with Thee at hand to bless;
Ills have no weight, and tears no bitterness:
Where is death's sting? where, grave, thy victory?
I triumph still, if Thou abide with me!

We have thus shown a few of the best specimens of devotional poetry which our language affords. Some good authors, such as John and Charles Wesley, have been omitted, as it is impossible to mention all in the limits of a short essay. The writers cited are such as have attained a clasp upon the hearts of the people, which no time can ever weaken.

Верро.

I.

THE CATHEDRAL OF MILAN.

WITH the exception of St. Peter's at Rome and the Church of Seville, the Milan Cathedral is the largest house of worship in the world. Its architect drew his inspiration from an Alpine mountain, the lofty pinnacled spires and massive base of which he attempted to reproduce, and has so far succeeded that the observer on first beholding the grand, imposing edifice, naturally turns his gaze to the distant Alps, to discover some of the works of nature, with which to compare it.

Approaching the building, the thousands of canopied niches, which are cut upon the surface in every appropriate place, relieve the sharp angles, adorn the waste of massive wall and afford shelter for the finely executed statues of all sizes, which are placed within them. There are upwards of two thousand of these statues already in position, and when the work of ornamentation shall be completed, above twice that number will grace the walls and embellish the col

The shape of the church is that of a cross, and in many respects resembles the cathedral of Cologne. The nave and transept are flanked with double aisles; the arched ceilings being supported by rows of massive columns, some of them monoliths seventy feet high, and twelve feet in diameter. Instead of capitals surmounting the tops of these columns, which are upwards of fifty in number, beautifully carved niches are formed about the upper part of each, in which are located life-sized statues of saints and holy men, whose memories are cherished by their devout descendants.

The vaulting of the arches is artistically painted to represent perforated stone work, and seen at so great a distance, above one hundred and fifty feet, the illusion is perfect. The entire floor of the cathedral is an elegantly designed mosaic of different colored marbles, which seem to rise in individual blocks out of their places, in the magnificent per

spective, afforded by the immense distance, from the entrance of the cathedral up the long nave to the altar at the transept.

On every hand one encounters statues, some in white Parian marble, others in colored marbles and porphery. Of the latter material is the wonderful anatomical statue of St. Bartholomew, by Marcus à Grate. It represents the saint flayed alive, exposing with remarkable precision, all the muscles of the body, while over the left shoulder is carelessly hung the skin.

Within the treasury are life size statues of St. Ambrogio and others, made of solid silver; also many jewels, rings and precious stones, relics and unique articles of vertu. Within a short distance of the treasury is the subterranean vault containing the tomb of St. Borromeo. A small fee is charged for admission here, as to almost every part of the cathedral, and upon payment of a considerably larger one, an interesting, but not very cheerful exhibition of the relics and bones of the deceased saint is given. It is truly wonderful to contemplate the sanctimonious relish, with which the benighted people of the Catholic countries unearth the bones of their hero saints, and make their exposure matters of merchandise for the sake of holy church,

Out from the gloomy crypt to the main floor is a relief; for the subdued light, streaming through the colored windows, is rich as the rays of sunlight on a field of yellow grain, though the ever prevailing smell of incense is not so healthful. The awe and wonder feeling in visiting the cathedral, comes upon you while standing on the floor, and trying to gather within the small compass of a human mind, the stupendous work that lies around and rears aloft its proud symmetrical form in a thousand beautiful parts, over all of which rests a glorious halo. The three vast windows of the choir, are marvels of stained glass, representing upwards of three hundred and fifty scriptural subjects.

We, however, reach the climax of our enjoyment, when after ascending two hundred steps inside, and three hundred

without the edifice, we reach the highest gallery of the tower. From this commanding altitude, overlooking the houses of Milan, which appear like the domiciles of Liliput, and the people in the streets, who look like flattened out dwarfs, the view of the country around is at once a noble prospect, and a panorama of varied beauty and vast extent.

Away to the north and east is seen the lofty peaks of Mont Blanc, Great St. Bernard, Mont Cenis and Monte Rosa, after which the cathedral is designed, and the high mountains of the Simplon and St. Gotthard, while south and west, the rolling land of Lombardy and the Apennines in the distance, enchant the eye. The towers and domes of Pavia, beneath which rest the richest monuments of architectural decoration in northern Italy, can be seen. The whole view is impressive and not easily forgotten. The snow-clad peaks among the clouds, and the sunny vales of orange and figs trees in bloom, crowded into a single momentary glance! The contrast is striking-Switzerland and Italy-but it is delightful. One could spend a week in contemplating it from so glorious a vantage ground.

We must descend and take our leave of the grand cathedral, but before we go let us see what the illustrious travel writer, the late Bayard Taylor, says of it: "The Cathedral of Milan is more interesting than many an entire city. It stands in an irregular open place, closely hemmed in by houses on two sides, so that it can be seen to advantage from only one point. It is a mixture of the Gothic and Romanesque styles; the body of the structure is entirely covered with statues and richly wrought sculpture, with needle like spires of white marble rising up from every corner. But of the exquisite airy look of the whole mass, although so solid and vast, it is impossible to convey an idea. It resembles some fabric of frost-work which winter traces on the window panes.

"Ascending the marble steps which lead to the front, I lifted the folds of the heavy curtain and entered. What a glorious aisle! The mighty pillars sup

port a magnificent arched ceiling, painted to resemble fretwork, and the little light that falls through the small windows above, enters tinged with a dim golden hue. A feeling of solemn awe comes over one as he steps with a hushed tread along the colored marble floor, and measures the massive columns until they blend with the gorgeous arches above. There are four rows of these, about fifty in all, and when I state that they are eight feet in diameter, and sixty or seventy feet in height, some idea may be formed of the grandeur of the building. The Duomo is not yet entirely finished, the workmen still being employed in various parts, but it is said that when completed, there will be four thousand statues on different parts of it.

"The design of the Duomo is said to be taken from Monte Rosa, one of the loftiest peaks of the Alps. Its hundreds of sculptured pinnacles, rising from every part of the body of the church, certainly bear a striking resemblance to the splintered ice-crags of Savoy. Thus we see how art, mighty and endless in her forms

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though she be, is in everything but the child of nature. Her divinest conceptions are but copies of objects which we behold every day. The faultless beauty of the Corinthian capital-the springing and intermingling arches of the Gothic aisle the pillared portico or the massive and sky-piercing pyramid—are but attempts at reproducing, by the studied regularity of art, the ever-varied and ever-beautiful forms of mountain, rock and forest. But there is oftentimes a more thrilling sensation of enjoyment produced by the creation of man's hand and intellect than the grander effects of nature, existing constantly before our eyes. It would seem as if man marvelled more at his own work than at the work of the Power which created him." De Vallibus.

Speaking of temperance, I have observed that many people make temperance so much a hobby, in conversation and practice, that it might well be said of them, they are intemperately temperate.-F. D. Richards.

I.

THIS is an age of education. So broad an assertion may appear, and in one sense is, extravagant. If we speak of education in its limited field, or that which is bounded by the knowledge acquired at schools and colleges, there is undoubtedly a degree of extravagance; but if education be taken, as it should be, and as it is gradually being taken, to embrace the whole range of human learning, the teachings of our lives in each day and in every act, and in the search after that branch of knowledge, so subtle, so evanescent and yet so plain and so permanent, which leads to the hope of a future existence, it becomes a very rational assertion. There is, too, such an alliance between the school education and that of life, in all its phases, which may be discerned, that it is very difficult, admitting it to be possible, to

It is

point to the line where the one ends and the other begins. In the view here expressed, it is true that every age may justly be claimed to have been an age of education; but at no time, so far as is known, has there been such a universal thirst for knowledge,everywhere throughout all the civilized portions of the globe, and in many portions inhabited by races we look upon as still in darkness. the one popular theme; it reaches all classes, and in all alike it rouses the noblest emotions of which mortal is capable. Education has never attained so exalted a position as it occupies to-day; in no age has it ever been entitled to such honors; it has never been so far reaching, so thorough, so varied and so boundless as it is now. Therefore this is essentially the age of education. Everything that pertains to it is of primary importance, and particularly

should that be of great weight, which lays the foundation for, and opens the gates to all knowledge and its liberal application-the school. In view of these facts, there can be no question of such interest to our people, and to the young most of all.

Education in Utah has had such a varied experience, and has been subject to such peculiar changes, that an account of them, apart from its value as an evidence of progress, would make an interesting chapter to all who have any regard for the history of their Territory. The University of Deseret has ever been and still is so inseparably associated with the progress of education in Utah, that a history of the one is equivalent to a history of the other, and on this assumption they will be treated. Passing for the present at least, any reference to the difficulties that beset the course of education in a pioneer country and among a pioneer people, we will begin at the beginning.

At the time the University of Deseret was brought into being, our Territory was controlled by what was known as the Provisional Government of the State of Deseret. An act incorporating and establishing the University of Deseret was passed by the general assembly of this government, on the 28th day of February, 1850, making this institution actually older than the Territory itself. Then, as now, the conduct of the University was entrusted to a chancellor and a board of twelve regents, who were elected, as now, by the Legislature, but only for one year, instead of which they now hold for a period of two years. The Legislature then met annually, while it now meets biennially, this being the reason for the difference in the terms of office. At that time the legal power of the University was much broader than it has been for a number of years past; there was no common school law, and the tenor of legislation subsequent to the granting of the University charter, clearly indicates it to have been the wish of the Legislators that the University, through its Chancellor and Board of Regents, should exercise a guardian or parental influence over the educational interests of the

entire Territory. Shortly after the creation of the institution by the provisional government, Utah was made a Territory, and the Territorial Legislature adopted bodily, among others, the act incorporating the University.

It was not until the November following, that the institution began operations, under the significant title of "The Parent School." At first it was conducted by Dr. Cyrus Collins, but subsequently, and during the same year, by Orson Spencer, M. A., and Mr. W. W. Phelps. Though commenced under what might, at that date, have seemed to be propitious circumstances, the school was destined to fail, and this, too, for reasons that were quite natural, and which are very apparent now. The University, as already stated, received its charter from the provisional government of the State of Deseret, thus having an actual, though perhaps not an active existence prior to Utah being given a territorial form of government, and only about two and a half years later than the settlement of the Territory.

It must be held in remembrance that Utah, at that time, enjoyed a very meagre population, a large majority of which inhabited Salt Lake Valley and the immediate vicinity of Salt Lake City. The people were poor; the country was wild and uncultivated, and the bare necessaries of life could be forced from the almost barren soil only by the most persistent exertions. It was a struggle for existence-a struggle which in all times past and in all times to come, in the very nature of things, must engulph every other consideration, however weighty. In fact, it was pioneer life, always the same. The pioneer makes the wilds habitable, and by industry, prudence and economy, saves means with which he is enabled, in the course of time, to add conveniences and comforts to the necessities at first so difficult to secure. Did he attempt to enjoy luxuries from the beginning, he would always be poor, and would not only want the comforts but the necessaries of life,for he who consumes all he produces, at the time of production, must always be a

producer, if he would exist by his own labor. Now schoolhouses and schoolbooks are not as absolutely needful as bread and clothes; therefore the pioneer's first thought is to secure the latter, and by means of economy to obtain the former in due time. At the period of the creation of the University of Deseret, the people had not so far advanced that a university was a necessity, and while schools had been and were still being opened; while all the talent necessary to the successful management of a high school was accessible; and while the people possessed in a large degree that impulse, so natural to parents and so noble, to give to their children every educational advantage, they had overestimated their ability, and in their zeal overlooked the fact, which came to them subsequently, that sufficient preparation had not been made for the support of the school. In plain words, they were still in the bread and clothes condition rather than that of the schoolhouse and schoolbooks. Their desire, nevertheless, was noble, both in spirit, and had things been favorable, in practice, and for the brief period of their habitation in these mountains, evidences a zeal in the cause of education as remarkable and courageous as it was broad and worthy.

The section of the act incorporating the University, which defines the powers and duties of the Chancellor and Board of Regents, among other things, says they shall transact "all business needful to the prosperity of the University in advancing all useful and fine arts and sciences; select and procure land; erect and purchase buildings; solicit donations; send agents abroad; receive subscriptions; purchase books, maps, charts, and all apperatus necessary for the most liberal endowment of any library and scientific institution; employ professors and teachers; make by-laws; establish branches of the University throughout the State, and do all other things that fathers and guardians of the institution ought to do." Even in this day of advanced and liberal ideas, it would be difficult to frame a charter

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broader in its terms and more liberal in its spirit than the one from which this extract is made. The government was still poor, and while at heart the people were anxious to support an institution that would compare with any, the material developments of the Territory had not yet reached a point that would justify the gratification of this wish. Consequently, after a brief and manly struggle, good judgment prevailed and the active existence of the parent school ceased.

For nearly sixteen years the University lived merely upon the statute books; yet there is something, and not a little, of credit, in this. It showed that while the people had learned that their hearts and their heads were longer than their purses, they did not despair and were far from willing to yield to circumstances which patience and industry would surmount; it also demonstrates that the idea of a practical resucitation was steadily entertained through all these years. During this time,an act providing for the establishment and support of Common Schools became law, and was put in operation. To a degree and in a legal sense, this withdrew the common schools from the protection and control of the Chancellor and Board of Regents, it had at first been the intention should be exercised through the University; but nevertheless it left the University as much a State institution as it had ever been. During this long period also, the Territory made rapid and remarkable progress in its growth and spread of population, in the development of its material interests and in the increase of wealth consequent upon both. Its condition in 1867 was in marked contrast with that of 1851, in that it had now reached a position where school-houses and school-books, and above all, a State institution up to which the common schools could look for competent teachers, and in which young men and women could obtain a higher education, had become a veritable and undeniable necessity.

The University, then, had become a necessity; it was resuscitated, but in a new form. The spirit of its management