he reached the decline of life, that he became fully convinced that, as far as this was the case, he had been grasping at shadows, and admiring the baseless fabric of a vision. The proofs of this conviction, and of his new views of Religious Truth consequent on it, are furnished by himself. In the passages we are about to quote from his latter sonnets, the lofty Platonist will be found transmuted into the humble Christian, who on a review of the past, is deeply smitten with the sense of his unworthiness, and can find no ground for present peace, or immortal hope, but that of penitential faith in the merits of his Redeemer." (pp. 145-147.)

The change in his religious views and sentiments is assigned by our biographer, as far as it may be traced to any human influence, to a friendship he had the happiness of forming in 1537, with the celebrated Vittoria Colonna, Marchioness of Pescara ; a lady as distinguished by her religious character as by her beauty of person and poetical genius. There is no evidence of his attachment to her having assumed any character distinct from that of high admiration of her genius and piety. But of her influence on his religious character there seems to be as little doubt, inasmuch as he refers the improvement to her influence, frequently both in prose and verse; and the result of this communion with her was the exchange of his Platonic visions for the great realities of Gospel truth-overlaid, indeed, by Popery. A great change from that time passes over the spirit of his poetry; and it would be difficult to express with more power the convictions of guilt in a human soul, and the joy of an exclusive rest in the atoning blood of a Saviour. The whole history is too long for us even to enter upon. But it constitutes a most interesting portion of Mr. Harford's volumes; is treated by him with much nice discrimination and judgment, and will fully compensate any reader for the accurate attention he may be able to devote to it.

Michael Angelo was seventy-three years old at the death of his illustrious friend the Marchioness of Pescara, and he survived her sixteen years. Throughout this period he was mainly occupied, as far as his professional labours were concerned, with his duties as the Architect of St. Peter's. It was during that period chiefly that his intimacy was formed with Vasaro, his chief friend and distinguished biographer; himself a considerable artist, and almost an idolater of Michael Angelo. Various applications were made to him by the most distinguished persons to assist them in the execution of various architectural designs, but he more or less declined them.

"Then" came "the end!" as respects this state of existence. Mr. Harford gives this account of his death :—

"A slow fever manifested itself in the February of 1564; and in the anticipation that it was the messenger of approaching death, he desired that a letter might be addressed to his nephew Leonardo to come to him. Leonardo, aware of his uncle's failing strength, had already made arrangements for spending the approaching Lent with him; but, on receiving this summons, hastened his departure. The malady, however, made such rapid progress, that, in spite of the skill of Fredrico Donati, his physician, his spirit had taken flight to a

better world ere his nephew arrived. Shortly before his death, in the presence of Donati, of Danille da Volterra and other friends, he characteristically dictated his last will and testament in the following form :

"I commend my soul to God, my body to the earth, and my property to my nearest of kin.'

66

He breathed his last on February 17th, 1565, in the ninetieth year of his age, and in his last moments requested those around him to remind him of the sufferings of Jesus Christ, proving that he met death in the spirit of his fine sonnet introduced at page 169 of this volume."

In the course of his illness he had expressed a wish to be buried at Florence; and in consequence, although his funeral had been celebrated with all the pomp of artistic art at Rome, the body was, after a time, removed to Florence, and there the genius of the whole body of artists was set in action to do honour to him who may fairly be described as the Prince of their order. Had he lived another fortnight he would have been ninety years old. At this period of ripe old age, he sank into his grave; and, notwithstanding the errors of a creed, nurtured by early education, society, instruction, and habit; considering the depth of his compunctions for sin, and his simple, loving, and adoring faith in a crucified Saviour, how can we doubt that he exchanged a world "made up of perturbations," for that Glorious State, where his intense love of Beauty would be realized, for the first time, in the Beauty of Holiness, and in the immeasurable and unclouded Glories of the Eternal Throne?

We have only to add, though we trust our previous observations have already guided our readers to this conclusion, that this biography of Michael Angelo is so executed as to do honour to the taste, skill, and knowledge of the writer, and as to add another stone to the monument which the zeal and admiration of men of genius, in all times and places, have delighted to raise to the memory of one to whose professional genius, knowledge, and power the whole of them have been so immeasurably indebted.

WORKING MEN'S ASSOCIATIONS.

1. The Church's Home Work among the Home Heathen. By the Rev. CANON MILLER. Printed for Private Circulation only. Birmingham: Benjamin Hall. 1855.

2. Second Report of Lichfield Working Men's Association, 1856. Lichfield: Lomax.

3. First Report of Newcastle-under-Lyne Working Men's Association. 1855. Newcastle: F. Crewe.

THE promise of our Lord to His first Apostles, when He called them, from casting the hempen net in the sea of Galilee, to cast

the Gospel net among their countrymen, was, "From henceforth thou shalt catch men.' (Luke v. 10.) The same is the office and work of faithful fishers with this net to the present day-they are to catch men. It is true, that the original word is aveрwnovs (mankind), not avopas (males); still the word in our translation, thus emphasized, may well call up the painful reflection, how few even of laborious pastors in the Church of England catch menthey catch women and children, but men, and especially working men, they do not catch. In our towns especially a very small portion of our artisans and labourers are seen at church. They are still more rarely at the Lord's Table. As Mr. Miller exclaims in his pamphlet named at the head of this Paper, "There are not two clergymen in Birmingham who would not feel glad surprise in seeing twenty of our lower class of male artisans among their communicants next Sunday." And, alas! is not this equally true of all our densely-populated districts?

In fact, there is no class of his parishioners of whom the housegoing parson, with a manageable parish, knows so little, even after years of residence within its precincts, as of the artisans, and mechanics and labourers. The gentlemen are known; at least an outward acquaintance is formed in society. The tradesmen are known; the interchange of friendliness across the counter leads to the invitation to step through the shop into the parlour. But the working men are not known. They are out early and in late. They are rarely at home when the minister calls at their house. So that, even if he knows the wife and the children, the husband and father, whose influence for good or evil is so paramount in the establishment, has scarcely ever met his eye. supposing him on stray occasions to drop in when the father is at home, it is most likely when the family are at some meal, when he has no right to stay; or if the man is unoccupied, it is most probable that the poor fellow, feeling awkward before the minister, expecting a reprimand for absence from church or other short-coming-for "conscience makes cowards of us all"-takes the first opportunity of slipping away "to feed the pig," to go to a supposed customer in the shop, or to do anything that will serve as an excuse for getting speedily out of the way of the parson.

Even

The only time when there is good hope of finding the working man at home, except at his dinner-hour, is in the evening; and few ministers can manage much visiting then, with the endless other engagements, at committees and so on, which fill up their time. Besides, supposing a mechanic to get back from his work between six and seven o'clock; then he has to make a rough wash, and to get his supper; then the children have to be washed and put to bed; and during any of these operations the minister would plainly be in the way. And when these are over, the man, if steady, and who has to be off to work before five next morning, is soon ready for bed; or if he is unsteady, he is off before this to the public

house; and in either case, should the pastor call in, he is not in the best mood for making a new acquaintanceship.

It seems, therefore, that there is great need of some plan which would open the way of communication between the minister and the working man; some plan by which real kindly, brotherly sympathy may be shewn by the former to the latter, in a shape which he can at once understand and value; that so he may be won to that personal regard for his pastor which may, by the mercy of God, lead to reverence for his teaching and reverence for his Church.

There is only one opinion as to the desirability of this, though there is much difference of opinion as to what are the best means by which this acquaintance and improvement of the working-classes may be most consistently promoted. There are many who deem it beyond the ministerial province to foster mere opportunities of acquiring secular knowledge, such as are afforded by News-rooms, Popular Lectures, Libraries, &c. They feel that the Gospel of Jesus Christ is the only true civilizing and elevating power; and therefore, while they preach in the open air, and multiply cottage and school-room addresses, and disseminate directly religious tracts, they conscientiously hold themselves aloof from more secular and secondary efforts.

But surely in most town-parishes, so far at least as it respects the upper class of artisans and mechanics, it is not so much headknowledge that is wanted. Our Sunday Schools have given that; it is rather to show them the benefit and value of such knowledge in real life, so as to commend it to their practice. They do not see in it anything particularly to their advantage, that the parson should come and preach to them; they think that he has all that he wants to pay him for his trouble, if he has a large audience-but they cannot see what good it does themselves. They say that he seems to take more trouble than the generality of parsons-but "talking is cheap," and so, though one here and another there may be arrested by the Spirit of God, and added to the Church; yet working men, as a body, continue to be estranged-and, indeed, although a portion of them are won over and connected with Dissenting Churches, the great mass drift on sadly enough with the public-house for their temple, the publican for their priest and preacher, and the jug for their idol. And one of the saddest features of the case is, that year after year the majority of young lads who pass out of our Sunday Schools, appear to fall into the opinions and practices of their fathers and brothers, and seem to think that complete independence of their pastor is one of the real tests of manhood.

It is in meeting and removing this feeling, that the special value of such institutions as those referred to at the head of this article is found. The wise and earnest pastor uses them as means to an end-not as interior pillars, but as outside buttresses of the

Church; and, as such, it is the experience of all who have tried them on principles of sympathy and common sense, that they do tend greatly to increase the pastor's influence over men; and greatly to augment the attendance of the younger men especially, at the house of God. The minister's voice and counsel have more weight, when it is known to his hearers that he has exerted himself, and succeeded in placing within their reach advantages which they can thoroughly appreciate.

Of the three Associations reported on in the pamphlets from Birmingham, Lichfield, and Newcastle-under-Lyne, the first differs materially in its constitution from the other two.

In it no money payment is required; any operative over seventeen years of age, on applying to one of the Scripture Readers, may be enrolled as a member, and receive a card which entitles him to all the advantages of the Association-Self-improvement Classes, religious and secular, Lectures, Discussion Class, Library, News-room, Savings and Provident Clubs.

In this case, the whole Association is conducted at the expense of the Rector, and of course is under his complete and absolute control. This, however, it is clearly impossible for all to imitate, even if it were desirable; for few men could have power to draw from the pockets of the congregation, supposing them to be sufficiently numerous and wealthy, funds equal to the maintenance of so costly a machinery; the annual salaries of the four Scripture Readers at St. Martin's alone, amounting to £300.; while the furnishing of News-room and Library, the giving bounty on the Savings, and so on, would still further swell the expense.

But apart from this important consideration, it appears hardly to be the most desirable form of Working Men's Associations; in that it has a tendency rather to break down the independence of the industrial classes-in that it does all for them in place of showing them how to help themselves, and how much they can do for themselves. While the very continuance of the effort hangs on the zeal and ability of a single head; and were he withdrawn, and not followed by one of like parts and sympathies, the whole must almost inevitably collapse.

Still it were most unjust not to admit that this Institution of Mr. Miller's has done much, as may be judged from the following brief extracts, which are a mere sample of others.

No. 21. page 22.-" Each day's experience goes to prove that the Association is effecting great good, and is a step in the right direction; and, if more generally carried out in other parishes, would do much to win back the confidence and love of the working classes, to make them feel that they are cared for, and that the Clergy are their true friends."

No. 25. p. 23.-"A widow, one of whose sons had fallen into bad company, from which he had been reclaimed by joining the Association, said to the Reader, with tears in her eyes, that she had every reason to bless God he ever became a Member, for he bid fair for ruin, had he not taken the step