in harmony without faith in a revealed religion, a future life, a God who wills what is good and judges men at last. Religion with the chancellor is in fact the foundation of duty, of order, of all that holds society together, all that makes men persevere in arduous tasks. States are bound, he maintains, to wield their power in conformity with God's will as revealed in the Gospel, "without the religious basis they will be powerless to resist communism." The bare bayonet alone interposes between criminal passions and the peaceful citizen, when freethinking robs the people of their faith. The legislature that acts so as to make popular existence lean upon the staff of faith in every circumstance of life is Bismarck's ideal, to which he has deliberately consecrated his high office.

Sunday on his first visit to England, is well known. He began to whistle in the street, when a gentleman, whose acquaintance he had made on the steamer, begged him not to do so as it was the Sabbath. Bismarck says that he was so much annoyed that he took boat forthwith for Edinburgh. But if we carefully study Bismarck's position in reference to the Sabbath, we shall find that when he was living at Frankfort he took care to dine simply on Sunday, and never had the carriage out, that he might spare his servants. At Varzin, only eight years ago, he found to his surprise one Sunday that his own labourers were that day busy with their plots of land, because they could not be spared from their master's work on other days. Bismarck returned home at once, wrote instructions to all his agents, that his tenants must cultivate their own ground first, then his. No work at all was to be done on Sunday. These facts are sufficient to prove the chancellor's reverence for the day of rest. It is gratifying to know that the work on his land was never done so rapidly as after this equitable arrangement was put in force.

J. TELFORD, B.A.

CHRISTIANIA.

HIS capital city has | Christiania fjord from the castle walls; upwards of one for mile after mile they stretch away hundred thousand into a dreamy distance, bearing on their inhabitants, and the bosom fleets of white-winged ships, while vast majority of them the ever-expanding shores are dotted are Protestants. We among the trees with smiling villages spent a couple of days and stately private houses. The Houses here, and saw what was of Parliament can be seen upon the payto be seen. Christiania ment of a small fee to the attendant, and are well worthy of a visit. Parliament is known by the name of the "Storthing." "Thing" is the Scandinavian for a public assembly; "stor" means "strong," and the " storthing" is thus the "strong

stands on the fjord of that name; it is pleasantly situated amid beautiful and well-wooded surroundings. No prettier sight can be had than that of the blue waters of the

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serious matter, and if Scandinavia is doubtful how to act so as to stay the flood-tide, America rejoices to find such emigrants as these pouring in from such a quarter. A far-seeing and intelligent American gentleman, who could appreciate Englishmen so far as to say, You English are like oysters, you are hard to get at, but we like you, for when we once get into you, you are very juicy,' conversed with us at considerable length on this subject of Scandinavian emigration, and the first of his remarks was as follows : "The Irish element in the States has been perplexing us very much for some time, but we see our way out of the difficulty now. The Germans and Scandinavians are coming over in such numbers that the Irish are beginning to

council of the nation." It is elected for three years, and members receive a salary. The slot," or palace, is a long, stuccoed structure, occuping a commanding site, and approached by an avenue and successive flights of steps. The churches are commodious, but present no striking architectural features. One of the most interesting and useful institutions of the city is the steamkitchen, or "Dampkökken." This has been organised chiefly for the benefit of the poorer classes, and, on an average, about two thousand persons are daily provided with dinners for a modest sum, ranging between threepence and sixpence. The food is allowed to be carried to the people's houses, if they are so inclined. Nor should we forget to mention the beautiful products of the silversmiths' be lost sight of. They are the very shops. The manufacture of silver-ware is one of the highest of Norwegian specialties.

As we were standing on the walls of the fortress overlooking the fjord, and looking with amazement at the slouching sentry, a gentleman attired in black, who must at least have seen fifty summers, addressed us in the following terms:

"I have often walked sentry on these walls."

The speaker was Mr. Jan Janson, formerly a soldier, and now sailor's missionary to the port of Christiania. Mr. Janson is employed by the American Seamen's Society, whose secretary is the well-known Dr. John Hall, of New York, and his work lies among a thousand sailors. Mr. Janson conducted us over the Sailor's Institute, and we were delighted to be informed that his ministra tions were received with gladness. Mr. Janson is also of great service to the numerous emigrants, who, during the spring and autumn, have been pouring out of Scandinavia into America for several years, as fast as vessels can be got to carry them. This exodus of the best and strongest of the population of Norway and Sweden threatens to become a

people we went to have, they are quiet and peaceable, and work hard and don't talk politics." It was with much satisfaction that we ascertained some time ago that the Scandinavians in America have sixteen hundred congregations, twelve hundred churches, and a college for training ministers. They are also imbued with a sympathetic evangelical spirit, and send missionaries to the dark places of that dark continent, Africa.

It was through Mr. Janson's good offices that we visited the convict prison situated within the fortress of Christiania. When a soldier, he had often been on guard in it, and being well known to the authorities, we were admitted at once, when Mr. Janson represented us as being inquiring Englishmen. There were there murderers, thieves, the worst of villains, in a word, the cream and essence of Scandinavian criminality. Clad in slaves motley, they were employed at different trades. The majority of them were repulsive to look upon. Mr. Janson pointed out to us a tower which had been expressly constructed to hold an exceptionally desperate character, who was a giant alike in strength and stature. This man had tunnelled his way to the

The

wooden stock, however, is kept. The ship's
ropes and the bars used for caulking
purposes still exist. When the daring.
old Viking died, a sepulchral chamber of
wood had been built from the mast to the
stern, and in this his body was placed,
unburned, with such personal effects as
rank and custom required. Unfortunately
robbers had been at work, probably
shortly after the grave mound was made,
and, cutting a hole through the side
of the vessel nearest the sepulchral
chamber, they had not only stolen what
we may suppose would be the well-
tempered weapons and handsome equip-
ments of the dead chief, but disturbed
his body. The articles found and now
well displayed in the wooden shed are
very interesting, consisting of lead and
brass mountings to belts and harness,
fish-hooks, turned pieces of bone, a
bronze piece of ornamentation, represent-
ing a warrior with lowered lance
riding on a steed at full gallop, copper
and iron cauldrons, kettles and sauce-
pans, drinking-cups, and shields.
of the favourites of the chief had been
buried along with their master, viz., a
very small dog, and a peacock, whose
iris plumage is as perfect to this hour as
it was when in life. Eight or nine horses
and as many dogs had been sacrificed at
the funeral, these no doubt, according to
heathen belief, being intended to be at
the Viking's service when he arrived at
the happy hunting grounds.

out the air as it did, helped to keep it in An iron anchor was discovered forward, that wonderful state of preservation but this was so much corroded as not to which it now exhibits. The opening of be capable of being preserved. the mound made the fortune of the widow woman who owned the ground. To begin with, she got a good round sum as entrance money from many hundreds of visitors, and then the Government bought it from her. It has now been transported to the capital, and is set up supported on struts in the gardens behind the University, and within three minutes' walk of the Royal Palace. It is carefully protected from the weather, a large wooden shed having been built over it. This Viking ship is eighty feet in length by eighteen feet across the beam. It carried sixteen oars on each side, and in the old Norse would be called a Sextensesse. When fully manned, its crew would number about eighty. It is entirely constructed of oak, and the timbers are joined together with iron nails, the greater part of which still remain, and are unimpaired. The workmanship throughout has been carefully and gracefully executed, and many of the pieces of the ship are carved in ornamental designs. There was no deck to the ship, but only loose bottom boards, and, as there were no seats, the rowers must have stood as they pulled. Several of the oars were found in the bottom of the vessel, shapely and tempting to a waterman. They are about twenty feet in length. There had only been one mast and a square sail, and the mast could be stepped at discretion. When the ship was dug out of the mound, the lower part of the mast was in its place, and the upper part which had been cut off was lying in the bottom. The rudder, a massive wooden blade, was fastened to the right side of the ship, a little in front of the stern. This was the case with all vessels down to the fourteenth century, hence our word starboard or steerboard, which means the steering side of a ship.

Two

On sea and on land what the bold sea rover most delighted in he had about him. The head of the Viking had probably been laid so as to face the west, a clear proof of the existence of heathenism, seeing that Orientation, as it is called, in burial, or the entombment of the dead with the face lying to the east, did not arise until Christian times.

JAMES CHRISTIE, B.A.

*The story is told in the New York Observer.