consider the BOAT-RACE AT MORTLAKE, which has been almost the only event of public interest at home during the past month. That must be on the whole a happy state of England which permits a contest between four pairs of light and four pairs of dark blue oars to become one of the prominent incidents in the monthly history. There are some, indeed, who will consider that it was an event of the least possible interest, or one in which the only concern of religious people should be to lament over it, as we lament over the dog-fights, man-fights, rat and ferret fights, of Bell's Life in London. Indeed, such was the notion expressed by I correspondent of the Patriot in commenting upon an article in which that honest and thoughtful journal had considered the quesion of public amusements, and proposed the test that the lawful entertainments were such as could be" adorned with the presence of the ministry of the Church. The correspondent referred to indignantly repudiated the notion that a minister could properly be present at a boat-race; and after affirming that such an act would have thrown a shadow upon the character of the Apostles and of the Nonconformists, he exclaims, "Depend upon it, we require a higher tandard of holiness, rather than any encouragement to young ninisters to attend boat-races or such like amusements!" As to he apostles, they spent a large part of their life in "rowing," and t is by no means certain that on a fine summer's evening they ever tried who could row quickest to the shore. If they ever did o we can readily imagine that one eye, generally sorrowful, did ot show its "holiness" by a Pharasaic scowl upon the innocent ad cheerful rivalry, but then as ever looked upon human life on ll sides and as a whole, which includes the prayers of saints and he playfulness of children, and sometimes a little necessary amusenent for the saints themselves. So far as regards the Nonconormists and Puritans, they were not men to think that their 'holiness" was endangered by a boat-race, for Perkins deliberately dvocates hunting, fowling, and fishing, and quotes scripture to prove the lawfulness of each.* This whole business of amusements requires fresh and thorough ventilation, in order that it may be reduced to its principles, and that those principles may be applied to the circumstances of modern life. These principles, we apprehend, are the following:-1. That the amusement shall be recreation, a process which results in creating anew the forces of the body and of the mind, and not in their injury or destruction. The violation of this rule constitutes "revelling." Whatever weakens within us the love of God or man, or destroys our view of the serious purpose of life, or unfits us for next day's duties, or corrupts our moral principles, or consumes a disproportionate part

* See Mr. Stanford's Life of Joseph Alleine.

of our time, is sinful amusement. Whatever enjoyment braces up the body, and with it the mind, whatever rectifies those disordered secretions which some people mistake for holy feelings, when they are simply signs of a disordered liver, whatever fills us with fresh air and fresh sense of the joy of living in God's delightful world is good. There are some people to whom "religion" is very little better than one prolonged bilious attack. They are gangrened by an indoor life, and would see all things differently after a game at cricket. 2. The amusement of Christians must be such as does not involve the physical or moral danger or degradation of the persons who contribute to it. If men dress themselves like baboon and imitate their detestable gestures, if men set a bad example o walking on tight ropes in mid air, if men spend a whole summe in representing the language and thought of the greatest fool in Christendom, it appears to us that Christian people should not fre quent such degrading spectacles, but earnestly protest against an discountenance them, It is not enough not to go to “worldl amusements." The amusements which are really "worldly" al wicked and degrading, and ought to be as loudly denounced as th serious sinful actions of bad men. And 3. The amusements Christian people ought to be such as are not only lawful in them selves, and of a recreative character, but such as do not involv in their necessary accompaniments more evil than the good whic properly belongs to them. If you cannot attend a spectacle, c take part in a game itself lawful, without sanctioning the accidents evils, suppose of betting or licentiousness, which may accompan the entertainment on the part of some frequenters, then, doubtles a Christian will withhold his company. These are the principle which ought to govern our conduct in relation to amusements, th conduct of both the ministers and the members of the Church They are under one law. Whatever is right for one is right for all Whatever is inexpedient for one is inexpedient for all. Nothing can be more pernicious than to set up a "standard of holiness" fo ministers different from that which is proper to "private Christians. Such a course always ends in asceticism, clerical hypocrisy, and unreality. The ministers are part of the congregation. They ar to be "ensamples to the flock," not only in work but in play. They are not to be monks, but generally married men; and thei families are to be brought up in the principles which are proper for all the families of the flock. We totally reject the idea of a clerica sanctity which is different from that of "all the Lord's people." A bishop must be one that "ruleth well his own house," and if you attempt to checkmate all the innocent gaiety of young people just because they are minister's children, you will not only not rule them well, but you will soon not rule them at all. A good minister ought to enter into all the innocent sports of his own family, and

rough them to sympathize with the whole world of young people ound him; and the true "standard of holiness" is that which liges him not only to weep with them that weep, but to "rejoice ith them that do rejoice."

If every enjoyment is to be shunned because it may lead bad ople into danger, Christians might as well cease to eat and ink; or, in fact, "go out of the world." What is wanted is a ht example in play as well as in work, and we entirely agree th the Patriot that the presence of ministers and their children a boat-race is altogether consistent with the principles and proieties of the Christian life.

Open-air amusements, and amusements which involve rigorous ercise, are among the most desirable forms of recreation for young en. Hard labour and "training" would elevate the sickly piety many of them, and infuse a more manly tone into their thinking. this view we heartily applaud boating where it is an attainable joyment. Surely it was a noble sight to see those Oxonians send eir cutter along the Thames in the morning sun-light. Such an bibition of quiet power is not to be seen every day. It was the rfection of physical cultivation. Cambridge laboured, and was ibly distressed in the pulling, but that Oxford boat grandly adiced like a living creature instinct with one spirit of powerful 1 peaceful movement, with an absolute self-possession and unimity of stroke which was never to be forgotten. The banks of Thames were crowded with spectators, chiefly of the better class, I certainly no one's "holiness" could have been injured by the ht of those two boats, one in front, the other fiercely struggling the rear, coming forward through the arch of the railway-bridge idst the cheers of the picturesque throngs who stood for miles all ng the shore. It is by no means certain that the future ministry uld be injured if the students of New College and Regent's Park re to take a pull over the same water some sunny morning in the ation, to see which of them was likely to pull best in the vessel the Church in the days to come. We would venture something affirmation of this fact, that the best "stroke" in each boat would bably be one of the best and healthiest evangelists hereafter. e should then find out whether those whose denomination implied reference for abundant water were really superior on that elent to those whose peculiarity was an abhorrence of it. Such a at-race would tend more to the "union of the two denominans" than a whole world of magazine writing on the subject. The en air is very friendly to common sense and good fellowship, and ry fatal to all kinds of trumpery sectarianism.

314

ON DANCING.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE "SPECTATOR."

SIR,-There is a great want among mankind of wholesome amuse ment. The mind needs some active rest; we must have play. On of the pleasantest essayists of our day has told us how impossible h found a perpetual grind the healthier a man in mind and body the more he will love play. We too much look on play as a neces sary evil, or, at best, as something just allowable, but much bette laid aside with other childish things, when childhood is over; st while we play, our faces have an apolegetic air, a don't-laugh-at-m expression, as though we were ashamed of being amused at trifles we ought to be thankful that we can be so amused.

Play is one of the conditions of mental and bodily health. child's amusements are quite as important a part of his educatio as his lessons (I do not mean those ingenious ways of insinuatin useful knowledge into the infant mind, which are very good i their way, but are not amusements proper). They serve bett ends than merely to keep his idle hands harmless. Most little boy and girls have some time learnt a verse about spending one's chil hood in "Books, and work, and healthful play," but, as they gro up, the healthful play drops out of sight; it is beneath the dignit of grown-up people (for whom this paper is meant). But no on can work well, and very few can work long at all, without frequen play-times; and, as we have grown too proud for true play, w have invented to ourselves a very hard kind of work, which is calle by several different names, but which Dr. Arnold called "revelling

Play ought to be a recreation of body and mind for fresh work we ought to go from our play, rejoicing, like the sun, to run ou race; but, as it is, the ill effects of "an evening's amusement" ar proverbial, and, unless there be a reform in play, some future write on "words" will note how the word "dissipation," which one meant habitual revelling, becomes, by the degeneration of play, t be a synonyme of it. Most of our play is more or less revelling that is, it is useless hard work, which unfits us for useful work nex day; and it is often very dull play indeed. Nobody is " bored" by hard work-even lazy people feel the word inappropriate, and reserve it for their amusements.

Some things, which, as means are noble, become base as soon as we make them the end. Hunting, which, while it was work (o means), was an opportunity for manly daring, now that it is play (or the end), is often a sport, enjoyed at the expense of other men's rights, and protected by a remnant of the worst side of the

feudal system-the side which so outrageously respected persons as to set the death of a deer above the death of a man. The nineteenth century is too old for Norman game-laws.

Many of our amusements were never good for much. Children real children, not men and women of five years old) amuse themelves very much better than we, with very much less trouble. We ake a great deal of pains, and only succeed in being far more tired han by work, and horribly bored besides; they take very little ains, and are happy and refreshed. They play with all their soul, and all their body too; and if grown-up people would play so too, t were a great improvement. But the chief reason why their play s real, and ours generally a farce, is, that children have play in heir hearts, and we have not. We are not full of joy as we ought obe, because either we have never "there fixed our hearts where true joys are to be found," or because, professing to love God above all, we hardly believe at all in the God of Love, but in a god made from creeds, and catechisms, and confessions of faith; and because our religion is taught to consist rather in not doing wrong than in doing right. Christianity is a wholesome religion-a religion for he sun to shine on. No false religion was ever wholly free from loom and terror; even the mostly-beautiful, open-air religion of Greece had the fates in the background, and soft, smiling Bacchus ould wreak a fiendish vengeance on those who despised his rites. The Greeks and Romans lived in daily fear of ill omens and unvitting offences against the gods, therein resembling some modern elf-tormentors, always contemplating their own sins. But the iving God fills His servants with joy; He is to be feared, but not Ireaded, by doers of righteousness; His saints are bidden to rejoice n Him for evermore, and only they whom "the happy God nade glad, know what true joy is.

has

Christians ought to play more heartily, and to be more genial and universal in their affections than others; they are too often. more narrow-minded and narrow-hearted, sourer, and more formal. Perhaps it is because they call themselves "religious people" instead of "righteous people."

Sorrow is in nowise more religious than joy. God made us to smile and laugh—not only to weep. It is true that in this world there is cause enough for grief, public and private, that a good man must feel very sad when he sees a crowd, and thinks that "the world" means those who are not God's friends. But let him learn of David, who also saw and knew many wicked men, who lived when "darkness covered the earth, and gross darkness the people," and "who died not having received the promise;" and who yet sang songs of gladness to his God, such as put most Christian hymns of joy to shame. There is a great difference in the matter of cheerfulness between the Psalms of David and Dr. Watts's