I have been much delighted here (Lyddes) with a religious admonition on the subject of eternity, printed in large letters, on a folio sheet, and hung up in the salle-à-manger; a similar paper is placed in every house in the parish; it quite relieves my mind to see some one great truth of Christianity plainly taught, and without superstition. I have obtained a copy, from which I give one extract_" Understand well the force of these words-a God-a moment-an eternity; a God who sees thee; a moment which flies; an eternity which awaits you:-a God whom you serve so ill; a moment of which you so little profit; an eternity which you hazard so rashly.”* I dwell with pleasure on this paper, because after what I have been just observing, these are the things which moderate one's depression, and teach one charity towards the persons of individual Catholics. They lead us to hope that there are in the Church of Rome numbers of

* I have inserted the original paper at the end of this Letter.

humble and contrite disciples of the lowly Jesus, who substantially understand and feel the awakening truths of Christianity, who put all their confidence for salvation in the atoning blood of their Saviour, and who are guided by His Spirit in the paths of true obediencethese "do not worship the BEAST, neither his image, neither receive his mark upon their foreheads or in their hands." Rev. xx. 4.

Hospice au Grand St. Bernard, Monday Evening, Sept. 8, Eight o'clock. We arrived here about five, after a journey of eleven hours -twenty-eight miles. The road became more and more wild as we ascended, till at last all vegetation seemed to have ceased. We are now at the celebrated religious Hospice of the monks of St. Augustine, of which you have heard so much. My curiosity is greatly excited; and as my sons could not conveniently take their journals with me, they entreat me to be as full as I can in my account to you. It is eight thousand three hundred and fourteen feet above the sea-the highest spot in Europe

which is inhabited all the year round. It was founded in the year 962, by St. Bernard de Meuthon, who was the provost for forty years, and died in 1008. It is on the high Alps which separate Le Valais from Piedmont; and it was, before the Simplon and Mount Cenis' roads were made and improved by Bonaparte, one of the greatest passages between Switzerland and Italy. It is still a very considerable thoroughfare, especially for the poor Piedmontese, who cross every spring to Switzerland and France for employ. This Hospice has twelve monks, and six domestics, constantly resident to receive the poor without payment, and succour the distressed traveller. They are bound to entertain these travellers for three days, and in case of illness, to nurse and attend them till they recover.

2

The domestics go out almost every morning during the winter, on different routes, to search for pilgrims who may have lost their way. They take with them dogs of a Spanish breed, called the St. Bernard dogs, very large

and powerful, who have a sagacity so unerring, that they discover and follow the tracks on the mountains, though covered with eight feet of snow. They go before the domestics, clearing a path with their heads and feet; and as soon as a traveller is near, they invariably smell him out, and lead the servant to him. The domestic is furnished with bread and wine; and sometimes a dog is sent out alone, with a basket tied to his neck, containing these necessaries. The number of lives saved is incredible. Last winter an old man was found quite frozen, whom they restored to life. Two other men had been carried away by an avalanche of snow, and would undoubtedly have perished but for the Hospice. saved the lives of five

One single dog has

persons; his name is

Jupiter; there are four others, named Lion, Turk, Pallas, and Castor. We had them called to us, that we might caress them, for they are good-natured and generous animals. In the course of last year twelve thousand travellers passed some time at the Hospice. Last night there was four or five hundred per

sons who slept here. It was a double festival. All the chambers, halls, passages, floors, were crowded with guests. The snow falls almost all the year; it freezes commonly in the morning, even during the height of summer; and the lake behind the house is frequently frozen over even in July. This afternoon the thermometer was 44; whilst yesterday at Martigny it was nearly 80. There are not above ten days in the year when the sky is perfectly clear throughout the day. Thirty horses and mules are employed nearly half the year, in fetching wood from the forests, twelve or fifteen miles from the convent.

Close to the Hospice was formerly a Roman temple, dedicated to Jupiter Penninus; on the site of which various antiquities are continually found. We were shown a large collection of them, amongst which were many medals of great value. When we first arrived, a monk, in a loose habit of black, buttoned down close in front, with a black cap, received us and showed us first into the dining-room, and then