use of by Protestants in the manner just indicated, the Court of Rome placed them in the new Expurgatory Index. Here we find them noted thus::-" Boccaccio, his Decades, or Hundred Novels. Not permitted, unless they be revised according to the above-laid rules," (which it is not necessary for us to quote,) " and then approved." This correction, it is said, consisted only in changing the words "Monks” and "Nuns" for others. Holy Church cared not for the circulation of impurity, which rather tended to keep Italian society in the state most agreeable and most profitable to the Clergy, provided only that the heretics might not have a book in their hands to furnish quotations against Ecclesiastics.

One sad thing is told of Boccaccio by his biographer, Betussi, in the passage following :—

"He applied himself to poetry with the utmost possible diligence, and even set himself to read the holy Scriptures. But, by this time, he was rather advanced in life, as he states for himself, in these words: The study of other sciences, although I should have been very glad to enter on them, I have not at all followed. I did, indeed, glance over the Bible; but, being advanced in life, and not well able to understand it, I soon threw it aside, thinking it very disgraceful for an old man, if I might so call myself, to begin new pursuits as if he were a school-boy; and every one would have thought it most unbecoming such a one as I to meddle with what you will think, of course, could not have been of the slightest use to me.' So he did not spend much time on that study; but, relinquishing it altogether, attended to his dear poetry, to which he had a vocation from heaven, as he goes on to say: 'And therefore, as I think myself called, by the good pleasure of God, to this vocation, it is my intention to keep to it.'"

This needs no comment. It is but a specimen of the manner in which the world's own poets can speak of the word of God, and may serve to suggest the wisdom of dealing with Boccaccio as Boccaccio dealt with the Bible; that is to say, throwing him aside, as utterly unprofitable. The Italian of those writings is, of course, quite obsolete.

And amended or modernised editions are not of much value; for what is originally bad, cannot, by any possible contrivance, be made good.

The Republic of Florence gave him the freedom of their city, and employed him in some public affairs, but of no great moment; and, at the persuasion of Petrarch, he withdrew from their society, and rambled over Italy. In the year 1375, being sixty-two years of age, he died in the place of his birth, Certaldo; where, in the church of St. James and St. Philip, a marble statue and a laudatory epitaph soon expressed the pride of his survivers. The epitaph is too characteristic of the spiritual blindness of all parties to be omitted from this page. It reads thus:—

Hac sub mole jacent cineres ac ossa Joannis,

Mens sedet ante Deum meritis ornata laborum.
Mortalis vitæ genitor Bocaccius illi,

Patria Certaldum, studium fuit alma Poësis.

"Under this pile lie the ashes and the bones of John. His mind sits before God, adorned with the merits of labours. Boccaccio was the parent of his mortal life. His country was Certaldo. Fair poesy was his pursuit."

THE GOSPEL IN ARMENIA AND ASIA MINOR.

MANY of the districts occupied by the American Mission, which have most enjoyed the influences of the Holy Spirit, as well as many more now earnestly entreating for Missionaries and native Preachers, are those concerning which we read so much in the Acts of the Apostles. In the region of Antioch, where "the disciples were first called Christians," but which has been sunk during so many dreary ages in Pagan, Mohammedan, and anti-Christian darkness,—in the regions of Cilicia and Pamphylia, of Lydia and Mysia, of Galatia and Phrygia, where multitudes came together to hear the word of God from the lips of Paul and Barnabas, multitudes are coming now in these latter days to read and hear the same precious word of eternal life.

Hohannes, Pastor of the church at Adabazar (south of the Sea of Marmora), and Simon Vouzebed, a native evangelist, devoted eight months last year (1852-3) to a Missionary tour through North Syria, Asia Minor, and Armenia. They traversed the country by three distinct lines, visiting all the more important places, spending considerable time in many of them, and in the villages on their route, and everywhere found ready listeners to their message. "I am not aware," says Mr. Hohannes, "that I have passed through a single place in which there is not either an actual awakening, or a preparation of mind for the reception of the truth."

The following extracts are from the recent annual Report of the American Board :-"The Protestant churches have been increased from ten to fifteen during the year, and an aggregate increase of members has been reported, amounting in all to ninety. But the mighty change which is going on in the minds of men, among all classes of the community, and in almost every part of the field of the Armenian Mission, is very imperfectly indicated by the statistics of churches, or of the newly-organized Protestant communities. With mingled light and shade in the picture, the brief survey we are here able to make, will show it to be one (on the general scale) of constantly brightening promise. It is an interesting fact, that three of the five churches just gathered, are the fruit mainly of the labours of a native agency. In Killis, in Kessab, and in Rodosto, only two or three visits have ever been made by a Missionary. It is also worthy of notice, that the development in these places has taken place under a fierce opposition, and the endurance of outrage and violence, and with but a small amount of direct agency of any kind. Two of the churches in Constantinople, and those in Nicomedia, Adabazar, Broosa, and Rodosto, are under the charge of native Pastors. So convinced are the Mission, and the Committee, of the desirableness of such a ministry to all the existing and future churches in this field, that no effort will be spared to secure it, as rapidly and to as great an extent as shall be found practicable.

The following are only a few of the places noticed in the Report:

Adrianople." In this important centre, decided progress has been made during the past year. Seven persons are regarded as pious."

Nicomedia.-"The church numbers forty-one. It is much engaged in labours for the spiritual welfare of the villages around.”

Broosa (at the foot of Olympus, the capital of ancient Bithynia).-"God is truly with His people here, and He opens to them a wide door of usefulness."

Villages around the Lake Nice (in the ancient Bithynia, the seat of the famous ecclesiastical Council)." In all this region, the darkness of ages is beginning to disperse. Five Priests are specified, who are enlightened, and anxious to rescue their people from the errors of their Church. Active friends to spiritual Christianity are rising up in nearly every one of these villages, and also in the thirteen villages of Yalovah, on the southern shore of the Gulf of Nicomedia, and the Sea of Marmora."

Kassaba, Mohalich, Bandurmah, Chamak." In these villages, on the south of the Sea of Marmora, the Gospel has made a large entrance. . . . . The great number who are friendly to the Gospel prevents persecution."

"Cæsarea (in the ancient Cappadocia) is henceforth to be occupied as a station. It is one of the great centres. The report of a colporteur, who has laboured there during most of the year, is favourable. Incidents frequently occur, showing the presence of the Holy Spirit. We have every reason to hope that a great harvest of souls is to be gathered there. Some of the most interesting cases of awakening and conversion in Constantinople and Symrna have occurred among persons coming from Cæsarea and its vicinity."

Erzeroom district (near the present seat of war in Armenia)." The field out of Erzeroom is in some parts 'white unto harvest.' In about one hundred villages on the plain, freer access to the people is obtained, prejudice is weakening, and greater willingness to hear is manifested."

"Kharpoot has a nominally Christian population of ten

thousand souls, and overlooks a rich plain, studded with three hundred and sixty-six villages, containing from one hundred to five thousand inhabitants each, nearly all Armenians, and all within a few hours' ride of the city. 'It presents,' says Mr. Dunmore, 'the richest country, and most inviting and promising Missionary field, that I have seen in Turkey.' Quite a number meet on the Sabbath for mutual instruction and prayer."

The spiritual reformation has most rapidly and generally developed itself in the ancient Cilicia and North Syria. One of the most remarkable places in the whole Armenian Mission-field is Aintab; and on that account I will enter a little into detail respecting the work of God there. It is situated about three days' ride, or seventy miles, north of Aleppo. In a population of thirty thousand, there are nearly ten thousand Armenians. An evangelical movement became first apparent there in 1846; some copies of the holy Scriptures and other books having been circulated there by a colporteur, who had been expelled by the Patriarch from Constantinople. He was followed by a preaching Friar, enlightened as to the errors of his Church, but not a converted man; yet it pleased the Lord to use him as an instrument for spreading abroad the truth, and soon eightytwo heads of families signed a letter, requesting that a Missionary might be sent to them. Their request was granted; and though the Missionaries at Aintab have been repeatedly laid prostrate by the trying climate, the work of God has made such progress, that there is now a congregation of seven hundred, and a church of one hundred members. They listen with great interest to the truth; and not only is there a great and increasing demand for biblical exposition and evangelical instruction in the church, but the members of the old church are going more and more to their Bibles, in understanding which they are aided by voluntary Scripture-readers from among the Protestants.

Seven years ago there was only one woman in Aintab able to read: now one hundred and fifty can do so, of whom thirty-five were receiving instruction last year in the Mission school; while those that cannot read have juvenile