Before Strasburg-it was known to the Romans by the name of Argentoratumwas ceded to France, it is said to have counted among its inhabitants a majority of Protestants. Population in 1852, 64875. Here I must close this letter, simply adding that we shall, if the Lord will, leave Wycombe for Dovedale, Derbyshire, next Wednesday; and I did not like to visit that beautiful part of God's creation without commencing to give you an account of our tour on the continent. With our united kind regards to you all, I am, dear Friend and Brother, Yours, with high esteem and great affection, Rev. Cornelius Berry. JOHN HAYDen, My dear Sir, Having returned from a three weeks tour in Staffordshire and Derbyshire, I will resume the account of our tour on the continent. On Friday the 26th, at 740 in the morning, we left Strasburg for Basle, where, by the good providence of God, we arrived safe and well. We took up our abode at the Drei Könige (three Kings) well situated on the Rhine. Basle is about 60 miles south of Strasburg, and 120 miles north-east of Geneva. The Large and the Small town, as they are called, are joined by a noble bridge of 14 arches, 600feet in length. Here the river is in its greatest beauty. The population is variously estimated. Murray says, "The town contains 27,500 inhabitants (21500 Protestants, 5500 Catholics)." The editor of the "Gazetteer of the World" says, "Basle is the largest, and was once the most populous town in Switzerland. It is capable of containing upwards of 100,000 inhabitants, though its present population does not exceed 20,500." The cathedral is a Gothic structure, with two steeples, each upwards of 200feet high. Among other monuments it contains that of the great Erasmus, who, it just occurs to me, writing to Ecolampadius, said of Melanchthon-"Is prorsus obscurabit Erasmum." He died in 1536. Ecolampadius first preached the Reformation in St. Martin's, the oldest church in Basle. Here also is the hall in which the famous council of Basle, after sitting for many years, came to the resolution of deposing the pope. This Concilium's Saal was to me highly interesting. From this place the famous Holbein was driven through the want of encouragement to seek his fortune in England. The Dance of Death has been attributed to him without any foundation. There are 53 public fountains in the city; and the public library contains many rare and valuable editions of books. It is also enriched with numerous manuscripts of the first reformers. Time was that the clocks of Basle went an hour in advance of those in other places of Europe. Its fame will be perpetuated in literary history by many illustrious names. In speaking of the Rhine, I omitted to state that it has its rise in Switzerland, in two head-streams, the HinterRhein descending from the glacier of the Rheinwaid, and the Vorder-Rhein which takes its rise on the east side of Mount-St.-Gothard, in the lake of Toma, at an altitude of 2,572 yards above sealevel. For the first 60 miles of its course it is purely a Swiss stream. This celebrated river, the largest of Western Europe, is nearly 700 miles in length. Its mean velocity is 99.5 yards per minute. Let us not forget that this noble river once bore on its fair bosom a precious cargo of half-printed sheets of Tyndale's translation of the New Testament, when he was compelled by an enemy to leave the farfamed city of Cologne. More than three hundred years have run their round since that event, and his name is still as ointment poured forth. His martyrdom took place at Vilvorde in 1536, and his last prayer was, "Lord, open the king of England's eyes." This blessed man remained upon earth about the same time that his Saviour did. Such are the tender mercies of the church of Rome, and such the rewards. she has in reserve for Christ's most honoured servants. "The Son of God goes forth to war His blood-red banner streams afar; Who follows in his train? |