Some time after this Mr. Wild was speaking to one of the brethren, and inquired, "How is Bro. Cresswell? An honester man never lived! Yes, he was honest and correct. Bro. Cresswell was seventy-eight years of age when he died, September 7th, 1872. There is a biographical account of him in the Magazine, 1873.

CHAPTER XXVII.-ANNUAL MEETING AT NORWICH, 1873.

BROTHER ROBERT DAWS, Norwich, President.

THE General Committee met on Saturday evening, June 7th. About. twenty-eight chapels in Norwich and neighbouring places were occupied by the brethren, and collections made on behalf of the Association. A lovefeast was held in St. Peter's Chapel on Sunday afternoon. An outdoor service, also, at which upwards of 2,000 persons were present.. Altogether, that Sabbath was a high day at Norwich.

This was the third time the Annual Meeting had been held at Norwich. The brethren met for business on Monday morning in Calvert Street Chapel. The Report showed benefit members 1770, hon. 452, total 2,222. The benefit members the same as the last year, but a decrease of 39 hon. The benefit members' subscriptions, £990 18s. 9d., being an increase of £11 16s. 3d. on the year. The excess of income by £142 1s. 8d., with the balance in hand the last year, enabled the treasurer to purchase £200 consols, raising the capital to £5,205 5s. 9d. Bro. Robert Daws was unanimously elected president, and Bro. J. Carter re-elected treasurer, and Bro. Thos. Chamberlain, hon. secretary.

There was very little serious business to transact. The Magazine was to go on under the same management as before. The conductors were thanked for their past services, which was acknowledged by W. B. Carter. The profits on the Magazine, 1872, £15 15s. 2d.

There was a large tea meeting on Monday evening. About four hundred persons attended it. A public meeting, after, in the chapel. holding about one thousand two hundred people, which was full. This meeting was presided over by one of the most liberal and foremost men in Norwich (late M.P. for the city), J. H. Tillett, Esq. One of the interesting circumstances connected with this meeting, was, that a handsome testimonial, consisting of a service of silver plate, value £100, was presented to Bro. Chamberlain for his extra labour in supplying the lack of services of the General Secretary, on account of his lengthened affliction. The meeting was addressed by Bros. Chamberlain, Cuthbertson, Madder, A. J. N. Chamberlin, &c. The collection was a noble one, upwards of £20. That with the other collections brought the amount up to £61.

On Tuesday morning the Lord's Supper was celebrated by the brethren and friends. At night a capital temperance meeting was held in St.

George's Hall. Although the good old practice of preaching an official sermon has fallen into disuse, we were glad to see that the Lord's Supper was still observed, and that the noble temperance cause was not neglected.

CHAPTER XXVIII.-ANNUAL MEETING AT MANCHESTER, 1874.

BRO. ABRAHAM ANDREW, Manchester, President.

THE General Committee met in the Vestry of Grosvenor Street Chapel, Saturday evening, June 6th. Upwards of sixty places were opened to the brethren for Sunday services. Several open-air stands were taken, but it

does not appear that any lovefeast was held on this occasion. The attendance of brethren at this great centre was larger than had been the case for a long time; 110 had forwarded their names.

The brethren assembled for business on Monday morning, June 8th, in Grosvenor Street Chapel. The benefit members numbered 1,840, hon. 530, total 2,370; being an increase of 70 benefit, and 78 hon. Such an increase had not been known for a long time. Benefit members' subscriptions amounted to £984 12s. 9d.; being £6 68. decrease. There being an excess of income over expenditure of £795 3s., the Treasurer invested £400, raising the capital another figure; viz., from £5,205 58. 9d. to £6,000 6s. Bro. Abraham Andrew was elected President, and Bro. John Carter re-elected Treasurer, and Bro. Thos. Chamberlain, Hon. Secretary.

The brethren, being led by the Hon. Secretary, exhibited unusual zeal on behalf of temperance, by passing two petitions to Parliament; one, praying for restricting the hours for the sale of intoxicants; the other to close the public-ho uses on Sundays. Both of them were carried unanimously.

It was moved, that the Magazine be published for another year under the same management, and thanks given to the editors and publication committee. The profits on the Magazine for the year 1873, was

£18 16s. 6d.
A public meeting was held on Monday evening, presided over by
Richard Haworth, Esq., and addressed by the President, Treasurer,
Honorary Secretary, Brothers Madder, Hacking, Chamberlin, Pocock,
Cuthbertson, Colwell, Bowron, Daws, Williamson, Jameson, and Unwin.
The Lord's Supper was celebrated in Grosvenor Street Chapel on
Tuesday morning; presided over by Revs. John Bedford, S. S. Barton,
and G. Scott.

The financial result of this Annual Meeting amounted to the sum of £160.

CHAPTER XXIX.-ANNUAL MEETING IN LONDON, 1875.

BRO. WILLIAM WILLMER POCOCK, Wandsworth, President.

The General Committee was held in the Morning Chapel, City Road, on Saturday evening, June 5th. About forty brethren present. Forty chapels were open to the delegates. On Sunday collections were made for

the Association. There were five out-door stations occupied in addition. On Monday morning, June 7th, the brethren met for business in the Morning Chapel, City Road.

The Report showed 1,855 benefit members, and 618 hon., total 2,473. This was an increase of 15 benefit, and 88 hon. members, total 103; a most gratifying increase indeed. The benefit members' subscriptions amounted to £1,042 12s. 2d., an advance on the former year of £57 91s. 5d. £1,000 was bought into the consols, making the investment and cash £6,683 15s. 8d.

Bro. W. W. Pocock was elected President, and Bro. John Carter reelected Treasurer, and Bro. Thos. Chamberlain Hon. Secretary.

This being the triennial year, when alterations could be made in the rules, notices of alterations having been sent in, they were taken up seriatim. No. 5, to grant annuities to widows, was carried; as was No. 6; Nos. 7 and 8 negatived; No. 9 and 10 accepted; No. 11, to open the Association to other branches of the Methodist family. Two amendments followed this, one of which was carried, that negotiations be entered into with the New Connexion, which, we believe has never been done.

The Lord's Supper was celebrated in the chapel on Tuesday morning. On Monday evening a tea meeting was held in the Morning Chapel; a public meeting after, in the large chapel, W. S. Allen, Esq., M.P., in the chair; who delivered a most excellent speech, which we cannot transcribe, but it will be found on pages 217-218 of the Magazine, 1875. Dr. Jobson with his happy face, appeared on the platform on behalf of the Association for the first and last time, and closed a genial speech by saying, "I will give £10 to gladden one poor Local Preacher's heart." The meeting was also addressed by the President, Bro. Pocock, Rev. W. T. Radcliffe, T. Cuthbertson, W. Nelstrop, Bro. Thompson, Bro. Chamberlain, and S. D. Waddy. Collections amounted to £159 15s. The Editorial Committee were thanked for conducting the Magazine; which was acknowledged by W. B. Carter. The profit for the was £10 10s. 8d.

year 1874

CHAPTER XXX.-ANNUAL MEETING AT CARDIFF, 1876.

DR. ALDOM, of LEYTON, President.

THE General Committee met in the Schoolroom of Wesley Chapel, Cardiff, on Saturday evening, June 10th. About forty brethren present.

Thirty chapels and four open-air stands occupied by the brethren on the Sabbath. Collections made on behalf of the Association.

The brethren met for business in the Schoolroom of Wesley Chapel, Cardiff, on Monday and Tuesday, June 12th and 13th. The Report showed 1,973 benefit and 640 hon. members, total 2,563; this was an increase of 68 benefit and 23 hon. members. The benefit members' subscriptions this year, £1,010 1s. ; being a decrease of £32 11s. 2d. The Treasurer invested this year, £500 in the Consols, raising the capital another figure, from 6 to 7-£7,138 7s. 9d. Dr. Aldom was elected President, John Carter re-elected Treasurer, and Thos. Chamberlain, Hon. Secretary.

There was little business to transact, and the meeting sent a petition to the House of Commons on behalf of Sir Wilfrid Lawson's Permissive Bill.

The Magazine was ordered to be carried on under the same management for another year. The Editors were thanked for their past services; which vote was acknowledged by W. B. Carter. The profit on the Magazine for 1875 was £23 10s. 1d.

On Tuesday morning a number of the brethren and friends assembled round the Lord's table in Wesley Chapel, to commemorate the death of Christ.

It was moved at the business meeting, "That the present President be requested to deliver an official address to the brethren assembled at the next Annual Meeting." This was once again re-establishing an old practice which had fallen out of use.

A public meeting was held on Monday evening at Roath Chapel; presided over by one of the hon. members, John Cory, Esq., and was addressed by Bros. Chamberlain, Pocock, Bowron, Wesley, Vernon, J. Carter, Sims, and Wade. Alas! Alas! Brother Cuthbertson, whose voice had been heard at most of the annual gatherings, had been silenced by death the last year, to be heard no more.

BRUGES.

BY J. W. LAYCOCK.

THE history of England is so closely connected with that of the Netherlands as to invest the ancient cities of Holland and Belgium with an interest such as surrounds few places of resort on the Continent. In the days of our Plantagenet kings, they were England's great customer for wool to such an extent as to procure for Edward III., in the French Court, the derisive title of the Wool Merchant. They sent sixty thousand men to aid him in his wars with France, and contributed largely to the successes achieved. Henry V. formed alliances with their sovereigns.

Elizabeth, conscious that the interests of the two nationalities were identical, rendered, with parsimonious hand, some aid in the great struggle which the brave little nation conducted with the colossal power of Spain. When we cast out the Stuarts, from the Netherlands came the monarch who consolidated our civil liberties and Protestant religion, and did more than any other man of his day to check the ambition of the bigoted Louis XIV. Centuries before us in obtaining civil rights, and, like us, stubborn in defending them, they also resembled us in welcoming the light of the Reformation. Their martyr-roll is longer, probably, than that of any other nation of the same size; for they were as brave and unyielding at the stake as on the field of battle. Gladly therefore did I hail the opportunity afforded by a journey to Germany, of visiting the city whose name stands at the head of this paper.

On the 3rd of August last, I left London, accompanied by my son. Amid the splendours of sunset we steamed down the Thames, and ere night shrouded the shores of the broad estuary, were well on our way to Ostend. Soon after morning dawned, the Belgian coast slowly appeared. upon the eastern horizon, and at 5 a.m. we were entering the port. There is little in Ostend worth delay; therefore the first available train carried us through a fertile district, in which harvest work was progressing leisurely, to the city of Bruges. Its lofty grey towers rise with befitting grandeur above the houses of what, in the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries, was the great commercial centre of Europe. Privileged trading companies from seventeen different kingdoms had settled here; twenty foreign ministers resided within the walls, and inhabitants of remote districts encountered unheard-of difficulties to accomplish such a visit as we were paying without let or hindrance. Lombards and Venetians conveyed to Bruges the products of India and Italy, and returned home with the manufactures of England and Germany.

Bruges was long the residence of the Counts of Flanders, who in the fifteenth century seemed to carry magnificence and splendour to their greatest possible height. The dresses of both men and women at this chivalric epoch were of almost incredible expense. Velvet, satin, gold, and precious stones, seemed the ordinary materials for either sex; while the very harness of the horses sparkled with brilliants, and cost immense sums. The Queen of Philip the Fair of France, on a visit to Bruges, exclaimed, with astonishment, "I imagined myself alone to be queen, but I see hundreds of persons here whose attire vies with my own." At a repast given by one of the Counts of Flanders to the Flemish magistrates, the seats they occupied were unfurnished with cushions. Those proud burghers folded their sumptuous cloaks and sat on them. After the feast they were retiring without putting on these costly articles of dress. On a courtier reminding them of their apparent neglect, the Burgomaster of Bruges replied, "We Flemings are not in the habit of carrying away the cushions after dinner!" This absurd extravagance

Y