Poetry. CLEAR THE WAY. MEN of thought! be up and stirring Sow the seed-withdraw the curtain- Men of action, aid and cheer them, There's a fount about to stream; Men of thought, and men of action, Once the welcome light has broken, What the unimagined glories Of the day? What the evil that shall perish Aid the dawning, tongue, and pen; And our earnest must not slacken Into play. Literature. The Preacher's Analyst and Help in Preparation for the Pulpit. Edited by the Rev. J. J. S. BIRD, B. M. Vol. IV. London: Elliot Stock, 62, Paternoster Row. Price 4s. THIS is a quarto of 156 pages, bound in cloth. It is published in monthly numbers, price 4d. Each number contains a leading sermon and a number of outlines. We have read the Editor's leading sermon for December, and glanced at the other sermons and sketches, and we cannot say that the volume is to our taste. If preachers cannot draw out their own plans, we very much question if they can use, with effect, those which are drawn out for them. Miscellaneous. REMARKABLE FROSTS. IN Kirkby's Wonderful Magazine there is a record of remarkable frosts which may interest our readers at this time after the severe weather we have passed through. In the year 250 the Thames was frozen over for nine weeks. In 695 Thames frozen over for six weeks, and booths built upon it. In 923 the Thames frozen over for thirteen weeks. In 998 the Thames was frozen over for five weeks. In 1063 the Thames was frozen over for fourteen weeks. In 1068 a terrible frost began on the 9th of October and continued till the middle of February, freezing up the Thames and other rivers, and causing a dearth the ensuing year. In 1137 the frost began the 10th of November and continued to the 19th January. The Thames was frozen when after about a month's continuance, such abundance of snow fell, and a sudden thaw took place, and many bridges were broken down by the torrent of water. In 1434 the Thames was frozen from November 24th to February 10th; it was frozen below bridge to Gravesend. In 1484 a frost began in September, and from thence till the latter end of February. Hay rose to £5 a load, and coals to £3 a chaldron. In the 19th year of Henry the Eighth's reign, a frost began on the 3rd November and held to the 7th March, with such extremity that many people were found dead in the streets. In 1612 a frost happened which continued 7 weeks; during which time the Thames at Lambeth and Whitehall was frozen over, and men passed thereon. In the 11th year of King Charles the First, a terrible frost happened, which continued three months, causing great scarcity and much damage to bridges on the sudden thaw. Hollinshed informs us, "That in 1655, the 21st December began a frost, which continued so extremlie, that on New Year's even, people went over, and along the Thames on the ice, from London Bridge to Westminster, some plaied at the football, as boldlie there, as if it had been on the drie land; diuerse of the court shot daily at pricks set upon the Thames, in greater numbers, than in anie street of the citie of London. On the 31st daie of Januarie, at night, it began to thaw, and on the fift daie was no ice to be seen, between London Bridge and Lambeth; which sudden thaw caused great floods and high waters, that bore down bridges and houses, drowned manie people in England." and In 1664 a terrible frost happened, which continued from the 10th of November to the middle of March. In 1676 a terrible frost began about the 16th of December, which continued with such violence, that the Thames was frozen over in divers places, except a narrow channel, over which people passed on planks; then and at the first time in our age, that such a number of booths, and all manner of provision, was found upon the congealed flood; which frost endured till the 15th February, and then by its sudden thaw, broke down many bridges, and did great damage. In 1683-4 the memorable frost took place, when, the Thames being frozen over, men and beasts, coaches and carts, went as frequently thereon as boats were wont to pass before. In the Magazine we have a curious view engraved from a most rare and valuable original. It represents an exact prospect of an assemblage of booths, that reached from the Temple to Southwark, and was called Freezeland Street, alias Blanket Fair; where was sold all sorts of goods imaginable; namely, clothes, plate, earthen ware, meat, drink, books, prints, toys, and hundreds of other commodities, so that the whole trade of London was, for the time the frost continued, confined to the River Thames. This frost began the 16th November and continued to the 28th February. In 1708-9 there was a severe frost, and the Thames was frozen over; and people passed over between London Bridge and The Temple : it lasted from December to March. In 1715-16 was a great frost, in which the Thames was frozen over for several miles. Booths and streets were made on the ice, and an OX roasted, &c. In 1739-40 a severe frost began December 24, and continued for 103 days, when a great many booths were erected on the Thames, and multitudes of people dwelt on it. In 1762-3 the frost set in on the 25th December and continued till the 29th January. The Thames was so frozen as to bear carriages. In 1788-9 was a severe frost, in which was a fair on the Thames, and rossings made opposite the CustomHouse, the Tower, Execution-dock, Putney, Brentford, &c. It lasted from November 1788 to January 1789. Frost Fair held on the Thames from January 31 to February the 6th, 1814. As this frost comes nearer to our own times, and as we have a more extended account, and a copperplate engraving thereof, we reserve account of it till the next month. an Obituary Notice. DIED, at Bath, October 18th, 1880, Mary Ann Britton, the beloved wife of the esteemed Treasurer of the Bath Branch of THE LOCAL PREACHERS' MUTUAL-AID ASSOCIATION. She joined the Methodist Society upwards of fifty years ago, and maintained a consistent profession to the end of her life. Although the subject of affliction for four or five years before her death, yet her end at last came unexpectedly to the family. She was highly esteemed as a wife, a mother, and a member of the Christian Church. But the Master said, "Come up higher." Phenomena of the Month. MARCH.. THE sun rises on the 1st at fortyeight minutes after six, and sets at thirty-eight minutes after five. Sun rises on the 31st at forty-one minutes after five, and sets at thirty minutes after six. The day lengthens fiftythree minutes in the morning, and fifty-two minutes in the evening, or one hour and forty-five minutes in the month. Full moon on the 15th at thirtyseven minutes after ten at night. New moon on the 29th at thirty-two minutes after ten at night. The moon is near Mercury on the 1st; she is near Venus, Saturn, and Jupiter during the evening hours of the 3rd, Venus and Saturn being to the left of the moon, and Jupiter to the right. She will be near Mars during the morning hours of the 27th. She is nearest to the earth on the 25th, and most distant from it on the 10th. Venus is an evening star. She is at her least distance from the sun on the 6th, and at her greatest brilliancy on the 27th. Mars is a morning star, rising one hour and ten minutes before the sun. He is due south on the 1st at fifty-two minutes after nine, a.m. Jupiter is an evening star, setting on the 1st at twenty minutes after nine, and on the last day at one hour and thirty minutes after sunset. Saturn is an evening star, setting on the 2nd at forty-two minutes after nine, p.m., and on the last day at seven minutes after eight, p.m. He is due south on the 1st at one minute after three, p.m., and on the last day at sixteen minutes after one, p.m. High water at London Bridge on the 1st at twenty minutes after two in the morning, and forty minutes after two in the afternoon. On the last day of the month at thirty-five minutes after two in the morning, and fifty-five minutes after two in the afternoon. John Wesley died March 2nd, 1791, aged 88 years. Princess Louise born 18th, 1848. Russian Serfdom abolished on the 3rd, 1863. This month begins on Tuesday and ends on Thursday. Numbering thirty-one Mutual-Aid Association Reporter. PRESIDENT'S LETTER.-No 9. Aylesbury, Feb. 14. MY DEAR BRO. SIMS,-I am still trying to help our poor old annuitants, but find our good Methodist folks everywhere doing all they can, and large numbers of them have sent me a few stamps to cover postage; all of which I have put into the President's box, which has made it look very nice. This third quarter a great many have promised to send me subscriptions or donations shortly. I hope the memory of these good folks will be better than Pharoah's butler. Some prefer doing all they can now. The Lord bless them. I love the dear old men, and so do you; and I know that a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush. They are as follows: NEW HONORARY MEMBERS. Mr. W. Chenhalls, St. Just. Dr. Lacey, Plumstead. WHAT AN EARNEST BROTHER BROTHER COLDWELL, of Woolwich, the Secretary of the Deptford Branch, having read our appeal of last year in the December number, determined to do something more than he had done in order to increase the We circulation of the Magazine. should say that he has always been a good worker, and if all the secretaries had done as he has done, the circulation would have been doubled. The number of his subscribers last year was fifteen. This year he took a quantity of our January number and left them at the houses of friends who, he thought, would be likely to take them in. The result has been that his fifteen subscribers have increased to twenty-six, and he has still a number of baits out, and he confidently expects, when he draws in his lines, to find that he has hooked several more. Now what he has done any zealous brother could do. And it is a wellknown fact that whenever a fresh subscriber is obtained for the Magazine, we gain an additional friend to the Association. As an extra number of the January month has been printed, the publisher will be glad to furnish copies gratis to any brother who will follow the example of our Woolwich brother Coldwell. Apply to Philip Parker, 24, Bedford Street, Strand. No. 48 DEAR SIR,-It is with much thankfulness that I write to tell you that I received Mr. Wild's gift of 10s., and found it most acceptable. I am thankful to say that I have gained four friends to take the MagaZINES I brought our Mutual-Aid before the quarterly meeting, and it was agreed to have collections in all our places of worship next April. I am yours truly in Christ, T.B. [Well done, Brother: yours is practical gratitude, shown in getting subscribers for the MAGAZINE and collections for the Association.] Is 82 years old. He has done what every annuitant should do; when not on the list, begin to seek for hon. members. This brother has done that, and all the hon. members in his city (and there are several) have been obtained by his efforts. He has been a local, or rather it would seem, a travelling preacher for 58 years, and travelled 11,500 miles to preach the everlasting Gospel of the Blessed God. No. 70 DEAR SIR,-I am requested by my father, who is unable to write through age and infirmities, to acknowledge the receipt of 10s. as a Christmas gift from J. Wild, Esq., for which he is truly thankful. His age is 82; he is getting very feeble and infirm, and his memory fails, but he takes a lively interest in the MAGAZINE. He is looking forward to the rest prepared for God's children. No. 73 DEAR SIR,-I again tender to you my warmest thanks for the gift of 10s. left by James Wild, Esq., for us, poor old men, who are nearly worn out in the Master's cause. I feel I get more feeble every year, and cannot do much now in the work of the vineyard. I often think of the |