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swept into a low and solemn rustle by the fitful breeze in its passage from the mountains across the slumbering waters of the gulf.

Through this gloomy approach we reached the foot of the bare, brown mountain, and slowly ascended it to the castle. Saracenic walls, long since dismantled, straggle picturesquely about the crest of the eminence; fragments of Greek, and Roman, and Byzantine date, built into them, tell of successive revolutions; while the half savage Turcoman shepherd finds a good fold for his sheep and goats in the ruinous vaults, and takes his siesta, surrounded by his flock, and watched by his dog, in the grateful shadow of its hoary walls. We were standing here to recover

our breath after the ascent, when my companions pointing to a green hollow in the mountain, but a short distance below, exclaimed, "That is the spot; it was there that Polycarp suffered!" We now descended to it.

The Stadium, or Amphitheatre, hollowed out in the hill side,

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on a site which catches every breeze that blows, commands a wide and glorious prospect over Smyrna and its far-stretching gulf. Here were wont to assemble the thoughtless multitude of Asiatic idlers-how vacant and how silent is it now! Its sides and hollow are covered thick with turf as the surrounding hill, through which appear here and there the marble seats, or the orifices of the dens in which the wild beasts were confined. The saying of the poet as to places signalized by human crime or suffering is fully realized :

-"at the coming of the milder day Their monuments shall all be overgrown."

A few sheep are pastured about the grassy slope, or clustered under the shadow of a lonely cypress, which serves as a landmark to vessels sailing up the gulf.

But, to the story which has invested the spot with such undying interest. This has been told very beautifully, and at some length, in a circular epistle addressed by the church over which Polycarp had so long presided, to that of Philadelphia; a document so evidently authentic, and withal so moving, that Scaliger declared he had never, in all the history of the Church, met with anything that so transported him, for that in reading it he seemed to be no longer himself.

It was in the reign of Marcus Antoninus, A.D. 167, that the persecution grew hot at Smyrna, and many having already sealed their confession with their blood, the general outcry was, "Away with the impious; let Polycarp be sought for." The good man, although undisturbed by this, was yet prevailed on by the love of his people to retire to a neighbouring village, where he continued day and night in prayer for the Church Universal, under her perilous and trying circumstances. "Here,

at length, he was discovered by those sent after him, whom, on their approach, he saluted with a very cheerful and gentle countenance, ordering a table to be spread for them; so that they

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wondered to behold so venerable a person, of so great age, and so grave and composed a presence: and wondered what needed so much stir to hunt and take this poor old man."

After a parting, and a solemn prayer, he set out with his conductors, and on the road towards the city met the officer charged with the maintenance of the public peace, who took up Polycarp into his chariot, seeking to undermine his constancy by representing to him how trivial a thing it was to sacrifice a few grains of incense to the emperor. Doubtless the duty of putting in force the edicts against the Christians, must often have been painful to men of humane minds. Sometimes, as Gibbon tells us, they were alarmed at the multitude of the confessors, towards whom they used every art of persuasion to induce them to perform some act, of at least an external conformity, which would release them from their painful office. But all persuasion failed to induce Polycarp to comply with these suggestions, upon which he was thrust out of the chariot with insult and violence, so that he was injured by the fall.

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Whereat, nothing daunted," continues the story, cheerfully hastened to the place of execution, under the conduct of his guard, whither when they were come, and a confused noise and tumult was arisen, a voice came from heaven (heard by many, but none seen who spake it), saying, 'Polycarp, be strong, and quit thyself like a man.' The proconsul, before whom he was now brought, sought to persuade him to recant. Regard,' said he, thy great age; swear by the genius of Cæsar; repent, and say with us, "Take away the impious." The holy martyr, looking about the Stadium, and severely regarding the idolatrous crowd, looked up to heaven and prayed, Take away the impious.' The proposal to blaspheme Christ, with which he was next assailed, was treated with a noble scorn, and drew from the venerable man this generous and touching confession,'Fourscore and six years I have served him, and he never did me any harm; how then shall I thus blaspheme my King and