t so much as one of them.

We have heard a different account of this affair. A negro preacher once
explained that the Red Sea, just at that time, was "a little bit frozen
over," and the Jews, carrying only what they had borrowed "frum the
Gyptians," crossed the ice safely; but when Pharaoh came with his
thundering war-chariots, the ice broke, and "dey all was drown'd." But a
nigger in the audience objected that the Red Sea is "in de quator," and
is never frozen over. "War did you larn dat?" asked the preacher. "In de
jografy," was the reply. "Ah," was the ready retort, "dat's war you made
de mistake; dis was a very long time ago, and dere was no jografy and no
quator den." That nigger preacher's explanation seems quite as good as
the one given by "Moses."

We leave the Jews with their Lord God on the safe side of the Red Sea,
where Moses heads the men in singing a joyful song of praise, and Miriam
the prophetess heads the women with timbrel and with dance. Jehovah has
ended his plaguing of the Egyptians, after more than decimating them. He
has covered his name with terrible splendour, and proved "that there is
none like him" to a world which is very happy to be assured of the fact.
Two such monsters would make earth a hell. Reader! did you ever meet
with a more extraordinary story than this of the Ten Plagues? and can
you regard the book which contains it as God's Word?

JONAH AND THE WHALE.

BIBLE ROMANCES.--6.

By G. W. FOOTE.

We have often wondered whether Shakespeare had the story of Jonah in
his mind when he wrote that brief dialogue between Hamlet and Polonius,
which immediately precedes the famous closet-scene in the Master's
greatest play--

Hamlet.--Do you see yonder cloud that's almost in shape of a camel?
Polonius.--By the mass, and 'tis like a camel, indeed.
Hamlet.--Methinks it is like a weasel.
Polonius.--It is backed like a weasel.
Hamlet.--Or like a whale?
Polonius.--Very like a whale.

Having, however, no means whereby to decide this question, we must
content ourselves with broaching it, and leave the reader to form his
own conclusion. Yet we cannot refrain from expressing our opinion that
the story of the strange adventures of the prophet Jonah is "very like a
whale."

In another of Shakespeare's plays, namely "The Tempest," we find a
phrase which exactly applies to the romance of Jonah. When Trinculo
discovers Caliban lying on the ground, he proceeds to investigate the