places of the Irish church are Carrickfergus, where the first presbytery was organized, Derry or Londenderry and the battlefield of the Boyne. Derry became the centre of the church, although it is now surpassed in size by Belfast. But the seige of Londonderry has made it a sacred place to the Irish Protestants. On December 7, 1688, a few apprentice boys at Derry seized the keys of the city and shut the gates, because of a report that the Catholics would rise and murder the Protestants. Derry thus became the refuge for the Protestants of the province. It was beseiged (1689) by King James with his Catholic army and made a brave defense for 105 days against an overwhelming force. British frigate broke the boom that was stretched across the river Foyle, and two vessels, laden with provisions, entered the city and saved it from famine. The following night, October 31, the army of King James retreated. In consideration of their gallant conduct, King William ordered $60,000 to be paid annually to the Presbyterian ministers as a royal gift, which was continued to be done until 1870.

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The battle of the Boyne, July 1, 1690, was the great final contest between Protestantism and Cath

olicism in the British Isles; indeed not in Britain alone, but for all Europe. For the Catholic powers of Europe, led especially by King Louis XIV, of France, were getting ready to do what they had tried to do in the Thirty Years war, namely, to crush out Protestantism. But the battle of the Boyne was the first thunderclap in the shape of a defeat to their plans and, except in western Germany, they never went any farther. But if the Protestants had been defeated at the Boyne the Catholic prince would have moved toward the introduction of interims in Europe as they had done in the Thirty Years war, which were only the prelude to the utter destruction of Protestantism.

This battle of the Boyne is also significant because in it occurred one of the striking revenges of history that have so often appeared against France for her driving out of the Huguenots in 1685, by the Revocation of the Edict of Nantes. At the battle of the Boyne France's troops, who formed part of King James' army, were defeated by one of those Huguenots, whom France had cast. out. Louis the Great had put into the hands of his enemies his greatest general, Marshal Frederick of Schomberg. When William, Prince of Orange,

went to England to assume the throne, he asked the Elector of Bradenburg at Berlin to loan him his general-in-chief, which he did, and Schomberg went to England as commander. The battle was very fiercely waged. And in it, just as Schomberg called the attention of the Huguenot troops of his army to the French corps in the Catholic army, and had said, "You see there your persecutors," he was wounded and shortly after killed. The Irish army was completely defeated and James sailed for France, giving up the struggle for the English throne. A Huguenot saved the day. Marshall Schomberg is buried in St. Patrick's cathedral, Dublin,

In 1690 a General Synod of Ulster was organized at Belfast, making Belfast the fourth sacred place of this church. Belfast, with its many congregations, now is the great centre of the Irish church. That Irish Presbyterian church now has 105,000 communicants, the Reformed Presbyterian, 3,800, and the Original Seceders, 1,200. These make up the Presbyterian strength of Ireland.

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HIS picturesque, romantic city of the Scots has been so often described, in the beauti

ful language of both prose and verse, that one would be presumptive who should attempt the task anew, without reference to the glowing sentences already penned and printed.

Dr. Thomas Guthrie, of eloquent utterance, whose home and pulpit were in Edinburgh, for the latter half of his life, found daily enjoyment in the craggy heights and classic beauty of the "Grey Metropolis of the North." When visitors from other lands were his guests, he delighted to point out to them the unique features of the scene.

His own words were these:

"Ere the heat of the day has cast a misty veil upon the scene, I take a stranger, and, conducting his steps to yonder rocky rampart, I bid him look. Gothic towers, Grecian temples, palaces, spires, domes, monuments and verdant gardens, picturesquely mingled, are spread out before his eye: wherever he turns he finds a point of view to claim his admiration. What rare variety of hill and hollow! What happy combination of mod