JANE, QUEEN OF NAVARRE THE subject of this sketch, was the daughter of Henry II., King of Navarre, and Margaret of Orleans, the sister of Francis I., of France. She was born in the year 1528, and married while quite young, Anthony, the son of Charles of Bourbon, to whom she brought the principality of Bearne, as well as the kingdom of Navarre. She was early educated by her parents in the Protestant faith, but in the civil wars of the times, her husband accepted a command in the Catholic army, with the Duke of Guise, and the Cardinal Montmorency. He received a mortal wound from an arrow in the shoulder, at the siege of Orleans, and his widowed queen, with her two children, narrowly escaped being brought before the Inquisition. She devoted herself to her maternal cares, and strove to instil into the unfolding minds committed to her trust, right principles, and the love of piety. During the third civil war, she was led to feel it her duty to take an active part, and advanced with an armed force to Rochelle An unfortunate battle ensued, and the Prince of Condé was slain. The Protestant League, disheartened at the loss of its head, was on the verge of despair. But the fortitude and spirit of Jane of Navarre rose with the occasion. Gathering the scattered remnants of the army, she appeared before a great concourse of nobles and soldiers, leading her young son by the hand. Self, and the weakness of her sex, were alike forgotten. She remembered only that a mother, a Christian, and the head of an endangered realm. Strength entered into the hearts of the most desponding, as with a beaming countenance, and a clear voice, she applauded the virtues and the constancy of the fallen hero, and called upon those around her to imitate his example, and maintain the true religion, and the liberties of their country. she was "For the good cause," said she, "is not dead with the Prince Condé. Neither should worthy men under losses, yield to despondency. God having so provided that he gave Condé a young companion while he lived, who may succeed him now he is no more. I present to you, Henry, my only son, who being the heir of Condé's name, is heir also of his virtues." Having thus inspirited her nobles and people, she gave earnest counsel and admonition to the young prince, and occupied herself with raising reinforcements. He entered warmly into the wishes of his mother, and evinced that brave, generous spirit which afterwards distinguished him, when Henry the Fourth of France. When he attained the age of sixteen, he was declared head of the Protestants, and two years after, urgent proposals were sent from the French court, that a treaty of peace might be confirmed by a marriage between him, and their young princess, Margaret of Valois, sister of the reigning monarch, Charles Ninth. Jane of Navarre viewed with reluctance so near a connection with the Medicean house, the persecutors of the Huguenots. But an earnest desire to cement peace, and stop the effusion of blood, overruled her objections. During the intervals of leisure that attended these negotiations, she employed herself in the instruction of her subjects, sending pastors into the neglected provinces of Cantabria, and translating into their dialect, catechisms, and prayers, and portions of the New Testament. While thus piously engaged, dispatches arrived from the French king urging their appearance in Paris, that the nuptials might be consummated. In the spring of 1572, the queen left her hereditary dominions, for a journey to France with her two children, and retinue. A deep sadness, that she could not shake from her spirit, marked her departure. Those who were acquainted with her accustomed vigour and energy, deemed it almost premonitory. She indeed, went as "a bird to the snare of the fowler, not knowing that it was for her life." The fearful fact is familiar to all readers of history, that the festivities of this marriage were darkened by plot and massacre; and that on the 24th of August, 1572, at the eve of St. Bartholomew's Day, thirty thousand Huguenots were slaughtered, without regard to age or sex. of Navarre lived not to witness this Jane horrible destruction, which her son Her spiritual attendant asked if he narrowly escaped. Two months before, she had died of an excruciating and mysterious illness, not without suspicions of poison. It was rumoured that an Italian had been employed to mingle a most subtle and fatal drug, with perfumes that she was in the habit of inhaling. Believing, from her daily declining strength, that dissolution drew nigh, she prepared herself with Christian calmness, yet profound solemnity, for the approaching event. Strongly did her affectionate spirit cling to her children. Causing herself to be raised on her couch, and propped by pillows, she said to prince Henry, then in the bloom of nineteen: "I enjoin you, above all things, faith fully to serve God in the religion wherein you have been educated. Suffer not your soul to be tempted by the empty pleasures and delights of this world." Inviolably preserve the constitutions that have been given to the principalities of Berne, and the Lower Navarre. Purge your courts of all irreligious counsellors, vicious persons, and flatterers, the abusers of princes. Take a tender care of your sister Catharine, and let her be nurtured in the same school of piety, where you were yourself trained." After passing through the ceremony of appointing him as her successor in his native realm, she earnestly entreated the King of France to be the protector of her orphan children, and permit them without opposition the free exercise of the Protestant religion. Then disengaging her mind from earthly concerns, she desired that she might have the aid of fit persons to administer consolation to her departing soul. The fever ran high, and her pains were agonizing. Yet she said meekly, "I receive this, as from the hand of my most merciful Father. Neither have I in this extremity been afraid to die, or murmured against his chastisement. For I know that whatsoever God doth, shall in the end turn to mine everlasting good. As for this life, I am in a great measure weaned from it, by the afflictions that have followed me from my youth up. Espe cially that I am not able to live without offending my God, in whose presence I desire to be, with my whole heart." should pray, that if consistent with the Divine will she might longer be spared on earth? She replied, "For myself, this sinful life is not dear Yet have I a deep concern for the children that God hath given me. By my death they will be left alone, in their early years. But doubt I not, that if He now take me from them, He will himself be their Father and Protector, as He hath ever been to me, in my greatest needs. Therefore, I commit them wholly to His government and fatherly care. Death is not terrible to me. It is the way by which we pass to eternal rest." Then with hands and eyes raised to heaven, she continued long in prayer, the steadiness of her faith imparting to her countenance a cheerful serenity. Her sufferings were severe, but they never extorted an impatient word, or scarcely a moan. As the last changes of the spoiler began to be visible on her pale features, one who stood near her couch, whispered, "Are you willing to go?". Audibly she replied, "Yes; more willing than to linger here in this world of vanity." Thus, in the peace of a perfect trust, she resigned her breath at Paris, June 9th, 1572, in the forty-fourth year of her age. "Queen Jane, of Navarre," says Bishop Burnet, "reformed not only her court, but her whole principality. To such a degree did she improve it, that, undeve re sway, the golden age her turned, or rather Christianity again appeared in its primitive purity and lustre. Her dominions were so narrow that, though she had the rank and power of a Queen, it was like sovereignty in miniature, of the smallest form and the brightest colours." THE RECTOR AND THE POOR BOY.An indigent boy applied for alms at the house of an avaricious rector, and received a dry mouldy crust. The rector inquired of the boy if he could say the Lord's prayer, and was answered in the negative. "Then," said the rector, "I will teach you that. Our Father!"-" Our Father!" said the boy; "Is he my Father as well as yours?" "Yes, certainly." "Then," asked the boy, "how could you give your poor brother this mouldy crust of bread?" LINES. (From the Swedish of Hans Christian Andersen.) The night is calm, the sky is clear; With their sweet odours everywhere. And give to all a resting-place! Thine eyes are fill'd with tears, although Makes all my senses to o'erflow With love for all things that exist,But now the stars wax pale; and soft The daylight comes. Yet dream and sleep! The sky is blue, and clear aloft And my heart's peace is calm and deep. SONNET TO A CHILD. Thou darling child! When I behold the smile Scion of beauty! If a stranger's eye Thus dwell upon thee; if his bosom's pain, Charm'd by thine only smile, forget to smart, Oh! how unutterably sweet her joy! Oh! how indissolubly firm the chain, Whose links of love entwine a Molher's heart! THE LUTE. BY L. E. L. Oh! sing again that mournful song, That song of other times! The music bears my soul along, To other, dearer climes. I love its low and broken tone; Like the wild wind when singing lone १ It may not sound so sweet to you; The valleys where your childhood grew, As if I had not cross'd the sea, I heard it, at the evening's close Upon my native shore; It was a favourite song with those Whom I shall see no more. How many worldly thoughts and cares 'Tis fraught with early hopes and prayersOh, sing that song again. greetings, And clasping hands, whose pulses beat no more? Do you remember all the merry laughter? And hardly knew how much we had to lose : Do you remember when we first departed bound us! And after, when our footsteps were returning To think how soon we'd be at home again? Do you remember this? Do you remember how the dreams of glory Do you remember in far countries, weeping, mind Old happy thoughts, which, till that hour, were sleeping, And made us yearn for those we left behind? How for awhile we talk'd, then paused full sadly, Because our voices bitter thoughts were bringing? Ah me! those days, those days! my friend, my brother, Sit down, and let us talk of all our woe, 200 LETTERS IN SQUARE CROCHET, BY MRS. PULLAN. THE WORK-TABLE FRIEND. LETTERS IN SQUARE CROCHET. Ix fulfilling our promise to give specimens of letters in crochet, it is scarcely necessary to add any instructions, the mode of working square crochet being so generally known. Those who are acquainted with it may, however, refer to "Instructions in Crochet," p. 197, vol. 6 of the Family Friend. our not We would suggest, however, that mottoes worked in beads, in the same manner as the border of the Anti-macassar, No. 1, Vol. 1, New Series, are pretty for various purposes; and for these, the Alphabet we are now giving, and one of smail letters which will follow, may be easily made available. Our friends will remember, however, that beads can only be used for this purpose, in working Sc. and also that such work is invariably done on the wrong side. SLIPPERS IN ORIENTAL EMBROIDERY. Materials.-Rich Green, Blue, or Black Velvet; 2 ozs. of Bright and Dead Bullion Gold; Gold Spangles; Seed Pearls; Gold-coloured Floss, and China Silk. THE quantity of velvet required for these slippers must depend, of course, on the size required. Seven-sixteenths of a yard will be ample for ladies' slippers, unless the foot to wear them is of a most unusual size; and the width of velvet is it. The velvet should be of the richest sufficient to allow of both coming out of description, with a short, thick, close pile, not merely because it is much more durable, but also because it is much more easy to work. We trust that none of our friends will be deterred from attempting this beautiful style of work, either by the grandeur of the name, or by any imaginary difficulty in gold embroidery. True, the broidery in the Great Exhibition were most striking specimens of oriental emsuch as would require the wealth of Croesus, and the years of Methuselah, for any one person to accomplish; but the beauty of the embroidery was not better displayed in them than in the tasteful trifles which almost any one may accoinplish, the slippers, cigar-cases, and lounging-caps, which are so well calculated for birthday presents, parting gifts, and souvenirs of friends. Of such is the slipper of which we now give the design. The scrolls which form the outlines of the pattern are in raised gold embroidery; the diagonal stones are worked in gold bullion, the stars are in spangles, and in the centre of each diamond is a single seed pearl. teisust to L obs of V16329 supa guichow to sl arwon vins o vam di di botninu 199070 m arortowani SLIPPERS IN ORIENTAL EMBROIDERY, BY MRS. PULLAN 715 7 T Begin by transferring the design to strong writing paper, and pricking the outlines to form a pounced pattern. Then mark the velvet as you would any other kind of embroidery. Care must be taken ve to this without injuring the pile of the velvet. Place the slippers in a frame, and cover all the scrolls with layers of thick soft cotton, tacked down with yellow silk. The cotton is not threaded and taken through the velvet, but merely laid over, being thicker along the middle of the width of the scroll, than at the edges. It should be kept quite within the edges of the pattern, and is covered with yellow floss. A smooth raised surface is thus obtained, forming a bed over which the gold bullion is to be laid. Doubtless the majority of our readers know the sort of gold which is termed bullion; but as there may be some who are not acquainted with it, we may as wel! describe it. It is a continuous tube of very fine gold wire, either plain or fancy. The tube is either smaller or larger, as may be required; the finest only is used in gold embroidery. When worked, it is cut into lengths, and needle, threaded with waxed silk, run through the tube. The gold should be of the purest quality manufactured; common gold, though looking well at first, tarnishes almost immediately. To lay on the gold, thread a long sewing-needle, with waxed silk, attach it to the velvet on the wrong side, and bring it up on the right at the end of a scroll. Cut off sufficient bullion to cover that end; thread it on, and draw the needle through the velvet on the wrong side. Continue to work the whole scroll in this manner, the bits of bullion being |