A PEACE SERMON.
['To THE EDITOR OF THE SPECTATOR.")
San,—I do not know whether your readers would be interested in reading of a sermon which was preached twice at long intervals. The Rev. Temple Trove was Canon of Westminster tinder the old regime, when each Canon had one month's residence. After that, one Canon was appointed when there were three months vacant, so that it often happened that one or two months were unprovided for; the Canons divided these weeks among them and took the duty for the vacant months. In the autumn of 1856 Mr. Frere went up to Westminster for some days, and while he was doing the duty of the canonry, peace, after the Crimean War, was proclaimed. He preached in the Abbey, and his sermon was noticed in the Times. When be read the notice, he said: "They don't know the most curious thing about that sermon; it was not the first time it was preached." There was a general exclamation and questioning. When could it have been preached before ? There had not been a peace since Waterloo. It could not have been preached after Waterloo; that was much too long ago. But when could it Issue been preached since then P He allowed the wonderment to subside, and then said : "It was preached after Trafalgar." He had thought peace might be proclaimed during the few days he meant to be in London, had hunted up this sermon, and when peace was proclaimed be had altered and adapted it and preached it. He was twenty-four when it was preached the first time; seventy-five when he preached it the second time.—I am, Sir, &c., E. G. T. F.
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