Bernard Gilpin, the great Northern apostle, did not confine his labours to the church of Houghton-le-Spring, of which he was minister; but at his own expense, and with great risk and hardship, visited the then desolate churches of Northumberland once every year, usually about Christmas, to preach the gospel. The Northumbrians about that time retained so much of the customs of our Saxon ancestors, as to decide every dispute by the sword; they even went beyond them, and, not content with a duel, each contending party used to muster what adherents he could, and began a kind of petty war, so that a private grudge would often occasion much bloodshed. In one of his annual tours, Mr. Gilpin found a quarrel of this kind raging at Rothbury. During the first two or three days of his preaching, the contending parties observed some decorum, and never came to church both at the same time. At last, however, they met; one party had come early, and just as Mr. Gilpin began the sermon the other entered. They did not stand long quiet, but, mutually enraged at the sight of each other, began to clash their arms. Awed, however, by the sacredness of the place, the tumult somewhat fell, and Mr. Gilpin could proceed with his sermon. In a short time, however, the combatants anew brandished their weapons, and approached each other. Mr. Gilpin now came down from the pulpit, went between the two parties, and, appealing to the chiefs, stayed the quarrel for the time, though he could not perfectly reconcile them. They promised that until the sermon was over there should be no further disturbance. Mr. Gilpin then remounted the pulpit, and devoted the rest of the time to endeavour to make the combatants ashamed of their behaviour; and his courage and earnestness so much affected them, that at his further entreaty they agreed to abstain from all acts of hostility while he continued in the country. Another time, when he entered the church, Mr. Gilpin saw a glove hanging up, and was told by the sexton that it was as a challenge to any one that should take it down. The sexton refusing to take it down, because he "dared not," Mr. Gilpin procured a long staff, took it down himself, and put it in his breast. When the congregation assembled, he went into the pulpit, and took occasion severely to rebuke these inhuman challenges, and especially this fashion of hanging up the glove in church. "I hear," said he, "that there is one among you who even in this sacred place hath hanged up a glove to this purpose, and threateneth to enter into combat with whosoever shall take it down. Behold, I have taken it down myself!" and, plucking the glove out of his breast, he held it up before them all, and again proceeded to condemn such barbarous fashions, and to commend the practice of love and charity. So much did his faithfulness win for him respect, and soften the stern mood of the country folk, that so often as he came into the parts where he had