For Truth, in Reason's page exclaims, On pleasure bent, deluded run Till all have had their turn; These are certainly wild products. NATURAL HISTORY. Art 24. Silva; or a Discourse of Forest-Trees, and the Propaga tion of Timber in His Majesty's dominions; as it was delivered in the Royal Society, 15th October 1662, on occasion of certain Queries propounded to that illustrious Assembly by the Commissioners of the Navy, &c. &c. By John Evelyn, Esq. F.R.S. With Notes, by A. Hunter, M.D. F.R.S. L. and E. To which is added, the Terra, a Philosophical Discourse of Earth. The 4th Edition, with the Editor's last Corrections, and a short Memoir of him. 2 Vols. 4to. 51. 5s. Boards. Longman and Co. The merit of this work in its original state, and of Dr. Hunter as an editor of it, is well known to n.en of science; and we mention this impression of it chiefly for the purpose of apprizing our readers of the brief memoir of Dr. Hunter, which is prefixed. We learn from it that the doctor was born at Edinburgh in 1733, where he studied medicine. He then came to London; whence he proceeded to Rouen in Normandy, to cultivate anatomy under the famous Le Cat, and to Paris for a similar purpose under Petit. He afterward settled as a physician at Gainsborough, at Beverly, and finally at York, in 1763; where he enjoyed a most extensive practice till his death, 17th May 1809,' having survived all his children. NOVEL. Art. 25. M. Ducray Duminil is a writer of some talents, who has now produced a wearisome book in consequence of "using too many circumstances 'ere he comes to the matter." The principal personage in this story is, like his "Little Chimer," involved in mystery; and the author puts an end to the mazes which he cannot unravel, by explanations that are even less probable than the adventures which they are meant to elucidate. Thus the tale excites wonder without interest; and the moral, though not dangerous, is inapplicable to any circumstances of real life. RELIGIOUS. RELIGIOUS. Art. 26. An Address to the Rev. Eustace Cary, January 19, 1814, on his Designation as a Christian Missionary to India. By Ro bert Hall, M.A. 8vo. Is. 6d. Button and Son. 1814. To enter into controvery with those persons, who deny that the attempt to propagate the Christian religion among the Hindoos is great and noble, would, according to Mr. Hall, be a degradation of reason. As a religious and as a political measure, he hesitates not to pronounce it magnanimous, wise, and unexceptionable;' and, view. ing it in this light, he is sollicitous that our missionaries, who are proceeding to the East, should thoroughly understand the nature of the enterprize on which they are sent, and be duly prepared for their office. The address to Mr. Carey, which is a sort of charge deli. vered to him on his designation or ordination to this peculiar ministry, specifies the qualifications which a missionary ought to possess; viz. self-devotement, the spirit of faith, or strength of faith respecting the enlargement of Christ's kingdom,-a conciliating temper, combined with prudence, and the diligent study of human nature. The peculiar situation of a missionary is well described: and he is exhorted, in the cultivation of the extensive wilderness before him, to employ the most vigorous and robust industry. When, however, Mr. Hall comes to the immediate object in question, he appears to us to depart from the principles which he had previously inculcated. In recommending the principles of Christianity to a Pagan nation, I would by no means advise the adoption of a refined and circuitous course of instruction, commencing with an argumentative exposition of the principles of natural religion, and from thence advancing to the peculiar doctrines of revelation; nor would I advise you to devote much time to an elaborate confutation of the Hindoo or Mahometan systems. The former of these methods would be far too subtle and intricate for popular use; the latter calculated to irritate. Great practical effects on the populace are never produced by profound argumentation; and every thing which tends to irritation and disgust should be carefully avoided. Let your instruction be in the form of a testimony: let it, with respect to the mode of exhibiting it, though not to the spirit of the teacher, be dogmatic. Testify repentance towards God, and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. It might become a Socrates, who was left to the light of nature, to express himself with diffidence, and to affirm that he had spared no pains in acting up to the character of a philosopher, in other words, a diligent enquirer after truth; but whether he had philosophised aright, or attained the object of his enquiries, he knew not, but left it to be ascertained in that world on which he was entering. In him, such indications of modest distrust were graceful and affecting, but would little become the disciple of revelation, or the Christian minister, who is entitled to say with St. John, "we know that the whole world lieth in wickedness, and that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding to know him that is true, and we are in him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ."' If we understand this advice, the sum and substance of it must be, "testify, declare your opinions, and do not attempt to ground them on any common basis admitted by both parties." St. Paul, in his missionary labours, appealed to the principles of natural religion; and why should Mr. Carey be precluded from this introductory process? The apostle reasoned with Felix, and why should not a missionary reason with a Gentoo? The faith proposed to acceptance must be discussed before it can be admitted; if, therefore, our apostles to the East are only to testify, or to make a declaration of their faith, entering into no argumentations on the peculiar doctrines of the Gospel, we do not augur any brilliant success. If we might presume, to offer a hint to the missionary going to the East, we should in the first place advise him to argue with the Hindoos on natural principles; to shew them how highly improbable it is that a God of mercy should require infanticide and the immolation of human victims, and that a God of holiness should be pleased with impurity in his worship; and, having established these prelimi nary points, he may proceed to the question whether their religion must not have far less claims to divinity than our own, which reprobates all such enormities, and enjoins a purer morality? EDUCATION. Art. 27. Translated from the French by a Lady. Art. 28. Natural History of Quadrupeds, for Children; combined with an Attempt to engraft on the youthful Mind the Principles of Tenderness and Compassion for the animal Creation. By the Author of "the Decoy." 12mo. pp. 116. with Plates. Darton and Harvey. 1813. Surely the editor of this little work is too fastidious in saying that scarcely one of the numerous books on Natural History is fit to be put into the hands of children.' We have seen several which we should have recommended without scruple: but we are happy in being able to add the present compilation to their number, since it may be offered to very young readers with perfect safety, and with great likelihood of attracting their attention by the agreeable anecdotes and well executed engravings which it contains. Art. 29. Instruc Instruction. By John Rippingham. 2d Edition. 12mo. Boards. Longman and Co. 1813. The first edition of these Rules was mentioned with approbation in the M. R. for May 1812; and the work is now enlarged by ex. amples of comparison and contrast, and by short essays and narratives taken from esteemed English writers, which may be considered as an improvement on the original publication. Art. 30. Méthode Pratique, &c.; i.e. A Practical Method of learning easily the English Language. By George Hodgkins. 12mo. 6s. Boards. Boosey. 1813. The This grammar is founded principally on that of Siret, which, being out of print, is now re-published with alterations and additions. directions given for pronouncing the English alphabet, the diphthongs, &c. will be useful to a French Student, and the exercises explain many of the idioms. In page 57. we have a table of the principal abbreviations in the English language:' but among these are several which no well educated person would employ: such as ben't for be not;'-'d for had;'D' for do;'. d'os for does ;'- do't for do it ;''ha'n't for have not;'-Gi me for give me ;'-'t' th' for to the,' &c. Art. 31. Bible Geography; or a brief alphabetical Account of all the principal Places mentioned in the Old and New Testament. Adapted for young People and religious Schools. By a Lady. 12mo. pp. 91. Williams and Son. With the best disposition to applaud this lady's diligence in the compilation of this useful epitome, we must not forget our duty, which obliges us to intimate to her (however ungallant it may seem) that she is not quite so faultless as we hoped to find her. While her Pocket-dictionary of Bible-Geography manifests her reading, it betrays also symptoms of haste, and perhaps of her not being quite so much of a blue-stocking as at first sight she would seem. Under the article Alexandria, she misleads her young people by telling them that the celebrated library, collected in that city, was consumed in the wars between Cæsar and Pompey, when it is well known that this irreparable loss to the world of literature and science was occasioned by the order of the Caliph Omar, in the 7th century. In page 4. we have Nicanor, for Nicator; and in p. 5. Appii-Forum is directed to be pronounced appi-fo'rum, which the school-boy who is learning his Latin Grammar will tell her is wrong.--The article Ecbatana contains this passage: In the Vulgate Bible, (Ezra iv. 2.) we read that at Ecbatana in Media was found a copy of Cyrus's Edicts,' &c. By the mention of the Vulgate, we might suppose that this notice was peculiar to that version: but the fact is that the word Ecbatana does not occur in the Bible; and that the information respecting the discovery of Cyrus's Edict is mentioned in the Apocryphal book of Esdras, vi. 23. We point out these errors to shew that the work requires revision. The principal places which occur in Scripture are well described: but the lady is too brief in her noFf4 tice tice of Rome; and, in a book for the use of schools, we object to a CATHOLIC-QUESTION. Art. 32. Alarmed for the safety of the Established Church, and even for It is our duty, however, to remind Mr. T. that he has not made proper allowance for the wounded feelings of the Roman Catholics, irritated by repeated disappointments; and that it is not altogether fair to subject to criticism the first draft of their Petition to Parliament, before it had undergone a proper revision. Even in its corrected form, it wears too much the aspect of menace; yet it must be granted that, if their language be too bold for petitioners, the conduct which they have experienced has been sufficient to rouse the resentment even of meekness itself. It may be very right to notice the most intemperate publications, speeches, and resolutions of Catholics; yet these will not, in fair discussion, be allowed to bear hard on the real merits of the question. Much inflammatory matter may doubtless be detected in the addresses of some individuals of this body to their brethren: but it surely is going too far to say that the object was to excite insurrection and rebellion. It is contended by Mr. Thorpe that Emancipation is not the ultimate object of the Catholic leaders, because they are forming a large supply of money; and he calculates that, by the plan for a parochial subscription, 156,250l. will be raised, and may be raised annually. We have our doubts of the accuracy of Mr. T.'s calcu lation but, even admitting that this subscription would yield the sum which he specifies, it is inadequate for the purpose of rebellious war. |