46. Vindication of our authorised Translation and Translators of the Bible; and of preceding English Versions authoritatively commended to the Notice of those Translators; occasioned by certain Objec tions made by Mr. John Bellamy, in his late Translation of the Book of Genesis; and by Sir James Bland Burges, in his Reasons in favour of a new Translation of the Holy Scriptures. By the Rev. Henry John Todd, M.A. F.A.S. &c. &c. 8vo. pp. 120. Rivingtons. EVERY man who is capable may translate the Bible, if he so pleases; but it will be at at his high peril. If he modernizes the version, he will be considered as white-washing and beautifying the Pyramids, and so destroying their venerable character. He will be deemed setting up for another "fortunate youth," whose bubble will break, and involve him in disgrace. As to ourselves, we are no friends to biblical millinery and mantua making. It is to be remembered that even the most bigoted Dissenters have hitherto used, without seruple, the authorised Translation. Now it is an idea of the present projecting age, that every man is at liberty to form both his religious and inoral principles by his own construction of the Bible; and thus we are gravely told that Legislative codes (and such is Christianity) may be optionally infringed by private interpretation. The Bishops naturally and rationally dread innovations, as generative of new schisms; and any thing which can indirectly be construed to bring the authority of the Bible into ques tion seconds the doctrines of Paine and Carlile. If a man steps forth, like another Goliath, he requires a brazen forehead, impenetrable to the stones of Davids of all sorts; and he must expect at least to retire from the battle, as many have descended from the pillory, covered, not with glory, but dirt.-Had Mr. Bellamy published a simple Paraphrase, he would have probably avoided that volley of missiles which now threatens him. We forbear to say any more on so tender a subject, than to observe that Mr. Toad, with much candour, and great ability, has completed the task begun by Mr. Whitaker. GENT. MAG. March, 1820. 47. Homilies for the Young, and more especially for the Children of the National Schools. By the Rev. Harvey Mariott, Rector of Claverton, &c. Cr. Svo. pp. 300. Taylor and Hessey. MR. MARRIOTT is the meritogained the prize of the Church Union rious and exemplary Clergyman who Society in the diocese of St. David's. The Discourses before us are plain, impressive, holy, and admirably accordant with the title. Families cannot choose a better Sunday book for delivering evening lectures to children. 48. The Altogether Christian; a Sermon preached in Ebenezer Chapel, Guernsey, Sunday, April 11, 1819, and published at the Request of the Local Missionary Committee for that Island. By John Hawtrey, late Captain in his Majesty's 25th Reg. &c. In Svo. pp. 30. Blanchard. THE profits of this Sermon are devoted to the Missionary Society; and Mr. Hawtrey has here published a very animated general summary of the leading duties and graces of a Christian. The manner is professedly what is called Evangelical; but we find nothing objectionable in the doctrine. 49. Fourteenth Report of the British and Foreign Bible Society at the General Meeting, May 15, 1819. 8vo. pp. 170. Longman and Co WE believe the extension of education to be a direct means of augmenting a taste for knowledge and abstract pleasures, and therefore of eventually diminishing the errors aud the vices of mankind. It is also evident that a vast limitation of this desirable object must inevitably ensue, if religious principles of parti cular kinds were to operate in lieu of such a civilizing quality as instruction. The leading characteristick of barbarism is cruelty; and therefore to withhold education, is to stop the dissemination of humanity and philanthropy. Under a firm persuasion, that the high and eminent characters who support this laudable Institution, have no other than these motives, we feel great satisfaction in announcing their Report; but, as it appears from page 11, that the "plan of this Institution provides for religious instruction grounded on the Holy Scrip tures tures alone," we shall tell them what their enemies say. The conspiracy of Sandt, the assassin of Kotzebue, is said to "aim at amalgamating all the different Faiths in Germany into one Religion, which shall recognize no other authority than the Bible, and no duty or moral principle but what is the result of selfconviction; and, in this design, the British and Foreign Bible Society are said to participate." (See Burges's Letter to Coke, p. 283.) For our part, we do not believe that there ever will be a period when men will derive their Religion from the Bible alone; for, if they had any inclination so to do, we believe that the Church of England would long ago have been universal; but the consignment of moral principles to the variable standard of individual opinion or feeling is really dangerous. We seriously think that the charge is unfounded; but we also think that it dictates the necessity of moral instruction being deeply inculcated by the friends of this Institution. Creeds we know that they cannot press; but we are sure that they do not wish to make men wiser, unless they can also nake them better. We deem every institution that does not include the doctrines of our National Church imperfect; but we should be void of candour if we did not think such a blessing not possible to be universally communicated, without ruin to the intention of the Society. We hope that we shall be understood, as not listening to slander, but only using it as a medium of rendering the plan of the Society still more advantageous; for we are not told in the plan, that the "Reading Lessons, tho' extracts from the Holy Scriptures, are especially adapted to the inculcation of the Christian code of morals; to which, in our opinion, no objection should be permitted. 50. Inquiry into the Law relating to the public Assemblies of the People. By u Friend to the Constitution. 8vo. pp. 48. Hatchard, FROM the aurora-borealis character of our present times, electrified as they are with the materials of light ning, which materials, we hope, will "peaceably disperse" in a more harmless form, we superstitiously recoil; with the alarms natural to old gen tlemen, as well as old ladies. We hold Jacobin-Clubbism to be the stilletto, and human passions religionized to be the slow poison, by which our two-fold Constitution of Church and State is to be assassinated. We deem the causes (not obvious) of our present situation to be these: 1. Pinkerton, speaking of pedantry, says, "When a man is in the rudiments of any knowledge, how full he is of it, how importantly he talks of it!" The vulgar, by means of a general superficial education, furnished by the moderu charities and party newspapers, set up for adepts in the very difficult science of Politicks; which is just as rational as that Robiuson Crusoe should have been capable of inventing the air-pump or steam-engine, or even of conducting them. 2. Johnson's position, that “patriotism is the last refuge of a scoundrel," is a remark which may justly be said to apply to most of the ringleaders. 8. Where there is neither rank or property, many ambitious men acquire consequence and station by means of faction. We could name demagogues, who have sat in Parliament, though, party excepted, obscure men, not even men of high judgment, but merely good orators in political common-place. Now, for the success of these personal views, it is necessary to lure the people by projects, and form them into clubs, a matter in free countries easy of execution. Notwithstanding the manifest truth, that only the leaders, if successful, thrive; what is reason, addressed to needy tradesmen, who hope to find customers in the party, or to still poorer classes, attracted by the apparent spoils of revolution? The restraints of Religion, which might teach principle and contentment, are weakened by latitudinary notions of the all-absolving sacrifice of Christ; while mobs, in their usual violent vulgar way, over-awe, as they think, the Legisla ture; for there can be no doubt but that our seditious meetings are bond fide Jacobin clubs. Goldsmith's observation is ever to be remembered: "It is not what an Opposition says, but the existence of an Opposition, which is of use to the country." We know a great rogue, who published a furious newspaper, not not that he had any conscientious political sentiment, but because there was a party who would be sure to buy it. We have been told that a certain English Tribune, a very rich and able declaimer against rotten boroughs, is not returned, as he professes, from pure popularity, but from the humbler expedient of pensioning paupers, that they may not forfeit their votes by receiving parish relief. Men of knowledge may not like to be classed with Whigs, or Tories, or Republicans; and there certainly is no absolute necessity for a division of the political world, like a Theatre, into boxes of Tories, pits of Whigs, and shilling galleries of Democrats. We rather think that it ought to be deemed a field day, or review; where it may be allowed to disorderly boys to climb trees, and whoop and hollow; but to thinking men and old dons, to sit in a snug corner out of the mob, without having their loyalty or their patriotism impeached, or being obliged to eat the political gingerbread hawked about by the party journalists. They may wish (reasonably) to form their opinions from history and circumstances. They may think that Clubs, or Public Meetings, intended to over-awe the Legislature, are, if permitted, sure ultimately to produce Despotism. The popular factions of Rome ended in Sylla and Cæsar; of England, in Bradshaw and Cromwell; of France, in Robespierre and Buonaparte. As the subject of this Pamphlet has already received ample discussion in high quarters, our humbler concern is purely literary. We give our unqualified assent to the great merits of this judiciously-constructed Pamphlet; we admire the energetic eloquence of its fine conclusion; and think that it may he very useful in the approaching State Trials, intended, as they wisely are, to destroy the wasps' nests in the North. 31. The Necessity of restoring Annual Parliaments asserted on the Principles of Law, Justice, and good Policy. By Henry Armstrong Mitchell. 8vo. pp. 61. Sherwood and Co. 52. A Letter to Lord John Russell, on the Necessity of Parliamentary Reform, as recommended by Mr. Fox; and on the Expediency of repealing the Corporation BOTH these Pamphlets are founded upon erroneous data. During the Government of Prerogative, Parlia ments were not held annually, triennially, or upon any rule whatever; and septennial Parliaments commenced in 1716, the year after the Scotch Rebellion, because it was not thought prudent to bring Jacobites into the House by a new election. A Letter of the day says (Rawdon Papers, p. 400), "our Senators are made such for seven years, which is another blessing to this Nation, now we begin to feel the blessings of our happy Revolution." As the majority of the rich support Government, we do not see what the Opposition Members would gain by shorter periods. We think that their elections would only be more often contested. Mr. Mitchell says, that the freedom from arrest is the chief inducement for persons to strive for seats. We deprecate such mean ideas. The Members of the two Houses are the richest men in the kingdom. We have indeed heard, that a certain titled popular Reform Preacher has been menaced with desertion by his ci-devant parish clerk and sexton, unless he ob tain for them also admission to the pulpit! and we rejoice at it, because it will teach him that the old rule of malcontents is, to pull down all to their own level, not to raise others to theirs. As to the second Pamphlet, it is to be observed, that Parliamentary Reform, on account of mortifying minorities, has ever been the cry of party out of place, and never acted upon by it when in place, because it implies Administration in subserviency to Faction, not the constituted Executive authority. The intention is, to make the members delegates, and the ministers tools of mobs, by. which Legislation would be conducted upon partial interests. As to the Test Acts, the repeal of which is founded upon the plausible pretext that every man is entitled to his own creed, we peremptorily affirm that the Epistles of all the Apostles in the New Testament were written for no other purpose than to explode this dogma. They even excommunicated all who seriously differed from them; and and they would and did have an Establishment founded upon articles of faith, and allowed no other. 53. Results of Experience in the Practice of Instruction; or Hints for the Improvement of the Art of Tuition, as it regards the middling and higher Classes of Society, with a View to the general Attainment of an enlarged or encyclopediac Course of liberal Education during the Years usually spent at School, being an Elucidation of the Basis of the System pursued at Stanmore Academy, conduct ed by W. Johnstone, M.A. 8vo. pp. 66. Goodhugh.. MR. JOHNSTONE has published this Pamphlet in explanation of his plans, which (provided his pupils are first made sound classicks) cannot be otherwise than beneficial. 54. Reasons for the immediate Repeal of the Tar on Foreign Wool. By James Bischoff. 8vo. pp. 43. Richardson. IN a preceding Review on this subject we have given our opinions at length on the impolicy of partial Legislation, and of taxing the raw materials of our manufactures. Since then, the tax has passed, probably (according to Mr. Bischoff, p. 23) because Lord Sheffield stated the woollen manufacture exported to amount to only one million; whereas it is seven millions. Mr. Bischoff also argues that the tax, instead of producing 300,000l. per annum, will only bring 57,000l. odd, of which the result will be this: "The revenue will lose more than that sum in other duties; the importation of finer wool will also be considerably decreased by the exclusion of foreign trade, and must occasion considerable loss to the revenue, to which sum must be added the taxes on dying wares, oil, and many other articles, now used in the woollen manufacture. Instead, therefore, of an increase, it will cause a heavy loss to the revenue; more will be lost by the decrease of duties on the exportation of woollen goods, and on the articles used in the manufacture, than can be gained by the tax on wool," P. 29. As the point will no doubt ere long be fully argued in the new House of Commons, we shall only say, that this Pamphlet, written in a proper statistical form, merits the most attentive perusal; and we only decline giving more of its valuable contents on the account which we have stated.. 55. Extracts from a Pamphlet, entitled The Friend of Peace, containing a special Interview between the President of the United States and Omar, an Officer dismissed for Duelling; with Six Letters from Omar to the President, and Omar's solitary Reflections. The whole reported by Philo-Pacificus, Author of "A solemn Review of the Custom of War." Printed in America; and reprinted by J. Lomax, Underbank, Stockport. 8vo. pp. 30. THIS work is a fiction, founded upon Quaker principles, concerning War and Duelling. No man can vindicate either in the abstract; but, while mankind are what they are, the evil of duelling retains the most uncontrollable profession within the bounds of good manners, like medieine formed of a poison, which nevertheless has sometimes, but rarely, a destructive effect. As to war, if men did not resist violence, the good must be slaves, and the bad masters. It has been most respectably observed, that the Quaker principles would occasion the extirpation of half the human species. No doubt, if mankind were as they ought to be, there would be no such thing as duelling or war, but when will this desirable state of human conduct take place? 56. THE Author of the Honey Moon is well entitled to the honourable memorial which this Volume offers of his talents and his virtues. It is im possible to watch the progress of his hopes and fears, or to trace his early and continued disappointments, without strong feelings of sympathy and regret. His fame was dearly pur chased, but it is a fair and unalienable possession: and, as his Biogra pher justly remarks, he has not merely caught the spirit, but participated in the privileges of our elder writers, while a few even of the early sketches, or unfinished productions, must be acceptable to the cultivated reader. But in the dramas, which form at least two-thirds of this Volume, we have discovered better claims to attention. The play of "The Indians" offers many striking passages. The musical dramas of "Yours or Mine" and the "Fisherman," if compressed, would, would, we conceive, succeed on the Stage. The following lyrical extracts certainly do not discredit the Author of "The Honey Moon:" Sung from "Yours or Mine." "The flower enamour'd of the Sun, At his departure, hangs her head and weeps, And shrouds her sweetness up, and keeps "As men, With rapture great. With breaking heart!" poor man! But all was horrid stillness,--on the ground sweet, And was so apt a scholar learning mine The mighty sum of Love is all made up) When of the Creeks I was appointed Chief, tantly take our leave of this very pleasing and interesting Volume: "Welcome once more, thou heaving ocean, Land of my blighted hopes, adieu ! Soon shall my sails with ling'ring motion, The play of "The Indians" contains many striking passages, and, if compressed into three acts, might, we Several of the songs in "The think, be produced with advantage Fisherman" are in the true spirit of on the stage. The fable is very sim- lyrical poetry. We subjoin the folple:-Raymond, a brave but expa-lowing, with which we must reluc triated Englishman, who has been raised to the dignity of a Chief by the Creek Indians, is surprized and made prisoner by the Spanish Governor, who, resolving to detach him from the Indians by fraud or force, puts a guard on his person, but instructs his daughter to engage his affections. In obedience to her father's injunctions, Almanza visits Raymond, but merely to suggest the means of restoring him to liberty. To light her o'er the faithless wave; Raymond apprizes her of his union with Zoa; and the following passage may be classed with the happiest effusions of Tobin's pen: Raymond. "Hear, then, a simple tale I sought my fortune 'midst the Indian Sink slowly from the landsman's view; That gleams from far, But, woman, he Who trusts to thee, Shall perish on an unknown sea, |