John wished to have disciples, and he, had them. He was chief of a sect among the lower orders of the people, and it cost him his life. It even appears that Jesus was at first among his disciples, since he was baptised by him in the Jordan, and John sent some of his own party to him a short time before his death. { of Jesus Christ alone. The Acts of the Apostles do not mention any one baptised in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost;-whence it may be concluded, that the author of the Acts of the Apostles knew nothing of Matthew's gospel, in which it is said-"Go and teach all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost." The Christian_religion had not yet received its form. Even the Symbol, which was called the Symbol of the Apostles, was not made until after their time: of this no one has any doubt. In Paul's Epistle to the Corinthians, we The historian Josephus speaks of John, but not of Jesus-an incontestable proof that in his time John the Baptist had a greater reputation than he whom he baptised. A great multitude followed him, says that celebrated historian; and the Jews seemed disposed to undertake what-find a very singular custom which was ever he should command them. Now, all children are baptised: none but the anabaptists reserve this ceremony for the mature age; they plunge their whole bodies into the water. The Quakers, who compose a very numerous so then introduced-that of baptising the From this passage it appears that John dead; but the rising Church soon rewas not only the chief of a sect, but the served baptism for the living alone: at chief of a party. Josephus adds, that he first, none were baptised but adults; and caused Herod some uneasiness. He did the ceremony was often deferred until the indeed make himself formidable to Herod, age of fifty, or the last sickness, that the who at length put him to death; but individual might carry with him into the Jesus meddled with none but the Phari-other world the unimpaired virtue of a sees. Josephus, therefore, mentions John baptism recently performed. as a man who had stirred up the Jews against King Herod; as one whose zeal had made him a state criminal; but Jesus, not having approached the court, was unknown to the historian Josephus. The sect of John the Baptist differedciety in England and in America, do not widely in discipline from that of Jesus. In the Acts of the Apostles, we see that, twenty years after the execution of Jesus, Apollos of Alexandria, though become a Christian, knew no baptism but that of John, nor had any idea of the Holy Ghost. Several travellers, and among others Chardin the most accredited of all, say that in Persia there still are disciples of John, called Sabis, who baptise in his name, and acknowledge Jesus as a prophet, but not as a God. use baptism: the reason is, that Jesus Abbé Nicaise. The Emperor Julian the philosopher, in his immortal Satire on the Cæsars, puts these words into the mouth of ConAs for Jesus Christ himself, he received stantius, son of Constantine-"Whosobaptism, but conferred it on no one: his ever feels himself guilty of rape, murder, apostles baptised the catechumens, or cir- plunder, sacrilege, and every most abocumcised them, as occasion required:minable crime, so soon as I have washed this is evident, from the operation of cir-him with this water, he shall be clean cumcision performed by Paul on his and pure." disciple Timothy. It also appears that when the Apostles baptised, it was always in the name It was, indeed, this fatal doctrine that occasioned the Christian emperors, and the great men of the empire, to defer their baptism until death. They thought they had found the secret of living criminal and dying virtuous. How strange an idea-that a pot of water should wash away every crime! Now, all children are baptised, because an idea no less absurd supposes them all criminal; they are all saved until they have the use of reason and the power to become guilty! Cut their throats, then, as quickly as possible, to ensure their entrance into paradise. This is so just a consequence, that there was once a devout sect that went about poisoning and killing all newly-baptised infants. These devout persons reasoned with perfect correctness, saying-"We do these little innocents the greatest possible good; we prevent them from being wicked and unhappy in this life, and we give them life eternal." BARUCH, OR BARAK, AND DE- AND, INCIDENTALLY, ON CHARIOTS OF WAR. begged the hospitality of a holy Jewish woman, who gave him some milk, and drove a great cart-nail through his head while he was asleep. We are very sorry for it; but this is not the matter to be discussed. We wish to speak of chariots of war. The battle was fought at the foot of Mount Thabor, near the river Kishon. Mount Thabor is a steep mountain, the branches of which, somewhat less in height, extend over a great part of Galilee. Betwixt this mountain and the neighbouring rocks, there is a small plain covered with great flint-stones, and impracticable for cavalry. The extent of this plain is four or five hundred paces. We may venture to believe that Sisera did not here draw up his three hundred thousand men in order of battle; his three thousand chariots would have found it difficult to manoeuvre on such a field. We may believe that the Hebrews had no chariots of war, in a country renowned only for asses; but the Asiatics made use of them in the great plains. Confucius, or rather Confutze, says We have no intention here to enquire positively that, from time immemorial, at what time Baruch was chief of the Jew-each of the viceroys of the provinces was ish people; why, being chief, he allowed expected to furnish to the emperor a his army to be commanded by a woman; thousand war-chariots drawn by four whether this woman, named Deborah, horses. had married Lapidoth; whether she was Chariots must have been in use long the friend or relative of Baruch, or per-before the Trojan war, for Homer does haps his daughter or his mother; nor on what day the battle of Thabor, in Galilee, was fought between this Deborah and Sisera, captain-general of the armies of King Jabin-which Sisera commanded in Galilee an army of three hundred thousand foot, ten thousand horse, and three thousand chariots of war, according to the historian Josephus. We shall at present leave out of the question this Jabin, king of a village called Azor, who had more troops than the Grand Turk. We very much pity the fate of his grand-vizier Sisera, who, having lost the battle in Galilee, leaped from his chariot and four, that he might fly more swiftly on foot. He went and not speak of them as a new invention : but these chariots were not armed like those of Babylon; neither the wheels nor the axles were furnished with steel blades. This invention must at first have been very formidable in large plains, especially when the chariots were numerous, driven with impetuosity, and armed with long pikes and scythes; but when they became familiar, it seemed so easy to avoid their shock, that they fell into general disuse. In the war of 1741, it was proposed to renew and reform this ancient invention. A minister of state had one of these chariots constructed, and it was tried. It was asserted that in large plains, like that of Lutzen, they might be used with ad vantage, by concealing them behind the avalry, the squadrons of which would open to let them pass, and then follow them; but the generals judged that this manœuvre would be useless, and even dangerous, now that battles are gained by cannon only. It was replied, that there would be as many cannon in the army using the chariots of war to defend them, as in the enemy's army to destroy them. It was added, that these chariots would, in the first instance, be sheltered from the cannon behind the battalions or squadrons, that the latter would open and let the chariots run with impetuosity, and that this unexpected attack might have a prodigious effect. The generals advanced nothing in opposition to these arguments; but they would not revive this game of the ancient Persians. BATTALION. LET us observe that the arrangements, the marching, and the evolutions of battalions, nearly as they are now practised, { were revived in Europe by one who was not a military man-by Machiavel, a seBattalions three, cretary at Florence. four, and five deep; battalions advancing upon the enemy; battalions in square to avoid being cut off in a rout; battalions four deep sustained by others in column; battalions flanked by cavalry-all are his. He taught Europe the art of war; it had long been practised, without being known. The Grand Duke would have had his secretary teach his troops their exercise, according to his new method. But Machiavel was too prudent to do so; he had no wish to see the officers and soldiers laugh at a general in a black cloak: he reserved himself for the council. qua There is something singular in the lities which he requires in a soldier. He must first have gagliardia, which signifies alert vigour; he must have a quick and sure eye-in which there must also be a little gaiety; a strong neck, a wide breast, a muscular arm, round loins, but little belly, with spare legs and feet-all indicating strength and agility. { But above all, the soldier must have honour, and must be led by honour alone. "War," says he, "is but too great a corrupter of morals ;" and he reminds us of the Italian proverb- War makes thieves, and peace finds them gibbets. Machiavel had but a poor opinion of the French infantry; and until the battle of Rocroy, it must be confessed that it was very bad. A strange man this Machiave!! He amused himself with making verses, writing plays, showing his cabinet the art of killing with regularity, and teaching princes the art of perjuring them selves, assassinating, and poisoning, as occasion required-a great art, which Pope Alexander VI, and his bastard, Cæsar Borgia, practised in wonderful perfection without the aid of his lessons. Be it observed, that in all Machiavel's works, on so many different subjects, there is not one word which renders virtue amiable-not one word proceeding from the heart. The same remark has been made on Boileau. He does not, it is true, make virtue lovely; but he represents it as necessary. BAYLE. WHY has Louis Racine treated Bayle like a dangerous man, with a cruel heart, in an epistle to Jean Baptiste Rousseau, which, although printed, is very little known? He compares Bayle, whose logical acuteness detected the errors of opposing systems, to Marius sitting upon the ruins of Carthage :— Marius had not de Ainsi d'un oeil content Marius, dans sa faite, Contemplait les débris de Cartage détruite. Thus evil'd Mains, with contented gaze, Thy ruins, Carthage, silently surveys. Here is a simile which exhibits very little resemblance, or, as Pope says, a simile dissimilar. stroyed reason and arguments; nor did he contentedly view its ruins; but, on the contrary, he was penetrated with an elevated sentiment of melancholy, on {contemplating the vicissitudes of human affairs, when he made the celebrated an swer "Say to the Proconsul of Africa, that thou hast seen Marius seated on the ruins of Carthage." What motive could the author of Phædra and Iphigenia have for falling into such a prodigious error? Simply this, that We ask in what Marius resembled Rousseau had made verses for the JanBayle? senists, whom he then believed to be in high credit. Such is the rage of faction let loose upon Bayle; but you do not hear any of the dogs who have howled against him bark against Lucretius, Cicero, Seneca, Epi phers of antiquity. It is all reserved for Bayle: he is their fellow citizen-he is of their time-his glory irritates them. Bayle is read, and Nicole is not read behold the source of the Jansenist hatred! Bayle is studied, but neither the reverend Father Croiset, nor the reverend Father Caussin! and hence Jesuitical denouncement! Louis Racine, if he thinks fit, may apply the epithets hard-hearted and cruel to Marius, to Sylla, to the triumvirs, &c. &c.; but, in reference to Bayle, the phrases detestable pleasure, cruel heart, terrible man, should not be put in a sen-curus, nor against the numerous philosotence written by Louis Racine against one who is only proved to have weighed the arguments of the Manichæns, the Paulicians, the Arians, the Eutychians, against those of their adversaries. Louis Racine proportions not the punishment o the offence. He should remember that Bayle combatted Spinosa, who was too much of a philosopher, and Jurieu, who was none at all. He should respect the In vain has a parliament of France good manners of Bayle, and learn to rea-done him the greatest honour, in renderson from him. But he was a Jansenist, ing his will valid, notwithstanding the that is to say, he knew the words of the severity of the law. The madness of language of Jansenism and employed party knows neither honour nor justice. them at random. You may properly call I have not inserted this article to make cruel and terrible, a powerful man who the eulogy of the best of dictionaries, commands his slaves, on pain of death, which would not be beco ning here, and to go and reap corn where he has sown of which Bayle is not in need; I have thistles; who gives to some of them too written it to render, if I can, the spirit of much food, and suffers others to die of party odious and ridiculous. hunger; who kills his eldest son, to leave a large fortune to the younger. All that is frightful and cruel, Louis Racine! It is said that such is the god of thy Jansenists, but I do not believe it. BDELLIUM. WE are very much puzzled to know what this Bdellium is, which is found near the shores of the Pison, a river of the Oh slaves of party, people attacked with terrestrial paradise which turns into the the jaundice, you constantly see every-country of the Havilah, where there is thing yellow! gold. Calmet relates that, according to several commentators, Bdellium is the carbuncle, but that it may also be chrystal. Then it is the gum of an Arabian tree, and afterwards we are told that capers are intended. Many others affirm that it signifies pearls. Nothing but the etymologies of Bochart can throw a light on this question. I wish that all these commentators had been upon the spot. And to whom has the unthinking heir of a father who had a hundred times more taste than philosophy, addressed this miserable epistle against the virtuous Bayle? To Rousseau-to a poet who thinks still less; to a man, whose principal merit has consisted in epigrams which are revolting to the most indulgent reader; to a man, to whom it was alike whether he sang Jesus Christ or Giton. The excellent gold which is obtained Such was the apostle to whom Louis Ra-in this country, says Calmet, shows evicine denounced Bayle as a miscreant. §dently that this is the country of Colchis, It have never varied in their consideration for the beard. Marriage among them has always existed, and that period is still the epoch of life from which they no longer shave the beard. The long dress and the beard impose respect. The Westerns have always been changing the fashion of the chin. Mustachios were and the golden fleece is a proof of it. is a pity that things have changed so much for Mingrelia; that beautiful country, so famous for the loves of Medea and Jason, now produces gold and Bdellium no more than bulls which vomit fire and flame, and dragons which guard the fleece. Every thing changes in this world; and if we do not skilfully culti-worn under Louis XIV. towards the year vate our lands, and if the state remain always in debt, we shall become a second Mingrelia. BEARD. 1672. Under Louis XIII. a little pointed beard prevailed. In the time of Henry IV. it was square. Charles V., Julius II., and Francis I. restored the large beard to honour in their courts, which CERTAIN naturalists assure us that the had been a long time in fashion. Gownssecretion which produces the beard is the men, through gravity and respect for the same as that which perpetuates mankind. customs of their fathers, shaved themAn entire hemisphere testifies against selves; whilst the courtiers, in doublets this fraternal union. The Americans, of and little mantles, wore their beards as whatever country, colour, or stature, they long as they could. When a king in may be, have neither beards on their those days sent a lawyer as an ambassachins, nor any hair on their bodies, ex- dor, his comrades would laugh at him if cept their eye-brows and the hair of their he suffered his beard to grow, besides heads. I have legal attestations of of-mocking him in the chamber of accounts ficial men, who have lived, conversed, or of requests.-But quite enough upon and combatted, with thirty nations of beards. South America, and they attest that they have never seen a hair on their bodies; and they laugh, as they well may, at writers who, copying one another, say that the Americans are only without hair because they pull it out with pincers; as if Christopher Columbus, Fernando Cortez, and the other adventurers, had loaded themselves with the little tweezers with which our ladies remove their superfluous hairs, and had distributed them in all the countries of America. I believed, for a long time, that the Esquimaux were excepted from the general laws of the new world; but I am assured that they are as free from hair as the others. However, they have children at Chili, Peru, and Canada, as well as in į our bearded continent. There is, then, a specific difference between these bipeds and ourselves, in the same way as their lions, which are divested of the mane, and in other respects differ from the lions of Africa. It is to be remarked that the Orientals BEASTS. WHAT a pity and what a poverty of spirit, to assert that beasts are machines deprived of knowledge and sentiment, which effect all their operations in the same manner, which learn nothing, never improve, &c. &c. What! this bird, who makes its nest in a semicircle when he attaches it to a wall; and in a circle on a tree-this bird does all in the same blind manner! The hound, which you have disciplined for three months, does he not know more at the end of this time than he did before? Does the canary, to which you play an air, repeat it directly? Do you not employ a considerable time in teaching it? Have you not seen that he sometimes mistakes it, and that he corrects himself? Is it because I speak to you, that you judge I have sentiment, memory, and ideas? Well, suppose I do not speak to you; you see me enter my room with an afflicted air, I seek a paper with inquie |