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is represented as appointed by God to judge the world, nothing more may be intended by this language, than that the final states of all and every individual of mankind shall be awarded agreeably to the declarations of the Gospel;' and thus, that he is only figuratively a judge *! But let it suffice to have barely mentioned this, to say the least of it, bold invasion of an established doctrine; not for the purpose of indulging in uncharitable censure, but only of shewing the natural consequence of going to the Oracles of God with a mind wedded to a preconceived system. To us, my brethren, it belongs to look at the wondrous object, here held up to our view, with very different eyes. And, in truth, the despised, the rejected, the crucified Jesus, (still alas! despised, rejected, and crucified afresh, by too many) appearing as the principal actor in that scene of final retribution, is an image which, if man would but contemplate it, might check the most hardened sinner in his career and rouse the most lukewarm professor from his lethargy of indifference. The Scriptures, with that extraordinary simplicity, which peculiarly distinguishes them, and seems of itself sufficient to establish their super-human character, have called our attention to, but not enlarged upon, the astonishing contrast between the circumstances of our Lord's past, and his future appearance; particularly in that remarkable passage, Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him †.

a train of overwhelming reflections do these last few words awaken; The carpenter's son, the man of sorrows, the wanderer without where to lay his head, the suffering malefactor, has vanished from before our eyes; and, in his place, we see the King of kings, and Lord of lords; from whose face the earth and the heaven flee away, and have no place found for them. But I will not expa tiate upon a theme, which has exhausted the richest and the holiest stores of human eloquence. Let us view then the character of our Judge, rather as adding softness, than grandeur, to the picture. The prospect of a tribunal, before which the secrets of all hearts will be laid open, where no subterfuges will avail us any thing, no false pleas can be put in, is so full of terrors, that a far better man than Felix may well tremble at it. But when we remember, who is to be our Judge, when we consider that it is no other, than the mild and merciful Saviour, who went about doing good; who was ever

See Belsham's Calm Inquiry into the Person of Christ, p. 335-347. animadverted upon by Dean (now Bishop) Magee. Disc. and Dissert. on Atonement and Sacrifice, Vol. II. p. 493. What was the process which led to this interpretation might easily be conjectured; even if the interpreter himself had not told us, that this [the judgment of the world] is an office of such transcendant dignity and importance, and requires powers so far superior to any thing which we can conceive to belong to a mere human being, however meritorious and exalted, that to many it appears utterly incredible, that such an office should be assigned to one who was himself at one time a peccable and pliable man, and, as such, liable to appear at the tribunal of eternal justice.'How strongly is the doctrine of our Lord's divinity confirmed, by such an attempt to get rid of it!" "Rev. i. 7. Compare John xix. 37, and Zech. xii. 10,”

ready to say to the penitent, Thy sins be forgiven thee; who prayed for his murderers from that cross, where he was paying the penalty of our sins; then indeed hope comes to our relief, and reminds us of all his gracious sayings, all his rich promises; but chiefly of the mighty efficacy of his atonement. It is in his human character too, that he is more than once spoken of as our Judge. He is the man ordained for this purpose: And we are expressly told, that the Father hath given him authority to execute judgment, because he is the son of man*; that is,' (to use the exposition of one of the greatest in that numerous host of great divines, who have adorned and enlightened this place) because of the Three Persons which are God, he only is also the Son of Man; and therefore, for his affinity to men's nature, for his sense of their infirmities, for his appearance to their eyes, most fit to represent the greatness, mildness, and sweetness of equity, in the severity of that just and irrespective judgment +." P. 70.

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After the specimens which we have given of Mr. Lonsdale's style, and power of reasoning, it will scarcely be necessary to say more in recommendation of these discourses, which certainly entitle their author to an honourable station among those able and eloquent Divines, who have confirmed and illustrated the fundamental doctrine of a future judgment.

ART. VII. Paramythia; or, Mental Pastimes: being Original Anecdotes, Historical, Descriptive, Humorous, and Witty, collected chiefly during a long Residence at the Court of Russia. By the Author. Lawler and Quick. Crown 8vo. pp. 184. 6s. 1821.

Пapauudía, if we seek the interpretation of the word in Plato, is an adhortatory and soothing expression: if we look to the Rhetorician Hermogenes, it is a figure of speech which softens asperities; but unless Hermogenes so explained it before he was five and twenty his authority is nought; for after that age he lost his memory, and his heart became covered with hair. Plutarch has used it as the confirmative of a doubtful position; and the good Bishop of Ftolemais is inclined to think it means consolation.

"The Author "before us therefore has a wide range for his" Mental Pastimes;" and may readily pass

"From grave to gay, from lively to severe,”

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in compounding a work which the first word of his title-page proclaims to be of an adhortatory-soothing, asperity-softening, doubt-confirming, and consolatory tendency.

Mr. Walker, for such we are told of him by others, is the name of the writer of this volume, resided for a long time as an Artist in the Court of St. Petersburg. We learn of him, from himself, that he is nearly sixty, that he is not well educated, and has a bad memory: that few people have travelled more, or enjoyed more frequent opportunities of mixing with good company; that he is a man of observation, and for many years was daily honoured with the confidence and conversation of a truly great and amiable sovereign; and lastly, that every story which he relates is "a well anthenticated indubitable fact, and new to the public." We learn of him, from his book, that he is a good-natured gossiping old gentleman, who, we doubt not, is a very agreeable companion in a post chaise, or over a bottle of port. And we intend, for the sake of our readers, very freely to elicit from his pages such parts as strike us to be the most "humorous and witty," with less regard for those which are "historical and descriptive."

In reading Æsop's Fables, we always skip the moral; for though we like very much to hear birds and beasts' talk at their ease, it is dreary work to be obliged to listen to gravity and sense. Mr. Walker therefore will pardon us if we omit his "Introductions," and hasten at once to his "Scraps." Whether or not the first story which we shall cite is new, we care but little; it is enough for our purpose that it is good.

"General was one of the parvenu's, lifted, by the French revolution, from obscurity; his father having held the situation of Swiss, or porter, to Louis the Sixteenth. When appointed, by Bonaparte, ambassador to the court of Russia, he was much in the habit of boasting, in society and at court, of his estates and possessions in Languedoc, Champagne, &c. &c.; upon which a very witty and beautiful lady, the Countess Valerien Zoohoff, said to him, with great naïveté," Languedoc, Champagne! mon cher general, et moi je vous croyois toujours Suisse." P. 8.

The next are highly characteristic; and, as they happen to be "historical" as well as "humorous," we more readily extract them.

"I have, in one of the following scraps, said, that the Emperor Paul was not completely master of himself: this trifling occurrence will further evince it. The late Mr. Frazer, of the King's Road, Chelsea, used, almost every summer, to bring out a large investment of curious plants, flowers, and shrubs, of which the prese

dowager-empress, Paul's consort, was a great amateure and purchaser. One year, he brought out, on speculation, one of the long slap-bang stage-coaches, to carry sixteen insides; thinking they might be substituted for the very heavy lumbering calashes, then used for transporting the court-servants from the town palaces to those in the country, when they changed their dejour or service. The emperor was apprised of the carriage being at the door, to which were harnessed six horses. He came down to see it; laughed at its appearance; and, seeing me loitering about, asked me, with another or two he selected, to take a ride in it. We were no sooner seated, than, to my utter astonishment, up jumped the Autocrat of all the Russias on the coach-box, with the coachman, and away we drove for several versts. When about to return, whether the Tzar of Muscovy thought the carriage ridiculous, his own conduct somewhat so, or was splenetic at having so far committed the imperial dignity, I know not, but he tapped at one of the little windows in the front, where I sat, which, as the reader may suppose, I immediately opened, and on seeing me, he, half laughing, said, Savez vous, Mons. W., que si je voulois je pouvois vous cracher dans la figure.' Do you know, squire W., if I chose, I could spit in your face.' The reply it deserved might have packed me off to Siberia, and, therefore, I pocketed the affront." P. 12.

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"The Emperor Paul, though sudden and capricious, was at the same time very gay and lively. He one day, puffing and blowing out his cheeks, (as was his custom,) strutted up to Doyen, who was painting a large picture of Cupid and Psyche, and told him he would set to him for the head of Psyche, which was then wanting. The painter, though taken by surprise, was not thrown off his guard; but, making a very low bow, replied, that had he wanted the head of an emperor, he would not have desired a better model, but for a Psyche, he must beg to be excused. The sprightly monarch, patting him on the shoulder, told him he had acquitted himself better than he expected, and had come off, like a true courtier, with flying colours." P. 60.

There is more of real dignity in the kindness which Catherine displayed below. The Empress with all her faults, well knew how to play the part of a great monarch; and there is more in this than is commonly imagined.

"Such is the awe that dignified majesty impresses on the beholders, and so peculiarly eminent was it in the striking manners and deportment of her imperial majesty, the Empress Catherine, that even a Frenchman was overcome by it. The Count de was appointed ambassador by the court of Versailles to that of St. Petersburg on the day of his audience and presentation, the empress was seated on a splendid throne in the marble hall, surrounded by the imperial family, the chevalier guard in silver

armour, her generals, admirals, great officers of state, and of the court; foreign ministers, ladies of rank, and other distinguished characters, &c. &c. The Count de entered the saloon, but was so completely astonished and overawed by the magnificence of the scene, that, instead of delivering the speech he had studied, he could only kneel down at the foot of the throne, and stammer out, "Le roi, mon maitre, Le roi, mon maitre," and could absolutely get no farther. The empress, pitying his confusion and distress, rose with her accustomed obliging affability, and said, "My dear Count-The king your master, feeling the most friendly disposition towards me and my empire, and wishing me all the happiness this world can bestow, has honoured you with the appointment of his ambassador so to tell me." Then stepping from the throne with the utmost grace and ease, gave him her hand to kiss, and walked out of the hall.” P. 38.

"During the reign of the Empress Catherine, whose court establishment was profuse, and the abuses excessive; she was sitting one day at a window of the palace, from which she could see a passage that led to the court kitchen, and observed an old woman come with a sledge, and load it with fowls, partridges, fish, &c., which had been delivered, but never cooked. Just as the old dame was driving off with her booty, the empress rang the bell for her valet-de-chambre, and desired him to go to the old lady with her best respects, begging her to make all the haste she possibly could, and get off with her treasure, for if the grand chamberlain of the household saw her, she dared not tell the dreadful punishments that awaited her." P. 55.

We have somewhere seen a similar anecdote of George the Third, and a sentinel at Buckingham House, who used to milk the royal cows for his own use and diversion, during the morning watch.

One anecdote of the Emperor Alexander must conclude our citations: it is in equally good taste with those of Catherine.

"When the present emperor came to the throne, and people were allowed to walk, ride, and dress rationally, and not like the old-fashioned wax-figures of the fifteenth century, her Imperial Majesty enjoyed, in common with others, this national reforma. tion. She was walking in the summer-gardens, dressed with tasteful simplicity, and being really a beautiful, well-formed, interesting person, was noticed by an officer in the guards, who, having only seen her at court in a hoop-petticoat, lappets, and all the other cumbrous paraphernalia, did not know her. He was much struck with her, accosted her, and went a step too far in his behaviour and importunities. The empress was obliged to call a court servant to assist her escape from this enterprising knight, and, when she got to the palace, mentioned the circumstance to the em

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