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Island situated near the Gulph of Mexico. His companions were his wife, a most lovely woman, and four beautiful children, whose history would form an interesting romance: -persecuted by their parents for a mutual love attachment, they forsook their native country (America), to seek some distant asylum. On their voyage they were wrecked; but fortunately escaped with their lives, and preserved their property. Finding the little island on which they were thrown, to be in possession of a few inhabitants of the most perfect simplicity of manners, and the most lively friendship, pleased also with the salubrity, as well as the beauty and fertility of the spot, they adopted the resolution of passing their days in this remote corner of the globe; convinced that the most perfect happiness resides oftener in simplicity than splendour. Their opinion soon became realized: fond of the innocent natives, and equally beloved again, the delightful little Republic flourished under their auspices, and restored the golden age.

We shall only add from this short piece the following, which are the concluding lines of this first part of the

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LXV. THE PARENT'S FRIEND; or, Extracts from the principal Works on Education, from the Time of Montaigne to the present day, methodized, with Notes by the EDITOR.

HIS work consists of extracts

T from more than forty-eight different authors on the subject of education, and the treatment of youth, with the observations of the Editor, who observes in his Preface, "that the name of an Author often acts like a talisman on the mind of the reader." The different extracts are distinguished by figures, which correspond with a Chronological Table of the works from which the extracts are taken. The whole form two 8vo. volumes of more than 700 pages.

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The work is divided into twenty-six chapters, containing the following subjects: Health, food, clothing, gymnastics, and the exercise of the senses.-Example.-General observations on education, obedience, stupidity, &c.-Rewards and punishments.-Answering questions, and reasoning with children-Memory.-Amusements and toys.-Veracity, integrity, honesty, justice.-Fortitude, sensibility, benevolence, almsgiving, gratitude, emulation. Humility, pride, self-conceit, censoriousness. Manners and politeness.-Modesty and chastity.-Religion and moral philosophy.-Public and private education, schools, and the best manner of spending the vacations. On the duties of the female sex, and on the education of girls.-Reading, grammar, languages, rhetoric, logic.-Poetry, mythology, choice of books.History, chronology, law, and commerce.-Geography and astronomy. Writing, arithmetic, and book-keeping.-Natural history, natural philosophy, botany, chemistry, and mathematics.-Drawing and perspective.Music, singing, and dancing.-Travelling.-Dress.-Prudence, economy, knowledge of the world, and establishing young men in business.

As a specimen of the work we present our readers with two extracts; the first is taken from Fenelon, on the Education of Girls, which in this work commences the chapter upon veracity, integrity, honesty, justice.

Take care that all you say may have a tendency to teach your chil dren to love truth, and despise dissimulation. You should therefore ne

ver make use of any species of de ceit, to pacify them, or to persuade them to do what you wish, for this will teach them a sort of low cunning which may never be entirely eradicated.

"Timidity and a false shame are often the source of dissimulation. The best security against so great an evil, is never to put your children under the painful necessity of being artful, and to accustom them frankly to declare their wishes on all subjects. Let them have full liberty to say that they are weary when they are so, and do not oblige them to appear to like those persons or books that are disagreeable to them. Make them ashamed of themselves, if you happen to surprise them in any kind of dissimulation, and deprive them of whatever they endeavour to obtain by artifice; telling them they should have had it, had they asked for it plainly and frankly. Do not imitate those who applaud their children for their cunning, esteeming it a mark of sagacity and wit. But instead of be ing diverted with their artful contrivances, reprove them severely, and take care that their stratagems never succeed, so that they may be disgusted with them, by experiencing their bad effects." Vol. I. p. 226-227.

The following is taken from Madame de la Fite's Eugenia to her Pu pils, and is in this work in the chapier upon humility, pride, self-conceit, and censoriousness.

"Timidity is the daughter of Selflove and Modesty; it arises from the desire to please, and the fear of not pleasing. For this reason, those who are free from vanity, and those in whom pride predominates, are equally free from timidity. When not carried to an extreme, timidity is one of the graces of youth. The gentle and timid manner, with which a young person gives her opinion, or expresses her doubts, is a sure pledge of, the improvement of her understanding.

"Timidity must be generally pleasing, when opposed to that presump. tuous confidence which often opposes ignorance and folly. Timidity carried to an extreme becomes a misfortune; it throws a veil over the most amiable qualities, destroys the beauty of the countenance, gives a stiffness to all our actions, seems to fetter our

very thoughts, and, by making us ap

realizes the fear of not pleasing which it has inspired.

"Timidity, though opposite to va. nity, differs widely from true modesty. The timid are as apprehensive of blame, as the vain are solicit ous of applause. Timidity has no resemblance to that noble and interesting simplicity of character, which is the distinguishing mark of true merit. I know a man who is religious without hypocrisy, and who possesses genius and virtue: all his actions, his labours, and his discoveries are directed to the good of the human race. Wholly occupied entirely with this one great object, he pays no attention to himself nor to the opinions that may be formed of him. Never was he known to boast of his abilities, of the success that attended his undertakings, or of the service he has done the world; his countenance expresses the serenity and peace of his soul; he neither appears embarrassed nor confident, neither fears blame, nor seeks honours and distinctions; in a word he is great and good without endeavouring to appear so, or seeming conscious of his own superiority.

"Timidity will always please, when it is a proof of modesty and of the just opinion we entertain of the supe. rior abilities of others. In some cases, on the contrary, an excessive and misplaced timidity is a sign of selflove. Suppose, for instance, that a young lady in company is requested to exercise an agreeable accomplishment for the entertainment of the party, and refuses because she does not excel, or fears being eclipsed by another; her timidity will unavoidably make an unfavourable impression, and the company will justly suppose she has more vanity than good-nature, and more self-love than true modesty. She should consider that it is of more importance to please by her politeness, than to shine by her accomplishments." Vól. I. p. 294, 296.

LXVI. A VOCABULARY OF THE PERSIAN LANGUAGE, in two parts, Persian and English and English and Persian. By S. ROUSSEAU, Teacher of the Persian Tongue.

Extract from the Preface. "THE utility of Vocabularies has

always been acknowledged; to

pear in a disadvantageous light, often expatiate therefore, on their general

benefit to students, would, perhaps, be deemed unimportant: yet it may be necessary to make a few observations concerning the present undertaking.

Many persons have been much abridged in their oriental researches from the want of a suitable vocabulary to assist them in their studies; and although some gentlemen have procared Mr. Richardson's elaborate Dictionary of the Arabic and Persian Languages, yet many have been deterred therefrom by the price which it bears. To obviate which, and to render their pursuits more rapid and pleasant, the following Vocabulary, containing the most useful words, was compiled. It is therefore hoped, that the ensuing sheets will be found of considerable service to those who are not at present provided with die. dictionaries, or who have not an opportunity of consulting them. The principal works that have been referred to in forming this Vocabulary are, Mepinski's Thesaurus, Mr. Richardson's Dictionary, Golius's Lexicon, the Vo. cabularies annexed to Sir W. Jones's and other Grammars, Mr. Gladwin's Vocabulary, the Farhang Jehangeery, Mons. D'Herbelot's Bibliotheque Orientale, the Kasht'l Loghat, the Loghat Reshedy, Kirkpatrick's Vocabulary, and others. When such learned oriental repositories appear as the groundwork of the present Vocabulary, it may be needless to advance any thing farther. But it may be necessary to mention a few particulars relative to the manner of using it.

"In all oriental compositions there are a variety of particles prefixed or annexed to words, which it is absotely requisite to separate or analyse before the meaning of an expression can be clearly made out, and the Persians and Arabians, like the Hebrews, are by no means exempt from this peculiarity."

The author then instances both in prefixes and suffixes-observes, that many Arabic words will be necessarily found intermixed in this Vocabulary; and concludes with the order of the Governor General and Council of Bengal, that "no civil servants" of the East India Company in those parts "shall be nominated to certain offices of trust and responsibility" until he shall be "sufficiently acquainted with the several languages,' and principally the Persian) the VOL. I.

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THE Concordat being circulated in every paper and periodical work, we judge it unnecessary to give extracts from that; but as the event announced by this pamphlet forms an interesting era in the French revolution, we have made the following extracts from the speech delivered to the legislative assembly, upon laying the plan prefixed before them. The speech commences with a brief description of the effects produced upon religion by the revolution, and proceeds to argue at length to prove the advantages resulting from reli gion.

The orator observes "the scepticism of the atheist tends as much to disconnect mankind, as religion tends to unite them. It is not a spirit of toleration, but of resistance, that it infuses; it loosens all the bonds that attach us to each other, it flies from every thing that restrains it, and despises every thing which others believe; it deadens sensibility, it stifles all the spontaneous emotions of nature; it strengthens itself, and makes it degenerate into a gloomy selfishness; it substitutes doubis in the room of truths; it arms the passions and remains itself defenceless against errors; it establishes no system, and leaves every one to adopt what his fancy may suggest; it inspires arrogance without affording information; it leads by licentiousness of opinion to licentiousness of conduct; it corrupts and pollutes the heart; it tramples down every fence, and finally dissolves society itself.

"But does not atheism at least

contribute to extinguish every kind

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Superstition is the offspring of ignorance and of prejudices; it is chiefly characterized by being found united with some of the secret and confused emotions of the soul, which are usually produced either by too inuch timidity or too much confidence, and which make conscience take a greater or less degree of interest in the excursions of the imagination, or the illusions of the mind. Superstition may be defined a blind, erroneous, or excessive belief, which . almost wholly depends upon the manner in which we are affected, and which we reduce, by a sentiment of respect and of fear, into a rule of conduct or a principle of manners." p.

28.23.

Prosecuting his arguments he says, we feel more than ever the necessity of public instruction. Instruction is a want of man, but it is above all a want of society. Shall we not then protect religious institutions, which are, as it were, the channels by which ideas of order, of duty, of humanity, and of justice, flow through the different ranks of the community. Science must ever be the portion of a few, but with the aid of religion, men may be instructed without being learned. It is religion which discloses useful truths to that great portion of the human species, who have neither the means nor the time to discover them by painful research. Who then can wish to dry up the sources of that sacred knowledge which disseminates good maxims through society, which renders them present to every individual, which gives them perpetuity, by connecting them with permanent and durable establishments, and which communicates to them that character of authority and of popularity, without which they would be unknown to the populace, that is to say, the great majority of mankind Hear the language of all good citizens, who in the departmental assemblies, have expressed their wishes upon what, for ten years,

has passed under their eyes: "It is time," say they," that theory should give place to facts. There can be no instruction without education, and no education without religion and morals the lessons of public teachers have been deserted, because it was imprudently declared, that it was at no time necessary to speak of religion in the schools. Public instruction has for ten years been almost unknown; it is now necessary to make religion the basis of education. The youth are given up to the most dangerous idleness, and the most alarming vagrancy; they are without any idea of a Deity, without any notion of what is just and unjust. Hence ferocious and barbarous manners! hence a barbarous people! If we compare the actual state of instruction with what it ought to be, it is impossible not to lament over the fate which threatens present and future generations." p. 33-34.

After describing by example the effects of pagan superstition, he contrasts therewith the advantages derived from Christianity, and says, "Among Christian nations, literature and the fine arts have ever formed a pleasing alliance with religion. It is religion, which, by elevating the soul, and inspiring it with sublime ideas, has produced our first and most celebrated painters, and which has furnished the subjects and models for our poets. It is religion which, among us has given birth to music, which has directed the pencil of our greatest painters, which has guided the chisel of our sculptors, and for which we are indebted for some of the most perfect productions of architecture.

"Can we regard as irreconcileable with our manners, or with our philosophy, a religion which such men as Descartes and Newton gloried in professing; a religion which developed the genius of a Pascal and a Bossuet, and which formed the soul of a Fenelon? Can we forget the happy influence of Christianity, without rejecting masterpieces of genius in every department, without condemning them to oblivion, without effacing the monument of our own glory "

(To be continued.)

ORIGINAL CRITICISM AND CORRESPONDENCE.

SIR,

TH

TO THE EDITOR.
Observations on Marsh's Michaelis.

HE dissertation on the origin and composition of the Gospels according to Matthew, Mark, and Luke, annexed by Mr. Marsh to his notes upon the translation of Mia chaelis lately published by him, displays such extent of erudition, such diligence of research, and such patience of discussion, as may justly claim the applause and gratitude of all who are versed in biblical literature. It is however possible, that many, who are highly gratified with his laborious investigation, and are indebted to him for much additional information, may not be able to adopt, with equal confidence, the same conclusion, in every respect, which he has deduced. He asserts, that "the phenomena of every description, observable in our three first Gospels, admit of an easy solution by the proposed hypothesis. And since no other hypothesis can solve them all, we may conclude that it is the true one." Accordingly in various parts of his comment upon Michaelis's introduction to the first three Gospels, he refers to his own hypothesis as infallibly certain. I must, notwithstanding, confess, that although an attentive examination of his arguments has afforded me considerable light upon the subject, it has not convinced me that all the difficulties attending the subject are easily solved by his hypothesis; nor that a system somewhat different from his, may not be at least equally true.

I wish that any remark I can suggest, may lead biblical students to a perusal of Mr. M's dissertation; your limits scarcely admitting of a clear statement of his hypothesis in all its branches, much less to detail the various phenomena, for which it was designed to account. He supposes that there existed, prior to the composition of any of the canonical Gospels, a short narrative of the principal transactions which intervened from the baptism of Christ to his death, drawn up from communications made by the Apostles, and written in that dialect which in the New Testament is called Hebrew. Of this narrative, Matthew made use, in its original

state, in the composition of his Gospel; which, according to the general report of antiquity, was first written in the same language. Copies of the original narrative were multiplied; and in process of time, various additions were made to the several copies, the persons who possessed them inserting in the text, not only addi tional circumstances relative to transactions recorded in it, but likewise other transactions not mentioned in the original. Each of the first three Evangelists possessed, and used in the composition of his own gospel, different copies thus augmented; and those of Mark and Luke were accompanied with a Greek translation of each, couched in the same terms, so far as the original was the same.

Besides these documents, which were chiefly narrative, another, confaining a collection of precepts, parables, and discourses, was used by Matthew and Luke, and not by Mark. The copies of this document, used by the former two Evangelists, differed from each other, as those of the narrative did.

Each of the three Evangelists composed his Gospel, without having seen the other Gospels: and that of Matthew was translated, subsequent to the writings of Mark and Luke, by a person who had their Gospels before him. He copied from Mark the passages which agreed verbally with Matthew, except they were not in the same order, in which case he translated in his own words; and from Luke, those passages in which he agreed verbally with Matthew, and which had not been inserted by Mark.

This statement, I think, includes every thing essential to Mr. Marsh's hypothesis, in as simple a form as I can present it to your readers. The author's object is to account for the introduction of the same phrases and sentences, sometimes of considerable length, in all the three Gospels, without supposing that the authors copied the terms in which they are expressed from each other's writings. Mr. M. has succeeded, so far as I can judge, in forming a scheme which may be true; and the labour he has eui

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