pointments at length become open, it takes years to clear off the embarraffments incurred by early extravagance.

"It is fortunate, if, in the eagerness to free himself from his incumbrances, he be not induced to connive at the misconduct of the Dewan, and even to participate in the illegal profits, with which the latter is ever ready to allure him; and though a large majority of those who arrive at the higher ftations, pafs through them with unfullied integrity, perfectly fatisfied with the liberal allowances attached to their fituation, and requiring no other inducement than their own fenfe of right, to keep them from every thing approaching to difhonour, yet it is nevertheless certain, that fome are ftill unable to refift the temptation. When. ever this deviation from the paths of rectitude has unfortunately occurred, it has uniformly originated in the mifconduct of the young writer on his arrival in the country, and his confequent dependance upon his Dewan.

"The most effectual mode of remedying this evil, is to place the young man in a fituation where his conduct, and expences, would be fubject to the infpection and control of refpectable perfons, felected with judgment for the important office. Under fuch circumftances, the employment of a Dewan ought to be prohibited, and difobedience rendered liable to immediate detec tion and punishment. Had Lord Wellesley's plan of a College been acceded to, this defirable end would have been attained, and the young men, fubject to the reftrictions and difcipline of fuch an inftitution, would no longer have met with thofe facilities in raising money with which their prefent fituation fo often presents them. They muft, in confequence, have been obliged to confine their expenditure to the liberal allowance of the Eaft-India Company, till called to the higher appointments, when unincumbered in their affairs, and uncorrupted in their minds, they might ra pidly and honeftly have acquired, at an early period of their lives, that opulence which would enfure them affluence and comfort in their native country. This important object would also have been promoted by the early age at which the writers, when fubject to collegiate reftrictions, might have been fent to India ; they might have gone at the tender age of fifteen, or even fourteen; and this would have enabled them to return in the prime of life, with conftitutions unimpaired, and habits uncontaminated by the luxuries of Afia." P. 253.

We pafs with reluctance, and not without fome indigna tion, from this fubject to Ceylon, much regretting the narrownefs of our limits, which will not permit us to expatiate as much as we could wifh. We may generally obferve that Lord Valentia's account of the real origin of the Ceylon war, attended to fome of our countrymen with fuch difaftrous confequences, is the firft which has hitherto ap.

9

peared

peared before the public. Of its authenticity there can be no queftion; for the vigour with which it is detailed, appeal may fafely be made to the narrative itself. Were we difpofed to confider the amufement of our readers only, we hould extract various anecdotes about the Cingalefe, which are full of intereft and entertainment; and did we think it at all neceffary to exhibit any particular example of the noble traveller's honourable feeling, and capacity for the delineation of character, we fhould print circumftantially the noble teftimony given at p. 313, to the conduct and adminiftration of the Hon. Frederick North. We must be fatisfied with clofing our obfervations of this month, with pointing out to the readers fuch remaining parts of the firft volume, as will beft repay their careful examination.

At p. 573 will be found fome obfervations on the fyftem pursued by the French concerning India, their subtlety and intrigues, which do great credit to the acuteness of the writer, and evince great diligence of investigation, and effectual ufe of the opportunities he enjoyed. At p. 400, &c. is the beft account of Vellore that we have ever perufed, accompanied with an interefting description of Tippoo's family, and fome very pertinent obfervations on the unfortunate maflacre which took place in July, 1806. In p. 415 the fubject once more affords Lord Valentia an opportunity of exercifing the talent which, in our opinion, he pre-eminently poffelles, the exhibiting a neat and elegant delineation of character. As what he fays of Tippoo is not extended, we shall make it our concluding extract.

"I cannot help expreffing my aftonishment that any one fhould have been found to approve the conduct, and praise the character of Tippoo; yet in the public meetings of the India Company it has been afferted that he was not a tyrant. If he was not, I confefs myself incapable of conceiving any character to which that title can be affixed. The internal government of his country was moft oppreffive, having placed unlimited confidence in a fet of Aumils, who had no other recommendation than that they were Muffulmauns, and who, being bound by no oaths, not only em. bezzled a large proportion of the revenue, but plundered the unfortunate Hindoos without control; and even carried their de, pravity fo far as to make fecret inquiries refpecting the females in their districts, and if they heard of any remarkable for beauty, to have them forcibly removed to their zenanas. As there was no regular police throughout the country, fome districts were generally in rebellion; and it was not an unfrequent circumftance for the Pattels, or head men of two or three neighbouring dif tricts, to affemble together and oblige the Aumil to grant them

their lands at whatever price they pleafed to fix: if he refifted he was usually murdered. Sometimes Tippoo had leisure to punish them, and then he did fo moft feverely; but at other times he had more important avocations, and their impunity encouraged a repetition of the offence. The natural confequence was, that the actual revenue of the country was rapidly diminishing, and even of that not more than two-thirds ever reached the royal treafury. If there could be any doubts of Tippoo's deferving the title I have given him, his conduct in Canara and Malabar would place it beyond doubt. The utter extermination of the Nairs of rank, who by conqueft had become his fubjects, feems to have been intended, and as far as lay in his power, was by him carried into effect; for in Malabar, at its ceffion to us, there were none remaining, and in Canara they were diminished one half.

"To the affertion, that many had quitted our provinces to live under the milder government of Tippoo, it is impoffible to give any other reply than a pofitive denial of its truth; and I am at a lofs to conjecture on what authority it is ftated. Hyder indeed carried off from the Carnatic above 60,000 families, of whom only a veftige remained when Lord Cornwallis entered Myfore; but thefe unfortunate beings, fo far from being fatisfied with their fituation, had found the yoke of Tippoo fo heavy, that they joyfully feized the firft opportunity to return to their native plains. The code of laws which Tippoo promulgated, and which has been fo much praifed by an Honourable Gentleman at the India Houfe, was never even attempted to be carried into effect, and was merely meant by the tyrant to hand him down to pofterity as a Muffulmaun legiflator." P. 415.

The vifit of the Rajah, of Myfore, at p. 424, and the defcription of Seringapatam, will alfo fufficiently compenfate

the reader's attention.

We take our leave of the work for this month, by obferving that the Appendix contains fome important documents, nine in number, among which, No. 4, giving_an account of the gold medals erroneoufly reprefented by Ta⚫ vernier and others to have been coined in one day, is curious and interefting. The account of the Saint of Muckunpore, is hardly lefs fo; and the defcription of the Cingalese cafts communicated by Mr. Tolfrey, is of fo very novel a kind, and fo greatly elucidates the manners of a country very imperfectly known, that it cannot fail to excite earnest attention. The defcription of individuals exhibited in this table is fo multitudinous, that we cannot help being of opinion that claffes is the term to be adopted rather than cafts. Cafts have more or lefs to do with religious fuperftitions and prejudices; but furely thefe numerous divifions and fub-divi

fions cannot poffibly be confidered as conftituting fo extended a variety of religious fects.

(To be continued.)

ART. II. An Examination of Mr. Marfh's Hypothefis reSpecting the Origin of the Three first Canonical Gofpels; including the Attempt to explain the Phænomena obfervable in thefe Gofpels by a new Hypothefis. By David Verfie, B.D. Rector of Plymtree, Devon; and late Fellow of Oriel College, Oxford. 8vo. 109 pp. 4s. Parker, Oxon; Rivingtons, London. 1808.

OF

F Mr. Marfh's celebrated Hypothefis we delivered our opinion in our 21ft volume, where (at p. 178, &c.) the reader will find the reafons from which that opinion was deduced. Mr. Veyfie objects to the hypothefis on nearly the fame grounds which were taken by ourfelves, and by the able, though anonymous, author of "Remarks on Michaelis's Introduction, &c." an invaluable tract, of which the reader will find an account at the 182d page of the fame volume; and he states it to be the object of his Examination to show,

"1. That in his (Marth's) statement of the phænomena obfervable in the three firft Gofpeis, there are inaccuracies which require to be corrected, and omiffions which ought to be supplied. 2. That all the phænomena, when more fully and correctly stated, cannot be explained by his hypothefis; and, 3. That there is another hypothefis, which will give a better folution of them." P. 11.

From p. 12 to p. 23, Mr. Veyfie points out the inaccuracy of Mr. Marfh's ftatement; and then gives, as fuller and more correct, the following tatement of all the phænomena which have been hitherto obferved, and are of importance in the prefent enquiry.

"I. The phenomena in the verbal agreement of the Gospels. "" 1. The examples of verbal agreement between St. Matthew and St. Mark are very numerous, and fome of them very long and remarkable, both in &, and in the additions a and A. 2. The examples of verbal agreement between St. Mark and St. Luke are not numerous, either in &, or in the additions ẞ and B. 3. In , there is no inftance of verbal agreement between St. Matthew and St. Luke only; but in the additions and г the

examples

examples are frequent and long *. 4. We meet with several examples in which all three Gofpels verbally coincide; but thefe examples are neither very numerous nor very long. 5. In feveral paffages, St. Mark's text agrees in one place with that of St. Matthew, and in another with that of St. Luke; and there. fore appears at firft fight to be a compound of both. 6. Of the verbal agreement between the Evangelifts, and efpecially between St. Luke and either of the other Evangelifts, very little comparatively is found in the narrative of things done; but much in quotation, and in the recital of words spoken, and especially the words of our bleffed Saviour."

II. The phænomena in the verbal disagreement of the Gafpels, "1. The Gofpels afford frequent examples in which the fame thing is related by two Evangelifts in fynonymous words, capable of the fame literal rendering into another language. 2. There are many examples in which the fame thing is related by two Evangelifts in words which have collectively the fame meaning, but are not capable of the fame literal rendering into another language. 3. There are examples in which two Evangelifts, in relating the fame thing, differ in fense and meaning, as well as in expreffion. 4. In many fections, containing much fynonymity, and fometimes much famenefs of expreffion, the introductory matter is very different."

"III. The phænomena in the contents and arrangement of the Gofpels.

1. Each Gofpel contains much matter peculiar to itself, as well as much in common with the other two, either jointly or feparately. 2. The matter peculiar to St. Mark's Gospel confifts chiefly in the addition of circumstances to facts which are recorded alfo by one or both of the other Evangelists. But the principal facts peculiar to this Gofpel are very few. 3. St. Luke's arrangement of the principal facts, which he has in common with St. Matthew and St. Mark, is nearly the fame as that of St. Mark. But his arrangement of the fabordinate facts is frequently different. 4. The arrangement of St. Matthew, in that portion of his Gofpel which is contained between the end of the fourth and the beginning of the fourteenth chapter, greatly differs from that of St. Mark and St. Luke in the correfpondent places of their Gofpels; namely, Mark i. 25, vi. 13, and Luke iv. 16, ix. 6. In the other parts of his Gofpel he agrees with St. Mark in his arrangement of the fame facts. St. Matthew has inferted in various parts of his Gofpel much matter which is contained in Luke ix. 51. xviii. 14. 6. St. Mark's Gospel contains no part of Luke ix, 51. xviii. 14.”

5.

P. 23.

*For an explanation of thefe algebraical fymbols, the reader, who is not acquainted with Mr. Marth's Differtation, may have recourfe to our volume already quoted. Rev.