right to form a summary of what he or they conceive to be the leading truths of the Bible. They compel no one to subscribe to their creed. They only claim the right of thinking and acting for themselves; and the man, who would deny them this liberty, can hardly be entitled to the praise of all that liberality of sentiment, which a strenuous advocate for the right of private judgment, might arrogate to himself. I. C.

VIGOROUS EXECUTION OF LAWS.

A NATIVE of China lately resided in Boston about two years, and was well known to many of the inhabitants. During this residence he attracted some notice by the singularity of his manners, and often trayelled the streets with a measured and self-important step. He wore in his hat or cap, apparently from motives of vanity, a large button; but whether it were intended merely as a temporary ornament, or as a badge designating his rank in his native country, few thought it worthi the pains to inquire. Whatever were his motives in wearing the toy, the fact had a more serious bearing on himself,than he probably expected.

After his return to China, some intelligence reached one of the departments of the government, that this traveller, while in America, had assumed the insignia of an order to which he did not belong. In a nation more tenacious of its customs than any thing else, and especially under a government whose watchful jealousy employs a thousand eyes to detect the faults of the subject,-such an offence could not be tolerated. What to Americans appeared only a puerile expression of Asiatic vanity, was at home considered a crime committed against his country! To other men it would seem, that if any offence at all, the circumstance of its commission at the extremity of the earth, among a people who could scarcely conceive of its offensive nature, or even know its meaning-might serve, at least, to palliate its pretended guilt. Very different was the opinion of the Government of China. So high was the tone of indignation against the culprit, and such, probably, was the severity of the laws of the empire, that with the utmost difficulty his friends obtained his release from a most severe corporal punishment by the payment of a fine amounting to 1500 dollars. The facts of his arrest and the fine are well known to a gentleman at that time residing in Canton, who had known him while in this country.

Examples of this sort show clearly the energies of a Government, which is supported by all the authority of public opinion. If such ample measure can be dealt out to a trifling offence, or to what justly considered would be no crime, how extremely easy would it be for a just and equitable government to lay the strong hand of law on many Hlagrant enormities which now pass unnoticed. When it is universally understood, that every known violation of a law shall be overtaken by a definite and speedy punishment, it must have considerable influence on all those who have been taught to respect a government in the acts of its administration. I shall not be understood to desire a government, whose laws visit a trivial fault with such unmeasured vengeance, as in the case abovementioned. But I most sincerely regret that many

wholesome regulations made long ago for the protection of morals were not better enforced. Laws recorded on paper, but never executed, can be of no great value. In many states of the Union there are existing statutes, which serve scarce any other purpose than to remind the solitary reader, that such a particular species of crime was once so far noticed as to receive the attention of the legislature. The evil became so enormous as to call for a remedy. Laws were enacted, enrolled in the statute-book, and there the business ended. Who does not know that the abandoned and profligate stalk abroad at noon day? that the most daring criminals exhibit an impudence and an insulting manner, which sets at defiance all law and decency, and order? No very serious difficulty could oppose the execution of wise regulations for the public welfare, were the mass of the people fully apprised of the necessity of putting down offenders in the proper place. But until the common sentiment be brought to a level with the resolutions of the legislature, all such resolves can avail but little. Instead of the laws controlling the people, in a state of lax morals it is the people who control or despise the laws, and treat with unmingled contempt those appointed for their execution. To our reproach and shame it must be confessed, that the pagans of ancient Rome or of modern China were more careful of their institutions, and unjust and foolish as they are, more severely and uniformly punished the violators of them, than the Christians of the nineteenth century. S.

MOUNT VESUVIUS.

The following extract of a letter from Dr. Jeremiah Van Rensselaer, of Greenbush, N. Y. giving a recent account of this most subline and terrific volcano will be read with

interest.

April 20, 1819.

I BEGIN my letter to you on the crater of Mount Vesuvius. The extreme heat of the river of lava, by the light of which I wrote the above, prevented my continuing. We have descended about 150 feet: our guides would go no farther. Our company have gone to Naples. H. and myself have determined to pass this night here, and are now writing by the light of a torch on warm lava, that flowed seven days ago. An eruption of some consequence took place last night, and the lava is running in a stream about seven feet wide, at the rate of about three miles an hour. Nothing can possibly be imagined more sublime -the smoke issuing from the glowing torrent is like a cloud of fire; part of the mount seems on fire, while below it appears the very centre of desolation and gloom. At break of day we mount again, to descend further into the crater, and see the sun rise from its mouth. I may perhaps try more experiments. I have written your name in the burning lava, and it has cooled-the piece is beside me. I also put in a five franc piece-the impression is good, and you shall one day see it. Our torch is about going out, and I must stop to finish tomorrow at Naples. Two distinct eruptions have just taken place, and cast out heated stones to the height of 100 or 150 feet.

Naples 22d.

I scarcely know what you will think when you open this letter. If it were not for the sake of the place where I began it, you should never VOL. XV.

57

Our

see it. We passed the night very well on the mountain. guide cleared away the large stones, and left us none bigger than eggs -we spread our great coats in this little hollow, and were comfortable enough. We required no covering-at our feet issued a small column of heated air-beneath us too, warm air oozed up; but the great coats prevented our being steamed. H. found that he was too warm, and got up to walk about. I laid quiet to enjoy the superb sight before me. Some provisions were sent to us by the party-it arrived about 11 o' clock. Fatigue was a good opiate, and our sleep was sweet. Our guides sleep on the bare stones beside us. At 3 we took some bread and wine, and began the ascent. Our route now lay in another direction. It was not so difficult as what we had ascended the evening before. Before five we were at the top, and waited only a few minutes to see the purple tinge of the horizon gradually change into brightened gold. A sea of clouds floated far beneath us-it resembled an undulated plain of cotton, whose edges were tinged and burnished by the first rays of the morning. The scenery below was lost-nought appeared but the fiery summit on which we stood, and the tops of lofty mountains around, that rose above the clouds that settled on their sides.

We continued our labor, and got near the mouth of the crater-the wind drove the smoke towards us, and we were obliged to descend and try the other side. We rose to the highest point, and thence a gradual descent took us to the mouth of the largest crater. Its shape constantly varied-at present there are two fountains, whence issue the smoke and stones. We could not observe the bottom very plainly-to descend was impossible.

The smaller crater has three of these nostrils or breathing holes, smaller than the first, but more active. The wind drove the smoke in such a manner, that we saw the bottom on the other side. Our guides were urging us to descend-a shower of hot stones and cinder had more influence than their entreaties. The lava is seen in neither crater, but flows through a subterraneous canal, almost horizontal; and does not appear till it forces through the crust about 150 yards from the crater. It forms at once a river about seven feet wide, and flows at the rate of between two and a half and three miles an hour; its depth cannot be told. The present stream issued in this spot seven days ago, and continues still running; it resembles flowing liquid iron running in a gutter, which it seems to have formed, having on either side a perpendicular wall of lava, about 3 inches thick, serving as a kind of race way. About a mile from the orifice, it spreads into a large bed or Jake, and there cools, gradually becoming black on the surface, and still glowing beneath. Occasionally the river changes its course-this gave an opportunity of breaking several times the crust that covers the stream to see the hot lava below. In some places, where all was cold, we broke it, and found it quite hollow beneath, by the extrication of the gas. Usually, a heavy wind breaks the crusts, and then they fall in every direction, giving the whole mountain a terrific appearance. At a distance it looks like new ploughed land, and of the same color; as we approach, it is much more rough and hideous. Having taken some more impressions in the lava, we turned to survey the scene around us. The clouds hung on the foot of the mountains, and only permitted us to see the gloomy cone on which we stood.

The genius of desolation may be said to reign over this dreary realm; not a sign of vegetation relieves the eye, wearied and sad with the horrible and bleak expanse that environed us:-How melancholy are the feelings excited in such a situation! How much more so are the recollections it recals! I felt as if we alone stood on the ruins of the universe as if chaos was come again! nor can I think of it without emotion. A long and distressing walk on the broken lava, brought us to the place where we had slept. Our last descent began here, and when once at the foot of the uppermost part of the mountain, we rapidly went in seven minutes the same distance that we were an hour in ascending the day before. The fathers received us kindly at the hermitage, where we breakfasted on bread and wine.

The clouds had now dispersed, and we enjoyed a view of the superb bay of Naples. I must say, (nor do I know how far prejudice influences my saying so) that it is inferior to the bay of New-York. The famed places that skirt its shores, give to it reputation and a classic interest that New-York cannot boast-and as long as a Homer, Virgil, Horace and Pliny are read, so long will this bay be the most interesting in the world. Independent of these writers, the fertile soil that envelopes the foot of Vesuvius with its burning craters, the number of cities and villages destroyed by its dreadful workings, will ever attract the lover of landscape and the student of nature. The cities over which we walk-the palaces over which we sail-the lakes, half swallowed-and mountains ejected in a single night—all add to the interest of the place. Such were my thoughts as my mule came down the base of the mountain, at the little village of Ricina, from whence we had descended the day before into Herculaneum.-The Theatre alone is now shown; some persons having been lost in the excavations, they are closed to the public; and through the inadvertancy of others, we have been deprived of pleasure and instruction, To Pompeii is 8 miles, and we took a kind of chaise for the day.

The Neapolitan chaise, or cabriolet, is a very small gig, into which two very small persons may squeeze; one of them drives, and the coachman stands behind to whip the horse, which is exclusively his prerogative, and the passenger cannot prevent him from making the horse run all the distance.

Pompeii, as it is shown to visitors, is more interesting than HercuJaneum; since it is part of a city exposed to light, and open to day. We walk by daylight in the streets; enter the houses and temples, and visit the forum and tombs, the same as any ancient town-but cannot forget that since the year 79 till within a short time, the ashes of Vesuvius have hid it from the day. The temple of Isis is the most complete; few houses have the second story; the first are perfect and are easily known. The several cook-shops, a bake-house, a surgeon's or druggist's, a milkman's, &c. are at once recognized by the signs painted on the walls, and frequently the name is seen too. One of the streets must have been superb; it yet exhibits the marks of carriage wheels. The workmen and guides are very strict; I wanted a small square piece of marble, which served as a floor to one of the courtsalthough it laid loose on the ashes, yet they replaced it; nor had a bribe, far beyond its intrinsic value, any effect. They gave me to understand that both their necks would answer for it.

From the Friend of India, a Bombay newspaper.

A YOUNG BRIDE BURNT WITH HER BETROTHED HUSBAND,

"SEVERAL months ago, in the vicinity of Chandennagore,a female victim was immolated on the funeral pile, under circumstances peculiarly affecting. She was a young woman who had been recently betrothed to a young man of the same town. Every thing was prepared for the celebration of the nuptials which had been fixed for the next day! the relatives of both parties had arrived from a distance to honor the marriage with their presence; and the circle of their friends already enjoyed in anticipation the festivities which the approaching day would usher in. The preceding evening however the bridegroom was taken ill of the Cholera Morbus and in a few hours was a lifeless corpse. Information being conveyed of the melancholy event to the bride, she instantly declared her determination to ascend the funeral pile of her betrothed lord. A long debate was hence held between the relations of the bride and the Priests respecting the legality of the act; the result of which was, that in such cases the shasters considering the bride as bound to her husband by the vow she had taken, permitted a voluntary immolation on the funeral pile. The next day, therefore, instead of the music and joy which had been anticipated the bride was led to the banks of the Ganges amid the silent grief of her friends and relatives, and burnt with the dead body of her intended husband."

For some time past the authenticity of Desater, has been a subject of discussion in the newspapers of this country, and I think the probability is, that it will turn out to be a very modern forgery.

G. H.

LITERARY AND PHILOSOPHICAL INTELLIGENCE.

PROGRESS OF CIVILIZATION IN RUSSIA.

A Journal was commenced in Paris with the present year, by M. Julien, under the title of "Revue Encyclopedique;" in which he is aided by nearly twenty members of the Institute, and by other men of letters. The following passage from this work, relative to Russia, may not be uninteresting to the reader:

The University of Dorpat has just received a new organization,thanks to the indefatigable zeal of its benevolent and enlightened director, Lieutenant-general Count de Lieven. The number of students has been more than doubled; and nothing is now wanting to give a new impulse to this valuable institution.

"At the University of Moscow, the terms have almost all recommenced. Their interruption, at the time of the great fire, has had, in many respects, advantageous results, as well for the professors as for the students. The salaries of the former have been increased, the sphere of their instruction has been enlarged; and the various branches thereof have been better arranged. The number of students, even last year, amounted to upwards of two hundred. The gymnasium, joined to this university, has been in like manner re-opened, and sev eral new preceptors have already been appointed.