than would consist with the scanty pages of our miscellany. We notice it chiefly with the view of making it known to our readers, as supplying what we are certain has been considered by many as a desideratum. The typographical execution of the work is such as its nature demanded, and is highly creditable to the printer. It is accompanied by two plates one exhibiting the ground plan of the Jewish temple and its courts, in the days of our Saviour the other a similar plan of the court of Israel, the court of the priests, the temple, &c. If plates did not always greatly increase the price of the book of which they make a part, it would have been desirable that these volumes should have contained many more.

LESSONS FOR SCHOOLS, TAKEN FROM THE HOLY SCRIPTURES, IN THE WORDS OF THE TEXT, WITHOUT NOTE OR

COMMENT. IN THREE PARTS. Philadelphia, published by Kimber and Sharpless, No. 93,

Market street, 1821, pp. 240. SCRIPTURE LESSONS; BEING A NEW SELECTION FROM THE OLD AND NEW TESTAMENTS, FOR THE USE OF SCHOOLS. IN THREE PARTS.

Part I. Historical Selections from

the Old Testament. II. Lessons on our Duty towards God and Man, selected from various parts of the Scriptures, and arranged under appropriate heads. III. Selections from the Evangelists and Acts of the Apostles. Boston: published by William B. Fowle, No. 45, Cornhill. True & Greene, printers, 1823. pp 242.

The first of these books was comby two benevolent Englishwho had visited Russia for the purpose of promoting the system of mutual instruction. It is an admirable and judicious selection of Scripture passages, well arranged under distinct and appropriate

heads.

This compilation has been adopted

and extensively circulated throughout the Russian empire, by order of government. It is used by the British and Foreign School Society, in the schools under its care; and it was, by an order passed in 1821, by the Controllers of the Publick Schools for the First School District of the state of Pennsylvania, introduced into the school's under their care.

The other book has a title page somewhat different from that which we have just noticed: but in the preface it professes to be an improvement of it, and to have made it the basis of the selection which it presents to the publick. It professes to have altered "indelicate expressions," and to have aimed at "furnishing a selection as free from any sectarian character as the book to which all sects appeal." Of course a comparison is invited. This we have made; and the result we shall present to our readers.

A work of this kind, consisting entirely of scriptural selections, is, we conceive, susceptible of improvement only in three ways; in respect to its arrangement, by additions, and by omissions. Let us inquire how far the Boston edition ginal compilation; concerning which has succeeded in improving the orithe preface observes, "a selection executed, was thought to be suscepso hastily made, although admirably tible of improvement."

No improvement has been made by the Boston editor in regard to the arrangement; for his general arrangement is throughout the same as that of the original compilation.

In the Boston edition some additional matter has been introduced. The passages selected from the book of Job, and the passage taken from 1 Kings, xviii. 17., we acknowledge to be an improvement. But can any man, who reveres the inspired authority of holy scripture, award the same commendation to selections from the Apocryphal book ECCLESIASTICUS, introduced

into a compilation professing to be a selection from the OLD AND NEW TESTAMENT, and promiscuously arranged under the general head of scripture lessons, accompanied by no note by which an uninstructed mind could distinguish them from genuine scripture passages? Two verses taken from this book are found in page 117; and pages 152, 153, are almost entirely occupied by quotations from the uninspired writer of that book. Is there nothing sectarian here? Who would dare thus to associate apocryphal writings with the oracles of the living God, and impliedly attribute to the former the same authority and the same honour he attributes to the latter-but a Catholick, who regards both as canonical and inspired; or a Unitarian, who lowers the authority of divine revelation, and would make it bow to the decisions and emendations of arrogant mortals, who, in the pride of intellect, imagine themselves too wise to receive truth on the simple testimony of their Maker?

The omissions by the Boston editor are numerous. In part the first he has expunged the selections under the following heads:

1. The destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah.

2. Elijah is taken up into heaven. 3. The three children of Israel delivered out of the burning fur

4. Jesus Christ declareth that he is the true Bread of Life.

5. The Lord declareth that he is the Fountain of living water. 6. Jesus Christ the good Shepherd.

7. The transfiguration of our Lord.

8. The Entrance of Christ into Jerusalem.

9. The Imprisonment of Peter and his Deliverance.

10. Paul preacheth in the synagogue at Antioch in Pisidia.

11. Imprisonment of Paul and Silas, and the conversion of the Gaoler.

12. Discourse of Paul to the Pastors of the Church of Ephesus.

13. The humanity of the people of Melita, and the arrival of Paul at Rome.

From an inspection of these heads, it will be seen at once by every one acquainted with the Holy Scriptures, that the passages arranged under them must, in a work acknowledged by the Boston editor to be "admirably executed," be both interesting and important. It is natural to ask, Why did he omit these heads, together with their appropriate scripture selections?

Was there any thing to offend the ear of modesty, or to pollute the mind of the reader, in these passages, that he has excluded them from his improved edition? Nothing of the kind that we can perceive. Did he suppose our American youth so pure as not to need to be informed that the Saviour has pronounced, that "whosoever shall put away his wife, except it be for fornication, and shall marry another, committeth adultery: and whoso marriethher which is put away doth commit adultery ?" Did he imagine human nature so chaste, that our youth need not be taught that the Almighty has guarded the honours of the marriage bed by a solemn decree? "Marriage is honourable in all, and the bed undefiled: but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge,"

Did he suppose our American females naturally so disposed to do their duties, that it was unnecessary to spread before them those admirable lessons on their appropriate duties, given by the apostles Peter and Paul, and quoted in the book which he has aimed at improving?

Why, we ask again, have all these heads and the passages arranged under them in the Philadelphia edition, been excluded from the Boston edition? If the reader will look over the heads, he will find there is in them nothing of a sectarian nature; nothing but what belongs to our common Christianity: and if the heads be not sectarian, surely the passages selected from that divine book, which the Bostonian in his preface represents as being free from a "sectarian character," must be equally free from this offensive quality.

It were easy to convict the Boston editor of want of judgment, by reviewing the passages he has omitted. The account of the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah affords an awful display of divine justice, and is certainly calculated to impress the reader's mind with a salutary fear of offending God. The preservation of the three Israelites in the burning furnace, not only interests the youthful mind by the exhibition of Almighty power, but serves to encourage us to adhere to duty at every risk, under a persuasion that God can support us in any trial, or deliver us from any danger. What can excel the address of Paul to the elders of Ephesus? How replete with noble sentiments! When did the great apostle appear in an attitude more inviting, more commanding, more captivating, and more affecting? What a model for the ministers of Jesus Christ! How solemn the charge which falls from his lips, to be faithful in feeding the flock over which the Holy Ghost has made them overseers! What taste, what judgment dictated the omission of a passage, with which

no classick writer can furnish one that will bear a comparison?

But, in these omissions we find reason for bringing a more serious charge against the Boston editor, than want of judgment. We think it no breach of Christian charity to say, we believe the spirit that dictated these omissions is hostile to some of the fundamental doctrines of our holy religion. We are constrained to say, An enemy hath done this." Would friend to the great doctrine of regeneration have supposed it an improvement to expunge that interesting conversation which our Lord had with Nicodemus, in which he so solemnly affirms the necessity of being born again:

any

Verily, verily, I say unto thee, except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." Would any friend to the Divinity of Jesus Christ have expunged those testimonies of inspired writers that are usually quoted by those who believe this grand and essential doctrine of the Bible, as furnishing conclusive proof of it-under a persuasion that the omission of them would be an improvement to a work designed to instruct the young? Would any friend to the personality and divinity of the Holy Spirit, for the same reason, expunge more than four pages of scripture quotations, that go to establish this essential article of the common faith of all Christians? Would any friend to the vicarious atonement of our Lord Jesus Christ, suppose that it would be an improvement to a compilation of scripture passages to omit those texts that hold up to view this foundation of a sinner's hope?

The fact is, the Bible itself is too sectarian for those liberal men, who would degrade the Son of God to a level with his own creatures; who extol the dignity of human nature in terms that contradict the plainest testimonies of inspired writers; and who deem it too humiliating to accept of a salvation purchased by

blood divine; because it implies that man is a sinner, helpless and undone. Were it in their power they would expunge all those passages from the Bible that go to prove doctrines to which they feel so hostile. Hence their attempts to prove certain passages spurious. Hence many of their emendations, and forced interpretations. Every Christian is too sectarian for these liberal teachers who will not deny the Lord that bought him, who will not discard that offensive truth, the to

tal depravity of human nature, and who will not disbelieve the necessity of being regenerated by the power of the Holy Ghost.

We have felt it to be our duty to expose this new selection of scripture passages, as defective in judgment, and as criminal in design. We hope all persons who wish to use that valuable compilation of Biblical selections, made in Europe, will be careful not to receive the Boston, in place of the PHILADEL PHIA edition.

It has been lately ascertained, that a round galvanick conductor of the electrick fluid is, in every portion of its surface, equally fitted to act on the magnetick needle; and likewise that the poles of a magnetized steel bar are not necessarily situated at its extremities,-but that, by a particular mode of touching, the two ends will have similar poles, whilst the middle exhibits the opposite polarity. Mr. Barlow's discovery, as to magnetism affecting or residing only in the superficial parts of masses of iron or steel, has been experimentally proved, by means of magnetized flat bars, one-tenth of an inch thick, which are found equally powerful with bars of considerable dimensions and weight, under the same extent of surface.

Sir E. Home has discovered that the membrane called the tympanum or drum of the ear is muscular in its structure, and composed of a series of muscular radii, all of equal length, in consequence of the exactly eircular form of this membrane, and meeting in its centre. To this exact equality in the lengths of the muscular fibres in the human ear, Sir Everard attributes its great capability of appreciating musical sounds. He states, that the ear of the elephant has an oval membrane, with fibres of very unequal length; and to this cir. cumstance he attributes the alleged insensibility of that animal to any but low or grave sounds.

The following facts show the great utility and cheapness of gratuitous medical dispensaries. A late report of one of these institutions in Paris states, that, in 1821, 3428 patients had been prescribed for, of whom not more than 101 had died: the whole expense amounted to only about thirteen francs for each patient. The total number of persons assisted during eighteen years by this institution had been

J.

28,582, of whom only 994 had died. Dispensaries are beginning to be formed in most of the principal towns of France.

A French journal recapitulates as follows the advantages derived to science by the late British voyages of discovery in the Arctick Seas:

1. That the continent of America is not so extensive as has been commonly supposed towards the North Pole. 2. That its northern coasts, though at present inaccessible, lie under parallels less elevated than those of the Asiatick coasts in general, and exceed only by a few degrees the latitudes in the north of Europe. 3. That Baffin's Bay, as it is called, is not properly a bay, but forms a part of the Arctick Ocean, communicating with it by Lancaster Strait. 4. That Greenland is not conjoined with the Arctick countries of North America, but forms an immense island, or rather a sixth continent (Australasia being the fifth) from the extremity of the great headland which it projects, between Europe and America, to New Siberia, which appears to be its furthest limits. 5. That admitting this, it must be frozen land, and not the Hyperborean Ocean, which fills the space between the 80th degree of latitude and the North Pole. 6. That, combining the results of the Polar expeditions with Russian discoveries, there is reason to conclude that this Arctick continent has been originally subject to the same geological laws as the other great divisions of the globe: its configuration, it would appear, is similar; its greatest breadth being in the northern part, as in the five other continents. One advantage to navigation has already resulted from certain passages discovered by Captain Parry; the whale-fishers that have ventured as far as Lancaster Straits having returned with rich cargoes.

M. Flourens has, by a course of experiments on various animals, accumulated a variety of facts in order to ascertain that precise part of the brain in which the impressions made by external objects on the senses centre, and produce sensations; and from which other nerves, under the control of the will, conduct irritation to the muscles, and cause them to perform the movements of the body which have been willed. This sentient point is placed by M. Flourens in the superior portion of the medulla oblongata, at the part where the tubercula quadragemina adhere to it. M. Flourens also states, that the cerebellum is the essential organ of locomotion: and that, on this part of the brain being compressed or mutilated, the animal is no longer able to preserve its position according to the dictates of the will, but appears to be under a state of intoxication or vertigo. When the cerebellum was removed altogether, the faculty of performing regulated motions entirely ceased. It nevertheless perceived if menaced with a blow; it heard cries, and endeavoured to avoid danger by a thousand fruitless efforts: in a word, it retained its faculties of sensation and volition, but lost the power of producing voluntary muscular contractions. The integrity of the cerebrum appears to be indispensable for the exercise of sight and hearing: when they are destroyed, the will is no longer manifested by acts of spontaneous volition.

It is not without pain that we record experiments of this nature on sensitive, though irrational, beings, however curious or important the results. But we feel far more pain of another kind, at the wretched spirit of Materialism with which facts of this nature are often descanted upon by some modern physiologists, both continental and British. To us it appears demonstrably certain that the nicest discoveries relative to the structure and use of every part of organized nature, when rightly considered, cannot but lead the mind to the contemplation of an all-wise and infinitely powerful Creator; who has endued the inferior animals with their appropriate functions, and has superadded to man a soul, clearly distinct from all its material envelopments or instruments, even when apparently most chained and ☛ impeded in its operations by their imperfections or irregularities.

Mr. Fosbroke, in the second number of his Encyclopedia of Antiquities, gives the following curious description of the ancient taverns of Italy.

"Nothing is a stronger proof of the size and populousness of Herculaneum, than its nine hundred publick houses. These houses, as appears by the Herculanean placard, contained not only baths, but pergula-galleries at the top of the houses,

or balconies, but more commonly green arbours, and conacula, dining rooms in the upper story of the house. A kind of counter appears at Pompeii, because the Romans did not recline, but sat, when they refreshed themselves at these places. The flaggons were chained to posts. The landlord and landlady had a particular costume. Vendors of unguents and perfumes also attended, and addressed the guest with Dominus and Rex, if he hoped for custom. In the inns on the roads there were both hot and cold meats; but Plutarch mentions a Spartan who brought his own meat, and gave it to the host to dress. Tiberius prohibited their selling any baker's goods. Nero permitted only boiled vegetables, though every kind of delicacy was common before. Juvenal describes the company as usually consisting of thieves, sailors, artificers, drunken Galli, &c.; and these places then, as now, were considered as permitting freer behaviour than elsewhere."

Dr. Webster, in his account of the island of St. Michael's, states, that in the orange groves every tree yields annually 6000 or 8000 oranges or lemons; and that 26,000 are known to have been gathered from a single tree. The proprietors, to whom speculation would be a fatigue, sell the produce to English or American merchants, whose agents travel about the country, purchasing all the fruits, even before they are ripe. Dr. Webster calculates the annual exports of fruit at nearly 60,000 chests: what remain in the island he rates at 40,000.

An American engraving of Barley Wood, the residence of Mrs. Hannah More, is on sale at New York, the profits of which are to be devoted towards establishing a missionary school for females in Ceylon, to be called Barley Wood. Such a compliment from a far country must be acceptable even to the Christian humility of the illustrious female to whom it is paid; especially if she is aware of the degree in which her writings have operated for the improvement of the female character on the distant shores of the western world.

A Bengalee version of Todd's enlarged edition of Dr. Johnson's Dictionary, is in a course of publication in India. The publick is indebted for this laborious and useful work to the conjoint labours of Baboo Ram Comul Sen and Mr. Felix Carey.

At a late meeting of the Calcutta Asiatick Society, Major Harriot presented a memoir respecting the Gypsey tribe, the supposed migrations of which he traces through various countries. In the pro vince of Khorasaun the Gypsies are said to be numerous, and are called Karashmar. Four thousand of the Kaultee or Loolee class were brought into Persia fourteen hundred years ago, by Bairam