y, indeed, she will never go much into er garden and her family amuse her; he idea of company is death to her. ever see a human face but each other's. gh in such deep retirement, I am never because I am not reduced to the fatigue tertaining dunces, or of being obliged en to them. We dress like a couple of mouches, dispute like a couple of Es, eat like a couple of Aldermen, walk - couple of porters, and read as much as wo doctors of either university.

wish the fatal 20th was well over: ead the anniversary of that day. On wedding day she went to the abbey, e she staid a good while; and she said ad been to spend the morning on her and's grave; where, for the future, she Id always pass her wedding days. Yet eems cheerful, and never indulges the melancholy in company. She spends so few hours in her bed, that I cannot imahow she can be so well: but her very activity, both of body and mind, has, anly speaking, preserved her life. Mrs. Boscawen had made a little party ch she thought I should like: for you t know there are no assemblies or great ies till after Christmas, and till then it is the fashion to wear jewels, or dress at This last custom has, I think, good sense economy in it, as it cuts off a couple of aths from the seasons of extravagance : I fancy it redeems but little from the ts, for one may lose a good deal of ey in a very bad gown.

"London, 1780. I spent a very comfortable day yesterday 1 Miss Reynolds; only Dr. Johnson, and 3. Williams and myself. He is in but r health, but his mind has lost nothing of vigour. He never opens his mouth but learns something; one is sure either of ring a new idea, or an old one expressed an original manner. We did not part till

ven.

He scolded me heartily, as usual, en I differed from him in opinion, and, as al, laughed when I flattered him. I was y bold in combating some of his darling judices; nay, I ventured to defend one or of the Puritans, whom I forced him to ow to be good men, and good writers. said he was not angry with me at all for ing Baxter. He liked him himself; but en,' said he 'Baxter was bred up in the ablishment, and would have died in it, if could have got the living of Kidderminster. e was a very good man.' Here he was ong; for Baxter was offered a bishoprick

ter the restoration.

"I never saw Johnson really angry with e but once; and his displeasure did him so uch honour that I loved him the better for

I alluded rather flippantly, I fear, to me witty passage in Tom Jones:' he plied. I am shocked to hear you quote

from so vicious a book. I am sorry to hear you have read it: a confession which no modest lady should ever make. I scarcely know a more corrupt work.' I thanked him for his correction; assured him I thought full as ill of it now as he did, and had only read it at an age when I was more subject to be caught by the wit, than able to discern the mischief. Of Joseph Andrews I declared my decided abhorrence. He went so far as to refuse to Fielding the great talents which are ascribed to him, and broke out into a noble panegyric on his competitor, Richardson; who, he said, was as superior to him in talents as in virtue; and whom he pronounced to be the greatest genius that had shed its lustre on this path of literature.

"Hampton, 1780.

"I have been spending a week with my good friends the Diceys: they have an admirable house, and, as far as I can judge of the grounds in their present winter dress, they are exceedingly pretty. The Duke of Bridgewater has a seat in the parish. We lived very placidly. The good parson read to us every evening. Mr. Dicey lives like a prince. I never saw any establishment more consistently liberal and handsome thoughout. Mr. D. saw me safe home, and loaded me with apples, cream, cheeses, &c;-not being able to procure any game. I really thought they would have made me bring away some of their clothes and furniture. As Mrs. Garrick's year is out, we have been very busy sending round her cards of thanks. I suppose they include seven hundred people, six hundred of whom I dare say she will hardly ever let in again.

"We pack off on Tuesday for good as they say, all except Liddy; and we regret leaving a new cow, and a young calf; and the birds that we feed three times a day at the window are to be left on board wages; a small loaf being to be brought them every morning. I think I have told you a great deal of news

"Your letters are as full of deaths as the weekly bills of mortality; or as an honest man who dined here the other day called them, the bills of morality.' Who would have thought they had been London bills."

REVIEW.-The Day-Star of the World's

Freedom; an Ebenezer for the First
Day of August, 1834. By John Mori-
son, D. D.; published by the Sunday
School Union. London. 1834.

THE substance of this little volume was

delivered before the associated ministers and churches of the Chelsea and Pimlico districts of the metropolis. It is an attempt to improve the very interesting events of the first of August, by reviewing the past humiliating history of slavery, by

pointing attention to the present joyful deliverance from it, and by directing the hopes and the efforts of his readers to the improvement of past advantages, and to fresh exertions in behalf of those whom the justice of British citizens has at length raised to the rank of men. We admire the spirit in which it is written, and we the more cordially recommend it to general perusal, because it contemplates universal emancipation, and because it exposes the unparalleled inconsistency and want of principle exhibited by the Americans, in the maintenance of their atrocious system.

REVIEW.- Evening Readings in History; comprising portions of the History of Assyria, Egypt, Tyre, Syria, Persia, and the Sacred Scriptures; with Questions, arranged for the use of Family Circles. By Mrs. L. H. Sigourney, of New Hartford, Connecticut. Reprinted from the American edition. Ward and Co. London. 1834.

THE name of Mrs. Sigourney is in itself a sufficient stamp to warrant the merit of a work intended for the instruction of children. To give to history, and to ancient history in particular, a tone of interesting simplicity, and thus to render it responsive to the artless inquiries of childhood, was to be expected only from a female writer; and yet how few, if any, of the female writers of the present day, distinguished as this intellectual period is for the usefulness as well as the brilliancy of the feminine pen, are qualified either by their course of studies or their habits of thinking, for the task of breaking down the ruggedness of the history of ancient empires, so as to make pleasure-paths of them, on the sides of which children may pluck the flowers of knowledge? Women, it must be confessed, do sometimes surprise us with wonders in this line, and absolutely bring us nosegays from regions where we have wandered with much pain in the days of our academic studies, and found little except thorns. The very doctors in divinity, and gownsmen of college, for the most part, treat the history of ancient Africa as a mere piece of school knowledge, and are contented with a very vague outline, comprising a few conventionally received particulars. The history of Assyria and Egypt is, however, so connected, on many important points, with that of Judea, and consequently with the historic and prophetic portions of scripture, that an inquiring mind can never be fully satis

fied without a sketch, at least, of the poi tical history, and the manners of these countries; nor can there be a doubt that t such a sketch, if drawn with correctness in a familiar and engaging manner, must be highly beneficial to the youthful readers of scriptures.

This effort of Mrs. Sigourney to supply deficiency in literature, which all readers of scripture have felt, and none more than those teachers who are surrounded by circles of inquiring youth, is worthy of the highest commendation. Her style is ex tremely plain, and the incidents which lean towards scriptural texts are carefully and yet pleasingly narrated. Without abso lutely saying that she has left no room for any competitor, we may assert, that her little work will strengthen the piety, while it enlarges the knowledge of the rising generation.

REVIEW. Parental Duties in the Promotion of Early Piety. By the Rev. Jacob Abbott, of Boston, America; Av thor of "The Young Christian,” &c.&c. T. Ward, & Co. London. 1834.

THIS is an importation from the native literary stores of America, and belongs to a class which seems to be as prolific in the United States as it is at present in this country,—that which has for its object the religious instruction of the rising generation. Mr. Abbott considers it the first of the parental duties to enforce upon children: the filial duty of absolute-of almost pas sive obedience; and this for the purpose of implanting upon the human mind the divine truths which are the foundation of christian knowledge. There is a rigour of tone, and an imperfection of argument, in most of these pages, which render it doubtful to us whether this work will ever be, in the least degree, so popular in English society as it is said to be in its native country. There may be more political freedom in the United States, but among us there is a mental freedom which will not -which must not - be restrained, and which will ultimately make all other freedom, not merely more ample, but more secure. Mr. Abbott would have a son believe because a father believes; but in England a son believes, because he knows those to be truths in which his father believes. The direct conclusion we should be apt to draw from Mr. A.'s work, would be-that religious instruction is much less to be depended upon in America than we have been informed it is,—and the indirect

r collateral conclusion would be-that in e United States, under Mr. A.'s system, a outh is more likely to believe in his father an in the scriptures; while in England, nder our more liberal system, a youth is ure to believe in scripture if he believes at 1. We teach our youth to think, and then o believe; the American forces them to elieve, and leaves them to think and nderstand as they can.

REVIEW. - Accidents of Human Life; with Hints for their Prevention, or the Removal of their Consequences. By Newton Bosworth, F.R.A.S. Second Edition, enlarged. Ward and Co. London. 1834.

THIS little work ought to be in the hands of every person, young and old, for it provides the mind with a magazine of resources, which, in the greater and lesser accidents to which every human being is continually liable, may afford immediate aid, or prevent consequences of a serious and afflicting character. "The occurrence of an accident," observes the author in his preface,"calls for prompt exertion; and often leaves no time for reasoning, deliberation, or inquiry: if, then, the minds of the actors in the hasty scene be uninformed as to the proper mode of proceeding, it is evident that, in many cases, the danger of increasing the evil will be, at least, as great as the probability of removing or lessening it. And how often, especially in the country, do we meet with persons so egregiously ignorant of what is proper to be done, in any emergency, that their assistance is rather to be deprecated than desired?"

It is certain, that the instruction contained in this volume cannot be impressed at too early a period upon the mind; and we are told by the author, that he considered a course of addresses to young persons, as the best mode of conveying the information he had to impart. Such addresses, or familiar lectures, were delivered to his resident pupils at Merton Hall Academy, Cambridge, and attended by persons of the University, who not only approved the plan, but furnished or suggested several observations and incidents.

The utility of the work will be seen by the character of its contents, where we find four addresses on the accidents from fire; three on those occasioned by water; one, of a very interesting nature, relative to the accidents at play; with a lecture on the accidents to which travellers are liable.

After a careful perusal of these pages, which, if they cannot properly be termed amusing, are certainly extremely interesting, we have not the smallest doubt that many lives have been already preserved, and the lasting consequences of many serious accidents prevented, by these lec

tures.

REVIEW.- Conversational Exercises on the Gospels. In Two Volumes. Vol. 1: Questions. Vol. 2: Answers. London. Holdsworth and Ball. 1834.

WE are informed in the short preface of this little useful work, that it was written to assist classes in scriptural knowledge, and it now appears in print to encourage such as may have influence and leisure sufficient for the purpose of assembling a Bible class around them. The work corresponds, as to the Harmony of the Gospels, with Townsend's "New Testament Arranged," and the questions and answers have been, in almost every instance, suggested by such standard works as Scott, Doddridge, Henry, Calmet, &c. To enter into any detail of a work of this nature cannot be requisite, but we are of opinion that those who are seriously engaged in imparting not merely to youthful minds, but to the more adult inquirer into Christian knowledge, principles, as the foundation of their faith and their hopes of salvation, there cannot be an assistant more exact or correct in the arrangement of the truths to be taught, or consequently better calculated to impress upon the memory of the learner the intimate connexion of those truths with one another.

BRIEF SURVEY OF BOOKS.

1. The Church at Philippi; or, the Doctrines and Conduct of the Early Christians Illustrated, &c., by S. Baynes, (Leslie, London.) The progress of divine truth is of necessity a subject of deep interest with all in whose minds the day-star of evangelical hope has arisen: and those are unworthy of the sacred name of Christians, who look, without emotion, upon the efforts which are being made in the present day towards its universal prevalence. Akin to this interest is also that curiosity which we feel, to know all that can be told us relative to the history of the primitive churches of Christ; such as their geographical position, numerical strength, trials, conquests, graces, &c. To gratify this taste the above mentioned volume has been produced, in

which many interesting particulars are collated relative to the Church at Philippi, with a kind of running comment upon the facts, as they are developed in the records of inspiration, the tendency of which is to rouse the mind to holy and animating resolutions in the cause of God, and to shew to the Christian world a pattern of piety and of zeal, especially worthy of imitation.

2. Rhymes for Youthful Historians; designed to assist the Memory in retaining the most Important Dates in Ancient History, aud the principal Events in the History of England; with Portraits of Thirty-five Sovereigns, (E. Wilson, London.) An excellent epitome this, which cannot be too strongly recommended to parents and teachers, as an entertaining method of impressing upon the memory of children facts and dates connected with history. It is decidedly the best book of the kind we have ever seen. The rhymes are easy and agreeable, without being too diffuse; and there is a pith and terseness in many of the lines, which has often surprised us.

3. A Practical Exposition of Saint Paul's Epistle to the Romans, by the Rev. R. Anderson, (Hatchard & Son, London,) This Exposition is such as may strictly be called popular, and is better fitted for the closet than it is for the study of the divine. It is in fact the substance of a series of Expository Lectures, delivered by the author to the people of his charge; so that much learned criticism, or erudite speculation, would, under such circumstances, have been singularly out of place, besides that the author himself informs us that the practical view which may be taken of this part of the Word of God, was that which he chiefly laboured to unfold. We do not profess to accord with the expositor in all his views. What he has advanced upon Chap. viii. ver. 18 to 23, seems at best but very superficial but upon the whole there is in this volume much pious counsel, and sound divinity, which may be read with great advantage by persons of different theological creeds.

THE ROMAN METHOD OF SMOKING WINE. [From Professor Ward's MSS. Adversariæ.] THE fullest account of this matter, which I know of, is in Columella. He is speaking of the situation and form of a country seat, which he divides into three parts; urbanam, rusticam, and fructarium; under the second of which he has the following passage."Fumarium quoque, quo materia, si non

jam pridem casa, festinato siccetur, in parte rustica villæ fieri potest junctum rusticis balneis; nam eas quoque refert esse, in quibus familia, seu tantum fibris lavetur. Neque enim corporis robori convenit frequens usus earum. Apothecæ recte super. ponentur his locis, unde plerumque fumus earum exoritur; quoniam vina celerius vetustescunt, quæ fumi quodam tenore præcocem maturitatem trahunt. Propter quod et aliud tabulatum esse debebit, quo admoveantur, ne rursus suffitione medicata sint." (Lib. i. c. 6.) It seems by this pas sage, that the smoke of the fires, which were under their baths, was conveyed by pipes or funnels into adjoining rooms, here called "fumaria," over which other rooms or lofts were built, into which the wine vessels were put to receive the benefit of the heat, in order to ripen it. And, I suppose, Horace alludes to this custom of putting the wine vessels into upper rooms for that purpose, when, addressing his amphora, he says,

Descende Corvino jubente
Promere languidiora vina.

Od. L. 3-21.

the wines, it is probable that in some places As one design of this custom was to ripen the merchants, who are generally desirous to push on trade, and make the quickest vessels in the fumaria to ripen the wines return of their money, might place the the sooner, by which means they might

contract too much of the smoke. Hence, perhaps, that of Martial :

Improba Massiliæ quicquid fumaria cogunt
Accipit ætatem quisquis ab igni cadus.
A te, Murina venit," &c.
Ep. X. 36.

And Pliny, speaking of wines, says—“De reliquis in Narbonensi genitis asseverare non est, quoniam officinam ejus rei fecere tingentes fumo, utinamque non et herbis, ac medicaminibus noxiis.” H. N. xiv. 6. And again: "Vinum, si sit fumo inveteratum, insaluberrimum est. Mangones ista in apothecis excogitavere. Jam et patres familias ætatem addi his, quæ per se cariem traxere. Quo certe vocabulo satis consili dedere prisci, quoniam et materiis cariem fumus erodit ; et nos e diverso fumi amaritudine vetustatem indui habemus." lxxiii. 1.

It seems by these passages of Pliny, as if the wine received some smack or tinge from the smoke, which may be further confirmed by a place in Palladius.-"Anniculum quoque vinum, ut longam videatur simulare ætatem, melitoti unciam unam, glycyrhizæ uncias tres, nardi celtici tantundem, aloes epatici uncias duas tundis ef