others involved the dereliction almost of honesty and good faith. There was, no doubt, in his character, a substratum of kind and benevolent feeling. There was a natural amenity of disposition, an original sobriety and a turn for reflection; and had he been religiously educated, or educated with any common care, these qualities would probably have been evolved in the fairest proportions. The grace of God might have crowned the faithful training of such a mind, with blessed success; and and its beautiful developments would have been the admiration of the wise and good, of all succeeding time. But with the neglect which he experienced, it is no matter of surprise, that he passed a thoughtless childhood, a dissipated youth, and an unsettled, dissatisfied, and unhappy manhood. It is rather a matter of wonder, that the fine stamina of his moral and intellectual constitution, so heedlessly trained, should have been so little perverted or overborne, in the subsequent intercourse of life. A child left to such light and pernicious reading as he indulged in, whose juvenile library was another name for licentiousness and folly,-"the Cottage Classics of Ireland,"— and unrestrained in a career of improvidence, irregularity, and indolence, might not unnaturally be supposed, to be destined to absolute ruin of character and hope, in the end. Yet his habitual conduct, though much to be lamented, was not one dark shade of corruption. Everybody loves Oliver Goldsmith with all his faults. Not a morally delinquent or unfortunate author ever lived, who is more admired or more commiserated than he, not one, with whom our kindly and sympathizing feelings are more largely shared. The general delicacy and purity of his productions show, that he could, for the time being, rise above the hateful influences to which he was exposed,-that he could feel the importance of bearing his testimony against the follies and aberrations, of which he himself was occasionally guilty, that he thought it due to mankind, that only his best thoughts and choicest fancies, should be communicated by the press. In this he judged rightly. No less an indemnity could he make for the allowed imperfections of his life; and though, had even much greater purity marked his writings, it was no proper atonement for his sins in the sight of God, yet we may be allowed to say, it may conciliate for him the favor of those, who, like himself, are by nature sinful and erring creatures. Let such as write only from the impulses of nature, as Goldsmith did, bequeath to the world productions more free from a vicious taint, if unhappily they cannot be claimed as positive auxiliaries of piety, and they may, without blame, raise

their voice against an author, who will ever delight the common mind, as he must ever excite the tender concern of those who fear God.

Of the biographer of Goldsmith we can only say, that, in general, he deserves well of the reading public. He has shown a commendable fidelity, and indefatigable spirit of industry and research. This seems now to be the established character of Mr. Prior, as a writer of literary biography. He is minute, thorough, evidently enamored of his task, and of course interesting. He brings to light much unknown or long forgotten matter, and illustrates a good deal of cotemporaneous history,some, that bears on the life and character of his subject, and some, the application of which seems to be difficult. In the latter respect, the critical reader will feel, that he has erred. Yet, after all, who, critic or general reader, does not peruse the narrative with a strong avidity? Our attention is called off, indeed, from the principal personage; but it is only to be fastened on others whose shorter story is detailed, in the same interesting manner. Discursive and episodical as Mr. Prior is, yet his work is hardly obnoxious to the critical charge once passed by the Edinburgh Review on Godwin's Life of Chaucer, of having, if we recollect aright, twelve pages of extraneous matter, to one line relating to the proper subject of the biography! It would have been well, however, had Mr. Prior foisted in less of irrelative narrative, or speculation, and given greater unity and condensation to his biographical sketch.

He vindicates the subject of his memoir with a becoming spirit, and with a goodly array of authority and learning. We love to see a generous enthusiasm, and even something like jealousy, in behalf of a friend whose cause we have espoused; but these feelings should not be manifested at the expense of the just reputation of others. We fear, that in the fervor of his love, our biographer has trespassed a little on this point. Besides, it was hardly worth the while to have attempted the vindication of Goldsmith, in regard to certain particulars which are evidently either inexcusable in themselves, or too trifling to be noticed.

Mr. Prior's style has little the appearance of effort, yet it is animated and dignified. It is direct and plain, and satisfies the taste of those who read for information. As to fine writing, Mr. Prior seems not to have aimed at it, any further than to avoid an abrupt and dry manner. The attentive reader will find, however, amid general excellence, several faulty constructions in the language, of which a scholar and practiced writer ought not to be guilty.

ART. III. SCHAUFFLER'S LAST DAYS OF CHRIST.

Meditations on the Last Days of Christ, consisting of Ten Sermons preached at Constantinople and Odessa: by WILLIAM G. SCHAUFFLER, Missionary of the A. B. C. F. M. Boston. William Peirce. 1837. pp. 380.

THE name of the author of this volume is dear to all who know him, and should be cherished by the warm affections of every American christian. "He was born in Stuttgard, Würtemburg, Germany, August 22, 1798. In 1804, his father, a turner by trade, removed with his family, and in company with other emigrants, to Odessa, a port on the northern shore of the Black Sea, in South Russia. * Mr. Schauffler's

two eldest brothers followed the occupation of their father. He became a musical instrument maker. His early literary and religious privileges were very limited. When about fifteen years of age he was confirmed, though not possessing any serious thoughts about religion. His conversion, the result of the instrumentality of a German missionary, took place in the winter of 1820. From this period he ever desired to become a missionary. Circumstances, however, prevented him till in the beginning of 1826, when the well known missionary, Rev. Joseph Wolff, came to Odessa. He invited Mr. S. to become one of his pupils, which invitation, with the consent of his friends, he accepted and proceeded to Constantinople. He there spent three months in studying English, Latin and Turkish. He then removed to Smyrna where he determined to visit this country, partly by the advice of Rev. Jonas King: Mr. Wolff paid his passage. He arrived at Boston, Nov. 7th, 1826, and on the 18th, came to reside in Andover. He joined the Seminary in the autumn of 1827, and completed the full course. He remained at Andover one year, 1830-31, as a resident licentiate. The degree of A. M. was conferred on him in 1831, by Amherst College. In December, 1831, he sailed for Constantinople."

* *

It would seem, that he received most of his literary and theological education at the Seminary at Andover, and we know, that his attainments, both in the Latin, Greek, and several of the oriental languages, are uncommon for almost any man to possess, and were wonderful for any one to acquire within the space allotted to him.

To this country about eleven years since, came this wanderer from home, prompted by his pious feelings, and his missionary zeal, and he came to it, a country, the fame of which had reached him as a land in which freedom, literary advantages, and fervent piety had their abode in an unwonted harmony,producing the fair fruits of activity for Christ at home, and zeal for the establishment of his kingdom in foreign lands. He stepped upon the wharf at Boston alone, but cheered by faith, as we may believe, and was received with open arms by the christians of this country. He came with but little literary cultivation, and he departed richly laden with the spoils of knowledge, ready to preach the gospel among the Jews, and the Gentiles, and "his kindred according to the flesh."

From this country he has received important good, and the fact, that we were enabled to reach forth such assistance to a man like him, should lead us to thank God, that there is something in which we may glory.

He has given us in return many a warm-hearted communication, sparkling with beauty, vigorous in sense, and glowing with love to the cause of Christ, and he has now sent us the volume which we propose to examine, as a token of his ardor and his faithfulness in his master's service.

The merits of this work are of themselves sufficient to raise it highly in our esteem, and to commend it to our affections as a work of permanent worth. To the christian, the scholar, the admirer of works of genius, and the lover of the word of God and of the cause of his Son, it cannot fail to be most acceptable, and to be read by all such with intense interest.

The volume is entitled, "Meditations on the Last Days of Christ," &c. If, however, the reader should infer from the title, that it consists principally of such devout reflections and practical inferences, as the scenes considered may well inspire, and of these alone, he will be much mistaken. The objects which call upon the heart to awaken, and which speak plainly of our own duty, are presented with much distinctness and force; and the presentation of these occupies by far the greater portion of the volume. The brief notes which the evangelists have left behind of these stirring transactions, are expanded into an accurate, an extended, and lively narration. The native powers of the writer, and his stores of sacred knowledge, seem to have been taxed to the utmost to present to the eye of the modern reader, what was once transacted in Palestine, and to give to the scenic representation the life and the interest of a present reality. If we may judge from the success of this effort, we should estimate

highly the qualifications which he possesses of throwing a lively interest around any historical scene which he depicts, and of painting it clearly and strongly to the eye. His knowledge of the local situation of the several parts of the sacred country, as gained from a familiar acquaintance with biblical geography and an attentive study of the map of Palestine, places him at ease in any city or village. He tells us distinctly its neighboring mountains and rivers, and can turn his eyes at once in the direction where lies the holy city and the temple, to which the Jew directs his face and worship. He seems also to have studied the surface of the country and its external aspect, so that, from any of its eminences, he can point us now to the village which is almost hidden in a remote valley, now to Libanus, towering, and yet faintly seen in the distant north, and again to the great western sea, that rests in the blue distance, where "go the ships," and where is leviathan that playeth therein.

This knowledge, so necessary as it is to the student of any portion of the sacred narrative, is not retailed from the manual of sacred antiquities, or measured off to us from the biblical atlas, it is not presented in the detail of naked statements, and of tables of statistics and measurements; but it comes to us as though it were falling from the lips of a traveler who had beheld the living scene with his own eye, and had been fired with the inspiration of each sacred spot. Knowledge thus elaborated, and above all, animated with simplicity of purpose, true even to nature and a warm heart, though it may savor less of science and may command not the homage of the book-learned, is yet knowledge turned to its right account, and yields a rich repast to those who love what is good and true. Such always prefer the pure honey, which, by no peculiar taste, indicates the place where it was gathered, to that, which tells us so plainly, that it was culled even from the thyme of Hymettus. Besides, the more learned method of frequent references and quotations, breaks up the continuance of the discourse, checks, if does not preclude, all ardor of feeling and liveliness of description. It is far easier also to give to us the collected results of others' researches, than it is from these to frame that which shall turn these researches to their right account, and cause them to issue forth freshly from our own minds, a new creation, that bears the vivid impress of the source from which it sprung.

The mind of the author in the present instance, judging from his work, is characterized by a lively imagination, a warm