ple among whom endeavours are making to diffuse Christianity; and we wanted them from men who, to all the necessary qualifications of travellers, add the warm interest and zeal of Christian love. We wanted also clearer statements of the obstacles, as well as advantages, which the peculiar circumstances of each country presents for the purpose of conversion; and we wished to obtain them from partial relations and observations, rather than from dissertations or formal treatises on the subject. In all these respects, we have been highly gratified by the publications on our table: that of Dr. Henderson, in particular, is full of curious and useful information; and his researches into the nature and derivation of the northern languages are of the most interesting character. His book is a full exemplification of our observations. He has remarked whatever was worthy the notice of the traveller, or useful in relation to the original design of his journey; and our readers will find in the pages of his volume rich materials for reflection.

ther almost entirely prevented their their rooms. The time, however, was and Dr. Henderson devoted his leisur study of the Armenian and Turkish lan in acquiring the former of which he sisted by a young priest of that com As soon as they were able to leave the ments, they visited all the most re parts of this vast city. But the most ing part of their relation is that of the view with the Armenian Archimandr phim, who is represented as a very lea amiable man. -Our travellers left on the 13th of April, and, after passing Borovsk and Maoli Ioroslavetz, the dered famous by the first battle lost leon on his retreat from the capital-a a day or two at Kaluga, a town situat left bank of the Oka. The Auxilia Society at this place, which had formed above a year before, they fou most prosperous condition. It had tv corresponding agents, and had alre 20,000 rubles to the committee at S burgh. On the 6th of May, Dr. H and his companion arrived at Kharko pital of the government of that nam were here, as on a former occasion, with finding they had arrived just be present at a very interesting meet students at the university, it seems, mined on forming a Bible Associati themselves; and on the morning a arrival a deputation waited on our tr require their attendance. The acco meeting is highly interesting, and ha it be for England were the same spi her universities, which animated t dren of half-civilized Russia.

We cannot pass over a relation o without feeling deeply impressed w at the want, in our seminaries of 1 any thing similar to such an evider and consistency. Putting aside all

The tour, of which the narrative is here given, was made during the years 1821 and 1822, in company with Dr. Paterson, the well-known Biblical traveller, and, for a part of the time, with Mr. Serof, the Assistant Secretary to the Russian Bible Society. During the eleven months which they were absent from St. Petersburgh they traversed the space of nearly 9,000 versts, and passed through twenty governments of the Russian empire. The account of this journey is replete with amusement: and, to those who are fond of books of travels, we know of few volumes more likely to prove acceptable; while the remembrance of the object for which the tour was undertaken gives it a deep and impressive interest, which no other of a different nature can possess. After having obtained letters, through the kindness of Prince Galitzin, to the principal civil and ecclesiastical authorities they might have to confer with on their journey, our travellers set out, from the house belong-siderations, and every thing unconn ing to the Bible Society, about three in the afternoon of the 2d of March, O. S., 1821. Besides the letters above mentioned, they had also obtained, through the influence of the prince, a free podoroshnaia, which serves both as an order for post-horses and a passport through the empire. It was their hope to reach Moscow before the breaking up of the winter roads: in this, however, they were disappointed, and on the 16th they were obliged to exchange their carriages for the common sledges of the country. On the evening of the next day they came within sight of the ancient capital of this immense empire, whose domes and spires, glittering in the setting sun, formed a striking contrast to the dreary road our travellers had just passed. Their arrival in Moscow, it appears, was very fortunate; for it happened just two days before the Bible Society commemorated its anniversary, and they had the gratification to be present at a meeting rendered more than commonly interesting to them. by the presence of several of the Russian, Armenian, Greek, and Georgian clergy. Owing to the impassable condition of the roads, they were obliged to remain in Moscow nearly a month; during which time the wea

the immediate interests of Christian it that we see not even a pretend academical influence to advance How is it, that, while the theorizing Germany and the apostles of Po forth to promulge the doctrines of tuaries, the temples of English le buried in silence and inactivity? It swered, that they are fully employ cating the priesthood of the countr so. Might they not do more? Ha an influence peculiar to themselves they not rouse, by their exampl power which antiquity has given sands who sleep under their shado ber under their patronage? Ha however, we should not quietly only claim to usefulness in the c Gospel. We would ask them, wha preparing the preachers of its t would inquire the reason why d even its collateral aids, is always a study? We would say to Camb cially, and that from some years e her discipline, why, when the old are pushed aside for La Place, m Bible be admitted as a part of the r

We shall be answered, no doubt, that a considerable change has taken place in the studies and examinations: and we answer again, that the addition made is paltry and contemptible. That no man of learning, unconnected with the university, does not laugh at the pretence; and that it is neither fitted to advance the students, or in harmony with the literary spirit of the age.

of those who descend into the gloomy abodes below. While our guide and the servants were lighting the candles, which were to render in some measure visible to us the darkness of the caverns, we viewed a large painting on the wall of the vestibule. representing a motley group of good and evil spirits, abiding the departure of the dying, in order to convey their souls to the regions, either of felicity or of wo. The latter were depicted in the midst of vivid flames; and the arch-tiend, having been rendered more conspicuous than any of the other

standing by, infuriated with rage, ran up and gave him some hard blows with the sharp leathern front of his cap. From the battered appearance of the head, and that of some of the fiends that were near him, it appeared this was not a solitary instance of this kind of treatment. Would that men were equally enraged at the cloven foot, when presented in the multiform shapes of temptation!

That the system pursued at Cambridge is unsuited to arouse the energies of the youthful mind, or urge it on to industrious and useful exertion, it wants no other proof than the well-figures composing the scene, a boy, who was known fact that the idlest of her students can prepare themselves for their degree in two or three months. We know, to obtain honours, a longer preparation is necessary; but when it is certain that the great mass do not aspire after these distinctions, but are, notwithstanding, intended as ministers of religion, ought the testimonial of a learned and a sound education to be earned by a shorter course of study than the one supposed to be employed? Ought insufficiency and indolence to meet with patronage in a place professing to educate men for the most important offices of human life? That a university education is not proportionably rising in importance with the advancing science of the age, requires no evidence beyond that afforded by the present progress of knowledge without the aid either of patronage or power, both among the middling and lower classes of the people.

But, to return from this digression, and follow our author to the town of Kief, whose antiquity can be traced farther back than that of any other city in Russia, he has furnished us with several very amusing particulars. The population of this place is at present 20.000. It must, however, a few centuries back, have been considerably greater, as the town, it is said, in the eleventh century, contained 400 churches; which, though evidently an exaggerated statement, is a proof of its ancient populousness. The whole account of this place is particularly interesting. We extract the description of the catacombs.

"The following morning, at 8 o'clock, we again visited this place, according to appointment,in order to make the tour of the Catacombs, or the extensive domains of the dead, consisting of subterranean labyrinths of great extent,which are excavated in the precipitous declivity of the hill forming the bank of the river. These remarkable dormitories are divided into two classes; the nearer and the more remote,--the distance being reckoned from the principal church within the precincts of the monastery, in the gulley to the south of which the two churches are situated, whence the descent into "the nether parts of the earth" is effected. Following a young monk, who had been selected to con

"Our lights being provided, we descended into the passage leading to the Catacombs, known by the name of St. Anthony's, the founder of the monastery, whose relics are preserved in a cubitory at the extremity of the labyrinth. This passage is about six feet in height, but so extremely narrow, that it is with difficulty two persons can pass each other. Like all the other apertures and subterraneous galleries to which it leads, it is dug out of the hill, which seems to consist of a mixture of sand and clay, possessing a considerable degree of adhesion, but too soft to be entitled to the character of stone.

"The sides and roof are, for the most part, black from the smoke of the torches which are incessantly conveyed through the passage; and, where there is any turn or winding in it, the projecting angle is partly smoothed and worn away by the friction occasioned by the numerous companies of visiters.

"We had not proceeded far, when we came to a niche on the right side of the passage, containing a coflin without the lid, in which lay the mummied body of one of the saints, wrapped in a silken shroud, with one of the stiffened hands placed in such a posture, as easily to receive the kisses of those who visit the cemetery for purposes of devotion. This token of respect was paid by our guide, not only to this relic, but to all we passed, the number of which, in this dormitory, amounts to eighty-two. After advancing to the distance of about twenty yards, in a north-westerly direction, we turned round suddenly to the east, by a somewhat circuitous passage, and then proceeded again towards the north; observing, as we passed, the numerous niches on both sides, containing bodies, or parts of the bodies of those who have acquired renown by the degree of austerity and mortification to which they attained in re

154

unghostly inhabitant. In one of these little chambers we were shown the remains of a rigorous ascetic of the name of John, who, as the legend goes, constructed his own dormitory, and, after building himself in by a wall with a small window, as above described, he interred himself up to the waist, and in this posture performed his devotions, till death left him in possession of the grave he had made. A figure representing him is visible through the small aperture, but whether his mummy, or merely his effigy, we could not determine. Another of these sepulchres is said to contain the relics of the twelve friars who first addicted themselves to the severities of the monastic

extensive as the former; nor is the cel the saints, whose relics they contain, that of those entombed in the caverns of ny. Besides the chapel and tomb of the we visited two chapels dedicated to th and the Elevation of the Cross, but f thing remarkable, after what we had the others. The number of bodies, or bodies, contained in the latter Cataco which are venerated as relics possesse der-working powers, amounts to forty

"Our visit to these 'dark places, nether parts of the earth,' where we were among those that be dead of old in no small degree, to furnish us w recollections of those passages of which represent the grave as a pit into which a descent is necessary, Psa 1; cxliii. 7; Prov. i. 12; where ther recesses, containing dormitories, o burying-places, Isaiah xiv. 15; Ezek. so that each dead body may be said its own house,' Isaiah xiv. 18; and own bed,' chap. lvii. 2. The idea als subterraneous abode necessarily pr self to our minds-an idea frequentl

6

life in this place, one of the bones of the protomartyr Stephen, and some of the children of Bethlehem, murdered by order of King Herod! "After penetrating to the northern extremity of this region and shadow of death,' we came to the sepulchre of Nestor, the celebrated father of Russian history, who flourished in the Petcherskoi Monastery from about the middle to the end of the eleventh century, and was contemporary with Ari Frode, the first Icelandic historiographer. The monk appears to have been gifted with a large share of nawith in the sacred and other orienta tural understanding; and, to judge from the Hence Solomon, when treating of style of his writings, he must have been famiman's mortal existence, calls the liar with the scriptures; for he not only quotes long home,' Eccles. xii. 5; to wh them frequently, but seems to have adopted family residence, descendants are s their narrative style as the model of his own or 'be gathered' at death, Gen. xv. 1 compositions. His intercourse with the reign-xxii. 20; and on one of the ancien ing family, his perusal of the Byzantine historians, the opportunities he enjoyed of collecting the current traditionary accounts from the mouth of his countrymen, and the numerous historical monuments which Kief and its immediate vicinity presented to his view; all furnished advantages of which he happily availed "The origin of the Catacombs o himself, and has thereby transmitted to us the be traced to the introduction of the knowledge of important historical facts, con- into Russia. Hilarion, presbyter nected with the ancient history of Russia, a learned and devout man, aba which must otherwise have perished with the church, and the intercourse of the lapse of time. Of his Annals, a truly critical a cell, two fathoms in depth, in a edition, in the original Slavonic, accompanied and woody part of the hill, close with various readings, a German translation, where the monastery now stand and valuable historical commentaries, was pub-imposed upon himself numerous lished by Professor Schlözer, of Gottingen, 1802-9.

"From the dormitory of Nestor, the dreary avenue turned round by a gradual descent towards the Borysthenes; and, after leading us past a number of dead bodies, brought us to two subterraneous chapels: the first, only at a short distance from the river, is dedicated to Anthony, who here lies enshrined in a coffin covered with silver; and the other, situated nearer to the entrance, is dedicated to the Purification of the Virgin. Both are richly ornamented, and are used for the performance of mass on such days in the calendar as are appropriated to these festivals.

"We now returned to the spot whence we
had descended, and were glad to exchange the
confined air, and melancholy gloom of this se-
pulchral labyrinth, for the fresh breeze ascend-
ing from the river, and the exhilarating pros-
pect supplied by the surrounding scenery.
"At a short distance to the south, are situ-

ated the farther!!

inscriptions, found on the island of same idea of the grave, as a place o

בתעלטקבר ;is evidently conveyed

if properly divided, is, p hy n chamber of the long abode-the gr

tification, till called by Iaroslav to
tropolitan of Russia. The cell, h
soon re-occupied by a native
who, after performing a pilgrimag
Athos, where he received the ton
sumed the name of Antonius, en
settle in some monastery; but no
sufficiently strict in its rules of
repaired to the cave of Hilarion.
a most retired and austere life, a
self to prayer and fasting, and, in
acquired such reputation for sand
mense crowds of devotees, amor
Grand Duke Iziaslav himself can
in order to obtain his blessing.
now associated themselves with
larged the subterraneous reclusi
monastery was at length form
and chapels were erected for the
tion of those who visited the plac
course of time, after miraculous
ascribed to the relics of the orig

Lothery who had rendered t

obtained that celebrity which it still retains in the present day. What Jerusalem was to the Israelites, Kief is to the Russians; and the veneration in which the grand cathedral of the Petcherskoi Monastery, with its surrounding 'holy places' is held, is, at least, equal to that paid to the temple on Mount Zion. On this account, it is the great resort of pilgrims from all parts of the empire, not even excepting Kamstchatka, and other distant regions of Siberia, who, as they proceed hither, collect money from those who are not able to come in person, with which they purchase candles to be placed before the images of the saints. The average number of those who annually perform this pilgrimage, is estimated at 50,000."Henderson, pp. 181-188.

We should be extending this article to an undue length by too closely tracing the steps of our travellers; and after, therefore, giving some few passages from Dr. Henderson's very excellent notice of the Jews in Russian Poland, we must hasten with broader strides to the close of their journey.

sallow complexion, the features small, and the hair, which is mostly black, is suffered to hang in ringlets over the shoulders. A fine beard, covering the chin, finishes the oriental character of the Jewish physiognomy. But few of the Jews enjoy a robust and healthy constitution; an evil resulting from a combination of physical and moral causes, such as early marriage, innutritious food, the filthiness of their domestic habits, and the perpetual mental anxiety, which is so strikingly depicted in their countenance, and forms the most onerous part of the curse of the Almighty to which they are subject in their dispersion. Their breath is absolutely intolerable; and the offensive odour of their apartments is such, that I have more than once been obliged to break off interesting discussions with their Rabbins, in order to obtain a fresh supply of rarefied air.

"Their dress commonly consists of a linen shirt and drawers, over which is thrown a long black robe, fastened in front by silver clasps, and hanging loose about the legs. They wear no handkerchief about their neck, and cover the head with a fur cap, and sometimes with a round broad-brimmed hat. In their walk, the Jews discover great eagerness, and are continually hurrying towards some object of gain, with their arins thrown back, and dangling as if loose

at the shoulder.

66

"The number of Jews subject to the Russian sceptre, has been variously estimated, but, according to the most accurate accounts I have been able to collect, it falls little short of two millions. In the kingdom of Poland they are to be seen swarming in every direction; and in the provinces recently incorporated into the They generally marry at thirteen and fourempire, their rapid increase is the subject no teen years of age, and the females still younger. less of alarm than surprise to the other inhabi- I have heard of a Rabbi, who was disposing of tants. You cannot enter a town or a village, his household preparatory to his departure for how small soever its size, where you are not Palestine, that gave one of his daughters in met by them. Almost every thing is in their marriage, who had but just completed her ninth hands. They rent the estates of the nobility year. As a necessary consequence of this early and gentry, farm the public taxes, manage the marriage, it often happens that the young cou distilleries, keep the inns and brandy shops; ple are unable to provide for themselves, and, and so completely monopolize both the whole-indeed, altogether incapable, from youth and sale and retail trade, that it is scarcely possible for those who profess the name of Christ, to do any thing in the way of business. In Poland they have long enjoyed peculiar privileges, which has led some to give that country the name of Paradisus Judæorum, or the Jew's Paradise. We are not in possession of any authentic historical data, on which to build an opinion relative to the quarter whence they proceeded into the Polish territory; but, to judge from the great preponderance of German in their colloquial jargon, it seems in a high degree probable, that whatever numbers may have emigrated in this direction from Persia, and other parts of the cast, they came chiefly from the west, during some of those dreadful persecutions which were raised against them in the middle ages. Their first protector was one of the princes of Kalitsh. In 1264 they obtained regular privileges and immunities from Boleslaus, Duke of Halish; and

about the middle of the following century.

inexperience, of managing the common concerns of domestic economy. They are, therefore, often obliged to take up their abode at first in the house of the husband's father, except he be in reduced circumstances, and the father of the bride be better able to support them. The young husband pursues the study of the Talmud, or endeavours to make his way in the world by the varied arts of petty traffic, for which this people are so notorious. It is asserted to be no uncommon thing among the Jews for a father to choose for his son's wife some young girl who may happen to be agreeable to himself, and with whom he may live on terms of incestuous familiarity during the period of his son's minority.

66

Comparatively few of the Jews learn any trade, and most of those attempts which have been made to accustom them to agricultural habits have proved abortive. Some of those who are in circumstances of affluence, possess houses and other immoveable property: but the