to get him out of these idle practices, which would be of great advantage both to himself and all the family. His arms are, The sky, azure, resting on the ocean and canopied by humid clouds: his motto is, Esto expansum.

My third brother's achievement is, A field verdant, surrounded by trees in full foliage, with the inscription, Herbescat terra herbulas. He is, upon the whole, a person of respectable habits, and has nearly left off some brutal sports to which he was once addicted at particular seasons; such as cock-fighting, goose-hunting, &c. He still keeps up the custom of an annual feast-not fast-of fritters or pancakes.

My fourth brother was once esteemed a particularly devout and exemplary person; but he has of late years greatly relaxed in his good habits, and seldom attends cburch. He used to be very regular in fasting, but at present satisfies his conscience by eating salt-fish and egg-sauce once a-year. I have, however, no particular fault to find with his general character, except the hypocrisy of suffering the church bells to ring for the sake of keeping up his pretensions to sanctity, when he seldom enters the doors. He has of late been very constant in his attentious at Brandenburgh House, and the turnpike keepers say they gained many hundred pounds by him. His arms are, The sun, moon, and stars; with the motto, Sunto luminaria in expanso.

I shall pass over my fifth brother's character with a very brief statement. He is a remarkably charitable personage, being accustomed once a year to distribute alms to all the poor in the village. He is fond of land-surveying, and is very exact in keeping up the bounds and land-marks of the parish. I wish he gave more moderate dinners to churchwardens and vestrymen on those occasions. His arms are, A bird volant, and a fish,

natant; his motto, Implete aquas, aera, terram.

The remarks which I have made respecting my fourth brother, will apply to my sixth, who has relaxed much of late years in his religious habits. Could not you, Mr. Editor, or some of your friends, per suade him to be more attentive than of late he has been, in observing an annual solemnity, which he once kept with great devotion, but which, I am sorry to say, has almost degenerated into a mere form, and in which his cook often takes more share than himself. Pray think whether something could not be done to restore that anniversary to its original utility; it has sadly fallen into neglect. His arms, I should add, are Adam and Eve in Paradise; with the motto, Ecce omnia bona.

Such are briefly the character and history of our illustrious family. I could relate many other particu lars, but have not time, being, as! told you, always much engaged, and at this moment labouring under a severe cold, from sitting in a newly scoured parlour with the carpet taken up. Excuse mistakes, as I am writing behind the counter in a shop full of ladies, choosing lace and feathers to exhibit on my eldest brother's birth-day, and amidst the clatter of mops, brooms, and brushes, which pursue me wherever I turn, beginning before I am out of bed in the morning, and scarcely ceasing when I retire at night.-I am, sir, your oppressed and disconsolate servant,

SATURDAY.

To the Editor of the Christian Observer. I HAVE been often led, in perusing the page of biography, to contrast the pharisaic and inefficient conso lations which it is too customary to employ for the support of dying persons, with the sincere, manly, and Christian language which be comes such occasions. How few dare to act openly with a dying friend! How few duly feel the im

portance of turning the thoughts of the sufferer into the Christian track of penitence, self-renunciation, and simple trust in the death and merits of the Saviour; instead of urging him to build his hopes on his past virtues, and to weave around him the flimsy robe of self-righteousness. I am reminded of the subject (which, however, I have more than once thought of introducing to your readers) by lately perusing the account of the conversation of Sir Walter Raleigh with Dr. Tounson, as related in the additions to Wood's Athenæ Oxoniensis, by Mr. Bliss. It is as follows:

"Dr. Tounson, Dean of Westminster, afterwards Bishop of Salisbury, has given a relation of this (Sir Walter Raleigh's) execution, in a letter to Sir John Isham, of Lamport, in Northamptonshire.

"He was,' says the Dean, the most fearless of death that ever was known, and the most resolute and confident, yet with reverence and conscience. When I began to encourage him against the fear of death, he seemed to make so slight of it that I wondered at him. And when I told him that the dear servants of God, in better causes than his, had shrunk back, and trembled a little, he denied not; but yet gave God thanks he never feared death, and much less then : for it was but an opinion and imagination; and the manner of death, though to others it might seem grievous, yet he had rather die so than of a burning fever. With much more to that purpose, with such confidence and cheerfulness, that I was fain to divert my speech any other way, and wished him not to flatter himself; for this extraordinary boldness I was afraid came from some false ground. If it sprang from the assurance he had of the love and favour of God,

of the hope of his salvation by Christ, and his own innocence as to the particular crime laid to his charge, as he pleaded, I said he was a happy man. But if it were a humour of vain glory, or carelessness or contempt of death, or senselessness of his own estate, he were much to be lamented, &c. For I told him, that heathen men had set as little by their lives as he would do, and seemed to die as bravely. He answered, that he was persuaded, that no man that knew God, and feared him, could die with cheerfulness and courage, except he were assured of the love and favour of God unto him. That other men might make shows outwardly, but they felt no joys within; with much more to that effect, very Christianly, so that he satisfied me then, as I think he did all his spectators at his death.'"

No truth can be more incontrovertible, than that contained in Raleigh's reply, that for a man who knows the character of God, and fears him, there is but one source of support in death, an assurance

not a mystical but a well-founded scriptural assurance-of God's love and favour to him, grounded, as Dr Tounson observes, on "the hope of salvation by Christ."—Most of your readers will recal to mind Mrs. H. More's admirable remarks on falsely "happy deaths; " I wish some of your correspondents, adequate to the subject, would pursue it at large. There is no topic of Christian casuistry which stands. more in need of elucidation, than the right mode of conducting deathbed visits; and I should rejoice to see the topic discussed in your pages, with such practical advice as the reading and experience of your correspondents may suggest.

E.

The Life of Wesley, and the Rise and Progress of Methodism. By ROBERT SOUTHEY, Esq., Poet Laureat, &c. 2 vols. 8vo. London: 1820. pp. 512 and 654.

IT is difficult to say how often, since the first publication of the work before us, we have heard the question proposed, "What could induce the author to write it?" At this our surprize has been great; because, even previous to our perusal of the work itself, no question appeared to us to admit of an easier and more satisfactory solution. The reasons are numerous and cogent which might prevail upon any intellectual, patriotic, or pious man, to inquire into the history or state of Methodism in this country. That system appears to have grown so rapidly, and yet to be established so firmly, that, if no other circumstance gave import ance to the inquiry, a philosophical mind like Mr. Southey's would at once be arrested by its capacities of expansion and endurance, and would be disposed to apply itself to the investigation of so vigorous and gigantic an institution. But Methodism is not less a subject of legitimate curiosity to the patriot than to the speculative philosopher. Can we see, perhaps, some hundreds of thousands of our countrymen, either linked in close and intimate connexion with so well organized and influential a body of instructors as that of the Methodists, or submitted to their casual but stirring lessons, without feeling a strong desire to estimate the probable effects of such conjunctions? When, however, to all this, is added the consideration, that Methodism is no mere collection of human dogmas, no mere body of artificial sentiments-though doubtless its rules are admirably contrived for perpetuating and enlarging its in

fluence-but that it is, strictly speaking, a religious system, not only embracing, but founding itself upon, all those grand principles which characterise the Gospel of Christ; and that it thus touches all the deep and secret springs of the will and the affections which set the moral machine in motion; he must be ill-acquainted with the history of human nature, who does not consider an investigation of this system to be of the highest importance to the interests of truth, and the well being of the community.

We see no necessity, therefore, for resorting to those lower or baser motives for engaging in this work, which, we regret to say, have been so prodigally and improperly charged upon Mr. Southey;-such as, a desire, in the first place, to suit the book market; then, to raise a laugh at the expense of serious religion-to exalt the church by calumniating her supposed enemies-to wound the more pious part of the Establishment through the sides of Methodism, and even to light the fires of persecution against them. All these motives, Mr. Southey himself would, without doubt, indignantly repel, and from all of them, even if we had no guarantee in our general knowledge of his character and writings, we ourselves should have been dis posed to acquit him, especially as we should have been able to discover a sufficient ground for his present undertaking, without hav ing recourse to such ungenerous imputations.

But still we are compelled to own, that, after the perusal of the work itself, we feel ourselves unable to decide with precision as to the specific object which the author had in view. Combined with the talent which is sure to be found in any production of Mr. Southey's, there

is a character of indistinctness and contrariety in many parts of this, which is by no means a common feature in his writings. This circumstance perplexes us. A clear design is apt to give a clear character to a work, and a perplexed design a character of confusion. After all, therefore, it may be wisest for us not to attempt to settle that which the author may not have settled for himself.

The considerations, however, which may have induced Mr. Southey to compose the work, are of comparatively little importance. The question of real consequence is, "What is likely to be the effect of it?" And in order better to judge of this, we shall think it right to attend the author, almost step by step, through his arduous and often interesting career, noticing especially those parts of his volumes which appear to us to call either for the censure or commendation of the reader.

Before, however, we enter on this undertaking, there are two points on which we shall think it right to offer a few observations: first, on the necessity for a new book on the subject of Methodism, notwithstanding the many already in existence; and secondly, on the extent of Mr. Southey's qualifications to become its author.

As to the first of these points, it may be confidently said, that all the preceding works on this subject, with perhaps a single exception, were little better than ex parte statements. A collection of the essays and treatises, long and short, from friends, enemies, and neutrals, on this subject, would form a very curious miscellany. In one, we have a self-called " unbiassed biographer," whose own reputation is altogether identified with the reputation of the people he describes. In another case, we are called to listen to some apostate from the cause of Methodism, justifying his desertion to a new standard by the abuse of his old fel

low-soldiers. In a third case, we are amused by a fanciful parallel, executed by episcopal hauds, between two things about as like as fire and ice-Methodism, and Popery. After this, we have some brain-sick enthusiast, for whom the strange ravings of some of the early Methodists are scarcely wild enough; then, a self-called orthodox churchman, in whose eyes the very excellencies of Methodism are among its greatest crimes; then, an ultra-Arminian, who forgives all its follies, for the sake of its antipathy to Calvinism; then, an ultra - Calvinist, who measures his zeal for Christ by his hostility to John Wesley. In short, Methodism is of so positive and pungent a nature; it speaks such plain language; its doctrines stand out with so little of shade and relief; it walks abroad so thoroughly unveiled; it makes such powerful appeals to the passions, and treats with so little ceremony what is old and established in opinion and practice merely because it is so; that it has made almost every man its friend or its enemy, and has dipped the pen of most previous writers on the subject, up to the very shaft, either in honey or in gall. It caunot, therefore, be doubted, that in order to present any just conception of Methodism, it must be sketched by a new pencil. It needed some cool and steady hand to weigh its merits and demerits; to seize the scales from the struggling grasp of friends and foes; to cast out every expedient which ought not to be weighed in by either party, and honestly to strike the balance between them.

As to the second point-namely, how far Mr. Southey is qualified for the discharge of this his very difficult and delicate office--we think it fair to set out by saying, that the work every where indicates the great assiduity and perseverance as well as talents of its author. It is one of the distinguishing properties of Mr. Sou

they's mind, that he exerts himself with a well-directed industry of research, beyond almost any writer, to collect every thing which bears on his undertaking. He lays the whole world of letters under contribution for facts, images, and arguments, until every magazine of information is utterly exhausted. It is not our intention, however, in thus saying, to affirm that, after all, Mr. Southey is in this instance thoroughly acquainted with his subject. But if he is not, the fault is not to be charged upon indolence or carelessness. A due appreciation of the character of Methodism appears to us to depend upon certain other causes, which ought always, indeed, to be associated with industry and vigilance, but by no means to be identified with them. This, however, may confidently be affirmed, that Mr. Southey has brought together a larger and a better assemblage of facts than any former labourer in the same field. And, with this observation, we will sum up, for the present, what we have to say of him as a biographer, only adding, that, such being the deficiency in this department of literature and theology, and such the spirit of industry and research which this intelligent writer has brought to the undertaking, the work is and must be entitled to close attention. We are not sure that, in our analysis of it, or in our farther observations upon it, we shall win the thanks either of the author, or of the body whose history and constitution he examines; but as far as candour is concerned, we will endeavour to deserve the approbation of both. Our readers will not, we think, be displeased with us for extracting largely from two of the most entertaining volumes we ever remember to have read, especially as it will enable us to lay before them a succinct history of Methodism.

The first chapter in the work is occupied with an account of Mr. Wesley's family. There is, in ad dition to much genuine piety, a

certain sturdiness and energy in the character of both of his immediate progenitors, which harmonize well with our abstract ideas of the parents of such a child. And to his mother's fostering hand especially may be traced, under the Divine blessing, many of the more remarkable features of piety in the character of her son. The following letter, written by his mother as an apology to her husband, who was absent at the convocation, for assembling the poor of his village, in order to pray with them, and to read a sermon to them, would not have been unworthy of Wesley himself.

"As to its looking particular,' she said, 'I grant it does; and so does almost every thing that is serious, or that

may any way advance the glory of God, or the salvation of souls, if it be performed out of a pulpit or in the way of

common conversation; because in our corrupt age the utmost care and diligence has been used to banish all discourse of God, or spiritual concerns, out of society, as if religion were never to appear out of the closet, and we were to be ashamed of nothing so much as of confessing ourselves to be Christians.' To the objection on account of her sex she answered, that as she was a woman, so was she also mistress of a large family; and though the superior charge lay upon him as their head and minister, yet in his absence she could not but look upon every soul which he had left under her care, as a talent committed to her under a trust by the great Lord of all the families of heaven and earth. 'If,' she added, I am unfaithful to Him or to you, in neglecting to improve these talents, how shall I answer unto Him

when he shall command me to render an account of my stewardship?' The objections which arose from his own station and character she left entirely to his own judgment. Why any person should reflect upon him, because his wife endeavoured to draw people to church, and restrain them, by reading and other persuasions, from profaning the Sabbath, she could not conceive; and if any were mad enough to do so, she hoped he would not regard it. For my own part,' she says, I value no censure on this account: I have loug