not but think that there are many who will agree with me in much of its contents; I am fully aware, that there are few whose opinions on the subject of it, would not be perused with greater interest and more solid conviction. Those who feel themselves attached to the principles which more peculiarly characterize the Unitarian Dissenters, cannot but be solicitous that their ministers should be men of education, as well as of moral merit, and that the performance of the sacred offices of religion by the vulgar and illiterate, which, I regret to say, has of late been countenanced in one or two chapels, should be marked by the most decided disapprobation. When we see our minister ascend the pulpit, the belief of his superior attainments and more cultivated understanding, must of necessity give to his discourse both weight and authority; and while we are informed, that though much which now is hidden shall one day be revealed, we are well aware the learning of the scholar and the theologian has thrown a light upon many passages, from which much knowledge and improvement have been derived. We know that the wild enthusiast and bold declaimer are generally ignorant, and that humility is found only in those whose attainments are far above mediocrity. Who, let me ask, can hope for improvement from the silly rhapsodies of a self-created minister, whose honest employment behind the counter has been abandoned in the vain hope of distinguishing himself in the pulpit, and who has unwittingly dared to pretend to give that instruction to others, which, it must be apparent, he would so long have needed himself? Is it from the hope of gaining proselytes, or from the fear of losing converts, that an enlightened and respectable minister sanctions the performance of the religious duties in a man whose situation in life is little better than a common servant? It has always been considered advisable that our priests should receive a superior education. It is true, the great practical duties which we are called upon to perform may be enforced without eloquence; but we look for something more: we dissent from the Establishment, and we expect that our ministers will stand forward and be heard, not only from their pulpits confirming the wavering, but be seen, if needful, issuing from their closets, the able, yet temperate, advocates 'of a righteous cause. The mode of worship adopted by the majority of Protestant Dissenters, is also a strong additional reason why the minister should be a man of education. So long as the extempore prayer holds its place in their chapels, so long may canting nonsense be heard instead of those pious and simple addresses which derive their eloquence from the heart, and are beautiful only from the total absence of imaginary ornament. It is infinitely better in the propagation of important truth to appeal rather to the reason than the passions; but the illiterate pastor is miserably ignorant both of what he is to convince and of the art of convincing; and, in the place of the steady, solemn manner of the Christian gentleman and minister, you are disgusted with the arrogant self-importance, and the arduous display of that mite of knowledge, which are discoverable in the clumsy candidate for holy orders. Nor is the active duty of the Christian minister confined within the walls of his church; he has to comfort the sick, to administer hope and consolation to the dying, to animate the penitent, and to reprove the guilty. There are distinctions and gradations of rank, and we know the influence which they carry, even in the common concerns of life, and when we can see them backed by the more powerful influence of mind and character, we may fairly hope for the happiest results. When you cease to commit your pastoral duties to men of education, as well as of somewhat superior rank, you will soon perceive the more respectable part of the congregation diminish, and its more humble members any thing but improved. They have hitherto felt respect, because their minister was superior in situation to themselves; it was necessary, or his influence would have been but very trifling,-they were enlightened, because by his education he was enabled, in a clear and persuasive manner, to impress on their minds those precepts with which they ought to be familiar,-and the consolations which he administered were received with gratitude and confidence, because Sir these titled friends of Firmin. Robert Clayton, I found, was M. P. for London in ten Parliaments which occurred between 1678 and his death in 1707. He was Lord Mayor in 1679, when he held his mayoralty in his mansion just built in the Old Jewry, and where the London Institution was opened in 1805. Mr. Granger (Biog. Hist. III. 397) says of Sir R. Clayton, that he "well understood and sedulously promoted the commercial, civil and religious interests of his country." Becoming "obnoxious to the Duke of York by voting for the I Bill, he observed, with more attention than I had done before, the following passage, which is at pp. 85, 86, of the ed. 1698, and at p. 70 of the republication by the Unitarian Society, 1791: "My Lady Clayton has so great a respect for his memory, that she has, (with the concurrence of Sir Robert,) since his death, erected a handsome monument in their garden at Marden, in Surrey, in a walk there, called Mr. Firmin's walk, by reason of his contrivance and activity in it. This monument is a marble pillar, about eight feet high, with an urn, and flowers growing out of the top of it, with this motto, Florescit funere virtus; an emblem, you may conceive, of death and resurrection." Then follows" the inscription" on "a marble table fixed to one side of this pillar," and designed "to perpetuate (as far as marble and love can do it) the memory of Thomas Firmin, citizen of London." After characterizing Mr. Firmin's extraordinary exertions for the public good, under the impulse of a "charity not confined to any nation, sect or party," the inscription is thus concluded: "His agreeable temper rendering him an extraordinary lover of gardens, he contrived this walk, which bears his ness, and amused himself with building and planting, after that prince ascended the throne. When the Prince of Orange was at Henley, he was sent in the name of the city of London to compliment him on his arrival." Sir Robert Clayton had the honour to be traduced, under the character of Ishban, in the latter part of Absalom and Ahitophel, the composition of which, "unhappy Dryden," tired, perhaps, of his servile task, committed to that inferior hireling rhymer, Nahum Tate. Of Martha, the lady of Sir Robert Clayton, I can find no account. Marden Park, still possessed by a Clayton, is near Godstone, to the right of the 17th mile-stone on the road through Croydon to Lewes and Brighton. I wish one of your readers who may be travelling that road would ascertain and inform you whether the marble pillar is standing, and if “Mr. Firmin's Walk" is yet to be distinguished, after the changes and chances of 124 years; for so long has Thomas Firmin now rested from his works of faith and labours of love. N. L. T. Selections from "The North American Review." England. name, and where his improving con- Neglect of German Literature in versation and example are still remembered. But since heaven has better disposed of him, this pillar is erected to charity and friendship by Sir Robert Clayton, and Martha, his lady, who first builded and planted in Marden. "Born [1632] at Ipswich, in Suffolk. Buried [1697] in Christ-church Hospital, London." I had the curiosity to inquire where Marden was situated, and who were [In this Journal for April 1820, is a review of "Works of the German Astronomers," in which instances are given of their being unknown to scientific men labouring in the same department in this country-this leads to the following passage-] T is not, indeed, with respect to mathematics and astronomy alone, that our brethren beyond the water are chargeable with a neglect of continental literature. We have as yet seen no notice of consequence, in any British Journal, of Mr. Bouterwek's History of English Poetry, which forms a portion of his large History of Belles Lettres in modern Europe. Sismondi has borrowed liberally from this work, and professes his obligations to it. And though a work embracing the elegant literature of the Portuguese, Spanish, French, Italian, German and English languages, cannot be expected to be executed equally well in every part, yet we surely have no book in our own language which can claim equality with that portion of Mr. Bouterwek's which treats of England. The French have long since translated the volumes which contain the history of their literature; but those which are devoted to that of England are not even known to the nation most concerned to read them. There is, in fact, a superciliousness in the manner in which our transatlantic brethren are apt to speak of Germany and German learning, highly unbecoming the courtesy of true scholarship, and unfavourable to the progress of learning. It is an inadequate excuse for this, that they do not understand the language and literature which they disparage. For, besides that not understanding a thing is a poor excuse for vilifying it, the same unfriendly spirit prevails in those departments of study which are pursued in the Latin language. We have never witnessed without regret the unfriendly tone assumed by so great and wonderful a man as Porson toward scholars like Hermann and Jacobs; and this feeling of regret at a tone, which the unquestioned superiority of Porson might palliate in him, turns into disgust when we see it imitated by such disciples as Bloomfield and Kidd toward men like Seidler and Schæfer. The cause of classical learn ing in England needs not the aid of such an affectation of superiority. For though the number of profound classical scholars is far greater in Germany than in England, and the progress made by the Germans in some parts of classical literature, as particularly the doctrine of the Greek metres, is beyond any thing which the English press has yet shewn us, still the memory of Porson, and the reputation of Gaisford, Elmsley and Dobre, are praise enough for this generation, to enable it to enter honourably into the comparison with any other country or age in the department of Greek literature. We should not have dwelt so long on this topic, had not the cause of learning suffered a serious detriment from the unfriendly spirit in question, of which we will give one more instance. It is known to every biblical scholar, that the translation of Michaëlis by the present Bishop of Peterborough, the only living theologian of any considerable note in the Church of England, has produced a new era in the science of theology in that country. It was, therefore, to be supposed, that farther light and aid from this language would have come with a favourable prepossession to English biblical critics. So far has this fair expectation been disappointed, that every attempt to translate Eichhorn's Introduction to the Old Testament-a work in every respect incomparably superior to the Introduction of Michaëlis to the New Testament - has been systematically discouraged. Dr. Geddes informs us, in a Latin letter to Eichhorn, appended to Good's Life of the Doctor, that on his presenting a proposal for such a translation to Bishop Horsley, he was treated with great rudeness by that prelate. This might the sooner be pardoned from Bishop Horsley, who, not knowing the German language, might more naturally be insensible to the value of an author like Eichhorn. But what shall we say to language like that which we are about to quote from Bishop Marsh himself, the translator of Michaëlis, whom ten years' residence at Leipsic must have put in a capacity, one would think, to translate any German author: "Nor can it be necessary to say any thing more at present of Eichhorn's Introduction, which has never been translated, and from the difficulties, both of the language and of the subject, cannot be understood by many English readers." (Lect. iii. p. 60, Amer. edit.) Does this mean that an English reader, not understanding German, would be unable to read the work? If it do, the proposition is correct to be sure, but singularly nugatory. If it mean that an English reader, understanding German, would still be unable to understand this work, we wonder at the Accounts of Olbers and La Place. (From the same number and article.) Dr. OLBERS is well known as one of the most distinguished astronomers of the present day. He was born at Arbergen, in Germany, Oct. 11, 1758, and now resides in Bremen, where he has erected an observatory upon the top of his house. He is skilful as a physician, but retired from practice, except in cases of friendship or charity; but particularly eminent as an astronomer and a mathematician. His most important publication is the work here mentioned. (A Treatise upon the most easy and convenient Method of computing the Path of a Comet, from several Observations. Weimar, 1797.) To him we owe the discovery of the planets Pallas and Vesta. He also discovered a very singular comet, or collection of shining matter, without a nucleus, and so extremely rare, that it did not obscure the smallest fixed stars when passing centrally over them; and, what is most remarkable, this small speck of light is revolving somewhat like a primary planet about the sun in a period of 75 years. The excellent character and talents of Dr. Olbers make him an object of the greatest respect and love. One of the most noted of the German astronomers, when giving an account of this little comet, says, very happily, "Our Olbers, the fortunate Columbus of the planetary world, was the discoverer of this wonderful star. Science and her votaries feel the most lively interest in this uncommon man, who, in his peaceful path marked with intellectual energy, has discovered to us three new worlds. In the strict sense of the word, he may be called the favourite of the heavens and of the earth, useful to all; in the day stretching forth his helping hand to relieve the distresses of suffering humanity, and in the darkness of the night pene trating into the farthest recesses of the starry firmament.” PETER SIMON DE LA PLACE, Count of the French empire, was born at Beaumont-en-Auge, March 24, 1749, and is allowed by all to be the greatest mathematician now living. The volumes of the Academy of Arts and Sciences, and the National Institute of Paris, contain many of his memoirs, and he has published separately several works, particularly his Exposition du Systême du Monde, and his Théorie Analytique des Probabilités, and, above all others, his Traité de Mécanique Céleste, which is a complete system, explaining fully the effects of gravity upon the figures and motions of the heavenly bodies. Of the many discoveries he has made, we shall mention a few of the most remarkable, for the sake of readers not conversant with his works. 1. The theory of the motions of Jupiter and Saturn, in which he discovered a very great equation, whose period is 917 years. This has enabled astronomers to account for several inequalities which had for many years been observed in the motions of those planets. 2. The very remarkable equations which regulate the mean motions and the mean longitudes of the three inner satellites of Jupiter, called with great propriety, by Biot, La Place's laws. 3. The cause of the acceleration of the moon's motion. 4. An accurate determination of the sun's parallax by means of a small inequality in the moon's motion. 5. The quantity by which the earth is flattened at the poles, discovered by means of two small inequalities in the moon's motions. 6. The laws of capillary attraction. 7. Complete formulas and calculations of the perturbations of the motions of the planets. These discoveries, together with a multitude of improvements in analysis and in every branch of mathematical knowledge, place this immortal man far above any of his contemporaries in the walks of science. Eulogy on Newton. Astronomy," in the Number for January (From review of "Bailly's History of 1821.) It is worthy of remark, that though the English nation is so justly proud of this illustrious philosopher, it has left it to foreigners to do justice to his character and his writings. Among these, there are none of the popular class whose account is more full and more eloquent than that of Bailly. The following is selected as a specimen : "In speaking of Newton," says he, "who was alone and modest, who did not seek to appear, who did great things with simplicity, it is necessary to be as simple as he was, as nature whom he followed. We shall not speak of his studies; he was born rather to invent than to study; he is not seen like others, advancing by efforts and by failures. Thus Fontenelle applies to him a thought of the ancients respecting the noble river which fertilizes Egypt, the source of which was a long time unknown: Men are not permitted to see the Nile in its feeble, emerging state. "Newton was at mature age when he published his immortal work. He had been revolving the subject in his mind, and maturing the truths, during twenty years. Nothing but excessive modesty could have so long prevented his assuming such a superiority over the most distinguished men of his age. So rare a merit ought to be preserved in history. Justice requires that men should be known by their virtues; and pride may learn by examples, that modesty is almost always inseparable from true greatness. ones. "Newton, more than any man, owes an apology for his elevation; he took a flight, so extraordinary, and returned with truths so new, that great address was necessary in those who would resist these truths. Doubtless other discoveries were necessary to prepare the way for Newton. Particular views lead to more general Hooke pronounced the name of attraction; he thought it was universal; he asked what were its laws. As to facts and principles, Kepler had given the laws of motion of the celestial bodies, Galileo those of the descent of heavy ones near the earth, Descartes had announced the centrifugal force, Huygens had established its principles and variations; such are the steps by It is thus that the mind of one age is formed by that of the preceding. But past ages had left errors as well as truths; a singular which Newton rose. talent was necessary to make the discrimination, and to call to its assistance all the parts necessary to so great a design. It is a beautiful sight to see Newton moulding the earth to its proper shape; saying to the tides, Hitherto shall ye come, and no farther;' chaining the planets to an immoveable centre, and prescribing limits to the eccentric wanderings of comets. How elevated his rank, how far removed from all who have preceded him in the same career! Newton was as singular for the character of his mind as for its superiority; it was pure and without alloy. Genius, for the most part, is ardent and passionate; it seems to require the impulse of motion, in order to rise. That of Newton was great without passion, and tranquil without losing any of its activity. There is no appearance of effort in what he does; he employs one truth to develope another; he seems to have made use of his genius merely to transport bin to the centre of nature, where all the rays of truth meet; he relates as a spectator what he saw. "Newton had acquired all his glory by the time that most men begin their career. He passed the rest of his life in civil employments, in reaping the fruits of his labours, in receiving the esteem and admiration which were so universal. Rewards and titles were heaped upon him, which did less honour to the man who received, than to the nation who conferred them. The eulogy of the English will always find itself connected with that of Newton. This nation has the credit of discerning merit, and of rewarding it with admiration; talent has a rank in it, and becomes the object of a durable homage. The genius of Newton, perhaps the most rare that any country or any age has produced, excited a general enthusiasm. His philosophy was that of England; all her distinguished men were his disciples; the whole mass of her enlightened citizens, freest in a free country, chose him for their chief and dictator; and the nation rendered him a kind of worship. This great man shewed still his superiority by preserving his modesty; he never abandoned it: the serenity of his mind was not disturbed by so many distinguished suffrages; he always possessed his soul; he was no less remarkable |