more than five centuries and a half; we again find tradition pleaded as an authority; but in each case for a practice, not for a doctrine; each practice, also, plainly condemned by the written word. The argument was then abandoned, and each plea disowned by one of the two churches, until the very crisis of the reformation, when it was once more brought forward, to oppose the appeal which the reformers had made to the Scriptures; and as these reformers had objected to doctrines, not less than to practices, the tradition of the church was then, for the first time,* pleaded in favour of doctrines. Even then, however, in the very agony of the papal power, it was not pleaded that the Scripture was not intelligible without the aid of tradition, the latter being represented only as entitled to equal reverence, and not as a superior and controlling authority for divine truth. This last step was taken about the close of the sixteenth century, by Cardinal Bellarmine, who in his too candid defence of the Church of Rome, did not hesitate to maintain, that the Gospel, without unwritten tradition, is an empty name, or words without sense. The Roman Catholics of Ireland, imitating the boldness of the cardinal, have declared, that the Scriptures are not intelligible without the aid of tradition." (P. 65, 67.)

Though some of the facts here stated have been adverted to by Stillingfleet, Ellys, and others, in a former period of the controversy; and that relating to Cardinal Bellarmine has been well dwelt on by Bishop Marsh, in his "Comparative View," (p. 15, 16;) yet, the history possesses much novelty and interest; and is, perhaps, the only regular historic view of the subject which we have. We thank Dr. Miller for this his new service; and recommend his book to the attention of the public. We feel no small degree of

Dr. Miller of course means, for the first time with the authority of the church: for some individuals, (Scotus among them,) had attempted to defend certain new points of Lith, as declared by the Lateran Council, by the aid of alleged tradition; " and thus," save Stillingfeet, Scotus hed himself out in the dark point of trai-substantiation.”

66

pleasure in expressing gratitude to this distinguished divine, for his zealous and able exertions.

Dr. Miller's appendix to his "Historical View of the Plea of Tradition," contains interesting extracts from original authorities.

National Gallery.

The projected National Gallery on the site of the old Mews at Charing Cross, is a building 500 feet in length, composed of two orders of architecture in height, namely, the Doric and Ionic. The front consists of four pavilions, connected by colonnades; the pavilions surmounted by balls and spears, bearing resemblance to enriched polygonal domes, terminating in that pile in the Regent's Park called Sussex place. Over the centre division of the structure, which on the ground story is a colonnade in front of five arched enterminates in a temple something after trances, rises a large circular dome, which the manner of the Choragic Monument, but triangular on the plan, having a colossal statue on every side. This dome is supported by a tier of Pæstum Doric base, at each angle of which there is a columns, rising from a square tower-like lion couchant. Through the intercolum niations the centre of the building will derive its light. Above the two outward colonnades, the façade is embellished with one tier of windows, dressed with pedi ments, &c.; over which runs a long panel filled with basso-relievos, not unlike the Haymarket front of the Opera-house. There will also be a very considerable display of sculpture in statues and vases, giving the edifice very much the appear. ance of a French public building,-of

which character indeed the whole structure partakes.-Christian Remembrancer.

London University.

By the deed for the erection of this great work, it is fixed, that the building shall not be begun until there are 1500 shares of 100%. each actually subscribed, which would reduce the amount of each and the number may be increased to 3000, share to 50%. On Saturday last the whole of the 1500 shares were filled up, and the second instalment of 107. (making 351. per share) paid up on a large proportion of them, when the council fixed on the 7th of March for laying the foundation stone, which will be done with all becoming masonic ceremony by his royal highness the duke of Sussex. We congratulate the Country on the progress made, and the prospect that now fairly opens of great public advantage from this establishment. To those who have objected to this col

lege, we would say, that it is not to be considered as in opposition to the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge, but in aid of them, and as affording collegiate education to those who either cannot be admitted into the establishments in question for want of room, or whose income does not enable them to bear the expense of either of them. It is also pleasing to understand that the ablest and best informed persons in both these colleges speak without jealousy of the London University, in terms highly to their honour, and thereby show a degree of liberality which we are happy to make known. We are confident there will be ample employment for all the three universities. With the completion of the establishment now almost secured, the next question to be asked is, When it will be completed? And we are enabled to state, from good authority, that Messrs. Lees, the contractors for the building, and Mr. Wilkins, the architect, are both confident that the building will be ready for the commencement of the lectures in October, 1828, or, at the farthest, in February, 1829, allowing the longest period (of two years) that has been contemplated. We also understand that the number of candidates for the several professorships in the university hold out the certainty

that the most eminent men in each branch of learning and science will fill the chairs. It must indeed be an object with most of the men of eminence to have the capital as a field for the promulgation of their opinions. It has long been matter of surprise, and we would add of reproach, that the capital of England should be the only capital in Europe where an university is not established; and we congratulate the country that it will be so soon in the power of young men to obtain a complete, efficient, and economical system of edu cation suitable for the age we live in. As it has hitherto been a great desideratum, we are confident that the London University will soon acquire that eminence which its extended plan, and the liberal principles on which it is established, entitle it to hold among the schools of Europe.English Paper.

St. David's College, Llampeter, Cardigan

shire.

This college, which was founded in 1822, by the present bishop of Salisbury, for the benefit of the clergy in SouthWales, the poverty of whose preferment precludes them from the advantages of an university education, is to be opened by the bishop of St. David's in the present month, when it will be incorporated by royal charter. The style of the building is Gothic, and the beauty of its design reflects great honour on the architect, Mr. Cockerell. It is calculated to accommo

date about seventy students, and the bishop of St. David's intends to admit persons from any part of the kingdom, provided they be members of the Church of England. The annual expense will, it is expected, be within 557. A valuable collection of books has been presented to it by the bishop of Salisbury, to which many of the colleges and members of the university of Oxford have liberally contributed. A grace has also passed the senate of the university of Cambridge, to give to it a copy of all books that have been printed at its expense, or are now in the press. The Rev. Llewellyn Lewellin, M.A. of Jesus college, Oxford, has been appointed principal, and the Rev. Alfred Ollivant, M. A. fellow of Trinity college, Cambridge, vice-principal and senior tutor.-Christian Remembrancer, Feb. 1827.

It is at length placed beyond doubt, that the Nile, of which Bruce conceived he had discovered the sources in Abyssinia, and which the Portuguese had seen and described in the sixteenth century, is only a tributary stream flowing into the true Nile, of which the real source is much nearer to the equator. For this information we are indebted to M. Calliaud, a French traveller, who accompanied the predatory expedition of the two sons, Ismael and Ibraham, of the pacha of Egypt, into Nubia, and who, in conjunction with M. Latores, has made known to us a new region in the interior of Africa, more than 500 miles in length, and extending to the tenth degree of northern latitude. This gentleman has likewise determined the position of the city of Meroe, of which he found the ruins in the Delta, formed by the Bahreel-Abriel (the White River,) and the Bahreel-Azraq (the Blue River,) precisely in the spot where D'Anville had placed them upon the authority of ancient authors. Avenues of sphynxes, and of lions, propylea, and temples in the Egyptian style, forests of pyramids, a vast enclosure formed with unbaked bricks, seem to point out in this place the existence of a large capital, and may serve to elucidate the much agitated, but still undecided question, "Whether civilization followed the course of the Nile from Ethiopia to Egypt, or whether it ascended from Egypt to Nubia!"-English Paper.

Library of the King of India.

Dabshelim, king of India, had so numerous a library that a hundred brachmans were scarcely sufficient to keep it in order, and it required a thousand dromedaries to transport it from one place to another. As he was not able to read all these books, he proposed to the brachmans to make extracts from them of the best and

most useful of their contents. These learned personages set themselves so heartily to work, that in less than twenty years they had compiled of all these extracts a little Encyclopædia of 12,000 volumes, which thirty camels could carry with ease. They had the honour to present it to the king. But how great was their amazement, on his giving them for answer, that it was impossible for him to read thirty camel-loads of books! They therefore reduced their extracts to fifteen, afterwards to ten, then to four, then to two dromedaries, and at last there remained only so much as to load a mule of ordinary stature. Unfortunately, Dabshalim, during this process of melting down his library, was grown old, and saw no possibility of living to exhaust its quintessence to the last volume. "Illustrious sultan," said the vizer, the sage Pilpay, "though I have but a very imperfect knowledge of your royal library, yet I will undertake to deliver you a very brief and satisfactory abstract of it. You shall read it through in one minute, and yet you will find matter in it for reflecting upon throughout the rest of your life." Having said this, Pilpay took a palm leaf, and wrote upon it with a golden style the four following sentences:

1. The greater part of the sciences comprise but one single word-perhaps; and the whole history of mankind contains no more than three-they are born, suffer, die.

2. Love nothing but what is good, and do all thou lovest to do; think nothing but what is true, and speak not all thou thinkest.

3. O kings, tame your passions, govern yourselves, and it will be only child's play to you to govern the world.

4. O kings, O people, it can never be often enough repeated to you, what the half-witted venture to doubt, that there is no happiness without virtue, and no virtue without the fear of God.-From the Arabic.-English Paper.

pillars; the three arms or recesses that branch off from this, have each of them six windows, three above and as many below. So small an apartment cannot but be rendered extremely light by this great number of windows, and perhaps this effect is not a little increased by the gloom of the mosque, and the darkness of the anti-room that leads to it. The bookeases, four of which stand in each of the three recesses, are plain, but neat. They are furnished with folding wire-work doors, secured with a padlock and the seal of the librarian. The books are laid upon their sides one above the other, with their ends outwards, and having their titles written upon the edges of the leaves. The whole number of MSS. in the library amounts to 1294, much the greater part of which are Arabic; there are, however, most of the best Persian and Turkish writers, but not one volume in Greek. Hebrew, and Latin! Of the Koran there are 17 copies, and of commentaries on it 145. Collections of tradition relative to Mahomet compose 182 volumes, and treatises on Mahomedan jurisprudence 524, which together are more than half the whole number in the library. Hence it is clear how many falsehoods have been advanced respecting the famous library of the seraglio.-English Paper.

Old Cannon.

Among the ordnance captured at Bhurtpore is an iron six-pounder, with the following inscription:-" Jacobus Monteith, me fecit Edinburgh, Anno Dom. 1642."Christian Observer.

Bruce's Manuscripts.

The valuable collection of MSS. of the traveller Bruce, which were obtained by him in Egypt and Abyssinia, are about to be offered for sale: they consist of nearly 100 volumes, in high preservation.-Ib.

EPISCOPAL ACTS.

In the Diocese of Pennsylvania. The Rev. William Bryant, minister of St. Mary's church, Colestown, New-Jersey, was admitted to the holy order of priests by the Right Rev. Bishop White, acting for, and by the request of the bishop of that diocese, in Christ church, Philadelphia, on Friday, April 6, 1827.

The Right. Rev. Bishop White held a confirmation in St. John's church, Norristown, of which the Rev. Jehu C. Clay is rector, on Sunday, April 22, 1827, when forty-four persons were confirmed.

In the Diocese of Maryland.

On the 31st March, 1827, the first African Episcopal church in the city of Baltimore, was consecrated by the name of St.

James' Church, by the bishop of the diocese. Morning prayer was read by the Rev. Dr. Wyatt, and a sermon preached by the Rev. Mr. Henshaw. The Rev. William Levington, a deacon of the Protestant Episcopal Church, is minister of this church. The building is of brick, neat and commodious.

In the Diocese of Virginia.

On Wednesday the 28th of March, 1827, in the Monumental church, Richmond, Virginia, an ordination was held by the Right Rev. Richard C. Moore, D. D., when Mr. George Kirke was admitted to the holy order of deacons. Divine service was celebrated, and the sermon delivered, by the Rev. Robert B. Croes, assistant minister of the Monumental church.

In the Diocese of South-Carolina. On the second Sunday in Lent, March 11, 1827, in St. Michael's church, Charleston, South-Carolina, Mr. Thomas John Young, an alumnus of the General Theological Seminary, was admitted to the holy order of deacons by the Right Rev. Natha niel Bowen, D. D., bishop of the diocese.

On Thursday the 22d March, 1827, the Right Rev. Bishop Bowen consecrated to the service of Almighty God a new chapel, erected at Walterborough by the vestry of St. Bartholomew's parish. Morning prayer was read by the Rev. F. P. Delavaux, the rector, and an appropriate sermon delivered by the bishop.

New-York Protestant Episcopal Sunday School Society.

The tenth anniversary of this institution was celebrated with the usual exercises in St. Paul's chapel, on Wednesday afternoon, April 18, 1827. The schools connected with the society were assembled, comprising a body of more than 1600 children of both sexes, accompanied by their respective superintendents and teachers. The body of this spacious edifice was crowded in every part, while a large concourse of spectators filled the different galleries. In the chancel were most of the resident Episcopal clergy of the city, and several from the adjacent towns. The evening service of the church was conducted by the Rev. Thomas Breintnall, rector of Zion church; after which the children were addressed in a most animated and feeling manner by the Rev. Cornelius R. Duffie, rector of St. Thomas's church. A beautiful hymn was then sung by the children alone, accompanied by the organ. The services were closed with appropriate prayers and the benediction by the right reverend the bishop of the diocese. We must not omit to mention, that tracts, with suitable refreshments, were distributed to the children at the doors, on leaving the church.

The schools attached to the society, are those belonging to the parishes of Grace church, Trinity church, St. Paul's and St. John's chapels, St. Mark's church, Christ church, Zion church, St. Mary's and St. Ann's churches, All-Saints' church, St. Philip's church, and St. Thomas's church. All of them, we are happy to learn, are in the most flourishing condition.

Monroe County Episcopal Association.

A society under this name has recently been organized in the village of Rochester, Monroe county; the objects of which are, the supply of vacant places within the county of Monroe with the services of the Episcopal Church; assisting in the establishment and support of new congregations, and the formation of Sunday schools.

An auxiliary Female Missionary Society has also been formed, the object of which is to aid the cause of missions, and promote the interest of religion as connected with the Protestant Episcopal Church. The society consists of 120 members.Rochester Observer.

Obituary Notices.

Died at Easton, Pennsylvania, on the 4th April, 1827, in the sixty-fourth year of his age, SAMUEL SITGREAVES, esq., for a long course of years an active, zealous, and efficient member of the Protestant Episcopal Church. He was an eminent member of the bar, distinguished in the Congress of the United States under the administration of Washington and Adams, and was one of the framers of the present constitution of the state in which he resided.

It is our painful task to record the death of the Rev. JOHN DUNN, rector of Shelburn parish, Loudoun county, Virginia. This melancholy event took place at his residence, on Friday the 13th of April, 1827, in the sixtieth year of his age; and is thus noted in the newspapers of the day:

"While in the discharge of his ministerial duties, dispensing the word of life to the people of his charge, it pleased his heavenly Father to visit him with a disease, which put a period to his usefulness on earth. He fell speechless in the pulpit, was instantly bled, soon recovered his articulation, and from that time to the day of his death, continued in the most happy, calm, and peaceful state imaginable, exhorting all around him to continue faithful unto death."-We hope some friend will furnish an obituary article more worthy than the present of the memory of this eminently pious and much beloved servant of the living God.

Died on Monday, December 4, 1826, ABRAM ROBERTSON, D.D. F.R S. Savilian professor of astronomy and Radcliffe observer, aged seventy five. Dr. Robertson took his degree of M. A. in 1782, and B. D. and D. D. in 1807. He succeeded Dr. Smith as Savilian professor of geometry in 1797, and was elected Savilian professor of astronomy, in the room of Dr. Hornsby, in 1810. Upon the professorship in astronomy becoming vacant, the vice-chancellor has to signify the same in writing to the archbishop of Canterbury, the lord chancellor of Great-Britain, the chancellor of the university, the bishop of London, the prin cipal secretary of state, the chief justices, the chief baron of the exchequer, and the dean of the arches, who are the electors and visitors. These illustrious persons are solemnly conjured by the founder to seek for the ablest mathematicians in other countries as well as our own; and, without regard to particular universities or nations, to elect those whom they shall deem best qualified for the office. On a transmission of their choice, the person so elected is admitted by the university in convocation.-The Radcliffe trustees appoint the observer, who nominates his assistant. Quar.Theol. Review and Eccles. Record.

Died in London, December 31, 1826, in the seventy-first year of his age, WILLIAM GIFFORD, esq., author of the Baviad and Maviad, translator of Juvenal and Persius, and editor of the Quarterly Review, from its commencement down to the beginning of the year just past. To the translation of Juvenal is prefixed a memoir of himself, which is, perhaps, as modest and pleasant a piece of autobiography as ever was written. We copy that part which describes his early history.

66

Mr Gifford was born at Ashburton, in April, 1756. "The resources of my mother were," he says, very scanty. With these, however, she did what she could for me; and as soon as I was old enough to be trusted out of her sight, sent me to a schoolmistress of the name of Parret, from whom I learned in due time to read. I cannot boast much of my acquisitions at this school; they consisted merely of the contents of my child's spelling-book: but from my mother, who had stored up the literature of a country town, which, about half a century ago, amounted to little more than what was disseminated by itinerant ballad-singers, or rather, readers, I had acquired much curious knowledge of Catskin and the Golden Bull, and the Bloody Gardener, and many other histo ries equally instructive and amusing."

At eight years of age Mr. Gifford was sent to the free school, to learn to read, and write, and cipher. "Here I continued about three years," making, he says, "a

most wretched progress, when my father fell sick and died. In somewhat less than a twelvemonth, my poor mother followed him to the grave. She was an excellent woman, bore my father's infirmities with patience and good humour, loved her children dearly, and died at last, exhausted with anxiety and grief, more on their account than her own. I was not quite thirteen when this happened; my little brother was hardly two; and we had not a relation nor friend in the world. Every thing that was left was seized by a person of the name of Carlile, for money advanced to my mother. It may be supposed that I could not dispute the justice of his claims; and as no one else interfered, he was suffered to do as he liked. My little brother was sent to the alms-house, and I was taken to the house of the person I have just mentioned, who was also my godfather."

When little more than thirteen, Mr. Gifford was sent on board a coaster at Brixham. In this vessel he continued nearly a twelvemonth; and here he got acquainted with nautical terms, and contracted a love for the sea, which never diminished. In his fifteenth year, on the 1st of January, 1772, his godfather bound him apprentice to a shoemaker. "As I hated," says he, "my new profession with a perfect hatred, I made no progress in it; and was consequently little regarded in the family, of which I sunk by degrees into the common drudge: this did not much disquiet me, for my spirits were now humbled.

"I possessed at this time but one book in the world; it was a treatise on algebra, given to me by a young woman, who had found it in a lodging-house. I considered it as a treasure; but it was a treasure locked up; for it supposed the reader to be well acquainted with simple equation, and I knew nothing of the matter. My master's son had purchased Fenning's Introduction: this was precisely what I wanted; but he carefully concealed it from me, and I was indebted to chance alone for stumbling upon his hiding-place. I sat up for the greatest part of several nights successively, and before he sus pected that his treatise was discovered, had completely mastered it. I could now enter upon my own; and that carried me pretty far into the science.

"This was not done without difficulty. I had not a farthing on earth, nor a friend to give me one; pen, ink, and paper, therefore, (despite of the flippant remark of Lord Orford,) were, for the most part, as completely out of my reach as a crown and sceptre. There was, indeed, a resource; but the utmost caution and secrecy were necessary in applying to it. I beat out pieces of leather as smooth as possible, and wrought my problems on