metropolis, is adorned. I will also suggest, that they personally inspect the abodes of poverty and distress, and administer suitable relief with their own hands.

As they have 364 days in the year to go abroad in, they cannot complain of the want of time; what deduction, shall be made from their funds, I leave to their own discretion.

NOT AT HOME.

I HAVE been for some time reflecting on the folly and wickedness of those persons who order their servants to deny them, whenever they do not choose to see company, under the fashionable phrase of," not at home." I formerly entertained a hope, that this kind of deception was wholly confined to those families, where the lady of the house is "at home," only once or twice in the year. But to my great mortification, I have lately discovered, that "not at home," is to be met with in almost every circle; and that it is now become a convenient sort of answer, whenever one has a purpose to serve in being denied. Against this practice I hereby enter a most decided protest; because there is not the least occasion for, or utility in, fabricating a falsehood of this kind. I am, moreover, afraid, that the deceptions which servants or children thus practice at our command, will be retorted on us in various other forms, whenever it may comport with their interest, convenience, or inclination. Indeed, this species of falsehood is doubly offensive, as it affronts both God and man. It offends God, by a direct breach of his positive command; and men, by losing their time, and disappointing them of the object of their visit.

In order to get rid of this kind of duplicity, I will recommend the adoption of a phrase, which will equally prevent unseasonable

intrusion, and at the same time will completely abolish the iniquitous practice above mentioned, i. e. particularly engaged. I have tried this expedient for more than thirty years with invariable success, and I am in hopes I shall confer a benefit on mankind, if I can write it into general practice.

Before I close, I will mention an anecdote, which I received from a gentleman of undoubted veracity. A minister from the country called on a person in London, who is well known in the religious world. On his inquiring for the master, his servant replied, "not at home, Sir." Now it so happened, that the minister had but a moment before seen him standing at his parlour window. On receiving the above answer, he entered the room where the gentleman was seated, and took the liberty to remonstrate with him on the sinfulness of such conduct, especially in a professor of religion. Ashamed of what he had done, the gentleman replied, Sir, I repent." "Do you so?". rejoined the minister, "then bring forth fruits meet for repentance : I have the case of a distressed minister in my pocket, and shall certainly expect your name and your guinea," which he accordingly received.

66

Woolwich.

་་་་་་་་་

CRITO.

ORIGINAL LETTERS FROM THE LATE REV. W. EVANS, OF STOCKPORT, TO AN ITINERANT UNDER THE PATRONAGE OF THE CHESHIRE UNION.

Stockport, Feb. 8, 1811. MY DEAR BROTHER,-Your last gave us very great pleasure. Though we do not wish to judge of the goodness of any cause from the present success which attends it; yet it cannot but afford your mind and ours great comfort, and encouragement to go on, when we find that we do not labour altogether in vain.

the Lord?" Are there not several young persons who would willingly come forward in the school to supply the expected loss? Are not your pleasing prospects in all the other places sufficient to counterbalance an occasional thinness in your chapel at S?

My dear friend, the grounds of your dejection are not, at this time, of a very serious kind, and I hope you will excuse my not treating them in a very serious manner. I wish the pipe had been broken to pieces that suggested such melancholy musings. Study to form and govern your feelings on such occasions by the Bible. Truth is ever the same, however men may change. You are not accountable for the number of your hearers, if you can lay your hand upon your heart, and say, "I have kept back nothing profitable; I have not shunned to declare the whole counsel of God." Do not look at every flying cloud, which often passes away not more rapidly than our foreboding fears. You have a good Master, who has certainly owned your labours to a very encouraging extent. Look to him, and faint not. Depend upon him, simply, and exclusively of all creature dependance. To his kind care I most sincerely commend you, with two hints of advice, which I hope will not be unserviceable.

1. I think it would be useful

if you would encourage any young persons, whom you may find disposed, to study to qualify themselves for teachers in the Sunday school. Encourage those who are now teachers to pay attention to this, and endeavour to preserve a succession of zealous and able teachers.

2. I wish you would be as particular as possible in giving an account of the dying experiences of those whom the Lord takes away by death. These are peculiarly encouraging to believers in ge

neral, and the friends of the Union are thereby stimulated to go on in the work. If you could send a few particulars of particulars of poor Mrs. S's last moments, in the course of the next week, they will be very acceptable. My love, &c. &c.

Adieu! yours truly,

W. EVANS.

QUERIES. GENTLEMEN,-I lately heard two excellent discourses, founded on 2 Tim. chap. ii. ver. 19. In the introduction to the first discourse, which was exceedingly animated, the preacher took occasion to depict, with great clearness and perspicuity, and, at the same time, with peculiar force and energy, the errors that began to creep into the church, even in the Apostles' time. He likewise observed, en passant, one or two reasons why those errors were permitted.

Thinking, however, that this subject might merit a more critical inquiry, and not be altogether without its use; I beg to propose the following queries, for the consideration of such of your valuable correspondents as may feel disposed to take them up. And lest any, or all of them, should wait, in the expectation that I myself should answer them, I beg to assure them that I intend no such thing, I am, Gentlemen, Yours very respectfully, JOSEPHUS. Query 1st. On what grounds may it be supposed, or concluded, that errors in Scripture doctrine were permitted to invade the church of Christ at so early a period as we find they did?

Jan. 20, 1823.

2d. Whether this early defection from the truth, accompanied, as it was, with great havoc and devastation in the church, did not, through an infinitely wise and overruling Providence, tend to the full developement as well as the entire establishment of the truth?

Travels along the Mediterranean and Parts adjacent. By Robert Richardson, M.D.

(Concluded from page 152.)

WE resume with peculiar gratification our notice of this valuable work, of which the second volume, in particular, is not surpassed by any book of eastern travels that we are acquainted with, in interesting fact and important illustration. There is no ostentation about Dr. Richardson; he brings a large share of knowledge to bear on the points which he has occasion to discuss, without setting a trumpet to his mouth to proclaim his attainments and his discoveries to the world. And, with this, there is a marked character of good sense and acuteness throughout his investigations, that has effectually prevented him from becoming the dupe of his learning. Nothing is more common than to find men of considerable talent and acquirements, absolutely neutralising their opportunities and advantages, by a desperate attachment to some preconceived hypothesis, following it" through brake and through briar," until, like a true ignis fatuus, it fairly deposits them in a quagmire. The Zodiac, for instance, so mercilessly demolished by Dr. R. through what vagaries and distortions has it not led its planetstruck votaries?-like the Atlantide that bewildered Bailli, and the Hindoo Yogues that led the infidel philosophers of France delightedly astray after a scheme which was to crush the Mosaic cosmogony under the weight of innumerable ages. From this injurious habit of mind Dr. Richardson is singularly free. He fixes a keen and curious eye on the object before him, describes it distinctly,

and if it requires comment, never presses his explanation dogmatically, but stating his views and reasons clearly and candidly, leaves them to stand by their intrinsic strength, without striving to prop or buttress them by capricious theories or arbitrary suppositions. A striking instance of this occurs in the early part of the second volume of the work before us. Belzoni, from a few insufficient observations, had rashly assumed, that the Egyptians were асquainted with the principle of the arch. Dr. R. shows, in the clearest possible manner, that the facts hitherto collected do not bear out the inference, and that the appeal to ancient authority affords no support to the hypothesis. But, unlike other system-demolishers, he does not avail himself of his advantage, to put forward any scheme of his own, nor does he content himself with a simple refutation of the evidence hitherto adduced; he points out a probable and satisfactory mode of settling the question, by the examination of the interior of a brick pyramid, which has yet been unopened. If, he justly observes, the chambers shall be found ceiled with large transverse stones, it will furnish complete proof that the Egyptian architects were unacquainted with the easier, stronger, and more scientific method of adapting the arch to such situations. He likewise thinks it not improbable, that additional illustrations of this point might be found in the ruins of Babylon, and we wish, with all our hearts, that the Doctor were now engaged in the examination. Our knowledge of the tract in which lie the mouldering relics of that gorgeous capital of the east, as well as of the remains themselves, is exceedingly imper

fect, and neither Mr. Rich, nor Captain Frederick, have thrown sufficient light on this interesting subject. Those gentlemen made, it is probable, good use of their eyes within certain limits; but the whole region requires to be minutely explored, and the pickaxe and the spade should be unsparingly exercised.

The second volume commences with a detailed, and very intelligible, description of the magnificent ruins of Thebes, at the outset of which Dr. Richardson has given a decisive proof of the little reliance that is to be placed on the representations of French travellers. While they allow themselves in the grossest imputations on the veracity of other voyagers, they are themselves fully entitled to the reproaches they heap on others. Bruce est un menteur is an awkward phrase from the pen of a savant, and should, at least, have cautioned the courteous literati who adopted it, against a similar delinquency. In the magnificent work on Egypt, compiled from the memoirs and drawings of the learned and scientific individuals, who accompanied the French army in its invasion of that country, the graphic misrepresentations are so thick and palpable, as to destroy all confidence in this their great national publication, though tendered at a price,-600 guineas,-which might be supposed to guarantee scrupulous correctness. The profession of Dr. Richardson afforded him many advantages, and procured for him the confidence of the natives, though it unavoidably exposed him to intrusions on his time. The following is an interesting picture.

On our arrival at Luxor we alighted from our asses, in a large court in the Coptic quarters: here the reverend conductors departed to their homes, and left me in the midst of a numerous assembly of Christian patients, who had been collecting there during the whole

of the day to receive advice for their different complaints. I sat down in the open court, and the invalids collected

around me, and seemed really to rejoice as much that their visiter was a Chris

tian as that he was a physician. The old and the young, the blind, the sick, and the lame, came to me with a joy and confidence that it was delightful to witness, and which it is impossible to describe. Having operated on one of their eyes, I withdrew the knife at the end of the operation, and pausing a little before i bound up the wound, looked round upon a crowd of about an hundred individuals by whom I was surrounded. Instantly one of them wishing to say what he thought would be most agreeable, called out, Koulli Nazarani,' they are. all Christians. Koulli, Koulli, all, all, was immediately re-echoed by the whole assembly; imagining that the most gratifying sight that can fall under the eyes of a believer in Christ, is an assembly of men and women worshipping the same God, and resting their hopes of eternal salvation on the same Saviour with himself. It is, and it always ought to be so; but if at any period, or on any occasion, the acclamation on the ear may be allowed to thrill more gladly in the heart than another, it is when the glorious confession bursts spontaneously from such an assembly as this, who, for ages, have held fast their faith in opposition to their rulers and their neighbours, by whom they are degraded and held in contempt. Here is a Christian wanting advice, was an appeal that the Coptic applicants constantly employed, when they saw me surrounded by the consulting votaries of islamism, who kept them at bay, or when they had arrived too late for the morning or evening hours of consultation. My conscience bears me witness that it was an appeal which they never made to me in vain.

During the whole time that I remained in Thebes, I am sure I had not fewer than twenty patients a-day, both morning and evening, from all parts of the country. Money they had none to give; but they brought freely of pigeons, fowls, and eggs, which was all they had to bestow; but which, to the great annoyance of our young Reis, I never accepted. Let them take the physic, and I will take the pigeons,' said the youthful Abdallah, who was a man of taste, and preferred boiled eggs and poultry to boiled bread and water. His eye gloated on the birds, and his mouth filled with water, as if his teeth would devour the hand that refused the feathered younglings."-pp. 102-104.

The Doctor is, we believe, the first who has noticed the prevaile