that the war is likely to be removed again to the north of Portugal. Valencia and Monserrat, we are sorry to add, have fallen into the enemy's hands, after a very feeble resistance. The horrors inflict ́ed on Tarragona appear to have struck a damp into the Spaniards, instead of rousing them to fresh exertions. In the northern parts of Spain, measures of the most dreadful severity have been adopted, by the French general, for repressing what he calls the insurgents. Any person who holds the slightest correspondence with them is to be put to death. Any inhabitant who quits his dwelling for eight days, without a passport, will be considered as a brigand, his property sequestered, and his father, mother, brothers, sisters, children, and nephews, put under arrest, and made responsible, in their property and persons, for all acts committed by any of the insurgents. If an inhabitant is carried off from his home, three of the nearest relatives of any brigand are to be seized as hostages; and if such inhabitant should be put to death, they all are to be shot. Strong hopes continue to be entertained of an accommodation between this country and Russia, although we do not think that GREAT NAVAL INTELLIGENCE. In the Mediterranean, our cruisers have, as usual, been actively and successfully employed in interrupting all attempts of the enemy to convey supplies from one place to another. A French thirty-two gun frigate, the Eatreprenante, has been captured on the coast of America, by a British sloop of war, the Atalanta, after a severe action of two hours and a half, in which the loss of the enemy, in killed and wounded, amounted to thirty, and our loss to one killed and four wounded. DOMESTIC INTELLIGENCE. The accounts of the state of the King's health, during the present month, have been very distressing. He appears to have been a severe sufferer both in mind and body; and it is said that his strength has been greatly reduced by his sufferings. There is, we are sorry to say, no great hope now entertwined of his ultimate recovery. In our number for March, p. 201, we adverted to the illegal attempts made by the Catholics to institute a kind of convention in Dublin, under the pretext of petitioning Parliament for a repeal of all restrictions and there are before the public any facts to justify this expectation. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. We are left very much in the dark as to the course which the negotiation with America has taken since the arrival of Mr. Fuster in that country. It is supposed that the American Government will remove one impediment to an amicable arrangement, by disavowing the conduct of Commodore Rodgers. In the mean time, the feuds which have taken place among some of their statesmen, particularly Mr. Madison, the presi dent, and Mr. Smith, the ex-secretary, have led to discoveries which do not place the impartiality of the American Government towards the belligerents in a favourable point of view. They shew a strong disposition to irritate and provoke Great Britain, and a desire no less strong to soothe and concili ate France, notwithstanding the flagrant acts of injustice and robbery of which that power had been guilty. It seems now to be admitted, that Bonaparte has not so abrogated his Berlin and Milan decrees, as to have justified the act of the President, in putting an end to the non-intercourse law as it re spected Trance. BRITAIN. disabilities, and to the measures taken by Government to check these proceedings, These messures do not appear to have pro duced the desired effect. On the contrary, the election of delegates continues to be carried on in defiance of the Act of Parlia ment, and of the Royal Proclamation calling on magistrates to enforce it. The Govern ment has, therefore, proceeded to the arrest of various individuals, who have taken a forward part in these illegal transactions, and they have been held to bail, with the view of being brought to trial under the act which prohibits such elections or delegations. The affair will, of course, go before a jury; and if it be found that the act is insufficient to its object, Parliament will probably adopt some new and more efficacious provisions. In consequence of these occurrences, Ireland, it is to be feared, is in a somewhat feverish state. It would obviously, however, be most dangerous to permit a Catholic Convention to be ap pointed, and to hold its sittings in Dublin; aud we cannot but think the Government justified in availing themselves of the powers which the law has given them to prevent so undesirable an event. ་་ For "Answers to Correspondents," see the second Page of the Blue Cover. T (Concluded from p. 474.) THE account of Mr. Herbert, in the last number, was brought down to the day of his induc tion into the living of Bemerton. On the same evening, he observed to a friend, "I now look back on my aspiring thoughts, and think myself more happy than if I had attained what I so ambitiously thirsted after. I can now view the court with an impartial eye, and see that it is made up of fraud and fallacy, and such empty, imaginary, painted pleasures, as do not satisfy when they are enjoyed: but in God, and his service, is a fulness of all joy and pleasure, and no satiety." He added, that he should use all his endeavours to bring every one connected with him to a love and reliance on God; and above all, that he should study to live well himself, a holy life being the most powerful eloquence a clergyman can employ to persuade others to love and reverence God; trusting that God, by his grace, would give him ghostly strength," to bring his desires and resolutions to good effect; and that thus his example might win others to give glory to Jesus his Master. "His will I will always observe, and obey, and do; and always call him Jesus my Master; and I will always contemn my birth, or any title or dignity that can be conferred upon me, when I shall compare them with my title of being a priest, and serving at the altar of Jesus my Master." " CHRIST. OBSERV. No. 117. " To his wife, he said, "You are now a minister's wife, and must now so far forget your father's house as not to claim a precedence of any of your parishioners; for can challenge no precedence nor you are to know, that a priest's wife place, but that which she purchases by her humility." She assured him, that this was no vexing news to her, and that he should see her ob serve it with a cheerful willingness." pa Having repaired the chancel, and, at his own cost, nearly re-built the parsonage house, which had been permitted to fall into decay, he fixed himself at Bemerton." His first sermon was from these words, Keep thy heart with all diligence;" and in it he gave his rishioners many excellent rules for maintaining a good conscience both towards God and man. The texts of all his future sermons (which were not many, as he died in three or four years after his induction) were taken from the Gospel for the day; and he not only always explained the collect of the day, and shewed its connection with the Gospel or Epistle that had been read, but took occasion to state the grounds of every other part of the Liturgy, that so it might appear to be what it really is, a reasonable, and therefore an acceptable service. I will give one or two examples of his method of proceeding in this respect. "As for the hymns and lauds appointed to be daily repeated or sung after the first and second les sons are read, he informed them that it was most reasonable, after they had heard the will and goodness of God declared, to rise up and express their gratitude to God for 4 A these his mercies to them, and to all mankind, and to say with the blessed Virgin, Our souls do magnify the Lord, and our spirits have rejoiced in God our Saviour.' And that it was no less their duty to rejoice with Simeon in his song, and say with him, for our eyes have seen 'thy salvation; for we have seen that salvation which was but prophesied of ull his time. And as he broke out into expressions of joy in seeing it, so ought we, who daily see it, daily to rejoice and offer up our sacrifices of praise to God for this mercy; a service which is now the constant employment of that blessed Virgin,, and Simeon, and all those blessed saints that are possessed of heaven." P11: He informed them also, when it was that the priest did pray only for the congregation, as The Lord be with you; and they for him And with thy spirit;' and then they join together in the following collects. And he assured them, that when there is mutual love, and joint prayers thus offered up for each other, then the holy angels look down from heaven, and are ready to carry such charitable desires to God; and that he is ready to receive them; and that a Christian congregation calling thus upon God, with one heart, and one voice, and in one reverend and humble posture, look as beautifully as Jerusa lem that is at peace with itself. He instructed them also, why the prayer of our Lord was prayed often in every full service of the church, namely, at the conclusion of the several parts of that service; not only because it was composed, and commanded by our Jesus that made it, but as a perfect pattern for our less perfect forms of prayer, and therefore fittest to sum up and conclude all our imperfect petitions*." Mr. Herbert was constant in ca Dr. Wordsworth has a note on this passage, which contains some curious information.-Latimer, in his sermons, gives, as his reason for the frequent use of the Lord's techising every Sunday in the afternoon. The catechising took place after the second lesson, and from the pulpit, and never exceeded half an hour: and he was always happy in having, on these occasions, a full and an attentive congregation. Mr. Herbert's constant practice was to attend, with his whole family, twice every day, at ten and four, at the church prayers, which he read in a chapel close to his house; and by the devotion which he manifested, while thus lifting up his hands to God in the midst of the congregation, he not only brought his own household, but most of his parishioners, and many gentlemen of the neighbourhood,, to adopt the same practice, and regularly to unite with him in these exercises. Nay, even the lower classes in his parish so loved and revered him, that they would let their plough rest, when Mr. Herbert's saints bell rung to prayers, that they might offer their devotions to God with him, and carry back his blessing with them to their labour: so powerful was his example in persuad Prayer, the great ignorance of the people→ "Therefore, that all that cannot say it may learn, I use before the sermon and aftertosay it. Wherefore, now I beseech you, let us say it together: Our Father, &c." Calvin always concluded his prayer before or after sermon, with repeating not only the Lord's Prayer, but the Creed, conceiving it right, as Beza tells us, to have these often sounding in the ears of the people. "It is no wonder you are thought a legal preacher," (says Mr. Clark in a letter to Dr. Dod dridge)" when you have the Ten Commandments painted on the walls of your chapel; besides you have a clerk, it seems, so impertinent as to say Amen with an audible voice. O that such a ray of Popery should ever be tolerated in a congregation of Protestant Dissenters! And to conclude all-you the minister conclude all with a form called the Lord's Prayer."-And Mr. Clark proceeds to relate, that two members of a congregation which wished to have Dr. Doddridge for its minister, having gone over to his chapel to hear him preach, were so disappointed and offended by all this, that they thought it needless to say any thing to him of the purpose of their visit. 1811.] Some Account of the Life and Character of the Rev. G. Herbert. 535 ing others to practical piety and devotion. But his constant public prayers did not lead him to neglect either his own private devotions, or prayers with his family, which always were a set form, and not long; and he always concluded them with the collect of the day. His principal recreation was music, in which he excelled. It was his usual practice to every week to the cathedral in Sago twice lisbury, when he used to say "the time he spent in prayer, and cathedral music, so elevated his soul, as to bring heaven to earth." Being on the watch to improve every incident that occurred, he met, in his walks to and from Salisbury, with many occasions of instructing the ignorant, consoling the afflicted, and ministering grace to those who fell in his way. In one of these walks, a neighbouring who met him was lamenting the minister general contempt of the clergy which then prevailed. Mr. Herbert observed: "One cure for these distempers would be for the clergy themselves to keep the Ember Weeks strictly, and beg of their parishioners to join with them in fastings and prayers for a more religious clergy; and another cure would be for themselves to restore the great and neglected duty of catechising, on which the salvation of so many of the poor and ignorant people depends; but principally that the clergy themselves would be sure to live unblameable, and that the dignified clergy especially would preach temperance, avoid surfeiting, and take all occasions to express a visible humility and charity in their lives. This would be a cure for the wickedness of the age. And, my dear brothe," (he added), "till this be done by us, and done in earnest, let no man expect a reformation of the mauners of the laity: for it is not learning, but this, this only, that must do it; and till then, the fault must lie at our doors." In another walk to Salisbury, he saw a poor man whose horse had fallen beneath his load. Mr. Herbert put off his coat, and helped the poor man first to unload, and then load his horse. The poor poor man, and gave him money to man blest him, and he blest the refresh both himself and his horse, be merciful to his beast. telling him, as he loved himself, to Mr. Herbert was happy in hav- this admirable course, until the ing, where he read prayers constantly twice every day. His wife, who observed that he read with pain, and that reading wasted his spirits and weakened him, entreated him to discontinue this practice. He said his life could not be better spent than in the service of his Master, Jesus, who had done and suffered so much for him; but that he would not be wilful, for though his spirit was willing, his flesh was weak: therefore he should now only be a hearer of the prayers, till this mortal should put on immortality.. About a month before his death, his friend, Mr. Nicholas Farrer, hearing of his illness, sent Mr. Duncon, afterwards rector of Fryer Barnet, Middlesex, from Huntingdon, to see him, and to assure him that he had his daily prayers for his recovery. Mr. Duncon found him lying on a pallet, and very weak; but at seeing him, he raised himself vigorously, and inquired earnestly respecting the health of Mr. Farrer. After sonie conversation, he desired Mr. Duncon to pray with him. Mr. Duncon asked, "What prayers?" Mr. Herbert replied, "O, Sir, the prayers of my mother, the church of England: no other prayers are equal to them; but at this time, I beg of you only to pray the Litany, for I am faint." Mr. Duncon used to say, that at his first view of Mr. Herbert, he saw majesty and humility so blended in his looks and behaviour as to produce an awful reverence of him. "His discourse," he would observe," was so pious, and his deportment so gentle and meek, that after forty years, they remain still fresh in my memory." " Mr. Duncon paid a visit of four or five days to Bath, and on his return found Mr. Herbert much weaker than he had left him. At parting, Mr. Herbert said, "Sir, I pray you give my brother Farrer an account of the decaying condition of my body, and beg him to continue his prayers for me; and let him know that I have considered that God only is what he would be; and that I am by his grace become now so like him as to be pleased with what pleaseth him; and tell him that I do not repine, but am pleased with my want of health, and that my heart is fixed on that place where true joy is only to be found, and that I long to be there, and do wait for my appointed change with patience and hope." He added, "Pray deliver this book to my dear brother Farrer. He shall find in it a picture of the many spiritual conflicts that have passed between God and my soul, before I could subject my will to the will of Jesus my Master, in whose service I have now found perfect freedom. Desire him to read it; and if he thinks it may turn to the advantage of any poor dejected soul let it be made public; if not, let him burn it; for I and it are less than the least of God's mercies." This book was that which bears the title of "The Temple, or Sacred Poems and Private Ejacula tions." Of this book, Mr. Farrer used to say, "There is in it the picture of a divine soul in every page; and the whole book is such a harmony of holy passions as will enrich the world with pleasure and piety." So much was this book valued at the time of its first appear ance, that when Isaac Walton was engaged in writing Mr. Herbert's life, twenty thousand copies had already been sold. The preface to it was written by Mr. Farrer. As Mr. Dunçon was leaving Mt. Herbert, which was about three weeks before his death, his old and dear friend, Mr. Woodnot, came to Bemerton, and did not leave it till he bad closed Mr. Herbert's eyes, and seen him draw his last breath. During this time, he was often visit ed and prayed for by all the neigh bouring clergy, especially by the bishop and prebendaries of Salis bury. But none prayed with him more devoutly than his wife, his nieces, and Mr. Woodnot. To them he would say, "I now look back on the pleasures of my life past |