Imágenes de páginas
PDF
EPUB
[merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][ocr errors][ocr errors][ocr errors]

of the said court to declare the qualification of such teacher to be from that time null and void or if it shall be made appear to such court that any house, registered as aforesaid, is improper for such assembly, or has been used for the purpose of teaching principles subversive of good order, it shall be lawful to declare such registry to be null and

void.

IX. That in all cases where the supreme court shall refuse to admit any person to qualify himself for preaching or teaching, or shall refuse to register any house for such meeting, or shall declare null and void any such qualification, or any such registry, it shall be lawful for the party grieved to appeal to the governor and council, who, upon hearing the parties and examination of witnesses on both sides upon oath, in a summary way, shall make such order therein as to them shall seem proper, which order shall be final.

X. That on hearing such appeal, the governor and council shall make such order in respect of costs as to them shall seem meet: provided, that in all cases where the decision of the supreme court shall be affirmed, the party who appealed shall pay to the respondent all his costs.

XI. That every person who shall attend a meeting for preaching or teaching, in any house not registered, or shall be present at any meeting, whether in a house so registered or otherwise, where a person not qualified shall preach or teach, every such per

son, if of free condition, shall, on being convicted of the said offence before two or more magistrates or justices of the peace, forfeit for the first offence the sum of five pounds, to be levied by warrant of distress; or if there be not sufficient goods, be committed to the common gaol, there to remain, without bail or mainprize, for two months, unless the fine shall be sooner paid: and for every subsequent offence, the offender shall forfeit the sum of ten pounds, to be levied as aforesaid, or shall be committed to the common gaol, there to remain for six montlis, unless the fine shall be sooner paid: And if such offender shall be a slave, he or she shall, on conviction before any one or more justice or justices of the peace, be sentenced to receive a public flogging not exceeding thirty-nine lashes; and, for every subsequent offence, shall be committed to hard labour in any workhouse for any space not exceed. ing three months, aud may also be punished with a public flogging not exceeding thirtynine lashes.

XII. This act is to continue in force from the 31st of December 1810, until the 31st of December 1811, and no longer.

Even this circumstance, which seems a trivial one, is most artfully contrived to elude the effects of the King's disallowance of the law. For by the time the disallowance is notified, the law will have expired, and a fresh law will have been enacted.

VIEW OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS.

FOREIGN INTELLIGENCE. THE field of politics has of late been unusually barren of incidents. The army of Lord Wellington, which has received considerable reinforcements, has been again drawn to the northward. His lordship's head quarters were fixed, by the last accounts, dated 31st August, at Fuente Guinaldo, not far from Ciudad Rodrigo, which place he had completely blockaded, with a view, it is said, to induce Marmont to attempt its relief. The French at the same time were in force at Coria, which lies between Alcantara and Placentia. This movement of Lord Wellington is supposed to have had it in view to favour the efforts of the Spaniards in Gallicia and the Asturias, in which quar ter they are said to have collected a considerable force. The communication between the British army and Corunna is

now open.

On the eastern side of the Peninsula, the

derable French force, which will doubtless be actively employed in pursuing the advantages that have been obtained in that quarter. The garrison made a desperate resistance, and it was not till their provisions had been wholly consumed that they thought of abandoning the fortress. They gallantly attempted to cut their way through the French lines; but their design had been betrayed to the enemy, who were accordingly prepared to receive them. After a brave but ineffectual conflict, in which numbers were slaughtered, the remainder were forced to surren der prisoners of war.

A Spanish force under General Freyre, a part of the army of Blake, has sustained & defeat at Bacza (between Andujar and Ubeda), and has retreated on Murcia.

Bonaparte has of late been directing bis attention to the sea-coast in our immediate

vicinity. In the flotilla of Boulogne an unusual degree of activity has of late

fall of Figueras has set at liberty a consi- been observed, and a large naval force.

amounting to about fifteen sail of the line, besides frigates, is now ready for sea in the Scheldt. The mouth of the Scheldt is well watched by a suitable British force.

The American Congress has been summor. ed to meet on the 4th November. The news,

papers of that country are filled with the most acrimonious remarks on Mr. Foster, out envoy, who could as yet have done nothing to call forth such violence. We mention it as indicating an unfavourable state of the public mind in that country.

GREAT BRITAIN.

THERE has been no variation, in the course of the present month, in the accounts of the King's health. We were happy to observe, however, that his Majesty's mind was at times sufficiently calm to engage in religious services; and that one of his chap lains frequently attended for the purpose of reading to him and praying with him.

Capt. Bourchier, of the Hawke sloop of war, attacked, near St. Marcou, a convoy of French vessels consisting of three armed brigs, too luggers, and a number of other vessels. He captured one of the brigs pierced for 16 guns, and three vessels laden with timber, and drove on shore another of the brigs, the two luggers, and 12 sail of other vessels: a brig and nine vessels escaped.

Two of our frigates, the Diana, Captain Ferris, and the Semiramis, Captain Richard son, entered the river Gironde on the 24th of August, where they succeeded so well in passing themselves for Frenchmen, that the Captain of the Port came on board to offer his assistance, and was detained. The effect of this manœuvre was, that, with only three men wounded, a French national brig of 16 guns and 136 men was burnt, and two others of smaller force, and five or six loaded vessels, were taken. The embarrassment of the French officers cominanding in the Gironde, in communicating this affair to the Emperor, is rather amusing.

An affair of a still more gratifying kind has occurred at Boulogne, while Bonaparte him self was present as a spectator. The Naiad frigate, Captain Carteret, having under his

[ocr errors]

orders three brigs and a cutter, was attacked, on the 21st instant, by seven praams, each carrying twelve 24 pounders and 120 men, and 15 other vessels. The state of the tide prevented Captain Carteret from closing with them on that day. On the next day he so manoeuvred as to get within pistol-shot of the flotilla. Our ships then opened their fire, which at once threw the enemy into inextricable confusion. The French Admiral's praam was nearly taken, but escaped under the batteries. Another praam, however, commanded by a Commodore of Division, was ran on board by the Naiad, and taken, after a gallant resistance. More would bave been taken, but for their proximity to fors midable batteries, under which they were speedily driven. Bonaparte was seen rowing about in a barge during the action.

Off Na

Our cruisers in the Mediterranean have, as usual, been actively employed. ples, a convoy of 12 gun-boats, 15 merchantinen, and 36 largo spars, was captu ed by two of our ships the Thames, Captain Napier; and the Cephalus, Capt. Clifford→→→ although defended by a tower on shore, The marines were landed, and the tower taken, with an officer and 80 men. The whole was effected, and the captured property brought away, in about two hours, with only three or four men wounded.-Several other captures have been made of less importance.

The account given in our last number, of the capture of a French frigate by a British sloop of war, on the coast of America, is without foundation.

ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS.

IN reviewing Dr. Bidlake's Bampton Lectures, in our last Number, we remarked (p. 512) that we had not before become acquainted with that gentleman, either as a writer of sermons or a writer of poems. A Correspondent has kindly pointed out to us a mistake in this statement, there being a review of a volume of Sermons by Dr. (then Mr.) Bidlake, in our volume for 1809, p. 390. How to account for this over sight we know not, unless we have recourse to that most humiliating but satisfactory solution ef the difficulty-the failure of memory, which is incident to age,

We are obliged to C. for his remarks.

T. L.; ANGELA; and A DISSENTING MINISTER, will find a place.
JOHN W., and B., are under consideration.

ERRATA.

In the last Number, p. 487, col. 2, l. 13, for claims, read derives.

p. 489, col. 2; 1. 31, for hears, read he was.

[blocks in formation]

ACCOUNT OF MR. JOSHUA ROWLEY

WE

GILPIN.

[ocr errors]

E ought to apologise to our readers for not having sooner introduced to their notice a small work, which made its appearance upwards of three years ago, entitled "A Monument of Parental Affection to a dear and only Son." Its author, the Rev. Joshua Gilpin, of Wrockwardine, in the county of Salop, dedicated the work to his parishioners, for whose benefit it is chiefly designed. The affectionate intercourse subsisting between the pastor and his people reflects great credit on both. "Almost six and twenty years ago, Mr. G. observes, "He who determines the bounds of our habitation saw good to appoint my lot among you. Since that time, many changes have taken place in several of your households. Husbands and wives, parents and children, brothers and sisters have been separated from each other by the stroke of death. And though I may have failed to afford you all the consolation I wished under such afflicting circumstances, yet I am persuaded that it is scarcely necessary for me to say, that I have not beheld your distresses as an unconcerned spectator. After many years of extraordinary comfort, it has pleased God to visit my own house with one of the sorest afflictions that can befal a family. You, in your turn, have not only witnessed, but shared my sorrow and I desire in this public manner to offer my sincere acknowledgments to every one of you for your sympathy, to many of you for their CHRIST. OBSERV. No. 118.

friendly regard, and to one* among you for his very liberal and unwearied attentions, on this melancholy occasion. God forbid that I should ever forget these instances of your kindness and goodness."

We bring this work before our readers, not with the intention of criticising it, but for the sole purpose of ministering to their improvement. In our eyes, sorrow, and especially a parent's sorrow, is too sacred to admit of our applying ordinary rules to the expressions which it prompts; nor should we envy the state of that man's mind, who, while a father's tears were flowing for the death of a beloved child, could employ himself in scrupulously weighing the import of the language in which his grief found vent. The whole account is too long for insertion in our pages. What we propose to do, is to give an abstract of it, which, while it, we trust, will not prove uninteresting to our readers in general, may tend in a more especial manner to the edification of such family circles as are not already well acquainted with the work itself.

Joshua Rowley Gilpin was born on the 30th of January, 1788. It occurred to his father and mother, that they were introduced, by this event, to a new and important charge, to which was attached a new and solemn responsibility. They had observed, in many cases, the miserable effects of indiscretion in the management of families; and they feared, where so many failed, * W. Cludde, of Orleton, Esq. 4 K

[ocr errors]

lest they should not be preserved on the recollection of the many from miscarriage. They derived hours which he and Mrs. Gilpin passcomfort under these impressions, ed in this delightful employment. from this hope alone, that He who But even before this period Mr. Gilhad bestowed a child upon them pin had secretly devoted his son to would furnish them with wisdom his own holy profession-not, howand grace to discharge the duties ever, without a humble submission to attendant on their new relation. the Divine Will. This he did, not from a desire of seeing him advanced to any lucrative or dignified station in the church, but in the hope that he might usefully occupy some humble place in the sanctuary, where he might fill up his father's lack of service. He, however," piously observes Mr. Gilpin, who orders all things after the counsel of his own will, had other purposes concerning us. He graciously condescended, indeed, to accept my solemn offering; but instead of appointing my son to some laborious station in the church militant below, he suddenly removed him to the church triumphant above. What God hath done, it becomes me cordially to approve; but while I humbly resign myself to the Divine disposal, my resignation is mixed with the lamentations and tears of human weakness.”

The season of infancy was a season of health to him, and of enjoyment to his parents scarcely interrupted by a momentary apprehension. He shewed, from the earliest age, a remarkable mildness and patience of temper; and as he grew up be continued to be much less subject to petulence or passion, and was accustomed to meet the little unavoidable vexations of the world with much greater calmness than is usual in persons of his age. At the age of three years and a half, his chief amusement consisted in sketching figures upon a slate; and he soon discovered an extraordinary degree of skill in this employment, and often surprised us with the boldness of his designs and the accuracy of his execution. Many little works of this kind, the productions of his fifth year, his mother still preserves, as proofs of his early ingenuity. As he grew up, however, it was found necessary to draw him off from this alluring pursuit, lest so sedentary an employment should injure his health. About this time a dissected alphabet was placed before him, which did not fail to fix his attention. He was soon able to form orderly combinations of these characters, to which he was incited at first by a desire to furnish his drawings with titles. After a few months, he proceeded to compose short sentences, sometimes of a playful, sometimes of a devotional cast. Many of these effusions afforded proofs both of a strong intellect and a tenacious memory, but especially of his having formed a happy acquaintance with divine things. Mr. Gilpin, having leisure for the employment, judged it an indispensable duty to take upon himself the task of educating his son; and he dwells with melancholy satisfaction

He

Young Gilpin was a most willing and attentive pupil; and was always inclined rather to exceed than to fall short of his appointed task. He complained of no difficulties. considered the little labours of every day as a reasonable service, and readily, on all occasions, submitted his will to that of his parents. On the other hand, his parents were anxious that his innocent pleasures should be abridged as little as possible; and such were his aptness and assiduity that a small part of each day sufficed to ensure a more than ordinary progress in his puerile studies. Mr. Gilpin takes occasion here to lament the ill-timed and harassing labours, and the cruel corrections, by which the sprightliest period of life is often embittered. In the case of his son, these were avoided: no instrument of chastisement was ever seen in his house; nor had he occasion to direct to him a single expression of displeasure.

[merged small][ocr errors]

Whatever he did, was done with ease; and his tasks seemed only to form a happy diversity in the mode filling up his time. Mr. Gilpin gives some instances of this. After his son had become acquainted with the rudiments of the Latin language, he persuaded his nurse-a worthy young woman, to whom he was greatly attached, and who attended him from his cradle to his grave-to become his scholar. He left no means untried to engage her attention. He drew up for her use an epitome of his grammar: to this he added a short vocabulary: and he always had in his pocket slips of paper with some noun regularly declined, that he might be prepared for every opportunity that occurred, of improving his pupil. He after wards pursued a similar plan in respect to Greek; and in his chamber, at night, he usually made her repeat the Lord's Prayer in Greek. More was effected in this way than would readily be credited, although it was nothing more than a playful kind of labour.

Another instance was this:-After having made some progress in his other studies, a treatise on arithmetic was laid before him. He eagerly took up the volume, and entered immediately on this new ground; and so delighted was he with it, that he used to turn to it whenever he felt himself at a loss for amusement. In the short space of three weeks, he became so expert an arithmetician, that he considered the extraction of the square or cube root as a mere pastime.

During this period, and for several years after, Mr. Gilpin was not only the preceptor but the play-fel low of his son; and many a happy hour was passed in trundling hoops, flying kites, and other like exercises. At the same, time they exerted no small degree of skill in constructing little machines and toys, of which the son was the great contriver. Several monuments of their joint dexterity in this way are still preserved; but, adds Mr. Gilpin with all a parent's tenderness, "his bow

lies unstrung; his printing-press is no longer employed; his telegraph stands still; and his yeomanry troop is called out no more."

Young Gilpin went regularly through those books which are used in the best public schools; and whatever he had once read, he seem. ed never to forget: so that his father was in the habit of referring to him for passages which he wished to recollect; and he seldom failed thus to find the passage he needed, whether it were in poets, historians, or divines. His accuracy, both in reading and composing, was very remarkable. He would never pass over a sentence until he understood its meaning, nor lay aside an author before he had formed an acquaintance with his style and sentiments. Employment was the delight of his life. He had a soul athirst for knowledge. He had a pleasure in grappling with the little difficulties which met him in his course; and he would even modestly decline help in solving them. It was never advisable to stimulate, but rather to restrain, his application. His love of order was no less singular than his diligence,-a disposition which continued gradually to acquire strength. He contrived, by a happy arrangement, to fill up the day with an agreeable variety of labours and recreations. A more regular or pleasant life, perhaps never was witnessed: every period of it was marked by punctuality and composure, industry and ease, moderation and enjoyment. His understanding was clear and acute. He did not glide lightly over the surface of things. He delighted in those exercises of the mind which are usually considered as laborious, and in searching a subject to the bottom; and was much gratified by the prosecution of subtle and difficult investigations.

His father, perceiving that from such materials a character of no ordinary worth might be formed, was daily employed in considering how he might best promote that object. His most anxious thoughts, however,

« AnteriorContinuar »