me, and the nervous manner in which he expreffes himself, secure my pardon- "The punishment of death is pernicious to fociety, from the example of barbarity it affords. If the paffions, or the neceffity of war, have taught men to fhed the blood of their fellow-creatures, the laws, which are intended to moderate the ferocity of mankind, fhould not increase it by examples of barbarity, the more horrible, as this punishment is usually attended with formal pageantry. Is it not abfurd, that the laws, which deteft and punish homicide, fhould, in order to prevent murder, publicly commit murder themselves? What are the true and most useful laws? Those compacts and conditions which all would propofe and obferve in those moments when private intereft is filent, or combined with that of the public. What are the natural fentiments of every perfon concerning the punishment of death? We may read them in the contempt and indignation with which every one looks upon the executioner, who is nevertheless an innocent executor of the public will--a good citizen, who contributes to the advantage of fociety--the inftrument of the general fecurity within, as good foldiers are without. What then is the origin of this contradiction? Why is this fentiment of mankind indelible, to the scandal of reafon? It is, that in a fecret corner of the mind, in which the original impreffions of nature are ftill preferved, men difcover a fentiment which tells them, that their lives are not lawfully in the power of any one, but of that neceffity only which, with its iron fceptre, rules the universe.". "What must men think when they fee wife magiftrates and grave minifters of juftice, with indifference and tranquillity, dragging a criminal to death, and whilft a wretch trembles with agony, expecting the fatal ftroke. The judge who has condemned him, with the coldeft infenfibility, and perhaps with no fmall gratification from the exertion of his authority, quits his tribunal to enjoy the comforts and pleasures of life? They will fay, "Ah! thofe cruel formalities of juftice are a cloak to tyranny; they are a fecret language, a folemn veil, intended. to conceal the fword by which we are facrificed to the infatiable idol of defpotifm. Murder, which they would represent to us as an horrible crime, we fee practifed by them without repugnance or remorse. Let us follow their example. A violent death appeared terrible in their descriptions, but we fee that it is but the affair of a moment. It will be ftill lefs terrible to him who, not expecting it, efcapes almost all the pain." Such is the fatal though abfurd reasoning of men who are difpofed to to commit crimes, on whom the abuse of religion has more influence than religion itfelf." Beccaria on Crimes and Punish ments. It appears, then, inftead of the world being bettered by fevere punishments, it is really injured; and instead of operating as a check upon vice, it has produced the contrary effect. It is not poffible to suppose that severe punishment can be of ufe to perfons punifhed. Let us for Let us for a moment fuppofe what may be the reasoning of a robber. He has committed a crime comparitively fmall, but which, if difcovered, will be punished in the fame way as one much greater, and more injurious to fociety. He finds the man he has robbed still lives, and may poffibly point him cut, fo as he shall be taken, and lose his life; he purfues, overtakes the man he before robbed, and, ---horrid neceffity he finds himself under---he murders him--recollecting, perhaps, an adage---Dead men tell no tales.-Thus we fee the profpect of unequal punishments will not deter from the commiffion of crimes; and will the severity of punishments cure the habits of vice? I confefs they do not appear calculated to do this: the proper road to the mind is not always through the skin and bones; the one may be torn, and the other broken, and yet the mind remain the fame. Severe punishments may produce a fever in the mind as well, as in the body. I have read of a wretch who had been suspended by the ribs upon the hooks, on the Wolga, by fome means getting loofe, being naked, and fearing detection, he murdered the firft man he met, who was a fhepherd, and dreffed himself in his cloaths. All thofe punishments which caufe a man to fuppofe himfelf paft cure, or at leaft to be thought fo by men, are calculated to produce effects baneful to human happinets. And that many look upon fuch as are judged by the law worthy of punishment in that light, the conduct of jailors and executioners, who themselves, perhaps, have hardly escaped the gibbet, fufficiently evinces. If fevere punishments are not calculated to reform the unhappy wretch who falls under them, no one will fay the punishment of death is calculated to produce this. Can that which is neither calculated to work the good of fociety, or have a tendency to reclaim the individual, be ufeful? and is there not fome reafon to call the propriety and juftice of it in queftion? God alone is the author of existence---to him alone man is to look for every bleffing that nourishes it; he maketh the grafs and the corn to grow for the fubfiftence of man and beaft. He muft not deprive himself of life; how then can . can he attempt to take that of his fellow creature from him? But fome will plead, that in all ages the punishment of death has been inflicted. The more is the pity. But granting this, what do we gain thereby? Have not human facrifices been offered too in almoft als nations, at different periods? ---What then is gained by this plea? Surely nothing; for antiquity pleads as ftrong for affatlination. We know the Roman Cafars, thofe likenefles of human nature, waded to the throne through rivers of human blood: the military, who affifted one to step upon the throne, were always ready to put him down, and advance another to the fare fituation. Honour attaches to hoary heads only when found in the way of righteousness. Ancient customs can never authorife the commiffion of wrong actions; every principle that involves the happiness of the world must be tried by a better criterion than that of custom, however long standing. There is a rule of eternal rectitude, by which we ought to judge, not only of actions, but, as far as we are able, of the fprings of action. We know who hath faid, He who hateth his brother is a murderer. And when we confider how many human beings were facrificed in France to the hatred of Robefpiere, we have no hefitation in calling him a murderer, and the executions he ordered, legal affaffinations. Fearing I have tired your patience, and that of your readers, I will finifh this with hailing the happy period, which we hope is coming, when peace and happiness thall cover the earth, and violence no more be found, and am, Sir, MAY 12, 1799. Yours, &c. F. B. W. IN REVIEWERS REVIEWED. N our number for April, 1798, p. 117, we announced Mr. Scarlett's Tranflation of the New Teftament from the original Greek, and gave our decided approbation of the work, in relation to the plan, language, and execution of it.---We have fince had the pleasure of feeing our opinion confirmed by the determination of the Critical Review, Monthly Vifitor, &c. The British Critic for April, 1799, has, however, feen fit to differ from the above, and feems not a little grieved with Mr. S. es It "It is with fincere regret (fays he) that we see so much piety and good intention fo very expenfively mifemployed as in the prefent volume. Nothing can be more injudicious than the whole plan and form of the work. What advantage can poffibly be expected from printing the hiftorical parts of the Teftament like a play? thus-- ---And Pilate replied again, faying to them, Pilate.---What then would ye have me to do with him whom ye call the King of the Jews? Hiftory.---And they cried out again, Hift.---Then Pilate faid to them, Pilate.---Why, what evil hath he done? Hift.--But they cried out the more vehemently "It will be hardly credible to those who do not fee the book, that this ftrange method is employed throughout, whereever it is practicable. The tranflator alfo fancies an advantage in fuch alterations as the following from the established translation----" Then went out to him Jerufalem and all Judea." This he makes a merit of altering to "Then Jarufalem and all Judea went out to him.". "Render therefore unto Cæfar," &c. he changes to "Render therefore the things of Cæfar to Cæfar; and the things of God to God." We smile and figh. 66 Some good prints are prefixed, and a ufeful Table of the Genealogy of Chrift." Thus far the British Critic. We take the liberty to make the following remarks.--.. A critic should be candid and impartial, and should endeavour, as far as poffible, to diveft himfelf of prejudice, before he gives his judgment upon any work that may come before him. The tranflation of the New Teftament lately given to the public by Mr. Scarlett, has been minutely examined by other Reviewers, who, though they difapprove of fome things in, it, yet," upon the whole, highly approve of the prefent undertaking, and allow that the plan and execution of the work deferve confiderable praife." Critical Review. Again, "This tranflation poffeffes confiderable merit. Ab⚫ftrufe terms are changed---improper words removed---and the phrafeology rendered easier to common capacities. The paragraphs are rendered more diftinct; and, on the whole, an affiduous attention appears to have been paid to the meaning of the facred writers." Monthly Vifitor. But But the few obfervations made on this publication by the British Critic, too trifling and jejune to deferve the name of criticifn. A few plain fentences were adduced by Mr. Scarlett in his Preface. (being fome of the firft that occurred) merely as a fpecimen of ten thoufand alterations which he conce ved might be more intelligible to common readers, though feeming, at fift view, to be of little import. The British Critic takes notice of thefe; but he has not yet proved that the alteration, even in these few plain fentences, is not more grammatical, and nearer to the prefent idiom of the English language, than the common verfion. There are innumerable other paffages which he should have minutely examined, where not only the language is altered, but the fenfe materially dif ferent. As he feems to have neither leifure nor inclination to go through the whole book, he is referred, for the prefent, only to two palages, which he may confider, if he pleases, and pass fentence upon them. 1 Cor. vii. 36---39. COMMON TRANSLATION. "But if any man think that he behaveth himfelf uncomely towards his virgin, if the país the flower of her age, and need fo require, let him do what he will he finneth not: let them marry. Nevertheless, he that ftandeth fiedfaft in his heart, having no neceffity, but hath power over his own will, and hath fo decreed in his heart that he will keep his virgin, doeth well. So then, he that giveth her in marriage doeth well; but he that giveth her not in marriage doeth better." SCARLETT'S TRANSLATION. "But, if any one thinks that he acts unbecoming, refpecting his (ap) virginftate, if he is paft the flower of his age, and that it ought to be fo, let him act according to his inclination; he doth not fin: let them marry. But he, who is ftedfaftly fixed in his mind, having no neceffity, but hath power over his own will, and hath determined this in his heart, to keep his (apleOY} virgin-ftate, doth well. So that even he who (εxyaμwv} marrieth doth well, but he who doth not marry doth better." It appears to me evident, that in the whole paffage, from the 25th verfe, the apoftle is fpeaking of fingle perfons of either fex. Therefore Mr. Scarlett, tranflating waple by virginftate, not virgin, and exyapucar b marrying, not giving in marriage, is perfectly agreeable to the apoftle's meaning; otherwile the tranflation appears to give the father power to judge for |