value is lost, although its bril-naturally fine face, only deform liancy remains. The endless the manly sentiments and the noconcatenation of epithets, and fre- ble ideas in morals and religion quent jumbling of metaphors, which he proposes to our conlike artificial colouring upon a sideration.

D

TRANSLATION OF THE SONNET DE DES BAR- Then do thy will-for this thy glory cries;

REAUX.

GREAT God, thy judgments are for ever

right,

E'en at my tears let thy just anger rise;

Let lightnings flash-in fury strike thy foe→ ........In sinking, I adore my righteous God:........

And tho' thy nature leads thee to be kind, But on what part can fall the vengeful

My crimes must ever bar me from thy sight,

For whilst thou'rt just, no place can goodness find.

blow,

That is not cover'd with a Saviour's blood?

Selected.

THE POOR Man's friend.

to a labourer's cottage, offering me a seasonable shelter, I dis

As I journeyed late on a sum-mounted from my horse, and mer evening, meditating on the found it large enough to protect beauties of the prospect around him as well as myself.

me, while they gradually faded The circumstance reminded me from my sight, through the ap- of the happy privilege of the beproach of darkness; it grew sud- lieving sinner, who finds a “redenly quite gloomy, and a black fuge from the storm, and the cloud hanging over my head, blast of the terrible ones, in the threatened a heavy shower of love of his Redeemer," which rain. The big drops began to prepares him " a covert from fall, and an open shed adjoining storm and from rain." I went

in unperceived: the door of the but you must always go to your cottage was half open, and Bible to help you out." heard the voices of a poor man.

"And where can I go so well," "Is it not

his wife, and some children with-replied the husband.

in.

God's own word for our instruc

I was hesitating, whether to go tion?" into the house, and make myself Well, that may be, but I known, or to enjoy in solitude a don't like so much of it," anmeditation on the foregoing com-swered she.

"Indeed, wife, you are in the wrong. Riches would never make us happier, so long as the Lord sees it good that we should be poor."

66

parison, which my situation had "And I do not like so little of brought to my mind; when these it, as I see and hear from you," words, spoken in a calm and af- returned the man. Why, that fectionate tone, struck me with book has taught me, that it is an mingled pleasure and surprise, honour and a comfort to be a poor and determined me not to inter- man, and by the blessing of the rupt the conversation. Spirit of God, I believe and feel it to be true. I have, through mercy, always been enabled to get the bread of honest industry, and so have you; and though our children feed upon brown bread, "Well," replied the wife, "I and we cannot afford to buy them can see no harm in wishing for fine clothes, like some of our vain more money and better living, neighbours, to pamper their pride than we have at present. Other with; yet, bless the Lord, they people have risen in the world; are as healthy and clean as any in and why should not we? There's the parish. Why then should you neighbour Sharp has done well complain? Godliness with confor his family, and for any thing I tentment is great gain." can see, will be one of the richest farmers in the parish, if he lives; and every body knows he was once as poor as we are. While you and I are labouring and toiling from morning to night, and oan but just get enough to fill our children's mouths, and keep ourselves coarsely clothed, and hardly that."

"Wife," answered the man, "having food and raiment, let us therewith be content. And, if it please God, that even these things should fall short, let us submit ourselves to God in patience and well-doing, for he gives us more than we deserve."

"There, now you are got to preaching again," said the woman. "You never give me an answer,

"An honour and a comfort to be a poor man indeed! What nonsense you talk. What sort of honour and comfort can that be? I am out of patience with you, man;" the wife sharply cried out. "I can prove it," replied he. "How?" retorted his partner, no very pleasant tone of voice. My dear," said the good man, "hear me quietly, and I will tell you.

in

66

"I think it an honour, and I feel it a comfort to be in that very station of life, which my Saviour Jesus Christ was in before me. He did not come into the world as one that was rich and great, but as a poor man, who had not where to lay his head. I feel a blessing in my poverty, because

Jesus, like me, was poor. Had I ty, might be rich; not in gold, been a rich man, perhaps I should but in grace.

never have known, nor loved "These promises comfort my him. For not many mighty, not soul, and would make me happy, many noble are called.' God's even if I were deprived of that people are chiefly found amongst which I now enjoy. I can trust the base things of the world, and my Saviour for this world, as well things which are despised. This as for the next. He, that spared makes my poverty to be my com- not his own Son, but delivered

fort.

"Besides, hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom,

him up for us all, how shall he not with him freely give us all things?

"The Lord of his mercy bless

which he hath promised to them you, my dear Sarah, with the that love him? This thought grace of a contented mind." makes my poverty also to be my honour.

Here the gracious man stopped: and whether affected by her "Moreover, to the poor the husband's discourse, or by any gospel was and is preached, and other cause, I know not, but she to my heart's delight I find it to made no reply. He then said, be true every Sunday of my life." Come children, it is our time And is it not plain, all the neigh-for rest; shut the door, and let bourhood through, that while so us go to prayer."

many of our rich farmers, and Forgive me," said I, laying tradesmen, and squires, are quite hold of the door, as the child was careless, or set their faces against obeying her father's orders, "if the ways of God, and are dead to I ask leave to make one in your every thing that is gracious and family devotions, before I travel holy, a great number of the poor-homewards. I have heard you,

est people are converted and my friend, when you knew it not, live? I honour the rich for their and bless God for the sermon station, but I do not envy them which you have this night for their possessions. I cannot preached to my heart." forget what Christ once said,

The honest labourer blushed How hardly shall they that have for a moment at this unexpected riches enter into the kingdom of intrusion and declaration, but imGod.' mediately said, "Sir, you are welcome to a poor man's dwelling, if you come in the name of the Lord."

thankful should I be.

"O! my dear wife, if you did but know how to set a right value upon the precious promises which God has made to the poor, how I just looked around at the wife, who seemed to be startled "The expectation of the poor at my sudden appearance, and the shall not perish. He delivereth six fine children who sat near her, the poor and needy from him that and then said, "You were going spoileth him. He has prepared to pray, I must beg of you, withof his goodness for the poor. The out regarding me, to go on, as if poor among men shall rejoice in I were not here."

the Holy One. For he became The man, whom I could not poor, that we, through his pover-but love and reverence, with a

simple, unaffected, modest, and de- tive officer under the judge of the vout demeanour, did as I requested district. He afterward spent some him. His prayer was full of ten-months with a Gosayi, that is, a der affection and sincerity, ex- leader among the Viragees.* pressed with great scriptural pro- While with him he read the Benpriety, and was in all respects galee translations of several posuch as became the preacher of pular Hindoo books, as the Rathose sentiments which I had mayuna,† the Muhabharuta, &c. overheard him deliver to his wife God seems to have given Pijust before. tambura wisdom, to judge of chaWhen he had finished, each of racter as it is displayed in hahis children, according to the bitual conduct, even from his good old patriarchal custom of youth; hence his knowledge of better days, kneeled down before the quarrels, adulteries, and other him in turn, to receive a father's blessing.

It was now late, and the rain was over, I gave the poor man my blessing, and received his in return. I wished them good night, and went onwards to my own home, reflecting with much self-abasement of heart, what an honour and comfort it is to be a poor man, rich in the faith.

MEMOIR OF PITAMBURU-SINGIU,

evil deeds related of the Hindoo gods in the pooranus, the covetousness of their religious guides, and the pride and general depravity of the brahmuns, shook his veneration for the religion of his ancestors; and the effect which was produced in his mind is, probably, a specimen of the ideas which prevail among most thinking people, even though they continue idolaters. A view of these things will not change their dispositions; but it may prepare the way for the gospel, in the same manner as the ignorance, and ungodly lives, of the Romish clergy accelerated the progress of the Reformation.

A Bengalee Christian, who died at Serampore, the 20th August, 1805, aged about sixty years. Pitamburu-Singhu, a Hindoo of the writer cast, was born at Ja- Pitambura, however, before he goolee, in the district of Virooee. heard the news of the gospel, His father's name was Nidhi-ram-lived in a state of perfect uncerSingha, and his mother's Menuka. They had three sons, and one daughter Pitambura was the eldest: the others died young When Pitambura was six years old, his mother died; and when he was twelve, his father. They both died in a state of idolatry.

Viragee literally means a person without passions. The mendicants who are wearing the marks of the sect on their forecalled by this name are very numerous, and, head, arms, &c. wander from one sacred place to another, and may be seen begging in every town. They are in general very profligate in their manners. Besides the mendicant viragees, great numbers of this About the age of sixteen, Pi-sect continue in a secular state. tambura married. He had one This work has been translated and daughter, who is still living. Be-printed by Dr. Carey and Dr. Marshman.

fore he was twenty, he entered into service, and for some time was what is called a duruga, a na

This order of men is here (says Mr. Ward) placed before kings in honour, and at their feet the whole nation is laid prostrate as before their sovereign." History of Hindoos, vol. iv. p. 3.

tainty respecting the way of salvation. He felt within himself a complete distaste of the muddy waters of heathenism; but where to obtain the water of life he knew not.

ting a tract, which made known to him the way of salvation. The person who first got the pamphlet showed it to Pitambura, but the latter told him with disdain to "take it away :" he had no idea of holiness coming from an Englishman. In the night, however, he reflected, how foolish it was to send the book away without looking at it, and in the morning he went and obtained it.

During the latter part of the time in which he continued an idolater, he had a house in Virooee, about fifty miles to the west of Calcutta; but wandered about as a Viragee, holding conversations with such as were supHe had no sooner read this posed to have some peculiar book, than he declared to all, knowledge of God, or some reve-that this was the true way of salvalation made known to them of the tion; and that he would certainly right way. Nor is this peculiar go and find the European who had to him many of the Hindoos talk given it away. of some manifestation of the Deity Seeing the word "Serampore" which they are in the habit of ex- printed at the end of it, he took pecting; and seek after men who, the first opportunity in his power like Simon Magus, are reported to visit that place. On his arrival to be "the great power of God." at the Mission-house, holding the In this way they seem to be "feel- book in his hand, he said, he was ing after God, if haply they may come to see the person who had find him." given that book away. After Amidst all this uncertainty re- some conversation, and explanaspecting the true way, many be- tions, respecting the truths of the come teachers of others; and gospel and the mission to this thus "the blind lead the blind." country, he seemed pleased, and Among the Viragees there are retired with Krishna, a native numbers of quacks, who abound convert, at whose house he was with religious nostrums, and pre-accommodated. At this time he tend to have the key of the king-was a very good looking man, dom of heaven suspended to their neatly dressed, and seemed not to girdles: yet while Pitambura have felt the approach of age. despised the generality of these After hearing and examining men for their pride and covetous- farther, he declared to Krishna, pess, he himself, being accounted he would be baptized He ate a man of deep knowledge, and with him without regarding his clear judgment, became a kind of cast and seemed to be decided teacher, and had disciples, who listened to his discourses, prostrated themselves at his feet, and deemed him their oracle.

* A copy of this tract, in his own handwriafter his decease. Such was his attachment ting, was found among Pitambura's papers to a paper which had conveyed to him the news of a Saviour.

+ The Hindoos are divided into four casts,

viz. the Brahmin, Kshutriyn, Voishyu, and Shroodru; but of these there are many divisions and subdivisions.

In this situation the gospel found him. A journey which Mr. Ward took with a friend, through the Soondurvuns, in the year The first native baptized, and now a 1801, was the means of bis get-zealous preacher of the gospel,