I have not observed your Reviewers taking any notice of Mr. Fox's Historical Work. Not belonging to the department most commonly attended to in your Review of Books, it does not seem to have obtained his attention; while its high price may probably have led to the supposition that it could find its way among a small number only of those who read your Magazine. Conceiving however that Mr. Fox's Work might fairly have introduced several use ful reflections, I am induced partly to supply the lack of service in your Reviewers, by the following remarks. Considered in a literary point of view, there can be little doubt that Lord Holland would have more consulted the fame of his illustrious relative, had he suppressed the work, than he has done, by publishing it. Little accustomed to the composition of written eloquence, the stiffness of inexperience glaringly marks Mr. Fox's style in the first part of the work. His first sentence would certainly have procured reproach to anyschool-boy who should have used it in his version. Nothing but practice will remove this aukward formality, which adheres to every author at his first outset. The younger part of your correspondents, Mr. Editor, ought not to despair, if, in writing, they find it difficult to do any thing to their own satisfaction nor ought the supporters of religious publications to consider as unattainable that correctness and elegance of style often employed in opposition to godliness, by those who make writing their profession. As one proceeds onward, however, in Mr. Fox's Work, ceremonious and uagraceful distance gives place to all the ease of genuine politeness and affability: while at the conclusion," regard for the author, and the swelling importance of the subject, conspire in producing bitter regret on the occasion of so abrupt a termina-" tion as that which closed his historiographical labours. With little of the stately dignity sought after by eminent ancient and modern historians, Mr. Fox possesses, beyond most writers, the power of directing the attention of his readers to his subject. I think none of the Critics have discovered where his chief excellence lies, although the part which he acted in life might have pointed them to it,— his just appreciation of human character and motive. In this he is most excellent, when he seems least conscious of effort. Who; but the man accustomed to matter of fact and observation, would have drawn so well the character of Lord Grey, who seemed at once a coward and an hero? But Mr. Fox remarks, that he had found means to ascribe his retreat to other motives than fear; that he had forgotten his cowardice, or remembered it only so far as to put him upon the use of extravagant boasts, that he might efface the remembrance of it in others. Mr. Fox excels in sound sense, and that almost instinctive application of the laws of evidence, by which he arrives at fact by shorter road than that practicable by those less versant in the ordinary concerns of men. He has been blamed unjustly for the regret he expresses, when he found historians too mild in their strictures on tyrannical princes; and for exhibiting regard to posthumous fame as a powerful principle with the possessors of thrones That it is in fact a principle with them more powerful than principles of nobler character, cannot be denied; and if we cannot impart higher principles,, we ought not to weaken the few of those which, under the providence of God, have hitherto prevented the earth from resembling altogether the place of torment. A childish fondness and deference for another (living) author discredits the higher resoures of Mr. Fox's own mind. His labours appear to have been so troublesome and toil some while searching for evidence, that we must either account for the bustle he makes about them, from selfishness, or suppose that the labours, of every ordinary historian are beyond all calculation burden some. In praise of the morality which appears in Mr. Fox's Work, little can be said: it is, generally speaking, a morality for the present world; but altogether, it has much less of savage coarseness or determined opposition to piety, than is perceptible in the morality of many who are called great historians. But although we cannot charge Mr. Fox with the dis. ingenuous antipathy to religion perceptible in Hume, or the obscene filthiness of Gibbon, it is obvious his works would promote indifference to any one form of religion in preference to another; one considerable attainmen in the progress of infidelity, and that it countenances the very abridged system of duty now so commonly set up in competition Who the law of God. My chief object, however, in this paper, is to call attention to the treatment which the doctrines called Evangelical, have mdirectly received at the hands of Mr. Fox. The professors of the stricter systems of religious faith and discipline, have not received from him any regular, favour; but he has not withheld from them that common justice, which, to the disgrace of human nature, has often been denied them, by those too, who still claimed the character of Brethren. I hope you can afford room for an extract, containing Mr. Fox's account of the last days of the Earl of Argyle. If there be one eloquent passage in the book, it is the passage just referred to. I am not sure that Mr. Fox was exactly acquainted with the peculiarities of the faith in which Argyle died; or that he could have pointed to the connection in Britain, where the same faith is still retained in its purity, Evi dence, however, that sets all contradiction at defiance, attests, That Argyle was a stedfast believer of the peculiar doctrines of the gospel; that be cultivated what has been often 6 exposed to derision under the name of Experimental Religion, and that the untortured meaning of the Eng lish Articles and Scottish Confession displays that system of faith which formed 'the well-disciplined mind,'— which anger could not exasperate, nor fear appal' and to whom Mr. Fox bears this honourable testimony: Let him be weighed ever so scrupulously, and in the nicest scales, he will not be found, in a single instance, wanting in the charity of a Christian, the firmness and benevolence of a patriot,-the integrity and fidelity of a man of honour." Qn 'this part of my subject there were room for the most ample discussion. I shall detain your readers, only to say, When will an Infidel die such a death as that of the Christian Argyle?' The example itself has in it something much calculated to bestow elevation: it breather, it burns; and the vigorous mind of a Fox felt, in its vicinity, a transport of enthusiasm, which, compared with the ordinary attainments, might almost have passed for momentary inspiration! Ought not the followers of the divine faith to provoke one another to love and to good works? Seeing we are compassed about with a great cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin that doth most easily beset us; and let US run with patience the race set before us, looking unto Jesus, the Author and Finisher of faith. A. L. W. Discourses upon Regeneration s abridged from the Writings of the late learned and venerable Stephen Charnock, B. D. By the Rev. Griffith Williams, of London. 12mo. Price 5s. THE prime importance of the sub 'ject of Regeneration, and the superior ability of the great Charnock, have given to the original work a high place among the best theological treatises; and we presume that there are few diligent students of divinity who have not perused it with delight and profit. The folios of Charnock have, however, become very scarce and dear, so that few private Christians are in possession of the treasure. A few years ago Mr. Williams published an abridgement of Charnock on the Attributes; which met with a very favourable reception; which induced the Editor to abridge the author's copious Treatise on Regeneration also. He assures us, that he has retained most of the author's leading ideas, omitting chiefly his introductory observations, and numerous subdivisions, while the substance of the work is faithfully retained. We think the public indebted to Mr. W. for his labour; and sincerely hope that he will be repaid by finding that his abridgement is rendered extensively useful. A Series of Letters and Essays, on Important Subjeels. 12mo, 4s. THE mode of treating religions subjects, in the form of Letters and Essays, has peculiar advantages. Both kinds of writing are without that artificial and too visible method, which frequently gives a stiff air to valuable and useful works. Both require a particular talent, in which the late venerable and pious Mr. Newton eminently excelled. His letters possess the free and familiar manner of easy and friendly conversation. In this department he stands unrivalled. Mr. Parker's volume, however, SELECT LIST OF RELIGIOUS PUBLICATIONS. Essays, addressed to the Jews. By the Rev. Gr. Ewing, of Glasgow. 12mo, 3s Missionary Transactions, No. XX, Svo, ls. The Complete Works of Bishop Hopkins, 4 vol. 8vo, 21.; royal, 21 163. Sequel to the Antidote to the Miseries of Human Life. By the Author of the Antidote. 12mo, 38 6dPoetical Gleanings, Moral and Religious. By a Lady. Commentary on the Three Epistles of St. John. By T. Hawkins, 63 Address to Christians of every Denomination, on the Education of the Poor. By a Christian Friend. A Plan of Worship for Congregations and Families. Part I. Dr. Clarke's enlarged Edition of Fleury's Manners of the Israelites. Svo, 8s. Dr. Hawker's Third Letter to a Barrister, in Auswer to the Third Part of his Hints.' 1s 6d. Facts and Documents relative to Correspondence with Mr. H. Haldane. By Gr. Ewing, 8vo, 3s 6d The Star in the East, preached at Bristol, by Dr. Buchanan, for the Society for Missions to Africa and the East, Svo, 1s 6d Address on the Ordination of Mr. Stodhart, with an Anniversary Ser mon, by T. Young, of Canterbury, 8vo, is The Life and Death of a Christian: a Funeral-Sermon for Mr. T. Hayter. By D. Boguc, 18 THE London Committee have just published another Report; in which they state, That, depending on British Liberality, they had shipped for Sweden seed-corn to the value of £1800; about half of which sum they have received; and for the remainder of which, with a little surplus for medicine, they rely on further aid. We The Report contains details of the wretched state of the public hospitals in Sweden; for which, however, the Committee candidly apologize by several weighty considerations, which we have not room to recite. can only make a few extracts; from which our Christian friends will perceive how much the poor distressed Swedes need our assistance. Dr. Domeier, Physician to bis Majesty's Court at Hanover, and to his Forces, has been sent to Gottenburgh, &c. to inspect the hospitals, and afford medical advice, &c. The state of these is dreadful! 'Gottenburgh, April, 14, 1809. My first occupation has been to examine the state of the general miItary hospital; and it is painful to me to avow, that I have hardly seen a more disorderly one in my life; and this alone would explain the great mortality of the army. A gentleman's stable in England is cleaner, and has better air, than the military hospital at Gottenburgh. Some of the patients wear hos pital-gowns; others, their regimen tals; others, common dresses. When a patient dies, another, thro' want, immediately wears his gown, without its being washed. So you may imagine what colour it acquires, and what dirt it accumuTates! Some patients have dogs with them in the hospital;—in other wards, you find soldiers with their children, &c., which certainly ought not to be. The diet, in general, is not good they get nothing but water to drink. No vegetables to eat. Only five ounces of meat, and black, coarse, tough, indigestible bread. The wards are heated with stoves, the windows never opened, the ventiktors constantly shut,— the rooms overloaded with patients, the beds put so close, that there remains no room to place a chair. Many beds contain only cross separations, so that four patients are placed in the same bedstead. The room is not washed; and I am afraid not swept; so that the air, in such wards, is infectious in a high degree. 6 April 24. I saw, in the same room, dead amongst the living: I saw in a bed, hardly large enough to receive one person, man, wife, daughter, and sca; of whom one was dying, a second raving, a third making involuntarily every thing under him, and the fourth tortured with cruel pains. I saw six persons in one room, with an equal number of soldiers; and what do I say? -å room! By courtesy only it can be called so; for in our happy country, it would be unfit for a slable! The entrance into it about four, and the room itself about five feet high. Two small skylights are in the roof, which immediately cover the habitation. The beds (if rags, black, hard, and heavy from dirt, deserve this name) are fixed at the sides of the room. Provisions, if they have any, are placed in the same space, which serves also as a kitchen; and its floor is covered with dirt, like a street! The heads of the persons, or skeletons I should rather say, are covered with vermin; and the body of these ghosts is, in that respect, only different from their head, that it is plagued by a different species of vermin. Their hands and joints are covered with itch; and they arecso weak, that they have not so much power as to shew me their tongue out of their mouth! If every thing in the hospitals were the reverse of what it is, they would be useful. In their present state, people may die in them; but can with difficulty recover their health, Extract of a Letter from the Rev. 1809. Your letters of the gd, 7th, and 14th of March, are duly come to hand; the last of them contaming an order for £500; which sum has already been drawn for, and added to our funds. To-day I received yours of the 21st and 28th of March. I feel a heavenly bliss in being Member of a Committee, whose sole object is to alleviate the misery of distressed humanity; and, blessed be they through whose means I have been called to this sacred office! O, that the changes that have taken place. here, may not change their sentiments towards our poor destitute brethren! You gladden my heart in one of your former letters, when you say, Let politics 'be what they may, the cries of a suffering world · will yet be listened to in England.' God grant that it may be so !- and I trust it will. They would not change their sentiments, if they heard all the blessings that are in voked on them from Heaven, and saw the tears of gratitude that sparkle forth their praise, and whereof I am a daily witness! For Dr. Domeier, the English physician, necessary steps have been taken by our government. He will be welcome wherever he goes; and he is longed for everywhere, God grant that the corn for seed, which your Committee so kindly have sent, may also come safe. Proper arrangements are taking for the gratuitous distribution of it among the poorest of the peasantry; and may the fields that British charity thus sows, be protected by Him who governs the seasons, so that the grateful reaper may, in the day of harvest, sing forth his praise with a glad heart! and when he clasps the ripe burden in his lifted arms, bless those who pressed him, though a stranger, to their friendly bosoms!' London. ANNIVERSARY OF THE MISSIONARY SOCIETY, We have once more the pleasure of communicating to our numerous readers a particular Account of the Meetings of the Missionary Society, Meetings which gladdened the hearts of thousands, and enkindled new zeal in the glorious cause of propagating the gospel among the Heathen! We shall beg leave to introduce our narration, by a delightful paragraph from the first sermon preached on this occasion: It is the honour of the Christians of the present day, that their zeal has opened innumerable channels for itself, which did not occur to our fathers, or occurred only as objects of desire; and that the new streams in which it flows have deepened as well as widened, and continue to roll with increasing rapidity in their progress towards futurity. Although we fall short of some former generations of Christians in solidity of Scripture-knowledge, and perhaps. also in individual eminence in grace,-yet I dare not, on the whole, say, that the former days were better than these.' Christians have learned not only to conceive noble plans for extending and perpetuating the Redeemer's fame, but to combine their exertions, in order to carry them inte |