1825.] Report of British and Foreign Bible Society. that night my fellow sufferer, being allotted to personate a childish husband for the little girl! My next chance for relief was the entrance of this amiable young gentleman's father, one of the most eminent men in the kingdom for genius, learning, and taste, one respectable enough to have given what turn he pleased to the whole company, whose wit and humour every one always desired should lead in conversation; but, alas! he entered without his usual animation of countenance or spirits to enliven our party, his charming flow of humour, under the casual dominion of the spleen, that envious malady which only seizes on superior minds, as if to bring them on a level with the common herd of mortals; he indolently sunk into the trifling amusement of prattling with the child, and hearing her prattle, who being encouraged, poured forth all her playful imagination could furnish, and found all applauded! One ray of hope, however, revived at 8 o'clock, expecting the carriage would be announced for the favourite, the idol which attracted our whole attention; but no such voice relieved me, and I ventured to ask the lady who brought her, whether Miss was to stay supper? and was answered with a complacent smile, that this once she was to be indulged, was to tarry as long as we did! And thus ended all my expectations of intellectual enjoyment for the evening. The spleen, had I been worthy, might then have made me all her own. I folded my arms, yielded I fear to sullen silence, and could no longer essay to laugh at the child's exhausted mimicry of a toast, a countess, &ensington drawing room, the park, Kensington Gardens! Not one quarter of an hour for any rational subject, not a sentence worth remembering could be obtained; -aud so passed the supper an hour or two afterwards; and so was sacrificed the whole afternoon and evening, which ought to have been spent in sensible instructive conversation, at least some part of it. The child with her pretty little fooleries might have entertained for a time, and claimed her share of notice, and it is a real pleasure sometimes to play with children, and to make them happy, but such an infant enjoys her own felicity far more in her nursery with her maid or play-mates after the hour of a visit is over. As I had passed the devoted time between "a 307 perpetual elevation of hope, and a perpetual disappointment," I found myself at night exhausted in spirits, fatigued in body and mind, envying the benevolent cheariulness of my wiser companions, yet bitterly lamenting that the only lesson I could then learn was to regulate the ardour of expectation, and to innure my mind to bear disappointment without discovering any ill humour. Thus far the fair disappointed pupil of Science, whose feelings were too acute for so transitory a mortification. Yet it may be worth investigating why so distinguished a literary party should sacrifice their sincerity at the shrine of complaisance, or indolently yield to the waste of time, when their abilities might have brought forth improvement from more important subjects; and probably too little attention is daily paid to the great number of hours properly perhaps devoted to society, but too often passed in unimportant employments, in wearisome civilities, in the endurance of unimproving conversation, in mixing with the multitude to assist at card-tables, adding to the general vociferation about nothing, rather from a pusillanimous dread of being stigmatized for affecting superior wisdom, than from that benevolence which in a due degree ought always to influence the human mind; but it is well worthy of consideration to find the just proportion in the divisions of time, as life is short, and the lamp of health and the measure of abilities are daily wasting! Mr. URBAN, HE Oct. 2. Ts following is an abstract of the 21st Report of the British and Foreign Bible Society, for 1825, which presents a most satisfactory view of the progress of Christianity, and the diffusion of the Gospel. FRANCE.-Dr. Pinkerton, whose health has been sufficiently restored to undertake a mission to Paris to inspect the foreign editions of Scriptures printed at the Society's expence; and his visit proved satisfactory. The Turkish Bible has proceeded as far as the Book of Job, under the direction of Professor Kieffer, and the revision of the New Testament was delegated to the Rev. M. Renouard, and 2000 additional New Testaments printed. Several important communications took place with Baron Sylvestre De Sacy relative 30S Report of British and relative to the Persian and Coptic ver sions; and with M. Zorab and St. Martin on the modern Armenian Testament; copies of which were in preparation for them at Constantinople and other parts of Turkey. "The Paris Bible Society continued to receive many testimonies of the utility of its labours to the Protestants Communions in France. The Scriptures have been received in many instances with demonstrations of the most lively joy; and their perusal is reported to have produced beneficial effects. Many among all classes of Protestants, among the clergy and laity, the rich and the poor, the aged and the young, continue to maintain an interest in the work."-" An important application from an island in the Mediterranean for 300 Bibles and 3000 Testaments for the use of Schools, had been met from this source, and many thousand copies of the French Testament of De Sacy have been circulated. "In Spain, Portugal, and Italy, little can at present be done towards disseminating the Holy Scriptures." Better success is stated at Antwerp, where the circulation in the English, Dutch, French, and German languages, is carried on to a great number. A special Committee have inspected the Chinese version by the Rev. Drs. Morrison and Milne, and made so favourable a report of it, that a number of copies have been forwarded to the Dutch settlements in the East Indies. At Zurich and Bern, Geneva, Lausanne, and Basle, the progress is very favourable, as well in the demand for copies as in the liberality of the supplies. At Lubec their Society has been revived, and has met with support from the Captains and others be longing to the shipping interest there. At Hanover 1000 Testaments were presented, and were immediately sold. This grant was followed by another large edition, and "his Majesty's Ministers have kindly assisted the Institution with a donation and a loan," as stated; and in consequence of the desolation of the floods there, the Society "was not backward in supplying that which it is its province to dispense." At Nuremberg the King of Bavaria gave his Royal assent for the establishment of a Central Bible Society. At the last anniversary Meeting of the Saxon Society, the late Count Hohentahl presided, and in a very im pressive address recalled the origin of that Institution by 27 persons ten years ago; 18 of whom had departed this life, so that only nine of its founders could be present with them on that day, and the Count has himself been since added to the number. From such small beginnings it was most interesting to receive the report of their increase and utility. In stating the transactions of the Society at Eisnach, it is subjoined,— "tears of gratitude have glistened in the eyes of both parents and children, on receiving the invaluable treasure of the Word of God." There seems to be a defect of subscription at Frankfort, "owing to the increasing difficulties of providing subsistence, experienced in all classes!" At Wirtemburg their Society had continued to distinguish itself by its active proceedings. His Majesty had renewed his donation of 500 florins. Several contributions, and particularly those of some prisoners, who had received copies of the New Testament, and remitted the amount to the Trea surer. The unremitted efforts of the Rev. Dr. F. Vander Ess are mentioned with due respect, and another version is also reported, which he has approved for circulation there. In Silesia the want of Bibles is pathetically lamented; but since supplied by the Bible Societies. My limits warn me that I cannot reduce the compass of this interesting Report to every part of the world where the connections of this Society has extended its exertions.-At Kreusnach every Clergyman has been furnished with Bibles, to enable him to present one to every newly married couple on their wedding, a most assured method of rendering this sacred Book dear to their united affections: it would be indeed a pleasing effect if the same practice were adopted in our own country. Count Rosenblad, as President of the Swedish Society, stated that 30,000 copies would be annually wanted for many years to come. "Such calculations are valuable in this respect, that they lead to a just estimate of the insufficiency of past exertions, compared with what remains to be accomplished by those whose hearts are deeply interested in this work." Our attention is next drawn to the 1825.] Report of British and Foreign Bible Society. Society in Russia. On the resignation of Prince Gallitzen as President, he was succeeded by Archbishop Seraphim; his patronage was solicited, and it does not appear to have relaxed, though his Grace's answer is not stated; but several conversions to Christianity are enumerated, and 70,000 copies in different languages and dialects have been printed, and 31,163 distributed during the past year! I am happy to be able to refer to this, as entirely contradictory of some suggestions that the Emperor has not continued his Royal sanction to these measures. "Some hundreds of copies of the Greek Testament have been sent to different parts of Greece, where they have been received by the people with eagerness, and many of them, it is said, while encamped and expecting the enemy, employed themselves in reading the Word of God.” We pass on to the Turkish empire, where the distribution is more extraordinary, under the agency of the Rev. H. D. Leeves. These are for the Greeks who speak the Turkish language, and "with very slight alterations, indeed the same work transcribed in Armenian characters will serve for the Armenians speaking Turkish;" and an edition in modern Greek is now printing in London. "The gift of tongues to the Apostles is an unanswerable argument for the necessity and duty of transcribing the Scriptures into every language." Mr. Barker at Aleppo ascertained from a Syrian priest that the Holy Scriptures now preparing in the Carshun language will prove a most acceptable present to the Christians for whom they are designed. In the Persian language the Pentateuch has been completed by Mirza Jaffier, in the revision of which Professor Lee is engaged, while the translator is advancing with the historical books. When this version is known, it will form an epoch in the history of Persia. The Report from Calcutta states the year to have been "a year of expansion and enlargement." Several auxiliary Institutions; the Hindoostanee Testament by Professor Hill; the Hinduwee Testament by Mr. Bowley; and the other parts of their progress; to which is most justly added, "the name of Dr. Heber, Bp. of Calcutta, as an 309 accession to the cause, is in every respect most valuable: with the aid of his Lordship's counsel and influence, the objects of the Society must be essentially promoted. Its character also will be better appreciated, and will commend itself more and more to the community."-In each of the presidencies similar satisfactory statements have been received, so that the Society now assumes a national appendage to those governments. The Rev. B. Clough writes from Colombo strongly recommending a translation into the Pali language; which is among the Budhists what the Sanscrit is among the Brahmins. It was the native language of Budha himself, and is held in the highest veneration by his followers wherever formed: hence it is the great depository of religion, law, and general science, in all Budhist nations; and some idea may be thus formed of the great extent to which a knowledge of the Pali language has been and still is cultivated. The late Mr. Tolfrey had acquired a critical knowledge of it, and left a complete version, which several Pali scholars have since approved; so that if this should be adopted, Ceylon, the Burman empire, the kingdoms of Ava, Siam, Pegu, Aracan, Cambogia, and all the nations of India beyond the Ganges, and in several of the Northern nations, as Thibet, Bhutan, and the largest islands in the Archipelago, may in a few years be reading the New Testament. I now pass over the Society's exertions in the South Sea Islands and New South Wales. Dr. Morrison's Chinese Bible is circulating (with his Dictionary, as I hope and presume). All the Chinese who live in the islands of the Malayan Archipelago, are capable of receiving the Scriptures without difficulty, as far as the Governments are concerned. Their probable number is from 2 to 300,000, and will find their way into China itself. In South Africa the progress has been very important and satisfactory. In South America the political convulsions which have agitated the scene of the Society's labours, have not prevented the operations of those whose hearts are thoroughly engaged in the work. It is delightful to observe how fit individuals are found there willing to assist in the distribution. Now is the time, says Mr. Thomson, 310 Report of British and Foreign Bible Society. Thomson, to apply the healing balm The superstitions prevalent in North America still impede the march of the Word of Truth, but the day is quickly approaching, when these clouds will be dispelled; they are but imperfect pictures of those which exist in the more dark places of the earth;" and many are now there who count it a great privilege to be made instruments to give effect to their dispersion. AMERICA. There being an Auxiliary Society in the Illinois, there is now at least one Auxiliary Institution in every State of the Union. the Ladies who conduct the AssociaOf tions, their Report says, They have gone forth in their modesty and benevolence, and have been surpassed by none in patience and zeal, activity and usefulness; they have obtained a portion of the abundance of the rich, and the mites of the poor, and have poured the whole into the treasury of the Lord. They have not shrunk from the abodes of the ignorant, the sick, the wretched, the helpless; they have penetrated into the recesses of want, to furnish to the needy that holy Book, which makes known the bread of life." In this we may readily join our testimony to the female efforts in all our Societies wherein they are pleased to interest themselves. [Oct. engagements abroad to amount to 51,636. A list of foreign Versions for the library forms part of the Appendix. A fact is mentioned which does hoander. About eight years since, he nour to his Imperial Majesty Alexwas pleased to command the undertaking of a version of the New Testament into modern Russ, under the inspection of the Synod, and to print it in parallel columns with the Sclavonian text. This was effected, and 111,000 New Testaments was 50,000 stereocopies printed. The number of entire typed. In proportion as this became known, an edition in Russ only was desired, as more portable for soldiers on their march, who are convinced of the plicable for schools. necessity of reading it, and as more aptherefore ordered a stereotype edition The Emperor also of 20,000 copies, and expressed his approbation of it, when he accepted two copies presented to him. These rather promote each other. two editions do not interfere with, but, The forship, which is conducted in the Sclamer is very useful at the public worvonian language, as venerable for its antiquity; and the latter furnishes a more ready opportunity of reading it in the paternal interest unremittingly the vernacular tongue. All this shows taken by the Emperor for the spiritual welfare of his people. To this it may Feodorowna applied for 216 New Tesbe subjoined, that the Empress Maria for the daughters of noblemen, to be taments in Russ, and 21 in German, on leaving their institution! distributed among them as premiums A. H. We turn our course homeward with this Committee, and rejoice to find so much unaffected zeal in every part of the world, while our own nation is enjoying all its own privileges, and glowing with charity from the purest motive! And here we find a strong desire among the Jews to read the Scriptures, excited to a considerable extent by the exertions of those fellow labourers in the common cause of Chris-N order to form a just estimate of tianity. Among seamen also in the Port of London, a very liberal distribution is continually made. The whole distribution of this Society in 21 years has been 116,539 Bibles, and 164,116 Testaments. Twenty works are now in progress at the Society's presses. The total number of Auxiliary Societies amount to 232. The receipts for the past year, including a balance of 13,300l. amounted to 134,155.; and the expenditure, including the investments made, amount to 122,0887. leaving a balance of 12,0667.; and the result states their ON A GENERAL IRON RAILWAY. will be necessary to ascertain the ex- struction of turnpike roads, the annual boats, the annual repairs, also the num- sels, the annual repairs, the number of hands 1825.] Gray on a General Iron Railway. hands required, together with the ex pense. Then compare these three-fold capitals with that required for the construction of a General Iron Rail-way, Locomotive Steam-engines and Carriages (for the conveyance of persons and of goods of every description), their annual repairs, the number of hands required, together with the expense. It must be sufficiently evident to every man of reflection, that the benefit to be derived from Rail-roads should be of a general and national kind; their partial introduction into certain districts would not merely prove of local advantage, but give a most decided superiority to the commercial transactions carried on there, over those places where Canals and the ordinary roads remain the only means of conveyance. After witnessing the wonderful power and economy of the steam engine, which gives motion to the whole machinery in every room of a manufactory, and the certainty, speed, and safety with which steam-packets navigate the sea; the man who can now hesitate to recommend steam-engines instead of horse-power, must be pitied for his ignorance or despised for his obstinacy; moreover, after the demonstration of their utility, daily proved by Mr. Blenkinsop these fourteen years past, it will require some explanation, where and how our engineers have been exhibiting their skill? There can be no doubt that Mr. Blenkinsop's plan must be our guide from its manifest superiority and economy over all those at Newcastle; and if we look at the very slow progress made in the improvement of steam engines, perhaps a generation or two may pass away without any very material benefit arising from the various experiments now afloat. To create further improvements, every encouragement should be given to the practical application of those we do enjoy, by extending them to the promotion of national prosperity. It has been stated, that the steam carriages at Newcastle work solely by friction, or by the adhesion of the wheels to the rails, and that Mr. Blenkinsop's rack-rail is quite unnecessary; this nonsense is, however, so completely exposed by the experimentalist himself who wrote it, that the Practical Treatise on Rail-roads," 66 311 recently published, must be put forth with motives I cannot comprehend. The reader should therefore receive with great caution any information from persons interested in the northern collieries; for as their trade will be. seriously affected by opening the London market to all the inland collieries, it is very natural to suppose that those of the North will do all in their power to decry my "Observations on a General Iron Rail-way" but however much they may feel disposed to arrogate to themselves the right of giving instruction on this subject, I beg to remind the public, that Mr. Blenkinsop's plan is hitherto decidedly the most efficient steam carriage rail-way, and that as Mr. Trevitheck and he were the first to introduce this species of conveyance, any remarks or improvements made by those who follow them, can only be considered as emanating from the example set by the above two gentlemen, to whom alone all credit is due. In confirmation of what is now advanced, I invite the reader to compare the engines at Newcastle with those at Leeds, and there some idea may be formed of the vast superiority of the latter both in economy and power-it appears Mr. Blenkinsop's, with less than half the power, do more than double the work of the other! How happens this? I leave it to the public, who are now in possession of the whole particulars, to decide. The pretended ignorance of the Newcastle writer, of the superiority of Mr. Blenkinsop's rail-way, will meet with the contempt it deserves, and serve also to forewarn the public against his imDecile mis-statements, and plausible calculations. I am fearful lest the Companies now establishing, should be so far deluded as to follow the plans adopted in the Collieries, of having recourse to inclined planes, stationary steam-engines, or the reciprocating steam-engines, all which may do well enough for the coal districts, but on rail-ways for national purposes, they ought to be avoided as much as possible, for this plain reason, the multiplicity of inachinery. The annual waste of capital, and the accidents which would unavoidably occur from their general-in * This work is translated into the French language. troduction |