the enemy. In the mean time, his daughter and son-in-law, having seen the signal of defeat, dressed themselves as pilgrims, and taking with them Delada Samy, fled to the seashore, and taking ship at Tutocoreen, came to Ceylon, and delivered Delada Samy to the king Kirti Sri Mewan Rajah, and the king provided the said prince and princess with a residence at the place called Keeragam, in the Beligal Corle, and heaped upon them many favours. The king likewise made a house for Delada Samy, and without intermission, made offerings to the same of both flowers and light. He reigned as king for the space of twenty-eight years.

His younger brother, who was called Deweny Paetissa Rajah, was the next king. He made a carandua or case for Delada Samy, which he sprinkled with sweet-smelling water and sandal, and made figures of Buddha with his own hand. He also caused dawgobs to be erected, and was a benefactor to the world during a reign of ten years. His son, called Bujos Rajah, was the next king. He provided books and preachers from village to village, and caused preaching to be held at appointed seasons. He raised the Maha Waihara of Anuradha Pura twenty-five cubits high, offering flowers of jessamine to it. He also painted the walls and roofs of Lowau Maha Paya blue; there he caused seven hundred priests to assemble every day, to be supplied with victuals. He also bestowed villages upon the priests, of which they reaped the yearly revenue. He also caused to be raised the Waihara of Morapaw Piri, and abounded in good works with a view of becoming a Buddha, and having reigned eight years, went to heaven.

His son, Oepa Tissa Maha Rajah, was the next king. He caused to be built the dawgob of Palaw Wagu, enclosed the lake called Nepauwewa, and reigned as king for forty-two years. His son, who was called Manam Rajah, was the next king. He reigned for twenty years. In the course of this king's reign, the two persons called Bandagatnam Watawah and Temnaha Sin, caused to be brought from Damba Dewa to Ceylon the books containing the two hundred thousand two hundred and fifty orders of Buddha, and the books containing the three lack thousand, and one hundred thousand seven hundred and fifty sayings of Buddha, which were written in the Paulu language, and caused the same to be published.

The illegitimate son of the late king, who was called Sinnam Rajah, as it were, governed by night, while the legitimate son of the king, called Sawkyanam, governed by day.

They reigned together for the space of one year. The next king was called Weissha Caral Loraw. He went one day to pay his homage to Delada Wahansey, and when he wanted to return again to his house called for his elephant, but seeing that it was not immediately brought, asked what was the reason, and his ministers told him to wait a little, and that the elephant would be brought directly; but thereupon the king became angry, and seeing the figure of an elephant built of stones, &c. asked if the said figure would not take him on his back? Thereupon the said figure came towards the king, and took him on his back, and went into the city, and carried the king to his palace. The said king reigned for six years, and then seven Malabar chiefs, from Soly Rata, having made a descent with seven thousand men, put the said king to death, and assumed the government, and, succeeding one another therein, governed the country for twenty-seven years.

Illustrations of various Passages of Scripture, selected from different Authors.

VI. GENESIS, xiii. 9.

"Is not the whole land before thee? separate thyself, I pray "thee, from me: if thou wilt take the left hand, then I will go "to the right; or if thou depart to the right hand, then I will go to the left."

"

Some have wondered how Abraham, and the other Patriarchs, in the ages of antiquity, were permitted at pleasure to take up their residence with numerous flocks in countries where they were strangers, and without making any compensation to the native inhabitants: but the same practice is customary in the interior of South Africa. Kraals of Bushmen come and take up their residence in the Coranna country as long as they please, without being considered intruders; and the Corannas do the same in the Bushman country, or in any of the other countries. In this way there is a mixture both of blood and of languages among the inhabitants of these regions.

[Campbell's Travels in Africa, page 236.]

VII. EXODUS, xxviii. 9-11.

"And thou shalt take two onyx stones, and grave on them "the names of the children of Israel; six of their names on one stone, and the other six names of the rest on the other stone, according to their birth. With the work of an engraver

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"in stone, like the engravings of a signet, shalt thou engrave "the two stones with the names of the children of Israel: thou "shalt make them to be set in ouches of gold."

Dr. Clarke obtained at Larneca in the island of Cyprus, an onyx, which there is every reason to believe one of the Ptolemies used as a signet. It contained a very curious monogram, expressing all the letters of the word IITOAEMAIOY, according to the manner here represented :

The use of such instruments for signature is recorded in the books of Moses, 1700 years before the Christian æra: and the practice has continued in Eastern countries, with little variation, to the present day. The signets of the Turks are of this kind. The Romans, Greeks, and Egyptians had the same custom: indeed almost all the ancient intaglios were so employed. In the twenty-eighth chapter of Genesis, it is related that Tamar demanded the signet of Judah and above 3000 years have passed since the great Lawgiver of the Jews was directed to engrave the names of the children of Israel upon onyx stones, " like the engravings of a signet," that is to say, if we may presume to illustrate a text so sacred, (with reference to a custom still universally extant,) by a series of monograms, graven as intaglios, to be set "in ouches of gold for the shoulders of the ephod." That the signet was of stone, set in metal, in the time of Moses, is also clear from this passage of sacred history.

[Dr. Clarke's Travels in Greece, Egypt and the Holy Land, Part II. p. 320.]

VIII. 1. KINGS, xviii. 28.

"And they cried aloud, and cut themselves after their man"ner with knives and lancets, till the blood gushed out upon "them."

According to Dr. Clarke this practice is still preserved, by what he terms the "Howling Dervishes of Scutari, who preserve in their frantic orgies the rites of the priests of Baal."

[Clarke, Part II. p, 6.]

THE following letter has been forwarded to the Editors, with a request, that it might be printed without alteration, and as that course was pursued with the communication of Mr. Plumptre, to which this letter is a reply, the impartiality which will, they trust, ever characterize the pages of the INVESTIGATOR, has induced a strict compliance with the wishes of their reverend and highly respectable correspondent. At the same time, they cannot but express an earnest hope, that they shall not have occasion again to advert to this unpleasant altercation, nor would it have been continued thus far, but from the desire they felt to do justice to the character of a distinguished individual, now no more, whom they cannot but consider one of the brightest ornaments of the church of God in the days in which he lived; and of another gentleman, for whose descendant, the natural vindicator of his character, they entertain the highest respect.

TO THE EDITORS OF THE INVESTIGATOR. GENTLEMEN,

A LETTER which appeared in No. VII. of your quarterly publication, written by the Rev. James Plumptre, on the character of the late Dean Milner, has given great pain to myself, in common with many others, who had the privilege of a personal intimacy with that great and good man. Although you will doubtless consider it inexpedient, that the pages of the INVESTIGATOR should be occupied by debates on the merits or demerits of private character, yet I cannot but consider the present case as one which demands some notice; and, I trust, you will not decline to give publicity to the few observations which I shall make respecting Mr. Plumptre's singular, and (in most respects) unfounded, attack upon the character of one, whose talents, and whose piety, justly command the respect and veneration of posterity. I feel the more confident that Dean Milner's memory will meet with this justice at your hands, since you yourselves, in the first instance, thought proper to call the attention of your readers to the character of this venerable and exemplary divine;" (No. VI. p. 244,); and since you have candidly stated, that you leave " the public to decide on" Mr. Plumptre's "recriminatory charges on the late President of Queen's; whose conduct, as the head of a college, he had an opportunity of observing, which" you "did

not enjoy." (No. VII. p. 79.) As impartial biographers, you cannot wish the public to form their decision upon the simple, uncontradicted statements of Mr. Plumptre, as they at present stand on record in your pages.

Although considerably junior to Mr. Plumptre as a member of the University of Cambridge, yet I believe I have had more frequent opportunities than himself of becoming acquainted with the many excellencies, and the few infirmities, of the late Dean of Carlisle; having for sixteen years been a member of the College over which he presided, and having for the last ten years of the President's life enjoyed an uninterrupted intimacy with him, as one of the Fellows of the society of which he was so bright an ornament.

Upon Mr. Plumptre's remarks on the character of his own father, (Dr. Milner's predecessor in the presidency of Queen's College,) I shall make but few observations. It was natural for the son to defend the reputation of his parent: but surely, while filial affection prompted this tribute of respect to Dr. Plumptre, Christian charity ought to have thrown a veil over the supposed or actual failings of Dr. Milner, except so far as they necessarily became the subjects of exposure in the legitimate conduct of the argument. I do not know for what purpose Mr. Plumptre has informed his readers, that his father's " name has been recently brought before the public in the appeals from the College. (No. VII. p. 80.) I am certain, however, that such a passage, in the connection in which it occurs, must convey the impression, to persons unacquainted with the facts, that Dr. Plumptre's name has been "brought before the public” in an unfavourable light; and that this is one of those circumstances which have induced his son to institute recriminatory charges against the venerable Dean Milner. It may be proper, therefore, to state, that Dr. Plumptre's name was used, since the death of Dr. Milner, in two affidavits* (filed in Chancery by Dr. Godfrey, the existing President of Queen's College, and myself,) in the way of a simple reference to indisputable and merely historical facts, from which neither credit nor blame could, in the slightest degree, attach to Dr. Plumptre.

1. The first subject to which Mr. Plumptre alludes is, the abolition of the custom of the Sizars of the College waiting in Hall upon the President and Fellows. THE INVESTIGATOR (in common with some other biographers) had claimed * See the “ Case of the President of Queen's College, 1821," pp. 81, 93, 183, 184.