It is a law of human nature, that the objects upon which our thoughts are employed help to form our characters; and that the views and feelings of an individual will be elevated or grovelling, in a great measure, according to the objects and associations with which he is most conversant. Since, then, Christianity brings the mind into contact with such only as are worthy of its noble powers and the dignity of its immortal existence, its tendency must be to lift the soul into a purer and better atmosphere, and to impress upon it the living image of moral beauty. And happily we are not left to form our conclusions on this subject, independently of the light which is furnished by facts; for we may safely and confidently appeal both to history and observation for evidence, that the sublimest models of moral character which the world has seen have been formed in the diligent and devout contemplation of the great facts and precepts of the Bible. In proportion as this sacred book is studied, its evidences and truths understood, and its legitimate influence felt, we confidently expect that the standard of intellectual and moral character will rise, and a spirit of reform and renovation will diffuse itself over the world.

We intended at the beginning of this article to have given a brief analysis of Dr. McIlvaine's book, but as our remarks have already run beyond the limit we had proposed, we must refer our readers to the book itself for a knowledge of its contents. It will not supersede other works of the same kind which are in existence; and it would be unfortunate if it should; but it is worthy of an extensive circulation, and we have no doubt is destined to great usefulness. It is a favorable circumstance attending it, that it is not only distinguished throughout by sound and perspicuous reasoning, and in many instances by eloquence of a high order, but also that it is pervaded by the amiable, pure and generous spirit which Christianity inspires. May the benevolent wish of its author be accomplished, in its becoming instrumental in confirming the faith and elevating the views especially of our young men, in whose intellectual and moral character may be bound up the destinies of our country though successive ages!

ART. IV.-History of Philadelphia.

Annals of Philadelphia, being a Collection of Memoirs, Anecdotes, and Incidents of the City and its Inhabi

tants, from the Days of the Pilgrim Founders. By JOHN F. WATSON. Philadelphia. 1830.

Could we persuade ourselves by any effort of imagination that the Rev. Micah Balwhidder was still among the living, we should have no doubts respecting the authorship of this work, notwithstanding the name it bears. We see in it the same absence of perspective in the view, the same deceptio visus, by which the little object before his eye exceeded in magnitude the whole earth and heaven; and, above all, the same triumph of art, by which he contrived, without one spark of egotism, to give a full length portrait of his own simplehearted character, while intent upon describing his favorite city. It is really refreshing to a reviewer, who is compelled to look upon so much display, effort, and pretension, to encounter such a page in the history of human nature; there is nothing like it, except perhaps the century sermons of some of our New England divines, who, in giving the annals of their village, paint with laborious finish every leaf on the genealogical tree. We regret that the work has not fallen under our observation before; but we hasten to make atonement for our seeming neglect, though we cannot promise to notice all and singular' the events here recorded. The work is certainly rather long even now, though the author takes praise to himself for the forbearance which has restricted it to a single volume of not more than eight hundred pages, he directs us to notice particularly, that in most cases of recital from others, a smaller type has been used than the common text. We give him credit for his moderation; but, in this last instance, it reminds us of a student in one of our colleges, who, on submitting a poem to his professor, was told that some of the lines were too long by several syllables for the heroic measure; he replied that he was fully aware of the objection, and intended to obviate it by writing the lines in question in a smaller hand.

Though there is something which tempts one to smile both in the design and execution of this work, we can easily conceive that its minuteness may increase its value to many in

habitants of the beautiful city which it describes. The author candidly admits, that it may be deemed sui generis in its execution; but, says he, it has powers to please apart from its style and composition,' inasmuch as it is a treasury of reminiscences, which no one else would have thought of collecting. He had determined, as he says, to rescue them from the 'ebbing tide of oblivion:' and it is no small consolation to us to learn from one whose attention has been devoted to the subject, that the above mentioned tide is actually falling: we had supposed that it was gaining fast, at least upon the literary world. However it may be with the fugitive facts,' which were the objects of his pursuit, we know that many works, which go forth like gallant barks, are constantly sinking where no diving-bell can reach them; but, if his philosophy be true, we need not mourn for them, our own among the number, as irrecoverably lost to mankind. On the whole, it is well that there are men who can engage with all their hearts in such labors as this; the local changes which they describe interest many beside those who were born among the scenes of their description, because they are signs of a mightier change which has been going on beyond their borders. The growth of a single place like Philadelphia, from the wilderness to the village, and from the village to the city, gives a concentrated and powerful impression of the vastness and rapidity of those changes from glory to glory, which our whole nation has hurried through. These fugitive facts, also, help to fill up the broad outlines drawn by the biographer and historian, which are often too indefinite to fix themselves in the mind; and answer the same purpose for one class of readers, which the imaginations of the poet and novelist serve for another, giving a local habitation' and reality to recollections, which would otherwise soon die away. Butthis writer claims too much for his undertaking, when he believes that it will transfer back the mind to scenes before: ' which, as we understand it, is a kind of retrospective forecast not within the reach even of prophetic inspiration.

Every Philadelphian has a right to be proud both of the founder and the foundation of his state. Never was an enterprise more wisely and happily conducted; and its success must be ascribed to the disinterestedness and judgment of Penn, since the circumstances were no more favorable than in other cases, where the first results were discouraging. It was the first time the world had ever seen an individual of com

manding influence and station acting so decidedly upon the Christian principle, that no man can serve his own interests so well as by serving others. It was remarkable that such a person should come from the halls of a slavish court and under the authority of an arbitrary king, and establish a state, with the single-hearted ambition to show men, as free and happy as they could be,' as an example to the rest of the world. The power of the chief Magistrate, that is, his own power, was cautiously limited and defined; the right of suffrage was given freely to all; the ballot-box, which, small as it is, holds the destinies of nations within it, was used probably for the first time thus extensively in the Western world; so far from securing to himself the means of profit and power, he declared that he would deprive both himself and his successors of the power of doing mischief, so that the authority of one man might never hinder the general good. His views for the welfare of his people were judicious as well as liberal; he required that all children should be taught to read and write, and after the age of twelve should be engaged in some useful employment. All prisons, he said, should be work-houses; the law and practice of primogeniture were abolished, and this at a time when a law which we could mention, nearer home, provided that parents should follow the order of nature,' and give a double portion to the eldest son. It may even be doubted whether his institutions were not more mild and free than his colonists were fitted to enjoy; certainly the privileges which he gave them were not always used in the way which gratitude would have directed.

One of the greatest triumphs of this extraordinary man was his influence with the Indians; and since our relations with this unfortunate race are likely to produce excitement for years to come, his example cannot be too often cited. The only charm by which he acquired so much influence over them, was by treating them with uniform justice; and perhaps it would be well for states and individuals, who complain of them as bad neighbors, to try the same novel experiment, and see whether it may not be attended with similar success. In his letter to the Free Society of traders, Penn gives an account of this unfortunate race, as descriptive as that which Tacitus gives of the Germans. After speaking of their habits and manners, he says, 'do not abuse them, but let them have justice and you win them.' He purchased from them the land to which he held VOL. XXXVI.—NO. 79.

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a title from the king of England, and strictly enjoined it as a duty of inhabitants and surveyors, not to take possession of any land which they claimed, till he had first, at his own cost, satisfied them for the same. The modern practice of assuming jurisdiction over them was then unknown; and had it been otherwise, his conscience might have been too unaccommodating to allow him to take advantage of that ingenious discovery it is gratifying to reflect that he has lost nothing by his course, but on the contrary stands considerably higher than he otherwise would in the estimation of the world. The Indians always regarded him with respect and affection, and he kept up a frequent intercourse with them in order to confirm their good will. Thus palisades and block-houses, the usual defence of frontier settlements, were rendered unnecessary; so far from having any disposition to molest them, the Indians sometimes carried their kindness to excess. Thus we are told that Mr. Carver, the first settler at Byberry, was in distress for food. As none was to be had nearer than Newcastle, he prepared to go thither, and sent his children meantime to beg the hospitality of the Indians, which they not only granted, but took off the boy's trowsers, tied up the legs, and sent them back to the parents filled with corn. It is not till a comparatively late period, that the aborigines have disappeared. Tedyuscung, a Delaware chief, was a frequent visiter in Philadelphia so late as 1760. Governor Dickenson speaks of negociating a treaty at Albany, on which occasion this chief undertook to address the assembly; his wife, who was present, spoke to him in the most gentle and silvery tones imaginable, in the Indian tongue, with her eyes fixed steadfastly on the ground; every one was enchanted with the sweetness of her voice and manner. On inquiring of Tedyuscung, who spoke English fluently, what his wife had said, he answered, Ho! she is but a poor weak woman! She told me it was unworthy the dignity of a great king like me, to present myself drunk before the great council of the nation." The last chief of the Delawares near Philadelphia was Isaac Still, a man of sense and character, who had been much employed by the whites as an agent and interpreter among the Indians. He dwelt with his people in wigwams on Logan's place for a time, but as soon as he could, collected the remains of his tribe, to lead them to the Wabash, 'far away,' as he said, 'from war and rum.' A person who witnessed their march, with Still, a fine looking man, ornamented