Epistles from a French version, and of the Gospels and the Epistles from the original Greek, by Father Julian. In 1478, the well known translation into the Catalonian (or Valencian) provincial tongue, by Boniface Ferreira, was printed and in 1485, Garcia de Santa Maria published in Zaragoza his "Gospels and Epistles" in Spanish. An admirable translation of Matthew's Gospel, and Extracts from the other Evangelists, by Bernard Alcobaga, was printed in Lisbon in 1495, as part of "the Life of Christ." Of the Psalms there is preserved a printed Spanish copy, in Gothic letters, without date, supposed to have issued from the Toledo press. It is believed that Alfonso V. encouraged the publication of another Spanish translation of the Bible, which was followed by yet another in the succeeding century. At the request of King Manuel, the Psalms were again translated and printed in 1529, and a Portugueze version of the Proverbs came from the Lisbon press in 1544.

In very modern times many have been the translations of the Bible published in Portugal. Their circulation has been wide, and manifest their beneficent influence. The best of them is that of Anto. Perreira de Figueiredo, of which a second edition (I think in 16 vols.) was printed in Lisbon in 1805. Notwithstanding the expense of this work, it is eagerly inquired for by the middling classes and best instructed part of the lower, and it continues silently diffusing its blessings, in spite of the concealed, but decided opposition of monks and priests. I need not add that no book whatever is printed in Portugal without the "authority of the king" and of the most holy inquisition.

I

SIR

Your's, &c.

J. B.

June 27, 1816. WAS gratified to observe, in your last No. pp. 295, 6, the respect so elegantly paid, in two different forms, to the memory of Mr. Joseph Fox. I had the pleasure of acting with him, several years ago, in promoting some objects which promised and have since effected no small public good, and can bear a very impartial testimony to his ardour and pure intentions, as I had the misfortune to differ from him, widely and warınly, on some points of

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internal arrangement in the society to which I allude. Our differences, however, we were disposed to forget as soon as possible, and happily they never interrupted our mutual goodwill.

I had just heard of the death of that excellent man, who lived so much for the benefit of others, when I met with a striking and satisfactory evidence of the improvement which a century has produced among us, "in the greatest of all manufactures, the formation of human minds," to borrow the happy expression of the late Mr. Christie, in his Miscellanies, 1789, p. 213.

Having occasion to consult the 3d volume of Magna Britannia, published in 1724, I observed, p. 224, an account of "the charity schools," under the article London, including Westminster and Southwark. Distributed among 45 wards or parishes, there were 87 schools, educating 3737 children, consisting of 2357 boys and 1380 girls. So that supposing 263 children within the same district to be educated by the Dissenters, and it is probably, a sufficient computation, no more than 4000 children of the poor could then gain the cominonest education, by any public charitable provision, in the metropolis, according to its most extended description.

even

Yet this number of 3737, inconsiderable as it now appears, was indeed a large increase upon the number computed about sixteen years before. There was published in 1708, in 2 vols. 8vo. A New View of London, anonymous, but generally ascribed to Mr. Hatton. It is regarded as a work of merit in its way, and the author declares in his preface that in it was "nothing taken upon trust that admitted of inspection." In the sixth section is an enumeration of the "charity schools within the cities of London, Westminster and Southwark." I have collected the number of children belonging to these schools, and find their amount in 1708 to have been only 2041, being 1310 boys and 731 girls. I have, of course, omitted in both cases the free grammar schools.

After 1708 there appears to have been some zcal excited for the promotion of charity schools. The author whom I have just mentioned found one or two new schools building.

The Spectator, No. 294, in 1712, was written expressly to encourage subscriptions to what was then thought a great object, a school for 50 boys, The second letter in No. 430, is on the same subject, as is the Guardian, No.

105.

At this period, and long after, there seems to have been no thought enter tained of educating poor children, unless they could be also provided for, at least with cloathing. It was Mr. Raikes who, nearly forty years ago, produced a new era in education by admitting to his sunday schools clean hands and faces, though in rags, a fine popular improvement of Erasmus's resolve, in favour of classic lore, first, to buy Greek books, and then, cloaths. PLEBEIUS.

SIR,

St. Ardleon, June 20, 1816. OBSERVED (p. 257) that the misrepresentations of a young, though learned orthodox lecturer, had obliged my old friend Mr. Belshain to notice the Theophilanthropists. I had thought little about them for some years, but now recollected that, among a few curiosities, I possessed what may be called their liturgy, or rather directory, which a friend brought to ine from the continent soon after it was printed. The Theophilanthropists had ceased to attract any notice, if indeed they existed in a connected form, when your work commenced, and have, I believe, never been described in your pages. You may therefore be disposed to accept the following account.

The publication to which I have referred is neatly printed in 18mo, extending to 78 pages, and thus entitled: "Le Culte des Theophilanthropes, ou Adorateurs de Dieu et Amis des Hommes; contenant leur Manuel et un Recueil de Discours, Lectures, Hymnes, et Cantiques pour toutes leurs fetes religieuses et inorales. Seconde edition. A Basle de l'imprimirie de J. Decker. 1797."

From a short history prefixed, we learn that the origin of this society was in September 1756, when a little work appeared at Paris, under the title of "Manuel des Theanthophiles, &c. publie par C." They then - consisted of a few persons who carried on worship and instruction in separate families.

The publication of the Manuel excited so much attention, that these families determined to unite for public worship. This assembly, formed by five heads of families, was first opened in the month of Nivase, year 5, (January 1797) at Paris, in the street of St. Denis. Instead of Theanthrophiles they took the name of Theophilanthropes, as a more pleasant sound, and equally describing those who love God and men. They chose for their day of meeting the Sunday, without interfering with the choice of another day by any other society. And here I cannot help remarking how the language of these Theophilanthropists assimilates, on this subject, to that of their countryman Calvin, in his Institutes, (B. II. C. viii. S. 34). After describing the utility of substituting the Lord's day for the Jewish Sabbath, to remind Christians that the ceremonies of the former dispensation are abolished, Calvin adds-nor do I rely upon the number seven so as to consider the church as bound to its rigid observance, nor would I condemn churches that use any other solemn days of assembling, so that they abstain from superstitition.* The part of the Institutes from which I have taken this passage, was that I suppose to which Mr. Peirce thus refers in his letter to Dr. Snape, 1718, p. 30. You cannot but know, that as we never professed to make Calvin's judgment the standard of truth, so we have always testified our dislike of some of his opinions. I will here mention one opinion of his, which 'tis well known has been always disagreeable to us, and that is concerning the Lord's day. You never knew any of us profess an approbation of his doctrine in this respect, or the practice of the church of Geneva, which is founded thereon.”

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The Theophilanthropists had a committee who were expected to employ an hour in each week to examine the lectures designed for delivery at the ensuing general meeting. Their meetings were called religious and moral festivals-jetes religieuses et morales. In these they proposed to introduce

* "Neque sie tamen septenarium numerum moror, ut ejus servituti Ecclesiam astringam, neque enim Ecclesias damnavero, quæ alios conventibus suis solennes dies habeant, modó à superstitione absint." Institutio, Geneva, 1602. fol. 181.

whatever of good is common to all religions, omitting what is peculiar to any. The Theophilanthropists professed not to be disciples of a particular man, but to avail themselves of the counsels of wisdom transmitted by writers of all countries, and all times. From these they would combine the injunctions of moralists, both ancient and modern, separated from maxims either too severe and refined, or contrary to the duties of piety towards God or men.

Such is a sketch of the information communicated in this preface, the Précis Historique sur la Societé des Theophilanthropes. Some detail respecting their course of worship and instruction must be reserved to another occasion. R. B.

SIR,

TH

July 1, 1816. HERE is too much reason to believe that what has been so common may have happened in the case of Mr. Cardale, and that, though a learned, he may have been an unattractive preacher. Had Mr. Orton, however, expressed this fact with more kindness, he had done more credit to himself. As to the character of Mr. Cardale's writings, (p. 343) I beg leave to demur to the authority of Mr. Wilson. His censure reminds me of a more favourable opinion, given soon after the publication of the True Doctrine, by a writer who differed from the author, but whose learned competence will not be disputed, whatever may be thought of his uncommon and seemingly extravagant theories.

I refer to Mr. Holwell, who had fill ed a very high, if not the highest place in the administration of Bengal, and published a variety of curious Tracts on the civil and sacred antiquities, as well as on the British government of India. His Theological System is directly at issue with that of Mr. Maurice on the Hindoo and the Christian Trinity, rejecting both, as equally opposed to the proper Unitarian doctrine, which he supposes to have bee revealed alike to Moses, Birmah, and Christ. He rejects the miraculous conception, for the reasons which have been frequently adduced against that doctrine, but maintains a pre-ex istence of the soul of Christ, consistently with his notions of the pre-existence of man and of all other aniinals and of a metemsychosis. He appears

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to set the authority of the Gospels above that of the Epistles, and to defer least of all to the authority of Paul, whom he even charges with reveries. Yet amidst his freest remarks Mr. Holwell deprecates, with apparent sincerity and seriousness, the imputation of Deism, or a design "with Holles, Tindal, Bolingbroke and others, to sap the foundation or injure the root of Christianity." Such is a hasty but, I hope, not an unfair representation of this singular theologian, who speaks of Mr. Cardale's book, without appearing to know the author, in the following terms:

a

"A treatise which we never saw or heard of before we had closed our second general head, (although published in 1767) entitled, The True Doctrine of the New Testament concerning Jesus Christ considered, contains plausible chain of objections to his supposed pre-existence. In that book, and the appendix, we have the singular pleasure of finding our sentiments upon the evil tendency of the Athanasian doctrine, and the true meaning, and reading of the first chapter of St. John's Gospel, supported by so learned and judicious an advocate for truth. We concur in sentiment with this writer, and feel very distinct ideas respecting the deity of the Father and the divinity of the Son, but we cannot conceive why he should stumble at allowing the pre-existence of the divine spirit of Christ. When this learned and ingenious writer gives an unprejudiced hearing, and full force to the doctrines of the metemsychosis, and duly weighs the insufficiency of every other human hypothesis, to account for the phenomena of our present existence, and indeed of all nature, he will, we flatter ourselves, receive full conviction, that his doubts and disbelief of the pre-existent state and original dignity of Christ, were ill-founded, and not the True Doctrine of the New Testament." Pp. 145, 6, Part 3, dated Milford Haven, 1st November, 1770.

Mr. Holwell died in 1798. He must have reached a very advanced age as he resided in India as early as 1742, and filled a considerable station in 1756, when he was one of the few surviving sufferers in the black hole at Calcutta. Of the horrible scenes in that prison he published a very affecting Narra tive. N. L. T.