niously; and "what we regard as the most amusing" of all is, that the major's letters "must be allowed to be the most authentic specimen that has as yet reached Europe, of the actual colloquial dialect of the northern states. [!!!] It will be manifest henceforth that the representations of this gibberish, for which Mr. Matthews and Mrs. Trollope, and other strangers, have been so severely handled by the American critics, were, in fact, chargeable with few sins except those of omission." Lyell's Principles of Geology, being an inquiry how far the former changes of the earth's surface are referable to causes now in operation,' forms the topic of a very valuable article of the Review, and a fit prelude to the Bridgewater treatise on gcology, which we are expecting from the pen of Dr. Buckland.'

3. The Edinburgh Review, or Critical Journal, No. 123, April, 1835. Recent political occurrences, selections from the American poets, vacating parliamentary seats, the aristocracy of England, the approaching comet, Coleridge's table talk, British statistics, newspaper tax, memoir of Mirabeau, light-houses, state of parties, are the chief subjects discussed in this number. The approaching comet ' is handled in a masterly manner, occupying a long article of almost fifty pages.

4. The Asiatic Journal, Nos. 63, 64, and 65, for March, April, and May, 1835: London. The recent dispute with China, the death of Dr. Morrison, and all other topics connected with this country, are duly considered in this Journal. In an article from "a Chinese student," published in the number for April, we are informed, that "there are in London no less than five [Chinese libraries]: 1, Dr. Morson's, now at Austin Friars; 2, that at the British museum, consisting apparently of some six hundred volumes Chinese, bound up in about a hundred and fifty English; 3, that of the East India Company; 4, that of the London university, presented by the late Jeremy Bentham and Dr. Olinthus Gregory; and 5, that of the Royal Asiatic Society, presented by sir George Staunton, in 1823, and consisting of one hundred and eighty-six different works, in twenty-six hundred and ten volumes (of the Chinese sort, answering nearly to our numbers of a periodical)." A few remarks, which are all our limits will admit, ought to be made respecting the 'dispute with China.' The article occupies eight pages, and by its numerous misrepresentations will produce much evil. The writer of the article says that the Chinese, in their state papers, appear to great disadvantage in the eyes of Europeans, principally because their style is rendered into literal English.' As an example, he says there is no doubt that the sense of the Chinese character e, in idiomatic English' is merely foreigner.' He then proceeds to give a new version of governor Loo's edict of the 18th of August, 1834, and in the "form in which it would appear, could the viceroy have written in idiomatic English." We assure the author of the new version, that were he a son of Han, and should put his idiomatic English into idiomatic Chinese, and present it to any magistrate in this empire to be by him issued as an official document, both he and the magistrate

-the writer and proniulgator of the new version—would be denounced as traitors and forthwith dispatched to the 'cold country.' A new version of the author's article, written in idiomatic English,' we suppose would appear' thus: "I and my friends for a long time enjoyed the monopoly of the China trade; our income was immense, and as sure as the return of the summer and winter: true, the nation had to pay largely for their teas, but what was their loss was surely our gain; and," &c. &c. &c.

ART. IX. Journal of occurrences. Emperor's birthday; the new ngancha sze; the bark Troughton; military reviews; tomb of the empress; Halley's comet; the death of a Mohammedan; literary examinations.

OCTOBER 1st is the anniversary of the birthday of his majesty Taoukwang, who was born on the 10th of the 8th moon, 1781: accordingly, he has now completed his 54th year. He succeeded his father Keäking in August, 1821; and since that time, it is said, that the empire has not enjoyed one prosperous or happy year: famines, inundations, earthquakes, and insurrections, have agitated all the inhabitants of the earth, and moved the heart of the son of heaven. Not long ago it was predicted that this year would be a happy one, but current events are contradicting the words of those who declared what they knew not. For ourselves, we fear that times of severe trial and visitation await the inhabitants of this land: we thus judge from what we see and know; and our only hope that it will be otherwise is in the boundless goodness of Him who "maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust."-Early this morning, all the officers of the provincial government repaired to the Wanshow kung, a spacious hall consecrated to the emperor, and there made their prostrations and paid to his majesty those divine honors, which as 'son of heaven,' he claims from all people.' The same ceremonies are performed by all the officers of government throughout the empire.

Tuesday, 6th. Wang, the new ngancha sze, his majesty's 'commissioner for the regulation of judicial trials' in the province of Canton, has created great consternation among the gamblers, etc., of the provincial city. It is said that his excellency, in the habit of a private gentleman, and accompanied by one or two of his attendants, traverses the streets in all directions, and at all hours of the day and night. It is reported that in several instances, he has entered gambling-houses and opium shops, and in a most unceremonious manner dealt out justice to guilty of fenders. His police also receive special commissions to go where bad men congregate, and seize and drag to justice those who disturb the public peace. Today, in one of the streets near the foreign factories, Wang made his appearance and routed a party of gamblers, some of whom were seized and flogged on the spot. This looks like 'reform. If his excellency were only proof against bribery. we might expect good results from his activity; but if so, he is quite unlike his predecessors. He has been in office here about two months.

Wednesday. 7th. The bark Troughton. An officer arrived from the fooyuen of Fuhkeen, having in custody a criminal, suspected of having been concerned in the piratical attack on the bark Troughton. The man has been handed over to the fooyuen for trial. It is said that all the duties, or portcharges, on the vessel have been remitted by the local authorities.

Tuesday, 13th. Military reviews are held beyond the eastern gate of the city, on a plain which is seldom if ever visited by foreigners. Nevertheless, the local authorities think, very properly, that it is their duty to keep a strict guard against their foreign visitors: accordingly, the cheheen of Nanhae a few days ago issued a proclamation forbidding them to repair to the parade grounds to witness the military reviews which were there soon to take place: two reasons were offered for this prohibition: first, lest having swords with them (which is never the case), they should suddenly get into a rage and injure the by-standers; and in the second place, lest they themselves should amidst the crowds be trodden under foot: for these considerations, the cheheën orders the hong merchants and linguists to do their duty, and prevent the foreigners from transgressing their proper limits.

To-day, the fooyuen, who, since the decease of governor Loo, has performed the duties of the governor's office, went in person to review the troops. It is said that his excellency has just dispatched a few hundreds of soldiers to the neighborhood of Macao, that they may be in readiness to repel the foreign foes, whom the Chinese suppose are about to invade the coast of this province.

Thursday, 15th. Fires. The cheheën of Nanhae has sent out a proclamation, to admonish the good people of his district, (all the affairs of which he is required to know and regulate,) to guard against the outbreaking of fires; he tells them that in every house and shop there must be set up a large jar filled with water, ready for immediate use, in case their houses should get on fire.

Tomb of the empress. Great care is taken by the Chinese to select good, or fortunate, places for the burial of the dead. There are persons whose special business it is, and who make it their chief employment, to determine which are, and which are not, fit localities. Sand, water, and ants, are the three things which are always to be avoided in selecting a grave. An imperial order has just come down from the throne, directing the individual who was appointed to select the burial place for the late empress, to be deprived of his peacock's feather and degraded, because he has been guilty of some mistake in selecting the time and place for the interment of her majesty's remains.

Tuesday, 20th. Halley's comet has been an object of some interest to our celestial friends during the last few days. None of the Chinese here, so far as we know, were aware of its approach; but its brilliant course has not failed to attract their notice, though to some it has been looked upon as the harbinger of wo. They tell us of numerous instances in which such phenomena have preceded the death of monarchs and the fall of dynasties, and of other calamities not a few. And even now ill tidings are abroad of insurrections and inundations that have just occurred in various parts of the empire. Leaving these vague rumors to be verified or contradicted in due season, we will here notice the comet's course and appearance. In the Canton Press of the 17th instant, are the following observations: Since the early part of September we have endeavored to discover this 'wanderer of the heavens,' but owing to much cloudy weather it was not until the night of the 12th instant that we observed it, then forming with the two last stars of Ursa major, the points of a right angled triangle, nearly. It now rapidly traverses the firmament towards Serpens, and will pass the equinoctial line about the 22d instant, as far as our observation goes and guided by the chart of the comet's track as given in the Nautical Almanac for 1835: the track of Pontécoulant is nearest as to declination, but about five days in advance of its real position on the 12th, its right ascension of that day being given for the 7th."

Monday, 26th. The death of a Mohammedan occurred in the city of Canton last night, under circumstances which illustrate the strong superstition and credulity of this people. A follower of the false prophet, contrary to his creed, accidently ate a piece of pork and laid down to sleep. In his dreams a man appeared before him, inquired the reason of his violating the laws of the prophet, and forthwith dragged him away, Frightened, he raised his voice and awoke, and after telling his family what he had done and seen, immediately expired. His neighbors believe this story to be true, and that his death was a punishment inflicted on him for not adhering to the faith in which he was born.

Thursday, 29th. · The gracious examination, which has been held in the provin cial city during the month, closed this morning; the result has been proclaimed in a public edict, issued by his excellency the fooynen. The particulars of this literary trial, we shall endeavor to lay before our readers in the next number.

THE

CHINESE REPOSITORY.

VOL. IV. —NOVEMBER, 1835. - No. 7.

ART. I. The Bible: its adaptation to the moral condition of man ; with remarks on the qualifications of translators and the style most proper for a version of the Scriptures in Chinese.

THE BIBLE Contains the only system of faith and practice, which is in all respects adapted to the wants of the whole human family. The declarations of its Author, and the whole tenor of its doctrines, precepts, and ritual, all unite to prove its suitableness both to the internal character and external circumstances of man, in every state of society and in every part of the earth. "Its doctrines, though in some particulars above the comprehension of man in the present infancy of his being, are yet remarkably adapted to the exercise of his intellectual faculties, and all in perfect conformity with the dictates of sound reason. Their unequaled sublimity imparts an elevated character to the mind, which the utmost refinements of human wisdom could never produce. Their certainty brings the whole world out of that maze of endless perplexities, in which the best and most enlightened of pagan sages wandered, and led after them the blinded multitude. The powerful support which the doctrines of Christianity afford to the hopes of the guilty, pacifies the conscience, purifies the heart, and gladdens the countenance: their greatness enlarges the soul, and raises it to God; while their fullness and variety furnish endless topics of thought and exhaustless sources of pleasure: most of them are easily understood, and they are all full of consolation to the truly penitent and upright in heart. The precepts of the Bible are all simple, holy, reasonable, and useful to man in every capacity and in every relation of life; and his dependence on the Supreme Being, his circumstances in the world, the desires of his immortal nature, and the testimony of his conscience, all prove it to be both his duty and his interest to obey them. Its ritual, which is neither complicated, expensive, nor irksome, can be carried to all parts of VOL. IV. NO. VII. 38

the world, aud be observed just as well where neither gold, silver, nor materials for costly array exist, as where they are found in the richest abundance: for it commands no uniformity of dress, either in the ministers or the members of the church. Magnificent temples, decorated altars, and splendid ceremonies, form no part of the New Testament ritual: it enjoins no uniformity of language in the worship of the Deity; no vexatious peculiarities in gait, gesture, and posture of worshipers; no expensive apparatus in the celebration of divine ordinances, and no technical Shibboleth to characterize the doctrines and followers of Jesus: simplicity and utility are the characteristics of all its observances: piety, truth, justice, purity, peaceableness, benevolence,, and usefulness of life, are the only marks by which it requires the servants of God to distinguish themselves from the world which lieth in wickedness.'

Christianity, as thus revealed in the Bible, claims the whole world as the sphere of its operations: it knows no other locality: it commands the nations to give up nothing but what is injurious for them to retain; and proposes nothing for their acceptance but what they are miserable without: it casts no slight on any one country, by exalting the virtues and glory of another: it represents all people and nations as on a level in the eyes of God, as equally offenders against him, equally subject to the decisions of his awful justice, and equally welcome to the benefits of his abundant mercy. Its moral and positive duties are equally binding on all to whom the gospel is made known; its salvation and privileges are open on the same terms to all who will receive them, without distinction of age, rank, talent, or country; and its tremendous sanctions will be executed on all who reject or abuse it, without partiality, and without the possibility of appeal or escape. It commands nothing inconsistent with the outward condition of nations or of individuals to perform; while it contains the germ of every principle necessary to render the throne stable, the nation prosperous, the family happy, the individual virtuous, and the soul eternally blessed. Christianity is the only religion fitted for universal adoption; and the only one capable of conducting the kingdoms of the world to immortal felicity. It is, therefore, the duty of all who expect to be saved by Christ, to do their utmost for the extension of Christian knowledge; and God is pleased to honor and bless his servants, by making them the mediums of his mercy and goodness to others. In every age, since the days of Jesus, the obligation to this duty and the value of this honor, have been felt in the church, either in a greater or less degree.” Milne's Retrospect.

In making these extracts from the writings of Dr. Milne, we have in a few instances changed his phraseology in order to adapt his remarks to what we have further to add on the subject of translation, selected from the Retrospect and Gleaner. One of the first objects which the London Missionary Society had in view in their mission to China, was the translation of the Scriptures. On this topic, Milue has given the following observations.