that missionary efforts will be hugely increased, and their effects fall upon the whole community. True religion can alone enable the press to produce its fullest blessings. Without this, it may elevate the arts, improve science, and advance the general wealth; but it leaves them a race of rebels against the eternal Lord,-a kingdom of Satan. Indeed, without religion, the press could not accomplish the worldly prosperity of the state. A press, directed by genuine, steady, and persevering benevolence, must operate for Burmah, ere she rise from the dust, and sit joyously among the nations. As yet, all the power of the press is in our hands. What a trust! How are the Baptists in America bound to follow up, with tenfold energy, the work they have so well begun! How should the friends of man lend their aid in disseminating among this people the rudiments of true science, the principles of right government, and the blessings of pure religion! Even now, she is the first native power in Farther India, and is second in all the East only to China. Within and around her, are a hundred tribes of people, over none of whom is her influence less than that of France over the smaller states of Europe. Let Burmah embrace the Christian faith, and she has at her command, money and missionaries for all their tribes."-Vol. I, pp. 236-238.

Our extracts have already been copious. We must, however, make one more from this volume, as it gives us the only specimen which we have seen, of the ethics of Gaudama. It inculcates a pure and delightful morality, and teaches us, that even in heathen nations, God frequently does not leave himself without a witness, who shall proclaim the principles of duty to the consciences of men. The more we investigate the character of man, the more strongly are we convinced, that men perish not because they have not light, but because they despise and reject it:

"Know thou, that to keep from the company of the ignorant, and choose that of learned men; to give honor to whom it is due; to choose a residence proper to our station, and adapted for procuring the common wants of life; and to maintain a prudent carriage,—are means of preserving a man from evil doings. The comprehension of all things that are not evil, the exact knowledge of the duties of our station, and the observance of modesty and piety in our speech, are four excellent modes of renouncing wickedness.

"By ministering a proper support to parents, wife, and family; by purity and honesty in every action; by alms-deeds; by observing the divine precepts; and by succoring relations,-we may be preserved from evil. By such a freedom from faults, that not even the inferior part of our nature manifests any affection for them; by abstinence from all intoxicating drink; by the continual practice of works of piety; by showing respectfulness, humility, and sobriety

before all; and gratitude to our benefactors; and, finally, by listening often to the preaching of the word of God,-we overcome evil inclinations, and keep ourselves far from sin. Docility in receiving the admonitions of good men; frequent visits to priests; spiritual conferences on the divine laws; patience, frugality, modesty; the literal observance of the law; keeping before our eyes the four states into which living creatures pass after death; and meditation on the happy repose of Nicban;—these are distinguished rules for preserving man from wickedness.

"That intrepidity and serenity which good men preserve, amid the eight evils of life (abundance and want, joy and sorrow, popularity and abandonment, censure and praise); their freedom from fear and inquietude; from the dark mists of concupiscence; and, finally, their insensibility to suffering;-these are four rare gifts, that remove men far from evil. Therefore, O sir! imprint well upon your heart the thirty-eight precepts I have just delivered. Let them be deeply rooted there, and sce that you put them in practice.'"Vol. I, pp. 250, 251.

The second volume opens with a description of Calcutta. The view here given of the moral and intellectual condition of this great centre of the British power in India, is, by far, more definite and comprehensible, than any we have before seen. Of the many things here worthy of notice, we can direct the attention of our readers to but one or two. The men of the world, statesmen and politicians, have often stigmatised, as foolish and simple, the Christian method of improving the condition. of a people. They have accused us of ignorance of human nature, and have been very forward to teach us how the thing should be done. It seems that an opportunity occurred in Calcutta, some time since, for putting these notions into practice. By a provision of the gov ernment of India, 300,000 rupees per annum, were placed under the control of "the committee of education," for the improvement and education of the natives. It is amusing to observe the manner in which this committee of savans proceeded to the accomplishment of their undertaking:

"Until 1835, the policy of the committee was to encourage the study of Persian, Sunscrit, and Arabic literature, as the best means of elevating the general intelligence of the natives. Hence the endowment of schools and colleges, expressly for these studies, and paying the students liberal monthly stipends. A great number were thus induced to study these dead languages, who felt no interest in them, and made no valuable proficiency. While modern science was enlightening all Europe, these students were learning

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Ptolemy's astronomy, Aristotle's philosophy, and Galen's medical institutes, and reading the shockingly lascivious stories of the Mricchakata, and the Nol Damaynti. Bishop Heber examined some of these students at Benares, and says,* The astronomical lecturer produced a terrestrial globe, divided according to their system, and elevated to the meridian of Benares. Mount Meru be identified with the north pole, and under the south pole he supposed the tortoise "Chukwa" to stand; on which the earth rests. He then showed me how the sun went round the earth once in every day, and how, by a different motion, he visited the signs of the zodiac." Vol. II, p. 25.

"This policy of the committee led also to the expenditure of enormous sums in procuring translations of elevated scientific works into those languages, and printing original Arabic, Persian, and Sunscrit works, hitherto unknown to Europe. Of the books printed by the committee up to 1832, there were of Sunscrit, thirteen thousand volumes, of Arabic, five thousand, Persian, two thousand five hundred, and Hindu, two thousand. A large proportion of these are quarto volumes, of seven hundred to eight hundred pages, and printed in editions of five hundred copies. Of course, were they ever so valuable, they could not be generally diffused over an empire of two millions of inhabitants. Not a single work was printed in the prevailing and spoken languages of India! The books thus brought forth as treasures of Oriental literature, were indeed such to some philologists of Europe; but false philosophy, fabulous histories, and impure romances, could do no good to Hindus, even supposing the mass of the people could have read them."-Vol. II, p. 26.

If missionaries had been guilty of so egregious a blunder, the whole civilized world would have resounded with laughter, from one end to the other.

We have heard so much, both in this country and in England, of the reformation effected in India by the celebrated Ram Mohun Roy, that we feel interested to learn the facts in the case, from an eye-witness. The following is the testimony of our author:

"We found the place to be a commodious hall, in a respectable Hindu dwelling-house. There was no idol, or idolatrous representation, of any kind. On a small stage, raised about eighteen inches from the floor, handsomely carpeted, sat, cross-legged, two respectable looking pundits. One side of the room was spread with clean cloths for the native attendants, who sat after the manner of the country; and on the other were chairs, for the accommodation of strangers. In the centre, and opposite to the rostrum, lay some native musical instruments, and a violin. The room was well lighted, and the punkas, of course, waved overhead.

*Travels in India.

VOL. IV.-NO. XIII.

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"One of the pundits opened the services by reading Sunscrit, from a loose palm-leaf held in his hand, stopping at every two or three words, to expound aud enforce. The subject was knowledge,what it was, and what it was not, &c. Abstract ethical questions were discussed, not unlike the fashion of the old scholastics; but no moral deductions were made, nor any thing said to improve the hearers. The whole discourse must have been unintelligible to

most of them.

"The other then read a discourse in Bengalee, consisting chiefly of explanations of their religious system, and encomiums on it. He particularly dwelt on its liberality; boasting that they quarrelled with no name or persuasion; and assuring us, that it was of no consequence whether we worshipped idols, Mahomet, Jesus Christ, or the Virgin Mary; that it was not possible to come to any certain knowledge respecting religious things; and that if any man believed his way to be right, that way was right for him. These discourses extended to about an hour; and the rest of the time, about another hour, was occupied with music. At the close of the preaching, professed musicians advanced to the instruments, and, seating themselves on the mats, put them in tune, with the usual amount of discord. Two of them then sang several hymns, with instruments accompanying it. The themes were, the unity of the Divine Essence, and the various attributes of majesty and power. No one joined the strain, nor were there any books to enable them to do so. Nothing could be less reverent or devotional, than the manner of the musicians. They looked about them with all possible selfcomplacency, making unmeaning gestures, bowing and blinking to each other, and vociferating with such a nasal twang, that it was a relief when they had finished. I thought it was literally such music as the poet speaks of,-intended to soothe savage breasts;' for certainly, no other could well endure it.

"On their retiring, a very different singer took the place, and proceeded for half an hour, with great power of execution, and not a little taste. His voice was uncommonly fine. He accompanied himself skilfully on the native guitar. The violin had been well played from the beginning, and the music was now truly excellent, furnishing, I was informed, a fair specimen of the best Bengal art. The singer, as well as the violinist, is distinguished at the nautch entertainments of the city.

"No female was present, nor do any ever attend. Most of the congregation came in only in time to hear the music, and stood near the staircase, not without disorder. The number of the regular attendants was not over twenty. I am informed, thirty is the largest number ever present. The spectators were somewhat more

numerous.

"Few of the professed adherents are so confident of their rectitude, as to detach themselves wholly from the common religious customs, though more negligent in these matters than their neighbors. The very pundits officiate, not because converts to these opinions (for such they do not profess to be), but because regularly paid for their services. One of them, in his discourse this evening, expressly told us that there was no impropriety in worshipping

idols,—a doctrine which R. Roy would not admit. The musicians also are paid, and perform here for the same reasons that they do at a nautch, so that the whole concern is sustained by the money of a few friends, and descendants of R. Roy.

"Such is the boasted reformation of Ram Mohun Roy! Not another congregation of his followers is found in all India! Of his labors as a reformer, this is the sum:-Fifty or a hundred persons rendered negligent of the national religion, or gathered here because they were so before, without being a whit the better in their private life, or public influence; in some cases, adding the sins of Europeans to those of their countrymen; without being disentangled from the horrid system of the Shasters; without being ready, or without the moral courage, to restore to their own wives and daughters the rights of human nature. With all the superiority to prejudice and custom, boasted by Ram Mohun Roy, he did nothing for the elevation of the sex.-Vol. II, pp. 30-32.

Our readers are all, probably, aware of the opposition which the government of India, for a long time, manifested to the establishment of Christian missionaries, and to all efforts for the propagation of the gospel. The manner, in which this same government treats the vile superstitions of this most debasing idolatry, may be learned from the following facts. The public treasury pays out, annually, $26,000, for the support of Juggernaut, and for the temples in the district of Tinnevelley, $145,000 per annum. The following fact occurred at Surat:

"This Hindu festival [coco-nut day] was ushered in by a salute of guns from the honorable Company's ship, lying in the river, opposite to Surat. The castle guns fired a salute at the same time. About four P. M., after the brahmin had consecrated the coco-nut with prayers, the European magistrate presented the offering to the river, amidst the poojas (worship) of the brahmins and other Hindus present. While this vain and idle ceremony was going forward, the ship, before alluded to, first moved down, and then up the river, displaying her colors, and firing salutes. The British flag was waving on Surat Castle all the day, in honor of the festival. In this way our rulers and their agents directly and publicly countenance idolatry and superstition in this place. The new noon, excepting twice in the year, when the Mussulmans are mourning, is regularly saluted by five guns, to please the Mahometans. Two thousand rupees are annually given to the same people by government, to assist them in the celebration of their Edes (festivals). When shall these practices be brought to a perpetual end?"-Vol. II, pp. 73.

The government receives a tax from every pilgrim. In order to increase this tax, "pilgrim hunters," or idol misare sent out by hundreds, over the whole

sionaries