this final erasure shall take place; but the period of such an event is nearer, we apprehend, in Europe and America, than it is in Asia; and its termination in Asia depends as much on Great Britain as on Portugal. And shall not Great Britain do her part to hasten this desirable time? Do we wait, as if to see whether the power of Infidelity will abolish the other Inquisitions of the earth? Shall not we, in the mean while, attempt to do something, on Christian principles, for the honour of God and of humanity? Do we dread even to express a sentiment on the subject in our legislative Assemblies, or to notice it in our Treaties? It is surely our duty to declare our wishes, at least, for the abolition of these inhuman tribunals, (since we take an active part in promoting the welfare of other nations,) and to deliver our testimony against them in the presence of Europe.

This case is not unlike that of the Immolation of Females in Bengal: with this aggravation in regard to that atrocity, that the rite is perpetrat ed in our own territories. Our humanity in England revolts at the occasional description of the enormity; but the matter comes not to our own business and bosoms,, and we fail even to insinuate our disapprobation of the deed. It may be concluded then, that while we remain silent and

unmoved spectators of the flames of the Widow's Pile, there is no hope that we should be justly affected by the reported horrors of the Inquisition.

TRANSLATION OF THE SCRIPTURES FOR THE ROMISH CHRISTIANS.

THE principal languages spoken by the Romish Christians in India are these four: the Tamul, the Malabar, the Ceylonese, and the Portuguese. We have already had occasion to notice the three first. The Tamul version has been long since completed by the Protestant Missionaries; and the Malabar and the Ceylonese are in course of publication.-It is now proper to explain that excellent effects may be expected from the diffusion of the Portuguese Scriptures in India. The Portuguese language prevails wherever there are, or have been, settlements of that nation. Their descendants people the coasts from the vicinity of the Cape of Good Hope to the

Sea of China; beginning from Sofala, Mocaranga, Mosambique, (where there is a Bishop,) Zinzebar, and Melinda, (where there are many churches,) on the east of Africa; and extending round by Babelmandel, Diu, Surat, Daman, Bombay, Goa, Calicut, Cochin, Angengo, Tutecorin, Negapatam, Jaffnapatam, Columbo, Point de Galle, Tranquebar, Tanjore, Tritchinopoly, Porto-Novo, Pondicherry, Sadras, Madras, Masulipatam, Calcutta, Chinsurah, Bandel, Chittagong, Macao and Canton; and almost all the islands of the Malayan Archipelago, which were the first conquered by the Portuguese. The greater part of the Portuguese in India, are now subjects of the British Empire. The Author visited most of the places above enumerated; and in many of them he could not hear of a single copy of the Portuguese Scriptures. There is a Portuguese Press at Tranquebar, and another at Vepery, near Madras; and pecuniary aid only is wanted from Europe to multiply copies, and to circulate them round the coasts of Asia. The Portuguese language is certainly a most favourable medium for diffusing the true religion in the maritime provinces of the East,

THE COLLEGES AT GOA.

GOA will probably remain the theological school to a great part of India, for a long period to come. It is of vast importance to the interests of Christianity in the East, that this source of instruction should be purified. The appointed instrument for effecting this, is the Bible. This is "the salt which must be thrown "into the fountain to heal the waters." 2 Kings ii. 21. There are upwards of three thousand Priests belonging to Goa, who are resident at the place, or stationed on their cures at a distance. Let us send the holy Scriptures to illuminate the Priests of Goa. It was distinctly expressed to the Author, by several authorities, that they will gladly receive copies of the Latin and Portuguese Vulgate Bible from the hands of the English nation.

THE PERSIANS.

THE Christian Religion flourished very generally in Persia till about A. D. 651; when, the Persians being subdued by the Saracens, Mahomedanism gradually acquired the predominance. Constantine the Great, addressed a letter to Sapor, King of Persia, which is preserved to this day, (in Eusebius) recommending the Christian Churches in his dominions, to his protection; and a Bishop from Persia was present at the Council of Nice, in a. D. 325. It appears also that there was a translation of some portion of the Scriptures into a Persian language at that period; for we are informed by Chrysostom, that "the Persians, having translated the doctrines of the Gospel into their own tongue, had learned, though barbarians, the true philosophy;" and it is stated by another author in the following century, "That the Hebrew writings

were not only translated into the Greek, but into the Latin, Ethiopian, Persian, Indian, Armenian, Scythian, and Sarmatian languages."†

* Chrysostom, Hom. II. in Johan.

†Theodoret, vol. iv. p. 555. We have entirely lost sight of some of these versions in the obscurity of Mahomedan dark