to keep even this authorized version of the holy Scriptures from coming into the hands of the people, that it never was reprinted in Poland, and has undergone only two other editions out of the country-viz. at Breslau, in 1740,and 1771. Now, the whole amount of copies in these three editions of the authorised Polish Bible is supposed not to have exceeded 3000. Thus there have been printed only about 3000 Bibles in the space of 217 years, for upwards of 10,000,000 of Catholics, who speak the Polish language. Hence it is, that a copy is not to be obtained for money: and that you may search a hundred thousand families in Galicia and Poland, and scarcely find one Bible." PENITENTIARY AT MILLBANK. This excellent national establishment has been enlarged, and is intended to accommodate four hundred male, and as many female convicts, selected from all parts of England and Wales. It is under the regulation and controul of a committee appointed by the Privy Council; with a governor, chaplain, surgeon, master-manufacturer, and other officers. The prisoners are to be divided into two classes-the first more strict, the second more moderate. The convicts are, during the former part of e their t sta their imprisonment, to take tion in the former class; but, by good conduct, will be advanced to the lat ter. Those of the second may be degraded by bad conduct to the first, or by extraordinary merit may deserve being recommended to the royal mercy Strict attention is to be paid to their religious and moral improvement, and to their acquirement of regular habits of labour, in order that they may leave the Penitentiary reformed and useful members of society. At the expiration of his term the convict is to be furnished with decent clothing, and a sum of money not exceeding 31. for immediate subsistence; and in case of his serving one year with a respectable master after leaving the house, he will be rewarded with such further gratuity, not exceeding the above-mentioned sum, as the Committee may see fit. The chaplain reads prayers, and preaches twice on Sundays and the principal, holidays, when all the convicts and resident of ficers attend: he also baptizes, visits, and instructs both publicly and privately, as may appear needful. Such an institution, if conducted in a manner suitable to the importance of its object, especially in the article of religious instruction, cannot fail of being a most valuable blessing to the nation. VIEW OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS. THE most important article of foreign intelligence, and one that demands our unfeigned acknowledgments to God, for his mercy, is the favourable prospect throughout Europe of an early and abundant harvest. The crops upon the continent are unusually healthy and luxuriant; and the same remark applies also to our own highly-favoured country. The late intensely hot weather which followed gentle and long-continued showers, produced an almost unprecedented effect upon the growing crops. In consequence of this cheering prospect, grain has fallen rapidly both in England and abroad; which circumstance, with the usual demand for harvest labour, cannot fail, under the Divine blessing, to produce public effects of the most important and beneficial kind. On Saturday the 12th July, the prince regent closed the session of parliament in the usual manner. The speaker of the house of commons adverted to the principal subjects which had occupied the house during the sessions--particularly noticing the public finances; the I poor laws, and best means of employing the poor; the laws affecting the clergy; presentments by grand juries in Ireland; and the measures that have been taken for preserving public tranquillity. The prince regent, in his speech to both houses, expressed his high sense of the plans adopted by parliament for the benefit of the country, and, to which he imputed the present auspicious change in our internal situation. His royal highness then proceeded to mention the unfavourable nature of the last season as a cause of the defalcation in the revenue, and to state the measures that had been taken for improving the currency of the realm, concluding his speech as follows: "I continue to receive from foreign powers the strongest assurances of their friendly disposition towards this country, and of their desire to preserve the general tranquillity. The prospect of an abundant harvest throughout a considerable part of the continent is in the highest degree satisfactory, This happy dispensation of Providence cannot fail to mitigate, if not wholly to remove, that pressure under which so many of the nations of Europe have been suffer ing in the course of the last year; and I trust that we may look forward, in consequence, to an improvement in the commercial relations of this and of all other countries. I cannot allow you to separate without recommending to you, that upon your return to your several counties you should use your utmost endeavours to defeat all attempts to corrupt and mislead the lower classes of the community and that you should lose no opportunity of inculcating a mongst them that spirit of concord and obedience to the laws which is not less essential to their happiness as individuals, than it is indispensable to the general welfare and prosperity of the kingdom." Finance. The supplies for the present year are estimated by the chancellor of the exchequer as follows; to which we also subjoin those for 1816, by which the reductions upon each branch of service will be apparent. 1817. .10,809,737 9,080,000 9,964,195 6,000,000 1,613,112 1,221,300 1,700,000 Ordnance Supply for 1817 .18,001,300 4,136,508 Total......22,137,808 The means of meeting this expenditure, as stated by the chancellor of the exchequer, are three millions from the land and malt taxes, several sums remaining at the disposal of parliament, a million and a half of arrears of property tax, a quarter of a million from the lottery, and a sum from old stores, making about nine millions and a half. The deficiency is to be supplied by an issue of Irish treasury bills to the amount of 3,600,0001. and of English exchequer bills to 9,000,000l. The charge created by the money thus raised is not more than 400,0007. and this will be in a great measure covered by the reduction of the interest on exchequer bills which has taken place. The Habeas Corpus Suspension Act, limited in its duration to the first of March, 1817, passed both houses of parlament by large majorities, and has received the royal assent. The house-of-commons committee appointed to examine into the present state of the poor laws have refrained from suggesting any partial alteration or amelioration of the system. They express a decided conviction, formed upon the most careful examination of evidence, that nothing short of a total change can effect any real good. They intend, therefore, as 600n as practicable, to lay before the house the character, tendency, and effect of the whole system; but in the mean time they express a hope that their present Report will, in some measure, prepare the country for the ultimate discussion of this most important question. We need scarcely say, that upon every system of morality and religion, and national welfare-upon every principle of humanity, as well as policy of feeling for the poor, as well as justice towards their neighbours we cordially coneur with the suggestions of the honourable committee. The poor's rates, as at present administered and received, partake of no one quality that characterizes true charity. Far from being "twice blessed,” they neither bless him that gives, nor him that takes: to the one they are a source of continual vexation, expense, and imposition; to the other too often a bounty upon idleness, indigence, and vice. If the poor are to be either virtuous or happy, they must be independent; and, in order to render them independent, the first great object is to abolish the present system of indiscriminate relief, and to prepare them by religious, and, in a subordinate degree, intellectual culture for a better state of things. We are fully aware of the formidable difficulties, both moral and political, that environ this great question; and are far from attempting, on the present occasion, to discuss its merits. We can only sincerely pray that our legislature may be endued with wisdom and firmness to prosecute their design in such a manner as to relieve far more effectually and humanely than is the case at present, every species of real distress, yet without encouraging, either directly or indirectly, the evils which they deplore. Whether the solution of this problem lies within the bounds of human sagacity and experience, remains yet to be discovered; but in any case a serious examination into the question cannot but be productive of much ultimate benefit to the nation. Upon the motion of lord Grenville, in the upper house, and Mr. Wilber force in the lower, addresses from each have been presented to the throne, on the subject of the Slave Trade; the occasion and nature of which may be inferred from the following abstract of Mr. Wilberforce's speech:In rising to bring forward the motion of which he had given notice, he trusted all would be of one mind upon the subject. When he considered how long the question of the.. Slave Trade had been in discussion, how many years had rolled away since it was first introduced, how many illus trious individuals who had given it their support were now no longer in existence, he would confess it was not with out strong feelings that he could again bring it under the notice of the house. But it was important that the trade should be abolished: it was also important that the subject should from time to time be discussed, until it was brought to a happy and final termination. Unfortunately it was again revived in various countries, some of which had at least nominally abolished it; and it' became necessary again to address the crown, as well with a view to a prac-' tical abolition as to express a speculative condemnation of the trade. It was now carried on under various flags, even under that of America itself; and he feared much that American ships, American property, and American subjects were embarked in it. Since their settlements had been restored to France, the trade was carried on in them also. There was no doubt of its existence on the western coast of Africa, in Goree, and Senegal. He was not aware that it was carried on by any of the other powers who had agreed to its unconditional abolition. With respect to Holland, he had not heard of more than one instance, which occurred upon the Gold Coast. Nothing took place on the part of Denmark or Sweden. The evil arose chiefly from Portugal and Spain. Great sacrifices had been made by this country, to induce them to abolish the traffic in slaves along all the African coast north of the Line, but it was still carried on by them. In former times, Spain was, in a great measure, supplied with slaves by this country; but now that the trade was put a stop to here, the Spaniards, it seems, carried it on with increased exertion. Mr. Wilberforce continued to state, that in a letter from Sir James Yeo, mention was made of one vessel of only 120 tons, which carried 600 slaves. This was without example in the former history of the trade. A gentleman engaged in this traffic, with whom he once held a conversation, told him that in a vessel of 250 tons, 400 slaves might be somewhat comfortable in the night, though they could not lie on their backs. He would mention a case that lately occurred. It was stated on oath by the lieutenant of his Majesty's ship the Humber. On the 15th of February last he went on board a slave ship, as prize-master: he remained there from the 15th to the 19th of the same month and assisted in landing them. He was told they had been all in good health when they first went on board, but thirty perished from inhuman treatment. On landing there were a hundred of them who were reduced to mere skeletons, and wore a most wretched appearande. All this happened in the short space of three weeks or a month, and must necessarily happen to any vessel so crowded. He knew an instance, where, out of 540 slaves, 340 died on the voyage. Most of them were now carried to the Havannah or to Cuba. In the latter place 25,000 were annually imported for some years back. This was a greater number than had ever before been imported there. Spainnot only carried on the trade for her own benefit; but her flag furnished a plea under which every other power might carry it on. They were sometimes stopped by our cruisers, but in most instances their seizure was decided to be contrary to law, as not being prize of war. If such was the law at present among nations, that it afforded no means of checking the progress of so great an evil, a system better and more conformable to common sense should be introduced. Mr. Wilberforce then read the Address, which was very long, and nearly the same in substance as the speech. The principal point in it was, a desire that his royal highness the prince regent, in concurrence with the other powers of Europe, would adopt such further measures as might be effectual for the suppression of the Slave Trade; and to this end, that they would refuse to receive the colonial produce of any country which still persisted in its continuance. Lord Grenville, in the upper house, remarked" that it had been maintained from the first, that if we abolished the trade, other nations would carry it on. To that argument he for one had always answered, that if not one human being less were to be torn from his home and his country, and exposed to all the horrors of the Middle Passage; if not one drop of blood less were to be shed in this commerce of cruelty, it was still the duty of Great Britain to abolish it, as far as this country was, concerned; that it was the duty of Great Britain to wash from itself the stain of this execrable trade, and to provide that in future, at least, this guilt should not rest with the British Nation, and that this blood should not be re-. quired at our hands. But it was also our duty, not merely to cease to com mit evil, but to endeavour to atone for that which we had committed. This was due from us as men and Christians, who are enjoined to exercise every act of mercy and humanity in our power; but it was, above all, due to the injured from the oppressor-to those who suffer from those who have been the cause of that suffering-to those who have been the victims of a crime from those who have perpetrated it. He entreated their lordships to bear in mind, that there never was, there never could be, a stronger claim than that which Africa had on this country. We had been among the foremost to commit wrong; it became us to be the foremost to re dress it; and there were in the present state of the times, and the situation of this country, with respect to other powers, circumstances which afforded reason to hope that our representations, if firmly made, would prove effectual. If in the government of any country there should be found a man who would say, in answer to our representations, that he disregarded the principle of humanity, and would only consider this question with respect to the interest we had to interfere in it; to such a person the answer should be, that the trade of this country could not be carried on with that security which belonged to peaceful commerce while this traffic in slaves was permitted to exist. In this situation of things, his majesty's ministers had a right, and were indeed called upon to make representations to all foreign powers, whose flag was used by armed vessels in the African trade. Having made these representations, if they should not be effectual, if the powers to whom they were made found themselves incapable of repressing the acts of violence committed by vessels under their flag, we should be entitled to act against such vessels as pirates." His majesty's ministers warmly supported the addresses, and expressed the strongest hopes that the negociations already commenced with foreign powers relative to this subject, would afford a speedy and satisfactory result. Upon a general review of the state of public affairs, we fully coincide with the remarks of the speaker of the house of commons, that "if this session has not been marked with that brilliancy and splendour which have characterized former sessions," yet that the house "had great duties to perform, and have applied to those duties a most faithful and indefatigable attention." When we look back upon the gathering clouds and storms which seemed to impend over the country, at the commencement of the session-the depressed state of our agriculture, commerce, and manufactures-the appalling distresses of the poor--the confident hopes expressed by the factious of success and triumph-the disgraceful and atrocious acts which occurred on the very day of the opening of parliament, threatening the whole system of legislation, if not the life of the prince regent himself, and compare these scenes with our present rising hopes and prospects, and our comparative prosperity and tranquillity, we perceive the highest cause for gratitude and praise to Him who is alone the author and giver of every good and perfect gift. It is true that difficulties remain, and are likely, in some measure, to do so for perhaps a considerable period; but comparatively our improvement must have been very great and obvious, when even a leading member of the Opposition, who concluded the session with a speech by no means remarkable for concession to government, could not but confess that "the trade of the country had revived, the effects of the bad harvest had spent their force, the value of land had risen, and the stocks had rapidly advanced." ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS. N. H.; and R. S.; have been received. C. L.; HINT; A RETIRED SPECTATOR; DACUS; R. W. S.; SURDUS; "A Pastoral Letter;" and a Copy of Poems without signature; are under consideration. C. C.; and CLEMENS; will appear. The other papers to which Clemens alludes would probably snit us, if sufficiently condensed; but we can of course give no pledge till we see them. We cheerfully afford our American Correspondent, N. W., the "comfort and satisfaction" which he desires. We should have hoped the general tenor of our pages would have convinced him that we are firm friends to peace and concord, without a formal declaration on the subject. A CONSTANT READER would be obliged to any correspondent who could apprize him where the specimens of Hindoo Sculpture mentioned in our work (p. 335, for 1817), are deposited. We can only inform him, that we believe these specimens to be the same that were collected by Dr. Tytler at Java, and exhibited by him last September to the Asiatic Society at Calcutta. We have received, with much pleasure, a letter on behalf of the United Brethren, in which they desire to acknowledge, with gratitude, the receipt of upwards of 15007. in consequence of their recent appeal to the benevolence of the Christian Public. (Vide Christian Observer for 1817, p. 195.) We most sincerely congratulate them on this seasonable and providential supply. Several Advertisements intended for the Cover of our last Number having been mislaid, we respectfully request the persons concerned either to furnish the Publisher with copies or to apply to him for the money left for their insertion. ERRATA. Last Number, p. 374, col. 2, line 30: for decorated, read desecrated. 36: for its, read a. 39: for speech, read touch. No. 188.] AUGUST, 1817. [No. 8. Vol. XVI. RELIGIOUS COMMUNICATIONS. To the Editor of the Christian Observer, that "he knew of no woman supe, THE HE life of Nicholas Ferrar, as written by Dr. Peckard and reprinted in Dr. Wordsworth's Ecclesiastical Biography, appears to me so interesting in itself, and so capable of affording much useful instruction, that though many of your readers may have already per. used it in detail, I venture to hope the following sketch may not prove wholly unacceptable. AMICUS. LIFE OF THE REV. NICHOLAS FERRAR. There are few biographical accounts more interesting or useful than those of men of learning and talents, who, having mixed much with the world, have at length perceived its vanities, and have retired from them to spend their remaining days in the immediate service of their God and Saviour. Among persons of this description the celebrated Nicholas Ferrar may be included; and though in review ing his life we shall perceive a great mixture of austerity, and perhaps even of formalism and superstition, yet with all his peculiarities we cannot fail to discover a genuine though oftentimes mistaken piety, and may learn from his example not a few lessons of much practical importance. The father of Nicholas Ferrar was a merchant of considerable opulence in London; a man of respectable family, liberal manners, extensive charity, and earnest devotion. Of his mother, who was remarkable for personal beauty and great modesty of character, Bishop Lindsell was accustomed to say, CHRIST. OBSERV. No. 188. rior to her in eloquence, true judgment or wisdom, and that few were equal to her in charity towards men or piety towards God." Nicholas, the third son of these worthy and Christian parents, was born Feb. 2, 1592, in Mark Lane, London; and, being of tractable disposition and lively parts, was sent to school at four years of age, and in a few months could read or repeat with great propriety a chapter of the holy Scriptures-his parents having always accustomed their children from their infancy to this sacred duty. His powers of memory, and his early pro ficiency in historical and classical learning, caused him to be removed at six years of age to EubornSchool, near Newbury in Berkshire, from which, by the especial recommendation of his tutor, he was admitted at Clare Hall, Cambridge, in his fourteenth year. From his infancy he united great diligence in study with natural talents of the highest order; but far from exciting envy, even among his youthful competitors, his amiable and cheerful temper, combined with almost excessive modesty and delicacy of character, won upon their affections as much as it secured their esteem. A circumstance which occurred in his sixth year evinces the religious sentiments which had thus early taken possession of his mind. Being one night unable to sleep, a fit of scepticism seized him, and gave him the greatest perplexity and uneasiness. He doubted" whether there was a God;" and if there was, 3 R "what |