On the Importance of Educating the Infant Poor. By S. Wilderspin, Master of the Spitalfield Infant School. 4s. boards.

The Life and Writings of the Rev. Edward Irving, M.A. By James Fleming, Esq. M.A. Mary Scott, or the Legend of a Sabbath School. 18.

The Little Gardener, or the Trials of a Young Christian. By the Author of "Mary Turvey."

Little Nannette, a narrative of facts.

An Eloquent, Evangelical, and Orthodox Ministry Exemplified, in answer to inquiries respecting the Orthodoxy, &c. of the Rev. Edward Irving, Minister of the Caledonian Church, Hatton-garden.

The Teacher's Manual, or Hints to a Teacher on being appointed to a Sunday School class. By W. F. Lloyd. 1s. 6d. boards.

The Woodgrove Family, or the Young Orphans, a narrative for young persons. 2s. boards.

Transactions of the Society instituted at London, for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures, and Commerce; with the premiums offered in 1822. Vol. XLI. 12s. bds.

Observations on the Religious Peculiarities of the Society of Friends. By Joseph John Gurney.

In the Press.

Massilon's Thoughts.

Youth Warned, a Sermon addressed to Young Men. By the Rev. J. A. James. 6d.

The Good Samaritan, or An Appeal to the Sympathy of the Young on behalf of the Heathen World; the Substance of an Address delivered to Young People at Old Gravel-lane. By the Rev. J. Hooper, A.M.

tress, will be published in the course of the month.

Mrs. Lanfear has a small volume nearly ready, entitled Letters to Young Ladies on their first entrance into the World; to which will be added, Sketches from Real Life.

The publication of the Rev. Mr. Platt's New Self-Interpreting Testament will shortly be resumed; and, as the whole of the copy is in the printer's bands, its completion may speedily be expected. Part IV. in 4to. and part V. in 8vo. will be ready in course of the month.

5.

A Letter to the Editor of the British Re

In a few days will appear, Myriorama, or Many Thousand Views, designed by Mr. Clark. The Myriorama is a moveable Picture, capable of forming an almost endless variety of Picturesque Scenery. Price 15s. fitted up in an elegant box.

Preparing for the Press.

The Mother's Offering, or Tales in Rhyme for Children. By a Lady. "Something to please, and something to instruct.' Embellished with 62 superior engravings, and beautifully printed on royal 18mo. half-bound in roan, and lettered. 2s. 6d.

Mr. G. Cruikshank is now engaged in illustrating two volumes, entitled "Tales of Irish Life," written, from actual observation, during a residence of several years in various parts of Ireland; and intended to display a faithful picture of the habits, manners, and condition of the people.

Mr. G. Cruikshank is also preparing several designs for a humorous exposition of the Tread-mill.

The Rev. Solomon Piggott's volume on Suicide a Series of Anecdotes and Actual Narratives, with Reflections on Mental Dis

6.

T. G. asks-How far have we any reason to suppose that angels are possessed of foreknowledge?

England, £491,230.-Scotland, £53,700.
Drawback on Exports from England,
£23,292. 11s. 8d.

See Col. 75, Vol. I.-Col. 294, Vol. II.-Col.

293, Vol. IV.-and Col. 296, Vol. V.

On comparing this statement with that of the preceding year, the great improvement which has taken place in the revenue cannot escape observation. The amazing consumption of paper, more than indicates the flourishing state of literature and commerce. We are also happy to find, that, in many other departments, the increase of revenue has been proportionably important, amounting, in the whole, to a very considerable augmentation. This infallible barometer of prosperity proves that the stormy season of our country is on the decline, and appears as a presage of more auspicious days.

MEMOIR OF HUGH BLAIR, D.D.

(With a Portrait.)

THE family of Blair is of ancient standing in the county of Ayr, in North Britain, and has produced several eminent persons in the law and the church. One of the most distinguished was the Rev. Robert Blair, sometime minister of Banchor in Ireland, and afterwards of St. Andrew's, in his native county. He was a zealous covenanter, and, though one of the chaplains to Charles the First, opposed the establishment of episcopacy in Scotland with great energy, He left behind him some poems, and his manuscript diaries, from which last a selection was published in 1754, illustrative of the author's personal character, and of the principal events of the time in which he lived. He left two sons, the eldest of whom, David, was a clergyman of eminence in Edinburgh, and father of the Rev. Mr. Robert Blair, of Athelstancford, author of the celebrated poem entitled "The Grave." The second son, Hugh, engaged in business as a merchant, and became one of the principal magistrates of the city of Edinburgh. From this gentleman descended the subject of the present memoir, who was born at Edinburgh, April 7, 1718.

Being destined for the church, he was placed, at an early age, in the High School of his native city, from whence he was removed to the college as a student of divinity. Such was his application at this seat of learning, that "An Essay on the Beautiful," written by him in the usual course of academical exercises, attracted the particular notice of Mr. Stevenson, the professor of logic, who caused it to be publicly read at the conclusion of the session; a mark of distinction very unusual, but in this instance it was peculiarly well merited. It is much to be regretted that. no account or analysis of this juvenile performance has been preserved, and the No. 63.-VOL. VI.

[1824.

more so as there is reason to believe that it contained some ingenious observations, in opposition to the once popular performance of Professor Hutcheson of Glasgow, the ardent defender of the Shaftesburian system of metaphysics. At this time Mr. Blair began a method of study, which contributed very much to the accuracy and extent of his knowledge, and which he found so useful, that he continued to practise it long after his reputation was completely established. This process consisted in making abstracts of the most important works which he read, and in digesting them according to the train of his own ideas. The advantage of this course he particularly experienced in reading history; and in concert with some of his fellow students, he constructed a comprehensive scheme of chronological tables, for disposing into its proper place every important fact that occurred of ancient or modern time. The scheme, thus planned and digested, was subsequently improved and extended by the learned Dr. John Blair, Prebendary of Westminster, who published it in his valuable work "The Chronology and History of the World."

In 1739 Mr. Hugh Blair took his master's degree, and in 1741 he was duly licensed to preach by the Presbytery of Edinburgh. The first exercise of his ministry was at Coleffie, in Fifeshire; but two years afterwards he received an invitation to become an assistant in the Canongate Church of his native city, where he continued eleven years. In 1754 he quitted the Canongate for Lady Yester's, which is one of the city churches, and there he officiated four years, at the expiration of which time he was advanced to the high church of Edinburgh, the most important ecclesiastical charge in Scotland.

Thus far the tenour of this eminent divine had been unvaried, and undistinguished among his contemporaries. Regular and faithful in the discharge

of his ministerial duties, he appeared to have no concern beyond them, and to be wholly unambitious of literary honours. He had indeed received the degree of Doctor in Divinity from the university of St. Andrew's; and this we are told was an unusual mark of favour at that period. It certainly was not so common then as at present; but we cannot conceive how that can be properly called rare, which had been conferred upon several English ministers, by the same university. A material change, however, has taken place since that time, but whether for the better or the worse, our northern neighbours are the most competent judges, who seem to have adopted the hint sarcastically thrown out to them by Dr. Johnson, "to increase their funds by degrees."

Hitherto the Doctor was undistinguished in the world of letters, having only published two occasional sermons, which attracted no particular notice, and some anonymous articles of criticism in the Edinburgh Review, which work began and terminated, we believe, in the year 1755.

Soon after his settlement as minister of the High Church, he directed his thoughts to the subject of literary composition, as an important branch of public education. His connexion with the university made him desirous of an improvement in this respect, and having digested his plan, he communicated it to some learned friends, who warmly approved of it, and urged him to carry it into effect. Accordingly, the Doctor delivered his first lecture to the students of the college on the eleventh of December, 1759; and when the first course was completed, the heads of the university being perfectly satisfied that such an establishment would constitute a most valuable branch of academical instruction, agreed unanimously in a resolution to make this a permanent institution; and for that purpose applied to his late majesty, who, on the seventh of April, 1762, was graciously pleased to erect and endow a professorship of rhetoric and belles lettres in the university of Edinburgh, and to appoint Dr. Blair, in consideration of his approved qualifications, regius professor thereof, with a yearly salary of seventy pounds.

At this period a literary question arose, which excited general interest,

not only in Scotland, but in England, and extended through a good part of Europe.

In 1760, Mr. James Macpherson, then a young tutor in a gentleman's family, published a small volume which he called "Fragments of Ancient Poetry collected in the Highlands of Scotland, and translated from the Gaelic or Erse language." These fragments, which were declared to be genuine remains of ancient Scottish poetry, surprised the learned world, and by their novelty and originality afforded pleasure to many persons of considerable eminence, among whom were Dr. Blair, and Mr. John Home, the author of Douglas, who became the zealous patrons of Macpherson, and set on foot a subscription to enable him to prosecute his researches after more treasures of the same sort. The consequence of this liberality was, the production of an entire epic poem, entitled “Fingal, in six books," the translation of which appeared in 1762, with several other pieces of a like description. The year following. came out a second epic, called "Temora," with several other poems, said to be composed by Ossian, the son of Fingal. These works were ushered to public notice by a critical dissertation on their authenticity and literary merits, from the pen of Dr. Blair, who, though he laboured the subject with considerable ingenuity, certainly failed in carrying conviction to the minds of sterner critics. Hume doubted their authenticity, but admired the poems; while Johnson denied, their originality, and despised the composition. The question is still at issue, and must be left among the problems which admit of no absolute determination, for the want of positive evidence.

In the year 1777, Dr. Blair established his reputation for eloquence by the publication of a volume of Sermons, 66 which," says his preceptor, Dr. Finlayson," was so well received, that the public approbation encouraged him to proceed; and accordingly three other volumes followed at different intervals; and all of them experienced a degree of success, of which few publications can boast. They circulated rapidly and widely wherever the English language extends; they were soon translated into almost all the languages of Europe: