In this state things continued until 1785, when Mr. Robinson began to deliver a course of sermons on the most distinguished characters recorded in the scriptures. These discourses have since been collected and arranged under the title of "Scripture Characters." They have passed through many editions, of which a cheap one is now issuing from the Caxton Press, and have laid the foundation of the author's literary and theological fame. When these discourses were first delivered, it was the author's custom to send a sketch of each, on the following day, to "The Theological MiscelJany;" a popular work, edited by the Rev. Dr. Decoetlogon. Their appearance excited a peculiar degree of interest, and among their ardent admirers was Mr. W. Ludham, who urged the author to send them before the world in a collected form. Mr. R. however, had not that confidence in himself, with which his talents had inspired his friends; and fearful of sustaining pecuniary loss, he declined the publication, as a speculation too hazardous for his circumstances. This resolution being known, the Rev. Dr. Jowett, in conjunction with some other friends, generously undertook to secure him from all risk; and, in consequence of this guarantec, the work was undertaken, and presented to the public in an embodied form. Mr. Robinson's "Scripture Characters" were first published in duodecimo, in the following manner: First, one volume was sent forth, the success of which invited a second; these both united their influence, to call forth a third; and, finally, a fourth volume closed the series. In this form they passed through several editions during the author's life. They were also printed in an elegant octavo size; and from their first appearance to the present time, have been so gaining in reputation, that they now take their stand among works of the highest class in this department of theological literature. It is almost needless to add, that neither Dr. Jowett nor his friends sustained any loss by the security which they gave for the sale of this popular work. In 1791, when the question respecting the abolition of the slave-trade engrossed the public attention, Mr. Robinson used all his exertions to promote this humane design. Among these efforts, a petition for the abolition was presented by the clergy belonging to the archdeaconry of Leicester, in which Mr. R. took an active part. On the following year, a requisition was submitted to the archdeacon, signed by many respectable clergymen, requesting him to call another meeting. This proposal, however, was rejected; and, in the Leicester Journal, he stated his reasons for that refusal. These amounted to a declaration, that, "having been in the West India islands in early life, he thought the abolition of slavery altogether unnecessary." To this strange avowal, Mr. Robinson, in conjunction with two others, prepared an immediate answer. This was published in the same journal, bearing the signature of sixty clergymen, and here the contest ended. A meeting was, however, called without the archdeacon, and presented in behalf of the injured Africans; on whose account, Mr. R. and many others, relinquished the use of West India sugar. In 1797 Mr. Robinson was, by the mayor and magistrates, chosen to become chaplain of the city jail, rendered vacant by the resignation of Mr. Pigott. This office required, however, only a small portion of his time, as a single service one Sunday in a month, and attendance in times of particular urgency, comprised nearly the whole of his duty. These seasons of urgency were, nevertheless, sometimes of the most painful nature. Of this, an instance occurred in the case of Smith and Harrison, who, having been found guilty of a burglary, were left for execution. During the short interval between their sentence and its awful issue, they were frequently visited by Mr. R., who had the satisfaction of seeing them awakened to a sense of their spiritual danger, and of recommending them to the Saviour of sinners, with some hope of their final acceptance. During this year, 1797, Mr. R. was a second time married. On this occasion the object of his choice was a Mrs. Gerard, widow of Dr. Gerard, late warden of Wadham college, Oxford. This lady had occasionally attended Mr. Robinson's ministry when he visited distant churches, and had received some serious impressions. This led first to an interview, then to a correspondence, and finally, to an union for life. That she was possessed of many personal accomplishments, and a highly cultivated understanding, all who were acquainted with her readily bore testimony. But many consequences followed this union, which exposed Mr. R. to the most pointed animadversions, against which his warmest friends could make but a feeble defence. In addition to the duties of those official situations which we have already noticed, Mr. R. took many excursions into the country, preaching in various churches on particular occasions. It was on one of these, when preaching a Church Missionary sermon in 1808, that he laid the foundation of a complaint from which he never fully recovered. In 1810, he visited his friend, the late excellent Mr. Cecil, in London, and preached for him in St. John's Chapel several Sundays. But the exertion, both bodily and mental, which this labour called forth, tended to increase his indisposition, so that although he had been ever ready to preach for his friends in most places to which he was seriously invited, in 1811 bodily affliction compelled him to decline every further solicitation. Engaged in his stated duties, and ever forward to promote the interests of charity and benevolence, his time was so variously employed, that almost every day brought with it something that deviated from the preceding. On this account it is scarcely possible to trace him through the multifarious transactions of a single week. So far as regularity was under his command, the following routine may be said to form the diary of his life. He rose soon after six, and retired to his study for private devotion, where he remained till between seven and eight, when, having taken breakfast, he called his household together, and engaged with them in family worship. In the morning his reading was accompanied with a practical comment from some esteemed author, and in the evening, with his own remarks. Both services were concluded with a suitable and comprehensive prayer. After family worship in the morning, he attended the sick, and visited such of his friends as lay in his way. About twelve he returned home, took some refreshment, and with Mrs. Robinson, the weather being favourable, took a walk till dinner. He then renewed his visits until tea, after which he wrote letters, adjusted his charity accounts, and spent the remaining part of the evening in conversation with his family. His visits were few, and chiefly restricted to tea parties. Among his more intimate aequaintance we find the Rev. J. Newton, Mr. Berridge, Mr. Romaine, Mr. Venn, and Mr. Cecil, with many others whose names are less generally known. With the preaching of Mr. Romaine he was particularly delighted, having been heard to say, that the Saviour proclaimed by his mouth was "as ointment poured forth;" and that, though his exterior was as rough as the hairy raiment of John the Baptist, the kernel was formed of love. His health declining, in 1811 a subscription was raised to procure him such assistance in his duties, as would allow him to visit the sea. He was partially revived by the excursion, but did not regain his former vigour. The succeeding winter was somewhat favourable; but the ensuing spring brought with it a solemn warning of his approaching dissolution. Being rather inclined to corpulency as he advanced in years, his friends anticipated a crisis of which they now received an awful intimation. While administering the sacrament, he was suddenly seized with a strange kind of stupor. It did not remain many minutes; but its violence alarmed all present; and even Mr. R. received it as a call to meet his God. From this period to the time of his death, he received many such threatening visitations, in one of which he remained insensible for nearly four hours; but through the application of surgical aid he soon afterward revived, and was able to walk about, and even return to his professional duties. His friends, however, saw with much anxiety, that the taper was beginning to glimmer in the socket, and it was not long before they were called upon to witness its total extinction. On Tuesday, March 21st, he visited several friends, and conversed with his wonted cheerfulness; but on returning home he found himself unwell, and was taken from his study to his bed. The next morning he rose as usual, conversed with several persons, and settled some business with the On this monument Mr. Robinson is represented as receiving his commission from the Saviour, who delivers to him an open Bible. Above, the good Samaritan is seen raising the man who had fallen among thieves; while below, a shepherd and his flock appear, and on the back ground stands St. Mary's secretary of the Bible Society. He On Monday, the 29th, his body was interred near the communion table, amidst a mournful and numerous crowd of spectators. The corpse was preceded by sixteen neighbouring clergymen; and a funeral sermon was preached by the Rev. E. T. Vaughan, on the evening of the following day. Prior to Mr. Robinson's last seizure, he thus stated his religious experience. "I know whom I have believed. I am composed, and enjoy peace: but in the calm prospect I now take of my dissolution, I cannot boast of rapture." On the death of this pious and laborious minister of the gospel, an elegant and eloquent eulogium was pronounced by the Rev. Robert Hall, at the meeting of the auxiliary Bible Society, shortly after his decease, but our limits forbid us to insert this valuable tribute of respect to his memory. In addition to his "Scripture Characters," Mr. Robinson was the author of the following works: "The Christian System;""Essays on the Prophecies;" "Parochial Minister's Address to his Parishioners;" a "Tract on Confirmation;" an "Address, preparatory to the Fast in 1795;" another "Address, on the Peace of 1802;" "Serious Call;" "A Visitation Sermon;" and "A Sermon for the Church Missionary Society." Of these works, his "Scripture Characters" is the most deservedly popular. All the others inculcate the important truths of Christianity; but what is of far more importance, his life was a comment on his creed, and, in an embodied form, it exhibited the doctrines which he taught. But while the chisel of the sculptor thus enables us to perceive the high estimation in which this worthy vicar was held by his congregation, the pen of affection presents us with his character inscribed on the marble in the following words : THOMAS ROBINSON, A scholar, a philanthropist, a man of God! Seen, known, embraced, confessed in the ardour made him willing to forsake all, that he might declare him. Plain, affectionate, comprehensive, practical, he drew and detained large multitudes, Whilst he opened to them the Scriptures, and whilst he unfolded to them all the counsel of God. His eye, his voice, his language, gave authority to his teaching, and the Spirit bare him witness. Kind, active, wise, magnanimous throughout his whole life, he sought not his own, but the things which are Jesus Christ's; in reviving the knowledge of true religon, with and had his reward in in all its beneficent influences, amidst a large portion of his countrymen ; and in preparing many sons for glory. Called from this earthly sanctuary in which his soul had delighted, with his testimony almost upon his lips, he was suddenly made a pillar in the temple of God, from which he goes no more out. the tribute of many grateful and revering friends, commands at length, by a gradual but sure progress, the veneration and the love of mankind. See'st thou, admiring son, this mingled flood? About a fortnight after his interment, a subscription was raised to A cleansing water, and a healing blood? erect a monument to his memory. Thy God for thee made flesh, transfix'd for thee? The sum amounted to five hundred-Go, shew thy brethren sights of Calvary! pounds, of which three hundred were devoted to the memorial, and the remaining sum to a specific object pointed out by the committee. Till with rais'd hands, heart rent, and suppliant eye, they cry. Thomas Robinson was born Aug. 1749; instituted vicar, 1776; died, March 24, 1813. ON THE TREATMENT OF THE INSANE. MR. EDITOR. SIR,-Such are the imperfections of human nature, that truths, the most obvious and important, would soon lose their influence, were it not for repeated teachings and admonitions; and hence the necessity for "line upon line, and precept upon precept." Presuming, as I have done, to speak and write freely upon the most important of all earthly subjects, and intending, as I do, to give a concise summary of what I have before written, I must beg my readers to excuse my repetitions. calculation. I strongly suspect that there are at this time, in the whole united kingdom, upwards of forty thousand, and they arise from a much smaller number of fresh cases annually than four thousand; that is, that a less proportion than one half recover, though I feel fully confident, that full nine out of ten would perfectly recover, under the best system of treatment as a national measure. If what I have so repeatedly asserted upon the curable nature of insanity rested solely upon my own practice, or upon the practice of my ancestors, my insisting upon it with so much pertinacity, might be deemed arrogance or vanity; but it is well known, as I have said before, that the most celebrated professing mad-doctor in the world, stated before parliament, that of those insane patients who were put under his care while the disease was recent, a proportion of full nine out of ten recovered. Is it not strange that this declaration neither met with refutation nor honourable notice; for if correct, the means he used should have been made public for the good of the community at large. But is it not more strange that government should seem to give full credence to the opinion of a physician of London, made twenty years after the above declaration, that insanity is in no instance a curable disease,-he being medical attendant at an institution for the insane, where, it is said, none do recover, except as a matter of rare chance,-and the proprietor of which disclaims all attempts at cure? The evils of insanity are very great; yet, falling particularly upon the lowest, though most numerous classes of society, they have attracted less attention from the more enlightened part of our community than was due to them. I also suspect that these evils are rapidly on the increase; not that I think there is any great increase of fresh cases of insanity, but that a less proportion recover now than did recover some years ago; and the evils of this disease do not so much depend upon the number of fresh cases, or the number of deaths under them; as upon the number who live in an incurable state. For any thing I can learn to the contrary, the incurably insane are nearly as tenacious of life as the sane are. And as the first attacks of the disease generally take place in early life, twenty years may be taken as the average term of life of incurable lunatics. This being the case, the cost to the state, of keeping these unfortunate It might appear, that while general fellow-beings, falls little short of a learning and knowledge have been million sterling annually; while less progressively upon the increase, a than a tenth part of that sum, annually, knowledge of the human mind, and of would be sufficient to procure the very those diseases which most act upon it, best means of recovery, and from which had been considerably upon the dea very small number would remain cline; and, indeed, if there has been incurable. So that a better system no actual deterioration in this particufor the cure is of importance as a mat-lar, there have been no improvements. ter of national economy, leaving the feelings of humanity out of the ques And it certainly is humiliating to the pride of medical science in the united kingdom, for it to be obvious that the most important branch of it was better understood some two thousand years ago, in Upper Egypt, and is at the present hour in Spain, in Naples, in New York, New England, and, it may be, other places, than it is with us. Yet, if we are to judge by public measures, and public institutions, this must be the case. For myself, I am like to 3 z | some religious preacher, of unbounded | ful, and the great desire of concealzeal, but humble talents, who only es- ment in the friends and relations, is capes opposition, and even persecution, frequently the cause of timely means by not being thought worth notice; but, of recovery not being used. The unconfident of the truth and importance of necessary and ridiculous dread of his doctrines, he at length attracts at those that are insane is, too, a frequent tention, and obtains proselytes by dint cause of the best means of recovery of perseverance. It cannot be, but that not being put in practice; indeed, if what I have written, and published, those who have the care of the insane and spoken, with so much confidence betray any signs of fear, their usefulto at least twenty different audiences, ness is at an end. Another cause is, in as many different towns, must have the almost impossibility of managing caused discussions, and by discussion such patients while in their own famithe truth of what I have advanced lies: a removal from all the visitations mast ultimately prevail. The very which unavoidably arise out of family erroneous antiphlogistic medical treat- intercourse, is, in confirmed cases, ment in cases of phrenetic insanity, quite necessary to the best treatment, and the unnecessary coercion in moral and is often necessary to any chance treatment, must cre long give way to of recovery, but this is frequently dea milder and more rational system; layed, till delay alone has rendered but I fear the time is not quite at the disease incurable. Nor is it prachand; for since I wrote my last letter ticable to do full justice to the curafor the Imperial Magazine, four recent tive means, unless the attendant who cases have come to my knowledge, of has charge of the management or the patients suffering under this severe moral treatment, is also competent in treatment, and that too under profes- the medical treatment; they require to sional men of the first repute. In one go hand in hand. But what is most of these cases it proved fatal to life, generally to be lamented in the most and in the others the disease was deplorable cases is, the mistaking the greatly aggravated by it. violent paroxysms of insanity, or what would more properly be called nervous fever, for brain fever, or inflammation of the brain; in the latter, inflammation is the primary disease; if, in the former, inflammatory symptoms appear, they supervene upon the original disease, and arise from nervous irritation. Before I attempt to speak of the best means of recovery from insanity, it may be useful to mention some of the causes by which any application of the best means are often prevented. And, first, the equivocal nature of the disease is a frequent cause, and that too in some of the most confirmed and dangerous cases. The most celebrated city in the world for the learning and knowledge of its inhabitants, has lately been put into a ferment by the freaks of a lunatic, and he has been severely handled; but it does not appear that it ever occurred to his wise persecutors that the poor fellow was insane; yet this was no doubt the case, for he was insane a little time ago, to my knowledge, and I have not heard of his recovering: and I have known many instances of the opportunity of recovery from the disease being lost by disputes about what the disease was; for such are the eccentricities of the sane, that it is not always easy to distinguish them from the vagaries of the insane and the person alluded to can at times, and upon some occasions, appear in public as quite correct, and yet I consider him as dangerous, and unfit to be at large. The notion that insanity is disgrace | Inflammation of the brain is a local organic affection, is a disease of rare occurrence, and may generally be traced to some sudden and recent cause,-such as blows upon the bead, exposure of the head to the rays of the sun, sudden transitions from heat to cold, or from cold to heat, violent exertion or fatigue, excessive intoxication, &c.; it most generally terminates in a few days in death, and cannot be of long duration. As for the idea of inflammation of the brain terminating in permanent insanity, it is no doubt almost always an error; the original disease being nervous fever, a complaint which, in its first paroxysms, is often more violent than brain fever; indeed, a leading feature in brain fever is excessive and causeless timidity in the patient, and defect in the senses, particularly in the sight and hearing, with loss of memory, the very opposite of insanity, in which |