At Turin the Traveller witnessed the most scandalous neglect of some of the fine works of art recovered from Paris.

'I am convinced that both their first and second journey, but especially the latter, must have given opportunity for private theft to succeed to public robbery. They lay irregularly, unpacked and unguarded, some against the walls, and some on the pavement of the douane. Many had suffered from rain; and I was assured that a carrier, or warehouse-keeper of the city, had refused to receive them, fearing he might become accountable for the damage.'

The spectacles, and especially the gross absurdities and delusions of Popery, beheld by our Author at Milan, are described at considerable length; with a just remark on the delusive tendency of Mr. Eustace's admired book, as disingenuously apologetical for the Romish Church in this Church, at the same time, the animadverter protests against the narrow charity which would deny that there may be very many sincere and excellent Christians. Among many other objects of curious interest, he mentions the remains of Leonardo da Vinci's picture of the Last Supper; and from its actual condition, he contradicts Eustace's story of the French soldiers having made it a target to fire at, and selected with special preference the head of our Saviour as a mark. This head, says our Author, is the least injured in the picture, which, though quite in a ruined state, retains some very faint traces of its former beauty, particularly in this head. An imitation of this painting, in a curious mode of Mosaic, the process of which is described, is executing at Milan by a Roman artist of the name of Raffaelli. The peasantry of the Milanese appeared to be in a penurious and miserable condition.

The various stages and circumstances of the magnificent road of the Simplon, are described in a very clear and striking manner. It will remain a perpetual monument, in parts and ruins, if not in a perfect whole, of the daring character of the projector, and of the distinguished science and resources of the engineers who directed the execution. It will be a monument, too, of the nameless workmen who made so little difficulty of forcing, in very many places, their way, in excavated galleries through the solid rock; the longest of which, that of Gondo, is of the length of more than six hundred feet, and cost the incessant labour of a year and a half. The property of this prodigious work, and therefore the care and cost of repairs which are annually required, lie between the two governments of Piedmont and the Valais; both of them,' says our Author, poor, and neither energetic.

Indeed it is hinted,' he says, by some observers of human nature and modern policy, that the King of Sardinia may reckon the avalanches among his brave allies; since they not only assail one

grand monument of that gunpowder Corsican, but if they should succeed in spoiling it, will turn many travellers into the road of Mont Cenis, and through his own good capital.'

He advises his correspondent, if he has any scheme of crossing the Simplon with his family, not to let many winters intervene. Indeed we think nothing may be predicted with more confidence, than the partial ruin of this mighty performance.

The most attractive portion of the book, is the description of Switzerland, a region whose courageous freemen, and wild valleys, and torrents, and cataracts, and glaciers, and summits majestically proud in that crown of snow, which they will wear in defiance of all fire and heat till one certain day that is to come, when all terrestrial sublimity must surrender itself in sacrifice, are capable of giving fresh interest to every repeated description, if vigorous and unaffected, in an indefinite succession. Our Author, though not absolutely rapt and possessed amidst these scenes, to the pitch of putting limb and life, and all things to hazard, yet evinced a spirit that deserved to be so situated and surrounded. His attention was also directed, with all due inquisitiveness, to the state of society, on the circumstances and varieties of which he makes many sensible observations.

But that the descriptions of several of the glaciers, of the appearances of Mont Blanc, and of the ascent to Montanvert, at its base, are too extended to be transcribed; and but that we think it fairer to recommend the book itself than to borrow from it, we should have been disposed to insert some of these striking pictures into our pages; or to extract a part of a considerably long address, in blank verse, to Mont Blanc, which contains, we think much of the elements of poetry, wisdom, and piety.

He made a considerable sojourn at Geneva, with favourable introductions and active inquiries. He expresses his regret at finding among the divines there, the same defection from thre faith of their illustrious predecessors of the Reformation, as among the Protestants in France. He learnt that the Pays de Vaud is the tract which that faith seems the most reluctant to desert, though the infidel infection has made its way into this scene of a discipline, unequalled on earth for its perfect cognizance of all the youthful subjects of education.

I believe no government in the world watches over the education of its subjects with so much systematic attention as this little republic. An academical council is established, which not only directs the affairs of the college for students of theology, but appoints schoolmasters (régens), in each parish, and exacts from each pastor a detailed report of the number, and respective progress of the scholars. Parents who neglect sending their children for instruction, are subject by the laws to certain penalties. I had engaged in London, as a

servant, a young Swiss from a village of this canton, who attended me during the journey; and I was struck with the exact superintendance exercised over national education, when the Professor Levade remarked to me that it would be easy, by a reference to the reports, in possession of the Conseil Académique, to ascertain with exactness the character which my servant bore at school, and all the degrees of his proficiency in all the different branches of elementary learning. Is it not one of the duties of a civilized government thus to ensure the rudiments of knowledge to every individual; and why should it be less practicable in the provinces of a large country separately, than it is in a small state like this?'

In the valley of Moutiers, the Traveller was much interested by the discovery of a small, recluse, and somewhat peculiarly marked fraternity of Anabaptists. His first visit to some of them was received with a degree of suspicion, which he soon obviated by assuring them that he too had the misfortune to be an Anabaptist. He found among them a primitive simplicity,― for even their wearing their beards may go to that account. Some of them maintained the practice of washing the feet of their guests, in literal observance of the precept of Christ. But the part of their system which has rendered them obnoxious, is their agreement with the Quakers in denying the lawfulness of oaths and war. They are orthodox in the leading points of religion; and all whom he conversed with respecting them, bore the most decided testimony to the strictness of their moral discipline, as a society, and to the excellence of their characters. Their system corresponds to that of the Mennonites of Holland, from whom our Author judges it to be derived. One of their ministers had a very serious conversation with him on the subject of emigrating to America, to escape the oppression which, since the recent annexation of their district to the canton of Berne, they were suffering in the form of heavy requisitions of money for obtaining substitutes to go into the army. Under the Prince Bishop of Basle (a Roman Catholic,) and subsequently under Bonaparte, they had suffered no such exactions as it had been reserved for this Protestant government to inflict on them.

In closing this highly pleasing and instructive volume, we may be allowed to remark, in a single sentence, that the Author's pleasantry, always of a friendly and amiable cast, is sometimes a little too operose, has not the requisite light, facile spontaneity; that one or two puns had better, perhaps, have been rejected; and that mere English readers will have some cause to wish the Author's own unaffected familiarity with French, had not made him so apt to forget their convenience.

Art. VI. Scripture Portraits; or Biographical Memoirs of the most distinguished Characters recorded in the Old Testament: with an Historical Narrative of the principal Events. accompanied by scrious, moral, and practical Reflections, adapted to Juvenile Readers. To every Portrait are prefixed appropriate Mottos. By Robert Stevenson, of Castle Hedingham. 2 Vols. 12mo. 1817.

THE children of the present age, are the hope of the age to

come. A circle of thirty years will plant another generation in our room another set of the human race will then be transacting all the greater and less affairs of life, and filling the world with blessings or with mischiefs, while we shall be sleeping in the silent dust. Every man, therefore, who contributes his share to the religious and moral improvement of the rising generation, thereby becomes a public benefactor, and is justly entitled to the grateful acknowledgements of the community. In addition to the various useful publications which have of late issued from the press, avowedly for the instruction of youth, we feel the most sincere pleasure in announcing another interesting work, adapted to juvenile readers.' If the plan be not distinguished by any thing remarkably original, and if the composition be not of the highest order, the design and execution are, nevertheless, truly honourable to the head and to the heart of the Author. Though it would seem that the title-page is too long, still, it possesses the advantage of conveying a fall and distinct idea of the work. The Portraits,' as these Biographical Memoirs are termed, are one hundred and fifty-two in number; and as the two volumes contain little more than five hundred and forty pages in duodecimo, not very closely printed, it will at once be perceived, that brevity is amongst the leading characteristics of these papers. Their average length is about three pages and a half. To each of these sketches (for they are rather sketches than portraits) is prefixed an appropriate motto, selected from one of our most eminent poets. These gleanings must have occupied no inconsiderable portion of time, but they are gathered with. great judgement, they are disposed by a correct taste, and are very pleasing embellishments of the work.

As a specimen of the Author's style, we select, with the exception of the poetical motto, the whole of the eighty-seventh. Memoir; not because we think it one of the best, but because it is one of the shortest. It refers to the history of Eli and Hannah, and is entitled, The different Results proceeding from a good or from a bad Education exemplified.'

The effects of a good or of a bad education are frequently very great and we have in this part of the sacred history, an exemplifica tion both of the one and of the other.. HANNAH, the pious mother of Samuel, was anxious for her dear child, that he might be entirely devoted to the Lord, and took care, in very early life, to plant in him

those seeds of wisdom and piety, which, in after years, produced such a glorious harvest. On the other hand, the sons of ELI, of whom one might have expected better things, were, it seems, almost totally neglected, and left to the indulgence of every sinful propensity. It is painful to relate this neglect of a proper and pious education in a parent who was otherwise, we hope, a good man. But, for the good of society, it is necessary that the evils of a bad education be publicly known and exposed! It appears that Eli had no authority in his family; and if authority is not exercised over children, it will be in vain to attempt it, at a later period. If the land be left uncultivated, we know that it will naturally produce thorns and briars; and if the mind be left uneducated, the most baneful weeds of vice may be expected. It was owing to this shameful neglect, in conjunction with their own native depravity, that the sons of Eli were not only a disgrace to the sacred profession, but even to human nature. How should those young persons who have been favoured with a wise, a virtuous, and a pious education, have their hearts filled with gratitude to their serious parents, to their affectionate ministers, to their tutors, governesses and friends, for the anxious solicitude they discovered to promote their best interest, and for their endeavours to impress their minds with a deep sense of the infinite importance of real religion, and to direct their feet into the path that leadeth to the heavenly Zion.'

A second edition of a work which may with so much propriety be put into the hands of young persons, may, we presume, be pretty confidently expected; in which case, a third volume, of additional memoirs, taken from the New Testament, would render the work more complete, and would, doubtless, be acceptable: Should another impression be called for, there are various verbal improvements of which most of the papers will be found to be susceptible, and which the Author will, we apprehend, see it expedient to adopt. Some of these will relate to figurative allùsions; others to sentences in which no figure occurs, but which may be transposed to some advantage; and in some few instances, those doctrinal sentiments in which all serious Christians are agreed, might be rendered less ambiguous.

The orthodoxy of Mr. S. cannot however be questioned; a spotless life, accompanied with an undeviating zeal for the doctrines of grace, has, we understand, marked his ministerial career, in a large congregation, about forty years. On the whole, we most cordially approve of the work, and confidently recommend it, as a valuable present for young persons, it being unquestionably calculated to inform the judgement, allure the heart, and promote a growing attachment to the Holy Scriptures. It is got up, to say the least, in a respectable manner, and compared with many modern publications, it is remarkably cheap.