OBITUARY OF M. LE BARON CHABAUD-LATOUR.

which he received from a lady of his family, who, in this season of affliction was led to redouble her ardour in seeking his conversion, and her prayers to God her Saviour to effect it, introduced him to an intimate correspondence with her upon the things which belonged to his eternal peace; and, from the commencement of April, to the day of his death, he advanced daily in that new career, in which, as he expressed it in writing, two days before his death, he was looking for the most blessed consolations. During these months, notwithstanding his indisposition, he assiduously attended Divine Service at the Protestant chapel, and also frequented a prayer-meeting which was held twice a week during the first ravages of the cholera. Returning from one of these meetings he said; "I felt remarkably well to-night and at a time like this one is well no where else." The reading of the Bible, which he reproached himself for having so long neglected for other books, had now become his chief and most delightful occupation. He also

experienced much benefit in perusing scriptural sermons and books of devotion. His heavenly Father was thus preparing him in a remarkable manner for the sudden and unseen stroke which awaited him; and it is consoling to his friends to remember, that it was given him to spend his last hour, while nothing indicated that death was near, in reading the Word of God, and praying with a member of his family, who remarked that he was absorbed in these sacred exercises with even more than his wonted pleasure. It was also particularly noticed, that while all around him were struck with the change in his character, he was constantly mourning that he did not bring forth more fruit to the glory of God. While thus engaged, he was suddenly seized with apoplexy, and taken to his heavenly rest.

Thus abruptly terminates the statement; but enough, we trust, may be gathered from it to furnish reason to conclude, that this much respected nobleman is among the number of those who died in faith and have inherited the promises.

VIEW OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS.

WE have little time or space left for political events. Of the electioneering contests, and the melancholy and unjustifiable rupture with Holland, we need only repeat what we said last month. A form of thanksgiving has been issued for the abun dant harvest and the mitigation of the cholera; but it does not supersede the propriety and duty of setting apart a day for the purpose. Many of the clergy felt great difficulty last year before the fast day was appointed, considering it their duty to have a day of humiliation in their parishes, and yet being prohibited by their oath of canonical obedience (Canon 72) from "appointing or keeping any solemn fasts either publicly or in any private houses," without "the license and direction of the bishop under his hand and seal," except such as are enjoined by public authority. The canon does not mention thanksgivings as well as fastings; but its spirit applies to both, and it were befitting on every ground that the solemnity should be general and national, instead of local, casual, and extra-official.

The public anxiety for church reform, is increasing. We too are reformers; but we would remind some ultra brethren of the remark of Bishop Jeremy Taylor, that "the woman that lost her groat swept the house, but did not turn the house out of doors; that was but an ill reformation that untiled the roof and broke the walls, and was digging down the foundation."

We have mournful accounts from Ireland, of the distresses amounting to positive want of the necessaries of life, of

many of the clergy. Can nothing be done to alleviate them in a delicate and honourable manner? It is surely a case for the assistance of Government; but should this be wanting, private Christian feeling ought to supply the defect. It is only from feelings of delicacy towards our suffering brethren themselves, that we have hitherto hesitated to bring the subject more prominently before our readers.

We have much to say respecting France, but must postpone our remarks. The Duchess de Berri is at length captured. M. De Broglie's cabinet works far more smoothly than could have been expected. The king's speech is moderate, and the chamber of deputies have strongly expressed their confidence in the new ministry. The French infidels and revolutionists are however greatly alarmed because Guizot, De Broglie, and some of their friends, are "doctrinalists;" that is, they profess to be guided by principle in religion, morals, and political economy. Guizot, it is objected, is a Protestant, a speaker at Bible Societies, a Bible-education man, and a translator and dispenser of religious tracts; and De Broglie, says the Paris correspondent of the Times newspaper, "is influenced by his wife. the sister of the late Baron de Stael, and an ardent supporter of the Evangelical party." But more of these matters hereafter. We heartily wish that "the Evangelical party" would bestir themselves to send some judicious and active religious men to the chamber of deputies.

ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS.

J. H. S.; J. K. L.; ZENAS; B.; E. M.; A. C.; W. D. V.; SEXTAGENARIUS; E. H.; THERESA; T. W. L.; J. S.; J. H. A.; S.; A.; and THEOPHILUS; are under consideration.

The habit of novel-reading introduced into many families where it did not formerly prevail, by means of Sir Walter Scott's publications, has always appeared to us so pernicious and alarming that we have never ceased to remonstrate against it. We examined the matter at considerable length in our review of the Pirate; and on many other occasions we have written so strongly upon the subject that we have received not a few letters, some of them from very respectable quarters, accusing us of puritanical fastidiousness, of doing injury to religion by interdicting innocent entertainment, and even of "malignity in torturing to evil purposes what Sir Walter Scott never meant, to profane Scripture or to encourage what is sinful. Another correspondent, however, now blames us, on the other side, for having let fall, in our notice of Sir Walter Scott's death, the words "pure and virtuous " as applied to his works of fiction. We however introduced these epithets only in reference to the too common character of novels, especially as novels were when he began to write; in which respect they were certainly “remarkable" for not enervating the imagination with scenes of voluptuousness and making passion the great object of their development. We are not readers of novels, even of Scott's; but we have always understood that he deserved at least this meed; and as we were painfully scattering censures over a tomb, on account of the profane use of Scrip ture, we were not unwilling to give credit to a departed author for so far laudably deviating from the habits of his fraternity as not to exhibit licentiousness under fascinating colours. At the same time we are decidedly of opinion that novel-reading, even the reading of Waverley Novels, is a most injurious and unchristian habit; and in our Number for September we remarked, that "we would not be parties to the compact too widely acted upon of late years between professed Christians and the men of this world, to meet as friends in the neutral temple of genius, and there to settle their differences; the Christian agreeing on his part to consume his days in the study of Waverley Novels in consideration of their talent; provided the novel-reader will condescend to acknowledge the fancy and pathos of Jeremy Taylor, and to place the Pilgrim's Progress on the same shelf with Robinson Crusoe." We entirely concur with a revered friend and former correspondent, Mrs. Hannah More, speaking of works of fiction, that "the constant familiarity, even with such as are not exceptionable in themselves, relaxes the mind that needs hardening, dissolves the heart which wants fortifying, stirs the imagination which wants quieting, irritates the passions which want calming, and, above all, disinclines and disqualifies for active virtues and for spiritual exercises. Though all these books may not be wicked, yet the habitual indulgence in such reading is a silent, mining mischief. Though there be no act, and no moment, in which any open assault on the mind is made, yet the constant habit performs the work of a mental atrophy-it produces all the symptoms of decay; and the danger is not less for being more gradual, and, therefore, less suspected." This applies to the Waverley Novels, even upon the estimate of their greatest admirers; and though, as we understand rather than personally know, they are not impure or vicious, in the ordinary acceptation of those terms-they are still, according to the only true estimate-that of Scripturefull of evil and full of danger; and they have done more to raise a sneer against true religion and its followers, by their caricatures of the Covenanters and in other ways, than even the writings of scores of professed infidels. All this we have written again and again, year after year; but we repeat it, as our meaning appears to have been mistaken. The author's historical narratives are written in a very different spirit to the novels, and these we have again pleasure in commending. We could never understand how it is that a man who, in the Tales of a Grandfather, speaks with marked reverence of religion, should in his novels often allow himself to expose it to ridicule under uncouth terms and ludicrous applications of Scripture. It shews at least that he did not wish the mind of his beloved grandchild to be debased with irreverent associations.

W. will find further particulars respecting Mr. Mompesson, of Eyam, in our volume for 1807, p. 633. It is but justice, however, to another individual, not mentioned either by W. in our Number for last September, or by our correspondent in 1807, to add, that Mr. Mompesson was not alone or unaided in his work of Christian mercy. His predecessor in the benefice of Eyam was Mr. Stanley, a man eminently devoted to the service of God, and anxious for the salvation of the souls of his parishioners; but who was most cruelly and unwisely ejected from his living, under Charles the Second's Act of Uniformity, in 1666, after having held it for two-and-twenty years. But though prevented by authority from preaching or holding a benefice, he remained with his beloved flock, alleviating their sorrows, and de

voting himself to promote their temporal and spiritual welfare during the prevalence of the dreadful visitation. Palmer, in his Nonconformist's Memorial, says of him, that "He was an eminent preacher, and by his example, a confuter of those who deny free prayer. When he could not serve his people publicly, he was helpful to them in private; especially when the pestilence prevailed in that town, officiating among them with great tenderness and affection, during that sore visitation, which in that little place cut off above three hundred persons. And yet, at that very time, certain people made a motion to the Lord Lieutenant of the county, the noble Earl of Devonshire, to remove him out of the town; who, like himself, replied to this effect: It is more reasonable that the whole country should testify their thankfulness to him, who, together with his care of the town, had taken such care, as none else did, to prevent the infection of the towns adjacent." He died in 1670, satisfied to the last in his non-conformity, and rejoicing in his sufferings on that account. We are happy in affording this measure of justice to one whom we doubt not his worthy successor, Mompesson, delighted to honour, and perhaps was not backward in assisting out of what had been so long his own. We heartily wish that such men as Mr. Stanley could have been induced to conform to the Church of England; it had been for the benefit of both, and for the best welfare of the country; but "except their non-conformity," as Johnson says of Watts, they were, as to the majority of them (for some base political materials were mixed up with the mass), men worthy of being held up as examples to every Christian pastor,-not to say every Christian patriot. "It was these excellent men," says the Rev. Thomas Scott, "who planted the Tree of Liberty, sober and legitimate liberty, civil and religious, in this land, under the shadow of which, all classes of the people of England repose in peace. And if not watered by the blood of those holy men, in derision called Puritans, it was by their prayers, and tears, and sorrows. Yet it is the modern fashion to feed delightfully on the fruit, and then revile, if not curse those who planted and watered it." We only wish that their modern successors would take heed not to convert liberty thus dearly won into licentiousness. What would these holy men have said to the language which prevails in some modern Dissenting publications?

Owing to the length and importance of other papers, we are greatly in arrears with our brief notices of literary and miscellaneous information, but we intend to be more regular in future with these and other of our lighter articles.

SUPPLEMENT TO RELIGIOUS INTELLIGENCE.

BRITISH AND FOREIGN BIBLE SOCIETY.

FOR the sake of the cause of God, and of a perishing world for whom Christ died, we would most earnestly impress the claims of this Society upon the renewed attention of our readers. Have they done, and are they doing, all that lies in their power to promote its unspeakably momentous objects? It is true, the controversy respecting it has died away; and its structure and proceedings, after being closely scanned, have approved themselves to the great majority of religious persons of various persuasions; and the zealous efforts which have been made to found a Bible institution upon other principles have so signally failed, as to shew in a strong light the wisdom of the original plan: yet we fear lest the evil effects of the tempest should remain, though its violence has ceased. It is not enough, in order to bring a religious and charitable institution into useful efficiency, that its plan is coldly approved; it must be followed up with zeal aud cordiality, or it will soon languish and come to nought. We implore in particular the clerical friends of the Bible Society seriously to consider this matter; otherwise, while some of them are standing idle though not hostile, Scriptural distribution will be impeded, and the wants of the world be left unsupplied. It is not easy to heat up a frozen cause. We bless God that the Bible Society is not such; its friends are many and active but, in the languor that usually succeeds to over-excitement, there is danger of its becoming so, unless those who have at heart its great work of Christian mercy to mankind, vigorously set themselves to counteract this tendency. Might not a spirit-stirring appeal be appropriately issued at this great crisis of all nations, to urge Christians of every name to renew and enlarge their exertions for giving the word of God to every people under heaven? A time is perhaps fast approaching when the necessity for such diligence may be more apparent than ever. And shall Christians slumber at their post? Shall the partizans of every secular interest be active; shall the world be deluged with tracts, and newspapers, and poetry, and science, and useful knowledge, and useless knowledge, and knowledge which to know is moral pollution; and the disciples of Christ think little of the duty and importance of devoting their efforts to the great work of making known to mankind that inestimable Volume which testifies of Christ, and in which are treasured the words of eternal life? What exertions, what sacrifices of time or money, can be too great to promote so glorious a design?

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