tary and continued application of mind. They have in themselves an intrinsic excellence, of which they cannot be divested; and they are what confers upon our nature its truest honour, its most real and most desirable distinction. The commerce alluded to would always be such as it has been now described on the one side, thus useful-on the other, so respectable, were it always entered into with proper views, and in the spirit essentially and rightly adapted to it. But, here, as in other instances in human affairs, abuses are frequent. Advice is often sought when the design is any thing rather than to profit by it. And it is given when there is neither the necessary capacity, nor indeed any real care for the interests of those upon whom it is bestowed. If it were truly from a desire of information or direction that advice was in every case sought, then, unquestionably, the application for it would never be deferred till after the step was actually taken, or till some thing nearly equivalent had happened in respect of that, on account of which eventually the advice was solicited. But nothing is more common than such a preposterous procedure. A man will go up to another apparently most anxious to have the benefit of his counsel in regard to a matter which he represents as of the very utmost consequence to him. He unfolds his case at great length, exhibiting very particularly the difficulties which press upon him, as it is considered under one view or another. He seems to be quite lost in his deliberations, and would be thought to have had no design in preferring the present suit but that he might be helped out of the perplexing situation from which he finds, such difficulty in extricating himself, and when he is so much in dan He ger of making a wrong and fatal choice. The benevolence of him whom he addresses is interested by a statement thus fraught with circumstances to excite attention and sympathy. He puts himself to some trouble in considering the case. patiently goes over all the particu lars by which the result should be effected; and, having formed his opinion with as much care and solicitude as if on the issue were suspended something in which he himself was most immediately and closely concerned, he goes to acquaint his petitioner with the conclusion of his reflections on the subject. He does not wish to impose any thing on him, of the propriety of which he may not be fully satisfied. He enters with him, therefore, anew into the business, exhibiting at length, the reasons which have guided him in his determination, and, with this explanation, leaving it of course to himself either to follow his counsel, or to adopt whatever other measures may seem to him more proper or advisable. That he should have found the sentiments of his friend not entirely to coincide with his own, he -would not have been surprised, neither would it have displeased him that, such a difference existing, it should be his choice to adhere rather to what he himself judged most advantageous, than, where so much was in dependence, to give a dangerous preference to the sentiments of another. But he has certainly cause to be dissatisfied when, in the course of conversation, he comes to understand, that long before he had ever been consulted, every thing was completely and finally arranged as to the line to be pursued in respect to those very matters which, it was pretended, were so wonderfully perplexing, and as to which it was alleged that so much weight was to be attached to his advice. There is something so The faults on the part of those they are much more likely to betray It is perfectly obvious, that the That advice may, on any occasion, be attended with beneficial effect, it will be quite indispensable that that idea of superiority should be as much as possible held out of view, which seems to force itself upon the imagination as almost necessarily implied in the department of giving counsel. That pride which would revolt at the very appearance of any thing dictated to it with a tone of authority, 'may be led often, with the greatest ease, into into every measure which may be judged expedient, by the bare assumption, on the part of him who undertakes the office of guiding it, of a reasonable civility and politeness. When credit is taken by any person for greater wisdom or capacity than he allows to others, which may be considered as in some degree the case, when he takes it upon him to give them advice, it were assuredly fit that this pretension were tempered, at least, by the semblance of modesty, and by a reasonable care to avoid every thing unnecessarily offensive. Whenever it is possible by any means of insinuation or address, not inconsistent with truth or propriety, to increase the chance of any advice that is offered, being favourably received, this is an undoubted reason for making use of their assistance, if, in the first instance, it is understood to be of any consequence that that advice should be followed. But, further than this, it is not fit that such indulgence should go. To flatter a man in his errors or his faults is the most consummate cruelty. It takes away entirely the probability of his ever correcting in himself what he is thus taught by the corroborating verdict of another judgment, in addition to his own, even to value himself for and to approve. The effect of such ill-placed and vicious complaisance may be yet more extensively fatal, by poisoning his mind, and producing in it a general repugnance to all counsels, however sound, in which there is the least infusion of bitter fault. The inference which will very probably be deduced from instances of this latter kind is, that the blame so liberally charged is more in the imagination of him who pretends to see it, than in the conduct of him who is assailed on account of it; which habit of thinking, if it has time to grow, and to strengthen itself in the mind, may lead eventually to a difficulty of perceiving the reprehensibility of what is most plainly obnoxious to censure, and to doubts respecting the justness of the charges made, even by candour itself. Though the part of giving advice, in any degree painful, is not a very gracious one, yet will not a true friend shrink from it, if he has any expectation that, by assuming it, he may really be of use? Neither, on the other side, if there is any fairness of sentiment, will this freedom be offensive, or defeat its own purpose. It is the office of judgment to direct as to the occasions, the time and the manner of giving advice. But in all these cases, universally, the whole conduct, it is obvious, should be of a piece, and nothing admitted by which the effect of salutary precept may be counteracted, and rendered nugatory through the influence of pernicious examples. the interior of Travancore and Malabar, in the south of India; and, have been settled there from the early. ages of Christianity. The first notices of this ancient people in recent times are to be found in the Portugueze histories. When Vasco- de Gama arrived at Cochin, on the coast ness, or which trench in the slightest THE Syrian Christians inhabit degree upon any preconceived opinion or favourite inclination. The same or a similar consequence to that which, in one case, is to be apprehended from extreme lenity in giving counsel, may proceed in another from the opposite extreme of rigour, and an apparently eager desire of finding January 1812. of of Malabar, in the year 1503, he saw the sceptre of the Christian king; for the Syrian Christians had formerly regal power in Malay-Ala. The name or title of their last king was Beliarte; and he dying without issue, the dominion devolved on the King of Cochin and Diamper. When the Portugueze arrived, they were agreeably surprised to find upwards of 100 Christian churches on the coast of Malabar. But when they became acquainted with the purity and simplicity of their worship, they were offended. "These churches," said the Portugueze, "belong to the pope." "Who is the pope?" said the natives, "we never heard of him." The European priests were yet more alarmed, when they found that these Hindoo Christians maintained the order and discipline of a regular church under Episcopal jurisdiction; and that, for 1300 years past, they had enjoyed a succession of bishops appointed by the patriarch of Antioch. "We," said they," are of the true faith, whatever you from the west may be ; for we come from the place where the followers of Christ were first called Christians." When the power of the Portugueze became sufficient for their purpose, they invaded these tranquil churches, seized some of the clergy, and devoted them to the death of heretics. Then the inhabitants heard for the first time that there was a place called the Inquisition; and that its fires had been lately lighted at Goa, near their own land. But the • Malay-Ala is the proper name for the whole country of Travancore and Malabar, comprehending the territory between the mountains and the sea, from Cape Cormorin to Cape Illi or Dilly. The language of these extensive regions is called Malayalim, and sometimes Malabar. We shall use the word Malabar, as being of easier pronunciation. Portugueze, finding that the people were resolute in defending their ancient faith, began to try more conciliatory measures. They seized the Syrian bishop, Mar Joseph, and sent him prisoner to Lisbon, and then convened a synod at one of the Syrian churches, called Diamper, near Cochin, at which the Romish Archbishop Menezes presided. At this compulsory synod 150 of the Syrian clergy appeared. They were accused of the following practices and opinions: "That they had married wives; that they owned but two sacrameuts, Baptism and the Lord'a Supper; that they neither invoked saints, nor worshipped images; nor believed in purgatory; and that they had no other orders or names of dignity in the church than bishop, priest, and deacon." These tenets they were called on to abjure, or to suffer suspension from all church benefices. It was also decreed that all the Syrian books on ecclesiastical subjects that could be found should be burned, "in order," said the Inquisitors, "that no pretended apostolical monuments may remain.” The churches on the sea-coast were thus compelled to acknowledge the supremacy of the pope; but they refused to pray in Latin, and insisted on retaining their own language and liturgy. This point, they said, they would only give up with their lives. The pope compromised with them: Menezes purged their liturgy of its errors; and they retain their Syriac language, and have a Syriac college unto this day. These are called the Syro-Roman churches, and are principally situated on the seacoast. The churches in the interior would not yield to Rome. After a show of submission for a little while, they proclaimed eternal war against the Inquisition; they hid their books, fled filed to the mountains, and sought the protection of the native princes, who had always been proud of their alliance. Two centuries had elapsed without any particular information concerning the Syrian Christians in Malay-ala. It was doubted by many whether they existed at all; but if they did exist, it was thought probable that they must possess some interesting documents of Christian antiquity. The author conceived the design of visiting them, if practicable, in his tour through Hindoostan. He presented a short memoir on the subject in 1805 to Marquis Wellesley, then governor-general of India, who was pleased to give orders that every facility should be afforded to him in the prosecution of his inquiries. About a year after that nobleman had left India, the author proceeded on his tour. It was necessary that he should visit first the court of the Rajah of Tra vancore, in whose dominions the Syrian Christians resided, that he might obtain permission to, pass to their country. The two chief objects which he proposed to himself, in exploring the state of this ancient people, were these: First, to investigate their literature and history, and to collect biblical manuscripts. Secondly, if he should find them to be an intelligent people, and well acquainted with the Syriac scriptnres, to endeavour to make them instruments of illuminating the southern part of India, by engaging them in translating their scriptures into the native languages. He had reason to believe that this had not yet been done; and he was prepared not to wonder at the delay, when he reflected how long it was before his own countrymen began to think it their duty to make versions of the scriptures for the use of other nations. The following is the account transmitted by him of the success of his mission. "From the palace of Travancore I proceeded to Mavely-car, and thence to the hills at the bottom of the high Ghauts, which divide the Carnatic from Malay-ala. The face of the country in general, in the vicinity of the mountains, exhibits a varied scene of hill and dale, and winding streams. These streams fall from the mountains, and preserve the vallies in perpetual verdure. The woods produce pepper, cardamoms, and cassia, or common cinnamon; also frankincense, and other aromatic gums. What adds much to the grandeur of the scenery in this country is, that the adjacent mountains of Travancore are not barren, but covered with forests of teak wood, (the Indian oak,) producing, it is said, the largest timber in the world. "The first view of the Christian churches in this sequestered region of Hindoostan, connected with the idea of their tranquil duration for so many ages, cannot fail to excite pleasing emotions in the mind of the beholder. The form of the oldest buildings is not unlike that of some of the old parish churches in England, the style of building in both being of Saracenic origin. They have sloping roofs, pointed arch windows, and buttresses supporting the walls. The beams of the roof being exposed to view are ornamented; and the ceiling of the choir and altar is circular and fretted. In the cathedral churches, the shrines of the deceased bishops are placed on each side of the altar. Most of the churches are built of a reddish stone, |