the light of an oil-lamp illumines A'monk, scarce worth his beer and bread, the page, from which he reads to And good for nothing, but himself. his family the lessons of know- With parts extinct presum'd to read, ledge, religion and virtue.-The Improv'd his head-piece not a jot, Quite Orthodox in famous Creed, books in the possession of the Poring to know, he knew not what. lower classes are chiefly of a reli- Soured by age, by sloth made dull, gious nature, a great number of Rusty in temper, as in gown, these works having been printed With pride, and narrow notions full, in Iceland during the last two or A peevish, stiff, pedantic clown. three centuries, and very generally circulated through the country. In many parishes there is a small collection of books belonging to the church, from which, under the superintendance of the priest, each family in the district may derive some little addition to its means of instruction and improvement." By giving these extracts a place in your valuable miscellany, I persuade myself, you will gratify your numerous readers; you will at least oblige your friend and constant reader, V. F. P.S. I have just seen the Extracts on the Present State of Re. ligion in Iceland which you have inserted in your No. just published, p. 73.-But those, you will readi. ly perceive, though highly interest ing, will not interfere with that which is now transmitted: but will rather be confirmed and illustrated by it. An Epitaph. SIR, Feb. 9, 1812. Among some old MSS. I have found, on a scrap of very dingy paper, and in an antique hand, the following stanzas, which ap. pear to have been designed as an epitaph, in no panegyrical strain. Here liv'd and died a useless thing, The dry remains of stupid life, A drone to country, church and king,` Without all judgment, wit, or wife. A slave to forms from morn to bed, Grown rich and proud, with college pelf. VOL. VII. If these lines have been in print, perhaps one of your readers can oblige me with the name of their author or a reference to the pub. lication. QUÆRENS. A Collection of Facts relating to [Continued from p. 87.] "It is a kind of quackery in govern ment, and argues a want of solid skill, to apply the same universal remedy, the ficulty. It is, it must be owned, much ultimum supplicium, to every case of difeasier to extirpate than to amend mankind: yet that magistrate must be esteemed both a weak and a cruel surgeon," who cuts off every limb, which through ignorance or indolence he will not attempt to cure." Blackstone, Comm. B.iv. ch. I, "The ruling principle of government in this kingdom is allowed to be liberty; but our criminal laws seem rather calcu lated to keep slaves in awe than to govern free men. They seem to contradict all notions of justice, and confound all distinctions of morality. By the ignominy they impose in many cases they bend the mind to the lowest state of servitude: by the rigour they indiscriminately inflict they adopt the principles of despotism and make fear the motive of obedience." Dagge's Consid. Crim. Law, I. ch. vii. "If a reflecting and benevolent foreigner were to examine our Statute Book, where death is commissioned to keep the fatal key' of so many cells, and 'to shake a dreadful dart' in so many directions, his soul would be wrung with anguish: and, unless he were told that common sense wages a perpetual war with positive institutions, and that the ⚫ Milton. malefactors annually executed fall very in the penal code [at Philadelphia], short of the number annually condemned, he would suspect that every accuser is a Lycurgus, every judge, a Cassius,† and every legislator, a Draco," Philopat. Varvicen. Char. C. J. Fox, ii. 333. ཉ Proposition VI. The Punishment of Death, con. sidered as the affair of a moment, is not so powerful a restraint from crimes, as other punishments of a visibly longer duration. prove that crimes have diminished nearly half in number and that very few criminals have been condemned for a relapse. "A criminal of the most hardened nature, who had infested the environs of Philadelphia seve. ral years before the change in the penal code took place, being dismissed, thus addressed one of the inspectors: I thank you for the care you have taken of me ever "A recent instance of this de- since I have been here, and for plorable state of mind has fallen having enabled me to fulfil a duty within my notice. A youth of 22 I owe to society. You know what had deserted more than once-he my conduct has been, and whe- betook himself to robbery. He ther it has atoned for my past ofanticipated death as the probable fences: but I am now at liberty, punishment of his thievery or his and consequently all I could say, desertion. He neither cared, nor would be of little service to me. professed to care at what time or Pursue your plans and you will in what manner it might overtake neither have thieves nor pickHe despaired. He plun- pockets: with respect to myself, He defied the wrath of be assured you will never see me He frowned at the mention here again. The man kept his of God. 'He laughed at a vio- word." lent death as the affair of a mo. him. dered. man. Dr. Louis Valentine's Report ment.'t And without shewing to the Academy of Marseilles, and the smallest sign of shame, or compunction, or terror, he under went the sentence of the law." Philopat. Varvicen. ii. 394. Proposition VII. If the other lawful ends of punishment may be answered along with the Reformation of the Criminal, then that mode of punishment ought to be adopted by which the criminal will be reformed: this mode embraces the greatest sum of ultimate good; and experience has shewn it to be practicable. up "The comparative tables, drawn The Athenian Oratur. Mr. Turnbull; quoted in the Phi lanthropist. No. 4, p. 350. Proposition VIII. "When very severe punishments are denounced against numerous offences, they cannot be in all cases inflicted without cruelty; and yet if they may be remitted in some cases, it is necessary that much should be left to the Discretion of the Judges, which will be variously exercised in similar cases, thus having the appearance of caprice, of partiality, and of injustice. "An unfortunate woman was tried for stealing above the value of five shillings, I was present at the trial. From many circum. stances it was obvious that it was a first offence, and every person rendered himself to take his trial in court wished her acquittal. at the next assizes. The next asThe jury watched the testimony sizes came; but, unfortunately very narrowly, to see if any thing .. the prisoner, it was a different could be laid hold of in her favour. judge who presided; and still Lord Kenyon told the jury, that more unfortunately, Mr. Justice they were not to take any of the Gould, who happened to be the alleviating circumstances into con- judge, though of a very mild and sideration in their verdict, what. indulgent disposition, had observ. ever palliation they might be; ed, or thought he had observed, and the woman was found guilty. that men who set out with steal. Lord Kenyon proceeded to pass ing fowls generally end by comthe sentence of the law. When mitting the most atrocious crimes; the woman heard the sentence of and building a sort of system upon death, she shrieked and fell life- this observation, had made it a less to the ground. Lord Ken- rule to punish this offence with yon, who was endowed with great severity, and he accordingly, sensibility, instantly called out to the great astonishment of this -My good woman, I do not unhappy man, sentenced him to mean to hang you.-Will nobody be transported. While one was persuade the poor woman that she taking his departure for Botany is not to be hanged! Bay, the term of the other's im prisonment had expired and what must have been the notions which that little public who witnessed and compared these two examples, formed of our system of criminal jurisprudence ?" "This case made a great im. pression upon myself, as well as on every one present. I have frequently heard the same noble Lord pass sentence, not on the prisoner before him, but on the law." Mr. Morris's Speech in the House of Commons on Sir Samuel Romilly's Bill. Reported in Flower's Pol. Review. v. ix. p. 76. Sir Samuel Romilly's Speech in the House of Commons, Feb. 9, 1810. On the Extract from the Eclectic SIR, "Not many years ago, upon the Norfolk circuit, a larceny was committed by two men in a poul. try yard, but only one of them Your extract from the Eclectic was apprehended; the other hav. Review (pp, 92-94) brought to ing escaped into a distant part of my mind several circumstances, the country, had eluded all pur. which made a deep impression on suit. At the next assizes, the it some years back, when I was apprehended thief was tried and at the University of Cambridge, convicted, but Lord Loughborough, and when the proceedings against before whom he was tried, think-a noted academic' excited at that ing the offence a very slight one, place a great deal of attention. I sentenced him only to a few was then acquainted with the writmonths' imprisonment. The news er of the article, who from his of this sentence having reached mode of writing may easily be the accomplice, in his retreat, he detected as not being a member immediately returned, and sur. of the University, though, if he had been one, I will not answer nate ourselves by the name of any for his giving a correct account man. We acknowledge no other of the proceedings of those times. name, and have no leader but His bitterness against the noted Christ. Lardner and Priestley, or academic, is easily accounted for the gentleman whom the writer by those who are acquainted with designates by his asterisks *******, the two parties: and I am very may have written well or ill: we sorry that a Dissenting minister are not bound by their tenets, nor should use so coarse and vulgar a will we be called by their names. stile, and after the lapse of so We leave to others to say, I am many years, should have retained of Paul,' I am of Apollos,' 'I so much of an unchristian spirit, am of Cephas,' I am of Calvin,' as the extract and many other I am of Arminius.' Let us say, writings of his, too plainly exhi. We are of Christ' we look up bit. It would be wrong to dwell to him as the author and finisher much upon the ravings of a dis. of our faith, and if we must take tempered mind: though I ap. any other name besides that of prove highly of your inserting Christian, let it be one which the extract, both that the Uni- marks our opinion, without refertarians may see what is said of ence to any human authority. them by their adversaries, and that the editors of the Eclectic Review may be ashamed of admitting such trash into their pub. lication. To the writer of the extract I have reason to believe the academic referred, and the question was not about the plurality of persons in the Godhead, but on a peculiar opinion of that writer's, who amongst other vagaries of his, had that of believing in two Gods. Whether he retains that faith at present or not, I cannot tell, as several years have elapsed, since I heard any thing of him, and it is probable that the academic referred to, is as little acquainted with him as myself. On the appellation of Unitarian, I am not surprised that the Eclec. tics feel sore. It is a term which brings to their mind, a discriminating truth, and does not allow them to enter into those person. alities, in which they would delight to indulge, if we had been so imprudent as to enlist under the banners of a party, or to desig On this account, the term Unitarian is properly assumed by us, and very properly given to us by the best writers among the sectarians, whether established by law, or going under the name of Dissenters. Give me leave, Sir, to present you with an extract from a publication which seems to me to confirm the propriety of the title in question. It is in p. 25, 2nd edition, of Mr. Frend's Thoughts on Subscription to religious TestsIn the text, he says, "From my view of the scriptures, it appears to me, that there is one God, the Creator and Governor of the Universe, the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ; that the hypothesis of two natures in Christ, has no foundation in scripture, but arises solely from the endeavours of man to solve some apparent difficulties, which they could not do on any other supposition that Jesus Christ was a man like ourselves, sin only excepted, through whom, by the free gift of God, they who are obedient to his precepts shall obtain everlasting life." To this is subjoined the following note: : Your very obedient Gogmagog on the 'curious' Extract from the Eclectic Review.' SIR, God. The time, it is hoped, is not far distant, when men will cease to be called by the names of Athanasius, Arius or Socinus." "As persons are frequently If this should fall in the way of led away by names, to which the writer in the Eclectic Review, they affix very opprobrious ideas, I should be glad, if he would in and this abuse prevails no where as clear a manner state his own more than in the University, I opinions; I am sure you would shall for the sake of the junior give them a place in your Repostudents, just delineate the leading sitory, which I trust will continue features of some sects now pre- to present to your readers both vailing in the nation. By Unita- sides of the question, for our cause rians I mean those, who believe delights in investigation, and neiGod to be one person, and all ther requires nor will ever emother persons and things to be his ploy abuse in its support. creatures in opposition to Trini. I remain, Sir, tarians, who believe God to consist of three persons in one substance, and all creatures, persons and things to be their joint production. The different opinions concerning the nature of Christ, may be briefly stated in the following manner. Either Christ pre-existed, or he did not. If he pre-existed, Impotent rage is always ridicuit must have been either as God, lous: you have, indeed, amused or as a creature of God; the for- your readers by bringing forward mer is the Athanasian, the latter a redoubtable Eclectic to play his, the Arian opinion. If he did not frantic part on the arena of your pre-exist, his existence must have Repository. (pp. 92-94.) Whethcommenced either naturally or er he or his brethren have been supernaturally; that is, he must equally satisfied with his being exhave been conceived by his mother hibited on such a stage, may perin the ordinary manner, or in some haps be doubted. You have given extraordinary way, must have him rope enough, according to the been the son of Joseph and Mary, condition of the proverb, and he or of Mary alone: the former as has exemplified the consequence of it was the opinion of some early it (which I need not put down in Christians, so it is also of some words,) most notably. sensible and learned persons of our Your curious' extract enables times; the latter is the general me to answer a question which I opinion prevailing among the So. have sometimes heard concerning cinians. The author professes this company of Eclectics. The himself to be a Unitarian, distin- true Eclectic in religion, is one guished from the Arians, by de- who picks up one grain of truth nying the pre-existence of Christ; out of this party, and another out and from the Socinians, by deny. of that, and so fills up his meaing the propriety of addressing sure of wheat without chaff; but prayers to any but the one true this is evidently not the just defi- * |