splendent Wisdom, she entered the grove of Growing Virtue; and on the flying chariot of My Name, she shall enter the Kingdom of Heaven."

These Extracts are taken from the Notes to the late Mr. Ellis's Translation of the Korell*: and though that Gentleman was an admirer of the talent and genius of Beschi, yet he remarks upon this part of his celebrated Poem, "The tissue of conceits exhibited by these Verses may have been woven for the Poet by the Italian or the Tamul Muse; as both, though they often cull from the rose-bush of Fancy its fairest flowers, are prone, also, to collect the unsubstantial dewdrops glittering on its leaves."

But what shall we say to his attributing such "conceits" to the Saviour, who spake as never man spake; studiously adapted His lessons to the meanest capacity; and, so far from sanctioning Monkish austerities, 'cautioned us against assuming such hypocritical appearances of sanctity? (Matt. vi. 1, &c.) Were there any thing in the history of His infant years to warrant the ascribing of predictions to Him at the early age of His return from Egypt, and were even these fancied prophecies, instead of being clothed in a style * Chapter III. Section 3.

which the most erudite only can understand, delivered in such familiar language as the Saviour designedly adopted; yet what purpose, I ask, could they possibly answer to the cause of Christianity? They could serve only to give authenticity to Popish Legends, and encourage the practice of superstitious mortifications, which our Blessed Lord so pointedly prohibited.

I had marked several other passages of the same character for insertion; and had intended noticing, also, the Inyana-upedasam of R. Robertus Nobili, alias Tatwa-bod, haca Swamy (a scholar of the same School, though of inferior ability to Beschi). But, if the Reader is not tired of perusing, I must confess that I am of transcribing such fantastical" conceits!" Were it not that the Temba-vani is, to my own knowledge, more admired by some professed Christians than the Bible itself, I should hardly have. thought it worth while to take even this much notice of the Work. It exactly corresponds with the description which the Abbé Dubois gives of such a Translation as he conceives to be indispensable, in order to render the Sacred Volume acceptable, or even tolerable, to the Hindoos. But I doubt not that the Christian Reader will concur with me in

opinion, that the Translations of the Scriptures already made by Protestants into the Languages of the East, even though we judge of them all by the specimen which the Abbé has given of the Canara Version of the Pentateuch (which, it is fair to conclude, is the most unfavourable he could select), are likely to prove one-hundred-fold more beneficial to the Hindoos than such Versions, or Paraphrases, or Fictions, or whatever it be called, as the Heroic Poem of Beschi. Let the Reader compare this with St. Paul's conduct, in a corresponding case: (1 Cor. ii. 1-8.)

But, while I argue thus for the supremacy of the Scriptures among the means used for the conversion of the Heathen, and maintain that the Bible Society have not acted with that indiscretion with which the Abbé Dubois charges them, I am not contending for the propriety of distributing Bibles among the Heathen without accompanying helps: (pp. 31, 124.) He asserts that "the New Reformers," by whom he means the Protestant Missionaries in India, "fancying that, in order to convert the Hindoos to Christianity, it was only necessary to lay the Bible before them, they, at their first outset, made extremely incorrect and almost unintelligible Translations of our

Sacred Books into the several idioms of the country. Our disfigured Holy Scriptures were profusely diffused among the inhabitants, under such a contemptible garb; and upon this only foundation the latter were angrily required to shift for themselves, to build their faith, and reform their religion, civilization, and manners:" (pp. 149, 150.) A most unfounded charge! and, until he can support it by well-attested facts, or even by a single instance of such imprudence on the part of any Society*, I shall think it unworthy of a reply.

Contrasting the measures of the Jesuit with those of the Protestant Missionaries in India, he says, that the former established Schools for the educating of Native Catechists and Religious Teachers, and composed Tracts and Elementary Works upon Religious Topics: (p. 131.) Any person not acquainted with the proceedings of Protestants in the East, would conclude, 'upon reading this statement, that they neglected the use of such means; and this is obviously the impression made on the mind. But is this arguing like a fair disputant and a lover of truth? He must, he cannot but know, that Protestant

* No Institution is answerable for the conduct of an individual Member, which it does not authorise.

Missionaries have adopted these very expedients, and that to a much greater extent than the Jesuits ever did. How inconsistent, then, with Christian integrity, so to state the case, as to make a false impression!

With regard to the training of Native Catechists, Schoolmasters, and Priests, I know not a single Missionary Station between Madras and Cape Comorin, including both the Coromandel and Malabar Coasts-nine of which I myself have visited-where there is not a separate establishment for this specific purpose. This was one of the first objects to which the venerable Ziegenbalg, Swartz, and their co-adjutors, paid attention. I am intimately acquainted with several pious and intelligent Native Religious Teachers, educated at Vepery, Tranquebar, Tanjore, &c. &c. Does M. Dubois remember nothing of the first four Priests ordained by Swartz and Kohloff, some years ago? Did he never hear of the devoted Sattianaden? Does he not know, that successive Missionaries, in South India, of the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge, have since ordained other Natives equally promising†? Has he never read accounts of the splendid Esta

+ All these Priests are supported by this admirable Institution.