ican edition. The work will be comprised in one volume 12mo. making about 250 pages. Price to subscribers $1 in extra boards. Boston, Oliver & Munroe. sermons Select Sermons of the late Rev. Samuel Stillman, D. D. comprising several never before printed. To which will be prefixed a more particular biographical account of Dr. Stillman than has heretofore been published. 8vo. 400 pages. To subscribers $2 bound and lettered. Boston, Manning & Loring. Orations, delivered at the request of the inhabitants of the town of Boston, to commemorate the evening of the fifth of March, 1770. 1 vol. 12mo. 200 pages. To subscribers $1, extra brds. Boston, William T. Clap. Anthony Boucherie, of Philadelphia, proposes publishing by subscription in 2 vols. 8vo. of about 500 pages each, price $6, The Merchant's Unerring Guide to the East India and China Trade: Drawn from the observations and notes of Pierre Blancard, an experienced merchant and navigator in the Asiatick seas. By Anthony Boucherie. European Commerce, shewing new and secure channels of trade with the continent of Europe: detailing the produce, manufactures, and commerce of Russia, Prussia, Sweden, Denmark, and Germany; as well as the trade of the rivers Elbe, Weser, and Ems, with a general view of the trade, navigation, produce, and manufactures of GreatBritain and Ireland; and its unexplored, and improveable resources and interior wealth. By J. Jepson Oddy, member of the Russia and Turkey or Levant companies. Two vols. large 8vo. Price to subscribers $3 a vol. in boards. Philadelphia, J. Humphreys. John Wyeth, of Harrisburgh, (P.) proposes to publish by subscription, the Moral and Religious Miscellany, or sixty-one Aphoretical Essays, on some of the most important Christian Doctrines and Virtues, by Hugh Knox, D. D. in St. Croix. STATEMENT OF DISEASES, &c. from March 20 to April 20. HIGHEST station of the barometer 30.2. on the 18th day of April. Lowest, 28.7. on the 31st day of March. Greatest heat, on the 20th day of April, 70°. Least heat, on the 1st day of April, 30°. Prevalent winds from the east. Little disease has been seen during this month, compared to those, which preceded. The most prevalent complaint has been pneumonic inflammation; with this disorder children particularly have influenza, which has prevailed, are been affected. Reliques of the now and then seen, and they sometimes have constituted an obstinate and formidable disease. been generally resumed. EDITORS' NOTES. ALTHOUGH it is contrary to the general rules which we have prescribed to ourselves to admit controversial discusciples, advanced in any speculations sions as to the merit of opinions and prinwhich we publish, because the zeal and animosity of the disputants would soon fill our publication and thus exclude more useful matter; yet, as the letter from a Roman Catholick is written in a liberal and gentlemanly style, and as the author of the letters, which he attacks, is perfectly willing that an explanation should take place, we think proper in this inmost devoutly wishing, that it may be stance to depart from our general rule, the end of the controversy. In justice however to our correspon dent, whose letters we are publishing, and at his request, we add, that he is happy to find so respectable a Roman catholick denying, that indulgences, either in their origin or in their abuse, have ever been applied to the encour agement of crimes, by affording cheap and certain modes of obtaining remission of sins, and that he feels fully convinced, that the personal character of the gentlemen, at the head of the Catholick establishment in Boston, is a sufficient pledge that no such misapplication of the power will ever take place here. But that the Roman Catholick' may be convinced, that our correspondent, although so ignorant that even the beggars of Loretto might have taught him better,' is not singular in his ignorance, we take the liberty to make a quotation from the British Encyclopedia, omitting the most bitter and severe passages, which might justly offend the Roman Catholick. See article Indulgences. Indulgences are a remission of the punishment due to sins, granted by the Romish church, and supposed to save a sinner from purgatory. The form of one of them, quoted in the Encyclopedia, is as follows, May our Lord Jesus Christ have mercy on thee, and absolve thee by the merits of his most holy passion; and I by his authority and that of his blessed apostles Peter and Paul, and of the most holy pope, do absolve thee, first from all ecclesiastical censure, which thou mayest have incurred; then from all thy sins how enormous soever they may be, even from such as are reserved for the cognizance of the holy see. I remit to you all punishment which you deserve in purgatory on their account,' &c. &c. It is not perceived, that there is any material distinction between licenses to commit offences, and pardons and remissions after they are committed; provided these pardons are granted of course, and for certain fixed and stated prices. Now that these indulgences were sold and at certain fixed rates, we are informed by many writers; but it may be as well to consult the standard work above quoted, which states, "that the terms in which the retailers of indulgences described their benefits, and the necessity of purchasing them, are so extravagant, that they are almost incredible. The popes are now more sparing of this favour, but they still carry on a great trade with them to the Indies, where they are sold at two rials a piece, and sometimes more.' The author of the letters from Rome might perhaps make an answer equally satisfactory, or at least adduce authorties equally respectable, for all the opinions which he has advanced; but it would lead to a discussion exceeding the limits, which we have prescribed to ourselves. He would probably find very little difficulty in proving the intolerance and spirit of persecution, which prevailed in the Roman catholick church in its days of prosperity; nor would he think this practice in any de gree justified by the conduct of the protestants in any country, who, stimulated by revenge, and other passions equally opposed to the true spirit of christianity, may have sometimes imitated, though very humbly, this very bad example of the ancient catholicks. With respect to the catholicks in this country, though it might be thought a little ridiculous in them to boast of their not exhibiting here a spirit of persecution, yet we are authorised by the author of the letters from Italy to declare, that he has the highest respect for the learned, pious, and respectable gentlemen, at the head of that church in Boston; that he is convinced of the utility and importance of their labours, and that he is sorry that any free and general remarks, applicable to certain abuses in the church of Rome, should be thought by them to bear, in the smallest degree, upon the opinions and principles of men, whom he wishes to believe incapable of countenancing all the errours and absurdities, which have crept into the practice of the catholicks in some countries. LRRATA. As a number of errours escaped us in the first impression, we hope our readers will excuse the repetition of the following latin lines : Nox erat illunis, cælique ex culmine fluxit Hei mihi, pro dira pellice blanda fui. In the latin poetry by L. M. Sargent, published in the Anthology for March, line 16, for miserus read miseris; line 39, for Horrens read Horrificans; line 41, for Deu read Dea. Page 158, middle of the first column, for seldom read sold or. Page 164, for cume read cum; and for voriamur read moriamur. ADDENDUM. Page 152, 2d column, line 14 from bottom, before bodies insert white MONTHLY ANTHOLOGY, FOR MAY, 1807. BOSTON ATHENEUM. The following MEMOIR, concerning the history, objects, and present state of the Boston Athenæum, with the terms and principles, on which the rights and privileges of the institution shall be possessed and exercised, and with remarks on the MERITS of the design, is respectfully submitted to the friends of improvement. HISTORY, OBJECTS, AND FOR several years individuals in this metropolis have expressed The Monthly Anthology. Ee PRESENT STATE. relative to the Reading-Room be more than executed. By the time the journals and periodical publications were received, more than a thousand volumes of valuable works, principally donations, were collected and annexed to the institution. At this stage of the undertaking, the gentlemen, who had commenced and so far conducted it, in order more effectually to secure and diffuse the benefit of their past labour and expense, and realize their wishes of a respectable establishment, transferred their right and title in the Anthology ReadingRoom and Library to certain persons denominated Trustees, with power to supply vacancies in their number, and to hold and manage said Reading-Room and Library, as a trust, under their then present name; or to become a body corporate under the same or any other name, as they might deem expedient. The Trustees proceeded to open the rooms in such apartments and with such inspection, as they could conveniently obtain ; but which they have since changed from Congress-street to Scollay's buildings, Tremont-street, where the subscribers are invited, and where they will find a degree of order and attention, which the former situation did not admit. At the same time they issued a printed sheet, containing regulations and by-laws for the conduct of the institution, which remain in force in respect to annual subscribers, and which will undoubtedly be, in substance, adop ted under the new form, which the establishment may assume, pursuant to the act of incorporation. America, with magazines, reviews, and scientifick journals in the English, French, and other modern languages, memoirs of learned societies, London and Paris newspa naval chronicle, London and Paris The Trustees conceived it expedient, and immediately took measures, to procure an act of incorpo-pers, Steele's army and navy_list, ration for themselves and their future associates. In the act for this purpose, with a view to meet the sentiments and wishes of respecta ble persons friendly to the general design, they obtained powers to comprehend, in the establishment, other objects, relative to the sciences and arts, to be provided for in sach an extent, as may consist with the primary design of founding a Library and Reading-Room. By these means, when the whole plan of the institution shall be executed, it will be subservient not only to the acquisition, but to the communication of knowledge; answering the double purpose of inquiry and instruction. In consequence of this enlargement of the plan, a name of more extensive signification, than the former one, was adopted, and the Trustees, with their associates, are made a body corporate by the title of the Proprietors of the BOSTON ATHENEUM. The Proprietors have entered upon the execution of the powers, vested in them by the act of incorporation. After the choice of the necessary officers, they proceeded to devise methods for increasing the funds of the said corporation, and extending the rights and privileges, which they had acquired. The result of their deliberations is here communicated. That the nature and design of the establishment may fully appear, having offered a sketch of the history, they will next give a particular account of the Objects of the Athenæum. The first department of the Athenæum is the READING-ROOM, which it is proposed to have large and commodious. It is to be furnished with seats, tables, pens, ink, and paper; and to contain all the celebrated gazettes, published in any part of the United States, with the most interesting literary and political pamphlets in Europe and The next branch of the Athenæum is the LIBRARY, designed to contain, in a separate apartment, the works of learning and science in all languages; particularly such rare and expensive publications, as are not generally to be obtained in this country; the most valuable encyclopedias of the arts and sciences in the English and French languages; standard dictionaries of the learned and principal modern languages; also dictionaries, critical and biographical; books of general reference, useful to the merchant and the scholar; and finally, the works of all the best authors, ancient and modern. These apartments are to be open during every week-day and evening. None of the papers or periodical works are to be taken from the rooms, except in the case of the indisposition of any proprietor or subscriber, who may have the use of the newspapers at his house, at some convenient time after their arrival, under such regulations, as shall be prescribed. Duplicates are to be provided of all those books permitted to circulate, it being intended that one copy of every work belonging to the Library shall always remain in it; so that the proprietors and visitors of the Athenæum may be certain at all times of finding any work, which they may have occasion to read or consult. The Reading-Room and Library, being considered leading objects and chief departments of the Athena um, it is proposed, as far as can be done without detriment to them, to join to the foundation a MUSEUM or CABINET, which shall contain specimens from the three kingdoms of nature, scientifically arranged; natural and artificial curiosities, antiques,coins, medals, vases,gems, and intaglios; also, in the same or a different apartment, a REPOSITORY OF ARTS, in which shall be placed for inspection models of new and useful machines; likewise drawings, designs, paintings, engravings, statues, and other objects of the fine arts, and especially the productions of our native artists. Lastly...the plan of the Athenæum includes a LABORATORY, and an APPARATUS for experiments in chemistry and natural philosophy, for astronomical observations, and geographical improvements, to be used under the direction of the corporation. The history of this establishment, and a description of its objects being given, it is proper to exhibit The means, resources, and present. state of the Athenæum. The Reading-Room is largely supplied with the works mentioned above, and is receiving daily additions.. The Library already contains many interesting and important works. The number of volumes is more than twelve hundred, and is continually increasing by donations and deposits, as well as by purchase. There is reason to believe, that, when the apartments shall be sufficiently capacious to admit them, one or more of the libraries, belonging to particular societies or individuals, will be annexed to the Athenæum, or be placed on the shelves of its Library." The means and resources, now possessed by this institution, arc.... 1st....The annual subscription; there being one hundred and sixty subscribers, at ten dollars a year." 2.4.The American papers and publications, with several period ical publications from abroad, are furnished by the proprietors of the Monthly Anthology free of expense; and the net funds of the same work are appropriated to the support and increase of the Reading-Room and Library. S...An apparatus of value, belonging to a society for the study of natural philosophy, is offered to be incorporated with the Athenæum on favourable conditions; so that this part of the establishment cannot, at present, require any consid erable expense. 4...It is well to observe, that, as the institution shall advance in importance and celebrity, donations and legacies may be expected to prove a source of continual additions to the various departments of the Athenæum. To those, who consider this account of the history, objects, and present. state of the institution, it will readily occur, that an essential requisite to its enlargement and prosperity is a suitable building in a central part of the town. It will also occur, that the present proPrietors are bound to extend the rights, powers, and privileges of proprietors of the Athenæum to others on proper conditions. With a view, therefore, to diffuse and perpetuate the benefits and enjoyments of this establishment, and to raise the necessary funds for a building and other purposes, relative to the general object, the present proprietors offer the plan and terms of subscription to the Boston Athenæum, which are annexed to this memoir. The objects, the situation, the resources and prospects of this institution being described, and the terms of admission to an interest and pow er in it proposed, the subject might here be left, without further comment, to the consideration of the enlightened and liberal, in the confidence that all the inducements, publick and private, to espouse the establishment, will have their just operation. But though it may not be necessary, yet it may be useful |