with this world; it is a sufficient and just conviction of those, who would divide themselves betwixt God and the world, and bestow any main part of their time upon secular affairs; but it hath no operation at all upon this tenet, which we have in hand; that a man, dedicate to God, may not so much as, when he is required, cast a' glance of his eye, or some minutes of time, or some motions of his tongue, upon the public business of his king and country. Those, that expect this from us, may as well, and upon the same reason, hold that a minister must have no family at all; or, if he have one, must not care for it: yea, that he must have no body to tend; but be all spirit.

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"My lords, we are men of the same composition with others; and our breeding hath been accordingly. We cannot have lived in the world, but we have seen it, and observed it too; and our long experience and conversation, both in men and in books, cannot but have put something into us for the good of others; and now, having a double capacity, quà Cives, quà Ecclesiastici; as members of the cominonwealth, as ministers and governors the church; we are ready to do our best service in both. One of them is no way incompatible with the other: yea, the subjects of them both are so united with the church and commonwealth, that they cannot be severed; yea, so, as that, not the one is in the other, but the one is the other, is both so as the services, which we do, upon the occasions, to the commonwealth, are inseparable from our good offices to the church; so as, upon this ground, there is no reason of our exclusion.

"If ye say that our sitting in parlia ment takes up much time, which we might have employed in our studies or pulpits; consider, I beseech you, that while you have a parliament, we must have a convocation; and that our attendance upon that will call for the same expence of time, which we afford to this service; so as, herein, we have neither got nor lost.

"But, I fear it is not, on some hands, the tender regard of the full scope to our calling, that is so much here stood upon; as the conceit of too much honour, that is done us, in taking up the room of peers, and voting in this high court; for surely, those that are averse from our votes, yet could be content we should have place upon the woolsacks; and could allow us ears, but not tongues.

"If this be the matter, I beseech your

lordships to consider, that this honour is not done to us, but our profession; which, whatever we be in our several persons, cannot easily be capable of too much respect from your lordships. Non Tibi, sed Isidi; as he said of old.

"Neither is this any new grace, that is put upon our calling; which, if it were now to begin, night perhaps be justly grudged to our unworthiness; but it is an ancient right and inheritance, inherent in our station; no less ancient than these walls wherein we sit: yea, more: before ever there were parliaments, in the Magna Concilia of the kingdom we had our places. And as for my predecessors, ever since the conqueror's time, I can shew your lordships a just catalogue of them, that have sat before me here; and, truly, though I have just cause to be mean in mine own eyes, yet why or wherein there should be more unworthiness in me than the rest, that I should be stripped of that privilege which they so long enjoyed, though there were no law to hold me here, I cannot see or confess.

"What respects of honour have been put upon the prime clergy of old, both by Pagans, and Jews, and Christians, and what are still both within Christendom and without, I shall not need to urge; it is enough to say, this of ours is not merely arbitrary, but stands so firmly established by law and custom, that I hope it neither will nor can be removed, except you will shake those foundations, which I believe you desire to hold firm and inviolable.

Shortly, then, my lords, the church craves no new honour from you; and justly hopes you will not be guilty of pulling down the old. As you are the eldest sons, and next under his majesty, the honourable patrons of the church; so she expects and beseeches you to receive her into your tenderest care: so to order her affairs, that ye leave her to posterity in no worse case than you found her.

"It is a true word of Damasus, Uti vilescit nomen Episcopi, omnis statua perturbatur Ecclesiæ. If this be suffered, the misery will be the church's; the dishonour and blur of the act in future ages will be yours.

"To shut up, therefore, let us be taken off from all ordinary trade of secular employments; and, if you please, abridge us of intermeddling with matters of common justice; but leave us possessed of those places and privileges in parliament, which our predecessors have so long and peaceably enjoyed."

like an antiquary over the polished surface of what was once a Roman medal, and at length had concluded, that the legend was infinitely interesting, because it was totally unintelligible. In short, a book-worm is a creature sui generis : his march is not impeded, like that of other travellers, by any attention to the surrounding prospect. Let his journey lie through interminable flats, or over stupendous eminences, be the path rough or smooth, he eats his way straight on, and never stops till he has perforated his allotted task. The obscurity of dulness does not deter, nor the splendour of genius dazzle him: he shuts his eyes, and gropes to the end of his journey. The praise of disinterestedness must be awarded him, for no creature labours so hard, with so little self-improvement. He floats on the ocean of literature like a buoy, which, while it warns the richly freighted vessels of others against vortices and quicksands, secures nothing to itself, by all its bustle, but weeds and barnacles.

Our readers will now, we trust, believe the truth of the maxim with which we commenced this article, viz. that it is not within the power of an ordinary man to become a book-worm it requires a peculiar talent; a man must be born to it. And supposing the possession of natural talent, there is a mental discipline absolutely necessary for the improvement and perfection of it. We have had serious thoughts of publishing the rudiments of this system of education. In the present instance, we shall only venture to impart to our readers a few maxims, which, like the postulata of the mathematics, are to be taken for granted by all book-worms, as the data upon which the whole science rests. 1st, Cæteris paribus, books printed in the black letter are preferable to others, because less intelligible. 2dly, No books printed after

1699 are worth purchasing. Some few exceptions are allowed to this rule, but the rule itself stands unimpeached, it being self evident that learning and genius were confined to that age in which authors had not learned to spell. 3dly, A book which is invaluable in a folio size, may be reduced to the price of waste paper in any other form, it being demonstrable by pure philosophy, that it is the form, and not the matter, which determines the specific nature of any entity. 4thly, A book is worthy of our regard in exact proportion to the neglect with which our fathers treated it: a book which has had but one edition, is more valuable than one which has had many: the smaller the impression of an edition, the more it enhances the value of a copy: so, if only one copy of a book were known to exist, it would be almost invaluable; it follows, that if none at all existed, it would be better still. But we must not initiate the profanum vulgus into all the mysteries of our profession: we must reserve some for our future lucubrations. If our readers should be at a loss to discover the drift of our foregoing observations, they are at liberty to understand them as a ruse-de-guerre, by which, whilst we appear to attack ourselves, we endeavour to prevent our generous adversary from doing so in reality. In short, ardour of mind in the pursuit of any object, must approximate on enthusiasm, or it will never bear up against the difficulties which obstruct every plan we form for the acquisition of good. Happy is that man who is enthusiastic only in the pursuit of knowledge: even his eccentricities are more amiable than the tameness and regularity of those whose decorum arises from apathy. We shall now, without any farther preface, introduce our readers to this interesting pamphlet.

Dr. William Charleton was born

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in Somersetshire. Wood calls him a learned and unhappy man, aged and grave, yet too much given to romances.' He was physician in ordinary to Charles I. and II. It would be vain to pretend to enumerate Dr. Charleton's productions. It will suffice to say, that his principal works are, "Ternary of Paradoxes," 1650, quarto ; with a portrait of the author, much esteemed." Chorea Gigantum," quarto and folio.-" Darkness of Atheism dispelled by the Light of nature," quarto, 1663.-" Natural History of the Passions," octavo, 1674.—“On the Law of Nature and the Precepts of Noah,' octavo. Several Treatises on his own profession; and the present work. His writings are said to abound with singular observations. The "Discourse of the Wits of Men" is, however, decidedly his most original and interesting work. It has been stated, on good authority, that Locke has borrowed much light for his " Essay on Human Understanding" from this discourse. An attentive perusal of both will evince the truth of this remark; though it will be confessed that what is merely glanced at in Charleton, is reduced to its principles, and carried out in all its relations by Locke. Charleton's treatise resembles a piece of unwashed ore, which, though misshapen and incrusted, here and there betrays the value of the hidden metal: Locke's volumes are the ore refined, and ready to subserve the purposes of life. It appears that the discourse was originally a letter in answer to some noble friend of the author's, who had requested Dr. Charleton's opinion on the diversity of genius so observable amongst men. The author did not intend an hypothesis, but a letter, and, as a letter, necessarily short. A systematic review of what is itself not a system will not be expected from us. We

"Such as are endowed herewith, have a certain extemporary acuteness of conceit, accompanied with a quick delivery of their thoughts, so as they can, at pleasure, entertain their auditors with facetious passages, and fluent discourses, even upou very light occasions. They are therefore excellent at sudden repartees; but being generally impatient of second thoughts and deliberation, they seem fitter for plea sant colloquies and drollery, than for counsel and design. Like fly-boats, good only in fair weather, and shallow waters; and then, too, more for pleasure than traffic. If they be, as for the most part they are, narrow in the hold, and destitute of ballast sufficient to counterpoise their large sails, they reel with every blast of argument, and are often driven upon the sands of a nonplus; but where favoured with the breath of common applause, they sail smoothly and proudly, and, like the city pageants, discharge whole vollies of squibs and crackers, and skirmish most furiously. What can you imagine more speciously resembling true industry and graceful elocution, than the opportune and pertinent hitts of these facetious spirits ? What more elegant, than to make acute reflections on every occurrent, and to give home touches with gentleness, which are the less resented, because they appear suddain and jocular? But this so charming swiftness of both phansie and tongue is not exempt from its failings, and those shameful ones, too, sometimes: For take them from their families, and private conversation, into grave and severe assemblies, whence all extemporary flashes of wit, all phantastick allusions, and personal reflections, are excluded; and there engage them in an encountre with solid wisdom, not in light skirmishes, but a pitcht field of long and serious debate concerning any important question, and then you shall soon discover their weakness, and contemn that barrenness of understanding which is incapable of struggling with the difficulties of apodictical knowledge, and the deduction of truth from a long series of

reasons.

Again, if those very concise sayings, and lucky repartees, wherein they are so happy, and which, at first hearing, will entertain with so much of pleasure and ad

miration, be written down, and brought to a strict examination of their pertinency, coherence, and verity, how shallow, how frothy, how forced will they be found! How much will they lose of that applause, which their tickling of the ear, and present flight through the imagination, has gain'd! In the greatest part, therefore, of such men, you ought to expect no deep and continued river of wit; but only a few plashes, and those, too, not altogether free from mud and putrefaction."

After a discussion of the nature of the "Slow Wit," Dr. Charleton proceeds :

"In the middle, betwixt the two opposites, too much heaviness, and too much lightness, nature seems to have placed the most happy indoles, or Ample Wit; which is seldom out of love with itself, yet never too indulgent of itself, and often advanceth its possessors to the highest honours and dignities of which subjects are capable. This usually is attended with no more of eloquence than decency allows, or occasion requires; and that, if cultivated by erudition, or matured by time, is always neat and graceful, even in familiar conversation; neither precipitate nor slow in delivery, as guided by a judgment, though not sharp on the suddain, yet strong and solid after a little recollection. In fine, this is the man most fit to harbour all virtues; as by nature's benignity comparated to great prudence, as well publick, as private; and if touched with a temperamental propensity to some certain vice, yet seldom tainted with any evil habit.

Betwixt these Ample Wits and the Narrow ones, nature herself hath put a certain criterion, or character of distinction, easily discernible; and it is this: The former, being duly conscious of their own dignity, do all things with a bon mine, or good grace, and becoming freedom, far from the vices of affectation and constrained formality, as being actuated by spirits not bold, but generous and erect, always addressed to noble ends, and contemplating somewhat diffusive and above vulgar aims. And this is that semi-divine temper of the mind, which Aristotle calls Evpvìa, the Latins, felicitas ingenii, and we, an universal capacity. On the contrary, narrow and grovelling wits condemn themselves to abject cogitations and low counsels, never daring to aspire above the common suggestions of their pusillanimous humility; yet, in little matters, and such as transcend not the sphere of their capacity, they often proceed with exact diligence, and sometimes also with good success: there being annexed to them a certain astalia, sinistre or spurious wisdome, called cunning and wisdom for one's self, such as is common also to weak and timorous animals, which keeps them intent wholly upon their own safety, and (as we have before deduced it) ariseth only from diffidency of sufficiency in themselves; than which there can be no greater enemy to noble and generous undertakings. Besides, if they at any time (as sometimes, puft up with prosperity of their crafty and undermining designs, they will) offer at ingenuity, it is with so much constraint, formality, and starchedness, that they expose themselves to the smiles and contempt of judicious men."

NARRATIVE OF A TOUR OF HAWAII, OR OWYHEE; with Remarks on the History, Traditions, Manners, Customs, and Language of the Inhabitants of the Sandwich Islands. By William Ellis, Missionary from the Society and Sandwich Islands. 8vo. pp. 442. Price 12s. With Seven Engravings, and a Map of the Island. -We take the earliest opportunity of announcing the completion of Mr. Ellis's publication. Unless we are greatly mistaken, there has been no work connected with the London Missionary Society's operations, since their commencement, which is more deserving of public attention, or more likely to gratify and reward public curiosity. While the friends of Christianity must feel deeply interested in the triumphant success of evangelical missions in the islands of the Pacific, they

cannot but indulge the most delightful anticipations in reference to the " Sandwich Islands." Recent events, communicated in the journals of the day since the return of the Blonde, afford pleasing confirmation of the intelligence previously brought to our country by the excellent author of the volume before us.

No one, we are persuaded, ever heard the details given by Mr. Ellis at missionary meetings, without the conviction of his possessing special claims to the regard and confidence of the Christian world. The simplicity and chasteness of his communications-the evident indications of honest feeling and unaffected integrity-and the interesting information respecting the manners, customs, and natural history of the Sandwich Islands, which characterize his ad