murder by the fear of the haunting and vengeance of the ghost, or from being a dishonest or cruel guardian to the children of persons deceased, by the apprehension of an affrighting visit from the spirits of the parents. Just in the matter of fact the operation of the superstition was obviously good: but was it good-must it not have been in many ways pernicious -for the mind to be under the persuasion that the ghosts of men were the governors of the world, and the sovereign dispensers of retribution? But more than this; our author herself is candid enough to observe, that some of the operations of the superstition, in at least the pagan period, were extremely pernicious in the simple matter of fact.

It is also evident from our author's statements, that, besides imposing the fetters and incumbrance of many frivolous and irrational ceremonies, the superstition of the Highlanders has in spite of the beneficent light of Christianity, given a deformed and gloomy aspect to the providential government of the world, as beheld by them. Of this there needs no other proof than the fact, as stated by her, that they had, in rather recent times, such a fearful unremitting impression of the vigilant haunting of evil spirits, that it was presumption for a person to go out alone in the night.

On the whole, while admiring, perhaps nearly as much as our animated author, the many fine romantic features in this most singular economy, we sincerely rejoice that a system of notions and habits which involved so much unhappy superstition, with such a peculiar power (from the constitution and local situation of the community) of permanently retaining it, is breaking up and passing away. On the cause of this great change, a cause little enough to be sure, directly related to Christianity or intellectual philosophy, our author has many very sensible and interesting observations toward the conclusion of these essays. We need not say the cause is, the adoption, by the great Highland proprietors, of a new, and to themselves more profitable, use of the land. The system which supported and kept together each clan, as a little tribe united by the affections and interests, and indeed by the actual relationships of a large family-that of numerous small allotments of land, partly cultivated for grain-has been generally relinquished, by what would formerly have been called the chieftains of clans. Much of their ancient feudal consequence and authority, and some portion perhaps of the affectionate

and romantic devotedness of their dependent clans, had been already lost, through the effectual interference of government to open and subjugate the Highlands, after the events of 1745. And by degrees the chiefs have come almost unanimously into the plan of living in style in the great cities, like other people of consequence, and drawing the greatest possible revenue from their mountain tracts; and this greatest revenue is found to be realized by giving up the whole to pasturage, especially of sheep. Consequently, a large portion of the inhabitants have been compelled to emigrate, to seek subsistence in the Lowlands or in America. The latter is naturally chosen by all who can afford the expense of the passage; and great numbers have already become diligent cultivators in the United States, or within the limits of the English Canadian territory. There, however, our author asserts, they will not preserve their high enthusiastic and romantic sentiments; but there, then, we presume they will, fortunately, forget by degrees their superstitions. Benevolence would wish that they might there also speedily let their language fall into disuse; for how are they ever to obtain their desirable share of knowledge, while strangers to all the languages in which knowledge has been accumulated and circulated in the civilized world?

XVIII.

ECCLESIASTICAL BIOGRAPHY,

Ecclesiastical Biography; or Lives of eminent Men, connected with the History of Religion in England; from the Commencement of the Reformation to the Revolution; selected, and illustrated with Notes. By CHRISTOPHER WORDSWORTH, M. A., Dean and Rector of Bocking, and Domestic Chaplain to his Grace the Archbishop of Canterbury.

LITTLE more will be needful, for the purpose of explaining the nature and adjudging the value of this work, than to specify the materials of which it is compiled. The articles concerning Wickliffe, Thorpe, Bilney, Tindall, Lord Cromwell, Rogers, Hooper, Rowland, Taylor, Latimer, and Cranmer, are compiled from Fox's Acts and Monuments. That concerning Lord Cobham is partly from Fox, and partly from Bale's Brief Chronicle. The account of Ridley is partly from Fox, and partly from a life of the bishop, by Dr. Gloucester Ridley, published in 1763. The highly entertaining life of Woolsey, by the Cardinal's Gentleman Usher, Cavendish, is here for the first time faithfully printed from a manuscript in the Lambeth Library, collated with another manuscript in that library, and a manuscript of the same life in the library of the Dean and Chapter of York Cathedral. This performance, indeed, appeared in print long since, and was reprinted in the Harleian Miscellany, but so altered and spoiled in almost every sentence, by some foolish editor, as to bear but little resemblance to the genuine exemplar. The long life of Sir Thomas More is now first published from a manuscript in the Lambeth Library, written towards the end of the reign of Elizabeth, by a zealous papist. Walton's lives of Hooker, Donne, Herbert, Sir Henry Wotton, and Bishop Sanderson, are reprinted entire, with additions by Strype to the life of

Hooker. There are reprinted entire a life of Jewel, prefixed to an English edition, in 1685, of his Apology of the Church of England; the translation, published in 1629, of Bishop Carleton's life, in Latin, of Bernard Gilpin; Sir George Paule's life of Archbishop Whitgift; Bishop Fell's life of Dr. Hammond; Burnet's life of Sir Matthew Hale; Matthew Henry's life of his father, Philip Henry; and Burnet's "Passages of the Life and Death of the Earl of Rochester." The "Me

moirs of Nicholas Ferrar," by Dr. Peckard, published in 1790, are here reprinted, "but not without some omissions.". The account of this most extraordinary man and his extraordinary nephew, is in this republication extended by the accession of some curious papers relating to them, found in Lambeth Library, though supposed by Dr. Peckard to have been lost. The life of Bishop Hall is "composed principally from a republication of two of his tracts," "Observations of some specialties of Divine Providence," and "Hard Measure." The account of Baxter is composed of extracts from his “Life and Times." The life of Tillotson is abridged from a memoir of him "by F. H, M. A.," published in 1717, which Mr. Wordsworth professes to hold in no very high esteem.

The work is inscribed, in profoundly reverential terms, to the Primate; and will not, we hope, have offended the modesty inseparable from the highest ecclesiastical dignity, by betraying to the public that his Grace's "unceasing cares and labours" are directed to the "promotion of pure taste, good morals, and true religion." It is affirmed, that his Grace's many acts of munificence for the increase of the literary treasures of his country, exalt his name to the same level with those of the most illustrious of his predecessors, Cranmer, and Parker, and Laud." It may be doubted whether Archbishop Tillotson would have felt the attributed resemblance in this subordinate species of episcopal merit sufficiently flattering to atone for the associating of his name in any way with those of the "illustrious" Parker and Laud and we presume our editor cannot have studied, so accurately as he ought, his patron's taste in ecclesiastical character and in language.

A sensible preface explains the compiler's motives to the undertaking. Every one will accord to his opinion, as to the necessary and happy influence of the college and the archiepiscopal palace in kindling pure Christian zeal. He observes, a protracted residence in either of our universities,

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and afterwards in that service which I have mentioned, it will easily be understood, was likely to engage any man in ardent wishes and desires for the general prosperity and welfare of sincere piety and true religion," and to inspire him more particularly with an earnest concern "that these most important interests should ever advance and flourish among our theological students and the clergy; and, through their means and labours, with the divine blessing, in every rank of society." It was but in obedience, therefore, to the cogently evangelical influence which is always operating within the walls of a university, and in emulation of the active piety which he observed in every person who had resided there a considerable time, that Mr. Wordsworth projected, during a long-continued residence at Cambridge, a work of the nature of that now before us. The official situation which has since given him access to the Lambeth Library, must obviously have afforded him many facilities for the execution of the design; and he has availed himself of them with a very laudable industry.

The editor assigns good reasons why the series should not commence earlier than the "preparations towards a Reformation by the labours of Wickliffe and his followers," nor be brought down lower than the Revolution.

The space so limited, formed in our island the grand military age of Christianity, during which the substance and the forms of that religion were put in a contest which exhausted the possibilities of human nature. The utmost that could be attained or executed by man, in point of piety, sanctity, courage, atrocity, and intellectual energy, was displayed during this warfare. The compiler justly thought that nothing could be more interesting than a fair exhibition, presented in the persons of the leading combatants, of the principles and the most signal facts of that great contest. And this is very effectually done, as to that part of it which lay between the church of Rome and the protestants; but not so satisfactorily as to that part of it which was maintained between the English estabment and the puritans.

The editor's preference of original authorities, and his forbearance to alter their expressions or even their orthography, will obtain the marked approbation, we should think, of every sensible reader. He says,