"If for me some spot like this did smile," vanced that thick vegetation has covered the ground-on tendence of his highly-cultivated farm, so that the lake a sudden-in one single night-the whole fields are is left in its pristine simplicity, to delight the occasional tenanted with great numbers of these birds. All night passenger. But long, for many weeks, they ply their shrill pipe, busy themselves in rearing up their young, and then, when the chills of autumn commence, as suddenly-at one general signal and agreement-they make a moonlight flitting, and young and old decamp and are heard no more. The rail is a beautiful bird, gracefully formed, finely and delicately streaked, with a mellow, chaste, and subdued colouring, not vulgarly and gaudily decked out ;—perhaps the only objection to its claim to be considered graceful consists in its legs, which may be reckoned too long. Yet this form is suited to its habits; it runs along in quest of fast creeping insects, and rarely flies, which is the reason of its being so very seldom visible. Its colour, too, corresponds remarkably with the brownish mottled earth and decayed grass among which it creeps, so that unless very hard pressed by dogs or men, it rarely or never takes to the air. Its cry, constantly heard as if very near, yet as constantly shifting as you approach, has perplexed and tired out many a juvenile pursuer. It is curious, too, that a bird so little inclined to fly, and with wings small in proportion to its body, should twice a-year take such long journeys or flights, as from the south of Europe to these northern regions and back again. That they do so, however, is indubitable, for the vague stories of their lying dormant in holes, and even under water, are utterly unfounded.* If we turn to the water of the loch, we shall find it too beginning to swarm with new life. The frogs are croaking in innumerable multitudes, and both ladies and gentlemen popping up their heads above water in all the gay flirtation of love. But the marriages of the season are utterly beyond the limits of the fashionable list, and the lawyers have nothing to do here with their long rolls of settlements and pin-monies. The surface of the water swarms with various minute animals, each of which, if attentively examined, would afford no little curious speculation. There is here a small species of shell snail, which floats along on the waves by a very simple contrivance,-it withdraws itself entirely from the spiral part of the shell, fills the space with air, and closes up the mouth or entrance of its shell with its whole expanded body; in this manner, the shell, filled with air, becomes buoyant and floats on the surface; when the animal chooses, it retracts its body and sinks. Many little fishes sport amid the transparent waters; among others, the stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus) in great numbers. These diminutive fishes, considering their helpless condition and their liability to be constantly preyed upon by larger ones, are furnished by the all-bountiful and considerate Creator with very efficacious means of defence. Whenever they are attacked, or apprehend danger, they thrust out from their back and sides five sharp bony spines, which deter their foes from seizing on them; hence, probably, they derive the name of sticklebacks. They must not be confounded with the minnow, which is quite a distinct species, and a gayer and more brilliant tinted little fish. I would thus dispose of it:-Around the margins, I would plant the silver willow and poplar, and such trees as delight to bend and drink the translucent wave. I would grub up the seeds and bushes of the muddy and oozy banks, and strew gravel around, and place rocky juttings at convenient distances. I would rear up one small island in the midst, from whence would spring a little grove of trees. These would form inviting habitations for the blackbird and the linnet. A tiny skiff would be kept moored at the side for skimming over the waters. And high above would be the home, smiling over the scene; sufficiently removed from the noise, and yet within hail of the smoky city. The Editor of the Literary Journal would perhaps occasionally open the latch of the friendly door, and, in exchange for his news of books and men, would receive intelligence of "Plants, trees, and stones, and many rural things." THE BRAVE WILL BE FREE. HEAR ye the hurricane sounds that come Where legions marshal to bugle and drum, And bondsmen bare their brands? Like the desolating locust cloud, The spoilers blight the plains, How spurn the brave at the name of slave, The deep-voiced winds with freedom roam, To the quaking cliff-bound shore ; LITERARY CHIT-CHAT AND VARIETIES. MR D. E. WILLIAMS announces "The Naval and Military Battles of England during the last two reigns." Miss Jane Porter edites Sir E. Seaward's narrative of his shipwreck and discovery of certain islands in the Caribbean sea; with a detail of many extraordinary events in his life from 1733 to Pike are found here, and the silvery perch are in abundance. Were this loch in the neighbourhood of enterprising London, it would soon be converted into a regular fish-pond, and stocked with numerous inhabit-1749. ants for the supply of city aldermen. But, thank Heaven, it is not likely to be appropriated to such vile purposes; the active and intelligent occupier of the domains around, has sufficient employment in the superin-Courts of Germany; written during a personal attendance upon The distances passed over by migratory birds are perhaps not so immense as is often imagined. At all events the tract of ocean is not so great. For instance: no transatlantic birds come to this country, or to Europe; the migrations of American birds are only from the south to the north of that wide-spreading continent -they follow the tract of the land, and most likely take advan. tage of it for resting at intervals. See much curious information on this subject in the highly interesting work of Wilson, now presented to the British public, in a cheap and convenient form, through the medium of Constable's Miscellany, Thomas Moore's Life of Lord Edward Fitzgerald is nearly ready. Dr Southey has in the press, Select Works of the British Poets, from Chaucer to Johnson. Dr W. Beattie is about to publish, Journal of a Residence at the their present Majesties, in 1822, 1825, and 1826. The Supplement to Stair's Institutes, by George Brodie, Esq., Advocate, is now printed. A very copious index to the whole work has been carefully compiled, and is about to be sent to press. The profession may confidently expect the entire work in June. COLONIAL PRESS.-A large collection of newspapers from our numerous colonies is at present lying upon our table. It is extremely gratifying to see the ability and neatness with which they are got up. Those from the North American settlemerits, from Sidney and Hobart Town, are decidedly the best. We are rather at a loss to account for this. At first it struck us that the has passed the period of his exile in exploring the less known countries of South America. In conjunction with another traveller of the name of D'Orbiguy, he has made important discoveries and bservation i baleful effects of slavery might be the cause, weak mine the hall ir turalitory profoto blish his collections the Abloh is no, However, 1 ect and enfeebling the taste. This opinion. the whole les courpare FINE ARTS.-The eleventh annual exhibition of the Northern Academy of Arts, Newcastle, opens in a few days.-The Liverpool exhibition opens on the first day of August; that of Glasgow on the 30th of the same month.-Our own exhibition has closed. The with those of years, dull owing to the excited state of public feeling, which renders men inattentive to every thing but the one great absorbing question; for an exhibition of more general excellence has never been seen in EdinAnd yet we cannot shut our eyes to the fact, that all the eircam '7 "Ive been good, but the plement to the Gazette-Postscript and additional post public auctions, under the name of pictures by the old masters, finds a ready vent. This is most lamentable.-Etty has exhibited this year, at the, Royal Academy, the other wing of his great work, Judith. The London critics praised it. Considerthat which we already posing the manner in which they Sometimes an extra postscript is added. All these are printed upon separate sheets. The contents are generally a selection from the best English periodicals (évincing considerable taste and reading,) the debates in Parliament, docal news, and advertisement. The advertisements respecting slaves form, to one un-sess, this is rather a bad omen: but we have confidence in Etty. habituated to the forms of West Indian society, a most revolting feature of this publication. The Nova Scotian and Colonial the rald is the cleverest of the Colonial papers we are in the Habit of seeing. It contains more original matter, una afords us a better in sight into the structure of society in the province where it is 29171 published, than any of the others. We are perhaps apt to be ra, written. We now have hycle on Glasgow that has ever been ther unreasonable in our demands on this head, In our anxiety that the great use to learn what is doing in the colony, we for inhabitants news king on the ontlemanho dined with the wick. of CHIT-CHAT FROM GLASGOW.-The handsome and really smart of a journal published there, is to convey to + Theatrical Gossip #The great object of attention in, the theatrical world at present is the dispute between Laporte, and Paganini, which is for the most to exorbitant charge for the To to blame entrée to the Signor's concerts. In our opinion, it is neither-it is the most worshipful British public, which has allowed them, and their like, to lay on sten charges that they thought the donkey could bear any burdens We are glad to see little sturdy begin to kick at lastere Warde has been figuring, at Covent Garden as Napoleon, in Napoleon's own imperial hat, which he borrowed from its pre sharp, hard, and intelligent. They have only to contend with septyner, under an express pledge that it should be returned at of the season." *This is not quite so disgusting as bringing nature, and are not of a warlike disposition. The facilities of the Thurten's gig bn the stage, but the same principle is at the bot lumber-trade is apt to attract them from other pursuits. Butmi temiafity shocess: Asney has ander Napoleon, and the Surrey ning speculations and manufactories having created a demand for another, and Drury Lanedas eu in preparation. Met do we not de. provisions, they are becoming more agricultural. Their intelleespair of the theatre. Even Shakspeare's age, had, its spectacles like to those of our own, in every thing but the excellence of their the splendour of their decorations. That there tual discussions are, like those of all true Societies are much the days of Queen Bess, the said plays are theology and church discipline. Temperance" men in vogue. They are a sturdy race, and constantly squabbling with their Upper House a most unnecessary appendage to their god vernment, there being no aristocracy in the province, and the supreme legislature of Britain forming as effective a check upon over-hasty legislation as our House of Lords does at home. These Upper Houses in our colonis has the spirit or our continhon There is a greater mixture of John Bull in the society of Van Die men's Land.' 'The convict population is another peculiar feature The neighbourhood of savage tribes keeps alive in the inhabitants a martial character. They arenalínsy, practical race, add not averse to intellectual pursuits, They receive the newest publica we still extant to bear witness Have we not Knowles ? And we ter acquainted with the form than the spirit of our constitution. emptymittee, we between the acting manager and one tions, have circulating libraries and literary societies sub proceed next to Liverpool, where they Commerce their perform. is a greater stagnation in West Indian society. The 109. ances whit Cinderella Great esertions, we are told, have been making thebe in the llepartments of the scenist land machinist.— About readers may have no obfiedtinos to sen aspegimen of colo nial criticism, we extract the following tidbits, from the Jamaica Courant Speaking of a Mr Costello, in the character of Ollapod, the critic says - His powers are gigantic, and capable of exalting us to offipus, & pruning usta e lake of death." Announcing his principes overiukismat qading cate hive constituted ourselves tramptiounsbrs and in the exhibition of our infuriate madness we will continuf euf animadversions." We learn from this gentleman that Ariangless is performed at Kingston by a lady-At home, Murray's benefit was, of course, a bumper. Mrs Pettingall's takes place to-night. As this lady is one of the season's recruits whom we are anxious to retain, we hope the public will do her justice.-Yates and Matthews open in the Cale. donian on the 6th of June. We anticipate lots of fun, ever well executed, it might not be understood and appreciated by the many. But this was the very reason why the most solicitous care should have been taken to give the experiment a fair trial, by making it in the most masterly style, We do not know whether we should most admire the weaknesss or the complacent ignorance of the manufacturer of the literary portion of this volume. He an We need say little in praise of the former of these volumes. The name of the author is a sufficient guaran, tee for the style of its execution. No one is better qualified, either in respect to natural talent or knowledge, for writing a series of popular blographies of the more prominent characters in Scottish history, than Mr Tytler.nounces with the most startling gravity that " doubtless We feel confidence in the accuracy of his details, because we know that he has thoroughly studied his subject and yet we are relieved from the whole ponderous appa ratus-revolting in a work of this kind-of notes, 'res ference, and citations, with which the historian must bolster up the credit of his story. Without deviating in the slightest degree into the regions of romance, Mr Tytler brings his heroes before us with a boldness and relief equally startling. His sketches are at once valua ble as individual portraits, and as specimens of the sage in which the originals lived. The first volume contains the biographies of Alexander HF., Michael Scott, Sir William Wallace, and Robert Bruce. It is difficult to say which of these historiettes we prefer, On the whole, however, the life of Sir William Wallace is our favourite. The title of the book is extremely happy, and its exécution being equally felicitous, we have no doubt of its sue cess. the difficulty of the language, which is indeed great, is one principal reason why the Greek drama is so little known or relished. A few pages later he tells us, Mr Mitford observes, that even in our own language the word song is still a generic name for all metrical composition." Was Mr Mitford the first who made this profound remark? or is the fact so obsqure and questionable as to require the weighty sanction of his name to gain : our assent? In the same philosophical vein he goes on to inform us that "moral sentiment, in its best and highest sense, was unknown to Pagan antiquity;" and why? because they had no hospitals. But we are tired of enumerating his commonplaces and absurdities, which he has beat out, dull and heavy as sheet-lead, over so many pages. His very first position, when he addresses himself to his immediate subject, when he at last "leaves his damnable face-making and begins," did not astonish us, for it is a commonplace which we have often enough heard repeated, but it gave us a shrewd suspicion that though he might have read the Greek dramatists, it was with the eyes of his body alone, not of his understanding. "There is a want of the inner man of the heart, the simple reality of mere ordinary humanity, and a strain We wish that we could speak in terms equally favourable of the volume of the Dramatic Series of the Family Library now before us; but that is impossible. The conception of the book is good its execution contemptible. The plan of the projected work was to present the reader with translations from the most striking passages of Eschylus, connected by a prose narrative, so as to rendering after something beyond it, in Greek tragedy, which the economy of each drama intelligible. To this was to be prefixed an introduction, explanatory of the nature and origin of poetry in general, and the drama in particular, and of the design of the work. This was to be followed up by chapters on the rise and progress of Greek tragedy; the life and works of Eschylus; the dramatic festivals of Athens; the Greek Theatre; and Aristotle's Poetics. The plan, we repeat, was excellent, and calcula ted to furnish the mere English reader with a delightful book, a valuable addition to his store of ideas, and a great extension of his knowledge of human nature. But the execution has been intrusted to incompetent hands. The word of promise has been kept to the ear, and broken to the hope. This is most strange, and utterly unpardonable in the conductors of a miscellany, whose literary connexion includes all the finest scholars of Britain. We do not speak of mere scholars, but of men who, to accu-, rate and extensive classical acquirements, add delicacy of taste to appreciate the poetry of their author-of such men as Mitchell, Milman, Lockhart, &c. Why, with often prevents us from being deeply and permanently af fected. The secret depths of our hearts can rarely be stirred by writers who seldom dip very profoundly into their own." This is the language of one who knows the Greek dramatists only in the chilling commonplaces of Potter, or the dry outlines which critics have given of their plots.. Did he ever read the (Edipus Coloneus, with its beautiful picture of quiet, modest, deep, and unwearied filial affection, in the person of Antigone? Did he ever read the thrilling strains in which Euripides has expressed the shuddering and uncomfortable feeling of the Theban brother when he feels himself alone, without a claim to the rights of hospitality, amid a hostile nation? Did he ever read the Medea, with its tremendous delineation of an outraged woman's wayward vengeance? Nay, has he read the Suppliants of the author he professes to translate, and not felt how beautifully the poet had rendered that chaste and timid shrinking from the ardour of man, which, mingling with the love of woman, elevates her to an ideal being? Oh yes! these old mas. But he tells us moreover that there is in the Greek dramatists "a straining after something beyond mere ordinary humanity." In our ignorance we had always believed that one of the chief excellences of these writers consisted in the simple and unaffected honesty with which they uniformly called things by their own names, never attempting to enforce a thought or emotion by repetition or exaggeration. Even Eschylus, the most gigantic of all, so far from straining his conceptions, is evidently overpowered by them. He expresses the grandest thoughts with the utmost brevity and simplicity. The author must surely mean that the mythology of the Greek drama is forced and unnatural. But before he expressed his belief, he ought to have endeavoured to transpose himself into the situation of a man of strong imagination and passion and apt fancy, living when that long train of observation, carried on through ages by successive generations, which has treasured up our present knowledge of natural phenomena, was but commencing. Had he done this-could he have done this, the mighty day-dreams of Eschylus would have appeared to him far within the limits of the modesty of nature. In this translation, either Potter, from whom our bookmaker confesses he has borrowed much, or himself, have taken strange liberties with the original. We have not Potter at hand just now, and it is a matter of little consequence where the blame ought to rest. It is enough for our purpose, that Eschylus has been unfaithfully rendered. We may instance, among a crowd of examples, the strange liberties taken with the alternation of Strophe and Antistrophe in the first Chorus of the Agamemnon. Another case occurs in the dialogue between Clytemnes. tra, Cassandra, and the Chorus, in which several speeches most important, as tending to the developement of character, are omitted. As a specimen of the translation, the reader may take what follows. Prometheus, when left alone chained to the cliff, adjures the different elements of his nature to witness the wrongs he suffers. Among others he addresses Finding ourselves unable to attach any sense to these lines, we are under the necessity of consulting the Greek version. We there, find a passage of which what follows is a literal version.,“ Jove-whoever he be, if it is delightful to him to be so called, I give him the name. Looking around, I have no one but Jove upon whom I can throw this vain load of care." This is a simple and intelligible expression of a state of emotion, and as such a grand picture of a care-oppressed mind, unenlightened by revelation, feeling all worldly props broken reeds, and looking round for an eternal supporter. It is one of humanity's first affrighted convictions, that it is not allied to matter, and cannot rely upon it. J There is only one advice that we can give Mr Murray respecting this book. That is, to call it in immediately, burn the letterpress, and employ a scholar to write another work on the same plan, worthy of Eschylus and Flaxman. The designs of the latter are, indeed, above all praise, sublime and classical as the author who sug gested them. They are worthy of a whole article to themselves, and shall have it some day, Journal of Voyages and Travels by the Rev. Daniel Tyerman and George Bennet, Esq., deputed from the Lordon Missionary Society to visit their various Stations in the South Sea Islands, China, India, &c., between the Years 1821 and 1829. Compiled from original documents, by James Montgomery. Two volumes. 8vo. Pp. 566, 568. London. Westley and Davis. 1831. WR adverted lately, when reviewing Ellis's Polynesian Researches, to the important additions to our ethnographical knowledge for which we were indebted to the unostentatious labours of the missionaries sent forth by the various nations of Europe for the conversion of the heathen. The work now before us is, even in this point of view, none of the least valuable of these contributions. It contains, as the titlepage indicates, the travels of two reverend gentlemen, deputed by the London Missionary Society to visit the stations maintained by that body throughout the Pacific Ocean, The London Missionary Society, as must be known to most of our readers, was instituted in autumn, 1795, and admits as members Christians of various denominations. Its first undertaking was to send missionaries to the Pacific. In 1796, Captain Wilson sailed in the ship Duff, with twenty-nine missionaries, and arrived next year, in the month of March, at Otaheite. Already has idolatry been renounced in most of the islands. In 1821, Messrs Tyerman and Bennet were deputed to visit the various stations in the South Sea, and to perfect as far as they could the organization of the missionary system, and to report how much had In plain English, "the unnumbered smile of ocean's waves." This bold metaphor is, in the English translation, transmuted into this affected and silly piece of pret-been effected. Having performed the first part of this duty tiness: in a most satisfactory manner, they visited the society's establishments in China, India, and Madagascar. While there, Mr Tyerman was removed by a sudden death; and Mr Bennet was shortly after obliged to leave the island by a political revolution. Their travels occupied a period of nearly eight years. A journal was kept jointly by both members of the deputation during the two first years, and afterwards by Mr Tyerman alone, down to the day of his death. Mr Bennet had likewise made a large collection of miscellaneous observations. From these voluminous materials Mr Montgomery has compiled these two interesting volumes, 15.1zbay The compiler has taken great care to preserve as many personal, national, and moral traits of character, traditions, fragments of history, and anecdotes of the South and North Pacific Islanders, "as could be published with. out offence to decorum." We are certainly no friends to indecorum, but we fear Mr Montgomery's feelings on this subject are of that extremely precise character, that makes him ofttimes startle unnecessarily. The work gains on this account, as a family book, but loses much of its importance as a manual for the philosopher, Mr Montgomery has occasion to take up the cudgels against Kotzebue, and he whacks the gallant captain to some purpose. He clearly establishes the charge of ignorance and precipitance on the part of the Russian commander, in the charges he brings against the missionaries in the narrative of his voyage. At the same time Mr Montgomery's work bears in itself many proofs of a narrow and bigoted spirit, showing itself among these pious and devoted men. This feature, however, serves rather to recommend the book in our eyes, for it shows that no attempt has been made to gloss over facts.bratrane though they are good;-the Bible is our perfect guide. Now, Mitti Trutu [the missionary Crook] was preaching to us on [haming the day] from the Scripture, "He that sheddeth man's blood, by man shall his blood be shed" and he told us that this was the reason of the law of England. My thought, therefore, is not with Utami, but with Hitoti, (though not because the law of England, but because the Bible, orders it,) that we ought to punish with death every one found guilty of murder.'' There was a lively exchange of looks all through the assembly, as if each had been deeply struck with the sentiments of the speaker, especially when he placed the ground of the punishment of death, not upon English precedent, but Scripture authority. Another chief fol We have been much interested with the account given by the missionaries, of the debates in the Parliament of Otaheite respecting the introduction of capital punish-lowed, and rising, seemed a pillar of state," one whose ment. For speeches to the purpose, and strict attention to decorum, the Otaheitian legislators might read a useful lesson to some professional brethren whom we could easily name. aspect, and presence, and costume of dress (richly native), made the spectators forget even him who had just sat down. His name was Tati; and on him all eyes were immediately and intensely fixed, while, with not less simplicity and deference to others than those who had preceded him, he spoke thus: "Perhaps some of you may be surprised that I, who am the first chief here, and next to the royal family, should have held my peace so long. I wished to "To show the spirit and candour, as well as good sense, with which the discussions were conducted, we shall furnish a sketch of some of the principal speeches delivered on the first and second day, in reference to death or ba-hear what my brethren would say, that I might gather nishment for murder. what thoughts had grown in their breasts on this great question. I am glad that I waited, because some thoughts are now growing in my own breast which I did not bring with me. The chiefs, who have spoken before me, have spoken well. But is not the speech of Upuparu like that of his brother, Hitoti-in this way? If we cannot follow the laws of England, in all things, as Hitoti's thoughts would perhaps lead us, because they go too far, -must we not stop short of Upuparu, because his thought goes too far likewise? The Bible, he says, is our perfect guide. It is. But what does that Scripture mean, "On the question being proposed, Hitoti, the principal chief of Papeete, stood up, and, bowing to the president and the persons around him, said,—“ No doubt this is a good law,'-the proposed punishment was exile for life to a desolate island, but a thought has been growing in my heart for several days, and when you have heard my little speech you will understand what it is. The laws of England, from which country we have received so much good of every kind-must not they be good? And do not the laws of England punish murderers by death? Now, my thought is, that as England" He that sheddeth man's blood, by man shall his blood does so, it would be well for us to do so." That is my thought.' "Perfect silence followed;--and it may be observed here that, during the whole eight days' meetings of this Parliament, in no instance were two speakers on their legs at the same time; there was not an angry word uttered by one against another; nor did any assume the possession of more knowledge than the rest. In fact, none controverted the opinion of a preceding speaker, or even remarked upon it, without some respectful commendations of what appeared praiseworthy in it, while, for reasons which he modestly but manfully assigned, he deemed another sentiment better. "After looking round to see whether any body were already up before him, Utami, the principal chief of Buanaauia, rose and thus addressed the president The chief of Papeete has said well, that we have received a great many good things from the kind Christian people of England. Indeed, what have we not received from Beretane? Did they not send us (area) the gospel? But does not Hitoti's speech go too far? If we take the laws of England for our guide, then must we not punish with death those who break into a house?-those who write a wrong name?-those who steal a sheep?-And will any man in Tahiti say that death should grow for these?—No, no; this goes too far; so I think we should stop. The law, as it is written, I think is good; perhaps I am wrong'; but that is my thought." "After a moment or two of stillness, Upuparit, a noble, intelligent, and stately chief stood forth. It was a pleasure to look upon his animated countenance and frank demeanour, without the smallest affectation either of superiority or condescension. He paid several graceful compliments to the former speakers, while, according to his thought, in some things each was right, and each was wrong. My brother, Hitoti, who proposed that we should punish murder with death, because England does so, was wrong, as has been shown by Utami. For they are not the laws of England which are to guide us, | be shed." Does not this go so far that we cannot follow it to the end, any more than we can follow the laws of England all the way? I am Tati; I am a judge; a man is convicted before me; he has shed blood; I order him to be put to death; I shed his blood; then who shall shed mine? Here, because I cannot go so far, I must stop. This cannot be the meaning of those words. But, perhaps, since many of the laws of the Old Testament were thrown down by the Lord Jesus Christ, and only some kept standing upright,—perhaps, I say, this is one of those which were thrown down. However, as I am ignorant, some one else will show me, that, in the New Testament, our Saviour, or his apostles, have said the same thing concerning him that sheddeth man's blood as is said in the Old Testament. Show me this in the New Testament, and then it must be our guide.' "Much cordial approbation was evident at the conclusion of Tati's speech, and its evangelical appeal seemed to remove some difficulty and doubt respecting the true Scriptural authority applicable to the case. • My "Next rose Pati, a chief and a judge of Eimeo, formerly a high-priest of Oro, and the first who, at the hazard of his life, had abjured idolatry. breast,' he exclaimed, is full of thought, and surprise, and delight. When I look round at this fare bure ra (house of God,) in which we are assembled, and consider who we are that take sweet counsel together here, it is to me all mea huru e (a thing of amazement), and mea faa oaoa te aau (a thing that makes glad my heart.) Tati has settled the question; for it is not the gospel that is our guide; and who can find directions for putting to death? I know many passages which forbid, but I know not one which commands, to kill. But then another thought is growing in my breast, and, if you will hearken to my little speech, you shall know what it is. Laws, to punish those that commit crime, are good for us. But tell me, why do Christians punish? Is it because we are angry, and have pleasure in causing pain? Is it because we love revenge, as we did when we were heathens ? |