are to the vices of the lower classes especially, there is less virtue as well as less knowledge, than in most of the countries of Europe. In many parts of the United States there is also less religion, at least of a rational and useful kind. And where there is no sense of religion, no fear of God, or respect to a future state, there will be no good morals that can be depended upon. Laws may restrain the excesses of vice, but they cannot impart the principles of virtue.' P.446.

If universal suffrage,' so much relied on by these gentlemen, for securing all that a good man should wish for a country, will not secure knowledge, nor virtue, nor religion, more effectually than the hereditary governments of Europe, on what accounts is it entitled to preference? And what become of republican visions?

When we consider the multiplicity and variety of Dr. P.'s pursuits, and the number of his works, we naturally inquire by what means he accomplished so much. In composition he generally contented himself with being perspicuous, and spent no time upon the graces of writing. Still many of his works must have required great labour and research. His mind possessed great 'compass and versatility. To abilities indisputably superiour, he joined uncommon industry, activity, dispatch, and method. The following selections from the memoirs, will furnish interesting information respecting the cast of his mind, his modes of study, and habits of life:

'I have particular reason to be thank ful for a happy temperament of body and mind, both derived from my parents. My father, grandfather, and sevteral branches of the family, were remarkably healthy, and long lived; and though my constitution has been far from robust, and was much injured by va consumptive tendency, or rather an alcer in the lungs, the consequence of improper conduct of myself when I was

at school (being often violently heated with exercise, and as often imprudently chilled by bathing, &c.) from which with great difficulty I recovered, it has been excellently adapted to that studious life which has fallen to my lot.

I have never been subject to headachs, or any other complaints that are peculiarly unfavourable to study. I have never found myself less disposed, or less qualified, for mental exertions of any kind at one time of the day more than another; but all seasons have been equal to me, early or late, before dinner or after, &c. And so far have I been from suffering by my application to study, (which however has never been so close or intense as some have imagined) that I have found my health improving from the age of eighteen to the present time; and never have. I found myself more free from any disorder than at present. I must, however, except a short time preceding and following my leaving Lord Shelburne, when I laboured under a bilious complaint, in which I was troubled with gall stones, which sometimes gave me exquisite pain. But by confining myself to a vegetable diet, I perfectly recovered; and I have now been so long free from the disorder that I am under no apprehension of its return.

It has been a singular happiness to me, and a proof, I believe, of a radically good constitution, that I have always slept well, and have awaked with my faculties perfectly vigorous, without any disposition to drowsiness. Also, whenever I have been fatigued with any kind of exertion, I could at any time sit down and sleep; and whatevhave almost always lost sight of it when er cause of anxiety I may have had, I I have got to bed; and I have generally fallen asleep as soon as I have been warm.*

"I even think it an advantage to me, and am truly thankful for it, that my health received the check that it did when I was young; since a muscular habit from high health, and strong spir

*My father was an early riser. He never slept more than six hours. He said he did not remember having lost a whole night's sleep but once, though when awake he often had to suffer much from pain and sickness, as well as from other circumstances of a very afflictive nature. 4 de Julianne

Yet, notwithstanding these ad-, vantages, he seems to have labour ed under some peculiar defects:

As I have not failed to attend to the phenomena of my own mind, as well as to those of other parts of nature, I have not been insensible of some great defects, as well as some advantages, at tending its constitution having from an early period been subject to a most humbling failure of recollection, so that I have sometimes lost all ideas of both persons and things, that I have been conversant with. I have so completely forgotten what I have myself published, that in reading my own writings, what I find in them often appears perfectly new to me, and I have more than once made experiments, the results of which had been published by me.

I shall particularly mention one fact of this kind, as it alarmed me much at the time, as a symptom of all my mental powers totally failing me, until I was relieved by the recollection of things of a similar nature having hap. pened to me before. When I was composing the Dissertations which are prefixed to my Harmony of the Gospels, I had to ascertain something which had been the subject of much discussion relating to the Jewish passover, (I have now forgotten what it was) and for that purpose had to consult, and compare several writers. This I accordingly did, and digested the result in the compass of a few paragraphs, which I wrote in short hand. But having mislaid the paper, and my attention having been drawn off to other things, in the space of a fortnight I did the same thing over again; and should never have discov. ered that I had done it twice, if, after the second paper was transcribed for the press, I had not accidentally found

the former, which I viewed with a de gree of terrour.

Apprized of this defect, I never fail to note down as soon as possible every thing that I wish not to forget. The same failing has led me to devise, and have recourse to, a variety of mechans ical expedients, to secure and arrange my thoughts, which have been of the of large and complex works; and what greatest use to me in the composition has excited the wonder of some of my readers, would only have made them smile if they had seen me at work. But by simple and mechanical methods one man shall do that in a month, which shall cost another, of equal ability, whole years to execute. This methodical arrangement of a large work is greatly facilitated by mechanical meth ods, and nothing contributes more to the perspicuity of a large work, than a good arrangement of its parts.'

pp. 105-6-7.

if they would; and many persons greatly distress themselves, and others, by the idea, that they can do nothing except in perfect solitude or silence.'

p. 109.

It was while my father was at the academy that he commenced a practice which he continued until within three or four days of his death, of keeping a diary, in which he put down the occurrences of the day; what he was employed about, where he had been, and particularly an exact account of what he had been reading, mentioning the names of the authors, and the number of pages he read, which was generally a fixed number, previously determined upon in his own mind. He likewise noted down any hints suggested by what he read in the course of the day. It was his custom at the beginning of each year to arrange the plan of study that he meant to pursue that year, and to review the general situation of his affairs, and at the end of the year he took an account of the progress he had made, how far he had executed the plan he had laid down, and whether his situation exceeded or fell short of the expections he had formed.'

p. 176.

But what principally enabled him to do so much was regularity, for it does not appear that at any period of his life he spent more than six or eight hours per day in business that required much mental exertion. I find in the same diary, which I have quoted from above, that he laid down the following daily arrangement of time for a minister's studies: Studying the Scriptures 1 hour.

Practical writers half an hour. Philoso. phy and History 2 hours. Classicks half an hour. Composition 1 hour-in all 5 hours. He adds below, "All which may be conveniently dispatched before dinner which leaves the afternoon for visiting and company, and the evening for exceeding in any article if there be occaston. Six hours not too much, nor seven."

It appears by his diary that he followed this plan at that period of his life. He generally walked out in the afternoon or spent it in company. At that time there was a society or club that assembled twice a week, at which the. members debated questions, or took it in turn to deliver orations, or read essays of their own composition. When not attending these meetings, he most generally appears to have spent the

evening in company with some of the students in their chambers.

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It was by the regularity and variety of his studies, more than by intenseness of application that he performed so much more than even studious men generally do. At the time he was engaged about the most important works, and when he was not busily employed in making experiments, he always had leisure for company, of which he was fond. He never appeared hurried, or behind hand. He however never carried his complaisance so far as to neglect the daily task he had imposed upon himself; but as he was uniformly an early riser, and dispatched his more serious pursuits in the morning, it rarely happened but that he could accomplish the labours assigned for the day, with out having occasion to withdraw from visitors at home, or society abroad, or giving reason to suppose that the com pany of others was a restraint upon his pursuits.

This habit of regularity extended itself to every thing that he read, and, every thing he did that was susceptible of it. He never read a book without deter mining in his own mind when he would finish it. Had he a work to transcribe, he would fix a time for its completion. This habit increased upon him as he grew in years, and his diary was kept upon the plan I have before described, till within a few days of his death.'

Effusus labor. Ipse diem noctemque negat discernere cœlo,

involvit caligine cœca Prospectum eripiens oculis."

Mr. Bentley early obtained, and had long enjoyed, the reputation of a great scholar. He had holden a distinguished rank among the American literati; and a democratick congress considered themselves as paying a compliment to learning, when they chose for their chaplain the Minister of the second church in Salem. But whence was this fame derived? What evidence have the world ever received of the superiour talents of Bentley? This question is not easily answered. The reputation for great parts is very oddly acquired in this country, where all our geese are swans, and our swans, alas! too often turn out geese.

Had Mr. Bentley been satisfied with the literary character, which ignorance and credulity bestowed on him, he might still have passed, with those who do not know him, for, what the English style, a very clever fellow. He might still have

preached and prayed, in the second church of Salem, before his own enlightened congregation, without having his abilities called in question. But in an evil hour he resolved to publish., Vanity urged him on, he appeared in print, and the world were undeceived. His pen produced the opposite effect of Ithuriel's spear, and caused this literary giant to shrink, from his imaginary bulk, into a contemptible dwarf, inferiour in dimensions to the most diminutive of mortals.

But let us proceed to the sermon of this great scholar. The text is to be found in Deut. xxxii. 3. The sermon begins thus:

"We refer to the Hebrew scriptures for political, united with religious reflections, as their government combined these two objects, which the christian scriptures do not."

Pray, Mr. Bentley, what is the government of the Hebrew scriptures? The great scholar proceeds,

The religious sentiments of all ages, and the nature of all religious establishments, as well as the example of the primitive settlers of New-England, have concurred in recommending the appropriate devotions of this day?

Here is a discovery! The religious sentiments of all ages, past and present, and the nature of all religious establishments, that is,, the religious establishment in Judea, and the religious establishment in England, and the religious establishment in France, before and since the revolution, and every other religious establishment, in whatever part of the world, have concurred in recommending the appropriate devotions of this day. What day? Why the day of general election in Massachusetts, to be sure. The sentence can have

We rather suspect, that the great scholar is mistaken in supposing that the French at that period excelled in ship-building, nor do we know to what English artist he refers. Sir Walter Raleigh,many years before, had written a treatise on this art, which is still extant; nor was it long before the peace of 1763 that the French built any ships of superiour excellence. The Courageux, captured by the Monmouth, a short time previous to that peace, was the first evidence, which the English received of the superiority of French naval archi

tecture.

We would willingly, for our own amusement, and for that of the publick, make more remarks on this performance, which the author courteously styles a sermon, did not its remaining obscurity set all further criticism at defiance. We would recommend it, however to the attention of all those ingenious ladies and gentleVol. IV. No. 6. Tt

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men, who are fond of riddles, enigmas, and conundrums, humbly ac knowledging our utter inability to comprehend it, and firmly believing, notwithstanding the author is minister of the second church in Salem, that he will never be hanged" for a witch,

ART. 39.

The Christian Monitor, No. IV.; containing nine discourses on rel- \ ative duties, and reasons for be→ · hieving the truth of divine revelation. 12mo. Boston, Munroe & Francis.

IT is impossible for us to view with indifference any exertions of 'A society for the promotion of christian knowledge, piety, and char ity. As believers in the gospel, we ardently wish the success of every endeavour which is made to extend it; and heartily approving" of the views and spirit, with which the ChristianMonitor is conducted, we cordially recommend it to the pious, as well adapted for edification, and to the rich and liberal for distribution.

The fourth, fifth, and sixth of these discourses are selected from the sermons of Francklin, and the eighth and ninth from those of Riddoch. The rest were never before published. A prayer and a hymn is affixed to each discourse.. In a very small compass is com pressed a very clear and satisfactory view of the duties of aged men, and of aged women; of husbands, of wives, and of parents; of children to parents and to each other; of superiours, and of inferiours. It is the lowest praise of a work, expressly intended to aid the progress of piety and virtue, that it is written with elegance; and the pious author, who consecrates his labours, to this best of