to life, a right to the folemn recognition of the divine grace, in which it hath an intereft; but the whole family, parents and others, have claim to the adminiftration of the ordinance for their own benefit, to awaken their attention to the riches of divine mercy in our redemption, to increase their gratitude and love, to excite them to walk worthy of their high calling of God, in Chrift Jeju. And furely no Minifter can have a right to deny, or difcourage this claim, by refusing to adminifter the ordinance of baptifm, whether, the child be fick or well. Baptifm, our Author further obferves, as applied to infants, feems to be an apt fignification, and expreffive fign of their redemption by Chrift; in which view it appears to be very properly fo applied. If then their being liable to sickness and death, by virtue of their relation to the first Adam, in whom all die, is a proper ground and reafon of baptizing infants, in token of their relation to the fecond Adam, and of their being interested in the bleffed and glorious hope of a resurrection to eternal life through him; it is very strange, we are told, that their being in a fick and dying condition fhould be made an objection against baptizing infants: it should rather be judged a good reafon for baptizing them, as the fign of falvation cannot be more feasonably applied.-This is the fubitance of what our Author has advanced in fupport of the common practice of baptizing fick and dying infants; what weight there is in his arguments, thofe who think the fubject of importance, will determine for themfelves. Art. 33. An exhortatory Addrefs to the Brethren in the Faith ef Chrift. Occafioned by a remarkable Letter from Mr. Feste to the Reverend Author of Chriftian and critical Remarks on the Minor. With a ferious Word or two on the prefent melancholy Occafion. By a Minister of the Church of Chrift. 8vo. 4 d. Keith. Fanatical, and full of abfurdity. For instance, the Author, who appears to be the fame perfon who wrote the Chriftian and critical Kemarks, reprefents the death of the late King as a divine judg ment upon the nation for-he knows not what crime! But he infinuates that the encouragement given to the Author of the Minor, may have had its fhare in producing this heart-breaking effect.' O THOU WRONG HEADED LEADER OF THE WRONG HEADS! FIE ON THEE! FIE ON THEE! See Review for laft month, p. 328. † See Review for September, p. 167. The Sermons in our next. THE MONTHLY REVIEW, For DECEMBER, 1760. Journal of a Voyage to North-America; undertaken by Order of the French King. Containing the geographical Defcription and Natural History of that Country, particularly Canada. Together with an Account of the Cuftoms, Characters, Religion, Manners, and Traditions of the original Inhabitants. In a Series of Letters to the Dutchefs of Lesdiguieres. Tranflated 8vo. 2 vols. from the French of P. de Charlevoix. 10s. Dodfley. A S the fuccefs of our Arms in the reduction of Canada, has rendered the state of that country, and the circumftances of its inhabitants, peculiarly interefting to this country, it is no wonder if the curiofity of the British Reader be proportionably excited, with refpect to all fuch particulars as may ferve to give an idea of the importance of fo valuable an acquifition. Well-timed, therefore, by its appearance at the prefent juncture, is the tranflation of this celebrated Journal; from whence the English Reader may reasonably expect to gather very confiderable information, relating to matters with which he is at prefent unacquainted. If he has confulted, however, any of the Accounts, Defcriptions, or Hiftories of North-America, that have appeared in our language, fince the first publication of this Journal, in its original language, he will find the Authors of them amply indebted to the labours of Father Charlevoix: from whofe writings they VOL. XXIII. Ff from have copied great part of what they have faid concerning this country and its inhabitants. The extracts we have occafionally taken from fome of these performances, may have given our Readers a tolerable idea of the customs and manners of the Canadians, and American Indians in general. As to the political State and commercial Interests of the Colonies, with their late Situation and Circumstances, in refpect to civil and military Government, a much better notion may have been acquired by several other publications than is prefented in this work: to which end, indeed, more particular and authentic memorials are neceffary, than the obfervations of an itinerant Miffionary. Nay, had our Journalist been ever fo well inftructed in thefe points, his partiality and credulity, of which he gives us feveral inftances, would put us on our guard in giving him credit. If to thefe confiderations we add, that near forty years are elapfed fince M. Charlevoix's Letters were written, in which time great alterations may be reasonably fuppofed to have happened in the fituation and interefts of an infant colony, the Reader will have reason to expect mere entertainment, rather than ufeful instruction, in the perufal of this Journal. The Curious may probably find amufement in the preliminary Difcourfe on the origin of the Americans; wherein are collected, the various reafonings and conjectures of the ingenious on this fubject. As there are few of these conjectures, however, that do not appear in a great degree groundlefs and chimerical, we thall pafs over the whole as barely plaufible, and capable of affording little fatisfaction to the generality of Readers. Our Miffionary's firft Letter is dated Rochfort, June 30th, 1720, at which place, and about which time, he embarked on board an armed veffel for Quebec: where, being arrived, he paffes through Canada, proceeding by the way of the Lakes, and croffing a vaft country, inhabited by various nations of Indians, till he arrives at length on the borders of the Miffifippi. He defcends that river to New Orleans; and embarking for Europe, arrives in old France in the beginning of 1723, after a variety of perilous adventures, both by fea and land. Of this long and dangerous voyage the Journalist gives a particular and interefting account; making the Reader acquainted with the fituation and circumftances of the feveral countries through which he paffed; with the most striking peculiarities peculiarities of the characters, cuftoms, and manners of the feveral people he met with in his travels. Our Readers cannot expect us to give a fatisfactory abftract of that great variety of scenes and characters which are here described, or of the numerous obfervations and reflections made in the courfe of this performance. We fhall, therefore, only select a few of thofe paffages, which have feldom, if ever, appeared before in our language, and which, at the fame time, as they contain accounts of fome of the moft remarkable peculiarities relating to the Canadian and Indian nations, may serve to give a specimen of the work, as well as enable the Reader to form a competent judgment of the difpofition and character of the Writer. His defcription of the Creoles, or natives of Canada, and their manner of living at Quebec, muft give an European no unfavourable opinion of the place, notwithstanding the natural rigours of the climate. In Quebec,' fays he, altho' there are no more than five thousand inhabitants, there is a felect number of the best company; among whom are held many brilliant aflemblies; and there is nothing wanting that can poffibly contribute to form an agreeable society, or enable people of all ranks to pass away their time chearfully. They accordingly do fo, every one contributing all in his < power to make life agreeable and chearful. They play at cards, or go abroad on parties of pleasure in the fummertime, in calashes or canoes, in winter, in fledges upon the fnow, or on fkaits upon the ice. Hunting is a great exercife amongst them, and there are a number of Gentlemen < who have no other way of providing handfomely for their fubfiftence. The current news confift of a very few articles; and thofe of Europe arrive all at once, though they fupply matter of difcourfe for great part of the year. They reafon like Politicians on what is paft, and form conjec<tures on what is likely to happen; the fciences and fine • arts have also their part, fo that the conversation never flags ⚫ for want of matter. The Canadians, that is to fay, the < Creoles of Canada, draw in with their native breath an air of freedom, which renders them very agreeable in the commerce of life, and no where in the world is our language fpoken in greater purity. There is not even the smalleit foreign accent remarked in their pronunciation. • You meet with no rich men in this country, and it is really great pity, every one endeavouring to put as good a Ff 2 face face on it as poffible, and no body scarce thinking of laying up wealth. They make good cheer, provided they are allo able to be at the expence of fine cloaths; if not, they retrench in the article of the table, to be able to appear well dreffed. And, indeed, we must allow, that dress becomes our Creolians extremely well. They are all here of very advantageous ftature, and both fexes have the fineft complexion in the world; a gay and fprightly behaviour, with "great sweetness and politeness of manners, are common to all of them; and the leaft rufticity, either in language or behaviour, is utterly unknown even in the remoteft and moft diftant parts.' 6 Our Author goes on to draw a parallel between the French and English Colonists; and, as experience has convinced us, with a good deal of truth. The cafe is very different, as I am informed,' continues he, with respect to our English neighbours; and to judge of the two Colonies by the way of life, behaviour, and speech of the inhabitants, nobody would hesitate to fay, that ours were the moft flourishing. In New-England, and the other • Provinces of the Continent of America, fubject to the Britifh Empire, there prevails an opulence which they are utterly at a lofs how to ufe: and in New France, a poverty, hid by an air of being in eafy circumstances, which feems not at all studied. Trade, and the cultivation of their plantations, ftrengthen the firft; whereas the second is supported by the industry of its inhabitants; and the tafte of the nation diffufes over it fomething infinitely pleafing. The English Planter amaffes wealth, and never makes any fu perfluous expence: the French inhabitant again enjoys what he has acquired, and often makes a parade of what he is not poffeffed of. That labours for his pofterity; this again leaves his offspring involved in the fame neceffities he was in himself at his first setting out, and to extricate themfelves as they can. The English Americans are averfe to war, because they have a great deal to lofe: they take no care to manage the Indians, from a belief that they ftand in no need of them. The French Youth, for very different reafons, abominate the thoughts of peace, and live well with the natives, whofe efteem they eafily gain in time of war, and their friendship at all times. The Jefuit Miffionaries, for the most part, flip no occafion, in their writings, to enhance the merit of their labours; and fometimes make inordinate boafts of their fuccefs, in fpreading the doctrines and morals of Chriftianity. Father Charlevoix, |