taining privileges granted at a remote period; of which they presented to me a Hebrew translation. As no person can be found in this country who is able to translate the Christian Tablets, I have directed an engraver at Cochin to execute a copper-plate fac simile of the whole, for the purpose of transmitting copies to the learned Societies in Asia and Europe. The Christian and Jewish plates together make fourteen pages. A copy was sent in the first instance to the Pundits of the Shanscrit College at Trichiur, by direction of the Rajah of Cochin; but they could not read the character.* From this place I proceed to Cande-nad, to visit the Bishop once more before I return to Bengal."

THE MALABAR BIBLE.

AFTER the Author left Travancore, the Bishop prosecuted the translation of the Scriptures into the Malabar Language, without intermission, until he had completed the New Testament. The year following, the Author visited Travancore a second time, and carried the Manuscript to Bombay to be printed! an excellent fount of Malabar types having been recently cast at that place. Learned natives went from Travancore to superintend the press; and it is probable that it is now nearly finished, as a copy of the Gospels of St. Matthew and St. Mark, beautifully printed, was received in England some time ago. This version of the Scriptures will be prosecuted until the whole Bible is completed, and copies circulated thoughout the Christian regions of Malabar.

THE SYRIAC BIBLE.

It has been further in contemplation to print an edi. tion of the Syriac Scriptures, if the public should countenance the design. This gift, it may be presumed, the English nation will be pleased to present to the Syrian Christians. We are already debtors to

*Most of the Manuscripts which I collected among the Syrian Christians, I have presented to the University of Cambridge; and they are now deposited in the Public Library of that University, together with the copper-plate fac similes of the Christian and Jewish Tablets,

that ancient people. They have preserved the manu scripts of the Holy Scriptures incorrupt, during a long series of ages, and have now committed them into our own hands. By their long and energetic defence of pure doctrine against anti-christian error, they are entitled to the gratitude and thanks of the rest of the Christian world. Further, they have preserved to this day the language in which our blessed Lord preached to men the glad tidings of Salvation. Their Scriptures, their doctrine, their language, in short their very existence, all add something to the evidence of the truth of Christianity..

The motives then for printing an edition of the Syriac Bible are these:

1. To do honor to the language which was spoken by our blessed Saviour when upon earth.

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2. To do honor to that ancient Church, which preserved his language and his doctrine.

3. As the means of perpetuating the true Faith in the same Church for ages to come.

4. As the means of preserving the pronunciation, and of cultivating the knowledge of the Syric Language in the East; and

5. As the means of reviving the knowledge of the Syriac Language in our own nation.

On the Author's return to England, he could not find one copy of the Syriac Bible in a separate volume for sale in the kingdom. He wished to send a copy to the Syrian Bishop, as an earnest of more, when an edition should be printed.

The Syriac Bible is wanted not only by the Churches of the Syrian Christians, but by the still more numerous Churches of the Syro-Romish Christians in Malabar, who also use the Syriac Language:

THE ROMISH CHRISTIANS IN INDIA.

In every age of the Church of Rome there have been individuals, of an enlightened piety, who derived their religion not from "the commandments of men," but from the doctrines of the Bible. There are at this day, in India and in England, members of that com

munion, who deserve the affection and respect of all good men; and whose cultivated minds will arraign the corruptions of their own religion, which the Author is about to describe, more severely than he will permit himself to do. He is indeed prepared to speak of Roman Catholics with as much liberality as perhaps any Protestant has ever attempted on Christian principles: for he is acquainted with individuals, whose unaffected piety he considers a reproach to a great body of Protestants, even of the strictest sort. It is indeed painful to say any thing which may seem to feeling and noble minds ungenerous; but those enlightened persons, whose good opinion it is desirable to preserve, will themselves be pleased to see that truth is not sacrificed to personal respect, or to a spurious candour. Their own Church sets an example of "plainness of speech" in the assertion of those tenets which it professes, some of which must be extremely painful to the feeling of Protestants, in their social intercourse with Catholics; such as, "That there is no Salvation out of the pale of the Romish

Church."

This exclusive character prevents concord and inti.acy between Protestant and Catholic families. On the principles of Infidelity they can associate very easily; but on the principles of Religion, the Protestant must ever be on the defensive; for the Romish Church excommunicates him and although he must hope that some individuals do not maintain the tenet, yet his uncertainty as to the facts prevents that cordiality which he desires. Many excellent Catholics suffer unjustly in their intercourse with Protestants, from the ancient and exclusive articles of their own Church, which they themselves neither profess nor believe. If they will only intimate to their Protestant friends, that they renounce the exclusive principle, and that they profess the religion of the Bible, no more seems requisite to form with such persons the sincerest friendship on Christian principles.

At the present time we see the Romish Religion in Europe without dominion; and hence it is viewed by the mere philosopher with indifference or contempt. He is pleased to see, that the "seven heads and the ten

quisition is,) to which he politely acceded. Major Pareira, of the Portuguese establishment, who was present, and to whom I had letters of introduction from Bengal, offered to accompany me to the city, and to introduce me to the Archbishop of Goa, the Primate of the Orient.

"I had communicated to Colonel Adams, and to the British Resident, my purpose of inquiring into the state of the Inquisition. These gentlemen informed me, that I should not be able to accomplish my design without difficulty; since every thing relating to the Inquisition was conducted in a very secret manner, the most respectable of the Lay Portuguese themselves being ignorant of its proceedings; and that, if the Priests were to discover my object, their excessive jealousy and alarm would prevent their communicating with me, or satisfying my inquiries on any subject.

"On receiving this intelligence, I perceived that it would be necessary to proceed with caution. I was, in fact, about to visit a republic of Priests; whose dominion had existed for nearly three centuries; whose province it was to prosecute heretics, and particularly the teachers of heresy; and from whose authority and sentence there was no appeal in India.*

"It happened that Lieutenant Kempthorne, commander of His Majesty's brig Diana, a distant connexion of my own, was at this time in the harbour. On his learning that I meant to visit Old Goa, he offered to accompany me; as did Captain Sterling, of His Majesty's 84th Regiment, which is now stationed at the forts.

"We proceeded up the river in the British Resident's barge, accompanied by Major Pareira, who was well qualified, by a thirty years' residence, to give infor mation concerning local circumstances. From him I learned that there were upwards of two hundred

I was informed that the Vice-Roy of Goa has no authority over the Inquisition, and that he himself is liable to its censure. Were the British Government, for instance, to prefer a complaint against the Inquisition to the Portuguese Government at Goa, it conld obtain no redress. By the very constitution of the inquisition, there is no power in India which can invade its jurisdiction, or even put a question to it on any subject.

Churches and Chapels in the province of Goa, and upwards of two thousand Priests.

*

"On our arrival at the city, it was past twelve o'clock all the churches were shut, and we were told that they would not be opened again till two o'clock. I mentioned to Major Pareira, that I intended to stay at Old Goa some days; and that I should be obliged to him to find me a place to sleep in. He seemed surprised at this intimation, and observed that it would be difficult for me to obtain a reception in any of the Churches or convents, and that there were no private houses into which I could be admitted. I said I could sleep any where; I had two servants with me, and a travelling bed. When he perceived that I was serious in my purpose, he gave directions to a civil officer, in that place, to clear out a room in a building which had been long uninhabited, and which was then used as a warehouse for goods. Matters at this time presented a very gloomy appearance; and I had thoughts of returning with my companions from this inhospitable place. In the mean time we sat down in the room I have just mentioned, to take some refreshment, while Major Pareira went to call on some of his friends. During this interval, I communicated to Lieutenant Kempthorne the object of my visit. I had in my pocket' Dellon's Account of the Inquisition at Goa ;'t and I mentioned some particulars. While we were conversing on the subject, the great bell of the Cathedral began to toll; the same which Dellon observes always tolls before day-light, on the morning of the Auto da Fe. I did not myself ask any questions of the people

We entered the city by the palace gate, over which is the Statue of Vasco de Gama, who first opened India to the view of Europe. I had seen at Calicut, a few weeks before the ruins of the SAMORIN's Palace, in which Vasco de Gama was first received. The Samorin was the native Prince against whom the Europeans made war. The empire of the Samorin has passed a way; and the empire of his conquerors has passed away and now imperial Britain exercises dominion. May imperial Britain be prepared to give a good account of her stewardship, when it shall be said unto her, "Thou mayest be no longer steward."

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Monsieur Dellon, a physician, was imprisoned in the dungeon of the Inquisition at Goa for two years, and witnessed an Auto da Fe, when some hereticks were burned; at which time he walked barefoot. After his release he wrote the history of his confinement. His descriptions are in generál v ery accurate.

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