trufts himself in an element to which he is not yet accustomed. Now he enjoys the fweet perfumes that iffue from a thousand bloffoms. He Lovers over the flowers, and declares to them his tranfports. He was fill fluttering and pleasing himself with his new condition, when a cruel enemy of the infect tribe, a female crow, feized him in her bill, to carry him for food to her young. The fear of death had fuch an effect on Zohar, that he awaked. Struck with the lively ideas that had paffed in his mind during fleep, he looked around him, and was overjoyed to think that the danger he had been expofed to was but a dream. He finds himself in his bed by the fide of Thirza, who enjoyed the calm repofe of the morning, while the firft beams of Aurora darted on her as the lay, and never did they fhine on a fairer form. Zohar reflected on his dream, and was aftonished to find in it thofe defires that had often agitated him fo clearly pictured. "Yes, cried he, it is fome benevolent fpirit, perhaps Firnaz himself, who hath deigned to procure me this falutary dream. O friendly Genius, if thou didft mean to inftruct me, thy expectations fhall not be deceived. Thy cares have performed during fleep what could have not been effectuated when the faculties were awake, as the body has then fo much influence on the mind. Now, I am convinced that hitherto my life has been only the dream of my foul derang ed by error, and vilely enslaved by the ty ranny of the fenfes. What new thoughts arife in my mind! how little does the great nefs of this world appear in mine eyes! Why have I been fo long a ftranger to the fublime tranquillity I at this moment enjoy! O, Eternal Wifdom, guide my fteps by thy harmonious light! Already I fee the mifts that enveloped thy attractions begin to diffipate. With pleafure do I return to thy armis, amiable Thirza, whole beauty unites the varied perfections of nature. Henceforth I fhall confider my own heart as my proper empire. I fhall fearn to fubdue my headftrong will, and to relish thofe pure joys that virtue and contentment, and a grateful mind, never fail to bestow. Account of Job Charnock, Founder of Calcutta, in the East-Indies. A FTER a quarrel between the Mogul and the Eaft-India Company towards the latter part of the last century, a peace yas eltablished; and about the year 1690, Mr. Charnock being then the Company's agent in Bengal, had liberty to fettle an emporium in any part of the river's fide below Hoghly; and for the fake of a large fhady tree chofe that place, though he could not have chofen a more unhealthy one on all the rist; for three miles to the north-eastward is a falt water lake that overflows in September and October, and then prodigious numbers of fish resort thither; but in November and December, when the floods are diffipated, thofe fishes are left dry, and with their putrefaction affect the air with thick flinking vapours, which the north-east winds bring with them to Fort William, that they caufe a yearly mortality* One year, fays Capt. Alexander Hamilton in his Account of the Eaft-Indies, I was there, and there were reckoned in Auguft about 1200 Englifh, some military, fome fervants to the Company, fome private merchants refiding in the towns, and fome feamen belonging to fhipping lying at the town, and before the beginning of January there were four hundred and fixty burials registered in the clerk's book of mortality. Mr. Charnock chogfing the ground of the colony where it now is, reigned more abfo lute than a Rajah, only he wanted much of their humanity; for when any of the poor ignorant natives tranfgreffed his laws, they were fure to undergo a fevere whipping for a penalty; and the execution was generally done when he was at dinner, fo near his dining-room, that the groans and cries of the poor delinquent ferved him for music. The country about being overfpread with paganism, the cuftom of wives burning with their deceased husbands was also practised there. Before the Mogul's war, Mr. Charnock went one time with his ordinary guard of foldiers, to fee a young widow act that tragical catastrophe; but he was fo fmitten with the widow's beauty, that he sent his guards to take her by force from her executioners, and conducted her to his own lodgings. They lived lovingly many years, and had feveral children; at length the died after he had fettled in Calcutta. But instead of converting her to Chriftianity, the made him a profelyte to paganiim; and the only part of Christianity that was remarkable in him was burying her decently; and he built a tomb over him, where all his life after her death he kept the anniversary day of her departure, by facrificing a cock on her tomb, after the pagan manner. This was and is the common report; and I have been credibly informed both by Chriftians and pagans, who lived at Calcutta under his agency, that the ftory was really matter of fact.. Thus far Capt. Hamilton, who by miftake always calls him CHANNOCK. He died in 1692, and in the old cemetery of Cal NOT E. Sifle parumper Chriftiane Lector, †The European composer of this epitaph, it has been obferved, feems not to have recollected, that whatever pain woman fuffer from parturition in the colder regions, the curfe denounced on the northern daughters of Eve does not feem to be entailed, or at leaft in a very flight degree only, on her any action by its profperity, or of the excellence of any inftitution by the abuse of it. We must never proportion our exertions to our fuccefs, but to our duty. If every laudable undertaking were to be dropped because it failed in fome cafes, or was abused in others, there would not be left an almshoufe, a charity school, or an hofpital in the land. And if every right practice were to be difcontinued because it had been found not to be fuccefsful in every inftance, this falfe reafoning pushed to the extreme, might at laft be brought as an argument for fhutting up our churches, and burning our bibles. But if, on the one hand, there is a proud and arrogant difcretion which ridicules, as Utopian and romantic, every generous project of the active and the liberal; so there is on the other, a fort of popular bounty which arrogates to itself the exclufive mean of feeling, and rejects with difdain the influence of an higher principle. I am far from intending to depreciate this humane and exquifitely tender fentiment, which the beneficent author of our nature gave us, as a ftimulus to remove the diftreffes of others, in order to get rid of our own uneasiness, I would only obferve, that where not strengthened by fuperior motives, it is a casual and precarious inftrument of good, and ceases to operate, except in the immediate prefence, and within the audible cry of mifery. This fort of feeling forgets that any calamity exifts which is out of its own fight; and though it would empty its purfe for fuch an occafional object as roufes tranfient fenfibility, yet it feldom makes any flated provision for miferies, which are not the lefs real because they do not obtrude upon the fight, and awaken the tenderness of immediate fympathy. This is a mechanical charity, which requires fprings and wheels to fet it a going; whereas, real chriftian charity does not wait to be acted upon by impreffions and impulfes. Another cause which very much intimidates well difpofed people, is their terror, left the character of piety fhould derogate from their reputation as men of fenfe. Every man of the world naturally arrogates to himself the fuperiority of underftanding over every religious man. He, therefore, who has been accustomed to fet a high value on his intellectual powers, muft have made very confiderable advances in piety before he can acquire a magnanimous indifference to this ufurped fuperiority; before he can fubmit to the parfimonious allotment of wit and learning, which is affigned him Reflections on various Impediments to the by the fupercilious hand of worldly wisdom. Progrefs of Religion. defcendants of the warmer climates. PEOPLE in general are now aware of the mifchief of judging of the rightness of Gent. Mag. July, 1788. But this attack upon his pride will be the beft touchstone of his fincerity. If his advances have not been fo confiderable, then, by an hypocrify of the least common kind, Y y he he will be induftrious to appear lefs good than he really is, left the detection of his ferious propenfities fhould draw on him the imputation of ordinary parts or low attainments. But the danger is, that while he is too feduloufly intent on maintaining his pretenfions as an ingenious man, his claims to piety fhould daily become weaker. That which is long fuppreffed is too frequently extinguished. For this reafon, principally, it is to be regretted that religious converfation fhould be fo carefully banished from polite company. Were it otherwife, young and bafhful piety, inftead of being afraid to fhew its head, would be cultivated, che rifhed, and encouraged. For while we are beings compounded of paflion as well as intellect, the dev tion of the generality is not fo purely fpiritual as not to ftand in need of every external and collateral help. Fire is too apt to be extinguifhed without the aid of such material fuel as is poffeffed of igneous particles. Nothing perhaps more plainly discovers the faint impreffion which religion has really made upon our hearts, than this difinclination, even of good people, to ferious converfation. Let me not be mifunderflood; I do not mean the wrangle of debate; I do not mean the gall of controverfy; I do not mean the fiery ftrife of opinions, than which nothing can be lefs favourable to good nature, good manners, or good fociety. But it were to be wifhed, that it was not thought ill-bred and indifcreet that the efcapes of the tongue fhould now and then betray the abundance of the heart that when fuch fubjects are cafually introduced, a difcouraging coldnefs did not inftantly take place of that fprightly animation of countenance which made common topics interefting. If thefe outward and vifible figns were unequivocal, we should form but moderate ideas of the inward and fpiritual grace. It were to be wifhed, that fuch fubjects were not thought dull merely because they are good; that they had the common chance of fair difcuffion; and that parts and learning were not afhamed to exert themfelves on occafions where both might appear to fo much advantage. If the heart were really interested, could the affections forbear now and then to break out into language? Artifts, phyficians, merchants, lawyers, and fcholars keep up the fpirit of their profeffions, by mutual intercourfe. New lights are ftruck nt, improvements are fuggefted, emulation is kindled, love of the object is inflamed, mistakes are rectified, and defire of excellence is excited by communication. And is piety alone fo very eafy of acquifition, fo very natural to our corrupt hearts, and fo certainly progreffive of itfelf, as to require none of the helps which are indifpenfable on all other fubjects? Tra vellers, who are to vifit any particular country, are full of earnest inquiry, and diligent refearch; they think nothing indifferent by which their future pleasure or advantage may be affected. Every hint which may procure them any information, or caution them against any danger, is thankfully received; and all this, because they are really in earneft in their preparation for their journey; and do fully belive, not only that there is fuch a country, but that they have a perfonal intereft in the good, or evil, which may be found in it. Á farther danger to good kind of people feems to arise from a mistaken idea, that only great and actual fins are to be guarded againft. Whereas, fins of omiffion make up, perhaps, the most formidable part of their catalogue offences. Thefe generally fupply in number what they want in weight, and are the more dangerous for being little oftenfible. They continue to be repeated with lefs regret, because the remembrance of their predeceffors does not, like the remembrance of formal, actual crimes, affume a body and a fhape, and terrify by the impreffion of particular fcenes and circumftances. While the memory of tranfacted evil haunts a tender confcience by perpetual apparition; omitted duty, having no local or perfonal existence, not being recorded by ftanding acts and deeds, and having no diftinct image to which the mind may recur, finks into quiet oblivion, without deeply wounding the confcience, or tormenting the imagination. Thefe omiffions were, perhaps, among the fecret fins,' from which the royal penitent fo earnestly defired to be cleanfed: and it was worthy of the moft ferious confideration, that these are the offences against which the gofpel pronounces very alarming denunciations. It is not less against negative than actual evil, that affectionate exhortation, lively remonftrance, and pointed parable, are exhaufted. It is against the tree which bore no fruit, the lamp which had no oil, the unprofitable fervant who made no use of his talent, that the severe sentence is denounced; as well as againft corrupt. fruit, bad oil, and talents ill employed. We are led to believe, from the fame high authority, that omitted duties, and neglected opportunities, will furnifh no inconfiderable portion of our future condemnation. A very awful part of the decifion, in the great day of account, feems to be referved merely for omiffions and negatives. Ye gave me no meat; ye gave me no drink; ye took me not in; ye visited me not. On the punishment attending politive crimes, as being more naturally obvious, more logically confequent, it was not, perhaps, thought fo neceffary to infift. Another cause, which still further impedes 1 the the reception of religion even among the well-difpofed, is, that garment of fadnefs in which people delight to fuppofe her dreffed; and that life of hard aufterity, and pining abftinence, which they pretend fhe enjoins her difciples. And it were well if this were only the reprefentation of her declared enemies; but, unhappily, it is the too frequent mifconception of her injudicious friends. But fuch an overcharged picture is not more unamiable than it is unlike; for I will venture to affirm, that religion, with all her beautiful and becoming fanctity, impofes fewer facrifices, not only of rational, but of pleasurable enjoyment, than the uncontrouled dominion of any one vice. Her fervice is not only perfect fafety, but perfect freedom, She is not fo tyrannizing as paffion, fo exacting as the world, nor fo defpo tic as fashion. Let us try the cafe by a pas rallel, and examine it, not as affecting our virtue, but our pleasure. Does religion for. bid the cheerful enjoyments of life as rigoroufly as avarice forbids them? Does the require fuch facrifices of our eafe as ambition? or fuch renunciation of our quiet as pride? Does devotion murder fleep like diffipation? Does the deftroy health like intemperance? Does the annihilate fortune like gaming? Does the imbitter life like difcord, or abridge it like duelling? Does religion impofe more vigilance than fufpicion or half as many fortifications as vanity? Vice has her martyrs and the moft auftere and felf-denying Afcetic (who mistakes the genius of chriftianity almost as much as her enemies) never tormented himself with fuch cruel and caufelefs feverity as that with which envy lacerates her unhappy votaries. Worldly honour obliges us to be at the trouble of refenting injuries; but religion (pares us that inconvenience by commanding us to Forgive them and by this injunction confults our happinefs no lefs than our virtue; for the torment of conftantly hating any one muft be, at leaft, equal to the fin of it. -If this eftimate be fairly made, then is the halance clearly on the fide of religion in the article of pleasure. On the Infint of Brutis. He obferves, that the proper method of inveftigating fubjects of this kind, is to collect and arrange the facts which have been difcovered, and to confider whether thefe lead to any general conclufions. According to this method, he exhibits examples, firft, of pure inftincts as can accommodate themfelves to particular circumftances and fituations: thirdly, of fuch as are improveable by experience or obfervation: and, laftly, he draws fome conclufions. By pure instincts are meant fuch as, independently of all inftruction or experience, inftantaneously produce certain actions, when particular objects are prefented to animals, or when they are influenced by peculiar feelings. Such are, in the human fpecies, the inftinct of fucking, which is exerted by the infant immediately after birth, the voiding of fæces, the retraction of the muscles upon the application of any painful ftimulus. The love of light is exhibited by infants, even fo early as the third day after birth. The paffion of fear is discoverable in a child at the age of two months. Among the inferior animals, there are numberlefs pure inftincts. Caterpillars fhaken off a tree in every direction, turn immediately to the trunk and climb up. Young birds open their mouths on hearing any noife, as well as that of their mother's voice. Every fpecies of infect depofits its eggs in the fituation moft proper for hatching and affording nourishment to its future progeny. Some fpecies of animals look not to future wants; others, as the bee and beaver, are endowed with an instinct which has the appearance of forefight. They conftruct magazines, and fill them with provifions. Bees difplay various remarkable inftincts. They attend and feed the female or queen. When deprived of her, all their labours ceafe till a new one is obtained. They conftruct cells of three different dimenfions; for working bees, for drones and for females; and the queen in depofiting her eggs, puts each piece into its appropriated cells. They deftroy all the females but one, left the hive fhould be overftocked. different inftincts of the common bee, of the wood-piercing bee, and of that fpecies The MANY theories have been invented with which builds cylindrical nefts, with rofe. a view to explain the instinctive actions of animals, but none of them have received the general approbation of philofophers. This want of fuccefs may be referred to different caufes; to want of attention to the general œconomy and manners of animals; to miftaken notions concerning the dignity of human nature; and, above all, to the uniform endeavour of philofophers to diftinguish inflinctive from rational motives. Mr. Smellie endeavours to fhew that no fuch diftinction exifts, and that the reafoning faculty itself is a neceffary refult of inftinct. leaves, are very remarkable Equally fingular are the inftincts of wafps, and ichneumon flies, which though they feed not themfelves upon worms, lay up ftores of thefe animals for the nourishment of their young. Birds build their nefts of the fame materials, and in the fame form and fituation, though they inhabit very different climates. They turn and fhift their eggs, that they may be equally heated. Geefe and ducks cover their eggs till they return to the neft. Y y 2 The The swallow folicits her young to void their excrement over the neft, and affifts them in the operation. The fpiders, and many infects of the beetle-kind, when put in terror, counterfeit death. This is not, as has been fuppofed, a convulfion or ftupor, but an artifice; for when the object of terror is removed, they recover immediately. Of inftincts which can accommodate themselves to peculiar circumftances and fituations, many inftances may be given from the human fpecies; but thefe being improve able, fall more properly under the third clafs. Thofe animals are moft perfect, whofe fphere of knowledge extends to the greatest number of objects. When interrupted in the operations, they know how to refume their labours, and to accomplish their purposes by different means. Some animals have no other power but that of contracting or extending their bodies. But the falcon, the dog, and the fox, purfue their prey with intelligence and addrefs. In Senegal, the oftrich fits upon her eggs only during the night, leaving them in the day to the heat of the fun. At the Cape of Good Hope, where the heat is not fo great, she sits upon them day and night. Rabbits, when domefticated, are not inclined to burrows. Bees augment the depth of their cells, and increafe their number, as occafion requires. A wafp carrying out a dead companion from the neft, if he finds it too heavy, cuts off the head, and carries out the load in two portions. In countries infefted with monkeys, birds, which in other countries build in bushes or clefts of trees, fufpend their nefts at the end of flender twigs. The nymphæ of water moths, which cover them felves with cafes of ftraw, gravel, or fhells, contrive to make their cafes nearly in equilibrium with the water: when too heavy, they add a bit of wood or straw; when too light, a bit of gravel. A cat, when shut into a clofet, has been known to open the latch with its paws. capable of a thousand modifications. One inftinct counteracts and modifies another, and often extinguishes the original motive to action. The inftinct of fear is often counteracted by ambition and by refentment: the instinct of anger, by fear, by fhame, by contempt, by compaffion. Of modified, compounded, and extended inftincts, there are many examples. Devotion is an extenfion of the inftinct of love, to the firft caufe or author of the univerfe. Superftition is the inftinct of fear extended to imaginary objects of terror. Hope is the inftinct of love directed to future good. Avarice is the inftinct of love directed to an improper object. Fear is likewise an ingredient of this attachment. Envy is compounded of love, avarice, anbition, and fear. Sympathy is the inftinct of fear transferred to another perfon, and reflected back upon ourselves. In this manner, all the modified, compounded, or extended paffions of the human mind, may be traced back to their original inftincts. The inftincts of brutes are likewife improved by obfervation and experience. Of fuch improvement, the dog, the elephant, the horse, the camel, afford numerous and ftrong inftances. From these and other examples, given of the different claffes of inftincts, Mr. Smellie argues, that inftinct is an original quality of mind, which, in man, as well as in o ther animals, may be improved, modified, and extended, by experience. Senfation implies a fentient principle or mind. Whatever feels, therefore, is mind. Of course, the loweft fpecies of animals is endowed with mind. But the minds of animals have very different powers; and these powers are expreffed by peculiar acti ons. The ftricture of their bodies is uniformly adapted to the powers of their minds; and no mature animal attempts actions which nature has not enabled it to perform: the instincts, however, of animals, appear often previosi ly to the expansion of thofe inftruments which nature intended they fhould employ. This view of inftict is fimple: it removes every objection to the existence of minds in The fuperiority of man over other ani- brutes, and unfolds all their actions by refermals, feems to depend chiefly on the great ring them to motives perfectly fimilar to those number of inflincts with which he is en- by which man is actuated. There is perhaps dowed Traces of every inftinct which he a greater difference between the mental powpoffeffes are difcoverable in the brute-creatiers of fome animals, than between those of on, but no particular fpecies enjoys the whole. On the contrary, moft animals are limited to a fmall number. This appears to be the reason why the inftincts of brutes are fironger, and more fteady in their operation than thofe of man, and their actions more uniform. The third clafs of inftincts comprehends all thofe that are improveable by experience and obfervation. Mof human instincts receive improvement from experience and obfervation, and are man and the moft fagacious brutes. Inftincts may be confidered as fo many internal fenfes, of which some animals have a greater, and others a fmaller number. These fenfes, in different species, are likewife more or less ductile; and the animals poffeffing them are, of course, more or lefs fufceptible of improving, and of acquiring knowledge, The |