It appears further, that the personality of the Holy Ghost is distinctly admitted by Origen; that he makes frequent references to the doctrine of the atonement; and that both Celsus and himself make distinct recognition of the doctrine of justification by faith as the prevailing opinion among the early Christians. Celsus, it is true, represents the doctrine much as an uncandid opponent would now represent it; but be this as it may, his reference to it proves its prevalence in those early ages; and of course serves to mark the folly of those who sneer at the defenders of this doctrine in present/ times as "new Puritans," who turn the world upside down, by the introduction of novel and erroneous sentiments.

On the doctrine of future punishments, the language of Origen is confessedly obscure.

• It is remarkable that we learn from Celsus, what Origen as to this point might not have taught us; that the eternity of punishments was the common faith of the Christian church. His words are, "They (the Christians) persuade themselves that the good, after this life, shall be happy, the wicked shall be plunged into everlasting wretchedness: from which opinion, neither let them, nor any other mortal depait." p. 46.

But it is time to terminate our extracts. We admire this little work exceedingly, both in its object, its tendency, and its execution. To those especially who have not an opportunity of consulting the original work of Origen, it will be very interesting and useful. It serves to shew that the enemies of Christianity and their arts, have been the same in the carliest as in the latest ages; and that the defences of Christians were then, as they are now, triumphant and satisfactory. And it will enable all to infer, that it is not because Christianity is repugnant to reason, but because it requires a departure from vice and folly, a surrender of the heart to God, who alone can "keep it," and a complete renovation of character, that thoughtless men have been found in all ages to oppose and misrepresent it, and calumniate its disciples.

Art. XVI. Voyages and Travels in the Years 1809, 1810, and 1811, containing statistical, commercial, and miscellaneous Observations on Gibraltar, Sardinia, Sicily, Malta, Serigo, and Turkey. By John Galt. 4to. pp. 435. Cadell and Davies. 1812.

THIS volume, it appears, is the first of a series, in which

Mr. Galt has it in contemplation to give such an account of the countries connected with the Mediterranean, as will tend to familiarise them to the British public! The plan on which it is put together is extremely simple-and capable of

being acted upon to an almost unlimited extent. Without having recourse to any intermediate process, the author is apparently quite satisfied with transcribing his day-book for the printer with unimpeachable fidelity. He has been at no pains to give a plausible coherence to his paragraphs, or to fake his narration of so continuous a cast, as to create and perpetuate the interest of the reader in his fate and fortunes. It is to us a matter of considerable doubt, indeed, whether Mr. Galt has not delegated the task of head-piecing the subordinate divisions of his work, to an inferior performer, who, however expert he may have been in the knack of eliciting ingenious titles, must be allowed to have much to acquire, before he can be considered a proficient in the no less important mystery of tacking them advantageously together. A glance at the table of contents will elucidate this very completely; where, not to multiply examples unnecessarily, the reader will find such natural and unconstrained juxtapositions as-iron beds and jesuits-booksellers and quail shooting--the author gives a sigh, a hen put to death-dancing dervishes, and the death of Socrates, &c. &c. From this slight exposi tion of Mr. Galt's method of preparing for the press, there will be no difficulty in admitting his competency to the rapid pro duction of as many volumes as the public are disposed to pa

tronize.

It is requisite, however, to examine a little more minutely into Mr. Galt's licence for this consumption of print and paper to inquire into his travelling qualifications, and see whether he possesses so extraordinary a facility of delineation, as may enable him to dispense with that patient finishing which has, by most of his class, been held indispensable to arrive at excellence. As the plain truth must sooner or later be divulged, we think it best to state, with all possible frankness, in the outset, that if Mr. Galt really has any gifts of the nature alluded to, we are totally unable to perceive them. For one thing, he does not appear to have carried out with him a sufficient portion of general knowledge to stamp his hasty observations with any permanent value. Accordingly, in place of those polished pebbles, which a well informed mind has always in store for the proper occasion, the land and sea faring gen deman before us, is perpetually obtruding the most strange and hazardous speculations, and attempting the depths of a subject before he is even tolerably acquainted with the surface. His plunges into classical literature are adventurous beyond precedent, and his profound familiarity with the fine arts cannot be better evinced, than by copying the following most ingebious and important disquisition.

In passing along one of the streets, a house was pointed out to me as having been inhabited by Rosa the painter. What Rosa, or any thing more about him my conductor could not tell. Whether this was Salvator, whose paintings so frequently reminded me of the scenery of Sicily, I cannot therefore presume to say. Salvator Rosa I always understood studied in Calabria; but I have never yet met with any circumstantial account of his life. It is not improbable that he may have been here: for in his youth he was a rambling fellow, and, it is said, was actually a member of a gang of banditti !!'

This is one instance, out of many, in which our author has thought proper to publish to the world his doubts and conjectures, when, at a very little additional trouble, he might have converted them into certainty, and saved bimself the ignominy of being laughed at. Add to this, that a traveller is the last person by whom this propensity can be safely indulged, as it is almost necessarily fatal to that vigilance of observation, and carefulness of inquiry, without which his observations and inquiries can be of very little use either to himself or others.

Another observation we have to make on Mr. Galt's performance, is, the indefatigable earnestness he displays in finding occasions of being witty, without being aware that his humour, if so it may be called, is very distantly allied to the family of mirth, though it has sometimes too near an affinity to that of profaneness. We allude, particularly, to the very improper levity with which he is for ever making free with awful subjects and sacred language. Thus he talks of the stone which Moses tapped in the wilderness,' p. 370; and having occasion to perform a journey in stormy weather, he is all at once reminded of the deluge, and says, As I approached St. Giuseppe the wind abated; and not hearing the pattering of the rain on the roof, I inferred, like Noah in the ark, that the waters were assuaged, and opened the window.' p. 74. Then, again, he complains of being fully six weeks at Palermo, 'before I was so lucky as to see a funeral, although "the host" at that time had evidently a great run.' p. 20. The following is an example at greater length.

It was late when we approached Palermo, and I began to think that I should not have deemed myself very safe in the neighbourhood either of London or Dublin at such a time of night. About eleven o'clock we reached the gate, and I never was more pleased with the sight of a lamp, than that which burns before the saint who is the sentinel. It never occurred to me before, that, but for the saints with their lamps, the streets of Palermo would be utterly dark after the shops are shut. The church, in this respect, may certainly be considered as a light to the path of the Palermitans.'

The same bad taste which could tolerate such sentences as

the preceding, is also frequently conspicuous in the dictionas when the author feels somehow' dissatisfied with the aspectable grandeur of Etna,' p. 92; deplores the ruination and squalor that characterize the effects of Ottoman rule,' p. 201; derides the taste of certain blessed brothers for bottled monsters,' p. 103; informs us that licences to export are probably interestedly granted,' p. 14; describes the origin of a sceptical and derelict habit,' p. 56; sympathises with the melancholy manes of the fatal field of Pharsalia,' p. 214; and becomes the biographer of that accomplished and benevolent monster'-Chiron the centaur.

We have been the more induced to go into this specification of faults, because in a great variety of instances we are persuaded they result from the very hasty and objectionable mode of bringing out the volume. For whatever our readers may by this time be disposed to imagine, it really does contain a good deal of useful information, and many amusing anecdotes and lively sketches. Had Mr. Galt, indeed, followed the dictates of his maturer judgment, we have no doubt he could have produced a volume, which, instead of serving to lounge over for a day, might be profitably consulted several years hence. In the sequel of this article, we shall do little more than verify some of the preceding strictures, and select from it such passages as may be likely to prove most useful or interesting to our readers.

After a slight description of Gibraltar, Mr. Galt conducts us to Sardinia. The capital of this island he represents as bearing in every part of it traces of ruin and decay, and the mass of the islanders as having receded a certain way back into barbarism.' They wear, indeed, linen shirts fastened at the collar by a pair of silver buttons like hawks' bells; but their upper dress of shaggy goat-skins is in the pure savage style.'

The country,' he continues, is divided into prefectures. The prefect is a lawyer, and is assisted by a military commandant, who furnishes the force required to carry his wants into effect. This regulation has been made in the course of the present reign, and may be regarded as an important step towards the establishment of a public and regal authority over the baronial privileges. In the provinces justice is distributed by the prefects, whose functions seem to correspond in many respects with those of the Scottish sheriffs. When any particular case occurs in which the king considers it expedient to appoint a judge of the supreme court in the capital, on purpose to try the cause on the spot, wherever this extraordinary justiciary passes, the provincial courts of justice are silent, and superseded by his presence. There are no periodical circuits of the justices.' The judges receive a small stipend from the king, upon which they cannot subsist. They are allowed also a certain sum for each award that they deliVOL. VIII.

30

ver, which has the effect of making them greedy of jurisdiction, and in terested in promoting revisions. The administration of justice is in consequence precarious, and gifts to the judges are of powerful advocacy. In a country where the government has so little power in the detail of ruling, and where the rectitude of the laws is so enfeebled by the chicane of the courts, it is natural that the people should often surrender themselves to their bad passions. The Sards possess, to an eminent degree, the venerable savage virtue of hospitality. They are courageous, and think and act with a bold and military arrogance; but the impunity with which they may offend, fosters their natural asperity. They are jealous of the Piedmontese; and on this account the king has not encouraged emigrators from his late continental dominions to settle in Sardinia. In their political resolutions they have sometimes acted with an admirable concert and spirit. Not many years before the arrival of the royal family they had some reason to be discontented with the conduct of the viceroy and his ministers; and, in consequence, with one accord, they seized, at the same time, both on him and on all the Piedmontese officers, and sent them home without turbulence or the shedding of any blood. pp. 9-11.

"The revenue of the king is not at this time (1811) more than eighty thousand pounds sterling; still the paper money of the government does not bear a discount of more than six per cent.; so that it may be regarded as not inferior to any in Europe. It is only in the dealings of merchants that the discount is allowed; and it is a legal tender to the extent of half the amount of any debt. The duty on importations by foreigners into Sardinia is 183 per cent. on the tarif estimates.

The population of the island is estimated at about 500,000 souls. The peasantry are the vassals of their respective chieftains; and the citizens are commonly employed in the little internal commerce which the country affords. The nobility are numerous and ignorant; and the same terms may be applied to the ecclesiastical locusts.

The exportable commodities of this island, owing to the condition of the inhabitants, still consists of very primitive articles; but which, notwithstanding the warmth of the climate and fertility of the soil, are not numerous. Wheat, in considerable quantities, is exported from Cagliari, the Gulph of Palmas, Orestano, Algheri, and Porto Torie, the harbour of Sassari. There is one kind of white wine, of a very superior flavour, made near Cagliari; and the red of the same neighbourhood, as well as that of the district of Oliastro, is of a strong good body, improves by transportation, and, with age, would become est med in England. Cheese forms an important article in the little traffic of Sardinia. Wool is also collected for exportation. Barilla, of a kind inferior to the Spanish, is also exported; and the salt works near the capital furnish a few cargoes. The tunny fishing is one of the chief objects of the care of the government, and is in a respectable degree of prosperity. Goat and sheep skins my be obtained in quantities; and cow and stag horns may be numbered among the returns that a merchant might bring from this island. In the interior there are extensive forests of oak and other timber belonging to the king, but the oak for the most part is not sound at heart. Nevertheless it might be usefully employed, and might be turned to account by the merchant' pp. 12, 13.