fore might it be said by a nobleman, at the grave of John Knox, "here lies one who never feared the face of man." Alas! poor unfortunate Mary, had she been counselled by Knox, her end had not been so disastrous; but the fear of God was not before her eyes; she walked in the ways of her own heart; and they terminated just as the sacred oracle says they ever shall do, "in shame and contempt."

86

Dearly pays the soul

For lodging ill; too dearly rents her clay-"

Could I infuse into my writing some part of those feelings which pervaded me, as I walked through the grass-market of Edinburgh, from which so many of the Scottish martyrs ascended to their thrones in glory, I would give an interest to these lines which seldom belongs to a narration of facts. In meditating, as I past lingeringly through this market, on the blood of the saints by which it was once drenched, and the blaze of the martyrs by which it was illuminated, I felt if in the company of those mentioned in the Revelation, who were "arrayed in white robes," who "came out of great tribulation," having "washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb"-I felt somewhat, like Jacob when he said, "How dreadful is this place! this is none other but the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven."

as

From this let us pass to the little resting place of the philosopher Hume; but alas! his was "philosophy falsely so called!" It is true the contrast is great, to go from the place from whence martyrs took their flight to glory, to the tomb of the infidel; but I love strong and striking contrasts, especially when looking back upon the despised and the caressed of their several days; and when, viewing them at this distance, through a medium obscured neither by prejudice or passion, we can see the distinguished pre-emi

nence which the men of God have gained, over the polished, and captivating, and philosophic infidel: For I do verily believe there is not a man of reflection, at present, whether he be vicious or virtuous, who would not rather say with Balaam "Let me die the death of the righteous and let my last end be like his," than to enjoy all the learning and the bad pre-eminence of a Hume, and then go into eternity, unjustified and unsanctified

-forWo unto the wicked, it shall be ill with him." The tomb of the materialist is a plain circular marble mausoleum, inscribed simply, but I think elegantly, with the words, DAVID HUME. I was told that a little before my visit to Edinburgh, one of the students wrote upon it the following impromptu―

"Beneath this circular idea,
Vulgarly called tomb,
Impressions and ideas rest

Which constituted Hume."

On visiting the supreme courts, I was astonished to see, in the square of the old parliament-house, an equestrian statue of Charles the Second-as if he deserved a statue from the Scotch, or that it was very consistent for them to give it. Taking it all in all, it might be said with truth-"Nihil tam dispar sibi."

The lawyers make a singular appearance; all dressed in monstrous wigs, and large black gowns; and had it not been that I saw Jeffries, and Scott, and Cranston, and others like them, in similar habiliments-men whose talents and fame would give grace, to any monstrous, or deforming, or gothic vesture-I should undoubtedly have come away with the impression, that those civilized civilians, were not a little barbarous in their costume. In one of those courts, I beheld at the same time, perhaps the brightest assemblage of talents that any space of the same dimensions, in the world, could display.

On the bench, sat some of the most celebrated law lords which Scotland could produce: immediately beneath them sat Sir Walter Scott, and the venerable author of the "Man of Feeling"-reminding me of the last leaf of autumn, or rather of a leaf which had withstood the frosts and the storms of winter, and was surrounded by the foliage of another spring. Among the gentlemen of the bar, was the distinguished editor of the Edinburgh Review; together with a crowd of others, renowned for their legal research, their black-letter profundity, or their forensic eloquence.

The college, though I mention it last, was the first object of my curiosity. It is a noble building. Though unfinished, it promises to be worthy of the metropolis of such a learned and philosophick people. It was here that I first saw and heard, the celebrated successor of the celebrated Dugald Stewart. And truly Dr. Brown was every thing, and more than every thing, that even my awakened curiosity expected to find him. In appearance, a gentleman-in manner, an orator. With the profundity of the author of "Cause and Effect," and the imagination of the author of the "Paradise of Coquettes," he made an impression upon my mind, in the first lecture which I heard him deliver, far beyond any thing which my exorbitant expectations required. He has since paid the debt of nature, and I am told is succeeded by Mr. Wilson, the author of the "Isle of Palms" and the "Lights and Shadows of Scottish Life," &c. There was another professor there, at that time, who stood very high as a philosopher, while he was strongly suspected of being an infidel. Poor man, with all his talents and acquirements, he was the object of my pity; for he was an old white-headed man, just trembling on the brink of the grave, who had once been a minister of the everlasting gospel; but who despised

himself so much on account of it, and detested the vocation so much, that it was reported he could not bear, with any patience, to hear of it. Oh! if such be the purchase of metaphysical philosophy, who would wish to buy it at its price! An immortal soul in exchange for philosophy, is too much! When I looked upon this great natural philosopher, surrounded by his numerous class, into whose minds he was pouring the bright flood of learning, I thought, in the midst of my admiration, of what the poet says,

"As wise as Socrates, might justly stand The definition of a modern fool.""

On the first Sabbath morning of my residence in Edinburgh, I went to hear the lecture of the author of the "Life of Knox" as he was much more celebrated for his peculiar tact of lecturing, than for his style of preaching. It is a practice in the Presbyterian churches of Scotland, to lecture on the Sabbath morning, and to preach in the afternoon. As Dr. M'Crie had become so justly and universally celebrated, and as Edinburgh is a church going place, I was desirous to reach the church early, lest I should not find room: but in this I was greatly deceived, as his little church was but moderately filled. This was not occasioned either by his deficiency of piety or talents, or by a lack of labour; but solely, I presume, from the unpopularity of that branch of Presbyterianism to which he adhered-He belonged to the sect then known by the name Antiburgher. Though he was not an orator, either in language or in manner, yet there was a marrow and fatness in what he said, combined with a naivete, which made him, to me at least, a most interesting instructor. I was told by a friend of his, that immediately after the publication of the Life of Knox, the University conferred on him the diploma of Ď. D., which he very respectfully declined, as an

REMARKS ON ROBERT OWEN'S ADDRESS TO THE CITIZENS OF THE UNITED STATES.

We can no longer be silent, in regard to the project and the publications of the renowned Robert Owen, who has lately returned to this country; and who is now forming a settlement at Harmony, in the state of Indiana, with a view to exhibit in practice, the effect of his extraordinary scheme for meliorating the condition of mankind. We have not space in our present number, to combat in detail, what we consider his erroneous and pernicious principles.-This we hope to do, if spared till the coming month. In the mean time, we feel constrained to bear our unequivocal testimony against the infidel, and, as they appear to us, atheistical tenets, which he has openly avowed, in his "Address to the citizens of the United States," dated-"At sea, New York Packet, October, 1825."

Mr. Owen certainly deserves credit, for the frank and undisguised avowal of his opinions, views and purposes; as exhibited in the address to which we have referred, and also, as we are informed, in all his communications, both of a publick and private kind, which he has had occasion or opportunity to make. We are likewise willing to believe, that he really has confidence in the practicability of his plan; and in the great influence that it would have, if generally adopted, in promoting human happiness-There are hardly any bounds to which a projector, who has been dwelling for years on a favourite theory of his own devising, will set to the beneficial effects, which, as he believes, his fond device is calculated to produce. We rejoice too, that in our free and happy country, Mr. Owen will not meet with any other obstruction to the full execution of his plan, than that which shall arise from the conviction that it is

delusive and pernicious. As such we certainly regard it, and as such we shall endeavour to convince all our readers, that they ought to regard it. In doing this, we hope there will be no cry of persecution; because we surely have as good a right to advocate our opinions, as he has to plead for the correctness and importance of his: And we certainly claim to have as sincere and tender a regard, as any that he can entertain, for the happiness of our fellow men.

We can do little more, at present, than make a fair exhibition of Mr. Owen's leading notions, as they affect the all important subjects of morals and religion-that our readers may have a distinct view of his principles and aims; and thus be led to reflect seriously for themselves, whether his system is one which they can approve and favour; or. whether it is not one on which they will feel themselves constrained to frown, and to discountenance, in the most decisive manner.

In Mr. Owen's printed address, he says "You cannot enjoy to their full extent the benefits to which I refer, until these errors of the old world shall have been removed. The greatest and most lamentable of these are the notions, that human nature has been so formed as to be able to believe and disbelieve, and to love and hate, at pleasure, and that there can be merit or demerit in believing or disbelieving, and in loving and hating. These false notions are the origin of evil, and the real cause of all sin and misery among mankind; yet they are received and continued, in direct opposition to every fact known to the human race." We are not going to argue with Mr. O., at present, on the justice of the positions which he here lays down, nor on the bold assertion with which he closes them.-This, as already intimated, we hope to do hereafter. We only now remark, that the ideas which he here communicates

are not new. They have been broached long since by infidel and atheistical writers; and time after time, they have been triumphantly confuted. They go directly to represent mankind as not acting freely or spontaneously, in any thing they do; and thus to take away all moral responsibility from every human being, and to establish a system of absolute fatalism. Mankind, according to this system, are the mere creatures of circumstances, over which they have no control, and for the influence of which they, of course, are in no degree accountable-have neither merit nor demerit, are neither to be praised nor blamed, for any of their conduct. And that this is really the system of Mr. O., is fully apparent in the sequel of his address. As to the divine authority of the Bible, he openly and unequi vocally denied it, after his publick address to the citizens of Philadelphia, when questioned on that topick by one of the audience.

Now, let our readers think for themselves, whether they are prepared to show favour to such notions as these to a system of which they are the radical principles, and on which a whole course of education, from infancy to manhood, is to be conducted. Yes, we solemnly ask of every one who peruses our pages, to reflect seriously, whether he can regard even with indifference, a proposed experiment which involves the rejection of the divine authority of the Bible, and the denial of all moral responsibility? We also solemnly ask, whether it is to be expected, that the representatives of a Christian people, will entertain with any favour, a proposition for making such an experiment as we here contemplate? We ask this, because Mr. O. has avowed his determination, to lay his plan before the Congress of the United States; manifestly with some hope of its receiving national patronage.

We have given Mr. O. credit for

his frankness, and for the truth of his professions; and we are not disposed to recal or weaken our concession. We must, notwithstanding, express our utter astonishment, that he should expect for he does seem to expect-that the sober and reflecting part of our countrymen, will give up principles which they hold most sacred, and conclusions which they believe are demonstrably true, and embrace a theory which, in the sixth thousand year of the world, professes to correct radical errors which have hitherto universally prevailed, relative to the whole training of the human mind, and to the whole fabrick of human society; and to renovate the world by means of a recent discovery, in consequence of which man is to be treated, as man was never treated before. Were it not, in our apprehension, attended by consequences, of which we cannot for a moment think without horror, we should wish the experiment to be fully and fairly tried; confident, as we are, that it would prove completely abortive. But when we recollect that this experiment, if made at all, must be made at the expense, as we verily believe, of the eternal well being of a large number of our fellow creatures, we do and must deprecate it, as among the most appalling in import, that ever entered the mind of an overweening and deluded projector and enthusiast.-EDITOR.