to happen within no very distant period, and as the result of missionary exertion, unsupported by secular assistance, and independent of any of those secondary causes, which have happily conduced to the conversion of other nations, we are really unable to discover the foundation upon which he rested his hopes. We are most willing to believe that the curiosity concerning the Gospel, excited by Mr. Martyn at Shiraz, will not readily subside; and that he imparted a conviction of the truth of Christianity to many Mahommedans there, which may be followed by important consequences.* We believe too that if other persons of equal zeal and ability could be found to follow his steps, they might also succeed in producing impressions of a salutary kind on many individuals in the same quarter. But there is a vast difference between partial and general conversion, and it does not at all follow, because the natives of Persia have the good humour to tolerate a learned Christian polemic, that the whole nation is therefore ripe for a change in favour of Christianity. Indeed we are apprehensive that the inquisitive Persian who seems to listen to Gospel truths with so much complacency, does so more from indifference to his national creed, than from any deep concern about his spiritual condition. Disposed to encourage any thing that savours of erudition and freedom of opinion, he lends a willing ear to the missionary, not because his conscience is awakened, but that he may hear something that will lead to a new train of thought.

But leaving the national character of the Persians entirely out of the question, we do not flatter ourselves with the prospect

*We have a pleasing confirmation of our expectation in the recent publication of Sir R. Ker Porter, who traversed much of the road passed by Mr. Martyn, and resided a considerable time at Shiraz, with a near relation of his friend Mirza Seid Ali.

At Shiraz,' says Sir Robert, Mr. Martyn dwelt nearly a year: and on leaving its walls, the apostle of Christianity found no cause for "shaking off the dust of his feet" against the Mahommedan city. The inhabitants had received, cherished, and listened to him; and he departed thence amidst the blessings and tears of many a Persian friend. Through his means, the Gospel had then found its way into Persia; and as it appears to have been sown in kindly hearts, the gradual effect hereafter may be like the harvest of the seedling.'

The next passage interested us greatly, and we extract it with peculiar pleasure. The attentions of my host were so unwearied that I never could forget I was in the house of the near kinsman of the two noble Persians, Jaffier Ali Khan, and Mirza Seid Ali, who had shown the warmest personal friendship to our "Man of God"! for so they designated Henry Martyn. When the weather became too intense for his enfeebled frame to bear the extreme heat of the city, Jaffier Ali Khan pitched a tent for him in a most delightful garden beyond the walls, where he pursued his translation of the Scriptures; or sometimes in the cool of the evening, he sat under the shade of an orange-tree, by the side of a clear stream, holding that style of conversation with the two admirable brothers which caused their pious guest to say, "That the bed of roses on which he reclined, and the notes of the nightingales which warbled above him, were not so sweet as such discourse from Persian lips.”

of

of seeing any people universally converted by the mere preaching of missionaries, however highly we may appreciate their labours. No example of a whole nation being evangelized occurred till the fourth century; and even then the happy event was brought about by a combination of circumstances, many of which, though they were doubtless of divine appointment, were entirely beyond the agency of men devoted to the service of God. We are taught therefore by facts not to trust solely to missionary exertions, nor always to be looking for the workings of Providence, but to co-operate with the divine power in the extension of our faith, ' after the manner of men,' that is, by employing such rational and ordinary means as are likely to promote the end in view; for although the effusion of the Holy Spirit directs subordinate causes, yet it may be said at the same time to wait for them, and to act not independently of human agency.

In our opinion, next to the dissemination of the Scriptures, the most probable way of inducing the Persians, or any other civilized people, to enter into such a comparison between their own, and the Christian creed, as may eventually lead them to adopt the latter, is to contrive opportunities of showing them the improvement in arts, science, and society, which Christianity never fails to carry with it. A spirit friendly to our civil and religious institutions would thus be imperceptibly excited; and, upon the old dramatic principle of what is seen making a more lasting impression than what is heard, unbelievers would be more convinced by witnessing the beneficial effects of Christianity, than by all that could be told them by the Missionary. Could our government, for example, be prevailed upon to employ its supposed influence with the Persian court, to obtain its consent for the British factory at Bushire to establish a school or college, ostensibly for the instruction of Persian children and adults in European arts and literature; (and the necessary funds for the support of such an institution might well be spared out of the annual income of some of the missionary societies ;) as there is now a tendency in many of the natives of that country to discuss and embrace the truth, we cannot avoid thinking, that it would be considerably increased by thus giving them the means of receiving an European education upon their own soil, and by gradually preparing their minds for the reception of what would alarm them if hastily advanced.

It will not be out of place to observe here, that we do not remember a single instance of any civilized kingdom having been converted, until the missionaries were countenanced by men in power; and we could wish those good people, who take such an active part in associations for the extension of the gospel, would

pay

pay more attention to a maxim, which is confirmed by the experience of eighteen hundred years. The Societies for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts, and for the Promotion of Christianity, have indeed again taken the lead, as they did in the first establishment of missions, in improving upon the original scheme, by soliciting the influence and co-operation of the government, and by pursuing measures which will facilitate and accredit the labours of their missionaries. They discovered, and candidly confessed in their Reports, that their preachers and schoolmasters did not succeed to the measure of their expectations; that something was wanting to give the advantage of combination, respectability and union to their efforts, and that recourse must be had to those aids and supports, which are as indispensable in religious, as in all other matters. And we humbly conceive that if other societies also would, in like manner, temper their zeal with a little discretion, and direct their attention to the best means of affording facilities to their missionaries, they would be enabled to render a better account of the immense sums which are placed at their disposal; and instead of publishing reports which contain little more, from year to year, than a repetition of the same pious sentiments, and sanguine expectations, would have it in their power to give some intelligible account of the effects which they are producing. We have carefully read the last Report of the Church Missionary Society, and yet we are really unable to form any accurate calculation of the number of their converts; all that we learn is, that they expended upwards of £30,000 between April 1819, and April 1820! that they have two hundred labourers distributed among eight missions; that in these different missions between 9000 and 10,000 children are educated; that many thousand adults hear the glad tidings of salvation, and of these many hundreds make a creditable profession of Christianity.' The vagueness of this statement, added to the fact of there having been twenty converts only made at one of their stations in four years, and of these, all relapsing but one, is a sufficient proof both of limited success, and of a material and inherent defect in their regulations, and in the application of their resources. We would submit to them whether their sphere of usefulness would not be considerably enlarged if they would appropriate a greater proportion of their funds to purposes similar to that for which the noble grant of £5000 was lately voted for the use of the Mission Čollege at Calcutta, This institution was originally suggested by the Bishop of Calcutta, under the persuasion that some preparation is necessary both for the missionary and the proselyte, before they can come to a mutual understanding: that the one must be instructed to

proceed

proceed with caution, to adapt himself to the circumstances under which he is placed, and to study the predilections and manners of the people upon whom he is to act; while the other must gradually be taught to divest himself of his hereditary prejudices.

The wisdom of such an Institution is obvious. The proba tioners become familiar with the English language, manners and religion, before any avowed step is taken towards making them Christians, and in fact they are half convinced, before the missionary's duty begins: for though, as the bishop observes, they are not here professedly instructed in Christianity, yet it is impossible that they, who, in their childhood, shall have been accustomed to use their minds, can ever afterwards be capable of adopting the absurdities, and reverencing the abominations now proposed to them as truth, and as the acceptable worship of God: and it is hoped that they who have been emancipated from superstition may in time be brought to a knowledge of Christ.'

Should similar plans be generally adopted by missionary associations, there will always be a supply of men duly qualified for propagating the Gospel in India, and distinguished not by their zeal only, but by their learning and attainments. The latter are as necessary as the former; for (we repeat) if missionaries do not possess talents for languages, and the temper and prudence requisite for their undertaking, if they are not well enough acquainted with subjects of history and philosophy to satisfy the inquiries of the curious, all their enthusiasm, and their sense of duty will be insufficient to enable them to gain much advantage over the subtleties and prejudices of the people whom they are employed to convert. A serious impression may be made upon rude and uncultivated savages simply by exhortation and preaching; but many other measures must be resorted to, before we can hope to succeed with those oriental uations who have made considerable advances towards refinement; superstition being infinitely more impregnable than ignorance, and the fables of a popular mythology far more blinding than the darkness of the grossest idolatry.

ART. VIII.-Notes on the Cape of Good Hope, made during an Excursion in that Colony in the year 1820. pp. 207. Lon

don. 1821.

THE

HE position of this Great Promontory, both with regard to latitude and the illimitable ocean which bathes its eastern and western shores, secures to it a temperature of climate which, if equalled, is certainly not excelled in any part of either hemisphere. Its situation, midway between England and India, is

another

another recommendation in its favour: few ships, we believe, whether going or returning from our oriental dominions, ever pass the Cape without a wish to visit it; and fewer still of those that anchor there, and partake of its glowing skies, the fragrant breezes of its mild evenings, its delicious fruits, and refreshments, ever leave it but with feelings of sincere regret. As the major part of its visitors, however,' says the writer of the Notes,' remain only a few days for rest and refreshment, it is probable that its defects may be overlooked and its beauties exaggerated.' True: and it is more than probable, we would add, that if a casual visitor, like our modest and ingenuous author, after a few days' residence in Cape Town, and a hasty scamper along the coast, should think fit to publish his Notes' and his Excursion,' he may fall into the contrary mistake of overlooking its beauties, and exaggerating its defects. That this is very remarkably the case in the present instance, we can have no difficulty in showing.

6

In justice to the author (who does not give his name) we must observe that many passages of the work before us exhibit a tone of right feeling and good sense, which we cannot but approve; there are, others, however, we are sorry to say, wholly unworthy of a gentleman and a person of education, which the writer appears to be, notwithstanding the blunders in language and logic which he frequently commits, and the lame and impotent conclusions' which are always sure to follow his premises whenever he ventures on an argument.

His mistakes are numerous, as might be expected from one who neither understood the language, nor had time or opportunity to make himself acquainted with the manners and sentiments of the people whom he has undertaken to describe. The first of them that calls for censure, and the more loudly as it must have been made before he stirred from Cape Town, is that the Hottentots are an idle, worthless people,-whose extinction can hardly be considered as a loss.' Now we know that Sir James Craig, who embodied a regiment of these people, always spoke in the highest terms of their activity, discipline, good order, and cleanliness. Le Vaillant and Mr. Barrow, both of whom lived many months among them, agree in asserting that they had been most undeservedly stigmatized and vilified by the Dutch writers; and Mr. Latrobe, who recently visited all the Moravian establishments, assures us that they had there given the most striking proofs of ingenuity, industry, and neatness, and manifested the most anxious desire to be admitted within the pale of civilized society. It is too much to be told, after this, that the Hottentot may be seen regaling himself with the undressed entrails and blood of a sheep, while the partner of his life is picking a bone of carrion

at