a crown of gold on his head, and twelve stars over it, holding a golden sceptre in his right hand; to him was attributed the power over both heaven and earth, and that, as he was pleased or displeased, he could send thunder, tempests, plagues, &c. or fair seasonable weather, and cause fertility. The Laplanders say the rainbow is his bow wherewith he shoots, and they worship him as the author of life and death. From him our Thursday derives its name, anciently Thorsday; among the Romans, Dies Jovis, as this idol may be substituted for Jupiter.

7. Seater, or Crodo, stood on the prickly back of a perch; he was thin visaged and long-haired, with a long beard, and bare-footed, carrying a pail of water in his right hand, (wherein were fruits and flowers,) and holding up a wheel in his left, and his coat tied with a long girdle: his standing on the sharp fins of this fish, signified to the Saxons, that by worshipping him they should pass through all dangers unhurt: by the wheel was intimated the strict unity and concord of the Saxons, and their concurring together to run one course; by his girdle flying both ways was shown the Saxons freedom: and by the pail with fruits and flowers, was denoted that he would nourish the earth. From him, or from the Roman deity Saturn, comes Saturday.

NEW MONTHLY MAGAZINE.

In the New Monthly Magazine for January, p. 29, containing an extract from a work recently published it is computed, that the number of SWEDENBORGIANS is thirty six thou.

sand.

ECLECTIC REVIEW.

In the Eclectic Review for January, p. 80, the following remark of the Reviewer is worthy of notice, and will evince to a serious mind the approximations that are making to the heavenly truths of the New Jerusalem. “Let us not fear to speak of

our Lord as the inspired apostles spoke and wrote of him; nor in our zeal for the honour of his Deity, lose the benefit and consolation to be derived from a firm and distinct apprehension of his real and proper humanity, under which view it is, that he stands related to his church, as their MEDIATOR, INTERCESSOR, and EXAMPLE:"

REFORMATION OF THE GENTLEMAN'S MAGAZINE.

In the number for January, p. 523, in a review of "Warren's Chronicles of Wesley and Methodism," the writer candidly declares that "when Christ said that the moon should be turned into blood, the stars fall from heaven, and the temple be destroyed and rebuilt within three days; he plainly intended no literal meaning." This is another admission of the views of Emanuel Swedenborg.-The reviewer has here adopted a very common but erroneous mode of expressing his ideas: his meaning is that the words in question are not to be understood in the ordinary manner, as denoting natural things.

CALVINISM.

Incorrigible spirit of Calvanism among the inhabitants of Olney.—In a work lately published, called "The Living and the Dead, by a country curate," p. 204, we copy the following curious paragraph. "I believe I should never have left Olney had not so incorrigible a spirit prevailed in a parish I had so long laboured to reform."-Newton: see Cecil's Life. These are Newton's sentiments: now for Scott's who succeeded him. "I cannot, and need not convey to others a particular account of all things which render the thoughts of spending my days at Olney, painful to me. There are above two thousand inhabitants in this town, almost all Calvinists, even the most debauched of them! The inhabitants are become like David, wiser than their teachers; that is, they think themselves so; and have learned to stupify their consciences—vindicate their sloth and wickedness-and shield off conviction." Pretty strong statement this! "As for myself, I am very unpopular in this town, and preach in general to small congregations."Scott's Life, p. p. 206-7-15.

GROTTOS IN THE CRIMEA.

"In the sides of a steep rock in the Crimea, are several grottos, supposed to have been made by the first Christians, when they fled hither to escape persecution. Wishing to see them, I climbed up a precipice, and entered a room four feet in height, six in length, and four in breadth, in which I found a small bed, and a few clothes hanging on the walls. Close to the door, at a small opening, sat an aged Russian, poring over a Slavonic Psalter, and seeming to find much enjoyment from that part of the Divine Word which he was reading. As his back was turned, he did not see me; which gave me time to remark, with what fervour he read the devotional strains of "the sweet singer of Israel." I let him finish his Psalm, and after saluting him, asked him if he understood 'what he was reading? "not all," he replied; "but much of it is plain to me." He had heard that there was such a book as the Bible, but the Psalms were the only part he had

seen."

THE BROTHERHOOD OF MERCY.

In many of the Italian states there is a very ancient establishment called "The Brotherhood of Mercy." The duty of the members is to succour any persons in distress, and their charity is so great that they render the same service to persons of all religions and countries. It is enough for them that a fellow creature is in want of their help. Their dress is singular: they are clothed in black sack cloth from top to toe, and girded round the waist; their hoods not only cover their heads, but fall down before their faces and on their breasts, with two holes for the eyes. When their assistance is required, a bell is tolled: once for the removal of a sick person, twice for an accident, and three times for a death. They never fail to obey the summons, regardless of personal danger.

EASTERN WELLS.

Mr. Henderson tells us, that in passing through some towns in the east, he was much struck with the number of wells on both sides of the strect. Over each of them is built a windlass, with a handle which is turned round by the hand. By this

means, the bucket is let down into the well, and drawn up again, And he remarks, "It appears that it was a machine of this kind that Solomon refers to in his picture of old age: "Or the pitcher be broken at the fountain, or the wheel broken at the cistern."

WEDDINGS IN THE EAST.

Before retiring to rest, we were stunned by the noise of a procession, led on by a band of musicians: and were told that it was a Jewish bridegroom, with his young friends, going to the house of the bride's father, in order to bring her to her future home. In a short time they returned, with such a number of lights as quite illuminated the street. The bride, covered with a veil, was led along in triumph, accompanied by her virgins, each with a candle in her hand, who sang and danced before her and the bridegroom. This sight brought to our minds the parable in the 25th chapter of Matthew; and we particularly perceived the fitness of the command which our Saviour gives us to watch and be ready, for the return of the procession must have begun, as soon as the bridegroom arrived.

TO OBTAIN FLOWERS OF DIFFERENT

COLOURS ON THE SAME STEM.

Scoop out the pith from a small twig of alder, and having split it lengthwise, fill each of the parts with seeds that produce flowers of dif ferent colours. Surround them with earth, and then tying the two bits of wood, plant the whole in a pot filled with earth properly prepared. The stems of the different flowers will thus be incorporated, so as to exhi bit to the eye only one stem, throwing out branches covered with flowers analagous to the seed which produced them. By selecting the seeds of plants which germinate at the same period, and which are nearly similar in regard to the texture of their stems an intelligent florist may obtain artificial plants exceedingly curious.

TO PRODUCE A LEAD TREE.

To a piece of zinc fasten a wire, crooked in the form of the worm of a still; let the other end of the wire be thrust through a cork. You then pour spring water into a phial or decanter, to which you add a small quantity of sugar of lead; thrust the

zinc into the bottle, and with the cork at the end of the wire fasten it up. In a few days the tree will begin to grow, and produce a most beautiful effect.

NEW SOLAR COMPASS.

At the last meeting of the Edinburgh Wernerian Society, a very interesting instrument was exhibited, the invention of Mark Watt, Esq. It may be thus briefly described :Twenty-five needles, of the size No. 10, are rendered magnetic, and stuck at equal distances, into a thin circular slice of cork, of three inches diameter: this circle is affixed by a copper wire to a light bar of wood five inches long, having at its opposite extremity a small weight equal to the weight of the needles. In the centre of the bar is an agate cape which receives a fine steel point, on which the instrument traverses. Being secured from the action of the external air by a bell glass, and exposed to the influence of the sun's ray, the circle of magnetised needles points to the sun, and in that position in opposition to the diurnal motions of the earth, as long as the sun is above the horizon.

BURIALS IN THE EAST

From the Greek church we saw a corpse carried to the public burying ground. It had not been put into a coffin according to the manner of burials even of the poorest in England, but was simply wrapped round with a white cloth laid upon the bier or board, and borne by four men to the grave. This way of burying is common to the Jews, Christians, and Mahometans, in these parts. Such seems to have been the manner in which Abner was interred, (2 Samuel iii. 3.) for it is said David followed the bier (bed or board.) The bier on which the widow of Nain's son was carried, was most likely nothing more than what we now saw.

THE ALLIGATOR.

Malays escaped by jumping into another boat. The same book affords a proof that this animal may be tamed.

"Near the mouth of a river, where there is a fishing-house, an Alligator may be seen of an immense size. His back, when a little out of the water, is like a large rock. He remains always there; and is fed upon the head and entrails of the large Skate fish, which are caught there. I saw him (says Mr. Anderson,) when the Malays called him to his meals. He appeared full twenty feet long. Being in a small boat at the time, I wished to make all haste away; but the Malays assured me, he was quite harmless: so much so, that his feeders pat his head with their hands; a dengerous step to be sure; but it shows the great tameness of the creature, by nature so fierce. He will not allow any of the other Alligators to approach the place; and on this account the Malays alost worship him.

SQUIRRELS.

It is a curious circumstance, and not generally known, that most of those oaks which are said to spring up of themselves, are planted by the Squirrel. A gentleman walking one day, in the woods belonging to the Duke of Beaufort, near Troy House, in Monmouthshire, his attention was diverted by a Squirrel, which sat very composedly upon the ground. He stopped to observe its motions. In a few moments, the Squirrel darted to the top of a tree, beneath which he had been sitting. In an instant he was down with an acorn in his mouth. After digging a small hole, he stooped down and put in the acorn. Then covering it, he darted up the tree again. In a moment, be was down again with another, which he buried in the same manner. This he continued to do as long as the person watched him.

The industry of this little animal is directed to the purpose of securing him against want in winter; and he forgets the spot in which he places every acorn. He no doubt loses a few every year; these spring up and are destined to supply the place of the parent tree. Thus is Britain in some measure indebted to the industry and bad memory of a Squirrel