Nor is this a subject to excite our surprise. If we look at the quantity which he has written, it would seem incredible; but when we also look at the quality, and contemplate the vast mass of materials that he must have accumulated, it adds wonder to applause.

To give any thing like a detailed account of his numerous productions is scarcely possible, within the limits we have prescribed. His works are a library of themselves, in addition to which he furnished many contributions to the periodicals of the day. Among these was a tribute to the memory of Lord Byron, which appeared in Blackwood's Magazine, written with much feeling, and in the generous spirit of one exalted mind doing justice to another.

Under the incessant labours of Sir Walter Scott, it is more a matter of surprise that he should have survived so long, than that he should have sunk beneath the accumulated load. People are sometimes apt to covet the luxury of literary pursuits, and to envy the pleasures of an author; but those who thus talk of literary ease, know nothing of the wear and tear of a mind, whose powers are in continual requisition, and almost incessantly on the rack. This mental exhaustion has an amazing influence on the bodily powers, and a general lassitude is the effect of both. Sir Walter Scott has laboriously earned the honours and profits of literature, and well does he deserve his share of both-even though his fame has been extended through every civilized country of the world.

His

Equally appreciated at home and abroad, never perhaps did any individual receive more tokens of unequivocal and universal admiration. works are translated into most known languages; and Mrs. Charles Gore mentions, in her Hungarian Tales, that at one of the Inns, the head of "Valter Skote" is hung up as a sign. The rank of baronet, with which the author was honoured by his late Majesty George IV. is the first instance of such a distinction being conferred on literary merit. From those who were intimately acquainted with Sir Walter, we learn, that his conversational powers were exceedingly great; and that his style of telling a story was unrivalled in its dramatic effects. His memory was exceedingly retentive, and even to the evening of his health, it could dwell with delight on its early tales of "legendary lore."

It does not appear that Sir Walter Scott. had any anticipations of his labours drawing to a close, until disease seized upon his vitals, and gave no one besides himself any thing to hope. It has been asserted, that while walking with Wordsworth some time early in 1831, he was detailing his literary plans of works that were yet unborn. Having proceeded to some length, Mr. Wordsworth interrupted him by saying, "Why, you are laying down work for a life.' "No, no," rejoined Sir Walter, "not for a life, but for twenty years. I have twenty years mind and health in me yet." Alas! how vain are such calculations, when we know not what a day may bring forth.

Under the severe and incessant labours which Sir Walter Scott imposed upon himself, no human constitution could long remain unbroken. His spirits and mental energy far exceeded his physical strength, and in the spring of 1831, an attack of paralysis, a disease that had long been hereditary in the family, produced effects that were both visible and alarming. To avoid the melancholy consequences that were anticipated, many of his friends recommended a suspension of his literary toils; but to this, he could only be induced partially to submit. In a letter to a friend, so early as March 7th, he observes," Dr. Abercrombie threatens me with death, if I write much; and die I suppose I must, if I give it up suddenly."

As autumn approached, and brought with it no indications of returning health, his physicians recommended a residence in Italy. To this, however, he was reluctant to submit, being unwilling to leave a country that had been long endeared by the most powerful ties, and he dreaded the thought of ending his days in a foreign land. The importunity of his friends at length prevailed, and, through the kindness of Captain Basil Hall, a passage was procured for him in his Majesty's frigate Barham, then about to sail for Malta.

The Barham sailed from Portsmouth on the 27th of October, and reached the place of her destination in safety. During this voyage, Sir Walter's health was so much improved, that great hopes were entertained of his restoration to health. From Malta, after a short residence, he proceeded to Naples, where he arrived on the 27th of December, but with hopes less flattering than when he landed at Malta; and the early months of 1832 brought no beneficial change. About the middle of April he proceeded to Rome, where he was received with every mark of honour and respect. In this venerable and renowned city, and its vicinity, many highly interesting objects attracted his attention, and to Tivoli, Albani, and Frescati, he was enabled to pay visits. It was not, however, his good fortune to find the Temple of Health; and without this, antiquities, and classic grandeur exhibited little more than withered charms.

Conscious of growing weaker instead of acquiring strength, and also that no rational hope of recovery was to be entertained, he resolved, while able, to return to his native land. The journey was accordingly undertaken without delay, and perhaps was prosecuted with more rapidity than his debilitated state could bear. During six days he travelled seventeen hours each day; and in passing down the Rhine, he sustained another severe attack of his awful malady. This, for a season, produced such a state of complete insensibility, that his almost immediate death was seriously anticipated. His attendant, however, bled him profusely, and a partial recovery took place, and in this state he reached London. Arriving in the metropolis, he was taken to the St. James's Hotel in Jermyn-street, where he was immediately visited by Sir Henry Halford and Dr. Holland; and also by his son-in-law, and daughter. The skill, however, of these eminent physicians was now of no avail. Disease had gained an ascendancy which the power of medicine was unable to subdue. His state in general was that of insensibility, with occasional gleams of returning intellect, during which he was aware of his situation, and expressed a strong desire to be removed to his native land.

Sir Walter Scott remained in London a few weeks, and received every attention that the power of man could bestow; but on all occasions, when able, his desire was to be removed to his own home. As no hopes of his recovery were now entertained, it was resolved to carry this his almost dying wish into execution. He was accordingly placed on board a steam-vessel, which left London on the 7th of July, and on the evening of the 9th arrived at Newhaven, when, with all possible care, he was landed, and conveyed to a hotel in his native city. Here he remained two nights and one day, and on the morning of the 11th, was removed to Abbotsford, the place of his residence, and of his desires, and where he wished to breathe his last.

On approaching this retreat, which his own industry and taste had rendered truly delightful, an instinctive consciousness of being near his home, gave for a few moments a new impulse to his exhausted powers. The gleam, however, was evanescent; for, on reaching the house, he scarcely recognized any person or object, except his old friend Laidlow, on pressing

whose hand, he indistinctly said, "Now I know that I am at Abbotsford:" but he speedily relapsed into a state of insensibility.

At Abbotsford, encircled by the members of his family, and attended by Dr. Clarkson, of Melrose, Sir Walter Scott languished for about two months, apparently unconscious of every thing around him. On one occasion he slept without any intermission about twenty-seven hours, and from this remarkable circumstance, hopes were entertained that some favourable change was at hand. Nothing, however, occurred to justify these expectations. Day after day he gradually sunk under the weight of his afflictions, until his death became the only subject of anticipation. In this state he continued to linger until mortification made its appearance in several parts of his body, and under its inroads he languished nearly a fortnight. At length the gloomy messenger arrived; and on Friday, September 21, 1832, he breathed his last, about one o'clock in the afternoon.

The remains of this illustrious person were almost immediately consigned to a leaden coffin, which had been prepared, when the mortification had reached an alarming crisis. The funeral took place on Wednesday, the 25th, at Dryburgh, where the family possessed a piece of sepulchral ground. The procession consisted of about sixty vehicles of different kinds, and a few horsemen. On every side, the road and houses presented an incalculable mass of spectators, whom affection, respect, sympathy, curiosity, and novelty had attracted to the line of passage.

It was towards night when the procession reached the precincts of Dryburgh. On arriving at the confines of this ancient abbey, the coffin, taken from the hearse, was borne on the shoulders of men, in a slow and solemn manner, along the shady walks which conducted to the place of interment, followed by about three hundred mourners. The funeral service of the episcopal church to which the deceased belonged, was read by the Rev. John Williams, in a devoutly serious, and deeply impressive manner. The body was then deposited in "the narrow-house," there to remain until “the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible.”

In person, Sir Walter Scott was full six feet high, stout, bony, wellformed, and strongly knit together, but not inclined to corpulency. His eyes were deeply seated beneath large shaggy eyebrows; their colour was a bluish grey; and on certain occasions they furnished a decisive index of what was passing within his mind. His head was remarkably small, but finely formed, and, during his latter years, the thin white hair with which it was adorned, gave him a singular and characteristic appearance.

Of his intellectual powers, the numerous works he has published furnish the best memorial. From that source the reader may derive information to which neither friendship nor enmity can give any delusive colouring. The character of his mind and genius, there displayed, no one can mistake; and from the immutable lines in which it is engraven, distant posterity will have the same opportunity of judging as the present generation.

Those, however, who wish for a more extended account of this extraordinary man, than the present memoir contains, will find an ample delineation of his life and writings, in the Athenæum for October the 6th, and also in the Supplement to Chambers's Edinburgh Journal, of the same date. In each of these accounts, some notice is taken of Sir Walter Scott's pecuniary embarrassments, the manner in which he became involved, and the means which he used to extricate himself from his overwhelming difficulties. To these, therefore, having extended this memoir to the utmost limits allotted for biography, the reader is referred, for any further information that he may require.

PASSAGES OF SCRIPTURE ILLUSTRATED BY MODERN SCIENCE.

AN ATTEMPT ΤΟ ELUCIDATE

VARIOUS

DIFFICULT PASSAGES OF SCRIPTURE, ON THE PRINCIPLES OF MODERN SCIENCE, BY MR. ABRAHAM BOOTH, LECTURER ON EXPERIMENTAL CHEMISTRY, ETC. As there can be no task more truly delight ful to the devotional philosopher, who is animated with proper feelings towards the great Author of his being, than to pay the tributes of science to the oracles of God, and to make every study subservient to the pleasure which such contemplation only can afford; so, I trust that the attempt which I purpose to make, to furnish an explanation of several passages in scripture record, which may be elucidated by the principles of modern science, will not only be found to foster the faith of the wavering in its inspired truths, but prove interesting to the devotional reader.

The present day particularly calls for the exercise of Christian watchfulness: practical infidelity, and a total disregard to all Divine ordinances, were never perhaps so widely prevalent. It therefore behoves all those who appreciate the superior excellence of the gospel dispensation to exert themselves, to the extent of their talents, to demonstrate to the unbeliever and to the world, how holy, just, and pure are the doctrines and contents of that inspired record, which can alone make us wise unto salvation.

505

It is in this verse asserted, that Moses burnt the golden calf in the fire. Gold, it is well known, will endure the most intense heat, long continued, without being oxidized, even although kept for some time in a state of fusion. By the phrase "burnt it in the fire," we are not, however, to understand that any actual combustion took place, as chemistry, both in the language of the Arabians and of the Egyptians, had a name signifying the science of fire; it being from this agent that the most important changes in their operations were produced.

There is no reason for believing that the chemical knowledge of Moses was limited to the action of heat upon substances, as this passage may be considered rather to imply that he submitted the gold to a chemical process. It was long since observed by Stahl, that gold, when fused with an alkali, forms a compound soluble in water. Gold is also soluble in nitro-muriatic acid; and the compound thus obtained is crystallizable, and soluble in water. Each of these solutions is intensely disagreeable to the taste, and the children of Israel were probably compelled to drink the water in which the golden calf had been strewed, because it was by this means rendered disgustingly nauseous to their palate.

WATER." And the men of the city said unto Elisha, Behold, I pray you, the situation of this city is pleasant, as my lord seeth; but the water is

A consideration of those passages in holy naught, and the ground is barren. writ which refer to different natural phenomena, has often been a source of great consolation and pleasing reflection to mind. my On subjects similar to those which I shall occasionally submit to the notice of your readers, commentators either are in general silent, or their elucidations are not conformable to the present state of scientific inquiry. Whilst by such interpretation, these may be rendered proof against the attacks of scepticism, they give an additional lustre to several parts of the divine writings, of which, without such aid, they are not susceptible.

"And he said, Bring me a new cruse, and put salt therein; and they brought it to him.

"And he went forth unto the spring of the waters, and cast the salt therein, and said, Thus saith the Lord, I have healed these waters, there shall not be from hence any more death or barren land.

"So the waters were healed unto this day, ac

A. B.

GOLD" And Moses took the calf which they had made, and burnt it in the fire, and ground it to powder and strewed it upon the water, and made the children of Israel drink of it." Exod. xxxii. 20.

There are, perhaps, few passages of scripture which are more the subject of cavil by sceptics, than this. Yet the only point which is apparently vulnerable is, that as here no miracle is implied by the sacred writings, the act was merely suggested by the wisdom of Moses; and this, by taking the passage in its literal sense, implies that he possessed more knowledge than chemists do, of the present day.

2D. SERIES, NO. 23.-VOL. II.

cording to the saying of Elisha which he spake."2 Kings ii. 19-22.

The effects of the water complained of by the men of the city, will answer the description of a water saturated with sulphate of lime. Where this salt is contained to much extent, the water is not only noxious to the health, but unfit for all purposes of domestic economy, and for vege

tation.

Besides common salt, (muriate of soda,) such as is generally used for culinary purposes, trona, or carbonate of soda, as being very common in Egypt and Arabia, is extensively used in the arts, and for all purposes of domestic economy. This might probably be the salt supplied to Elisha, which, by being thrown into the water, would produce a decomposition of the sulphate of lime. Carbonate of lime would precipitate, and sulphate of soda (Glauber's salts) remain in solution, and form the changes produced in the composition of