actual offering of the pass-class; as he is willing to con over.' " fess, he is but just emerging How true is that saying of from among them, and about our Lord's, "Ye have made the taking his stand among those commandment of God of none who approve; and should he be effect by your tradition." How called a deserter, in consequence completely the design and signi- of this change, he wishes it to ficancy of the ordinance is lost! be understood that the whole We cannot help wondering how weight of blame is due to our a sensible Jew can suffer him- dear and highly-respected counself to be imposed upon by a try ministers; whose communiceremony so totally dissimilar cations at our different public as that just described. But meetings, have set this subject why wonder at the Jews? Is in so interesting a light, as to not the ceremony of sprinkling excite a wish in the minds of an infant, which has been sub- some, that the period may soon stituted for Christian baptism, arrive, when there shall not be as great a deviation from the a Baptist church in this meoriginal institution, as dissi-tropolis, without its Sunday milar a ceremony, and equally School. subject to a like rebuke? W. H. ON SUNDAY SCHOOLS. Without presuming to discuss the arguments at large, he wishes to state three things, which appear to him to form a three-fold cord, which, he thinks, will not be easily broken. 1st. The excellent tendency of these institutions, with respect to the lower classes of society. 2d. The great benefits which have undeniably resulted from their establishment. 3d. The sanction of Jesus Ir is a well-known fact, that in some of the London churches, there is a great difference of opinion, as to the propriety of establishing and encouraging what are called "SUNDAY SCHOOLS." There are, in the same churches, those who approve, those who disapprove, Christ, to the principle on which and those who are, in a great they proceed." It is lawful degree, indifferent to the sub-to do well on the Sabbath ject. With respect to the two day." former, candour obliges us to consider them equally sincere in their different conclusions, and, in relation to the latter, it might be well if they would turn their thoughts more seriously to the subject. On each of these particulars, it was the intention of the writer to have enlarged, but upon mature consideration, he prefers submitting them, just as they are, to all whom they may concern; only, reminding the reader, It would be very pleasing to that whatever may be our prethe writer, if this humble com- judices, they ought to bow to munication should awaken the the decision of him who is. attention of some of the latter" LORD OF THE SABBATH.” Juvenile Department. CALENDAR FOR AUGUST, 1816. I. Its Name. August was anciently called Sextilis, being the sixth from March, but the Roman emperor, Augustus, changed this name, and gave it his own. II. Jewish fasts and festivals.Aug. 7. On this day the Jews commemorate the death of Aaron the high priest. Aug. 15. The black fast, or anniversary of the destruction of the first and second temple. Aug. 24. A day of humiliation, because the western light of the temple was miraculously extinguished, during the reign of Ahaz. (Time's Telescope.) III. Astronomical Occurrences. -The sun enters Virgo on the 23d, at five minutes after eight in the morning. The moon is full on the 8th; enters her last quarter on the 16th; her change is on the 23d; and she enters her first quarter on the 29th. She passes the Georgian planet on the 2d, Saturn on the 8th, Mars on the 24th, Jupiter on the 27th, and the Georgian planet again on the 29th. Mars sets within an hour after the sun, and is, consequently, encompassed with so great a portion of light, that there is no probability of seeing him.-Jupiter sets on the first, at 20 minutes after ten in the evening; and, on the 31st, at 35 minutes after eight. He is approaching the sun, and will pass about two breadths of the sun above that luminary, on the 13th of November. Afterwards, Ju VOL. VIII. A favourable piter will recede from the sun, so as to become conspicuous in the heavens, about an hour before sunrise, in the month of December.-Saturn is in opposition to the sun on the 13th; and is, of course, at his nearest distance from the earth. opportunity, therefore, presents itself, for any observations on this planet: and it may be seen, from the time when the stars begin to appear, till they are lost again in the morning light. At the beginning of the month, this planet rises about eight; and at the end, about a quarter before six. Georgium Sidus sets, on the evening of the 1st, at 40 minutes after eleven, and on the 31st, at 49 minutes after nine. It is stationary on the 16th, and, with respect to its motion among the fixed stars, varies very little during the whole month. The IV. Naturalist's Diary.-The principal feature of this month is the harvest-scene. In Kent, Sussex, and Worcester, much hoppicking. The flowers of the different kinds of heath, or ling, spread a rich purple hue over the whole ground. Wallfruits are coming into season. The largest of the swallow tribe disappears, about the middle of the month; and, at the end of it, the red-breast, one of our finest, though commonest, songsters, renews his music. (Aikin's Calendar of Nature.) During this month we may expect to witness a considerable diminution of the blooming flowers, and to have some intimations, that the summer is about to take its flight. The attention of the 3A botanist is not now arrested by the blossoms of trees and shrubs, as in former months; but it is principally confined to British plants. - foot, (chenopodium album,) is a plant that frequently appears as a weed in gardens; and its leaves are sprinkled with shining particles, which render it a very interesting object, when viewed through a microscope. The clown's allheal, or woundwort, (stachys palustris,) grows on banks of rivers, and is now in flower. The stem is four-cornered, and rough with hairs, that point towards the root. The flowers grow in whorls, and are of a reddish purple. The leaves are in opposite pairs, like the branches of the vervain. The hedge-nettle, (stachys sylvatica,) may be at once distinguished from the clown's allheal, by its strong scent and heart shaped leaves. The mugwort, (artemisia vulga ris,) is in flower this month. It is of the same genus as the wormwood, to which it bears some resemblance. Its leaves are of a dark green on the upper surface, and cottony underneath. The common puff-ball, (lycoperdon bovista,) has now attained its perfection. This plant, and the others of the same genus, have three coats. The outer coat is tender, and is easily rubbed off; the middle coat is tough, and resembles leather, and the inner coat is connected with the internal substance. This plant belongs to the class cryptogamia, gamia being employed to denote the fructification, and crypto signi fying hidden, or concealed. Cryptogamia, therefore, is appro The vervain, (verbena officinalis,) is in flower this month, and, it is said, "is never found more than a quarter of a mile from a house." The leaves are jagged, the stem four-cornered, and the branches grow in cross pairs. If the lowest pair of branches, therefore, are in the direction of north and south, the next pair will be in the direction of east and west, and the third pair will correspond with the first, &c. The prevailing colour of the flowers is white; but a tendency to red may also be observed. The greater dodder, (cuscuta europea,) may also be found in flower. It must, however, be sought on other plants, from which it derives its nourishment. Its white or purple flowers are small and numerous, and appear to spring out of the plant to which the dodder is attached. It is found on furze, nettles, heaths, and a few other plants. On Epping Forest, it is found on the erica vulgaris, or common heath. The round-leaved belflower, (campanula rotundifolia,) is to be found on heaths, or commons, during this month and the next. It has a round and slender stem, and its flowers are blue, and resemble the form of a bell. The lowest leaves are heart-shaped, or kidney-shaped, and the higher leaves are spearshaped, strap-shaped, and thread-priated to a class of plants, whose shaped. The epithet rotundifolia, fructification is generally involved (round-leaved,) is applicable to in a greater degree of obscurity, the root-leaves, which will escape than that of the plants includnotice, unless the lower part of ed in the other twenty-three the plant is carefully examined. classes. Within the bell-shaped flower V. Remarkable events. will be found five stamina and gust 1, 1589. Henry III, of one pointal.—The white goose-France assassinated at St. Cloud, Au near Paris, by James Clement, | the schism-bill, which threatened a Dominican friar. Aug. 1, 1714. Queen Anne expired, (and with her the schism bill,) at Kensington. Aug. 1, 1798. Nelson's victory of the Nile. Aug. 18, 1746. The Earl of Kilmarnock and Lord Balmerino beheaded on Tower-hill Aug. 24, 1572. The massacre of the Protestants in France, in the reign of Charles IX. Aug. 24, 1662. Act of uniformity under Charles II. Aug. 26, 1346. Battle of Cressy, VI. Births and Deaths of Illustrious Individuals.-August 6, 1651. Birth day of Fenelon, Archbishop of Cambray. He died in 1715. Aug. 11, 1673. Dr. Richard Mead, the author of Medica Sacra, and favourite physician of George II. was born at Stepney, in the house which is now occupied, in part, by the students of the Baptist Academical Institution. His father, Matthew Mead, was ejected from the parish church at Stepney, by the act of uniformity, and for him his congregation built the meeting-house, in which the Rev. George Ford now preaches. Aug. 12, 1762. George Prince of Wales born. Married April 8, 1795, to the Princess Caroline of Brunswick. His daughter, Charlotte Augusta, born Jan. 7, 1796. His Royal Highness appointed Regent, Feb. 6, 1811. Aug. 24. St. Augustine, Bp. of Hippo, in Africa, born A. D. 354-died A. D. 430, in his 77th year. VII. Remarks. If there be two days in this month, more observable than others, by Protestant dissenters, they are the first and the twenty-fourth. The first, on account of the defeat of to take the education of their children out of their own hands; and also, on account of the accession of the House of Brunswick; an event of immense importance in the history of religious liberty. The twenty fourth, on account of the noble testimony of more than two thousand ministers, who sacrificed their livings, and suffered by the act.of uniformity. May the dissenters of the present day prove themselves worthy of their illustrious ancestors! Re cent events in the South of France will powerfully remind Protestants of the horrible massacre of the Protestants in France, under Charles IX. Aug. 24, 1572. Our Nonconformist forefathers used to preach to the young people, on the first, and on the twenty-fourth of August. Why should not this good custom be revived? Would not our young friends be thank. ful for information respecting those men of glorious lives and deeds, of whom the world was not worthy? DESCRIPTION OF CALCUTTA. IN proceeding up the river Hooglee, one of the mouths of the Ganges, the gardens and sumptuous palaces, which meet the eye, announce our approach to the capital of the East, and metropolis of the English empire in Asia, and the finest colony in the world. The magnificence of the residences, the luxury which has converted the banks of the river into delightful gardens, and the costliness and elegance of their decorations, all denote the opulence and power of the con 2 querors of India, and the masters | north, Government-house-street of the Ganges. to the east, and the Government The windings of this river con-house to the south. This square ceal, in some degree, the town contains a fine tank of water, surof Calcutta, which we do not rounded by a rail, at the gates perceive, till we are within a of which sepoys are stationed, to short distance of it. Fort William, prevent the water from being the finest fortress that exists out spoiled. All the inhabitants have of Europe, presents itself imme- free access to fetch water from diately to the sight, which as- this tank, for their private use. tonishes by its grandeur, and the On the N. W. side of the square, splendour of the buildings, that is the monument erected to perare seen above its ramparts. The petuate the cruelty of Srajuddoula, houses, which form the first front who suffocated a number of Euof the tower to the end of the ropeans, in the black hole, which glacis, are so many magnificent formerly stood on this spot. On palaces. All these structures form the S. W. side of the square, are an inconceivably striking pros- the buildings occupied for the pect, and give to the town a most use of the College, founded by noble and majestic appearance. Marquis Wellesley. On the S. E. Calcutta is on the right side side of the fort, are the jail, the of the Ganges, while Serampore, hospital, and the lunatic asylum; Chandernugore, and Chinsura, the the two former very spacious Danish, French, and Dutch Set- buildings. The esplanade is a tlements, are all situate on the fine piece of ground, railed round, left side, a few miles higher up and very extensive. There are the river. The governor-general two good tanks of water in it, resides at Calcutta. Marquis Wel- and it forms a very excellent and lesley has had the honour of airy walk for the inhabitants, in erecting, for future governor- the morning and evening. Dhugenerals, a princely palace, be- rumtulla, Government - housecoming the extent and import-street, Lall-Bazar, Esplanadeance of the British Empire in India. Before this was erected, the governor lived in a house, less elegant than those of many private gentlemen in the settlement. The present truly noble edifice is situate on the esplanade.siness, but too narrow. On the left, in front, are the very elegant buildings, called Chouringee, in which reside some of the principal servants of the East India Company. On the right hand, in front, is a fine view of the fort, and of the river, with the vessels coming into, and going out from the port. The back view looks down into what is called Tank-square. This square has the old fort to the west, the writer's buildings to the row, the Chouringee, &c. are spacious streets. Many of the houses are very magnificent. The Boitukhunna, eastward of the town, contains a fine row of houses. Kussitulla is full of bu All the European houses in Bengal are flat-roofed, having a ballustrade round the top, where many of the inhabitants, at times, take the air. As there are no fires burning in the English houses, the European part of Calcutta is not, like cities in cold countries, covered through the day with a suffocating smoke; a walk or seat at the top of the house, therefore, becomes very pleasant. |