to embrace all parties of Curers, not only licensed, but unlicensed as well-a code, e.g., which should recognise the primary importance of treating disease according to natural principles, and should not disdain on fitting occasions to employ either aperient medicines, or stimulants and narcotics. This course, however, was much too obvious and logical to be adopted by such an illogical nation as the Anglicani. They reasoned after their wonted manner. The xxxix Formulæ are ancient, therefore they are good. The xxxix Formulæ have done good service, therefore they are now to be retained. Their fathers had physicked themselves by the xxxix Formulæ, in filial obedience they could do no less. Besides, if they were daring enough to abrogate what the wisdom of bygone centuries had consecrated by authoritative sanction and daily use, they were not sure of being able to substitute anything better in its place. The consequence remained that twothirds of the Curers might be said to be practising physic illegally; and though the higher medical authorities contrived to wink at this, yet the effect upon the patients was not to establish that confidence in their doctors which was desirable, while upon the Curers the equally hurtful effect was produced of making them false to their open and avowed professions, as well as of exciting in them an unhealthy desire to prove that every remedy they chose to devise was in some occult manner sanctioned by the legal Formulæ.

The anomaly involved in allow. ing the existing state of things to continue will be more clearly seen by a few specific illustrations. A man, we will suppose, was suffering from a combined attack of Modern Science and Biblical Criticism (for these two complaints often went together). One characteristic of these diseases was to induce a perverted appetite for forbidden kinds of food, together with a morbid

dislike and suspicion of all kinds of physic. In such a case it was more likely that the patient's medical adviser would come to visit him than that he should have recourse to his medical adviser. Of course the opinion which the Curer would have of the disease, as well as the best method of cure, would depend entirely on the party to which he might happen to belong. Let us suppose he was of the lowering or antiphlogistic party. He, perhaps, would mix up a compound after the prescriptions Nos. vi. or vii. of the xxxix Formulæ, and direct his patient to swallow it. Suppose he was able to do so, and in case of No. vii this was no small feat, it is probable that he would not feel the least benefit from the physic; for these prescriptions merely referred to certain local and temporary symptoms, and were not of the slightest service, when, as was often the case, the disease of Biblical Criticism had penetrated the man's entire system. A Curer of either of the other two parties would of course have treated such a case very differently; if he chanced to be of the high-feeding party he would have prescribed an anodyne (not included in the xxxix Formula) which might have the effect of deadening the irritation, but which was of no use in removing the source of the complaint. If he belonged to the natural party, he would have regarded the disease as a necessary accompaniment of vigorous strength, as a natural restlessness to be guided rather than thwarted. But so far as the xxxix Formulæ went, each of these latter Curers would probably have acknowledged themselves perfectly helpless.

Taking another disease, that of Christian Charity, no doubt the framers of the xxxix Formula had providentially foreseen and provided for the prevalence of this rare complaint. Accordingly we find no less than three out of the xxxix, and, therefore, one-thirteenth of the whole

code, especially directed against this infirmity. Formulæ Nos. ix and xiii, if they could only be swallowed, digested, and assimiassimilated, were very efficacious in ridding the patient of this weakness as well as strengthening his frame against future attacks; while No. xviii was a well-known powerful irritant blister to be placed on the heart (the seat of the complaint); and if the patient could only bear it long enough, it was warranted to draw out a considerable portion of the watery humour which by lodging there caused the attack. Both the lowering and high-feeding parties among the Curers were, as we have said, deadly foes to this complaint. The natural party, on the other hand, considered that it was an essential accompaniment of sound health, and that its symptoms needed fostering rather than repression. It is needless to add, that these three remedies against Christian Charity were to this party the most objectionable features of the xxxix Formulæ.

It is impossible for us to add anything more as to the working of the xxxix Formulæ in respect of the new diseases of Modern Science, Enquiry, and Scepticism, inasmuch as there was not a single prescription of the whole xxxix that could be even partially brought to bear upon them.

Enough has now been said on the anomalous and altogether ridicilous position which the xxxix Formulæ occupied among that curious nation the Anglicani: our readers will not therefore be surprised to learn that formal attempts to abrogate them were made from time to time. These attempts originated with the natural party (their high-feeding brethren agreeing in the attempt, though not in the reasons assigned for making it), but were vehemently opposed by the lowering party. This state of things,

we are credibly informed, is up to this time in existence, notwithstanding the advance which the Anglicani are said to have made in all other arts and sciences. They have reformed their political code, their moral code, their social code-their code of health is as yet unreformed.

- their

One portentous result of this state of things is said to be gradually manifesting itself at the time of our writing; there is said to be growing up among them an indisposition, worse than any by which they have as yet been affected, and that is nothing less than an indisposition towards physic of every kind. Nor, under the circumstances Curers divided into different parties, and professing to prescribe medicines in which they have no faith, is this result much to be wondered at. That physic of some sort is, however, needful for them is easily proved; for it is not to be supposed that any nation of men possessing ordinary human bodies, with their infinitely varied, complex, and often delicate organisations, exposed to a variety of disturbing influences, should never suffer from derangement of function, or some other kind of disorganisation. It may, however, well be, that the Anglicani, without realising the fact that the fault is their own, have, like the well-known patient whose case is described in their old Pharmacopoeia, 'suffered many things of many physicians.' It appears to us that the exercise of very ordinary faculties, of which the Anglicani have in other matters no lack, viz. common sense and resolution, is the main thing needed to prevent their condition from becoming in all respects like that of the patient just alluded to, in which case the words of the Pharmacopoeia, next following the above quotation, may unhappily become applicable to themselves. Avertat omen Deus.

charity, the offering, the fire of the altar; that by God the sacrifice is performed; and that God is to be obtained by him who makes God alone the object of his works."

'My friend,' replied the missionary, if what you assert is really the case, how is it that the pure Theism which the best of your ancestors believed was confined to them, and did not gradually spread through the length and breadth of the land?'

The answer to that, sir, is extremely simple. The minds of my ancestors being advanced and strengthened by study and reflection, felt able to stand alone without any go-between or barrier between them and God. But they knew well that, to the uneducated and undeveloped mind, the leap from man to God direct is too great, and that the demand for some mediator or inferior deity, who is near to man and yet within close reach of God, must be supplied in some way or other. And that this was really their view may be seen from the following passage from one of our ancient books, which says:

"Those who worship the Indivisible, Unmanifested, Omnipresent, are esteemed the most devoted; but the labour of directing thought to an object without manifest form is great, and with difficulty attained by mortals, and worship is recommended under the manifested form." But, sir, if you will only look round the world, you will find that no religion can become popular without some intermediate personage or deity; and hence we see Bhuddha between God and the Bhuddhists, Christ between God and the Christians, Mahomet between God and the Mahometans. But to many minds one go-between is not sufficient. Hence the worship of the Virgin Mary, and the homage paid to numerous saints. Hence the visits to various shrines paid by the Indian

Mahometans. Now my ancestors, as I said before, plainly recognised this, and hence what is called the Brah minical religion, which has lasted so long, but which is now perceptibly crumbling away before Western civilisation and knowledge. And the worst of it is, sir, that nothing is rising in its place. As for us, the higher and educated Hindoos, the Brahmo Somaj is sufficient; but the masses are plainly in want of, and must have, some religion with a mediator or go-between; and it would, indeed, be a great and mighty work to furnish them with some useful creed. As far as I can see, they had far better take their choice between Bhuddhism and Christianity, which are certainly the two best religions in the world, and which, from their having both got on so well, must contain principles suitable to the general wants of the bulk of the human race. I confess that I should consider it a matter of indifference which of the two they adopted, as they resemble each other in such an extraordinary degree; but as no Bhuddhist countries seem willing to pay for converting my countrymen, we are necessarily thrown back on Christianity alone; and if that religion were only put before the people in a proper form, I see no reason why it should not be ultimately adopted.'

Here a slight pause took place. The day, however, was advancing, and the Brahmin, wishing to depart for his midday meal, and being apparently tired of the discussion, made the customary parting saluta tion. But, before he had left the crowd, the missionary said:

6

My friend, you seem to have taken a great deal of interest in religious matters, and I should like to have another conversation with you on the subject.'

'Sir,' answered the Brahmin, ‘I shall be very happy to call on you, but if I do so, I am sure you will

suffer me to talk with freedom about your missions and your religion. I confess that I seldom like to do so with your countrymen, who have seldom enough imagination to enter into our position. Let me tell you a story which I have laid much to heart. A friend of mine, when travelling in one of the coasting steamers, fell into conversation with an Englishman regarding religion. The Englishman attacked the Hindoo religion without scruple, and wondered how people of education. and intelligence could find any good in it. My friend, who, I forgot to tell you, is an orthodox Hindoo, waited until he had quite done, and then commenced to make some observations on the Englishman's belief. He naturally began with the Old Testament, and pointed out that the story of the creation of the world certainly eclipsed the most monstrous Hindoo legends, and that if the charge of indecency could be brought against them, there were a good many stories in the Old Testament of a kind which showed that that volume had no great pretensions to purity. Turning next to the New Testament, and alluding to the fact that Christ was repeatedly said to be the Son of God, he drew some conclusions which, though natural enough, I will not shock your ears by repeating. My friend was then just about to point out what seemed to him to be some further defects in the story of the origin of the Christian religion, when the Englishman said, "You have grossly insulted my religion, and I'll not hear another word. I cannot bring myself to say what you deserve for having spoken thus." To this my friend answered: "Sir, when you abused and turned into ridicule the whole of my religion, I sat quiet, and, whatever I may have felt, showed no sign of anger; but when I commence to pick holes in yours,

you look as if you would like to throw me overboard."

The Brahmin then went his way, while the missionary, betaking himself to his tent, sat down and meditated much and wearily on the difficulties of the life he had entered

on.

On the morning following the Brahmin repaired to the tent of the missionary, and after the usual salutations the conversation was commenced by the Indian, who spoke thus:

'Sir, before we begin to talk about the religion that my countrymen are in want of, I will, if you will allow me, give you a short account of my life, to let you see how it came to pass that I had such good opportunities of making myself acquainted with your mission system, and how the interest in religion shown by your people gradually absorbed so much of my attention. My father, who died some years ago, was a poor Brahmin who gained a scanty subsistence by letting a few fields which the family had held for generations. But though poor, he had always a taste for learning, and was, comparatively speaking, well versed in those Sanskrit books which are usually studied by the most advanced of my countrymen. His anxiety for learning naturally extended itself to his family, and as a wealthy relation who lived in Calcutta offered to take me in, I accordingly repaired to that city and studied hard at one of the missionary schools of the Scotch Church. Shortly after this I made the acquaintance of a gentleman you must often have heard of -Dr. Ogilvie, who spent more than twenty-five years in mission work, and who, you may probably have heard, preferred to remain in India and die at his post, though he had to carry out that educational missionary system against which his life was one long protest. The good Doctor, I am informed, and I quite