The Author in early life turned his attention to Mineralogy, and in his Father's mines had an opportunity of noticing the visible effects of the deluge.

"When he had finished his education at Cambridge, and had left the University, he took up his residence in Scotland, where his knowledge progressively increased, and prepared him for a more extensive field of observation.

"In the year 1769 he traversed Ireland, and the next year he crossed over to the Continent, that he might pursue his researches in Holland, France, and Flanders. In these journeys he had an opportunity of conversing with men of superior knowledge on these subjects, and on his return to England, he read whatever had been written by modern travellers, descriptive of these geological excursions.

"During successive winters, he ransacked every part of Cornwall, and visited its mines, to all which he had free access.

"In 1786 he again crossed the Channel, examined the Cabinets in France, and had access to the most distinguished mineralogists, Daubanton, De Romé de Lisle, the Abbé Haüy, Besson, Hassenfratz, Chaptal, and Stoutz.

"In Spain he met with few men of science; but in every part of the Peninsula he had opportunities of tracing the effects of the grand revolution, which has happened to our globe.

"Whilst traversing the mountains, and viewing the lakes of Switzerland, he saw innumerable vestiges of the universal deluge, and he is happy to find his opinions confirmed by two of the most experienced naturalists, who received their education in the Alps. In their works the suggestions of his mind met with support, and his deductions from multiplied observations have been confirmed."

The preliminary discussion on the state of the world from the Creation to the Deluge, and on the traditions of the latter amongst the nations of various time, and space, is philosophical, and ingenious, and developes much classical research. He then proceeds to descant on the present state of the earth with its subterrene dislocations, and contents, more fully, indeed, as to this country, but in observations extended to all parts of the world; and, at the close, eloquently draws up his conclusions in vindication of the Mosaical Account of the Deluge. I must now add, that the indefatigable author executed with his own hands the several drawings of the fossils, which, engraved by Hewlett, illustrate his work.

The second volume was published in the year 1815, and is alone devoted to the correspondency of languages both of the past and present times. It displays laborious, and deep, research, and developes Townshend as, I may almost say, an universal linguist! His main point is to prove a general connexion between all languages; and you will be surprised, gentle reader, when I say, that this laborious man establishes affinity between the English and the Sanscrit.

The

Townshend, in his concluding remarks on the correspondences of languages, urges on his readers, that the common opinion, that all languages, now spoken, had their origin in the confusion of tongues at the tower of Babel, is erroneous. prime object of this volume is-to prove, that all known languages sprang from one common parent; and this, I think, he well demonstrates, but-hear his own words—after he has commented on the building of the tower, and the confusion of tongues, and on the various hypotheses connected with these, he proceeds to say, "All that is clear is, that the Almighty confounded their language, that they could not understand one another's speech.' But in what manner, to what extent, and for what duration this confusion lasted, we are not informed.

"Some divines, equally distinguished for learning and for piety, have conjectured, that the confusion, produced at the tower of Babel, was a confusion with respect to worship, creating such disputes as terminated in the dispersion of the builders.

"That the common opinion respecting the confusion of tongues, and the innumerable languages, now spoken upon the face of the earth, as all originating in Babel, is erroneous, must be evident to every one, who is able to trace French, Spanish, Portuguese, and Italian, however now disordant, back to Latin; the Celtic, German, and Gothic languages to Greek; and all these back to Arabic, Chaldee, and Hebrew.

"I have stated the difficulties, which occur to the learned in their interpretations of the record, and their various opinions as to its meaning and extent; but in these I do not feel myself immediately interested.

"All I have undertaken to demonstrate is, that, subsequent to the deluge, the whole earth was of one language, and that a radical affinity may be traced in all the languages, with which we are acquainted. This, I trust, has been performed to the satis

faction of the learned; and, if so, they will readily agree, that the veracity of Moses, in this instance, is established, and rests upon a firin foundation.”

Thus does the erudite Townshend demonstrate the veracity of Moses "as an Historian" by a luminous, and successful, appeal to the Earth, and to the Languages of Man.

NOTE 5-(p. 132.)

"Peace, son," (saith she,) " I think he be one of the Ambassador's fools."

Sir Thomas More was born in the year 1480, in Milk-street, London. He was the only son of Sir John More, one of the Judges of the Court of King's Bench. With such a descent, and studying under the auspices of Morton, Archbishop of Canterbury, and Chancellor of England, it lessens our surprise, that he attained to such subsequent celebrity. Within the compass of this note it is as unnecessary, as it is impossible, to include the numerous events of his busy, and important, life. Suffice it to say, that his abilities raised him to successive high stations, and that, ultimately, he became Lord Chancellor, and was a great favourite with his Sovereign, Henry, the Eighth. More held the Great Seal for nearly three years; but, contemplating the difficulties, into which he was drawn by the extraordinary events of the day, he resigned his high office, after having held it "with a most exemplary diligence, a true magnanimity of spirit, and an undeviating uprightness." He yielded the office in contemplation, that he should be called on to confirm the probable approaching divorce of Henry, the Eighth, from his Queen, Catherine of Arragon, a measure, of which he could not approve. Shortly afterwards the Act of Supremacy passed, and he was arraigned for its denial, and condemned to lose his head. Sir Thomas More was sacrificed to the policy of the State, and not to the calls of justice. He is, with some infelicity of expression, denominated by Antony à Wood, in his "Athene Oxonienses," "one of the greatest prodigies of Wit and Learning, that his Nation ever before his time produced." The praise of wit has ever been conceded to this celebrated Biog. Brit. Art. More.

man by all who have written of him, but he met with his match in the equally-famed Erasmus. The former was a Papist-the latter a zealous Protestant. These two worthies had long corresponded, and "Erasmus came to England on purpose to see his friend; upon which occasion it was contrived, that they should meet at my Lord Mayor's table in London, before they were introduced to each other. At dinner, happening to fall into an argument, Erasmus, feeling the peculiar sharpness of his antagonist's wit, broke out into this expression, not without some choler, ‘Aut tu es Morus, aut nullus,' whereto Sir Thomas readily replied, 'Aut tu es Erasmus, aut Diabolus.' Sir Thomas had here the advantage. But Erasmus, after his return home, paid this debt; when, instead of returning a horse, that had been lent to him by Sir Thomas for that journey, he carried it over to Holland, and sent his friend the following epigram:

'Quod mihi dixisti

De Corpore Christi,

Crede quod edas & edis:

Sic tibi rescribo

De tuo Palfrido,

Crede quod habeas, & habes.""

Erasmus here gave a smart blow to the irrational doctrine of transubstantiation, i. e. that the elements of the bread and wine of the Eucharist are converted by the act of consecration into the actual Body and Blood of our Saviour. However modern Papistry may attempt to explain, no casuist can, for a moment, make me believe, that this doctrine was not clearly, and decidedly, laid down by the Council of Trent, as is testified by Father Paul Sarpi, in his History of that long, and celebrated, Congress.

Nothing can be more true, than that Ghest, Spencer, Ramsey, Hewett, and Smart were, during the raging persecutions of Papists, burnt alive at Salisbury-nothing can be more true, than that Maundrell, Spicer, and Coberly were thus, also, immolated at the stake on the road between Salisbury and Wilton -for refusing to falsify their consciences, and common sensefor denying, that the bread and wine-the Holy Symbols of the Body and Blood of our Blessed Saviour-were truly the Body and Blood of our Saviour himself. That such was the doctrine of the Church of Rome is most incontestable; and, if in modern

Biog. Brit. Art. More.

days, its members deny this doctrine, they then prove, that the tenets of the Romish Faith are changeable, and are changed, notwithstanding their vaunted assertion of its stedfast immutability. This is a logical dilemma, from which they cannot escape. I must confess, that the explanations of the Real Presence in the Eucharist, as endeavoured to be given by modern Papists, involve such mysticism, as far surpasses the limited powers of my finite understanding.

To resume. Of the writings of More, his " Utopia" is the most celebrated. "Our author feigns this country to be one of those then lately discovered in America, and the account of it to be given to him by one Hythlodius, a Portuguese, who sailed in company with Americus Vesputius, the first discoverer of that quarter of the world. Many learned men were pleased with the description of the climate and manners of the people; and, having no suspicion of the truth, out of a fervent zeal, wished, that some divines might be sent thither to preach Christianity, and several were very desirous to take their voyage. Soon after its publication it was translated into French, Italian, Dutch, and into English, both by our author himself, and several others, especially Bishop Burnet.

"The Bishop tells us he did it to improve himself in the English Language, but besides he has censured some passages as not consistent with moral virtue, particularly a community of goods. And, indeed, Sir Thomas himself, in his maturer age, retracted some things advanced in his Utopia.'" The foregoing passages are excerpts from the "Biographia Britannica." To the same purpose the quaint, but interesting, Tom Fuller thus speaketh of More: " Among his Latin Books his Utopia beareth the bell, containing the idea of a complete Commonwealth in an imaginary Island, (but pretended to be lately discovered in America,) and that so lively counterfeited, that many, at the reading thereof, mistook it for a real truth; insomuch, that many great learned men, as Budæus and Johannes Paludanus, upon a fervent zeal, wished, that some excellent Divines might be sent thither to preach Christ's Gospel; yea, there were here amongst us at home sundry good men, and learned Divines very desirous to undertake the Voyage, to bring the people to the faith of Christ, whose manners they did so well

like.'

"Worthies of England," Vol. ii. p. 69.