been obtained for instructing the females of the higher classes. A learned native has also written a pamphlet, to prove that it was customary among the Hindoos in ancient times, particularly of the higher classes, to educate their females. Thus is education making its way in India, in spite of oppositions which many wise, benevolent, and even religious men have pronounced insurmountable; and we are not without sanguine hopes that it will spread also in Turkey, a soil as unpropitious, perhaps more so, seeing that the tract of the Society on Education has just been reprinted at the press of the Bashaw of Grand Cairo.-In the West Indies, an agent has been appointed to visit the different islands, for the purpose of ascertaining the practicability of establishing schools for the instruction of the labouring classes of the community, so as to enable them to read the scriptures, and we are happy to find, that at a public meeting of the inhabitants of Dominica, at which the chief-justice presided, an auxiliary to the Society was formed, for carrying into execution this, among others of its benevolent objects. The Earl of Huntingdon, the governor of the island, has readily accepted the patronage of the new society, at the same time assuring its founders, that the parent institution may at all times rely on every assistance in his power to render it.

The agents of the METHODIST MISSION lately opened a new chapel in Madras, where they are proceeding successfully in their work, and would do much more good, had they Missionaries there in a number in any measure adequate to the demand for their labours. The schools in Ceylon are in a flourishing condition, and it is highly honourable to their characters to have it recorded of the governor, Sir Edward Paget, and Sir Richard Ottley, the chief-justice, that they afford every encouragement to this important work; both of them, accompanied by the lady of the former, having attended the public examination of the schools at Colombo, and personally distributed rewards to the children who deserved them. In other parts of the island new schools have been erected, some without expense to the Society. The congregations at the chapels are increasing, and bere and there a native is to be found publicly renouncing the follies of Buddhuism, and embracing, in all their simplicity, the doctrines of the cross. Near Kornegalloe, oneof the chiefs allowed the Missionary of the Society to preach in his house, and often attends the public services in the mission-house, and not unfrequently the prayer meetings also. He is very anxious for the establishment of schools in his village, and seems inquiring into the truth of Christianity for himself, being in the course of reading the new testament in order. The ravages of the cholera morbus have, however, seriously impeded the progress of the mission here, though there appears to be very good ground to hope that its operations are recommencing under more pleasing prospects. In the South-Seas a new mission is about to be opened on the island of Tonga, whose chief formerly shewed remarkable kindness to the agents of the London Society, and who is still very anxious to receive any Missionaries that may choose to visit his island. The Missionary who has proceeded to this new station from South Wales, takes with him a small breeding stock of cattle, presented to him by the governor of the colony, out of the the government flocks and herds. Even on New-Zealand some light appears to shine again, for the agent of this Society having been able to weather the storm of the late convulsion there, is beginning

to make progress in his work. He can already read the prayers and
hymns in the language of the country, and the fierce native cannibals
join in repeating and singing these Christian compositions. In the
West Indies, great and increasing success attends the unremitting
labours of the active agents of this Society. In Antigua the schools
flourish extensively, and are in such general repute, that the mer-
chants and planters of the island gladly come forward to move and
second resolutions at their anniversary meetings. At Montserrat
the Speaker of the House of Assembly has invited the Missionaries
to visit and preach upon his estate, which they do with freedom and
success. The foundation-stone of a new chapel has been laid at
St. Christopher's, where the work is still progressively advancing.
The same pleasing statement may be made with respect to St. Bar-
tholomew's, where the foundation-stone of the chapel was lately laid
by Sir John Norderling, the governor of the island, who publicly
walked at the head of the procession formed for the purpose. At
Demerara the prospect of usefulness is also rapidly enlarging, the
negroes every where evincing a strong desire to be instructed.

The indefatigable Missionaries of the SCOTTISH SOCIETY are pro-
ceeding in their arduous undertaking of converting the Tartars to Chris-
tianity, amidst alternate discouragements and hopes. At one village
they are derided, insulted, driven away, and threatened with expul-
sion, and even death; whilst at another, the bigoted Mahomedan
inhabitants after listening to them for a while, turn away, from an
evident fear of the impression these strange doctrines might make.
They will not hear, lest they should repent and be saved; yet at
some few places, the people hear them gladly, and evidently remem.
ber what they hear. With the Persians, the prospect of success
seems not quite so distant, as the scriptures are very widely circu-
lated amongst a people who can read them, which few of the Tartars
can. The exertions of the mission attracts considerable notice, not
only at Astrachan, but throughout] Persia, for whilst priests and
laymen visiting the former place, frequently seek out its agents, to
dispute with them on the comparative merits of the Christian and
Mohamedan systems, they were lately surprised at a request made
through a merchant for a copy of the scriptures in Arabic, for the
use of one of the chief Mollahs of Ispahan. This request was of
course gladly complied with, as far as they possessed the ability to
do so, for the psalms and the new testament were all they had in
Arabic, though they added to them a Persian testament.

The new PROTESTANT MISSIONARY SOCIETY IN PARIS has already
commenced its operations by engaging to support Mr. King, an Ame
rican, who has for some time been in the French capital acquiring
the Arabie, during the first year of a mission to the Holy Land, where,
as soon as instructions can be sent out to him, he is expected to suc-
ceed Mr. Parsons as the agent of one of the Missionary Societies of
his native land. Accompanied by Mr. Fisk, the colleague of that
lamented Missionary, he left Malta for the holy city on the 3d of
January last, taking with him a large supply of the scriptures in dif-
ferent languages, and of tracts in Italian, Greek, Arabic, and Persic,
printed either at the press of the American Mission, established on
the island, or at those of the Church Missionary and Prayer Book
and Homily Societies. We rejoice to learn that auxiliaries to this
new, but useful institution, which, with the Bible Society of Paris, will
VOL. VII.~No. 13.

R

A New and Compendious System of Modern Geography.

BY THOMAS MYERS, A.M.

An Account of a Miracle wrought by Prince de Hohenlohe,

on the 16th of June, 1823, on Miss Maria Lalor, of

Roskelton. By the Right Rev. Dr. JAMES DOYLE,

O. S. A.

The Life and Miracles of St: Winifred, Virgin Martyr,

PAGE

343

365

THE INVESTIGATOR.

OCTOBER, 1823.

On Bigotry and Superstition.

As on the true import of words depends accuracy of language and correctness of ideas, I offer some remarks on two words in our language, which in common conversation, and even with authors, are frequently employed the one for the other, although essentially different in their original meaning, and widely dissimilar in their influences-BIGOTRY and SUPERSTITION.

By SUPERSTITION, I understand, as its etymology seems to import, a standing upon,-a seeking some other than a proper foundation; a misplaced attachment and importance given to ceremonial observances; a clinging to palpable and material objects as the media of celestial intercourse; an attempt to bend heavenly essences to earthly feelings.

BIGOTRY I consider an intemperate desire to propagate and enforce opinions, regardless of the diversities in the feelings and the faculties of mankind; a furious zeal; a rage for proselytism, uncontrolled by judgment, unrestrained by charity.

Superstition is an individual feeling, which centres in itself, and is rarely injurious to others. Occupied with its trifles, or absorbed in its contemplations, it seeks no associates to partake its reveries, no train to witness its observances. It still partakes of the essence of true religion, in the grasping after future and eternal good by the renunciation of present enjoyment. Superstition, in some temperaments, is the spring of high and ecstatic feeling. It is the imaginative faculty, disencumbered of earth, and sustained by heavenly visions, with a more daring wing and bolder flight ascending the celestial sublime, holding converse with angels, and melting into visions of eternal day. The devout meditations of Madame Guyon, and of Mrs. Rowe, although highly tinctured with superstition, create a wish to partake their feelings; and the celestial visions of the seraphic doctors of the Romish church throw into shade the grosser scenes of earth, and induce a feeling of the evanescent nature of terrestrial enjoyment, and a wish to partake of their heavenly banquet. Even the gloomier superstitions VOL. VII. No. 14.

S

serve as a centre of union to the Protestants of France, are already springing up in different departments.

The MISSIONARY SOCIETY OF THE METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH IN THE UNITED STATES have met with considerable success amongst the Wyandot Cherokee Indians, several of whom have joined the church, whilst not a few have submitted to the Christian ordinance of marriage. The big-warrior, one of the most celebrated chiefs of the Cherokee nations, has, however, unexpectedly manifested an opposition to the preaching of the gospel, notwithstanding which, the Missionaries persevere, and have established a school, which is increasingly attended.

POLITICAL RETROSPECT.

We have neither time nor room for our usual retrospect of the political news of this quarter, and happily it has not been sufficiently important to require immediate notice of more than the one subject which engrosses the attention of every friend of liberty, and hater of oppression. We need scarcely say that we allude to the conduct of France with regard to Spain, which is, if possible, every day more and more severely reprobated by every generous mind. No one indeed, a few, and a very few ultra-Tory newspaper editors excepted, affect to justify it; whilst the negociations laid upon the tables of our two Houses of Parliament, leave to the aggression upon Spain not a shadow of an excuse, as, in the course of it, the French ministry themselves have stated, that their grounds of difference admitted not of specification. The armies which they have sent into the country thus singularly offending, have in the meanwhile been so far successful, as to have advanced to the capital, comparatively speaking, without a blow. But a better organized army, under a better general, (if general, the Duke D'Angouleme deserves to be called,) had, it must be remembered, possession of that capital for a much longer period, and yet were ultimately driven from it and from the country, which they had unjustly invaded; and this will, we trust, be the case again, if the Spaniards can be supplied with arms. For this purpose, a subscription has been commenced in London. We were present at the meeting which led to its formation, and never on any occasion did we witness such unanimity as was there exhibited, in reprobating the unwarrantable invasion of the French, and expressing the most cordial wishes for the successful resistance of the Spaniards. Of their capabilities to resist, Lord William Bentinck, the gallant and noble chairman of the meeting, Lord Lynedoch, one of our Peninsular heroes, and several other general officers who served in the late war in Spain, pronounced a very confident opinion; and notwithstanding the treachery of some, and the supineness of many of them, we entertain a similar hope for the ultimate deliverance of this gallant people, and are sure that every Englishman, who feels as he ought to do upon the subject, will render them every assistance in his

power.