provement of the people, and would be responsible for their actions and advice. The affairs of education aud religion would be far safer in their hands than in those of merchants, lawyers, soldiers, and politicians, who may be excellent judges of what concerns their own professions, without being qualified to decide upon the best method of propagating Christianity. In order to explain our meaning, and shew how we conceive that such a plan would operate, we venture humbly to suggest that some one of our Bishops should move the House of Lords to print the correspondence of Bishop Middleton and Bishop Heber with the India Board and the Court of Directors. The country might then ascertain the opinions of these distinguished men respecting what is done, or is doing, or ought to be done, for India; and the public sentiments on this subject, hitherto formed exclusively upon lay-authority, might be corrected or confirmed, as occasion should require, by the opinions of prelates who have devoted their lives to the business upon which they are consulted.

We close our observations with an extract from Mr. Lushington's concluding chapter. It is not the least valuable portion of the work which he has given to the Indian public, and it ought to be known and attended to in this country :

"It is now established beyond a doubt, that, to a certain extent, the natives avail themselves of the means of education with great eagerness, and that, in many instances, they are not even deterred from the pursuit of knowledge, by its being conveyed to them through the channel of our religious books. After all, however, the circumstance of their consenting to learn to read in the New Testament is no irrefragable evidence of their prejudice against the Christian religion being diminished. It only marks more clearly to what extent the inferior classes will go, with the view of acquiring a species of knowledge so essential, in their estimation, to their success in life. Numerous as is the attendance on the schools instituted on the improved plan of education, that attendance only lasts until the pupil has acquired sufficient knowledge of reading, writing, and accounts, to enable him to gain a livelihood, and to enter into the innumerable fraternity of writers and sircars; and so intent are both parents and children on the attainment of this universal object, that they trouble not themselves as to the doctrines of the books which they peruse, provided they lead to worldly profit and a lucrative employment. This, at least, may be said to be the general feeling among the particular classes alluded to, in Calcutta and its vicinity. Nor, as their minds are at present constituted, is any other result reasonably to be expected, though even this rude cultivation, and a happy combination of circumstances, may produce wholesome fruits; since even a general, though imperfect knowledge of the language of an enlightened European nation, among so numerous a

class, can scarcely fail, especially when assisted by other means of improvement in active operation around them, of gradually, though perhaps slowly, awakening and enlarging their minds to more elevated pursuits. But, in the actual condition of their intellect, if any impression were temporarily made by the books from which their school lessons are learned, it must soon be effaced for want of renovation, and by the deadening effects of sordid occupations.

"It is not meant, by these remarks, to depreciate the benefits of general education among the middling and lower classes of the community; on the contrary, there cannot be a more noble or praiseworthy object, and no more efficacious means of improving the morals, dispositions, and industrious and orderly habits of the great body of the population, than establishing a cheap and easy access to the sources of elementary instruction. To be effectual, however, in enlightening the human mind, and liberating it from the shackles of debasing and enslaving prejudices, education must apparently commence nearer to the top of society, and its progress be downwards. It is not, therefore, from the classes just alluded to, that any material improvement, in the higher branches of knowledge, ought to be expected. We must look to it in those who find the means of more systematic education, by entering the colleges, and who are enabled to go through a regular course of literature and science, and who possess ability and enterprise to pursue those European studies by which their minds will become enlightened, and prepared to prosecute inquiries, which, if contrary to every reasonable probability, they do not ultimately produce convictions of inestimable value to their future welfare, must at least exalt them in the rank of moral and intellectual beings, and contribute largely to their temporal happiness and to the improvement of their countrymen.". ."—p. 217-220.

"It is undeniable that the success of our endeavours for enlightening the Indian world has been great beyond the hopes of the most sanguine; that the progress may keep pace with the favourable commencement, depends upon the prudence and circumspection with which future operations shall be conducted. So extraordinary has been the advance, and so widely has the illumination penetrated through the darkness, that a return to former obscurity seems almost impracticable. Besides, it cannot be consistent with the designs of Providence, that virtuous projects, undertaken as acceptable to his will, should be rendered nugatory in the midst of their utility and promise of greater efficacy."-p. 224.

effected without the interIt is evident, that from the natives of Bengal, neither

"This desirable consummation may be vention of itineracies and field-preaching. mildness, goodnature, and apathy of the tumults nor insurrections of a grave nature ensue, even from the intrusion of missionaries at their festivals, and on other occasions, when the bigotry of the natives is worked up to the highest pitch of excitement, and that the mischief accruing to missionaries themselves from opposition is confined to a certain quantity of reviling, spitting upon, and pelting; but it is lamentable that the European character should

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be exposed to such disgrace,-that the pleader for the Christian temples' should be so degraded, and that the cause itself, excellent and praiseworthy as it is, should be brought into disrepute by efforts which every day's experience shows to be nugatory and productive of injurious consequences."-pp. 227, 228,

ART. XI.-Coup d'œil sur l'Etat actuel de l'Astronomie Pratiquè en France et en Angleterre. Par Alfred Gautier, Professeur d'Astronomie dans l'Academie de Genêve. A Genêve, 1825. THE work which we have placed at the head of this article was published in several successive numbers of the Bibliothèque Universelle of Geneva, and contains the observations of the author on the state of practical astronomy in France and in England, which were made during his travels in those countries. The subject is one of some difficulty and delicacy, and requires a full acquaintance both with the theory and practice of astronomical observations: we feel it to be but justice to the author, however, to express our conviction, that few persons could come better prepared for the task which he has undertaken to execute than himself. He was already well known to the scientific world by an elaborate "History of the Problem of the Three Bodies," which showed him to be profoundly acquainted with the most difficult researches of physical astronomy, and to be perfectly familiar with all the refinements of modern analysis; and the Memoirs which he has subsequently published on the longitude of Geneva, and on other subjects, since the observatory of his native city was placed under his direction, give very satisfactory proofs of his knowledge of practical astronomy. In addition to such acquisitions, he brings a spirit of candour and impartiality, with a freedom from national prejudices, which must win the confidence and good will of every reader, and which entitles his opinions and judgments, whenever he ventures to make them decidedly known, to every respect and consideration. In the absence, however, of any positive faults, there is one of a negative character, of which we feel compelled to accuse him-he is too liberal of his praises, and too sparing of his censures; and his gratitude for the kindness and attention which he experienced at the different establishments which he visited has in some cases got the mastery of a judg ment which would otherwise in some instances have expressed itself with greater severity, or with less decided approbation. We are not much disposed, however, to quarrel with a fault which places the character of our author in so very amiable a light.

The present is not the only example of a journey undertaken for astronomical purposes: in the years 1768 and 1769, John Bernoulli, a descendant of the illustrious mathematician of the same name, visited the principal observatories of Germany, France, and England, and published the result of his observations upon them in a work entitled Lettres Astronomiques où l'on donne une idée de l'Etat actuel de l'Astronomie Pratique dans plusieurs Villes de l'Europe. The period of this journey was one of considerable interest for astronomy, on account of the preparations which were making for observing the transit of Venus, which took place in the second of those years, the observation of which was so important for the more accurate determination of the parallax of the sun. The object and execution of this work are extremely similar to that of our author; and the comparison of their details,-of the state of the same establishments, at the respective times of their visits, will in many cases furnish us with important information on the changes which have taken place, both in the methods of . observation, and the instruments made use of; in short, will enable us to judge, not merely of the progress of practical astronomy in that interval of time, but likewise of the causes which have led to it.

The first object of the notice of our author is the observatory of Greenwich, which has contributed more than all other similar establishments in Europe to the improvement of astronomical science; and he indulges in a very natural expression of enthusiasm, inspired by its beautiful situation, by its magnificent instruments, and by the recollections of the great men of whose labours it has been the scene. In many respects, however, its position, though picturesque and delightful to the eye, is unfortunate for its objects: though placed on a considerable elevation, it is not above the vapours and fogs of the Thames, as well as of the smoke of the numerous steam-engines, which frequently obscure the view to the north; and the exhalations from the trees in the Park, in hot and damp weather, causes an undulatory movement of the air, which is so considerable as materially to injure the observations: it would be difficult, however, to select any situation in the neighbourhood of London, which would not be liable to objections equally if not more serious; and the vicinity of the artists and men of science of the metropolis, as well as other causes, is much too important an advantage to make its removal to a greater distance desirable.

Whatever opinion, however, may be entertained of its situation, it is impossible to deny that the building itself is ill adapted to its objects, and altogether unworthy of the national observatory of the greatest of maritime nations. The lofty octagon, which forms

the most conspicuous part of the building, is altogether useless for the purposes of observation, and limits the range of the equatorial instruments which are placed in the small turrets or pavilions on each side of it,-an inconvenience of a most grave and serious kind, which renders it frequently necessary to make use of two different instruments to observe the same comet or other celestial object during the same day or night, and which has contributed so much to the neglect of observations out of the meridian, a subject of such frequent and just reproach to this establishment. Again, the rooms on the ground-floor to the east of the great mass of the building of the observatory, in which the meridian instruments are placed, are too small and too low; they have been built from time to time without any regular plan, to meet the increasing wants occasioned by the addition of new instruments; and we consequently do not find those precautions for securing a temperature perfectly uniform throughout, and to prevent the effects of partial and unequal heating, so fatal to the accurate assignment of the refraction, which ought to have been taken, in case the observatory had been built upon a plan which could have embraced fully all its objects, and which could have provided, at least to a great extent, against the most common and best understood of those sources of error.

The history of the successive instruments which have been placed in this observatory is nearly identified with the history of practical astronomy. Flamstead, who was the first astronomer-royal, was appointed in 1676, and the quadrant which he used in the observations which are recorded in his Historia Cœlestis, was made by himself and the celebrated calculator, Abraham Sharp. At his death, his instruments, which were private property, were claimed by his heirs. In 1722, his illustrious successor, Halley, commenced his observations with the transit instrument, the first ever made or used, which is still preserved as a precious relique, in commemoration of the services which it has rendered to astronomy: it is about four feet long, and is fixed near one end of the axis, in order to counteract the effects of flexure; and though rude and inartificial, compared with the productions of modern art, it possesses great advantages from its lightness, and is capable of giving results incomparably more accurate than the quadrants which were used by his predecessors. In 1725, the celebrated artist, Graham, completed the great mural quadrant of eight-feet radius, with an accuracy of division, and a firmness of construction, which far surpassed all former instruments. With these instruments those observations were made which enabled Halley to give a perfection to the tables of the moon's motions, which fully justified his anticipation of their future importance in the most useful of all the applications of