a few days "another priest made application to be permitted to embrace Christianity, and to be publicly baptized, as an example to his countrymen. This man is at present receiving the necessary instruction; and as soon as he has made adequate proficiency in the principles of our religion, he will be permitted to avow the renuncia tion of his own faith, and the adoption of ours, in the same way which the other priest has done.

"About a year ago, a Mahometan mer. chant of Jaffna, came down to Columbo, and was publicly baptized in our church. He had long been weighing the comparative merits of the Koran and the Testament, and had fully decided in favour of the latter, when he came to me while I was at Jaffna in last March, and stated to me his conviction of the truth of Christianity, and his desire to become a Christian. I advised that he should be brought down from Jaffna, and admitted into our faith, under the protection of the Governor. This had the desired effec; for although the other Mahometans had endeavoured to deter him from changing his religion, by open threats, they desisted from their intended persecu. tion of him the moment they found he was protected by persons in power. He has since gone back to Jaffna; and I had the pleasure of knowing, when I was there in October, that he had succeeded in getting forty or fifty Mahometans to attend him daily for the purpose of learning the principles of a religion which seemed to them to have carried such conviction to his mind. This is just what was to be wished for: and I have little doubt that his example will produce the most extensive effect among the

diffrent villages of his countrymen, who are settled all along the sea coasts of our island.

"When at Jaffna, I had the satisfaction to know that many of the most intelligent of the Bramins of that place had read the New Testament, and two of them were fully impressed with the truth of the religion it teaches When next there, I expect to have an opportunity of conversing with many of them on the subject, and hearing from them the progress which they have made in understanding the nature of our religion. The conversion of these Bramins is very desirable, not only from the influence which they possess over the minds of the inhabitants of the province of Jaffna, but also from the continual communication which is kept up between them and the Bramins of the island of Ramiseram, through whom they may very easily disseminate the principles of Christianity in every part of India; Ramiseram, being one of the greatest places of resort in the South of India for all the devotees and pilgrims of the Hindoo religion.

"The members of the Bible Society at Columbo have every reason to be satisfied with the progress which our interpreters have made in the new translation of the Testament. Almost the whole of the translation is finished, and a great part of it has been revised; so that we shall soon begin to have it printed. In the mean time, great numbers of the copies of the former translation are daily distributed; and, I dare say, we shall soon perceive that the doctrines of Christianity are much more generally understood in this island than they ever were before."

BATTLE OF WATERLOO.

Ir were vain to attempt to express, in any adequate terms, the feelings of gratitude to the Supreme Disposer of events, with which we contemplate the splendid success recently achieved by the duke of Welling ton, in the neighbourhood of Brussels. The battle of Waterloo will stand distinguished in the page of history; not only for the consummate skill and unequalled valour displayed by the combatants, but for the Christ. Observ. No. 162.

momentous consequences to Europe and Of all the arduous conflicts in which the the world which it cannot fail to produce. great Wellington has been engaged, this appears to be by far the most important; directly and immediately to the peace and and its result will probably contribute more happiness of mankind than even his many former victories.

The situation in which the allies were placed gave a manifest advantage to the 3 H

enemy. The Duke of Wellington and Mashal Blucher naturally abstained from acting on the offensive, until the rest of the allies should come up And, in the mean time, it was necessary that their troops should be to a considerable degree dispersed, not merely for the sake of subsistence, but that they might more effectually cover Belgium The army that was first in a situation to assume the offensive could therefore concentrate its whole force, and direct it upon any given point; but if the army which stood on the defensive had concentrated itself, before the point of hostile attack was indicated, other parts of Belgium would have been exposed to the incursions of the enemy. Bonaparte saw his advantage, and availed himself of it.

The Prussian army was cantoned on the Sambre, between Thuin and Lobez; that of the duke of Wellington in advance of Brussels. Having collected a force of about 130.000 men, the flower of the French army, Bonaparte attacked the Prussian posts on the 15th, and drove them back with some loss. On the even ing of that day, this intelligence was conveyed to the English commander, who im mediately put his army in motion. The next day the French renewed the attack on the Prussian lines, and also on that part of the British force which had come up; and although the allies maintained their position, and completely repulsed all the efforts of the enemy to force it, yet the loss they sustained was so heavy, particularly on the part of the Prussians, of whom no less than 16,000 men are stated to have been either katted or wounded in the different charges made upon them, that it was judged proper to retire on their reinforcements, which were advancing. They effected their purpose without being molested by the enemy; and took a position, the English army in front of Waterloo, and the Prussians at Wavre One corps of the French army having been left to watch Blucher, whose line had been greatly enfeebled by the battle of the 16h, Bonaparte directed the remainder of his force against the duke of Wellington. The battle commenced at ten in the morning; and during nine hours a succession of the most furious attacks were made on the British troops, every one of which was repelled with the most undaunt. ed heroism. The French fought with ex

traordinary intrepidity: but they were met with a resolution and firmness on the part of the British, which foiled their most desperate efforts. The whole line stood im. moveable as a rock-Towards the close of the day, Bonaparte himself, at the head of the Imperial guard, supported by cavalry and artillery, made a tremendous charge on the British guards. The duke of Welling. ton took the command of this fine body of men; and having formed them into a hollow square, placed himself in the centre, and the enemy was speedily repulsed. His grace now perceiving that the retreat of the enemy, from the last attack, was attended with confusion, and learning that a fresh corps of Prussians, under General Bulow, which had just come into line, having been retarded by the state of the roads, had begun to operate on the right flank of the French, he resolved to assume the offensive. All the attacks of Bonaparte had been repelled. The order was now reversed; and he was assailed in his turn. The whole British line advanced. The attack succeeded in every point: the enemy was forced from his position, and fled in the utmost confusion; leaving behind him 150 pieces of cannon, with their ammunition, which fell into our hands. Our troops continued the pursuit till long after dark, and discontinued it only on account of their fatigue; having already been engaged for twelve hours-On first hearing of the attack on the duke of Wellington's position, Blucher appears to have made every effort to aid him which the state of his army would admit. He was suffering severely from a contusion, but he rose from bed, and himself headed a corps to join the British_troops; but it was near the termination of the engagement before he was enabled to come up. He mingled, however, in the pursuit; and when our troops were obliged to halt, his being fresh, he determined on following the enemy throughout the night. In the morning he found himself master of sixty pieces of cannon, attached to the imperial guard, besides several carriages, baggage, &c. belonging to Bonaparte, and a great part of the baggage of his army.

On the 2d, Marshal Blucher is stated to have advanced as far as Avesnes, within the French territory; and the duke of Wellington to have had his head quarters near Cambray. And as he has declared his purpose to

be not to discontinue his operations, and as reinforcements are rapidly arriving, we may soon expect to hear of his farther progress.

No accurate estimate has yet been formed of the loss on either side; but an army which, after fighting in close combat for nine hours, was overthrown, and has since lost 210 pieces of cannon, must have experienced a dreadful carnage. It is said, that on the 16th the Prussians would accept no quarter; and that on the 18.h they gave none. On the 19th it had been ascertained that 7000 prisoners were already in the hands of the British.-The great advantage, however, resulting from this signal victory is the disorganization of the French army. The loss of its cannon it will, probably, be impossible to repair. Even the ships of war had been previously dismantled, to enable Bonaparte to draw from the garrison towns a sufficient number of cannon to form his park of artillery. But we ought to estimate, perhaps, still more highly the moral effects of this brilliant achievement Bonaparte had it in his power to choose the time, place, and manner of his attack; and his forces were superior Under these circumstances, his great genius, and the boasted valour of his troops, shrunk before the mightier genius of the duke of Wellington, and (to use an expression of his grace, in a private letter) before the unequalled gallantry and sound bottom" of his men. The illusion which has surrounded Bonaparte is once more dissipated; aud his greatest admirers must feel their confidence in his powers diminished; while every latent spark of loyalty throughout France will be roused into inflammation by the news of his discomfiture.

:

But it is time we should advert to our own loss it has been, indeed, severe. But it was not to be hoped that the peace and independence of Europe could be secured without a sacrifice; and although this be not a consideration calculated to dry the tears of the widowed mother, or the weeping family, yet it is obvious that the ordinary wear and tear of a protracted campaign, with its usual complement of battles and sieges, would probably have diminished our force in a greater proportion than it is now diminished, without producing any of those great results which we may anticipate in the present instance, But when we farther consider what would

have been our feelings, had the profusion of British blood which has been shed been followed by defeat instead of victory, we surely ought to mingle, with the tenderest compassion for the afflicted mourners on this occasion, the warm expressions of our gratitude, and of our exultation in His goodness, whose alone is the power, and the might, and the victory, and the majesty.

Among those who have fallen in this field of glory, are the Duke of Brunswick. Oels, lieutenants-general Picton and Ponsonby, and many other officers of distinguished merit. The prince of Orange has been severely wounded. The earl of Ux. bridge, who had himself headed every charge of the cavalry, was struck by almost the last ball that was fired, and has had his leg amputated above the knee. Lieutenant-general Cooke has lost an arm, besides six other general officers of distinction severely wounded. The catalogue is long and melancholy. May the Almighty sanctify to the sufferers the pain to which they have been subjected, and console those whose hearts are broken by an event which will diffuse joy over a whole quarter of the globe!

FRANCE AND ITALY.

The events which occurred at Paris, previous to the departure of Bonaparte for his army, have sunk into comparative in. significance before the victory of Waterloo. At another time, the meeting of the Champ de Mai and the opening of the Legislature would possess no inconsiderable interest. In the Champ de Mai, the Constitution was accepted by 1,288,357 votes, and rejected by 4207; but eleven departments had not sent in their registers. The proceedings of the day were conducted with much of theatrical effect, and the speeches made on the occasion were well adapted to their purpose.-The legislative sittings were opened on the 7th instant with great pomp. Nothing material has yet occurred in either house, except that in the House of Representatives, there appears the same disposition to tumult which marked the early period of the Revolution. On the 11th Bonaparte received the address of the two houses, and early on the morning of the 12th took his departure from Paris. On the 14th he placed himself at the head of his forces, which had been previously concentrated. His bulletin of the 16th

announces a complete victory over the Prussian and English armies united; in consequence of which Paris is said to have 'been illuminated on the evening of the 18th. We shall be anxious to learn in what terms he will announce the battle of that day.

The war in Italy terminated about the 20th of May, by a capitulation surrendering the whole of the kingdom of Naples to its former sovereign, who has since entered his capital. We rejoice to perceive that a complete amnesty has been proclaimed by his Neapolitan Majesty. Not a single exception has been made from this act of mercy. All persons are to retain their pay and rank. Madame Murat has been removed with her children to Trieste. Murat himself escaped to France, and is reported to have been present, and even to have fallen, in the battle of Waterloo. The Austrian armies which have thus been set at liberty are moving through Piedmont towards France, and will be joined by a large Piedmontese army, and by a considerable Anglo-Sicilian force. There is reason to believe, that a part may have already approached within fifty miles of Lyons; as a despatch from Suchet makes mention of an encounter with the enemy at Montmellian. It is on this side that France is most vulnerable, and we may shortly expect to hear that a deep inroad has been made on the Usurper's power in the South. It is also to be recollected, that not a single Russian or Austrian has yet joined the allies in the North. When their immense armies, which were rapidly advancing, shall have come up, the contest, according to all human probability, must speedily be decided.-Spain has likewise declared war against France.

But even these accumulated dangers pressing on Bonaparte from without, are scarcely more formidable than the dangers which menace him within the territory of France itself. A report of Fouché, published in the Moniteur of the 15th, announces, that all the efforts which have been made to suppress the insurrection in La Vendee have failed to effect their purpose. The Departments of Morbihan,

Mar

Ille and Vilaine, Côtes du Nord, and Sarthe, are overrun by the royalists. The flame of insurrection is spreading into Brittany and Normandy. Several towns have been taken. The marines and soldiers proceed. ing to the army have been stopped seilles, Thoulouse, and Bourdeaux, have taken a violent part against Napoleon. The strongest measures are called for. Even the Constitution must be suspended —It seems impossible that Bonaparte can stand against this mighty combination of adverse circumstances, gradually contracting his resources, and surrounding him on every side. The battle of the 18th will shake his power to its base.

The island of Martinique, and probably that of Guadaloupe also, has been again taken possession of by the English. Senegal and Goree were on the point of being surrendered, when a ship of war, that had been despatched from England for the purpose, arrived in time to prevent it.

HOLLAND.

The treaty with Holland has been made public. The Cape of Good Hope, Cochin and its dependencies, Demarara, Essequibo, and Berbice, are ceded to his Majesty. All our other conquests are restored. We have agreed to cede to Holland the island of Banca; to pay her two millions sterling, to be applied in aid of an equal sum which she is to furnish, in repairing the fortresses in the Netherlands, with the view of forming a barrier against the encroachments of France; to pay, if it should be necessary, a farther sum in common with Holland to that object, not exceeding three mil lions sterling; and to guarantee to Holland the payment of a debt contracted by Russia amounting to 25 millions of Dutch guilders, about 2,270,0001. The district of Bernagore situated close to Calcutta is also ceded by Holland; but a sum equal to the revenue derived from it is to be annually paid her. The subjects of Holland are to trade with India on the footing of the most favoured nation; may resort freely to the Cape of Good Hope; and may even trade, under certain restrictions, with the colonies they have ceded to Great Britain.

PARLIAMENTARY PROCEEDINGS.

of the supply for the present year, is 80

21 millions are required to pay off former arrears. The supply for Ireland is nearly ten millions. A loan of 36 millions has been negotiated in London, at an interest of about 51. 12s. 6d. per cent. exclusive of the discount. The victory which has been gained by the duke of Wellington justifies the hope that the contest will not now be a very protracted one. We should otherwise feel serious alarm in contemplating our financial dif. ficulties.

Both Houses have joined in their thanks to the Duke of Wellington and his brave army, and to Marshal Blucher and the troops whom he commanded, for their splendid services. A sum of 200,0001. has been voted, with a view to the erection of a palace for our great commander, which may be a lasting monument of his achievements.

His Majesty's ministers have assured both houses of Parliament, that they are employ. ing their exertions to prevent the revival of the slave trade in France, in case the lawful government should be restored; and that they are sanguine in their hopes of success.

The bill for preventing the employment of British capital in the foreign slave trade has met with some difficulties in the House of Lords; but we trust it may still pass.

Mr. Wilberforce has moved for leave to bring in a bill for establishing a register of

Slaves in the West Indies, under regulations which will completely prevent clandestine importations, and will serve as a basis for the improvement of the wretched condition of our colonial bondsmen. Leave has been given, but on an understanding that the bill will proceed no farther in this session than to the first reading; after which it will lie over for consideration until the next session. We shall take an early opportunity of fully discussing this important measure.

The motions made in both houses of Parliament, for going into a committee on the Catholic claims have been negatived. Many of their former friends withdrew their aid on this occasion, in consequence of the violence and unreasonableness which had been manifested by the Catholic Board.-The pope has returned to Rome.

The bill granting to ships built in the British dominions in India, the privileges of British registry, we are happy to say, has passed into a la

Several very salutary enactments have been framed, with a view to the protection of parish apprentices, and to the better treatment of children employed in our manufactories. A committee of the House of Commons is also occupied on the important subject of mendicity, and we trust they may be able to apply some effectual remedy to this evil.

REV. WILLIAM JESSE, M. A.

BEG leave to transmit to you the following account of a venerable father in the ministry of the Gospel of Christ; trusting, that as it is an act of justice to his memory, it will likewise prove some benefit and gratifi cation to his friends, to the church at large, and particularly to its pastors. J. M.

Warwickshire, Jan. 19, 1815.

At about two o'clock in the morning of December the 30th, 1814, after little more than an illness of twentyfour hours, in his 77th year, died the

Rev. WILLIAM JESSE, M. A. perpetual Curate and Lecturer of West Bromwich, Rector of Dowles and of Ribbesford, in the county of Worcester, and Chaplain to the Earl of Glasgow. His remains were deposited in a vault in the parish church

of West Bromwich.

Without intending any reflection on those who, after a considerable portion of life spent in open sin, have turned to a life of holiness, it will be acknowled as an uncommon and most hon cable distinction in this venerable clergyman, that, like Obadiah, he had feared the Lord from his youth.