About twenty miles from London, we passed in sight of Windsor, where the king has his country palace, at which he spends most of the summer months. It was matter of some regret, to pass so near, without stopping to take a view of a place on which royalty has shed its decorations. "The eye is never satisfied with seeing." The country around it, is certainly very fine. Our company at setting off, seemed to be all strangers to each other, as well as to me, and as is usual under such circumstances, little conversation took place. By the time, however, we had gone a little way beyond Windsor, they had dropped off, one after another; and a new set had taken their place; among whom was a Scotsman, of cultivated mind and sociable habits; who proved a great acquisition to our party, and the pleasure of whose society made me pass the chief part of what remained of the day's travel, in almost entire inattention to passing objects around. On hearing that I was an American, he turned the conversation to our country, and to my surprise, though he had never been in it, discovered more acquaintance with our publick characters and national affairs, than many of its natives, who pass for respectable citizens. And he is the only man I have yet met with in England, who has evinced much knowledge on the subject, or much curiosity to be informed. Certainly the mass of the English people do not take half the interest in American affairs, that we do in those of England; and this is evident from the fact, that the English newspapers do not contain half the amount of extracts from the American papers, that ours do from the English. It was with real regret I parted from our Scotsman, a little before we arrived at Oxford. The gratification of his company made me think what an increase of happiness our world would receive, if its inhabitants generally, were educated, sociable beings; disposed to, and capable of, giving and receiving the gratification that is found in instruc tive conversation. I am sure it would add exceedingly to the usual comfort of stage travelling: in which it is little less than a calamity, to be crowded from day to day, with a set of beings, among whom you are annoyed at one time with the loquacity of ignorance, and at another with the taciturnity of pride: but the last the worst. It is really provoking to witness the demure silence of a self-important being, who re fuses to communicate the little he knows, lest, unhappily, he should chance to let himself down, to company who might be found to be be low the level of his fancied rank. Christianity, felt in its power, would cure this, with other evils. It would fill our hearts with the milk of human kindness, ready to flow out to every human being we met with-in any way in which we could minister to his profit, or afford him innocent pleasure. Heads well instructed, united to hearts well tem pered, would give us a paradise in society, where we often find only a desert. Early in the afternoon, we arrived at Oxford-a little over fifty miles from London. Here the stage stopped until the next day: and this de lay afforded a welcome opportunity to take a hasty survey of this ancient and celebrated seat of learning: the result of which was, painful regret at being put off with only a hasty survey of its exterior. It is indeed, in appearance, a delightful place. From the balcony, around the ele vated cupola of the Bodleian Library, I had a full view over the whole city and its environs. It is not a large city; and with the exception of two main streets, crossing each other nearly at right angles, the streets are rather narrow and crooked; nor did I see any buildings of uncommon magnificence. The whole place too, bears the marks of great antiquity; but there is a neatness and cleanness, with an air of elegance about it, that renders it ex ceedingly attractive. The situation is delightful. It stands on a little elevation, in the forks of two streams -the head waters of the Thames: and the country around looks like the land of Eden. The colleges, nineteen in number, with five halls, which, in appearance, differ nothing from the colleges, are scattered here 3 and there, as accident has located them, over the town. They are generally, neither very large nor elegant, in their exterior-rather piles of gloomy looking stone buildings, with small Gothic windows, and weather-beaten outsides, that indicate them to have seen the winters of ages. Some of them which I visited, have large enclosures, whose walks and bowers, with shrubbery and flower-cultivation, render them worthy to be the haunts of the muses. The whole together, gives one a high idea of the vast provision for, and patronage of, learning, which exists, and has long existed, in this country-the main-spring of all its greatness. It was the season of general vacation, and of course the let tered and learning population were generally absent. The next day's travel, of about forty-five miles, brought me to this place, without affording any thing to arouse me from the torpor induced by jaded curiosity, with the depression of bad weather; which confined me to the inside of the carriage. What I saw from the windows, impressed me with the idea of much fine country, and with delightful rural scenery. Though the "spirit was willing," I found it impossible to keep my mind sufficiently on the alert to enjoy what, under other circumstances, would have been highly gratifying. My associates in travel were, to me, without interest. I would have given ten thousand of them for the Scotsman of the preceding day. Cheltenham, you know, is a celebrated watering place. I have been here now for two weeks, and have found a comfortable home, for the time being (as far as accommodation and society, in a place of many delights, can give comfort) in my own hired chamber, in the house of the Baptist minister. My time has been spent in laborious idleness, trying to see and hear all I can, but doing nothing. In point of wild romantick scenery, Cheltenham bears no comparison with Bagnieres, where I tarried so long in France. There, nature has thrown a magnificent wildness into the surrounding mountain prospect, with a lightness and salubrity of mountain atmosphere, that leaves Cheltenham an unmeasurable distance behind. There too, nature has dealt out her healing waters, with an abundance and variety equally superior. But the efforts of art, have given the town of Cheltenham, with the surrounding suburbs, an elevation, in other respects, far above Bagnieres; so that in the comparison, it sinks into littleness and deformity. And this corresponds pretty much, I suspect, with the circumstances of the two nations generally. Nature has done every thing for the French, and the English have done every thing for themselves. It is not a great while since Cheltenham, as a watering place, has grown into great repute; and it is since this period that it has assumed its decorations, and grown to its present size. Owing to the lateness of its improvements, in point of freshness and lightness, it has more the appearance of an American town, than any place I have seen in Europe. But the elegance of many of the late buildings, very far outdoes what is common on our side of the water. Around the town, in almost all directions, are to be seen beautiful seats, with enclosed grounds, laid out and ornamented in a way that only wealth and taste of a high order could effect. Most of the late buildings are of stone, plastered over smooth, on the outside, with a white, improved plaster, that in a short time assumes the hardness of stone itself. There are only three waters of medicinal quality of note: Two of them saline, and the third chalybeate-all very limited in their supply. The saline are celebrated chief ly for complaints of the liver. They are pumped up, I am told, from a depth of near one hundred feet; and to obtain a supply, adequate to the manufacture of salts, which is largely carried on, a number of wells are dug round, at considerable distances from the one in which the pump stands, and connected therewith at the bottom, by perforations, with leaden pipes. The gravel walks, passing in all directions, lined on each side with thickets of shrubbery, and planted with trees, whose boughs meet and entwine in places over head, are equal to all that luxury and sauntering idleness could wish. And to be sure, the crowds of well dressed strangers, to be met with at all hours of the day, in these walks, sufficient ly indicate that luxury and idleness abound equal to their inducements -The musick of a full band, in the mornings and evenings, resounds through the bowers, and falls on the ear of the distant listener, in tones of exquisite sweetness. But, verily, all these are pleasures, to be paid for at an expense which, to the man of light pocket, must give twitches of uneasiness equal to all the enjoy ment. The head boarding houses charge from two to three guineas per week; and notices are posted up at the watering pumps, that the use of the water, for a month, is half a guinea; and the privilege of occupying the publick walks the same, in addition. The country around Cheltenham is broken, in some directions; and the original quality of the soil barren; but good cultivation has brought it to show a face of great fertility. A gentleman, to whose uncommon hospitality I shall always feel myself greatly indebted, has carried me in his gig as far as Gloucester, on the one side, and into the neighbourhood of Tewkesbury, on the river Avon, on the other. In both directions the country is under high improvement. From a range of high hills, in the neighbourhood of a Baptist clergyman, on whom we called, I had a delightful view of a rich country, on the Avon; and looked at it with an interest, nothing les sened from the circumstance of its having given birth to Shakspeare, "The sweet Swan of Avon." Returning that evening, we found all Cheltenham in an uproar. Mr. Den ham, the colleague of the celebrated Mr. Brougham, as counsel to the queen in her late trial, which has terminated in a triumph to her parti zans, had come to town in the af ternoon. The populace met him on his arrival; and unharnessing his horses, dragged his carriage with loud buzzaing to the inn. They then sent a deputation to the rector, for the keys of the church, that they might ring the bells. The rector being, with most of the established clergy, on the side of the king, refused to give the keys. On which the mob paraded to the front of his house, and smashed every window in it; and afterwards found means to get into the steeple, and ring the bells until they were satisfied. This is a sample of the manner in which things are sometimes managed on this side of the water. I went the next morning to see the house of the rector, who bears the character of a respectable man, and rather on the side of orthodoxy in his principles. It made me sorry to see a fine three story house, exhibit an appearance so defaced. His enemies, however, say it is a most fortunate occurrence for him, as in all probability it will be the means of elevating him to a bishoprick. In point of religion, Cheltenham may be considered a privileged place. The church of the establishment is a large building, in which a numerous congregation, with decent solemnity in their appearance, assemble. I was present one afternoon, in hopes of hearing the rector, but found his cu rate in his place; with whose per formance it is probable I should have been much more edified, had my de votion been more, and my curiosity less. Another splendid church is building, under a late act of parlia ment for increasing the number of parish churches. There is a large chapel, belonging to the Independents, in which a Mr. Brown ministers to a full house of very respectable looking people. Mr. Brown, as far as I had opportunity of judging, is quite evangelical in his doc trine; and some discourses I have heard from him, were certainly both in matter and manner of a superior order. One night I heard, in his pulpit, the celebrated Rowland Hill, whose eccentrick humour is often exhibited in his discourses, very much out of place. He is now quite an old man, greatly reverenced by the pious, for his acknowledged piety, and goodness of heart; and greatly followed by the gay, for his vein of humour, which he appears incapable of suppressing. His discourse, that evening, was prolix and desultory, with little specially interesting of any kind. Towards the close, he apologised to his audience for his prolixity: but remarked, he was not detaining them as long as a number of them, very probably, would wish to be detained at the theatre. There is a handsome chapel in Cheltenham, occupied by a Mr. Snow, who ministers to a small congregation, belonging to a denomination I have not before heard of. They are called here, (whether they adopt the appellation I do not know) New Lights. They profess to be Calvinistick; and in the main, evangelical. Their leading distinguishing tenet, is a refusal to pray, or perform any act of worship, in the company of the unconverted. Preaching they do not consider an act of worship; and the profane world are admitted to it. The reason they give for their procedure is, that to admit unconverted persons to their acts of worship, is extending communion to them. The Baptist congregation is small -quite of recent formation; but has had a rapid increase. On last Sabbath they had their communion. The manner of proceeding on the occasion was this. After morning ser vice, in usual form, the congregation were dismissed. The members of the church remained. The elements were then brought forward, and set on a small table; at which the minister sat down, and with great deliberation, broke the bread into small morsels, on a plate, talking familiarly of the Redeemer all the time. Then, after a consecrating prayer, the elements were handed to the communicants, as they sat in their seats, during which the minister made an address. Prayer and singing closed the exercise. The whole service was solemn, and, to me, acceptable. Having no scruples on the subject of holding fellowship with the disciples of Christ, in acts of duty, I gladly accepted the invitation of the minister, offered the week before, to participate on the occasion. An ardent controversy is at this time carrying on in the Baptist society, throughout England, on the subject of church fellowship; and the denomination is divided into two parties. The one party is called Mixed Communion Baptists, because they mingle in church fellowship with Christians of other communities; and the other, Strict Communionists, because they reject from their sacramental table, all who do not in full receive their peculiar tenets. Their difficulties and prejudices, as well as those of some among ourselves, I do not wonder at. Such was the power of prejudice on Peter's mind-the effect of education and habit-that a good while after he had received the extraordinary measure of the Holy Ghost, on the day of Pentecost, it required an additional revelation from heaven, to set him right on the subject of Christian communion; by teaching him that "what God had cleansed, he was not to call [nor treat, as] common or unclean." A few days ago, the Baptist congregation opened, or consecrated, a new house of publick worship, which they have just built, having assembled heretofore in a room in the town hall. It is a neat, commodious building, that does honour to their exertions, considering their numbers. It was on a week day, and was real ly a very interesting occasion. Old Dr. Riland, of Bristol, long the professor of divinity in the Baptist connexion, commenced the service in the morning. His venerable appear ance, with his weight of character and weight of matter, made his sermon very acceptable. A Mr. Cole, from a distance in the country, gave a good discourse in the afternoon. At night, Mr. Jay, of Bath, who is an Independent, preached to an overflowing house. He is much the most interesting man in the pulpit, I have seen in England. His printed discourses, which have been very popular in America, you have seen and admired. From these, you may judge of his popularity, when I tell you that, with his powers of elocution, weak discourses would be accounted forcible. His voice is one of the finest; and his manner, for simplicity and gravity, is just what you would wish to see in the pulpit. This man, who now occupies a standing of the first eminence, among the dissenters in England, was educated and brought forward from deep obscurity, by Winter, who was himself brought forward by Whitefield. A powerful encouragement this, for charitable education efforts. One thing on the occasion greatly delighted me-In the whole of the exercises, not a sentence did I hear, of sectarian controversy, or party asperity. That gospel, which breathes peace on earth, and good will towards men," was preached in a tone and spirit that accorded with it. Another thing I did not entirely accord with, though universal custom, on occasions of the kind, sanctions it in this country-The whole of the clergy present, to the number of thirteen or fourteen, belonging to different denominations, with members of the congregation, and other invited guests, dined together in a tavern, at a dinner bespoke some days before; and it was a sumptuous one. Certainly the least irregularity was not noticed; yet it struck me as incongruous, and almost bordering on the "appearance of evil," in these days of dissipation, for a large party of grave divines to pass from the church to the tavern; and again, after the conviviality of a feast in such a place, to adjourn back to the church, in the afternoon, to renew the exercises of devotion. Keviews. For the present month, we place in this department of our work the following communications; connecting with them such remarks of our own as we have thought proper should accompany them. We have given a ready insertion to the first communication, because we consider every attempt to misrepresent the contents of the sacred volume, by false glosses, and especially by erroneous translations, as of the most pernicious tendency It is to endeavour to poison the very fountain of religious truth; and no duty is more imperatively incumbent on a Christian Advocate than to expose, and withstand to the utmost, every such endeavour. We Sincerely yours. have not examined all the examples of alleged unfairness and misrepresentation, on which our correspondent has thought proper to animadvert-He is to be considered as solely responsible for the justice of his particular remarks. But we have inspected, for ourselves, the volume which he criticises-inspected it sufficiently to convince us fully, that, whatever may have been the intention of its author, its tendency is mischievous. We hesitate not to say, that he is utterly deficient in those qualifications which are essential to a competent translator and interpreter of the Holy Scriptures; and that he has attempted unfairly to avail himself |