must be, a false one, a mere fabrication that never had existence out of the writer's brains. No one here at Constantinople, I believe, ever dreamed of imputing the massacre to such a cause, excepting the author himself; and whether he believes it I seriously question. Every one with whom I have conversed, who is informed of the truth of the matter, attributes it to one single cause, the lust of Mohammedan chiefs for dominion. The Nestorians, you well know, have been an independent people for centuries. Living in the retreats of their snowclad mountains, they have escaped the action of changes which have swept over their country. They have been unmolested, excepting their occasional quarrels with the Kurds, among whom they dwelt, for ages; and they might still have been unmolested, if the ambition of the Mussulman rulers had not looked with envy upon their liberty. The Turkish government has long been anxious to subject them to its sway, for they live within the nominal boundaries of Turkey, although owning no allegiance to its authority. A powerful Pasha was some years ago sent to subdue all the refractory and lawless tribes of Kurdistan, and bring them into subjection to the Sultan. This he had well nigh accomplished, when he was cut off by death. In the execution of his commission he advanced almost to the borders of the Nestorian country, and if his career had not so suddenly terminated, that too would doubtless have yielded to his arms and intrigues, as did most of Kurdistan, to the west of it. But though arrested, the Turkish authorities did not abandon their purpose, and unfortunately they soon found an ally within the country itself. Nouroullah Bey, the chief of the powerful tribe of Hakkari Kurds, had long looked with a jealous eye on the power of the Nestorian Patriarch, who was a civil as well as a spiritual rule, and as heard of the Christians, was first chief of the mountains. Nouroullah Bey,wished at once to break the strength of the Patriarch, and make himself a sort of Pasha over the whole country. For this purpose he courted alliance with some of the Turkish Pashas, promising that if they would aid him to subdue the country, he would rule as a subject of the Sultan. They listened to his suggestions, and helped him with means, and I believe also with men. With their assistance he gradually acquired strength, and in 1841 had an open rupture with the Patriarch. He even deceived some of the Patriarch's own people and attached them to his interests. All this happened before there was a Missionary in the land. In 1841 the Patriarch fled for refuge to another part of the country, (the Teyari district,) where among his own people he was safe at least from the Bey's design upon his person.

The Bey then sought to get him into his toils by stratagem and sent him messages of peace, proposing to heal all their strifes by friendly conference. But the Partriarch would not listen to his proposals. Last winter, Nouroullah Bey sent two messages to the Patriarch, inviting him to come to a certain village and settle their differences in a fraternal interview. The Patriarch was warned by his own people that a snare was laid for him, and civilly declined the invitation. Nouroullah Bey, seeing that all hope of accomplishing his purpose by intrigue was cut off, sent to Bedi Khan Bey, another powerful Kurdish chief, on the borders of Kurdistan, and proposed a joint expedition for invading the Nestorian country. Bedi Khan Bey, as eager for power as the other, readily accepted it. The plan was formed, their forces joined, and they suddenly made an irruption into the Teyari district, burning, slaughtering, and leading captive, as you have heard. This was the Nestorian Massacre.

And now, in all this, where is there any appearance of missionaries or religious discord? The events were in progress before there was a missionary in the country. When Nouroullah Bey sent his last message to the. Patriarch, the English missionary, who has had so much of the blame to bear, had but just reached Mossoul, and whatever contention arose between him and the American missionaries, arose afterwards.-Neither Nouroullah Bey nor Beda Khan Bey, probably ever heard of rival missionaries or could now tell, if the question were put to them, that the missionaries in Mossoul are not all one body. It is idle to say that such men, wild barbarous Kurds, who know no more of western Chris

tianity than of the religion of the South Sea Islands, could be governed by such a motive to make war upon the Nestorian Christians. These men were, I presume, never in Mossoul. Certainly they have not been there for years. They are Kurdish chiefs, who are as ignorant of most things beyond their own territories as of the regions of the moon. There is one little incident that may serve to show you how little idea they have of rival missionaries or anything of the kind. It was necessary before commencing their invasion, to give some pretext for it to the Pasha of Mossoul, whose country lay close upon that of the Nestorians, and whose sanction, or at least indifference, it was most important for them to secure. Dr. Grant, one of the American missionaries, had erected a spacious building on the mountains, which was intended for the use of his prospective mission. He had erected it with the knowledge and sanction of Nouroullah Bey, who was under special obligations to him for medical aid, and who well knew that his purpose was simply to educate the Nestorians and do good. But a pretext for the war was necessary, and a report was sent to the Pasha of Mossoul that the English were building a fort in the mountains, and might afterwards come and possess the land. The Kurds did not know enough to distinguish between English and Americans, but confounded them, as ignorant people generally do in this country. How little this looks like being moved by the rival jealousies of missionaries you will at once see. They did not even know that there were different bodies of foreigners at Mossoul.

English as well as Americans were involved by this pretext, and I happened to know that it gave the English missionary no small trouble. How idle then, and, I must say, how wicked, the insinuation, half conveyed, half withheld, by the letter-writer to whom I have alluded, that the English missionary himself was the author of the report to the Pasha? I cannot a way with such dreadful trifling with truth and men's characters. It deserves the severest reprehension. The statement which I have given of the real and only cause of the massacre, is drawn chiefly from documents which have recently been before me from the Patriarch himself, and he, we must allow, ought to know the real origin of his troubles better than others. The history of the thing has been familiar to me for years. I was the first American who ever visited Mossoul, and I believe the first Protestant traveller who made inquiries among the Nestorians in that quarter. I knew of the state of things then or soon after, and more than a year ago, (before the English mission had reached Mossoul,) I was making efforts here to arrest the evils that were coming upon the Nestorians. How futile then to say that that mission, contending with the Americans, brought about those evils!

I trust I have said enough to show you that missionary operations or missionary jealousies, had nothing to do with the Nestorian massacre. You remark that the course of the Rev. Mr. Badger, the English missionary, has been much condemned. I agree with you in thinking that his hostile bearing towards the American missionaries is deserving of censure. No one regrets it more than I, No good, but much evil, must come of such contentions. But I should not do justice to the man, if I were not to say, that he is a true friend to the Nestorians, and has been indefatigable in his efforts for their welfare. He has now with him three Nestorian priests, with their families, who had fled from their ravaged country, and are dependent upon him for their support. He has spared neither time nor labour to secure to the Nestorians their violated rights, to procure the restoration of the prisoners, and the re-establishment of the Patriarch in his own land. He is the last man to be suspected of injuring the Nestorians. He has shown himself, throughout these troubles, their unwearied benefactor; and of this all must give him the praise, however much his line of policy with regard to the other missionaries is liable to exception. You already know that I have no partialities which would lead me to speak better of him than he deserves, but I would render all their due.

CONSTANTINOPLE, Dec. 6th, 1843.

Believe me, truly your's,

H. S.

A A

RECOLLECTIONS AFTER A CELEBRATION OF THE LORD'S SUPPRER,
Trinity Church, Cambridge.

Many knelt humbly in that" House of Prayer,
The fair slight girl as bride so lately led
Drooped, as the lily droops its fragile head
And mutely asks affection's tenderest care!
I marked the widow and her only son,

And on each brow was sorrow's recent trace,
Then I remembered that dear cherished one

Who worshipped with them in that holy place;
When last I saw her it was spring's sweet time,
And well it imaged forth her budding prime;
But tender plants may not for winter stay,
And thus ere storms arose she gently passed away!
Heaven help thee mother with meek faith to say,
"From Thee my God the precious blessing came-
Thou hast recalled it, "blessed be thy name."

Oh there were many in the sacred pile
Who pictured forms once kneeling in that aisle,
"Praised God, while they repressed the rising tear
For those departed in His faith and fear."

I thought of her whose simple tablet shows
How blameless was her life, how blest its close.
Not thine, philosophy, to teach the heart
From its beloved one meekly to depart;
To look with firmness on the face of death,
And at His bidding calmly yield the breath;
To give the babe a mother's last embrace,
While faith and hope beamed in her dying face!

Thought follows thought-memory his voice recals
Who ministered so oft within those walls,-
The stately form, the eyes undimmed by age
Earnestly bending o'er the sacred page,
Then pleading with the energy of youth,

That all would seek that source of glorious truth!
Many who knew him not in earlier days
Gazed with deep interest on life's parting rays,
Its soft and peaceful twilight which may shew
More winning beauty than its noontide glow!

And many of the poor he loved knelt there,
If they in truth that mournful name may bear
Who, "rich in faith and heirs of endless life,
Seek not their portion in a world of strife,
But to their lips the cup of sorrow take
And drink it gladly for their Saviour's sake.
The poor knelt there-Yea, rich and poor may meet;
The lowliest one who to that banquet came

Might hold with saints above communion sweet.
From heart and tongue well might the chorus rise
And blend with glorious anthems of the skies.
"We laud, we magnify thy Holy name,
Therefore with angels and archangels raise,
Unto the Lord of Hosts eternal praise.

April 18, 1844.

Regent Street, Cambridge.

ANNA H. P.

179

IN LITERARY AND SCIENTIFIC INSTITUTIONS.

(Continued.)

66

BESIDES those persons, who are engaged in, or are preparing for, the learned professions, and by whom what is called a regular education" has been obtained, there are in this enlightened and reading age, and this opulent country, many classes of individuals, who pursue literature and science without any direct professional end. These rather calculate on the personal pleasure and benefit that attend the act of acquiring knowledge, than any secular advantage in its possession or dispersion. Some have taken up a particular subject as a recreation after the hours of business, for to the active mind leisure is only time to do some good and useful thing; and others have chosen some study, as a relief from the ennui of independence. And many of these are instrumental in affording instruction and amusement to extensive private circles, and might greatly enlarge the sphere of their - usefulness, had they but an adequate motive and a fit opportunity.

Now could these, in general, benevolent and (in a right sense) liberally minded individuals, only conceive the glorious idea, that their researches into and displays of nature, art, and literature, might be conducive to the glory of their Creator, and the eternal good of man, as well as his amusement and temporal convenience, we feel convinced that their diffidence would often be overcome, while their powers and diligence were quickened, by such an opportunity of consecrating their science, as might be given by public lectures and occasional publications, when lower motives would fail to rouse their energies and draw them forth from their privacy.

Why moreover should not such lectures be more frequently made a means of public collections for charitable objects? Why should the pulpit be the only and constant station, and the clergy almost the only body, who are to wage the crusade against indifference and covetousness? and stimulate the benevolence of men even to the most secular objects of humanity? The clergy do indeed feel the difficulty of the duty thus devolved upon them by the nation, not only in itself, but in its interference with their more direct work of instruction, comfort, and reproof. Literary and scientific lectures would be surely far preferable to balls and theatrical benefits, if not concerts and bazaars; but in these concerts we do see (when rightly conducted) the consecration of science-and in the sales of ladies' fancy work the dedication of refined and graceful art, to the best and highest purposes.

But as such individual operations are often difficult and generally expensive, it soon becomes desirable that intelligent and benevolent laymen should combine their efforts-and hence have arisen LITERARY and SCIENTIFIC INSTITUTIONS; and they are become very general in all parts of the kingdom and in the colonies.

But these, to produce the end which we desire-the consecration of science -must be based on CHRISTIAN PRINCIPLES, and, as suggested in a former paper, be as much as possible under the patronage and direction of the clergy. But as, for the most part, the studious are of different denominations of religious and political opinion, and the peculiar doctrines of the gospel are best and most reverently displayed within the sacred inclosures which are dedicated to the immediate service of religion, and by those who are duly called to that office, it does not seem a neccary or even advisable

part of a scheme, for lectures, essays, or discussions in an institution of this kind, that any directly theological subjects should be expressly treated of.

At the same time the legitimate influence and controul of religion herself should always be admitted; or the evils set forth in our papers on the Idolatry of Science,* may be expected to follow. In order to secure such societies from the intrusion and contamination of infidel principles, there should be some such regulations and declaratory statements, as may prevent at least the recurrence of any lecture or disquisition injurious to religion and morals, should the vigilance of the managers have been eluded by the choice or admission, in the first instance, of an instructor of unsound principles.

And here we must beg to generalise and abridge the sentiments put forth some years ago on the subject of a Metropolitan Institution, in which Christian principles are practically acted upon through the moral influence of the managers, but without any declaration of them on the face of the constitution, or, as we thought, due provision for their perpetuation, when the present generation of directors shall have passed away.†

While therefore theological and political controversies are excluded, the pious and intelligent lecturer would take any favourable opportunity of drawing religious inferences from subjects not directly or purely theological. The several sciences themselves would, in their turn, pay homage to revelation; the wide range of literature would comprehend whatever was curious in sacred learning; and the cultivation of arts and faculties would embrace such parts of history, geography, and other knowledge as are connected with scripture, and thus mutually give or receive light from one another. Nor would appeals to the sacred authority of the Divine Word in support of any argument be inadmissible, although not exclusive of rational and experi mental proofs.

If, besides these occasional elucidations of the divinest science, any particular course of direct instruction therein were agreed on and could be deputed to the clergy alone, without occasioning ill feeling or opposition, the means of their usefulness would be increased. The library need not exclude any kind of works which are not irreligious or immoral, and should always contain the standard works in theology, that those who desire to pursue religious truth may have the opportunity.

If, from motives of expediency, religion be directly excluded-if there be no salt of piety in the society-then it seems to be the duty of a Christian man, and most certainly of a Christian minister, to "touch not, taste not, handle not" its concerns, as being idolatrous of human science, and without doubt reprobate. For, whatever respect may be felt for individual members, the tendency of these institutions, as communities, must clearly appear to be, if not atheistical, yet most dangerous; since they indicate a belief that literature and science can be safely prosecuted independently of religion, with an oversight of the glory of God and the eternal welfare of man, as the great ends of their science and learning.

Nor will it be sufficient that there be general admissions respecting the supremacy of divine truth, if there be an entire separation of human litera

*Church Magazine, April to August, 1843.

Letter to C. Woodward, esq., President of the Islington Literary and Scientific Institution, On the Duty and Benefit of a Fublic Recognition of Christian Principles by that Society. London, 1838.