recent building. The inscriptions on this apparently very ancient ruin present the name and title of a king, which form a very interesting subject for future elucidation. The title does not accord with any one now extant on the table of Abydus, but possibly may have been one of those which were destroyed with a portion of the wall, and which are of kings of earlier date than the expulsion of the shepherds. The name is Mandouei, which name occurs in the dynasty anterior to Sesostris, but coupled with a different title, an effectual distinction; nor does the name recur in any subsequent dynasty. M. Champollion Figeac has, with much ingenuity, shown the probability of the identity of the Mandouei of the ancient ruin with the Osymandyas, Ousi-Mandouei, mentioned by Diodorus Siculus as an Egyptian king greatly distinguished by his conquests, whose reign M. Champollion infers, from the, historical passages relating to him, to have commenced 190 years before the Phoenician invasion, or B. C. 2272 years; a prodigious antiquity, and of the very highest interest should it be established, since there exist of this individual no less than three statues in European collections distinguished by the same name and title: two of these are colossal, one at Turin, and a second at Rome: a third is in the British Museum; and as all particulars must interest which relate to a statue, of which there is at least probability that it is the most ancient existing in the world.— the date attributed to it being earlier than the birth of Abraham, we copy from Burckhardt the following short description of its discovery: "Within the inclosure of the interior part of the temple at Karnac, Belzoni found a statue of a hard, large-grained sandstone: a whole length naked figure sitting upon a chair with a ram's head upon the knees: the face and body entire; with plaited hair falling down to the shoulders. This is one of the first, I should say, the first Egyptian statue I have seen the expression of the face is exquisite, and I believe it to be a portrait."-(J. L. BURCKHARDT, Travels in Nubia, lxxvii. Letter to Mr. W. Hamilton, 20th February. 1817.)-This statue is in the farthest corner on the right hand side after entering the gallery of the Egyptian antiquities in the British Museum: and compared with other statues in the same gallery, which are of kings of the eighteenth dynasty, the dissimilarity of

the features from the very characteristic ones of the latter family is too striking to be questioned. The problem of the age of this king Mandouei is, at all events, a highly curious one; and will probably receive its solution amongst the many other valuable discoveries which cannot fail to result from M. Champollion's projected visit to Egypt, in which he will be accompanied by the sincere good wishes of every one in every country, who feels an interest in the restoration of authentic history. E. S.

II. Origin and Progress of the Reformation in Ireland. From The British Critic, Quarterly Theological Review, and Ecclesiastical Record. Jan. 1828.

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The accounts which have been received from that country within the last and the present year, of a new and important movement of religion, appear to deserve a special inquiry,. and we have accordingly used our best efforts to ascertain the truth. So agitated is that portion of the empire by the violence of party, that the influences of religion are unavoidably viewed through a political medium; and their ration is too often represented rather as it may suit the views of partizans, than as it may approve itself to the sober and serious consideration of Christians. While one of the two great parties by which Ireland is divided, speak of this movement as a new reformation, not only commenced, but hastening rapidly to, a consummation, which must speedily unite the whole island in the profession of a common faith; the other, even in the senate of the empire, treat the notion of a religious reformation as a visionary chimera, which may amuse the imagination of a weak enthusiast, but cannot engage the attention of a man possessing a sound and reasonable mind. Amidst this diversity of representation, the reflecting public of England do not know what opinion they should form on the subject. That some extraordinary movement has occurred, is certain, and cannot be denied. When during many years the public conversion of a Roman Catholic to the Protestant faith had been a very rare occurrence, and in the lower classes of society, by the influence of intermarriages, the current of conversion had even taken the contrary course, the public was surprised

with numerous and public instances of conversion, continued from week to week, and though at first confined to a single county, yet soon appearing also in various and distant parts of the country; so that they could not be regarded as the effects of any causes merely local. As this movement has not been limited in place, so neither has it been a merely temporary effervescence, in which some occasional discontent has exploded. The instances of acts of conformity were more numerous in the beginning, but they have never been discontinued. It seems as if some accumulation of force had been necessary for commencing a practice so novel, and had been expended in overcoming the primary difficulty; but the force, whatever it may be, continues to act; the movement, whether it be a religious reformation or not, is uninterrupted.

Two questions naturally present themselves to the mind of a person contemplating this novel and very remarkable Occurrence. One of these is, whether any reason can be imagined for regarding it as a new modification of political party the other, whether the changes which have occurred are sufficiently considerable to warrant the expectation of a general diffusion of pure religion. If these questions can both be satisfactorily answered, the former in the negative, the latter in the affirmative; if it shall appear that the movement is in its main character separated from the influences of worldly policy, and that not only the stream of conversion continues to flow, but that plain indications of a disposition to listen to religious truth are discoverable in the minds of those who still adhere to the religion of Rome; we may surely conclude that a real reformation has been actually commenced, and that the wide and general extension of it may be reasonably expected. But if, in addition to these considerations, it should appear that the changes which have occurred are not events for which no adequate cause can be assigned, but the direct and natural result of agencies, by which such changes might have been, and actually were, anticipated, we perceive no reason why our assent to their reality and importance should longer be withheld-why we should not joyfully hail the new dawn of religious truth, now breaking upon a land with which we are so closely and intimately connected.

Independently, indeed, of all these considerations, ought

it to be deemed an improbable and almost incredible event, that a new era of religious reformation should be at this time begun in Ireland? What is there in such an occurrence so contrary to the general analogy of God's dealing with his creatures, that we should receive all reports of it with suspicion and distrust? If the ignorance and superstition of the majority of the people of Ireland have hitherto rendered them insensible to the animating truths of religion, we may say to the worldly politician of the present day as the Apostle demanded of Agrippa, "Why should it be thought a thing incredible with you that God should raise the dead?" Is it agreeable to the course of the Almighty's providence, that the popular mind, which has once sunk in the moral death of ignorance and superstition, should never be restored to the animation of reason and religion? Should we not rather expect that, at some time or other, the Almighty would vindicate his superintending care of his moral creation, and call forth light and life from the very abuses and corruptions in which they seemed to be for ever lost? When the general religion of Europe had been reduced to a mass of senseless superstitions, which offended the pious, and were ridiculed even by the priests who practised them for gain, the reforming efforts of an obscure Friar, who himself did not see clearly the way in which he was proceeding, were successfully opposed to the Power of Darkness, and began the deliverance of the Christian world. Such a change as was begun for Europe in general in the sixteenth century, may well be supposed to have been begun for Ireland in the nineteenth. The grossness of the abuses, which are urged as a reason for despair, is the very particular which constitutes the correspondence of the two cases; and the power of genuine religion, which is now brought to bear upon those abuses, exceeds, beyond all comparison, the exertions of an individual, who was actually acquiring for himself a knowledge of religious truth, while he was labouring to restrain the enormity of a practical corruption.

But it is said that attempts to reform the Irish have been repeatedly made without effect. If, however, it should appear that the efforts heretofore exerted were not fitted to attain this end, and if a different method of prosecuting the same purpose has at length been adopted, no argument for despondency can be drawn from these circumstances.

When the Grecian Orator laboured to animate the exertions of his countrymen, he told them that the general mismanagement of their affairs in times past, augured most favourably of their future success; while no hope could remain if they had been reduced to their actual condition, in spite of having done all which their duty demanded. Those who are now solicitous for the diffusion of the knowledge of true religion in Ireland, may surely apply to themselves this consolatory reflection, for it may without difficulty be shown, that the modes of conversion heretofore chiefly, and almost exclusively, employed, could not be effectual to the propagation of genuine religion. It is even more applicable to the subject of our present inquiry, because no Protestant can consistently doubt that the truth of his religion will ultimately prevail over ignorance and superstition; whereas the Orator could not be assured that his country might by any efforts of duty be rescued from subjugation. A Protestant of this empire may, without inconsistency, doubt whether the time has yet arrived when he might reasonably hope to bring all the people of Ireland to the knowledge of the truth; but if he be sincere in his profession of religion, he cannot for a moment entertain a doubt whether such a time must arrive, and the sole deliberation which he should hold with himself on the question, is whether it has already come, and demands of him his most strenuous efforts for assisting in the important work.

- The Protestant religion was first promulgated in Dublin in the year 1551, the fifth of the reign of Edward VI., the Book of Common Prayer being in that year printed in Dublin; and considerable exertions were made by the Archbishop of Dublin, for propagating a knowledge of it among those who understood the English language. Little time, however, was allowed for the success of these exertions, Edward dying two years afterwards, and being succeeded by Mary. The reformation of religion in Ireland was resumed by Elizabeth, but, at first, without giving any attention to the case of those who were ignorant of the language of the neighbouring country. The queen, indeed, in the year 1571, sent Irish types into this country, in the hope that God would raise up some persons to translate the NewTestament into the original language of Ireland. The pious hope was, however, not accomplished till the year 1602,