er; but it bore a different aspect while I was there, and it is this of which I am about to inform you. The case was that of a full grown woman, who came to destroy herself in conformity with a former vow of her mother's, and my curiosity being greatly excited, I went in company with another gentleman, to witness the whole proceeding in the event of our not being able to put a stop to it altogether. We found the woman sitting near the base of the rock, from which she was to cast herself headlong; having in one hand a knife and a cocoa-nut, and in the other a small looking glass. She appeared to be about thirty, and as ugly as any woman could well be; several Brahmins were near her, but she seemed to regard no one,-merely exclaiming, at the intervals, "Deo b,hur Jee," in a loud and disagreeable tone of voice.

On enquiring into the cause of the approaching suicide, I was informed that the woman's mother had vowed, in former days, to offer up her firstborn, to Mahadeo; and that her sterility having thereby been removed, she had borne this child and several others. Either through forgetfulness, however, or the strength of maternal affection, she neglected to destroy this eldest proof of the god's omnipotence, and the girl grew up, and got married in due course of time. Her husband soon after died, and a second, whom she wedded, followed the example of his predecessor; as did her father and mother not long after. These accumulated misfortunes drove the woman nearly mad, and for two months previous to the time of which I am speaking, she had done nothing but wander about the village, eating every thing that was offered her-no matter by whom. In consequence of this she had soon lost her caste, and the seclusion from her own friends, which this circumstance rendered indispensable, completed her misery and having taken it into her head, that all these mishaps were the consequences of her mother's vow remaining unfulfilled, she determined to proceed and execute it in her own person.

2T

ATHENEUM VOг. 7.

Colonel Adams had, with that humanity which forms 30 conspicuous a part of his character, directed his own principal hircarrah, and a Brahmin to accompany us, and to explain to the woman that no such sacrifices were ordered, or in any way authorized, by any of their own laws, and to use their utmost endeavours (excepting force) to prevent the self-destruction. The Brahmins who accompanied the woman, joined us most heartily in our ef forts to change her resolution. She was perfectly sensible, and understood every thing we said to her; but a decided negative was the only answer we could get to our entreaties that she would refrain from sacrificing herself. Her Brahmins told us that if she would only return, her friends would willingly and kindly receive her, and that no disgrace whatever would attach itself to her name if she declined fulfilling the vow of her mother. We likewise made known to her that Colonel Adams would have her conducted safely back, and the Soubadar of Hurdab, the place of her residence, would (as the Brahmins said he had offered to do before she set out) give her a pair of bullocks and a small piece of ground for her support. In fine, every thing that could possibly be urged, and every advantageous offer that could be made, proved quite ineffectual in shaking, even in the least degree, her resolution of dying.

The warmth and good will with which the Colonel's hircarrah (himself a high-caste Hindoo) endeavored to save the unhappy woman, were not less creditable that surprising; and every Brahmin present seconded his efforts with the most sincere good will imaginable. She was so determined,, however, upon taking the leap, that instead of listening to us with satisfaction, she repeatedly ordered the music to play, so that our voices might be drowned; but a slight and silent hint from us, was quite enough to insure disobedience to her orders on the part of the musicians; and indeed every one present seemed heartily to wish us success. One old Brahmin was so very impor

an injury; but never again trusted one whom he had found treacherous. John could take men a second time to his confidence, after the greatest wrongs and the basest usage: perhaps, because he had not so keen an insight into the characters of men as his brother; perhaps, because he regarded them as his instruments, and thought that all other considerations must give way to the interests of the spiritual dominion which he had acquired. It may be suspected that Charles, when he saw the mischief and the villany, as well as the follies, to which Methodism gave occasion; and when he perceived its tendency to a separation from the Church, thought that he had gone too far, and looked with sorrow to the consequences which he foresaw. John's was an aspiring and a joyous spirit, free from all regret for the past, or apprehension for the future: his anticipations were always hopeful; and, if circumstances arose contrary to his wishes, which he was unable to controul, he accommodated himself to them, made what advantage of them he could, and insensibly learnt to expect, with complacency, as the inevitable end of his career, a schism which, at the commencement, he would bave regarded with horror, as a dutiful and conscientious minister of the Church of England."

When the nonjurors disappeared as a party, they joined the methodists as a middle course between the church and the dissenters; but it was owing to such of the dissenters themselves, as united with them, that their separation from the church was gradually brought on. The Bishop of Exeter, Lavington, in a comparison between the enthusiasm of Methodists and of Papists, drew a lively picture of the extravagancies so potently revived by Berridge, vicar of Everton, and Hickes, another clergyman who went over to the Wesleyans. John Wesley answered him ill-humouredly, and had the worst of the argument. Dr. Warburton was another strong opponent; but Wesley made a better defence against him, on the question of divine grace. The cre dulity of this otherwise astonishing person appears to have been very great.

"His disposition to believe whatever he was told, however improbable the fact, or insufficient the evidence, was not confined to preternatural tales. He listened to every old woman's nostrum for a disease, and collected so many of them, that he thought himself qualified at last to commence practitioner in medicine. Accordingly he announced in London his intention of giving physic to the poor, and they came for many years in great numbers, till the expense of distributing medicines to them was greater than the Society could support. At the same time, for the purpose of enabling people to cure themselves, he published his collection of receipts, under the title of Primitive Physic; or, an easy and natural Method of curing most Diseases." In the 28th edition of this work,the cold-bath is prescribed for ague, just before the cold fit; for preventing apoplexy; for weak infants, every day; and for cancer. For films in the sight, the eyes are to be touched with lunar caustic every day; or zibethum occidentale, dried slowly, and finely pulverized, is to be blown into them. For siphylis an ounce of quicksilver every morning: and for the twisting of the intestines, quicksilver, ounce by ounce, to the amount of one, two or three pounds! Toasted cheese is recommended for a cut; and, for a rupture in children, "boil a spoonful of egg-shells, dried in an oven, and powdered, in a pint of milk, and feed the child constantly with bread boiled in this milk!"

These destructive recipes must have produced much misery where acted upon. The preacher however cured himself of an illness so severe, that his friends addressed to him farewell letters: and he wrote his own epitaph, of which the annexed is a copy.

Here lieth

the body of John Wesley, a brand plucked out of the burning: who died of a consumption in the fiftyfirst year of his age, not leaving, after his debts are paid, ten pounds behind him; praying God be merciful to me an unprofitable servant! "He ordered that this (if any) inscription should be placed on his tombstone."

Whitfield was as unfortunate in his marriage as his friend John Wesley. His death in America, in 1769, severed the personal bonds which had hitherto held the methodists in a sort of union; and the calvinistic sect, finding a patroness in the celebrated Selina Lady Huntingdon, finally and entirely separated from Wesley's connection. The calvinistic leaders were Richard (afterwards Sir R.) and Rowland Hill, A. M. Toplady, vicar of Broad Hembury, Devon, the hon. Walter Shirley and others; among the Wesleyan controversialists, Walter Sellon,a lay preacher, originally a baker, Mr. Fletcher or rather Flechiere a very pious and amiable foreigner, and Thomas Olivers, a Welshman, were distinguished. The Calvinists published the following satirical lines on Wesley's endeavours to explain his opinions so as to prevent a rupture.

Whereas the religion, and fate of three nations, Depend on the importance of our conversations; Whereas some objections are thrown in our way,

say;

Be it known, from henceforth, to each friend and each brother;

Whene'er we say one thing, we mean quite another.

And Wesley thus ridiculed Topla dy's treatise on absolute predestination.

"The sum of all this is-one in twenty (suppose) of mankind is elected; nineteen in twenty are reprobated. The elect shall be saved, do what they will; the reprobate shall be damned, do what they can. Reader, believe this, or be damned. Witness my hand, AT' Toplady denied the consequences, and accused Mr. Wesley of intending to palm the paragraph on the world as his. In almost any other case,' said be, a similar forgery would transmit the criminal to Virginia or Maryland, if not to Tyburn. The satanic guilt of the person who could excogitate and publish to the world a position like that, baffles all power of description, and is only to be exceeded (ifexceedable) by the satanic shamelessness which dares to lay the black position at the door of other men.""

ed of the highest order.

Dr. Coke organized Methodism under an episcopal form in America, and Washington addressed the heads, or superintendants as they were called in England, by the appellation of bishops,

He also established the new sect in ma

ny of the West India Islands; and may justly be considered the Xavier of the society. His energy and success may be appreciated by the following anecdote:

A captain in the navy, from whom he obtained a subscription, calling upon an acquaintance of Coke's the same morn ing, said, "Do you know any thing of a little fellow who calls himself Dr. Coke, and who is going about begging money for missionaries to be sent among the slaves ?"-" I know him well," was the reply. "He seems,"replied the captain, " to be a heavenly-minded little devil. He coaxed me out of two guineas this morning."

"The year 1784 has been called the grand climaterical year of Methodism, because Wesley then first arrogated to himself an episcopal power; and be.

of the conference was effected, whereby provision was made for the government of the society after his death, as long as it should continue.

"His first thought was to name some ten or twelve persons. On further consideration he appointed one hundred, believing, he says, there would be more safety in a greater number of counsellors,' and judging these were as many as could meet without too great an expense, and without leaving any circuit deprived of preachers while the conference was assembled. The hundred persons thus nominated being preachers and expounders of God's holy Word, under the care of, and in connexion with, the said John Wesley,' were declared to constitute the Conference, according to the true intent and meaning of the various deeds in which that term was used; and provision was now made for continuing the succession and identity of this body, wherein the administration of the Methodist connection was to be vested after the founder's death. They were to assemble yearly at London, Bristol, or Leeds, or any other place which they might think proper to appoint; and their first act was to be to fill up all vacancies occasioned by death or other circumstances. No act was to be valid unless forty members were present, provided the whole body had not been reduced below that number by death, or other causes. The duration of the assembly should not be less than five days, nor more than three weeks, but any time between those limits at their discretion. They were to elect a president and secretary from their own number, and the president should have a double vote. Any member absenting himself without leave from two successive conferences, and not appearing on the first day of the third, forfeited his seat by that absence. They had power to admit preachers and expounders upon trial,to receive them into fuli connection, and to expel any person for sufficient cause; but no person might be elected a member of their body, till he had been twelve months in full connection as a preach

to preach in any of their chapels who was not a member of the connection, nor might they appoint any preacher for more than three years to one place, except ordained ministers of the Church of England. They might delegate any member or members of their own body to act with full power in Ireland, or any other parts out of the kingdom of G. Britain. Whenever the conference should be reduced below the number of forty members, and continue so reduced for three years, or whenever it should neglect to meet for three successive years, in either of such cases the conference should be extinguished; and the chapels and other premises should vest in the trustees for the time being, in trust, that they should appoint persons to preach therein."

The covenant, (borrowed from the Puritans) was another of Wesley's institutions, and originated so far back as 1755. It is defined by the author to be "one of the most perilous practices that ever was devised by enthusiasm; the entering into a covenant in which the levoted promises and rows to the most dreadful God,' (beginning the address with that dreadful appellation!) to become his covenant servant; and, giving up himself body and soul, to his service, to observe all his laws, and obey him before all others, and this to the death!'

Mr. Wesley may

perhaps have been prejudiced in favour of this practice, because he found it recommended by the non-conformist Richard Allein, whose works had been published by his maternal grandfather, Dr. Annesley; so that he had probably been taught to respect the author in his youth. In the year 1755, he first recommended this covenant; and, after explaining the subject to his London congregation during several successive days, he assembled as many as were willing to enter into the engagement, at the French church in Spitalfields, and read to them the tremendous formula, to which eighteen hundred persons signified their assent by standing up. Such a night,' he says, I scarce ever saw before: surely the fruit