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advantage, but since it would have caused a disproportion between the Heavens and Regions, it is much better as it is, because they are so contrived as to agree with the polar and tropical circles nearly, and, in the division of the Regions, to agree with those of the zodiacal signs, therefore these divisions are not altogether arbitrary; and if this method were to be fully adopted, it could

neither make innovations nor confusions in science, as was charged upon the plan of Julius Schiller, and some of the editions of Bayer. It may be made practically useful, while the ancient constellations remain as they are, unaltered.

THOMAS COOKE.

CAPTAIN COOK'S MONUMENT.

Whitby, 29th October, 1827.

MR. EDITOR. SIR,-By inserting the following account in your excellent publication, you will much oblige

AN OLD SUBSCRIBER.

Ir has been the laudable practice of all nations, both ancient and modern, that have signalized themselves by their superior skill in the arts and sciences, by their regard to the rights of humanity, the happiness of mankind, or by their heroic and warlike achievements, to commemorate those illustrious individuals, who have, by the force of their superior genius, industry, and perseverance, reflected honour upon their country, and upon human nature; many of whom, no doubt, will command the veneration and respect of the great and the good to the latest posterity.

In taking a survey of the brilliant constellation of philosophers, statesmen, philanthropists, and heroes, to which Britain has given birth, who have a peculiar claim upon national gratitude, and an indefeasible right to the honourable appellation of the benefactors of the human race; we cannot for a moment hesitate to eulogize Captain Cook, as one of the greatest men in his profession, which this or any other country has produced. When we contrast the obscurity of his early life, and the slender facilities which he possessed for improvement in science, with the astonishing proficiency which he afterwards made, the formidable difficulties that he surmounted, the invaluable discoveries which have rendered his name immortal, and the comprehensive and well-concerted plans which he laid down, and which, if his useful life had been prolonged, would have been

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carried on by himself with the most unremitting vigour; we are struck with amazement, and scarcely know which most to admire,--the man whose powers, both of body and mind, were of so extraordinary a cast, as to fit him for enterprises, the bare idea of which would have been sufficient to deter any one from attempting them, unless possessed of that invincible fortitude, which was a leading feature in the character of this intrepid but cautious navigator—or that singular and striking providence which seems to have raised him up, and to have given him the qualifications peculiarly adapted to the high and prominent rank which he held among his countrymen, and by which he was so well fitted to serve the best interests of mankind.

It is well known, that by the discoveries of this illustrious navigator, geography has assumed a new face, and become in a manner a new science; nautical astronomy is also brought to a much greater perfection; and a vast stock of knowledge has been gained, with respect to the ebbing and flowing of the tides; the direction and force of currents at sea; the polarity of the needle, the cause of its variations, &c. &c. In short, when we consider the attention which this wonderful man paid to the vast variety of objects which embellish the page of natural history; the observations which he made upon human nature in different situations, (for which he had the best opportunities of any man living,) and, above all, when we reflect that one of his greatest objects was to open a friendly communication between us and the inhabitants of the most distant climes, and to diffuse the blessings of civilization and religion among those who were immersed in the darkest shades of ignorance and superstition;- -we are forced to acknowledge, that the man who was able to prosecute, and in many instances to accomplish, such a noble and benevolent design, deserves to have his name transmitted to posterity, embalmed with all the honours which are the just meed of such as have pre-eminently distinguished themselves as the friends of humanity, and who have made it their particular study to devise the most effectual means of enlightening and cultivating the condition of mankind.

Believing, as we do, that the best way of encouraging true genius is by rewarding real merit, and that the spirit of patriotism never displays itself to greater advantage, than when it tries to provoke emulation by conferring immortality on those who have rendered essential service to their country; we feel persuaded that it will be highly

gratifying to the public in general, and to the inhabitants of Whitby in particular, to know that Robert Campion, Esq. of Whitby, and of Earby Hall near Stokeley, with that liberality for which he has been long, and deservedly distinguished, as the patron and supporter of most of our benevolent institutions, has erected the subjoined monument on the top of Earby moor, entirely at his own expense, as a testimony of his high respect for the memory of Captain Cook, with the following Inscription upon it.

Shall be cultivated among Men:

the spirit of Enterprize, Commerce, and Philanthropy,

Shall animate the Sons of Britain;

While it shall be deemed the high Honour of a To spread

Christian Nation

The Enjoyments of civilized Life, and the higher
Blessings of the Christian Faith,
Among Pagan and savage Tribes;
So long

Will the Name of Captain Cook stand enrolled
Among the most celebrated and most admired
of the

BENEFACTORS OF THE HUMAN RACE.

As a token of Respect for, and Admiration of, the character and labours of that truly great Man, who served his Apprenticeship at Sea from Whitby, this MONUMENT was erected by ROBERT CAMPION, Esq. of Whitby, and Lord of the Manor of Earby. The Foundation Stone was laid by him on the 12th of July, 1827, being the Anniversary of the Day on which Capt. Cook commenced his last Voyage, and also of the Birth of the Founder. It was finished on the 27th of October, 1827, being Capt. Cook's Birth-day, and wanting only one year of

A Centenary.

The day's being fine, both at the laying the foundation stone, and at its being finished, Mr. Campion and all the family, with several friends, were present, and after appropriate addresses delivered by Mr. Campion on both occasions, "God save the king" was played, with four times four cheers, and "Rule Britannia," with three times three, &c. resounded from the top of the mountain; flags were hoisted; and on the latter day a large piece of cannon was fired several times. The party, with all the workmen, &c. were regaled with wine and spirits, &c.

Earby moor is an eminence, which is found, upon trial, to be higher than Rosebury Topping, and, as the dimensions of the monument are 12 feet square at the base, and 51 feet in height from the surface, its appearance as an object of vision cannot fail of attracting the attention to a very considerable distance north and south, east and west, and of being an additional ornament to the beautiful and picturesque scenery of that part of the country; forming also a conspicuous sea-mark. We cannot help remarking, as a singular coincidence with Mr. Campion's birth-day, that Captain Cook left Plymouth on his last voyage, on the 12th of July, 1776. It is also remarkable, though rather depreciating to the honour of our country, that the only individual in this kingdom, who has erected a monument to the memory of Captain Cook, of whom we have any information, previous to the present in Earby moor, is admiral Sir Hugh Palliser, who had uniformly an un

POETRY.

(For the Imperial Magazine.)

THE SAINT'S NUNC DIMITTIS; OR, FAREWELL TO TIME:

Supposed to be uttered by a Dying Christian, at the close of the year 1827.

FAREWELL, old Time; ere thou hast reach'd the

morn

Thy sun shall gild his wings in Capricorn ;
Life's narrow, stormy Frith, I shall pass o'er,
And cast my anchor on th' eternal shore,
Where all is dateless, endless, infinite,
And being has no measure but delight!
Farewell thou sun, and yon bright planets, all
That roll in silent beauty round this ball;
I go, to that celestial sphere,

80,

Where Jesus shines through one eternal year!
Farewell thou earth; and all that earth contains,
Thy graceful hills, green meadows, flowery plains,
I leave thy wave-worn shores without a sigh,
A Father's mansion-house, a master's joy,
Invite me hence; I unreluctant go

Where pleasure never wears a fringe of woe!
Farewell to gold and silver,-wealth, adieu;
Ye fly from others, but I fly from you.
Farewell to honour, I'm enroll'd above,
My plume, my crest, is Love, redeeming Love;
By His dear hand that bled, I read my name
Wrote 'mong the living in Jerusalem.
Farewell to pleasure, vanity, and lies,
I go to drink a river in the skies,
Whose banks are with immortal verdure clad,
Whose streams make all Jehovah's city glad.
Farewell to houses, gardens, orchards, lands,
I have above a house not made with hands;
A spotless mansion, built of precious stone,
A crown of living light, a jasper throne.
Farewell to knowledge, first of earthly things,
I go to drink it where the fountain springs
Clear from its source, pellucid and refin'd,
The dregs of muddy error left behind.
Farewell to death, I shall for ever bloom
In youth's fresh loveliness beyond the tomp.
Farewell to sickness, all the aches and pains,
That crowd my vitals and consume my reins;
No hectic flush shall on my cheeks disclose
The transient blushes of a dying rose;
This aching, burning head shall throb no more,
And these sharp stitches in my side be o'er!
Farewell to friends, I leave the social ring,
And fly to Eden on a seraph's wing;

I soon shall join the ranks of the "first-born,"
Whom robes of light and crowns of life adorn.
Farewell thou dearest of my joys on earth,
The Church of God, my place of second birth,
Of second life, and nameless comforts too;
More dear than gold, more sweet than vernal dew,
Have been thy verdant pastures to my soul,
Where flowers appear, and streams of pleasure roll.
I go to see the saints in beauty bright,
The saints embower'd in love, enshrin'd in light.
I go to see the Lamb upon his throne,
And that dear land, the beatific zone;
That land of sweet delight and calm repose,
Of Gilead's balm, and Sharon's fragrant rose;
There ceaseless bliss, and sun-bright knowledge
reign,

No fiends to vex me, and no vice to stain,

But friendship form'd by love,-O angel powers! Receive a weary pilgrim to your bowers!

Oh let me listen to your golden lyres,
And burn, like you, in love's seraphic fires;
Adore the Lamb, in each: soul-thrilling chant,
Your ardours feel, and still for greater pant;
The weakest, meanest, poorest sinner take

To your sweet fellowship, for Jesus' sake!
Farewell to books, and all polemic strife,
My name is written in "the book of life."
I blush for holy men, and haste above
To see a pure society of love,

80

Through which the mystic dove pours holy oil, While seven-fold heaven beams from Immanuel's

smile.

Farewell to party, and each various ism;
My soul, anointed with the sacred chrism,
Has found a clime unting'd with party gull,
Where all are one, and One is all in all!
Farewell ye demons, who my ruin plot,
And vex my soul, as Sodom righteous Lot:
Blush, fiends of hell! through my Redeemer's care
I've scap'd your fangs, as birds the fowler's snare.
I soon shall sing, on yon celestial shore,
I'm safe! I'm safe! I'm safe for evermere !
Farewell iny dearest children, fare ye well :
What pangs I feel to leave you, none can tell ;
But I have drunk the bitter parting cup,
And now, thank God, can freely give you up:
Love, fear, adore, and serve the Lord alone!
Soon we shall meet where farewells are not known.
Farewell, my dearest wife ! I'm loath to part
With thee, the joy and solace of my heart,
With thee, the dear companion of my care
And bliss, when I had any bliss to share :
So round my heart with many a fibre bound,
To give thee up inflicts the deepest wound;
But Jesus calls me to his blest abode,

I go the first, but thou art on the road,
"Tis but a moment, love, repress thy tears,
And then we're married through eternal years.
Well now, the bitterness of death is past,
That pang of souls untwisting was the last,
The coast is clear, my mortal race is run;
Angels, bring near the chariot, all is won ;
Step in, my soul,-I go with all my heart,-
"Now let thy servant, Lord, in peace depart."
Worcester.
JOSHUA MARSDEN.

ON THE DEATH OF THE RIGHT HON.
GEORGE CANNING.

ADIEU to mirth, for CANNING's spirit's fled
Far, far beyond the regions of our sight;
No more his mighty genius e'er will shed
Around our land a flood of civil light.
Tho' lost to us, yet still his memory dear

Lives deeply stamp'd on every Briton's breast; For him Britannia sheds the pitying tear,

And mourns his exit with a heart distress'd.
No more he'll shield us from each dreaded blow,
Or stay corruption by his frown alone;
No more his generous breast with freedom glow,
Or hurl oppression from the despot's throne !
No more he'll strike the muse's magic lyre;
That lyre which raised him to immortal fame ;
With eloquence each noble passion fire,

And rouse the nation to a sense of shame!
His mournful fate is wept by every muse,
Each son of freedom doubly feels the smart;
Then how shall I, a brother bard, refuse

To yield the tribute of a feeling heart?
The loving husband, sire, and steady friend,

Were virtues that adorn'd his noble breast: And the stern patriot, who would never bend

To see his countrymen with chains oppress'd. But, ah! relentless fate has borne away Britannia's hope, Britannia's fav'rite son, Has seiz'd on CANNING as a lawful prey, When scarce his mighty projects were begun. Oh, how uncertain is the 'state of man!

To-day in health-to-morrow meets his doom : How little dream we of life's narrow span, Till all our hopes are buried in the tomb! Bermondsey, Sept. 28, 1827.

E.CL

THE LAKE OF GENEVA. [Suggested from a View, as exhibited at the Panorama.]

SOFT lake of beauty, where the eye beams o'er
Th' enchanting prospect of thine Alpine shore;
Where hills on hills in awful grandeur rise,
Whose snow-clad summits mingle with the skies,
Where frowns the Jura, and Mont Blanc is seen
Presiding monarch of the mountain scene,
While all beneath is one luxuriant vale,
Where zephyrs wanton in the vernal gale:
There, on the bosom of thy waters blue,
The gay gondola meets the gazer's view,
Treading the depths of thine enchanted wave,
Whose lucid waters ripple as they lave.

With varied colours drest, the mountain steep
Reflects its radiance o'er the glassy deep,
Nature's broad mirror, where its giant form
Is seen thro' ages, scatheless mid the storm,
Lightning, and tempest, still undaunted stood
With time coeval, aged as the flood:
Fed by refreshing tributary streams,

Thy waters gladden-while, swift passing, gleams
The rapid Rhine, that urges on its course,
Resistless, boundless, rushing from its source,
In all the pride of overflowing strength,

Till lost, it winds thro' wilds of trackless length:
Lake of transparent beauty, where the eye
Watches thy waters as they murmur by;
Thy verdant banks, with beauteous villas crown'd,
Arcadian scenes of beauty that abound;
Soft sloping meads that captivate the sight,
Bold mountain scenery, and a sky that's bright,
These are thy charms, Lake Leman, these thy pride,
That bid the traveller linger o'er thy tide;
Dear fond illusion of the painter's art,

I linger still, and still am loath to part,
To quit the spot that fancy pictur'd true,

Where Goldsmith, honour'd'bard, oft linger'd too;
Here fondly gazed, a visionary child,

And sat and mused amid these regions wild;
Drank the full flood of inspiration here,

And pour'd the tide of song, as roll'd thy water, clear.

I HAVE a moral for thee-which I took
Not from a fabled tale, or beauteous flow'r,
That once bloom'd fairest in a summer book
Of nature, till the warring winds or show'r
Made it a wreck. But from the darken'd look
Of death by solitude, that seem'd to low'r
Upon the transit of the faded year-
More solitary as its end drew near.

Didst thou observe it? perhaps thou did'st not;
I'll tell thee what I moralized upon-
[then
"Twas this:-The moon, thou knowest, has, when
The year was younger, very often shone
Upon the earth, and with her lucid pen
Oft wrote upon the dewy flow'rs-anon
Making them like transparent stars appear,
To grace the crown of her young friend-the year.
Well, the year died, (as ev'ry year will die,)

And midnight drew the azure deeper; then it hung
Its many variegated lamps on high,
To light its exit. But the moonlight flang
Not e'en a farewell kiss upon the sky,
To soothe its friend, who died unnotic'd, save
By paly stars that twinkled on its grave.

Thus thought I-is this what the many deem
As friendship, when it is but parasy
Under a borrow'd name-a moonlight beam,
Assum'd to hide its insincerity.

But should their fortune fail them, or it seem
To suit their interest better, they may die
Unnoticed by those friends, without one tear
Of sympathy to consecrate their bier.

M. E. S.

STANZAS,

Occasioned by seeing a sudden Gleam of Light in the Midst of a Storm, July 23, 1823.

THE clouds had op'd their cisterns from on high,
When down the rain in rattling torrents fell,
Murky and dark look'd all the trembling sky,
As tho' the démon 'gan to work his spell,
The genius of the storm, who loves full well
To tell his mysteries to the roaring deep,
The cataract, the mountain, and the dell,
Where winds thro' rocks and caverns hoarsely
sweep;

Or where, by tempest driv'n, the murm'ring surges creep.

When, lo forth burst from out the threat'ning A flood of light, enkindling all the sky; [gloom, "Twas like the blaze that lights the yawning tomb When spirits mount, and spread their wings on high,

Th' effulgent brightness on heaven's hierarchy;
Or like the sudden gleam that shone around
The man of Tarsus, as he journey'd nigh
Damascus city, scourging all he found,

Till God-Immanuel spake, and struck him to the ground.

Or erst when Time, his mystic circle run,
Ere stars had twinkled o'er the dark abyss,
Or God, th' eternal Father, had begun
To ope the treasures of a world like this,
And give to paradise a heaven of bliss;
When thro' dark Chaos and old Night was heard
A voice that chas'd the brooding shades away-
"Let there be light," went forth th' eternal word,
And light there was, resplendent as the day,
So burst th' effulgent beam before my visual
ray.
J. S. H.

SONNET,

SAY, what is heaven?-A place of pure delight,
Of perfect joy, of harmony, of peace,
Where angels tune their harps, and never cease
The universal chorus :-clothed in light,
They fly through ether in unbouded space,
Or wait with outstretch'd wing before the throne
Of the Almighty, Great, Eternal One.
There Sorrow never finds a resting-place,
Nor yet the ills that mortals feel below;
Nor death is there, the stream of time shall flow
And injure none-for none shall know decay:--
Nor night is there, but one unclouded day
Shall shed its lustre, while this mighty world,
And sun, and stars, are into ruin hurl'd.

A FRAGMENT.

L.

SHE was all life, and love, and happiness!
And tho' a stranger in this joyous isle,-
And tho' she left the fairy land of song,
With all its wildest beauties, yet she had
One soothing balm to all her thoughts of home,-
She had one object in that distant land,
Who had from childhood's day to her been dear,
And he would come one day, and call her his;
And then she thought that happiness alone
Would be her lot,-nor dreamt of woe or death.

REVIEW-The Reasons of the Law of Moses. From the "More Nevochim" of Maimonides, with Notes, Dissertations, and a Life of the Author. By James Townley. DD. 8vo. pp. 450. Longman and Co. London. 1827.

DR. JAMES TOWNLEY has many times appeared before the public in the character of an author, and on several occasions we have had an opportunity of noticing his publications. The subjects which have engaged his attention, stand high in the scale of importance, and have a strong bearing upon points that are dear to us as Protestants, and interesting to us

as men.

From the volume now under inspection, as well as from some others which we have occasionally seen, it appears that Dr. Townley has devoted no small portion of his time and talents to Rabbinical learning, and, on minutely inspecting this production of his pen, we gather an assurance, that he is no mean proficient in this branch of remote, but useful knowledge. It is well known, that unto the Jews were primarily committed the oracles of God, and through them the Law and the Prophets have been transmitted to succeeding generations. An intimate acquaintance, therefore, with their manners, their customs, their rites, and their ceremonies, with their traditions, the opinions of their learned men, and their vicissitudes, and connexion with surrounding nations, will most essentially tend to illustrate obscurities in the sacred writings, and unveil the origin of several primitive institutions.

Among the more renowned of the Jewish writers, Maimonides has always been held in high esteem. From a brief sketch of his life, which is prefixed to this work, we learn, that he was born at Cordova in Spain, about the year 1131, of the Christian era that he received his early instruction from his father: was then placed under the care of the most celebrated of the Jewish teachers: that he then attached himself to Averroes, an Arabian philosopher and physician, and soon became distinguished by his varied and learned acquirements. From Spain he removed

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into Egypt, and settled at Cairo, where, after some vicissitudes of fortune, he was noticed by the sultan, and brought into high repute. Having thus obtained the means of following the bent of his inclinations, he published several learned works, among which, his More Nevochim, or "Instructor of the Perplexed," was the most remarkable. This venerable author his remains were interred in the land of died in Egypt at the age of seventy, and Israel.

before us, is followed by nine dissertations. The life of Maimonides, in the volume

The first treats of the Talmudical and Rabbinical writings: the second of the Zabian idolatry: the third, of the originality of the institutions of Moses: the fourth, of the Mosaic distinction of clean and unclean animals: the fifth, of the prohibition of blood: the sixth, of the typical character of the Mosaic institutions: the seventh, of the leprosy: the eighth, of talisman, and talismanic figures: and the ninth, of Judicial astrology. These dissertations occupy about one hundred pages, and furnish a satisfactory, though succinct account, of the subjects of which they treat. To remove all doubt of their authenticity, we are furnished in the margin with the authorities on which the statements rest; and from these we learn, that the facts placed before us, are the result of inquiries prosecuted in various quarters, and of long and tedious literary research. In these dissertations much curious and rational information is embodied, particularly under the Talmudical and Rabbinical writings, the Zabian idolatry, Leprosy, Talismans, and Astrology.

The translation of Maimonides on the Mosaic precepts, is next introduced to our notice. This comprises twenty-four chapters, and these are followed by above a hundred closely printed pages of notes, and the whole is concluded with a copious index..

From the wild absurdities which are sometimes found in the Rabbinical writers, and the manner in which they have been recorded by christian authors, an opinion prevails, that all their compositions abound with extravagance. Scarcely any conclusion can be more remote from truth. We might with equal propriety associate Locke with Jacob Behmen, as charge their enlightened philosophers with the monstrous dreams of their traditional fanatics. "The Reasons of the Law of Moses, translated from the More Nevochim of Maimonides," are every where replete with sound sense, solid argument, and genuine