Sir, thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep: from whence then hast thou this living water?" (John iv. 11.) Nothing is more common than for strangers to enter into conversation upon such occasions. Happy was the meeting of the woman of Sychar with the holy Traveller at Jacob's well. An assemblage of pilgrims at an oriental reservoir often brings to mind the interview in Samaria. When at Rome, I purchased a picture on this subject, by Guercino, large as life; reckoned one of the finest works of that master. Meekness and dignity are happily blended in the Saviour's countenance; and the whole composition is a chef d'œuvre of the Italian school. A learned friend, on seeing it at Stanmore-Hill, wrote the following extempore lines :

Soon as the silken curtain I undraw,
My soul is fill'd with reverential awe,
Emotions various agitate my breast,
With fear, grief, joy, alternately impress'd.

When the frail fair Samaritan I view,
Trembling with guilt, I tremble too!

OF SCRIPTURE.

Like her, I seem a wretched sinner, brought Before that God who knows man's inmost thought;

With shame abash'd, back from myself I

start,

And keen remorse and sorrow pierce my heart.
But when that image meets my ravish'd sight,
Where softness, grace, and dignity unite
Meekness with majesty, I think I see
My God himself clothed in mortality.
His eyes beam mercy, while his lips reprove,
Tempering rebuke with gentleness and love:
His hand, uplifted, points the way to heaven;
I hear his voice,-"Repent, and be forgiven!"
Sorrow's black gloom Hope ripens into joy!
Desponding fears no more my peace destroy,

But if a mere resemblance here portray'd, The child of Art, the' effect of light and shade, Can to my mind such strong sensations call, O what must be the great Original! -Forbes's Oriental Memoirs.

I AM not certain whether the Hindoos have any religious ceremony, or libation, before their meals, like the libamina of the Romans, or the Christian's grace; but that ablution precedes their repast, is well known. It is also introduced among the Mahomedans, and adopted by some Europeans. Although, after a dusty journey among the Hindoo villages, I might neither drink out of their cups, nor wash my hands in their basons, yet would the women gently pour water from their jars into my hands, contracted into the form of a cup, and held sloping to the mouth. This is a common method for the Indians of different castes to take water from each other. Pouring water over the hands to wash, instead of dipping them into a bason, has been always an oriental custom. We frequently meet with it in ancient manners. Elisha poured water upon the hands of his master Elijah. (2 Kings iii. 11.) When I dined with the Dutch Governor at Cochin, three female slaves, neatly dressed,

attended each of the guests, before the dinner was put on the table. One girl held a silver bason, decked with flowers, to contain the water, which another poured upon his hands from a silver vase; and a third offered a clean napkin on a salver. At the English tables two servants attend after dinner, with a gindey and ewer, of silver or white copper. The former is adorned with fresh-gathered flowers, stuck in a perforated cover, to conceal the water which is poured from the latter over the hands of each guest. -Ibid.

Ar the commencement of the rainy season the Hindoos plant abundance of melons, cucumbers, and gourds, which are then the principal food of the inhabitants. They are not sown in garden-beds, as in Europe, but in fields, and extensive plains, liable to depredation by men and beasts. In the centre of the field is an artificial mount, with a hut on the top, sufficiently large to shelter a single person from the inclemency of the weather. There, amidst heavy rain and tempestuous winds, a poor solitary being is stationed day and night, to protect the crop from thieves of various descriptions, but especially from the monkeys, who assemble in large bodies to commit depredations. From thence the centinel gives the alarm to the nearest village; and the peasants come out, and drive them off. Few situations can be more unpleasant than a hovel of this kind, exposed for three or four months to thunder, lightning, and rain. The Prophet, no doubt, alludes to it, in that passage deploring the desolation of Judea: "The daughter of Zion is left as a cottage in a vineyard, as a lodge in a garden of cucumbers, as a besieged city." (Isaiah i. 8.)-Ibid.

In India I sometimes frequented places where the natives had never seen a European, and were ignorant of every thing concerning us. There I beheld manners and customs simple as were those of the patriarchal age; there, in the very

style of Rebecca, and the damsels of Mesopotamia, the Hindoo villagers treated me with that artless hospitality which is so delightfully described in the poems of Homer, and other ancient records. On a sultry day, near a Zinore village, having ridden faster than my attendants, while waiting their arrival under a tamarind-tree, a young woman came to the well. I asked for a little water; but neither of us having a drink ing vessel, she hastily left me, as I imagined, to bring an earthen cup for the purpose, as I should have polluted a vessel of metal. But as Jael, when Sisera asked for water,

gave him milk, and brought forth butter in a lordly dish," (Judges v. 25,) so did this village damsel, with more sincerity than Heber's wife, bring me a pot of milk, and a lump of butter on the delicate leaf of the banana, the "lordly dish" of the Hindoos. The former I gladly accepted. On my declining the latter, she immediately made it up into two balls, and gave one to each of the oxen that drew my hackery. Butter is a luxury to these animals, and enables them to bear additional fatigue. -Ibid.

So great is the dread of beasts of prey in the villages on the Sabermatty river, at the head of the Gulf of Cambay, that the inhabitants carefully collect all their cattle within the mud-walls with which every village is encircled, at the close of day; after which all egress is avoided; and even the dogs, instinctively conscious of the perils by which they are surrounded, keep within the protection of the walls.

It is certainly very dangerous to travel in the jungles, or Indian forests, after sunset, when the savage beasts leave their haunts, and prowl abroad for prey; but as they retire to their dens at the approach of dawn, we do not often hear of accidents. They reign by night, and claim their wild domain. The day belongs to man. Equally beautiful and just is that passage in the royal Psalmist: "Thou makest darkness, and it is night, wherein all the beasts of the forest do creep forth.

The

young lions roar after their prey. The sun ariseth, they gather themselves together, and lay them down in their dens." (Psalm civ. 20-22.) -Ibid.

I was delighted with the mausoleums at Betwah: the Mullahs assured me they were inferior to those at Agri and Delhi, where imperial wealth and magnificence had united to decorate the tombs of the Mogul Princes and their favourite Sultanas; the ornamental parts being entirely composed of agates, cornelians, turquoise, lapis lazuli, and other valuable gems, rivalling the most admired specimens of the inlaid marbles at Florence; where I compared the charming originals on the tombs of the Medici with some beautiful drawings of the Tage Mahal at Agra, belonging to an English lady in Tuscany, who had visited that magnificent shrine. How forcibly do these remind us of the truth and beauty of the metaphorical language of the sacred page, promising sublime and spiritual joys, under allusions borrowed from these subjects in oriental palaces! In the prophetical books of the Old Testament, it is said, "I will make thy windows of agates, and thy gates of carbuncles, and all thy borders of pleasant stones." (Isaiah liv. 12.) In the figurative descriptions of the New Testament we find the same ideas: "Her light was like unto a stone most precious, even like a jasperstone, clear as crystal: and the foundations of the wall of the city were garnished with all manner of precious stones, the jasper, the sapphire, the chalcedony, the emerald, the sardonyx, the sardius, the chry

THE PROFESSION OF THE profession of letters in China is adopted with a view to office in the civil service; to attain the Judge's bench, and magistracy; the government of provinces; or, it may be, a seat in the ministerial cabinet, guiding the councils of "the great Emperor" himself. Such elevation is possible to the poor scholar, the humble student of Confucian principles; and, tempted by the pros

solyte, the beryl, the topaz, the chrysoprasus, the jacinth, the amethyst." (Rev. xxi. 11, 19, 20.)

From Putwah we travelled over a tract of land, once filled with crowded streets and populous mansions, now a cultivated plain, covered with trees and verdure, unless where a falling mosque or mouldering palace reminded us of its former state. These ruins increased as we drew nearer the city, until at length we travelled through acres of desolation, A universal silence reigned; nothing indicated our approach to a capital; nor did we meet with "one sad historian of the mournful plain," without the gates of Almedabad!

Et seges est ubi Troja fuit.-OVID. Or, rather, let me quote a similar scene in the expressive language of the prophetical writings, of a city still more magnificent than either Troy or the capital of Guzerat, that it should become "a heap of ruins, a dwelling-place for dragons, an as. tonishment and a hissing, without an inhabitant; the wild beasts of the field should be there, and the houses full of doleful creatures; the owls should dwell in their habitations, and the satyrs dance in their plea sant places." (Jer. ix. 11; xix. 8; Isa. xxxiv. 14.) Such is now the desolation round the circumscribed walls It is literally the of Ahmedabad. resort of tigers, hyenas, and jackals; the abode of monkeys, guanas, serpents, and noxious reptiles !

"The spider holds the veil in the palace of Cæsar;

The owl stands centinel on the watchtowers of Afrasiab."-SADY.

-Ibid.

LETTERS IN CHINA. pect, almost every family of a little property dedicates one or more of its sons to the study of books. But of the myriads of candidates throughout the empire, a few only can attain the degrees which render them eligible for office; and of those who are so far qualified, but a very small number are actually chosen to office.

But those who are not chosen,

and who have property, can, of course, get on well enough in the world. Others are usually a burden to their kindred or their friends. Some become private tutors, or public school-masters; but the frequently-recurring examinations for higher degrees call persons away from those duties; and they seldom do well, unless they abandon the profession and pursuit. He who lives in the country, if he has attained the sew tsae degree, must repair, however distant his residence, to the provincial chief city, to be examined for his next degree, that of keu jin. And he who has acquired this degree must repair, every three years, from the extremities of the empire to Peking, to try for the tsin sze degree. In this manner a man's time and resources are frit tered away; and, if unsuccessful, he passes through life a continual prey to disappointment. Besides, there is a pride of caste cherished by these tuh shoo jin, or book-reading men, as they call themselves, which is a hinderance to their entering upon any useful calling.

They would rather beg of their kindred and friends, or even of the public, in the character of "gentlemen scholars," than put their hands to some useful occupation. It is to be regretted that the Government allows such an idle course of life as is that of the unsuccessful candidate, by at length rewarding those who without merit have persevered to old age in this unprofitable occupation; rewarding them with the degree they have so long sought, when its attainment has ceased to be advantageous.

The following is a portrait of a living, unsuccessful Chinese scholar :

A few days ago a man, about forty-eight years of age, clothed in filthy, ragged, worn-out garments, passed and repassed before my window, now and then looking up. Being engaged, I took no notice of him at the time. The next day he came again, and seated himself on a stone, opposite to the window, lookup occasionally. Observing this, I sent a servant, one of his own coun

VOL. XIV. Third Series. MAY,

trymen, to ask him if he wished for any thing. The man returned, and said he was a north-countryman, and did not want any thing. He was waiting for somebody. Knowing the unwillingness of natives to reveal the truth to each other, I sent and asked the poor ragged stranger into the house, that I might speak to him myself. He came; and as soon as the back of the other Chinese was turned, he knelt down before me, and knocked his forehead against the floor, then rose, and unrolled a dirty paper containing a statement of what he was.

He was a native of Fuhkien province, a keu jin graduate, and had been thrice at Peking, trying for the next degree, without success. He had exhausted all his own money, had tired his friends by repeated application for money, and had tried to earn a little by writing scrolls and papers, but could get little. He had not sufficient food, and his raiment had been gradually reduced to what I saw. The other day he wanted to kneel down in the streets and beg of me; but the Chinese were constantly passing, and he was ashamed. I gave him a dollar to satisfy his immediate want of food; and bade him come again in two days, that I might have time to think what to do for him. I then sent natives to inquire about him. All that they could learn was, that he was one of those north-countrymen who, being friendless, and without employment, sink into a state of beggary. Instances of which frequently occur. There was no suspicion that he was a bad man.

He came, according to appointment, in the same filthy rags; but having his head clean shaved, and his beard dressed. I had been thinking how to clothe him, and feared it would be expensive. I therefore asked my beggar-friend for what he could get a second-hand suit of clothes. He immediately made a minute estimate of the cost of each article; and thought that for two dollars he could dress himself in a summer-suit of clean second-hand clothes. Pleased at being able so cheaply to supply his wants, I gave 1835. 2 B

him three dollars. He returned in about two hours, bringing a complete suit, neatly wrapped up in paper, and three-fourths of a dollar which he had left. Yesterday he appeared in clean decent raiment. I conversed two hours with him concerning Formosa, Ningpo, Soochow, Peking, &c. He is, of course, acquainted with his native dialect, Fuhkien; and he also converses elegantly in the Mandarin dialect. He read and wrote in my presence. I have no doubt of the general truth of his story. His father held the office of Checheen for many years, from which he retired about twelve years ago, at the age of eighty, having saved only about six thousand dollars. Part of this he distributed among three sons, of whom my friend Dr. Ting is one. Allured by the fame of its riches and liberality, he came to Canton. He has thrice been assisted to repair to Peking, to seek higher honours and office; but he almost despairs of further aid; "for how," says he, "can I hope that Heaven will rain down three hundred dollars."* However, he means, the next year to try his patrons once more. If he fails this time, Ting intends to abandon the

A keu jin graduate, joining with three or four others, can go to Peking and come back again for this sum. The candidates are allowed to pass the customhouse without being searched; and they wish to be at court about twenty days before the examinations commence, to re

EVERY professor of religion is at first, by his very profession, in reputation for wisdom and honour. He is supposed to have taken a wise step, to have assumed a lofty stand. He has claimed connexion, intimate alliance, with the Source of all honour and moral excellence. Must he then be guilty of some flagrant violation of the divine law, before he can lose his character and influence?—No; a little folly will destroy them both. He may not break the Sabbath, nor swear profanely, nor steal, nor be chargeable with falsehood, nor with gross and

pursuit; for he will then be in his fiftieth year. He will then conclude that it is his destiny to be poor. Like most of the Confucianists, he is intellectually a proud, self-sufficient fatalist, apparently resigned and yielding, but not humble; giving up all caution, and submitting to opposition, but with undiminished pride of spirit. For these men never take blame to themselves, but charge all the ills that befal them to their destiny.

Such is a specimen of an unfortunate Chinese literary adventurer. He has classical learning, but not much useful knowledge, beyond an acquaintance merely with what he has seen. He asked me, when we sail beyond England, and go as far as it is possible for us to go, what it is we at last find: on the supposition that the earth and ocean are a plain surface! As long as China secludes itself from the rest of mankind, it must remain ignorant and conceited. If men were merely brute animals, the present policy might be a wise one; but since a rational nature is characteristic of men, the Chinese certainly injure themselves by their exclusiveness.-Chinese Repository.

cover from the fatigues of the journey, and refresh their memories a little with the classics. Many of the men of Keayingchow are barbers, and exercise their skill in this way on the road to Peking, instead of spending the whole time in unprofitable journeying.

SINS.

palpable injustice, nor with habitual neglect of the social and secret worship of God. He may not be impure, nor intemperate, a railer or false accuser, an unruly or insubordinate member of the church. He may neither be quarrelsome nor insolent with his neighbours: and yet he may have that in his character which will as effectually destroy his influence as though he were guilty of much greater enormities. Let him be reckless and imprudent in the minor points of Christian conduct. Let him heedlessly or wilfully postpone the claims of justice,