this point, while we have descended to such minuteness of stipulation on almost every other, will be explained. It is remarkable, that the decree of the king, by which the Slave Trade has been abolished in France, has not yet been made public. We have, it is true, the letter of Talleyrand, declaring that it shall be abolished from the day on which he writes (July 30, 1815). We have also the treaty of the 20th November, in which its abolition by his majesty is recognized as a measure that has virtually been carried into full effect. But np to this day, not a line has appeared in any publication which makes known the particulars of the decree, or which gives to the traders of France a distinct and authoritative statement on the subject. There is some mystery hid under this reserve which we should also be glad to see explained. FRANCE. The government of this country appears to be acquiring, day by day, a greater degree of stability; and the public funds, which had sunk very low, the price of the 5 per cents. being only 52, have risen to 63, notwithstanding the heavy burdens which the treaty of peace has imposed on France. Lavalette was condemned, but has escaped from prison by means of his wife, who was permitted to see him, and whose dress he assumed.-Ney has been condemned and executed. A few hours before his execution, after he had bid a last adieu to his wife and children, a grenadier of Laroche Jaquelin, probably a Vendean, who attended him, said to him," Marshal, in the situation in which you are, should you not think of God? It is always good to reconcile oneself to God. I have seen many battles; and every time I could, I confessed myself, and found myself the better for it." The Marshal looked at him for a short time with interest, and then said, "You are right. We ought to die as honest men and as Christians, I desire to see the rector of St. Sulpice." He came, and remained with him for three quar ters of an hour; and afterwards, by Ney's desire, attended him in his last moments. It is now proposed by the French government to publish a general amnesty, with the exception of only a few names who have been distinguished for their disloyalty. We are happy to perceive that the disturbances at Nismes and its neighbourhood have beeu suppressed, by the vigour of the French government; and we have seen private letters which assure us that in every other part of France the Protestants enjoy, and have all along continued to enjoy, the most entire freedom of religious worship; a fact which proves that the atrocities committed at Nismes were occasioned by peculiar and local circumstances. We are every day more and more convinced,that those well meaning men, who have made the transactions which occurred there a ground for charging the French government with persecution, have allowed themselves to be made the tools of faction, and that their conduct has directly tended to injure, and that deeply, the very cause they sought to favour.-We stated in our last Number, that it had become unsafe, such is the force of popular clamour and popular prejudice, to question the truth of the position that the disturbances which had occurred at Nismes had emanated from the bigotry of the Bourbons. Accordingly, the line we have taken on this question has excited, it seems, no small degree of vituperation. We understand that Mr. Cobbin, the same person, we presume, who wrote against the Bourbons, has published a pamphlet against us. Even the publishers of his former work have demanded satisfaction; and we have been expecting a similar call from the compositors and pressmen. We must persevere, however, in the line that we have taken, until something that has a resemblance to proof is produced, that the charges so loosely and intemperately hazarded have the slightest foundation in fact. Bonaparte arrived at St. Helena on the 18th of October. GREAT BRITAIN. Parliament will meet on the 1st of February next. A day of thanksgiving has been appointed by the prince regent, for the whole of Great Britain and Ireland, on Thursday the 18th of January, 1816, for the purpose of publicly and solemnly acknowledging the Divine goodness, in putting an end to the war with France, and restoring to us the great and inestimable blessings of peace. May that day bear testimony to the prevailing humility and gratitude of our hearts! our Bible Societies and Missionary So We should rejoice to see its services combined with some contribution for the propagation of Christianity among the nations who are still lying in Pagan or Mohamedan darkness. This would form an appropriate expression of the value we affix to the Divine light which in so large a measure has been vouchsafed to ourselves. To borrow the animated and admirable sentiment of the earl of Liverpool (see above, p. 840)-let us vindicate our right to the elevation we enjoy, by labouring to diffuse the benign in-. fluence of Christianity, the knowledge of pure and undefiled religion, even to the ends of the earth. Let us shew that cieties, erected in the time of national trouble and distress, were not extorted from us by the mean principle of fear, but were the genuine offspring of love to God and man. And now that prosperity smiles on us with her choicest favours, let us only pursue with increased ardour our beneficent course, firmly resolved to persevere until the whole world is illumined with the light of Divine Revelation.-And among the multitude of our mercies, let us not forget to bless God, that he has given us ministers of state who have hearts fraught with such sentiments, and who scruple not to express them, ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS. T. Y. S.; F.; L. N.; A WOLF IN SHEEP'S CLOTHING (which was too late for this month); J. G. W.; OXONIENSIS; will find a place. We thank AMICUs for his communication. We have also to thank Espnvixos, OLD TRUTH, and W. for papers of which we mean to avail ourselves. THEOGNIS; A FRIEND TO THE Poor and to FAIR TRADE; CLERICUS; P. C. P.; A CONSTANT READER; R.; and JUVENIS, are received, and will be considered. We should have been glad to oblige R. W. D. by a review of his work; but there lie at this moment on our table two other works on the same subject, which prefer equal claims upon us. The subject will be collaterally considered in discussing the grand question of Regeneration. We are desired to state, that "the subscriptions for the widow and children of the late Rev. Dr. Brunnmark have enabled the Committee to purchase 25001. 4 per cent. anuuities, which will produce 1001. per annum, for Mrs. Brunn-, mark and her family. The amount of the subscription, with a list of subseribers, may be had (gratis) of Mr. Hatchard, Piccadilly, and Mr. Seeley, Fleet street." We really wish we could comply with B. K's request, but we have repeatedly searched for his paper in vain. We would recommend to such of our correspondents as place a more than ordinary value on their productions, to retain a copy of those they send us; because, however desirous we may be of gratify. ing them, should they afterwards express a desire to have them returned, we can by no means engage to do so. It does not enter into our plan to preserve papers which we do not mean to use. We can assure COTSWOLDIA, that we regret, as much as any of our readers, that we have been unable to "indulge them with a poetic department." This, however, is the fault of the poets, not ours. We shall always be glad to insert whatever they send that is worth inserting. CHRISTIANA'S papers are left at the Publisher's. The letter which enveloped them had no signature. "A Friend," &c. ought to read Bishop Bradford's tract before he comments upon it. We recommend to CLERICUS DAMNONIENSIS, a pamphlet just published, in answer to Dr. Mant, by the Rev. John Scott, as furnishing a better answer than we could give him. J..N. C's. suggestions will be attended to. . ERRATA. No. for July-in the Review of Brooks's History of the Puritans, p. 471, col. 2, last line, for amity, read unity. Present No. p. 791, col. 1, line 5 from bottom, for indignant, read indulgent, p. 796, col. 2, line 2 from bottom, for war, read way. p. 802, col. 1, line 12, for l'aurose, read l'aurore. p. 812, col. 2, line 2 from bottom, in some copies, for porta, read portal. APPENDIX TO THE CHRISTIAN OBSERVER, VOLUME THE FOURTEENTH, FOR 1815. RELIGIOUS COMMUNICATION. LIFE OF BLAISE PASCAL. A (Concluded from p. 787.) MONG the many extraordinary things which appeared in M. Pascal, there was a sublime simplicity in all his conduct which edified and charmed every beholder. This lovely disposition was particularly conspicuous in his exact and cheerful compliance with all the duties of religion. He had a peculiar attachment to that part of the Liturgy that is composed of the exviiith Psalm, and expressed much delight in hearing it recited. He could scarcely converse with his friends on the beauties contained in this Divine poem, without being manifestly elevated into a kind of holy rapture. It was customary, for those who retired to solitude at Port Royal, to send billets to each other once a month, each of which contained, among other things, a sentence from one of the fathers, or a text of Scripture he always appeared much affected with these testimonies of Christian friendship, and employed some part of every day in meditating on the subjects they proposed. As M. Pascal was incapable of study, during the four last years of his life, he employed much of his time in visiting the several CHRIST, OBSERV. APP. churches, where any particular solemnity was celebrating; and on these occasions his fervour and simplicity were as remarkable as they were instructive. A person of eminent learning and piety, who observed M. Pascal's deportment, remarked, with great force and elegance, that "the grace of God discovers itself in great minds by little things, and in common minds by great ones." This humble and child-like disposition was not confined to the seasons of devotion, but mingled with all the ordinary concerns of life. He was fearful of giving pain to any one, and expressed the greatest readiness to ask pardon where he had offended, though inadvertently. He was mild and gentle in all his conduct; patient under reproof, and thankful to his reprover; so that it is said, he never lost the affection of any of his friends. The life of this truly great man was now almost arrived at its latest period: he had lost his appetite, and was harassed with a perpetual nausea, and loathing of every kind of nourishment: but before an account is given of his last sickness, it will be proper to relate a remarkable incident that occurred about two months before his death. As M. Pascal was never married, 5 R and had more rooms in his house than he occupied himself, he permitted a poor man, with his wife and family, to reside under the same roof with him. The poor man's son was taken ill with the smallpox, at a period when M. Pascal greatly needed his sister's assistance; but as Madame Perier's children had not passed through the disease, he was uneasy lest, by her visits to him, she should convey the infection to her own family. It was believed that the sick boy could not be removed without extreme hazard: M. Pascal therefore would not suffer it to be done, but left his own house, in a very infirm state of body, to go to his sister's, from whence he never returned. Three days after he had quitted his own house, he was visited with so severe a pain in his bowels that he was deprived of all refreshment from sleep. But the courage and patience with which he sustained the tortures of disease, induced his physicians to regard the complaint in a less serious manner than it deserved; for they always assured his friends, that there was not the least appearance of danger. M. Pascal, however, gave more credit to his own sensations than to the opinion of his medical attendants, and therefore requested to be constantly visited by the curate of the parish in which he resided. But although his pains continued with few remissions, and he gradually declined in strength, the faculty still persisted in their first decision. Some idea of the nature of his sufferings may be collected from what M. Tissot has recorded, that M. Pascal had the sensation of a ball of fire in his side; and in so intense a manner did this feeling sometimes oppress him, that it required the utmost exertion of his reason to treat this perception as a consequence of disease, and not as the effect of fire actually applied. About this period he made his will, and the interests of the poor were not forgotten. If M. Perier had been at this time in Paris, and would have given his consent, M. Pascal would have bestowed his whole fortune on the indigent and miserable. His heart was so exceedingly engaged in favour of the poor, that he would often say, "Whence comes it, that with all my affection for the poor, I have rendered them such inconsiderable services?". "It has arisen," said Madame Perier, " from the narrowness of your fortune, which has circumscribed the amplitude of your wishes." "Since it was not in my power," replied he, "to be extensively charitable, I ought to have bestowed more of my time and attention upon them. But if my physicians prognosticate justly, and God permit me to recover from this sickness, I am determined to devote the remainder of my life to the service of the poor." During his last illness, M. Pascal displayed an admirable patience, which edified and surprized all about him. To those who testified a concern at the sufferings he endured, he would "So far am say; I from being uneasy at the situation in which I am at present that the thoughts of recovery are unpleasant to me." "For what reason?" inquired one of his friends. Because," replied he, "I am well acquainted with the dangers that are attendant on health, and have experienced the advantages of sickness. Be not," continued he, "so greatly concerned at the pain I undergo: sickness is the natural state of Christians; and they are then most where they ought to be, when they are in the furnace of affliction, when they are incapable of enjoying worldly things, indifferent to the pleasures of sense, delivered from those passions that agitate the soul, are without ambition or avarice, and in a continual expectation of death. Is it not in this manner that Christians ought to pass their lives? And ought not that to be esteemed a happy necessity, by which they are placed in the very condition wherein they ought to be, and in which nothing more is required than a humble and peaceable submission ?" That his heart was deeply penetrated by sentiments like these, appears in the prayers he composed during his illness, from one of which the following is extracted: "O God, to whom I am to render a strict account of all my actions at the conclusion of this life, and at the consummation of all things, thou art pleased now to uphold the world, and all it contains, either for the purpose of exercising the faith of thine elect, or to punish the workers of iniquity! Thine it is, O Lord, to kill the body, and to separate the spirit from all those temporal beings to which it is attached! In that last moment of my life, thou wilt, O God, rend asunder from my heart all those worldly objects on which it hath been fixed; and at the last great day, thou wilt not only consume those vain idols that have so miserably enslaved the passions, but wilt destroy the very heavens and the earth by fire; that all men may see and know, that thou only canst be said properly and truly to subsist, and that thou alone art worthy of all love, because thou alone art unchangeable. I praise thee, O my God, and will bless thee as long as I live, that thou hast graciously anticipated to me that great and terrible day, by reducing me to such a state of feebleness that all earthly things are become tasteless and insipid. I will ever bless and praise thine holy name, O Lord my God, that thou hast rendered me incapable of tasting the comforts that flow from health, and of deriving satisfaction from worldly pleasures; and that thou hast in a manner annihilated to me those treacherous idols which thou wilt truly and utterly annihilate, to the confusion of the wicked, in the ness day of thy fierce anger. Give me grace, O Lord, that I may now judge myself, with respect to these things, lest I be judged by thee at the end of the world. For, as in the moment of my departure, O Lord, I shall find myself stript of all that surrounds me in this world, and must stand naked in thy presence, to give an account of every secret motion of my heart; grant that I may consider this my sickas a real separation from the world and all creature-attachments,-that I may feel myself as in thine immediate presence, and be constantly employed in supplicatiug thy mercy for the true conversion of my soul. May I derive strong consolation from viewing this emblem of death which I now suffer, as the effect of thy preventing mercy, before thou sendest a real death to exercise thy judgment! O my Lord and Saviour, give me to esteem a state of afflic tion as a blessed condition, in which, by rendering me unable to seek happiness from without, thou attractest me to internal contemplation, and art purifying my inner man, and bringing it into conformity with thy holy will. Thy kingdom, O Lord, is in the hearts of thy faithful people; and when thou hast impressed thine image on me, and endowed me with thy Holy Spirit, I shall find it in myself." About this period, M. Pascal was very desirous to receive the holy communion; but as it is customary in the Romish Church to fast during many hours previous to its reception, except in cases of extreme danger, his physicians objected against it, and he was obliged to submit to their decisions. "My friends," said he, "are not aware of the degree of disease under which I labour, because they do not feel it; but they will find themselves mistaken in the views they have of my illness; for I am sure there is something more than ordinary in the complaint which I have in my head. But," continued he, "since I am not |