very often faded and illegible; and even where they can be read with ease, they are too broken and imperfect for publication. They are chiefly confined to the general aspect of the country through which he was passing, to its beautiful and romantic scenery, and to those varieties in its modes of agriculture, in the style of its buildings, and the costume and manners of its inhabitants, in which it was distinguished from our own. He was a passionate admirer of nature in all her diversified and changing forms. He was enthusiastically fond of rural pursuits. That he dwelt so much then on these things in the notes which he took, is not surprising to those who knew him. The rural charms, the tasteful improvements, and perfect cultivation of England, the rugged grandeur of Switzerland, and the blending of all beauty and glory in the enchanting scenes of Italy, were a source of exquisite enjoyment to him; and many a delightful recollection of these countries have we called up together, which had been so pleasant to us both.

But it is somewhat remarkable that he made no memoranda of those things, in which he was still more deeply interested than in nature itself. The business of life, the study of mankind, and the great interests of religion, were the objects which were always uppermost in his mind. But though he mingled with the most eminent personages, contemplated society under forms so different from our own, observed such a variety of characters, and heard so many things which were worthy of note, yet he neither drew the portraits of those whom he saw, nor left any record of their opinions. Whether

he was influenced in this by motives of delicacy, or whether it arose out of neglect, it is impossible to determine. Among his personal friends these things were the frequent and delightful theme of his conversation.

From Bishop Hobart to Sir John Sinclair.

"DEAR SIR,

"Dec. 31, 1823.

"I had left Edinburgh the day before that on which you and Lady Sinclair honoured me with a note of invitation to dinner, and you favoured me with a letter and an accompanying pamphlet, and the valuable present of your Code of Health; all which I found on my return to this place last evening. This explanation will account to you for my apparent neglect of your favour.

"I had possessed myself of your Code of Agriculture, which had been re-printed in the United States; and shall value highly the Code of Health,' which evidently contains a condensed summary of very important information on this subject. With respect to the proposed Code of Natural and Revealed Religion,' were I competent to suggest any remarks worthy of your attention, the importance of the subject would require more time than I can command, as I resume my journey next Thursday. But it occurs to me to suggest, what doubtless however has received your consideration, whether there be such a system as natural religion, strictly so called, that is, a system of divine truth actually discovered by human reason. The fact that there was at the first a revelation of the being and attri

butes of God, which has been handed down and dispersed by written records and by tradition, one would think would decide this question in the negative. The arguments à priori and à posteriori, in proof of the being and attributes of God, so ably discussed by Clark and others in the sermons at Boyle's lectures, serve to confirm the truths originally revealed; but it is questionable whether men would have attained a knowledge of the Supreme Being, such as natural religion now presents, by any process of their intellectual powers, if this knowledge had not been originally revealed. There is much ingenious observation and reasoning on this point, in a treatise by an Irish writer, entitled The Knowledge of Divine and Spiritual Things from Revelation, not from Reason or Nature.'

"With my thanks for your kind attentions, and with my best compliments to Lady Sinclair and the family, I have the honour to be,

"I have received your welcome letter of November last, and hope that I shall find at London, on my return, (to which I shall set off to-morrow,) much more recent letters from New-York.

"I have passed nearly a week here most delightfully with Bishop Skinner and one of his venerable

colleagues, who came here for the purpose of seeing me, Bishop Jolly, one of the most apostolic and primitive men I ever saw, and with Bishop Skinner's brother, the Rev. John Skinner, of Forfar, (at whose house I also was,) the author of the Annals of Scottish Episcopacy. From them, and from the hospitable gentlemen of the congregation, I have received the kindest attentions. *

"During this season my heart is with my family, with you, with my reverend brethren, with the vestry, with my congregations-I may say, with my diocese, praying for every blessing on them.

"Yours most truly and affectionately,

"J. H. HOBART."

From Bishop Skinner to Bishop Hobart.

"RIGHT REV. AND DEAR SIR,

Aberdeen, Jan. 13, 1824.

"I most gladly fulfill my promise of sending you a letter of introduction to my excellent and deeply learned friend, Dr. Nicol, the Regius Professor of Hebrew at Christ Church, Oxford, and in him I am certain you will find one most ready and willing to show you whatever is worthy of being seen, and to explain to you whatever you may wish to know with respect to our system of education, whether theological or classical, in that far-famed university. I am still of opinion that next month will be by far the best season for your visiting Oxford, as then you will find all ranks and degrees at their posts, and occupied, as usual, in their literary pursuits, Lent term being generally the busiest season. Dr. Nicol VOL. I. 37

must be greatly altered since his elevation, if he be not a man much to your mind, and much to your purpose at the same time, and I shall feel greatly disappointed if he fail to show you, in the in the way most agreeable to you, the attentions which you may wish. We deeply lamented the very uncomfortable day on which you left Aberdeen, and sincerely hope you may have felt no inconvenience from so unpleasant a journey as you must have had to Dundee. I shall be much more anxious now to hear of your welfare, after having enjoyed the pleasure of becoming personally acquainted with you, and receiving ample and abundant confirmation of all those pleasing anticipations of your character which I had been previously led to form, as well from your very valuable writings, as from the concurring report of all who had seen you. I certainly shall not soon forget the first week of 1824, but will recur to it with the fondest recollection, as embracing within its brief limits some of my happiest days. When you can find leisure during your travels, it will always be a high gratification to Mrs. Skinner and me to be informed of your welfare, and to hear that you continue to enjoy the many novel scenes which must present themselves to your observation. We shall look forward with anxious interest to your promised return to Aberdeen; and when we join in the prayers of the Church for the preservation of all that travel by land or by water, the Bishop of New-York shall not be forgotten by us.

"My brother left us on Friday morning, and was fortunate in a day very favourable for travelling. In visiting St. Andrew's, I hope you found Bishop