impression of that thought, how strongly must the soul be disposed to inquire after Christ, to form an acquaintance with him, to commit itself to his discipline and guardianship, to trace his steps, and, as far as possible, to imbibe his spirit. What will appear so desirable as to secure his friendship, to be honoured with his high approbation, and enriched with the blessings of his patronage and care? Receiving the divine oracles from his lips, what incomparable advantages have we for learning every thing great and lovely? What powerful inducements diligently to labour, ardently to pray, liberally to dispense good, calmly to endure injuries, patiently to support the heaviest afflictions, and resolutely to meet the most dreadful death, if called out to encounter it in the way of our duty?

Among many other good affections which the perusal of this history may naturally inspire, and which I have endeavoured often to suggest in the improvements which conclude each section, I cannot forbear mentioning one more; I mean, a generous and cordial love to our fellow-christians of every rank and denomination. I never reflect upon the New Testament in this view, but I find it difficult to conceive how so much of a contrary temper should ever have prevailed among such multitudes, who have professed religiously to receive it-yea, whose office hath been to interpret and enforce it. To have enlisted under the banner of Jesus, to have felt his love, to have espoused his interest, to labour to serve him, to aspire after the enjoyment of him, should, methinks, appear to every one, even on the slightest reflection, a bond of union too strong to be broken by the different apprehensions that one or another of us may entertain, (perhaps, too, after diligent inquiry,) concerning the exact sense of some of the doctrines he taught, or the circumstantial forms of some of his institutions. A humble sense of our own weakness, and of the many imperfections of our character, which will never be more deeply felt than when we consider ourselves as standing before our Divine Master, will dispose us to mutual candour, will guard us against the indecency of contending in his presence, and will, as St. Paul, with admirable spirit, expresses it, dispose us to receive one another, as Christ hath received us. Yea, our hearts will be so eagerly desirous of employing our life in serving him to the best purpose we can, that we shall dread the thought of misspending, in our mutual animosities, accusations, and complaints, the time that was given us for ends so much nobler, and which is capable of being employed to the honour of our Common Lord, and for the benefit of the Church and the World.

HYMN TO THE REDEEMER.

(From the Fall of Jerusalem, by the Rev. H. H. Milman.)

[The author of the beautiful Dramatic Poem, from which the following is an extract, is a Clergyman of the Church of England, highly distinguished for his poetical talents. He has treated the astonishing event of the Destruction of Jerusalem by Titus, the Roman Emperor, in a manner which shows how successfully the graces of Poetry may be applied to the service of Religion.]

THOU wert born of woman! thou didst come,
Oh Holiest! to this world of sin and gloom,
Not in thy dread omnipotent array;

And not by thunders strew'd

Was thy tempestuous road;

Nor indignation burnt before thee on thy way.
But thee, a soft and naked child,
Thy mother undefiled,

In the rude manger laid to rest

From off her virgin breast.

The heavens were not commanded to prepare

A gorgeous canopy of golden air;

Nor stoop'd their lamps th' enthroned fires on high:
A single silent star

Came wandering from afar,

(liding uncheck'd and calm along the liquid sky;
The Eastern Sages leading on

As at a kingly throne,

To lay their gold and odours sweet
Before thy infant feet.

The Earth and Ocean were not hush'd to hear
Bright harmony from every starry sphere;
Nor at thy presence brake the voice of song
From all the cherub choirs,

And seraphs' burning lyres

Pour'd thro' the host of heaven the charmed clouds along.
One angel troop the strain began,

Of all the race of man

By simple shepherds heard alone,
That soft Hosanna's tone.

And when thou didst depart, no car of flame

To bear thee hence in lambent radiance came;
Nor visible Angels mourn'd with drooping plumes:
Nor didst thou mount on high

From fatal Calvary

With all thine own redeem'd outbursting from their tombs. For thou didst bear away from earth

But one of human birth,

The dying felon by the side, to be
In Paradise with thee.

Nor o'er thy cross the clouds of vengeance brake;
A little while the conscious earth did shake

At that foul deed by her fierce children done:
A few dim hours of day

The world in darkness lay;

Then bask'd in bright repose beneath the cloudless sun:
While thou didst sleep beneath the tomb,
Consenting to thy doom;

Ere yet the white-robed Angel shone
Upon the sealed stone.

And when thou didst arise, thou didst not stand
With Devastation in thy red right hand,
Plaguing the guilty city's murtherous crew;
But thou didst haste to meet

Thy mother's coming feet,

And bear the words of peace unto the faithful few.
Then calmly, slowly didst thou rise
Into thy native skies,

Thy human form dissolved on high
In its own radiancy.

THE BRITISH PATRIOT.

NO. XVII.

POPULAR LAW.

No. IX.

ALL offences are breaches of public justice; but we shall now proceed to notice those which are more immediately so, and are classed under that head for the convenience of a clear methodical arrangement. The first in enormity, the embezzling or vacating records, or falsifying other proceedings in a court of judicature, by which the judgment of the court, and its award, shall be defeated, is felony in him who commits the crime, and all procurers and abettors. For a man to present himself falsely in place of another, to receive the advantage of any legal proceeding, or to acknowledge any fine, recovery, deed-roll, either for his own interests, or to screen another from the due course of law, is felony; for no man's property would be safe, if records might be destroyed or falsified, or persons' names be usurped in courts of justice, or in any proceeding at law, with impunity. To prevent abuses of the power confided to gaolers, it is provided, that if any gaoler, by severity or unlawful constraint, obliges any prisoner committed to his custody to turn king's evidence, that is, accuse others, his accomplices, of crime, it shall be felony; for it is held to be unjust to enforce any man even to a just accusation of another; and to permit it in a gaoler might lead to the greatest oppression and cruelty.

The obstruction of lawful process is the next in this class of offences; and it is held, that if a man attempts to prevent the arrest of a delinquent by the proper authority, he becomes answerable in the same manner as though he had shared the crime of him for whom he interposes. So is the escape of the person after arrest upon criminal process punishable by fine and imprisonment; but the officer permitting such escape, either by connivance or negligence, is held to be much more culpable. Of course, breach of prison is also regarded as an offence; or conspiring to break away from confinement subjects the culprit to punishment, in proportion to the magnitude of the charge against

him. To rescue a prisoner in any way from lawful custody, is regarded as still more culpable, and is dealt with accordingly. The return of a convict from transportation before the expiration of the term for which he has been sent out of the kingdom, subjects him to the dreadful penalty of death.

To take a reward, under pretence of helping the owner to his stolen property, is also a crime against public justice. In the reign of George I., a system of confederacy was established, by which the things which were stolen by one party, were returned, for about half their value, by another; and thus they escaped prosecution, and made a safe and gainful trade of robbery. The famous Jonathan Wild kept a sort of public office, at which persons who had been robbed were almost sure to obtain their property, by paying the sums he demanded, as most of the thieves were in his service. The evil became so enormous that an act of Parliament was necessary to put it down; and Wild's practices still continuing, he was eventually tried and executed upon this statute. Receivers of stolen goods are punishable, though the thief cannot be found, upon proper and convincing evidence being brought before a jury; and to suppress this species of offence as much as possible, the principal felon may be received as a witness against the receiver.

Theft Bote, or compounding of felony, is another offence not very obviously culpable; but which, if permitted, would tend to the serious injury of the community. If, when parties are robbed, they were to take their property back, and receive other satisfaction not to prosecute, the risk to delinquents becomes so trifling that this species of crime would rapidly extend itself. It is therefore provided, that a man who forgoes the duty to the public of prosecuting a felon, on condition of an ample remuneration being made for his loss, shall himself be punished by fine and imprisonment; for though he may be satisfied, public justice is not, and the benefit of example is lost by such an arrangement. To intermeddle in a suit that no way belongs to one, by assisting either party with money to carry it on, as it keeps alive strife and enmity, is also regarded as a misdemeanor by the law. So is the compounding of informations, wherein an informer receives a sum of money to desist from making known the breach of a penal statute, which he has discovered. But it is no offence to compound a misdemeanor-that is, where an injury has been done to an individual, by assault or otherwise, of a trifling nature; and it is the practice of the authorities, to whom appeals are made in such cases, to recommend a private settlement of their differences to parties, where nothing very flagrant appears on either side.

Conspiracies to indict a man falsely and maliciously, are also of a serious nature in their consequences, to those who engage