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lot, and patiently industrious, one whose integrity will stand the proof, whose word may be believed and trusted; he is chaste and sober, and a stayer at home, he hates and shuns evil company, he honours the king and obeys the laws. Miller.

Godliness supplies the only certain motive to a diligent and conscientious industry.

The same.

To the Editor of the Cottager's Monthly Visitor. MR. EDITOR,

AMONGST your Newspaper Extracts for last Month, I looked very anxiously for some account of John Newton and his poor wife; and as the shocking story has altogether escaped your notice, you will perhaps permit me to give a brief outline of the dreadful particulars, as an awful lesson to all who

Saever suffer their brutal passions to lead them to acts of

barbarity.

"John Newton was tried at the late Shrewsbury Assizes, and found guilty, upon the clearest evidence, of beating and kicking his wife, then far advanced in pregnancy; of which cruel treatment she died in the course of the same night. Her offence, it appeared upon the trial, consisted in having kept for her own use three shillings, which her husband had given her to pay for a lantern. Upon discovering this, he threatened to beat her, but was strongly urged by a neighbour not to do so; and this neighbour offered to pay the value of the lantern, rather than that he should use her ill. But [the unrelenting spirit of the man was not so soon appeased: no sooner was he left alone with his wife who, trembling and fearful, had hid herself from the dreaded wrath of her husband-no sooner had he secured the victim in his own power, than his cruelty commenced, and ended only in the work of death!"

It is needless to say, the wretch has since suffered the punishment of the law, and was executed at Shrewsbury, bewailing, too late, his crime, and the ignominious end to which it had brought him, and all, as he said, for the paltry value of the pitiful sum of three shilling!

How many husbands are there in humble life, and how many, even whom I could name, who, upon every slight provocation, and in every drunken excess, think fit, as John Newton did, to abuse and beat their wives! I will not say they intended any such dreadful consequences as we are speaking of nor did J. Newton-He little thought, when he was indulging his savage mood, that he was signing his own death

warrant. But, may all take warning from his fate! and if kind and Christian feeling cannot stay a husband's arms, may the remembrance of this tragical tale stop the blow that is aimed at a defenceless wife. T. a.

April 3d.

EXTRACTS FROM THE PUBLIC NEWSPAPERS, &c.

Saturday afternoon, a sweep boy, in the employ of Mr. Jerome, chimney-sweeper, of Cross-street, Carnaby-market, was sent by his master to a gentleman's house in King-street, Golden-square, for the purpose of cleaning one of the chim neys. On the boy's reaching the chimney pot, it gave way, and fell from the top of the house, with him in the inside, with great violence into the area, The chimney pot was dashed to pieces, and the little sweep was thrown on the pavement, and dreadfully injured. He was taken up alive, and immediately carried to the Middlesex Hospital, where he now lies in a shocking condition; but his life we understand is not despaired of,-New Times, Feb. 18.

Cruelty. A wretched man, named Thomas Penton, a servant employed by Mr. Bull, a market-gardener at Chelsea, was fined 51. on a recent act of parliament, for cruelty to his master's horse. Having no means of paying the money, he was committed to three months hard labour at the Tread. mill.-London Paper.

Extract from the London papers some time in the year 1819.-" Of five hundred prisoners under sixteen years of age, but thirteen had ever learnt to read; of these, eight have passed a week only within the walls of a school, and the remainder have been dismissed for bad conduct.”—See Report of the Police of the Metropolis.

Extract from the London papers some time during the year 1821.-" We find that only two individuals out of four hundred persons placed under confinement, have been educated at the National Schools."-See Reports of the Milbank Penitentiary, London.

Of the mode of building mud-houses in the county of Dumfries, the Author of the Statistical Account of the parish of Dornock, in that county, gives the following account. "The farm-houses in general, and all the cottages, are built of mud or clay; yet, these houses, when plaistered and properly finished within, (as many of them are,) are exceedingly warm and comfortable. The manner of erecting them is singular. In the first place they dig out the foundation of the house, and lay a row or two of stones; then they procure from a neighbouring pit as much clay, or brick-earth, as is sufficient to form the walls: and, having provided a quantity

of straw or other litter, to mix with the clay,--upon a day appointed, the whole neighbourhood, male and female, to the number of 20 or 30, assemble, each with a dung-fork, a spade, or some such instrument. Some fall to the working the clay or mud, by mixing it with straw; others carry the materials; and four or six of the most experienced hands, build, and take care of the walls. In this manner, the walls of the house are finished in a few hours." Because these poor people are willing to assist one another.-Eden on the Poor, vol. i. p. 553.

Whilst an old man, who resides at the head of the Tontineclose, was sitting at the fire with his grand-daughter on his knee, her clothes caught fire, and she was so severely burnt that she died during the night. She was a fine child about four years old, and the grandfather was severely burned in his attempts to save her life. Glasgow Chronicle.

A poor woman, a few days ago, had occasion to leave her house, and locked her door, leaving two children within. During her absence, the house was set on fire, owing probably to some straw being in the room, and the two children were burned to death.- London Paper.

As a poor child was lately trying to reach something from a chimney-piece, its clothes caught fire, and it was most dreadfully burned. London Paper.

TO CORRESPONDENTS.

T. P. B. in our next. It was too late for its place in the present Number. -1 14.

We have received M. N. An Enemy to Small Pox. Explanator. Extracts from the Hulsean Lecture. T. a. A Letter without signature, post-marked Maidstone, and G. H. a Lancashire Curate, a Constant Reader, and W. R.

X. wonders why we do not admit his article. Perhaps he would wonder less if he were to know that we had a large bundle of papers on the same subject. We agree with him; but we do not think his Letter likely to produce the desired effect.

We really feel very much obliged to our Correspondents for the assistance which they render us; but we must beg to decline giving our reasons when we do not insert their communications. Frequently, however, it is more for want of room, than for any other reason.

We are much obliged to Philanor for his offered communications; but we are afraid of promising him room.

We abound with "Exhortatums to Parents to send their children to National Schools." We are afraid they would not produce much effect. Sensible parents do send their children. Foolish parents will not mind what we say.

THE

Cottager's Monthly Visitor.

JUNE, 1823.

REMARKS

On the Eleventh Chapter of Genesis, from the First to the Ninth Verse.

(Continued from page 99, Vol. III.)

THE eleventh chapter of Genesis gives an account of the confusion of languages, which put a stop to the building of the tower of Babel; v. 1-9. the line of descent from Shem to Abram; v. 10-26. and some account of the family of Abram.

There are now, as we know, a vast number of different languages in the world, but this was not always so. From the Creation up to the confusion at Babel (which happened rather more than one hundred years after the flood), only one language was spoken. The whole earth was of one language and of one speech," we are told in the first verse; and the chapter goes on to inform us, that this great variety of tongues was introduced by God, to prevent the progress of the tower of Babel.

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V. 3. 4. Go to." This is the baughty language of proud determination: they, as it were, said, "with our tongues will we prevail; our lips are our own; who is Lord over us. -"Let us build us a city and a tower whose top may reach to heaven :" that is, a very high tower, Deut. i. 28.-" And let us make us a name, lest," &c. The object of the builders of the tower of Babel appears to have been two-fold. First, they designed it as a monument of their skill and power: "Let us make us a name," NO. 30. VOL. III. M

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&c. and, secondly, as a centre of union, or as the capital of a monarchy; thereby hoping to frustrate the purpose of God, whose will it was that they should separate, and settle in different parts of the earth. "Lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the earth."

From whence it

V. 5. "The Lord came down," &c. That is, took exact notice of what they were doing; as men, when they examine for themselves, come to the spot. "Children of men.” appears probable that the children of God-Noah, Shem, Eber, and their families were not concerned in this enterprise, nor, consequently, involved in its penalty, but retained the original language.

V. 6. "This they begin to do: and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do." One might have supposed that, after so awful an evidence of God's abhorrence of sin, and power to punish the sinner, as the deluge afforded, fear, for some time at least, would have kept men in awe. Yet we have here a strong proof that this is not enough to overcome the wickedness of the heart of man. Few things are more highly esteemed among men, than a high, daring, haughty spirit, which loves to signalize itself by actions that shall procure it fame and renown in the world; without reference to the will or the glory of God, or the real good of man. Pride, the acting with a view to bring ourselves into notice and admiration, is scarcely thought a sin by the world;-but how strongly does the history related in this chapter display God's abhorrence of this temper! How strongly does it shew us, that "every one that is proud in heart, is an abomination to the Lord;" and that "what is highly esteemed among men, is abomination in the sight of God." You have

perhaps been almost ready to wonder at the severe displeasure expressed against these builders; but, if you regard their attempt in its true colours, as an expression of their pride and independence, and con

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