steal for it. Mr. Cobbett's book on Cottage Economy is clever, very clever; but there is, throughout, too great a neglect of principles; and, therefore, we do believe that if this book were studied, and no other, it would do little or nothing towards leading the poor to pursue that course of industry and forethought which Mr. Cobbett justly deems so important and necessary. Mr. Cobbett says that the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge circulates foul libels, and lies and abuse about him." We are not acquainted with any book on the list of that Society, in which Mr. Cobbett's name is even mentioned. And we are not, ourselves, in the least, desirous of entering into any dispute with Mr. Cobbett. On the contrary, we think that, in his book, on Cottage Economy," there is a great deal that is good there is indeed some very absurd abuse of people who very properly differ from him, and many attacks on "Statesmen" and "Churchmen," and "Methodist Preachers," which, "Mr. Cobbett knows, as well as we do, have nothing to do with "Cottage Economy ;" and there is a good deal in the notions of Cottage Management too in which we differ very materially from Mr. Cobbett; but there is a great deal that is good in the book, as far as management goes, and we shall be glad to let our readers have the advantage of some of his instruction. We confess that we expect a great deal from the plan of National Education;-we should wish to see every child taught to read;-we would have no single child out of the reach of Christian instruction ;-no single child unacquainted with the privileges, the hopes, and the duties of the Gospel. It is true, we say again, that reading alone is not all; but the reading, in National Schools, is connected with religion. We would, however, observe, that great pains should be taken to procure school-masters and mistresses, who see the "importance of religion above all other

important things *;" and we would hint, too, that, however excellent the National System is, yet that, like all other systems, it must be well watched and attended to, or it will lose its energy and power, and consequently its utility: this hint is for Masters and Mistresses of National Schools, as well as for all the Teachers, and Visitors. V.

SELECTIONS FROM DIFFERENT AUTHORS.

BE not discouraged if but few come to the solemn assemblies, but go to the house of prayer, where God is well known for a sure refuge: go, though you go alone, or but with one besides yourself; and there, as you are God's remembrancer, keep not silence, and give Him no rest, till He establish, till He make Jerusalem a praise in the earth.— Bishop Kenn.

Let no day pass in which you shall not study some portion of the Scriptures. Bishop Jebb.

Where shall they appear, whose courses are contrary to the law of God?-Bishop Hall.

He that hath his entire conversation with God, cannot fear to go to Him. Those that know him not, or know that he will not know them, no wonder if they tremble.-The Same.

The counsels of heaven are not known by the wicked, because they are not sought after; and they are not sought after, because of a dreadful self-sufficiency, which, having taken possession of the heart, reigns throughout the man. He feels the need of no Prophet to teach him, no Priest to atone for him, no King to conduct him; he feels the need of neither a Christ to redeem, nor a Spirit to sanctify bim; he believes no Providence, adores no Creator,

*Paley.

and fears no Judge. Thus he lives a " stranger from the covenants of promise, and without God in the world." Such a character is described by the Psalmist, (Ps. x. 4.) O that it now existed no where else but in this description.-Bishop Horne.

He who hath once tasted the excellencies of the Psalmist's writings, will desire to taste them yet. again; and he who tastes them oftenest will relish them best.-The Same.

EXTRACTS FROM THE PUBLIC NEWSPAPERS, &c.

Ink Making-It has been a general complaint that the ink which has been used for many years past, has been of so perishable a nature, that its blackness soon goes off, and leaves the writing far less legible, than that which was written by ink made in former days. The Commissioners appointed to inquire into the state of the Public Records in the Tower, have been led very particularly to remark the difference. The following is an extract from a letter" in the Times newspaper, about the beginning of September.

"Why we should use the modern ink composed of gallate of iron, when its defect is known, and the ink composed of carbon may be easily formed, is inexplicable. I myself for some time used an ink prepared by a person residing at Worksop, in Nottinghamshire, from carbonaceous matter. The price did not exceed 1s. or 1s. 6d. per quart, and for strength of colour, freedom in writing, and in short every quality which writing-ink ought to have, it was preferable to any I have met with. Its colour was imperishable, and, contrary to what many might expect, it deposited no sediment whatever. Whether it is at present sold, I do not at all know. The ink with which I now write this letter, I have this moment hastily put together, and it is simply composed of fifteen grains of lamp black, half an ounce of water, and about five grains of gum. It appears to want nothing in the quality of a writing ink, and its colour will certainly never fade. While this careless mixture should so well perform its office, no doubt whatever can be entertained of the ease with which an excellent ink might be prepared from similar ingre

* Dated from Clement's Inn.

dients. The only points to be sought after, are the best mode of suspension of the carbon, and the best mordant for making it adhere to the paper. A few experiments would soon ascertain both these things."

Ink-making is considered a very respectable employment in China: it is even ranked among the liberal arts, on account of its utility to the sciences. In a city famous for the finest ink, the ink-makers have several small apartments illuminated night and day.

New Blue Dye.-Professor Ormstead, of the University of North Carolina, in the United States, has discovered that the petals of the Iris of the gardens, or Blue Lily, yield a dye superior to all known blues. It turns red, like turnsol, when exposed to a stream of carbonic acid gas. It is more advantageous for dying than the blue of violets, on account of the greater quantity of colouring matter which each flower yields; and it is said that the tint is much more beautiful. Mr. Ormstead is on the point of publishing an account of his process.' -St. James's Chronicle.

Sweden. A very curious work is publishing in numbers at Lunden and Stockholm. The author is M. Agardh. It is devoted to the illustration of those minute and obscure classes of beings forming the limits of the animal and vegetable kingdoms, and which offer a variety of facts calculated to throw great light on a number of difficulties of great importance. It mentions the discovery of a link between plants and animals hitherto unknown. This consists of a kind of animated atoms, nourished in a vegetable bag, from which having escaped, they frisk about in the little pool, their domain, until the period of their animal existence terminating, they attach themselves to some water-leaf, and become, by degrees, distinct vegetable filaments, resembling silky greenish hairs.

Execution of Nagle and Barrett.-Friday, about 12 o'clock, these two unfortunate men passed through this city on their way to Mallow, where they arrived in the evening, and remained during the night. At nine o'clock on Saturday morning, the melancholy cavalcade proceeded towards Buttevant, at a distance of six miles, which it reached about eleven o'clock, and where the awful preparations were already completed. The crowds, assembled from all parts of the country for several miles round, were immense, and they were permitted to approach the gallows as close as possible. Nagle first addressed the assembled multitude in nearly the following words:-" My boys, turn from your evil ways and fear God; take an example from my awful fate, which ought to be a warning to you all. If we took our clergymen's advice, we would not come to this untimely end. Good bye

for ever! Give up your arms, or they will bring you to this state. I acknowledge to die guilty of the crime, and I beg all your prayers." Barrett, who was the better informed,, followed, and said, "Dear Christians, all your midnight undertakings are useless; and you would see this if you felt as I feel now, standing before the throne of Jesus Christ. I beg and entreat of you to give up your arms.”—Dublin Evening Post.

Opening of the New Basins at Sheerness.-The ceremony of opening the new basins in the Dock-yards, at Sheerness, took place in the presence of an immense assemblage of persons of all ranks. At an early hour of the morning, the Royal Artillery and Marines on duty in Sheerness and the neighbouring depôts, marched into the new Dock-yards, where they were drawn up in single files, so as to enclose the area in which the new basins are formed: behind the military lines were erected seats and raised platforms, which commanded a close view of the whole ceremony. Nearly three thousand persons were seated upon the platform an hour before the ceremony commenced. A number of bands from the different ships played "Rule Britannia," as the Lord, Howe slowly and majestically moved onwards to her destination within the dock; it was a novel spectacle to see a ship of such weight of metal floated upon this spot, and closely and safely deposited within a solid embankment. There are at present three docks ready for service; they are fit for the reception of the largest ships in the navy, and can be used, as necessity requires, either as dry or wet docks; for by an improvement in the application of steam-power, the water can be withdrawn in forty minutes, and the place can also be adapted for the dry dock uses, by a simple mechanical contrivance by an under tunnel, through which the water can be immediately expelled.

Bartholomew Fair.This fair, as usual, afforded a plentiful supply of business to the Bench of Magistrates. Nothing can be better contrived than this fair for the education of young, people in the arts of thieving, swearing, drinking, quarrelling, rioting, and every other kind of vice and profligacy. The friends of National Education are exerting themselves to bring up the rising generation in a different manner, and their exertions are doing a great deal of good; but there is a wonderful deal going on, in that large town of London, calculated to keep children out of the chance of learning any thing good, and ensuring their learning every thing that is bad. Some people wonder that, whilst good education is going on, so much wickedness should be going on likewise; and they tell us, that whilst our courts of justice give us examples of so many young offenders, the extension of educa