CHINESE VERSION OF THE NEW TESTAMEN'T.

THE London Missionary Society has lately received fifty copies of Mr. Morrison's Translation of the New Testament into the Chinese Language, a work of immense labor and supreme importance. Mr. Morrison has been for many years employed in the study of Chinese Literature, preparatory to this great undertaking, while resident at Macao and Canton as a missionary. That he is well qualified for the work we have this important testimony; viz. that the East India Company have resolved to print, at their expense, his Dictionary and Grammar of the Chinese Language, in three ponderous volumes. Indeed, Mr. Morrison's correspondence shews him to be a man of talents, industry, and entire devotedness to the cause of Christ.

The completion of this translation, and the commencement of its distribution in China, and among the Chinese population of many Asiatic islands, form an era in the history of the Church.

The London Missionary Society, under whose auspices, and at whose expense, the work has been finished, has sent two copies to this country; one to the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions, and one to the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in the United States. These copies have come safe to hand, and are a precious memorial of Christian affection as existing between all who are engaged in the same cause, and an interesting monument of what can be accomplished by perseverance, as well as a powerful stimulus to proceed with vigor in the great work of evangelizing mankind.

This work is contained in eight pamphlets, elegantly folded, sewed, and covered, in the Chinese fashion; the four Gospels in their order occupy the four first; the Acts the fifth; Romans to 2 Corinthians, inclusiye, the sixth; Galatians to

Philemon, inclusive, the seventh; and the remainder of the New Testament, the eighth. These pamphlets contain about 150 pages of letter press, large octavo, each, and are all enclosed, when not in use, in a neat pasteboard covering, or box.

The Chinese read from top to bottom, and from right to left. They begin at what we should call the last page of the book, and read the right hand column from top to bottom, and so on, taking each column in its order. Each page has seven columns, which, as to their posi tions, resemble the columns of monosyllables in our spelling-books. The numeral characters are very simple, so that any person can learn in a few minutes to turn to any chapter and verse. The characters are very fair, beautiful, and distinct, each character occupying about as much space, as is occupied by each letter in the word Panoplist at the head of the first page of our blue cover. As many of the characters are very complicated, and as they are very numerous, it is indispensable that they should be large and distinct. From the appearance of this work, we should suppose that aged persons might read it, without glasses, with perfect ease. Each page has a marginal running title, beside the seven columns, expressing, as is evident by a comparison of different parts, the name of the book, and the number of the chapter. The paper is very fine, thin, and strong. As the strokes are pretty broad and full, and the paper is thin, the ink would strike through so as to mar the beauty and distinctness of the work, if it were printed on both sides. The blank pages are therefore folded in, the front edges being accurately adjusted and not cut open. So nicely is this process performed, that the fronts appear quite as even as the front of any book which is cut, and the examiner would not suspect, without a particular scrutiny, that the leaves were double.

DIED in Austria, the celebrated Prinoe de LIGNE, a field-marshal in the Austrian armies, aged 80.

At Welfleet, (Mass.) THREE YOUNG MEN, buried under a sand-bank, which fell upon them as they were walking along the shore.

At Philadelphia, the Hon. FREDERIC SMTH, Esq. formerly chief-justice of New Jersey.

In England, JoANNA SOUTHCOTT, the leader of a sect of fanatics.

At Berlin, (Mass.) on the 12th ult. Des. STEPHEN BAILEY, aged 61. He be

queathed one hundred dollars to the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions.

In Georgia, JAMES WILDE, Esq. district paymaster, murdered in a duel.

At New-York, JOHN TEASMAN, African teacher, aged 61.

At Norfolk, (Vir.) the Rev. MICHAEL LACY, for many years pastor of the Roman Catholic Church in that borough.

At Nantucket, Mr. PETER HUSSEY, one of the principal inhabitants, aged 40.

In Pennsylvania, Mr. CONRAD HAWK, aged 79. He was the first man who drove

At Smithfield, (R. I.) a child aged two years by his clothes taking fire.

At Brattleborough, (Ver.) Dr. WILLIAM BIGELOW, aged 88.

At Providence Grove, Jamaica, a free black from Congo, aged 140. She was brought to that island in 1687, during the government of the Duke of Albemarle.

At Schenectady, (N. Y.) Mrs. ELIZABETH ROMEYN, relict of the late Rev .Dr. Romeyn, aged 75.

At Boston on the 3rd inst. THOMAS M'COBB, Esq. representative in the General Court from the town of Phippsburg, (Maine,) aged 87.

At Hudson, (N. Y.) on the 2d of Feb. last, GEORGE WASHINGTON TALMAN, son of John Talman, E. Mayor of that city, aged 7 years and 7 days, after a painful illness of 14 days.

The circumstances attending the illness and death of this little boy were peculiarly interesting to all who knew him. The early indications of his opening intellect were much beyond his years, and promised much usefulness had he been spared to manhood, His constant vivacity and sprightliness, the sweetness of his temper, his affectionate disposition from his earliest years, and the assumption of the manuers of more advanced life, whilst they endeared him to his family, rendered him more than usually interesting to all whom he approached.

For about three weeks before his last illness, he appeared much impressed with the expectation of dying soon; and spoke of this impression frequently to those around him. He became serious aud thoughtful for whole successive days,

would put away his playthings and relinquish his sports: and when urged to cease thinking and talking about dying and his own unworthiness-to resume his amusements and suffer himself to be divertedhe insisted that he could not-that "he had such thoughts that he could not play" -that he feared he was not good. He would then recal and confess the faults he had committed, even those that were known to himself only, asked to be forgiven of his parents; and was grieved that he had not always obeyed them as he ought. His affection and anxiety for them and all around him, seemed to be increas ed daily. He could not manifest it sufficiently. He seemed like one, as he often intimated himself, who was certain he should not tarry long with them.

From the first day of his illness he spoke of his death as a thing that was ascertained, and never expressed even wish to recover, except when distressed with the affliction of his parents. Even while suffering excessive pain, I prayed earnestly that God would bless and comfort his parents; his petition for himself was that he might be taken away. His resignation to suffering and death, his manifestation of early piety and his affectionate conduct to all who approached him, whilst they the more endear his memory to the bereaved and afflicted, afford them the Christian assurance that he has only filed from them to the bosom of Him who said, "Suffer little children to come unto me, and forbid them not, for of such is the kingdom of heaven."

To the little companions of his sports, who may read or hear of this account, let it speak the language of their Savior, who took little children in his amns and blessed them-"Go ye and do likewise." Then, when even the affectionate sympa thy and anxiety of parental love can do nothing to comfort them, they shall be divinely assisted to pray to God, as the departed playfellow did, and shall be ed and supported under, and saved from, their sufferings.

TO CORRESPONDENTS AND READERS.

THE letter from the Rev. Professor JENKS reached us too late for this number. We shall insert it with pleasure in

our next.

Two communications from EPSILON are received and will be published.

We regret that our limits would not admit extracts from the last Report of the New York Bible Society. We had prepared them; but all our pages were pre-occupied.

We hope next month to present our readers with further accounts of the revivals of religion in Princeton and Portland.

Letters have just been received from the American Missionaries in India, dated Bombay, April 9, 1814. The last dates previously received were, it will be recolfected, Dec. 20th, and 23rd, 1813. Mr. Newell had joined his brethren at Bombay. Particulars hereafter.

ADJUDICATION OF PREMIUMS.

THE premiums, which were proposed in the Panoplist for Jan. 1814, have been re

cently adjudged by three gentlemen, (two of whom are professors in one of our colleges,) who had been requested to per form that service. Their decision is as follows:

The premium of Twenty Five Dollars, offered to the writer of the best composi tion in prose, is adjudged to the writer of the Essays on the Sabbath, the first of which was published in the Panoplist for May.

The premium of Fifteen Dollars, to the writer of the best piece of poetry, is adjudged to the writer of Buchanan, which was also published in the Panoplist for May.

The premium of Ten Dollars, for the second best composition in prose, is adjudged to the writer of the Essay on the Education of Children, published in the Panoplist for September.

The Rev. HEMAN HUMPHREY, of Fairfield, (Con.) is entitled to the first of these premiums; Mr. WILLIAM T. DWIGHT, of New Haven, (Con.) to the second; and JOHN HALL, Esq. of Ellington, (Con.) to the third.

The same premiums are offered to writers in the current volume of the Panoplist.

MEMOIR OF THE REV. ASAHEL HOOKER, LATE OF NORWICH,

CONNECTICUT.

(Concluded from p. 75.)

In answer to some inquiries respecting this scene of affliction, Mrs. Hooker remarked to a friend: "Should I attempt to describe the deep anxiety of Mr. Hooker's people, the distress of his family, his extreme sufferings, and wonderful patience, his groans, and the agony of the parting scene;-language would fail me. Righteous art thou, O Lord. I was dumb, I opened not my mouth, because thou didst it. Then the world, and all that pertained to it, dwindled to a point. Then I seemed to stand on the threshold of eternity; and, in my affections and desires, followed the dear, departing spirit."

A considerable number of pi. ous persons in Litchfield, hearing of Mr. Hooker's sickness, held a special prayer meeting on his account; and, by the numerous circle of friends around him, who were more especially interested in the preservation of his valuable life, prayer was made without ceasing for his recovery. But the Lord's time was come for this excellent man to die.

The funeral was attended by a VOL. XI.

VOL. XI.

large concourse of people, and by a number of ministers from the adjacent towns. After the interment, the Rev. Dr. Strong delivered, to a very full and solemn assembly, the sermon above referred to, which has since been published.

Before entering upon the general character of Mr. Hooker, it is proper to say, that the writer was long and intimately acquainted with him, and that the following paragraphs are the result of a deliberate view of his estimable and admirable qualities, rather than a hasty tribute of affection, at the grave of a friend.

Mr. Hooker's person and manners commonly excited a pleasant interest in the minds of strangers. In stature he was rather above the middle height. His figure was erect and well proportioned; his features regular. The chief expression of his countenance, especially of his eye, was a delightful mixture of intelligence and mildness. His manners, equally remote from austerity and from levity, exhibited the man, simple, open, amiable. In moments of relaxation, his conversation was often facetious, but never frivolous; never unbecoming his sacred office, nor inconsistent with strict decorum. Though he was, for *13

many years, in habits of intimacy with persons of the first respectability, he could with great ease accommodate himself to the eircumstances of those, who were in the humblest walks of life. His whole deportment was a pattern of that better sort of politeness, which consists not in a studied conformity to the usages of the fashionable world, but in simplicity and godly sincerity. He was free from that affected frankness, which makes a merit of uttering every rude and unseemly thought to others, and in the very act of doing a kindness, infallibly gives offence. Yet no man could tell another of his faults with greater fidelity or effect than he. The native benevolence of his heart, united with habitual delicacy of feeling, and sanctified by religious principle, qualified him to perform the most difficult duties, in the most unexceptionable manner.

To those, who knew him, it will not be unpleasant to dwell thus on this trait of character; it revives the image of the lovely man. The following extract of a letter to Mrs. Hooker may be explained, so far as explanation is necessary, by referring to the correspondent date, in the foregoing sketch.

"New Haven, April, 1808. "My very dear Phebe,

I went to bed last night in tears. This was not because I was in pain; nor because I had been so long absent from my dear family; but the kindness of this famiJy is enough to break my heart. I shall never repay them; but I hope the Lord will."

Similar illustrations of his amiable sensibility might be multiplied. But let it only be

remembered, that, in the agonies of a fever, and on his dying pillow, he did not forget to thank his nurse for every teaspoonful of medicine, while hundreds of hearts were bursting with solicitude on his account, and it is easy to see why he had no personal enemies. With all his other gifts and graces, it is easy to see why inveterate divisions, in churches and societies, once and again yielded to the charm of his influence.

In his domestic relations, he sustained the same consistent and excellent character. In the bosom of his own family, the qualities of his heart appeared to the highest advantage. No man valued the endearments of home more than he. His affectionate attachment to his wife and children was severely tried, by repeated seasons of absence for the

recovery of his health, during the last years of his life. On these occasions he wrote many letters, which breathe the same spirit with those of the admired Newton. To insert copious extracts from them here, would doubtless be acceptable to many readers, if it were consistent with the necessary limits of this memoir. As it is, a part of one letter only will be inserted, to exhibit Mr. Hooker in the character of a Christian Father. It was addressed to his son, then a member of the public school at Middlebury, (Ver.) where a powerful revival of religion had commenced.

"Charleston, S. C. Jan. 15, 1810. "My very dear son.

[After some prudential directions, as to the prosecution of his studies, and the preserva