in the sublimest language, that light, the first-born offspring of heaven, enlivened the wilderness of space, before certain ponderous and inert spheroids were ordained to modify its operations! As justly

might they assert, that the electric power, whether substance or quality, did not exist till philosophy mounted its cylinder, to excite luminous phenomena."-pp. 50, 51.

Dr. Ure supposes that the whole of our globe was covered with water, and that "the gathering the waters together into one place," as detailed in Genesis, has reference to this fact, and proves it. In this view he is certainly not far wrong, for chemistry enables us to understand the means by which God effected his purpose. We find that the crust of the globe consists of six substances, silica, alumina, iron, lime, magnesia, and potash. Now, the bases of all these substances, with the exception of iron-are capable of decomposing water, even when solidified in the state of ice, with the most violent action. In the caverns of the earth, the simple bases of these substances were, as hinted before, in a state of fusion; and if we suppose water, though in the solid form of ice, admitted, the most violent action would have ensued-explosions, eruptions, and earthquakes, and the consequence would be, the upheaving of the mountains, the formation of valleys, and the driving the waters into their marine beds:

"That silica and its associated bases, which are

oxidized at the surface of the earth, and thus deprived of their elementary activity, exist at a moderate depth beneath that surface, devoid of oxygen, in the state of simple combustibles, there is little reason to doubt. The phenomena of earthquakes and volcanoes lead plainly to this conclusion. The heat observed in subterranean regions, progressively increasing as we descend, renders it probable that these combustible elements exist

there in a fluid state; an effect which would result from a very moderate heat, one greatly inferior to what is requisite for the fusion of their oxides."p. 91.

From the organic remains frequently found in various parts, we learn that certain races of animals were inhabitants of the antediluvian world, which are now extinct. And we also learn that many species of animals, which can now only inhabit the tropical or Indian climates, were at that time inhabitants of England. Now, although the fossil remains of many animals, and even plants, which can neither live nor vegetate in this country, have been proved to have lived in it before the deluge,-and these too, animals of a different description, and of much more enormous growth than any of the present era-yet it is singular that no vestige of human bones have been discovered. Hence then it would appear, that the antediluvian earth which formed the habitation of man, must have disappeared altogether, and has perhaps been ingulfed 2D. SERIES, NO. 5.-VOL. I.

241

"I readily concede that the territories occupied by the human race were permanently submerged at the deluge-probably some great continent, corresponding to the site and area of our Pacific Ocean, which still betrays, in multiplied points of its expanse, the embers of volcanic violence. On this principle, scripture truth is not violated; and thus also, we can perfectly account for the nonappearance of the bones of man, and his companion animals, the sheep, the goat, the camel, &c., among the diluvial exuviæ of all the continents hitherto

explored.

"A universal deluge seems clearly proved by the utter extinction of the species of the primeval race of animals, a topic which we shall afterwards discuss at some detail. Were we not informed by Moses of the universal depravity of the progeny of Cain, as well as of the descendants of Seth, whom they corrupted, a depravity to which modern crime affords parallels euow to render the history credible, we should find some difficulty in reconciling with the counsels of a benignant governor, so tremendous a catastrophe, implicating not only the human race, but myriads of animals, in a com mon destruction. But we read that divine justice outraged, and mercy spurned, at length required

their victims. And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And it repented the Lord that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at the heart."

"Since Geology leads us to conclude, that the earth peopled by Noah's contemporaries perished at the deluge, complete harmony is maintained between science, and a just interpretation of holy writ."-pp. 472, 473.

Now, there can be little doubt that the deluge was effected principally by the agency of those great volcanic emotions which were sufficient to upheave the beds of the antediluvian ocean, burying the antediluvian continent under its waters. If the sea, for instance, should penetrate in large quantity to the bases of the earths and alkalis in the interior of the earth, and especially if they were in a state of fusion, as already described, the explosion would be tremendous and awful in the extreme. If potassium, silicium, magnesium, calcium, &c., be merely placed in contact, there is an explosion with flame, and hydrogen gas is rapidly evolved. But if these agents should be mixed in large quantities, as probably happened at the period of the deluge, the effect would be tremendous, and quite sufficient to upheave the beds of the ocean, and inundate the continents. This effect would arise, not only by the violence of the explosion; but the heat would expand the rapidly disengaged hydrogen, and which meeting again with oxygen, and becoming fired from electricity, or some such means, would add to the catastrophe.

Till the brilliant discoveries of Sir Humphrey Davy, upon the nature and properties of the metallic bases of the alkalis and the earths, and their powerful and energetic

149.-VOL. XIII.

action upon water, physical science was wholly in the dark with respect to the theory of volcanic phenomena. But since this era, a wide field of knowledge has been explored, and the chemist who has witnessed the action of these agents, even in the minuteness of the laboratory proportions, is at no loss to conceive the direful effects of the proportions which must have been necessary to evolve those masses of rock, quartz, and other crystallized formations, the theory of which gives to the study of geology a peculiar interest; and enables us to explain, or rather to understand, those physical properties of matter, through which it pleased Providence to submerse the great antediluvian continent, with the entire of the inhabiting human race, in the vast abyss of the deep-probably, as our author suggests, the great Pacific Ocean.

Dr. Ure, too, is inclined to believe that the great bulk of the antediluvian animals, in all probability, became extinct at this general catastrophe. There can be little doubt, that the antediluvian race were of much more gigantic stature than the same species of the present era. It is also probable, that the land bore a greater ratio to the sea, during the antediluvian period, than at present, and therefore the means of subsistence was more attainable for animals of such enormous bulk.

There is one thing certain, that in the antediluvian era, the temperature of Europe and its neighbouring parts must have approximated to that of the present Indies. This is inferred from our finding the fossil remains of animals and plants, now inhabitants of the tropical zones only, under circumstances which leave no doubt of their having perished in the place of their nativity; and as having been found in Europe, they must have vegetated there. Now, the question is, how has this alteration of the temperature taken place.

In the antediluvian world, the land bore a much greater proportion to the sea than at present. The effect of such an arrangement in a spheroid like ours, would be an accumulation of temperature, and consequently a warmer climate in every latitude throughout the globe. But after the deluge, the proportion of sea being greatly increased, and that of the land diminished, refrigeration would be the consequence; and hence the perpetual ice of our polesno doubt a post-diluvian phenomenon. We can therefore readily understand how species of animals and plants, now the natives of the equatorial regions only, could have existed in the higher latitudes of the antediluvian period.

Now, there can be no doubt, that many of the species-as the fossil elephant, the great martodon, the megatherium, the greatclawed megalonyx, and hyæna, the dens of which latter, in this country, have been explored most successfully by Dr. Buckland-are now all extinct. Nor does this view seem in contradiction with the scripture record:

"Had all our present animal tribes," says Dr. Ure, "been propagated from the ark which rested on Ararat, or some other lofty mountain in Asia, how comes it that the kangaroo, echidne, ornithorynchus, and wombat, are now confined to New

Holland? Not an individual of any of these remarkable species have been found in Europe, Asia, Africa, or America. Their absence cannot be ascribed to unsuitableness of climate, for the kangaroo and wombat have thriven well in England; and surely our immense continents offer them every variety of food and accommodation. Moses, by his silence on the great fact, of the face of the earth being revived by the creative Spirit which peopled it at first, can in no wise be said to contradict it. The critic who should construe omission into denial, would find abundant contradictions of that sort in all sacred and profane historians."-p. 501.

The monuments of antediluvian being, cannot be viewed without profound emotion. In exhuming from their beds the relics of the primeval world, we seem to evoke spirits of darkness, crime, and perdition we feel almost transported, as it were, along with them, to the judgmentseat of God, and hear the voice of many waters coming to execute the sentence of “earth_corrupt,, just condemnation on an and filled with violence.”

"Such a dismal ruin," says our author," of all organic beings, such a derangement of the fair frame of nature, seem to be irreconcileable difficulties in Natural Theism. For is not the wisdom of God impeached, in constructing a world on foundations so infirm; his prescience, in peopling so precarious an abode with countless myriads of exquisite mechanisms; and his goodness, in plunging indiscriminately every tribe and family of his sentient offspring in mortal agony and death! A creation replete with beauty and enjoyment, suddenly transformed by its Creator's mandate or permission, into a waste of waters, is a moral phenomenon which, certes, no system of ethics can explain. Here, metaphysics, the boasted mistress of mind, with all her train of categories, stands at fault. But here, if reason will deign to forego its pride, and implore the aid of a superior light, the Hebrew prophet will lift up the dark veil from the primeval scene. In revealing the disobedience of Adam, the atrocious guilt of Cain, and the pestilence of sin, almost universally spread among their progeny, he shows, alas! too clearly, how justice outraged, and mercy spurned, inevitably called forth the final lustration of the deluge. This conclusion no philosopher can reasonably gainsay, who considers man as a responsible agent, and this earth, with all its apparatus of organic life, as mainly subservient to his moral and intellectual education."-pp. 505, 506.

We have so far endeavoured to furnish our readers with a detail of the valuable and important principles developed in this most interesting volume. We confess, that we have been not only delighted, but instructed, by the views which it unfolds. It

THE writer of this article well remembers when the fame of Admiral Rodney was as high, as extended, and as much celebrated, as that which, in subsequent years, crowned the victor of Camperdown, or the hero of the Nile. The plaudits which accompanied the success of the former, were as loud and as enthusiastic as those which blazoned the achievements of the latter; nor will the exploits of Rodney be blotted from the records of his country, until patriotism shall cease to be a national virtue.

By an ancestor of Admiral Rodney, we have, in the first of these volumes, a genealogical sketch of his pedigree, carrying back our views to the time of the crusades, and thence conducting them onward through those vicissitudes of fortune which are attendant upon the families of the great. The narrative appears to have been written with commendable fidelity.

The style is simple and expressive, but though frequently rendered remarkable by its peculiar phraseology, the memorial is enlivened by animated sallies of humour, and rendered interesting by the variety of its details. Throughout the whole, a vein of sterling piety is perceptible; this is the more valuable, from appearing so seldom in works of a similar description. To the Rodney family, this document must be an article of considerable importance.

While reviewing the life of Lord Byron, by Mr. Moore, we observed, that his two splendid quartos chiefly consisted of letters written by the noble poet, occasionally interspersed with connective links, and explanatory remarks, by the biographer; yet that, from the whole, his Lordship's character was principally to be inferred by the reader from the extensive correspondence submitted to his perusal. The life of Admiral Rodney proceeds on much the same general prin

243

ciples. It is composed of letters written on a variety of occasions, elucidated by the biographer with observations, which tend to develop the causes and consequences of the particular facts to which these documents refer.

In no other respect, however, can any similitude be traced between these two works. The subjects to which the correspondence of Admiral Rodney refers, are of national importance, involving the destiny of our naval armaments, and the issues of an eventful war. With the history of licenenness, misanthropy, infidelity, and protious amours, of intrigue, assignation, drunkfaneness, these letters are not polluted. They appear, on the contrary, to have originated in minds deeply imbued with their professional avocations, without being corrupted by unblushing sensuality.

The letters comprised in these volumes amount to two hundred and twenty-four. These are followed by an appendix, which relates to Admiral Rodney's naval engagements; the opposing force of the belligerent armaments; the manner in which the line of battle was formed on the memorable 12th of April, 1782; the consequences which followed, from the decisive victory of the British; and the honours that awaited the naval hero on his return.

In addition to the letters written by Admiral Rodney, some of which are official, while others are to his family and friends, many are inserted, of which he is not the author. These are in general by statesmen, then holding exalted situations in the British government. They contain replies to various inquiries, advice under particular exigencies, and directions by which the movements of the fleet under his Lordship's command, were sometimes regulated. Viewed in connexion with each other, they enable us to survey the springs and pulleys which move the visible machine, and show the station of arduous responsibility in which the admiral of a British fleet is placed. The correspondence is highly interesting in a national point of view. On the issue of an engagement, the fate of an empire frequently depends. Even a single move. ment may be seen to alter the whole aspect of calculations, that were intended for future years.

The style in which Admiral Rodney's letters are written, is plain, nervous, and unaffected. In every sentence, the firmness of the hero is blended with the dignity of the man. In writing, he appears to be above all disguise; and to any thing like meanness, he must have been an utter stranger. What he intended to commu

nicate, language the most unambiguous is selected to express; and neither paper nor words are wasted in idle ceremony and deceitful compliments. The subject of his letters is always uppermost. On this he enters at its commencement, and concludes as soon as it is finished. Hence, these documents are never protracted to any tedious length, nor inflated with unmeaning verbiage. Throughout the whole, the most ardent patriotic spirit is evinced. The welfare of his country lies near the author's heart; and his solicitude to promote her interest on every occasion, could not have been more ardent or so apparent, if the private fortune of himself and family had depended upon his personal exertions.

In the selection and arrangement of these letters, Major-General Mundy has displayed much judgment, care, and taste. With some trifling exceptions, they follow each other in consecutive order, according to their dates, and the occurrences to which they refer; and by the mutual light which they impart to one another, scarcely any portion of the correspondence is involved in obscurity. Where any trifling shades remain, the observations of the biographer immediately appear, to dispel the cloud.

The honest and hard-earned fame which the gallant Admiral acquired, by his enterprising spirit and numerous victories, no lapse of years can ever tarnish. Of his eighty broadsides discharged from the cannon of the Formidable, in 1782, we yet hear the report, and the sound will be transmitted to future generations. Yet we cannot but regret, that these letters had not been given to the nation at a much earlier period, before the enthusiasm, which their occasions excited, was permitted to cool, or rival events, of a more modern date, were suffered to intervene. The lapse of half a century has extended the vista, but not diminished the beauty, of the scene. It is now combined with other objects participating in the brilliancy of the general colouring, and displaying, on the whole, an historical picture of British valour, which time will never be able to erase from the records of the world.

REVIEW.-The Science of Bookkeeping exemplified, in Jones's English System of Single and Double Entry, and Balancing Books. Royal 4to. pp. 260. Jones, Coleman Street, London. 1831. WHATEVER charms may be found in perusing the works of genius, and indulging in the dreams of literature, all must acknowledge that we cannot do without pounds,

shillings, and pence. To ladies and gentle men of independent fortunes, the science of bookkeeping may appear paltry and contemptible, and, perhaps, an ignorance of accounts may be considered by them as a passport to fancied superiority. But should their bankers, or stewards, or the commercial portion of the community, be afflicted with this genteel disease, no spirit of prophecy is needful, to foresee the consequences.

With mercantile men the defects prevail. ing in all systems of bookkeeping hitherto reduced to practice, have been long noticed and deplored, and many efforts have been made to remedy the evils of which all complain. Much has accordingly been done; but, by all the predecessors of Mr. Jones, much was left for him to accomplish. To this important subject he has turned his attention as a public accountant, and brought to bear upon its various branches the experience of fifty years. During the lapse of this period, the discovery of defects led him to seek remedies. Success in one attempt stimulated to another, until diligence and perseverance crowned his enterprising exertions with a triumph over obstacles that had been deemed insurmountable.

Some improvements, which early observation and practice had enabled him to make, were published in 1821; but the system at that period had been matured only to a certain extent, and as such it was presented to the public. We find, however, that it has been made a subject of animadversion, not for failing to accomplish what it had professed to achieve, but because it did not provide for more distant deficiencies, which it made no pretensions to supply.

The attack, in a pamphlet bearing the signature "J. S." is grounded on a misconception of the expressions used by the author, in his balancing system, printed in 1821. His promise there was, to give a plan for detecting all errors in amount in the postings to the ledger; thus-if the ledger contained the amount of all goods sold-and their aggregate was £.10,000while by the original entries in the day book they amounted to £.10,100—herein would be an error in amount of £.100-and it would also be an error, if the ledger was over posted; but this evidently is very distinct from posting an amount to John instead of to Thomas, for this is an error in persons only, because the ledger would exhibit the correct value of book debts, if it contained the whole of the amounts.

The author's work, printed in 1821, was accompanied by such information as the parties needed for their books, and in all