their evil ways. For these are the gracious terms, in which every denunciation of God's wrath is made his promises and his threatenings are always conditional; and the conditions are these, as he hath plainly declared them by his Prophet, universally, in respect to all the nations upon earth: "At what time I shall speak concerning a nation to build and to plant it; if it do evil in my sight, that it obey not my voice, then will I repent of the good, wherewith I said I would benefit them. And at what instant I shall speak concerning a nation to pluck up, and to pull down, and to destroy it; if that nation, against whom I have pronounced, turn from their evil, then will I repent of the evil, which I thought to have done unto them*." Let us then seriously consider the moral and religious state of this nation; and as it is much to be feared, that the most favourable view of it will afford abundant matter for dreadful apprehensions, let us humble ourselves before God, and implore with prayer and confession, and all with earnest repentance, his compassion and forbearance towards us: "for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness; and, if we turn unto him, will repeat him of the evil," which perhaps he hath already purposed to bring upon us. On this condition, let us approach the throne of grace with humble confidence; and let us intercede with intense supplication in behalf of our country. As individuals, of which this nation is composed, let us impartially consider, what share we ourselves have in the common guilt. Reformation must begin with particulars, and the several members must become sound, before the body can be restored to health. It is in the power of every one of us in some degree to eontribute to the recovery of the whole, by amending a part, by giving one good citizen to the community. This if we heartily endeavour, we shall certainly save our own souls in the day of final retribution; we may perhaps save both ourselves and our country from impending wrath and present punishment. It may be that God will be gracious unto us: that He, who would have saved Sodom for the sake of ten righteous persons; and "Jerusalem, for the sake of but one in it, that had executed justice, and sought the truth," may yet avert the judgments that threaten this sinful nation. And may it please God *Jer. xviii. 7--10. + Jer. v. 1. by by the influence of his Holy Spirit, so to move all our hearts, and to open our eyes, "that we may know the things that belong to our peace; that we way give glory to the Lord our God," by confession, repentance, and amendment," before he cause darkness, and, while we look for light, he turn it into the shadow of death." ACADEMIANA. No. IX. TH SINGULAR UNION. HE following is a bond of union between King's College, Cambridge, and Eaton School, founded by King Henry VI. on the one side; and William of Wykeham's, Oxford, and Winchester College, founded by the said William, bishop of Winchester, on the other. It is copied from a MS. in the British Museum. "Concordia amicabilis sive Compositio Collegiorum Regalium Cantabrigiæ & Etonæ, & Wicchamicorum Oxon, et prope Winton. Jul. ma. A. D. м.CCCC.LXIV." [After particularising the joint interest which they are to take in law-suits, &c. it proceeds thus:] "Promittimus insuper nos præpositi, custodes, socii, ac scholares omnes et singuli collegiorum prædictorum, et ad hoc nos et successores nostros quoscunque efficaciter obligamus, quod consilia, favores, et auxilia hujusmodi, sicut et prout, ac quoties opus fuerit, et super his, seu ad ea congrui requisiti fuerimus, seu requisiti fuerint, alterutrim impendemus, et impendent, ad quod nos invicem præsentis nostri consensus et promissi vigore, ac in virtute sacramenti per singulos nostrum dictis collegiis seu eorum alicui singulariter præstiti, seu præstandi, volumus nos arctius teneri; ut sic dicta collegia mutua se gaudeant defensione munita, quæ in nomine conformitas et (annuente Domino) mutuæ ac perpetuæ charita tis, integritas decorabunt; nolentes, quod aliquis de collegiis supradictis protextu alicujus laboris seu. favoris impensi, in casibus hujusmodi, quicquam præter expensas rationabiles ac necessarias exigat quovismodo." Dr. Dr. PLOTT to Dr. ARTHUR CHARLET, Master of University College, Oxford, dated Borden, near Sittingbourne in Kent, July 14, 1695. GOOD MASTER, SO I call you, for that I hope your goodness will pardon me for this long silence: all I have to say in my excuse is, that I have now left London, and have got up my staff here, where I think to shake hands with the world, and trouble it no more with natural histories or any thing else. I have here a little cottage, with a little land belonging to it, which I hope I may be able to manage myself, and get enough out of it to feed my little family, which was the condition of Aglaus Pausidius, whom, as Pliny tells us, the oracles pronounced the happiest man in Greece. But my happiness will not begin till about Michaelmas next; for, as the bearer can tell you, I have put my fingers into the water, whence I fear I shall not be able to relieve them, till toward that time, which has been another occasion of this long silence. I am heartily sorry I could not possibly serve you in the affair of the hospital with Mr. O. W. (Obadiah Walker); but since the depute I appointed has executed your commission so well, I am the better satisfied, and I hope you are so too. Dear Master, let not my silence, or non-execution of your trust myself, alienate you affections from me, but let me hear from you again as usually, and it will be a great satisfaction to, Sir, Your very affectionate friend ROB. PLOTT. GRAY AND BURTON. AS it is most probable that Mr. Grey never heard of, and almost certain that he never saw, the following Latin tetrastich, it cannot be deemed an insult to the memory of that elegant poet, to remark the general resemblance between it and the four first lines of the Epitaph at the end of his Elegy in a Country Church-yard. Here rests his head upon the lap of Earth, The Latin lines are written in the margin of page 179 of of William Burton's History of Leicestershire, in the li brary of St. Patrick, Dublin. "Robert Burton, Bachelor of Divinity, and Student of Christ Church, Oxon, author of the Anatomy of Melancholy, born 8th of February, 1578." After this is written in the margin : "Obiit anno 1639 Robertus Burton hic jacet, Paucis notus, paucioribus ignotus- BISHOP RIDLEY. VERY affectionate and truly beautiful is this excellent prelate's apostrophe to his College, Pembroke Hall, Cambridge, just before his martyrdom. "Farewell, Pembroke Hall, of late my own college, my cure, and my charge.-What case thou art now in, God knoweth? I trow not well. Thou wast ever named, since I knew thee, which is not thirty years ago, to be studious, well-learned, and a great setter-forth of Christ's Gospel, and of God's true word. So I found thee, and, blessed be God, so I left thee, indeed. Woe is me, for thee my dear college, if ever thou suffer thyself by any means to be brought from that trade. In thy orchard (the walls, butts, and trees, if they could speak would bear me witness), I learned without book almost all St. Paul's Epistles, yea, and I ween, all the Canonical Epistles, save only the Apocalypse; of which study, though in time a great part did depart from me, yet the sweet scent thereof, I trust, I shall carry to heaven with me.---The profit thereof, I think, I have felt in all my life-time ever after." LITHUANIAN VERSION OF THE BIBLE. Dr. John Wallis, in a letter to Matthew Poole, Editor of the Synopsis Criticorum, gives the following account of a translation of the Scriptures into the Lithuanian language. "You may remember that when I was lately at London, there was a Polonian, who signified that he had undertaken the translation of the bible into the Lithuanian language, in which it had never before been translated; though a great number of people speak, and have no no other Bible amongst them than the Polonian, which they doe no more understand than the Welch doe English. Hee hath long since prepared the New Testament ready for the presse, but hath not wherewith to undertake the charge of Hee hath (of the Old Testament) finished the Pentateuch also. "Tis great pity such a worke should perish, or be delayed for want of some helping hand to bringe it forth. It was then recommended to diverse ministers in London to promote an incouragement of it: but nothing that I can heare of as yet done to wards it. About 601. it seems would set forth the New Testament, and so small a summ my thinks, should not be hard to raise in London from well-disposed persons, to so good and publicke a worke, rather then it should perish in the birth, and thereby possibly the souls of many thousands perish for want of the Bible in their own lan guage. Sir, I should earnestly desire, that you would please to undertake the promoting of this so good a worke speedily and effectually. Whether it may be proper to contribute any thing out of your common stock for the Encouragement of Learning in the Universities, or not, I will not take upon me to determine; (though the truth is, the person being a schollar and a student here, is capable of that consideration, and the worke he is about is of the like nature with such as you would willingly promote.) But if not that way, certainly other ways may be found to doe it; and there would not be wanting persons to contribute, if they were thoroughly informed of the case. There is one gentleman here has already ingaged to me for 51. towards it: and no great number of such contributions would doe the worke." What became of this proposal, or of the work, we know not; neither can we be certain who the translator was; but the only Polander resident at Oxford at that period, was the learned Bythner, who read a Hebrew lecture there several years, and had many pupils. He is well known by his Lyra Prophetica Davidis Regis; sive, Analysis Critico-Practica Psalmorum, London 1650, 4to. He afterwards practised physic in Cornwall, and died there about 1664. [Wood Athen. Oxon. vol. II. 345. ADDISON. THIS elegant writer and excellent man was educated first at Queen's College, and afterwards became demy Vol. X. Churchm. Mag. May 1806. 3 B of |