parate enclosures were assigned to the two sexes,and sentinels were stationed to prevent the devout ladies from walking out into the woods after dark. It must at the same time be added, that Mr Cooper, who does not seem himself imbued with any extravagant zeal, undertakes with ardour, though not in much detail, the defence of these meetings, which he calls "alike impressive and beautiful," and considers the celebration to be as striking by its peculiar simplicity as it is touching by the interest and evident enjoyment experienced. The disorders, he contends, are merely produced by a few profligate persons, who resort thither as to any other crowd, for the express purpose; and while new and awakened zeal in ignorant persons frequently breaks out in extravagance and folly, these pass away with the exciting cause, and leave behind tender consciences and a chastened practice. We submit these remarks, at the same time suspecting that the unanimous testimony of all British observers must outweigh that of one zealous American advocate, however respectable.

These excesses of fanaticism among the vulgar seem to have led among the higher ranks to an extensive profession of Deism, or of those creeds which consider Christianity only as an exposition of the religion of nature. The former is said to prevail in the south, though a late writer observes, that they have never dared to establish a worship conformable to it. This expression would seem to imply, that forcible means would be taken to put down such a worship, which seems inconsistent with the professed maxims of the American government. It seems more probable, that

the tenets of this class of professors, being, as usual, chiefly negative, they do not feel any such zeal for those which they still retain as to render imperative any outward mode of expressing them. In the north, the most remarkable feature is the extensive prevalence of Unitarianism, especially at Boston, the ancient seat of a faith so opposite. Mr Duncan calculates, that more than half of the churches of Boston are of this profession, and Harvard College, the principal seminary of the United States, is entirely devoted to it. This change, according to Mr Tudor, had been long silently preparing, though it is only within the last fifteen years that it has come forth into open profession. The Unitarians seem to be gaining in the great towns of the south, having recently erected an elegant chapel at Baltimore, at an expense of £20,000.

Among the various forms of worship throughout the States the most prevalent is that called Congregational, which seems to be the same introduced into New England at the first emigration, and which, in -1700, was finally arranged into a system, by what was termed the Saybrook Platform. The service is that of the church of England, cleared of many of the forms which appeared offensive to Puritan simplicity; but the church-government is independent, the clergy holding only synodical meetings for mutual aid on occasions of difficulty. The number of their congregations is stated by Mr Warden at a thousand for New England and two hundred for the other States. The Presbyterians, with a nearly-resembling form of worship, but governed by presbyteries,

synods, and a general assembly, have 772 congregations, chiefly in the Middle and Southern States. Since Mr Warden's time the number of congregations in these two systems appear to have increased, and are estimated by Mr Cooper at nearly three thousand. The Episcopal church is said to be on the increase, and her probationers have been released from the inconvenient necessity of studying in the mother-country. This church, containing at present ten bishops and 394 clergymen, meets in a general convention, consisting of two houses, the upper composed of bishops, the lower of delegates from the inferior clergy and lay members. The Baptists have also many churches, though the members are not numerous. In 1817 their churches were stated at 2727, the members in fellowship at 183,245. The Methodists in 1809 amounted to 159,000, and are supposed to have since increased. The Catholics, who founded Maryland, still occupy it to the number of 75,000, and have not spread wide into any other State. The Lutherans and the German Calvinists have a hundred congregations each, which have sprung out of the large emigrations from Germany. The Dutch Reformed Church has eighty, from a similar origin. The Moravians, the Universalists, the Tunkers, the Dunkers, the Shakers, though they have drawn notice by their peculiar observances, are not in such numbers as to be of national importance. It seems admitted, that these sects in America live, on the whole, in great harmony, and with less of bitterness and intolerance than in the mother-country; which may, no doubt, be much ow

ing to none of them possessing the invidious distinction of a state-establishment.

The Americans seem to provide temporal things very handsomely for their clergy. There are livings as high as 5000 dollars, (£1100,) with a house and with marriage-fees, which are spontaneous, but liberal. Half that sum is the common living of a respectable clergyman in the large towns. Even in the country it seldom falls short of 1000 dollars, with presents. The clergy are generally diligent in their parochial duties; but, from this very diligence exercised towards large congregations, they have little leisure for profound study, and have not made very large contributions to theological knowledge. The works of Dwight, however, enjoy reputation even in this country. Mr Janson and other profane travellers complain bitterly of the rigid observance of the Sabbath, especially in New England; of travellers being stopped short on the most necessary journeys, and having even been seized and dragged to church by main force. There is, however, something peculiar in the American Sabbatical observance; it begins at sunset on Saturday, and ends at the same period on Sunday; so that Mr Duncan was not a little amazed in spending the latter evening with a strictly religious family, when, after prayer and the reading of a chapter, one of the young ladies was invited to sing "Down the burn, Davie." It seems impossible not to agree with him, that the devotion of one whole day to religious duties is more convenient and more seemly than this mode of dividing it into frag

ments.

In regard to literature and science, especially all their higher branches, America is still in an infant though progressive and not unpromising state. There are many readers, much printing, but little writing. The government have shown extreme solicitude for the diffusion of the first elements of knowledge,-little for the formation of literary and scientific characters of a high class. Each of the Northern States has a fund for the support of common schools, sufficient to secure the elementary instruction of the whole body of the people; and in the new States there have been reserved 640 acres out of every township, besides an entire township in each State. In the schools, history and geography are taught; and the North American Review, while criticising the qualifications of the teachers, considers them yet decidedly superior to those of Europe. On the whole, elementary knowledge is perhaps as thoroughly diffused in America as in any existing country. There are twenty-five universities in the United States, though to some the name of college or even of academy would be more appropriate. The most eminent and amply endowed is Harvard College, which now calls itself Cambridge. It has eight buildings; the largest of which was finished in 1814, at an expense of £17,000; several others cost five or six thousand. The students, as in the English universities, reside within the walls; but in the variety of objects taught, and the mode of teaching by the lectures of twenty professors, the system rather resembles the Scotch, though with more extensive examinations. At Yale College it is optional to the stu