brethren, and that for strangers:" no "Pilgrim" mentioned. Now, Sir, whenever you or your friends quote, do let me desire of you to keep in view our blessed Saviour's golden rule, "Do as you would be done by." As I wish no controversy with you, (but merely to set you right, that you fall not into the like again,) I subscribe myself your obedient servant, It seems best to add, that the handwriting of the above is unknown to me; but that I am persuaded it did not come from the respectable Catholic clergyman of this city, of whose Christian liberality we have had repeated and impressive proofs, and who would I am sure have taken a different mode of pointing out these errors. I am, Sir, Yours truly, angels should not have this effect upon him. Expositors explain him, as say ing evil angels, meaning exalted beings who surrounded the throne of God, and who were degraded because of their apostacy, but were now suffered to traverse the regions of the air, to tempt men to imitate them in their horrid degeneracy and disobedience. At first sight we may observe upon this explication, that the apostle knew nothing of suci, angels, and that instead of any such being invested with a power over men, in opposition to the great Creator, we learn that every man is tempted by the indulgence of his own lusts. We should consider, therefore, that the word angels always signifies messengers, and that if it had been always translated mes: engers, one great difficulty would have been removed out of our way. Now, what L. C. were the messengers whom the apostle had to encounter, but the messengers of persecuting princes and of others, who by their murdering threatenings endeavoured to reduce all Christian preachers to silence? Such messengers, therefore, with all the terrors which he here introduces, could, he asserts, make no impression upon him, whilst he knew in whom he believed, whilst he professed the gospel, and such should be the resolution of every one of us, whilst we look not at things seen and temporal, but at things unseen and eternal. SIR, Bath, 10th December, 1816. IT will, I presume, be a high gratification to most of your readers, if some of your ingenious correspondents will favour them with a clear explication of the doctrine of angels which is contained in the whole scriptures. The angels who kept not their first estate to whom Jude refers, I take it for granted, were the lying spies who gave a false account of the land of Judea; and the angels who are mentioned in the first chapter of the epistle to the Hebrews, to be prophets who went before and predicted the coming and character of Christ. But what I intend at present, is to attempt an explanation of the word angels, which we find in Romans viii. 28. The apostle had declared in the context, that he was so fully satisfied of the truth of the Christian religion, and of all its promises to the righteous, that neither the fear of an immediate death, nor of the most tragical life, nor the malice of principalities or of their delegates, nor any afflictions which they could impose upon him at present or threaten him in future, nor any dangers present or to come, not even the being made a spectacle to the world in lofty situations, nor being drowned through violence in the sea, nor any possible occurrence in this world, hould be able to separate him from he love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. He said also, that Hence, then, we should learn to employ ourselves in such studies as will most effectually terminate in our conviction of the truth of the gospel, and of the blessed hope which it sets before us, if we walk worthy of our heavenly calling. We should therefore search the scriptures with all piety and diligence, and be directed to lay hold upon that unfailing inheritance which will be the portion of all those who love God, and keep his commandments, when this world and all the things of this world shall be no more. We should, therefore, sedulously practise all the duties which are required from us as the disciples of Christ, worshiping God in spirit and in truth, and looking unto him as our only strength and refuge, whilst we do to all our fellow creatures, as we would have them do unto us; and we should particularly cultivate a charitable disposition towards those who most widely differ from us, blessing them Natural Theology. No. XIII. Of the Face, Complexion and Speech. 201 whilst they curse us, and exercising every act of humanity, whilst they do us every injury in their power. We should give no room to the most rigid Athanasians to speak any evil of us. Whilst they judge us and pass the sentence of condemnation upon us, we should pity them and pray for them, and so make our light to shine in all purity, peace and benevolence, that even they may gradually learn truly to glorify our heavenly Father. W.H. SIR, Norwich, 25th March, 1816. Igious truth, to assist in the preser vation of those monuments of human intellect, which inculcate the impor tance of Free Inquiry and defend the Right of private Judgement, when these monuments are wasting under the destroying hand of time. On this subject I quite agree with Dr. Carpenter, that the republication of works of sterling value of this description "may have great efficacy in weakening the influence of religious bigotry;" and perhaps nothing is better suited to this purpose than the works which he mentions in his letter, dated Jan. 8, in the Repository for that month. Wishing therefore to lend my feeble aid in a cause which I deem highly important (particularly at a time when we seem to be relapsing into the bondage of a blind fanaticisin,) I have sent to the press for republication, a Copy of Dr.D.Whitby's Last Thoughts, with his Discourses annexed thereto: to which will be added some Account of the Life and Writings of this learned Divine, the friend of Hoadly. As I hope soon to be enabled to announce its publication, I shall esteem myself greatly favoured by receiving such hints and communications from any of your Correspondents, as may assist me to render both the main work, and the biographical part as complete as I wish them to be. I am, Sir, Natural Theology. No. XIII. Of the Face, Complexion and Speech. TH HE face is particularly used to denominate the visage of an animal, and especially of a man, as being in him the only part of the body that is usually visible. The great variety observable in men's faces, voices and hand-writing, furnishes a capital argument in defence of a Providence. The human face has been denomi nated the image of the soul, as being the seat of the principal organs of sense, and the place where the ideas, mo tions, &c. of the soul are chiefly set to view. Besides the eyes, nose and ears, the other parts of the face pre sent, separately, nothing very particu lar in their structure or uses. The forehead covers the greatest part of the frontal bone of the skull, on the inside of which lies the brain, descending as low as the orbits, and it is ornamented at its lower edge by the eye-brows, which also serve as defences to the eyes, and which are calculated to dis play the passions of pride and disdain. From the forehead the skin is con tinued to form the eyelids, whose uses, together with that of the beauti ful row of hairs which grows from each of their edges have already been de scribed. The cheeks serve as side walls to the cavity of the mouth, and also constitute the principal share of the face: in many persons they are tinged with the bloom of health; and often in the fair sex exhibit a most beautiful and indescribable something denominated modesty. The cheeks are lined on the inside with a membrane full of small glands, for secreting a liquid to moisten the mouth. The lips complete the cavity of the mouth, and form its aperture; these are moved with several small muscles, and are covered at the edges with a fine red border, consisting of villous papilla closely connected together and extremely sensible, being defended only by a very thin membrane. While the chin terminates the inferior bound ary of the face, and completes the number of its divisions. The features of the face viewed col lectively, present a striking and beauti ful characteristic of the superior na ture of man. In the whole creation there is not another object, probably which breathes so many, such various, and such elevated influences as does the human countenance. To this we naturally look in conversation for the full meaning of the words expressed, and by it we are enabled to anticipate the emotions and feelings of others, before they reach the tongue. "It speaks," says a good writer, "a language peculiar to itself, anticipating and outstripping all others in rapidity : which is general to all nations, and intelligible to every individualof the whole human race by this language have our circum-navigators been able to hold converse with, and interchange civilities between themselves and the untutored inhabitants of remote regions. Even the brute animals, whom man has domesticated and made his occasional companions, are not ignorant of this kind of expression; when the dog wants to know the commands of his master, unable to understand them in the complicated sounds of his speech, he looks intently upon his face, and endeavours to collect from it his wishes, and the disposition with which he regards him. All the affections and passions of the mind are more or less pourtrayed in turn in this very limited but expressive field; love, pity, courage, fear, calmness, anger, and every other marked condition of the mind gives a peculiar disposition to either the whole or some features of the face; and when they are impressed by characters expressive of virtue and wretchedness, of injury and innocence, our feelings are awakened, and the noblest sympathies of our nature are called forth in favour of the sufferers." It may be observed, that to the size and proportion of the bones underneath, and which constitute the basis of the face, the difference of features is to be principally attributed; youth, age, sickness, health, and even the stronger affections of the mind, no doubt have an effect in changing the countenance; but that diversity of feature consisting of the difference of Jength, breadth, or projection, depends chiefly upon the bony frame that lies below it. Hence arise the Aquiline, the Grecian and the African nose, &c. the high cheeks of the Tartars, and the more regular ones of the people inhabiting the West of Europe: the same may be said of the other features, and from this difference in them is that great diversity produced, which gives variety to the countenance, not only of nations but also of individuals; so that no two of the whole family of mankind could be found exactly alike. But notwithstanding this wonderful diversity, we are not to suppose that the individual features composing each face are different from those of all other faces; the features may be confined and limited to a certain number of kinds; but each is, probably, capable of an indefinite number of combinations with other features; and, that as from twenty-four letters all the words composing a language are constituted, so are produced, from, perhaps, a very few kinds of features, by transposition and various composition, the astonishing and beautiful variety of faces we see around us. We may observe here, that there are three things in connection with this subject which manifest the wisdom of the Creator; these are the great variety of men's faces, voices and hand-writing. Had not the human countenance been the result of Divine wisdom, the wise variety, of which we have been speaking, would never have existed, but all faces would have been cast in the same, or at least not in a very different, mould : the organs of speech would have sounded the same, or nearly so, and the same structure of muscles and nerves would have given the hand the same direction in writing, In this case, what confusion, what disturbance, to what mischiefs would the world have been subject? No security could have been given to our persons; no certainty, no quiet enjoyment of our possessions. Our courts of justice can and do abundantly testify frequently the dreadful consequences of mistaking men's faces and of counterfeiting their hand-writing. But as the Creator has ordered. the matter, every inan's face has some character to mark it from others in the light, and his voice in the dark, and his handwriting can speak for him though absent, and be his witness, and secure his contracts to future generations. A manifest as well as admirable indication of the Divine superintendance and management ! Of the complexion. The colour of the skin has engaged the attention of naturalists, and it has sometimes given rise to opinions that were extremely injurious to the happiness of mankind; as directly asserting, that, in violation of the eternal principles of justice and the sacred rights of humanity, the people of one colour had a right to seize and enslave those of another. But now the seat of colour being discovered, and some of the circumstances which influence its changes being know Natural Theology. No. XIII-Of the Face, Complexion and Speech. 203 these erroneous opinions are exploded, and instead of seeing ground for the slavery and ill-treatment of our fellowcreatures, in the difference of their complexion from our own, the philo. sopher and the Christian contemplate the shades of the human countenance, as he does the variety of its features, and beholds alike in both the provident design and work of the Supreme Architect. Dr. Hunter, who considered this subject more accurately than has commonly been done, determines absolutely against any specific difference among mankind. He introduces his subject by observing, that on the question whether all the human race constituted one or more species, much confusion has arisen from the sense in which the term species has been adopted. He accordingly defines the term, and includes under it all those animals which produce issue capable of propagating others resembling the original stock from whence they sprung, and in this sense of the term he concludes, that all of them are to be considered as belonging to the same species. And as in plants one species comprehends several varieties depending on climate, soil, culture, &c. so he considers the diversities of the human race to be merely varieties of the same species, produced by natural causes. Upon the whole, colour and figure may be styled habits of body. Like other habits they are created not by great and sudden impressions, but by continual and almost imperceptible touches. Of habits, both of mind and body, nations are susceptible as well as individuals. They are transmitted to their offspring and augmented by inheritance. Long in growing to maturity, national features, like national manners, become fixed only after a succession of ages, They become, however, fixed at last; and if we can ascertain any effect produced by a given state of climate, or other circumstances, it requires only a repetition during a sufficient length of time to augment and impress it with a permanent character. It is ascertained that what we denominate the skin of the human body consists of three parts, separable from one another: viz. the scarf skin, which is external, the thicker or true skin beneath it, and a coagulated substance which lies between both. This co agulated substance is the seat of colour in the skin, and that which causes the various shades of complexion in the different inhabitants of the globe, from the equator to the poles; being, in the highest latitudes of the temperate zone, generally fair, but becoming swarthy, olive, tawny and black, as we descend towards the south. These different colours are without doubt best adapted to their respective zones, although we are ignorant how they act in fitting us for situations, that are so different; and the capability of the human countenance to accommodate itself to every climate, by contracting after a due time the shade proper to it, affords a fine illustration of the benevolence of the Almighty. This pliancy of nature is favourable to the increase and extension of mankind and to the cultivation and settlement of the earth: it tends to unite the most distant nations-to facilitate the acquisition and improvement of science, which would otherwise be confined to a few objects and to a very limited range, and likewise by opening the way to an universal intercourse of men and things, to elevate the various nations of the earth to the feelings of a common nature and a common interest. Of Speech. In addition to what has already been said on the human voice, we may observe, that the organs for effecting speech are the mouth, the windpipe and the lungs. The mouth needs no description. The windpipe is a passage commencing at the back part of the mouth, and thence descending along the neck, it opens into the lungs; at the upper part it is constructed of five thin cartilages, connected by ligaments and put into motion by small muscles. These cartilages form a kind of chamber at the head of the tube, which is situated at the root of the tongue. The opening of this chamber into the throat is a very narrow chink, which is dilated and contracted to produce every change in the modulation of the voice, by the muscles attached to the cartilages. To defend this opening there is a beautiful contrivance of au elastic valve which falls flat upon it whenever we swallow, like the key of a wind instrument, and which at other times rises up and leaves the aperture uncovered for the uninterrupted ingress and egress of the air into the lungs. The windpipe, or tube, leading to the lungs is so formed as to be always open, and to resist compression; at the same time it is quite flexible, and gives way to all the bendings of the neck; had it not been so we should have been in perpetual hazard of strangulation. The passage to the stomach, on the contrary, being intended only for occasional use, has its sides always collapsed, unless when distended by the passing of food. The Jungs are two cellular bags for containing air; they are situated in the chest, and both open into the bottom of the windpipe. In the act of inspiration the air di lates the lungs, these, like bellows, force it back in expiration into the windpipe: here the air is straitened in its passage, and made to rush with force along the tube towards its upper end, where it is variously modulated, and the sound of the voice is produced. In articulation the voice is required to pass through the mouth, where it is differently modified by the action of the tongue, which is either pushed against the teeth or upward against the palate, detaining it in its passage or permitting it to flow freely by cons tracting or dilating the mouth. It has been remarked of the tongue, that it is the only muscle of the body under the controul of the will, which is not wearied by incessant use. Speech is a high and distinguishing prerogative of man. By this noble faculty we are enabled to express all our feelings and inclinations; to communicate our thoughts, and blend our energies, our knowledge and discoveries, with those of others. In written language, form and permanence are given to evanescent sounds: the ideas and the improvements of one age are transmitted to a succeeding one: the superior acquirements of one country are scattered over distant regions, and knowledge, civilization and happiness diffused far and wide. change of subject, or an opposition to what went before." He, however, modestly suspects he may be mistaken, and asks for information. On reference to the " Diversions of Purley," Vol. i. p. 190, &c., I. W. and such other of your readers as are fond of language, may find a clear and copious exposition of the word but. Lest, however, I. W. should not have that inestimable work at hand, which it is evident he has never read, I will endeavour to give him in a few words a sketch of the learned author's luminous view of the subject. He says, "it was the corrupt use of this one word (but) in modern English, for two words (bot and but), originally (in the Anglo-Saxon) very different in signification, which misled John Locke, and which puzzled Johnson in his Dictionary, where he has numbered up eighteen different significations of the word." The first mentioned but or bot is the imperative of botan, and answers to sed in Latin and mais in French, and this appears to be the lat to which I. W. has confined his definition or description-the other but is derived from bute, or hutan, or be-utan, aud answers to nisi in Latin-" this last but (as distinguished from bot) and without have both exactly the same meaning; that is, in modern English, neither more nor le.s than be-out.” It is this last but, the want of the knowledge of which has occasioned all the perplexity both in the mind of your correspondent and also of many of his more learned predecessors, and which knowledge was never clearly developed but by that man whose phí lological labours are an honour to his memory, and whose valuable papers, having been committed to the flames by himself in a fit of spleen, are an irréparable loss to the republic of letters, and operate as a serious visitation of the injuries he suffered, on generations yet unborn-a retaliation of injustice, not on those who committed it, but on innocent and unconscious inquirers. The omission of negation before but is one of the most blameable and corrupt abbreviations of construction in our language. In the example, my intent is but to play, was formerly written, my intent is not but to play. Most of the instances which I. W. has given of the improper use of the word but exhibit a perfect redundancy |