of employments—in Columbia College, New York. He belonged to the
Episcopal Church, and was inclined to be High, as we gather from one or two indications in his memoir. Amongst the numerous subjects which he "professed," political economy seems to have been his favourite. As to what were his philosophical tenets, what his attain- ments as a scholar, the memoir gives us but scanty information. In fact, apart from the few notices of Dr. MoVickar's views about political economy, the only interesting part of the volume is the diary of a visit which he paid to Europe in 1830. Some of his Views about the great men of those days are curious. Irving did not please him. "I felt on quitting
his chapel that I required a histration to purify and cleanse one from such folly and insanity." But being brought into immediate contact with him he found "more simplicity and 'better sense" than he expected. He visited Coleridge, whom he represents as believing in the gift of tongues regarding it "as a foretaste of that spiritual power which is to be poured forth on the reviving Church of Scotland." His American visitor insisted on the difference between the modern phenomena and those recorded in Acts ii., but Coleridge escaped by denying the genuineness of the chapter. Ho heard Robert Hall preach, and preferred him to Chalmers. "There is less of splendour, but more repose of manner, like a conscious- ness of power, and, I think, a more logical mind." He saw Wordsworth, and found his conversation "marked by peculiar simplicity and modesty." It was modesty that co-existed with a very remarkable development of egotism. Southey he found despairing of his country, and anticipating the overthrow of the Church and the transferring of "another colony," not a Puritan one, to the shores of America. Jeffery delighted him, and so, in the highest degree, did Sir Walter Scott. The tour was extended to the Continent, and the record preserved is certainly entertaining, if it is nothing more. At Paris he met Mr. Silk Buckingham, planning—it was just after the "Three Days of July "—to strengthen French influence in India, "and to give a blow to the East India Company "; he played chess with Professor Bencone, one of the souls of the "Automaton Chess- 'player "; dined with M. Julien, private secretary to Robespierre, and "instigator of more than half his proscriptions ;" had interviews with General Lafayette, &c. But these chapters barely float the book.
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