The National Register. — London, England, 1811-12-15 00:00:00

THE NATIONAL REGISTER. CHRISTMAS DAY. TO THE EDITOR OF THE NATIONAL REGISTER. SlR—Circumstances of Business, &c. prevented my con tinuing the series of Essays I began; but I may hereafter resume them, and as ClAristmas Day is approaching, allow me to make a few observations upon it. The present is an age of so much fanaticism and libertinism, that every act which has for its ob. ject reformation of manners, and inculcating the Christian doc trine, is too generally imputed to gloomy and fastidious motives. Such motives, however, do not actuate me, but merely a wish of opposing the two extremes of temper which govern the times, and pointing out the medium for the observation of those who have little time or little inclination to read large treatises on the subject. As Christmas Day is approaching, would it not be proper to consider these things ? Ist, What that day is ? 2dly, How it is generally spent? and idly, How it should be spent ? First, Christ mas Day is a commemoration of the Birth of our Saviour ; and whatever sectaries (such as the Quakers) say, it is certainly to the advantage of religion, that such epochs should be held sacred and distinguished from other dap, by particular acts of devotion: the better to remind us of the importance of our religion, and to raise in our minds a proper sense of our infirmities, an anxiety to embrace those means graciously offered to us for their remo val, and a proper spirit of humility for the one, and gratitude for the other. Secondly, How is Christmas Day generally kept ? Not as a festival of faith, but as a mere convivial meeting; a clay of excess and revelry; as if it was a day sacred to Bacchus, and other intemperate Pagan Deities. As God himself has not commanded us to keep Christmas Day, as he did the Sabbath, it may he replied, we are not bound to keep it as sacred : but in answer, I would observe, as the Church has thought it proper such a day should be kept, we ought surely so to keep it as not to counteract the very intent of keeping it. Dancing, singing convivial songs, cards, and such like diversions, are innocent in themselves, at proper seasons, and conducted with temperance, (whatever superstitious people may assert to the contrary) but then they are not proper adjuncts to a Christian festival; because on such a day we should only employ ourselves in such pursuits as will remind us of the nature of our religion, and impress the importance of it upon our minds most forcibly; and certainly, neither, " sing old rose and burn the bellows," " right and left and back again," nor " two by honours and three by cards," have - much reference to our religious rites, or are likely to im prove us iri the necessary act of Christian contemplation. Glut tony and drunkenness are certainly out of the question, as, al though there are many advocates for the other pursuits, there are few, if any, for these. Our legislature, with pious decency, prohibited the opening of our theatres on such a day, which of course marks its meaning as to the other modes of passing it to which I have objected : for, certainly, to witness a sound mo ral pla?, that teaches some lesson consonant with the commands of our religion—l say mead, because the morality of our reli gion is too little taught by those who profess to observe its doctrines more strictly and in more purity than others, and by this mode, they will eventually fritter away the very effect of religion I much fear—to witness a good moral play, I say, would be an indubitably more efficacious mode of seconding our religion, than by keeping the day in revelry and frivolity—for what have Questions and commands, Blind man's buff, &c. (the most innocent of the amusements practised on that day) to do with seriousness or sanctity ?—ln the last place then, how should it he kept ? By attending Church : temperately enjoying a meal that proves the day a festival, not a fast ; by hospitality, not li centiousness ; enabling the poor to enjoy the day as well as our selves ; by uniting the practices of charity with those of piety ; and by taking all those means that will impress upon our minds the Caeniilli nature of the day; not the mere nominal designs_ of 78> To assemble our friends is wise, it should n,:t be a day of severe constraint and xclusion, because social virtue, is the grand opposite to solitary vice—the °nets as much more efficacious to the furtherance of the general and established cause o'ireligion, than the mere exercise of private virtue, as the other is positively more baneful and deleterious than social vice. But let us as semble our friends for the purpose of temper ate enjoyment, to unite in improving each other by a joint attendance in the God whose Birth we celebrate; and by rational ai.d chearful inter course of refined, moral, and pious conversation, so will our ha bits of friendship be strengtie.ned, our inlividual manners im proved, and our piety be formed on a firm. and lasting basis. Above all, let our hospitality be extended to the poor ; for he, to whose honour we devote the (ley, was the unalterebu• friend of the poor, and the incessant advocate fur the needy. To make our celebration of his Birth therefore acceptable to hmi, we should particularly on that day exercise ourselveS in those acts which are most agreeable to his nature. lam rot for cb priving Christians of what I May term secular days at Christm...s, 1 am only strenuous in particular for this one day, there are days enough in the week after for the temperate enjoyment of tem poral pleasures; and the habit of giving the. labouring part of mankind holidays in that wtek, was originally established to give that class an opportunity, after celebrating the Christmas Day agreeably. to the Canon, to relax their minds from the severity of labour, and so prepare them with spore chearfulness to renew that labour, by a rational participation of the innocent joys and amusements of life. Thete are many more arguments which may be used, and will readily suggest them,elves to th. se who think at all ; those who do not think, I am afraid will throw these aside with indifference. Dec. 8, 1811. A LAYMAN. FOREIGN INIELLIGENC.E. GIBRALTAR PAPERS. GIBRALTAR, Nov. 23.—Lord W. Bentinck came in on the ISth inst. in the Menelaus, and on the 20.11 again sailed for Sicily. The campaign in this Fait of Andalusia appears to be at an end. General Ballasteros is come to Los Barrios, where he has established his head-quarters, and has canloncd his troops in the neighbouring towns and villages, for the twofold purposes of allowing them rest, and organizing his new levies, which amount t o u p wards - of 4000 men. VALENCIA, Nov .I.—After yesterd.q's report, the fire of our batteries redoubled on the side of the river. In the environs of El U. an is oc cupied by the enemy), it Was still bric,l:?r, aad the light parties of peasantry behaved with great gal lantry, and even crossed the river in pursuit of those who :=ttacked the line on the side of Monte Olivete. While this was passing, aLd the staff of the French army was reconnoiti ing, horn the tower of St. Miguel de los Reyes, all this reighbourhood, Generals Villacampo's, acid Obispo's divi sions were attacked at Manisco, but they i.,lc.riously repulsed General Harispe, who conducted the at tack, with 6,000 of his best_ troops, killW arid wounded many of them, toA a few prisoners, and captured a number of knapsacks, muslo2ts, &c. At sun-set, our people set fire to several buildiiTs on the left bank of the river, and also to Murviedro street—they are yet burning.—When the moon rose the firing recommenced, and it luted until ten in the morning. To this riormnt. they 1:a• e erected no work ; but it is rsitive they have brought a quantity of bakeis fc.r making parayets.