Star.
London, England, 1817-05-15 00:00:00

GENERAL MISSION Mr SOCILTr..

yeoer.lay the': wentieth Anniversary of this trely
valuable Society was held, Wad the firit Meeting, ac=
cording to annual custom, took place in Surrey
Chard ..:111e,Chtfech prayers were tea.' by e Rev.
ktiver.aaso .11m., after which, *the Rev. TH'neas
Cum.:.:*tts.,D.D. one of the Ministers of Glasgow,
preached a hunt eloquent, interesting, and impres-
sive Sermon in behalf of the Society, from Ist Corin.
thian's; 14411,thapter, fr .m the 2lst in the rth verse
inclusive. _Ol this j,:stly celebrated preacher it is
-imposible, in fact, for us to speak too hig!tly.—
He, iu the course of his Sormon, entered into a
concise but luminous review of the evidence which
pfoved the atithenticity of Christianity, and con.
eluded .by advancing the. most enlightened. libor
nil, and admirable tlefmce of Missionary Societies,
ever, perhaps, :delivered from the
.pulpit. Dis-
t;nguishrcVaii..this must valuable. Clergyman is by
the most profound ;dents, it gave us intinite pleasure
to witnckt the liberAlity of his seatirstcots, and the un-
biassed attachment he obViotisly'slse,ed 16 every de-
b onnsinitinn gfferninrchtistiiins. Of picias and
condjKll as .j[ prgyman, it is imp: ssible for us. to
svat.wq,muolimissie-wc4almot help congratulating the
.otier,of GLaskoiehtlayst this most admirable. and as
fastenrivalled prnaelser.waU elected one of the Minis.
ter: of that city. At seven in the moraing the Cha-
pel was ceowded.taescess, and we believe many thou-
sands, attracted by this truly admirable preacher,
went off fur want of room. Dr. Nichol., of the Scots
Church, Swallow.street; Dr. WAUGH, of Wells street;
Mr. GREIG• of Crown.court, Covent Garden • and A
vast number of other Clergymen. were present. A
very liberal-collection was afterwards made.

• -• • ---
Our Readers will, perhaps, be surprised to learn
that the, greater part of the grand musical par.ies
which are now going on at the West.endof the town,
and making a-daily display in the c..lumns of not
News-papers, are neither more nor less than the Bp.
nest:Concerts of professional
.mus:cians, for
.whiall
tickets are issued at One Guin,'a each.
. . In the.eourse of the last tlsrecweek., no less than
,eighteenchildren, jaosylated fur the satallitex, .died in
ttin. e small r j in the Isle of Alan.—llesirotts of
extirpating that loathsome disease from the Island.
*sii, resident Medal Practitioners have publicly an.
flounced their intention of inseuiatiorz (gratititonaly)
for the gewpci. •
• There were vaccinated during 1815. in the depart-
ment of the mouths oi the Rhone, 5841 individuals.
It is calculated, that during twelve years the nambee
41 persons who have. undergone the salutary oPerst-
lion in jraoce amounni, to three millions. •
Some daysago, while. the gardeners were at .tvenk
near the wall of the Abbey Orchard, in Aberdeesk-
shire, belonging to 'AXIS Fartuusott, Esq. of P.ithmr,
M.P..theY were.surpeiged by hearing a strange poise
.j %sbe AO, l'Lknjinsti.sriting ur howling of some wad
tlttt ; at4,bar the al ireful and repeated harkikga,
curiosity in4cesligtems• to break open. pans: Of • that
,!tall,,,,ythere.,44roisitst proceeded front. t and to.tbeie
iti.SAt I'o4 trthey found no less .than ,seven
yoting faxes snugly situated near the top ot• it, up-
wards of twelve feet from the gronneti.but thy Old
one had escaped, or had not been with Allem at-the
time. T.fie..whole •Seven young.ones are still of fifes
and doingwell. . •
The follmiting interesting Beene occurred recently:ok
Peinford Church, affording an admirableerample.of
what, with proper car; may be effected on the minds
of thesogioturrned, and another proof of the &dean.
tags to. be derived front education. An African,
called Ilmitaseta, born stimehundred miles above this
termination of the river Congo with.the sea, and who
; -
proceeded with the late Capt., Tucaer. to explore that
River, Was publicly baptized, and received into the
Lr9testaat Fasitri, by the name of 11,ENJ %MIN PSTIniSa
is 24 years of age, and is, perhaps, the
only naive of 'that unexplored region now
,in ,thie
cbuntry. OfCaptain tCCICEIf.he speiks in the incase
affectionate end grateful terms, and declares, that tO
his instruction alone, daring the Voyage out,' lie has
been enabled to tend, and can %jiltease go tbrotigts
the Testament. The indefatigable exertions of that
laMented 'Officer have not been unavailing, and a
foundation for knowledgi in the mind. ot . Pxtiu
sterns so firmly rooted, as to give fair. prospeCts for
realizing the expectations that tnusthave been toinid
by Capt. TVCICIT. "Prrtas is anxious to return to his
native place, but onfortunandy no means offer for that
purpose at present, where ha doubts not he should
soon become of consequence from the advantages i;f
reading and writing, which, he sayi, are outflows&
inviting his eountrtmei.n. Within these few days he
bar etigsgedliWieff tis servant to a Gentleman in
the --rionity a Tttrter.'4illl, and intends strictly to pit.-
sae fiis learniti/. ititrftiCh he is greatly attached, at
itteit Opportinitly.t 'the motives of Captain Ttester
hs endeavouring. ilS'iesette frosts ignorance and bum
Wenn this ppur African are such as muststiike tot-
cibly all virtuous minds. and redound credit on the
mepory of that enterprixing Officer.
Yeiterday morning as a waterman was rowing
across the river Thames, not far from London-bi idpe,
he found the body of a man habited as a sailor ; he
conveyed ;t to Wapping Chut:h.

...11

A FRAGMENT,

FOUND IN A CASK CONTAINING A HUMAN SKELETON.

Behold this roln! 'Tens a skull
• ,Once of-ethertal spirit full!
• This narrow cell wu Life's retreat;
'I his space was Thouebt's mysterious scat
• 'What beauteous pis tires filrdtbis spot,
What decants of plean.re, long forgot ?
kler Love, nor Joy, tow Hope, mar Fear,
Has lett one trace or record here ! •
Beneath this mon:4'ring cinopyt..
'• - • Once shone the Wright andlitssy eye--;
' • But start nut at the cli,mal.voittl ,
' 'lt social Love that eye entkloy'a ;
If with no lawless fire it gLiint'ds4
But through the exit of kindness beamed ;
That eye shall be t.er ever bright,
-Whets stars and suns LaYS: lost their light !
Here, in this silent cavern, Wing .
The ready, swift, and tuneful tongue t
• If Falsehood's 'honey it disdain d,
Ain! Where It coal not praise was chain 'd ;
If hold In Virtue's cause It spoke,
Yet gentle Concord never %stoke;
That tuneful tongue shall plead for thee
When death unveils eternity !
Say, did these fingeri delve the mine,
•
Or with its envied rubies thine ?
'lb hew the rock or wear the gem,
Can nothing now avail to them t
But if the page of Truth they sought,
• Or comfort to the mourner brought,
These hands a richer meed shall claim
Than all that waits on Wealth or kame!
• As ails it whether hare or shod
These feet the path of duty trod ?
If from the bow'rs of Joy obey fled
'' lit 'tooth Affliction's bumble bed:
Grandeur's guilty btihe they spurn',
And home to Virtue's lap return'd ;
'Chen feet with aagei' wings shall vie,
And tread the palace of the sky !
•••• • • • •

DRURY-LA NE TIZE.ITRE.

.. Mr. Coratmes historic PlooYOl,,,The Surrepder of
•Calaie was last night performed. Thit serious parts
. et this drama, real and fictitious, zse full of iritcrest—
. and Mr. KEAN appeared, for she first,ti'me, as Eue-,
lathe de St. Pierre. This chanscor aloes not fill so
-large a space in the dramatic eanvau as we .:onceiee
•it ought to do. . This heroic citizen appears but eel,
before tt:e audiente—;but, when he does appear,'
he utters sentiments worthy of the occasion. which'
prompts them. Mr. KICAN has, by the. excellenec
• . with which lie supported this character, added it it
...were .possible, to his reputation. His,performance
was ciowned by the must rapturous applause. Mr.!
WALLAC:C played the part of Goya Rib omont in a
very pleasing manner._ Jonzsrozs's ("Cerro/ was in
his.best and,richest vein of native feeling and natural
delinea,tiora :.Mr. HARLEY, as La Glair', was merry
road lively .in .the first part of the character—and, for
• • the soul of him, he could not be other o•ise. in the last.
klicaueMpts to look or.aet the melancholy man, are
!, 'abut:Lin vain." Mrs. Bawrser recited the part
of- Jobe very meritoriously—and Mrs. BLAND, the'
Migingl Maddox, still warbled her simple airs en.
chantingly, .T*Piay was announced by Mr. Kara
;for Saturday Reit• amidst thundering applause.

. .
... .
...A Gentleman sent, a few days since, a.seel to a
. • Lady, the initialietsers.of whole name are M. A. 1.);
and over the letters hI.A.D. was eograved7—
, In madness pleaUsre's said to lie—
•" . . ' Read thh, vault find Ili higs,D.4 •
: 'The foundation of a new church, called St. John's.
• Via been laid in • Glasgow. It is to contain 1680
' Awls. The ezterior is to be of a chaste Gothic, with
ii'magnifictnt tower 136 feet .high, so Spacious as to
' .• receive a cainplete ring of bells..
'. ''' • It'ls*Wknown, that hitherto very 6,101 progress
' %al Iseentiade inlinroning the Herculaneum mann.:
'Scripts'. 'A Letter prospect,hoiterrerg begins to open.
•• A foreign scholar, Dr. Sicitt,en. has undertaken to
• 'thrall she most 'difficult dpeCtimens by anew method,
rdr the success of uhich ite pledges himself, and for
• '-iiiiieli be asks but a trifling compeniation, and that
Only:payable in the event of atccess. His plan has
' been submitted to the. Risyal Society, who approve of
" ft •; and Sr; TIIUS.TYR*HITT has written to encourage
• him OS piticeed: 'Perhaps MII(ANDiIt, and the lost
- boots of LIVY,- may yet come forth to delight and
instruct mankind.
• riiday genilight, an alarming fire was discovered
• ' in the tiiiellinelouse of •James Withers, chits:int
. . swetper,lnPtik•street, Birmingham. The sooty tribe
• had been celebrating' their usual Carnival of the lit
,
i
l, lad 24 of Mayo and • hiving Sacrificed too freely et
• the 'shrine of. Bacchusehad not taken proper meals-
.
• . tionefof titinguishing fires and candles. Their bed-
- ding; ice. Wis• burnt, and-some of the little 'urchins
'''.lsto had retired to rest under the potent infittence of
i 4 Stir An •Biir.iscorri, were with difficulty sated froin
.the lanies.
: • • ' About libelee o'clock, on the night of Tuesday
• ' 1 si'huight, i'irre bibti out ih one oftlm out buildings
• 'Of Me.' Sitrinel iVreford.,tanrrer, of Colleen°, near.
, . Bow, and in 'half an hunt' the bark houses; lofts, ftc.
.„
'.; *ere Atitely.eortsimed. The :loss has been estimated
• ,at anirinfls Of 1e50617% • ' ' ..
• i On the 7th inst. a' fire brokeont'ih a thatched cot-
. . tAge,. •at the hick 'of the 13•11•Ino, Blielpdft,. which.
• raged'etith• great foil; and ctimtnumtated Sikh the
extensive stable's, .viarAtillsesiandgranance6flVlessts.
Thtimas ititsseirand*CS. which ' were destroyed, with
thefitani,?ati;haY',4nd-ifra*.therein. By the prompt
... eititii,of the'book-keeper artd'porers, a rely large
• tiue tiff of bagglige;•Ennteri and other goods, age'.
iF tht titeltonse'.. eqd saved. ' •
• : fp.''stved flop.
basiltettnictive fire 14ppinid at Aldbourne,
' • W 'LltiliMotitlay, which deproyed 15 cottages; three.
p),........). .., F,..46:s„,,,:ntitoditeisn(iciEnte
Ituti,ltt, aotru :i s expense
aiar
goef
.;
4.t.'15. 0-140'titifof
shitley, thrashed and. onthrasired, a rick
, .81 stiti, yid kdod waggons. a good cart, a large',
LI ~sitiaßtiiy .Of itilt anih barley in the inalt.hoirse,.a
ansitfi'silhoPZlPprefeliter'r shop, and'a'weaving shop.'
about 12 o'clock at
it began nceelditifitith's shop.
...; ilium, and cadled dreadful'. Slain and df.tress to the.
',s• ipliettitiio itleige; and the. unfortunate persons
' • whose honied were destroyed list almost 'their a 11.4
the damage is esirstated'at. from 3 to £4OOO.