..Wechne, the place where all the males of the royal · family of Abyssinia are confined, is about 34 or 35 miles from Embras.

• There is paid to maintain the royal family on the mountain, - 250 ounces of gold, and 730 cloths (webs of cotton cloths) This

is an old establishment. None are permitted to go up but the wo)meli carrying water. There was formerly a cistern), but it is now in ruins and useless. There are near 300 persons there, and all the exiles are allowed to marry.'

Our next extract from this varied and amusing volume will be an account of the puptial ceremonial which is reputed legitimate in Abyssinia.

“Marriage is not considered in Abyssinia as a sacrament, yet the church ordains some rules to be observed, in order that the man and the woman may be faithful towarcis one another. The ordinary method of marriage among people of condition, and among those who most fear God, is the following. The man, when he resolves to marry a girl, sends some person to her father 10 ask his daughter in marriage. “It seldom happens that she is refused ; and when she is granted, the future husband is called into the girl's house, and an oath is taken reciprocally by the parties, that they will maintain due fidelity to one another. Then the father of the bride presents the bridegroom the fortune that he will give; it consists of a particular sum of gold, some oxel, sheep, or horses, &c. according to the circumstances of the people. Then the bridegroom is obliged to find surety for the said goods; which is some one of his friends that presents himself, and becomes answerable for him in case ho should wish to dismiss his wife, and be not able, through dissipation or otherwise, to restore all that be has gotten. Further at the, time when they display the fortune of the bride, the husband is obliged to promise a certain sun of money, or an equivalent in ef. fects, to his wife, in case he should chuse to abandon her, or separate himself from her. This must also be confirmed by an oath of the future husband, and his surety. A certain time, of twenty or thirty days, is determined also by a reciprocal oath, that on the last of these ihey will go together to church), and receive the sacrament. When all these matters are concluded, the future spouse appoints the marriage-day, and then returns home. When that day arrives, the intended husband goes again to his bride's house, where she appears, and shews her movables (mobiglia), or clothes, and he must promise and stear a-new the fore-mentioned articles; and that he will use his wife well ; never leave her without meat or clothing; keep her in a good house, &c. all which his surety must confirm. When this is over, the bridegroom takes his lady on his shouliers, and carries her off to his house. If it be at a distance, he does the same thing, but only goes' entirely round about the bride's house ; thou sets her down and returns her into it.

this ceremony, a solemn banquet takes place, consisting of raw beef
and bread, and honey wine, or hydromel, or another beverage from
grain called bouza, a sort of beer very sour and disgusting. The
feast being ended, the parties mount each à mule, and ride to the
bridegroom's house, where is concluded all the ceremony necessary
to marriage before they live together. When they have lived to-
gether during the appointed term of twenty, or thirty days, they
must both appear at church and declare before the priest that they
are husband and wife, and that they are come to receive the sacra-
ment. The priest, without more ado, celebrates mass; they com-
municate and return home. After some time, although both have
sworn to live all their life faithful to one anotlier, they take the li-
berty to separate ; if it is the husband who wishes to get off, he, or
his surety, must pay the wife that which she brought, and likewise
the sum stipulated in case of separation. If they have had children,
the boys always go with the mother, even if there were but an only
child, if there be no boys, she takes none of the girls. When the
separation comes from the lady, the husband is liable to no resti-
tution, provided he has been always faithful to the married state,
as promised; but if it is on account of his bad conduct, or irre-
gular life that she forms this resolution, he is always subject 10 :
his promise and the above-mentioned articles.

It sometimes happens that the busband and wife, mutually, with-
out any cause of ill-will agree to part; in this case, the effects
brought by the wife are united with the sum stipulated by the huse ,
band ; then divided into equal sbares, of which the parties take;
each one, and return to their former places of abode. This is the
established form of those marriages which are said to be celebrated
justly, and according to the church. Mr. Bruce describes four
plants which were pointed out to him at Sennaar, July 25, 1772, by
a Nabian, which are said to be employed as a preventive of and an
antidote to the bite of the scorpion and the viper. There is great
plenty (of these plants) at Sennaar; though it is in their own couna"
iry these slaves, the Galla,) learn the virtueof these plants and roots,
to which the Arabs and people of Sennaar are strangers. When my
person is newly bit, they chew a piece and apply it to the place,
and he is immediately cured. If a person chew this root often in
a morning the serpent or scorpion will not bite him. They dry all
these roots and then pound them to powder, and mix them well to-
gether, and put them in a leathern purse ready for use; and when
they are to handle a scorpion or viper, they take a few grains of
this powder, and moisten it with water or spitile, and rub it in their
hands and then lay hold of either wiikout fear. Providence bas pla.
ced this remedy in abundance where there is much need of it. The
bark and holes of all the trees in this country are full of scorpions
in thousunds, and the plains full of very poisonous vipers especially in. .

harvest. These come out of their holes in the time of the rains, and .. • lie in heaps wherever they find straw, dry herbage, or old houses.'' : Cert. Rev. Vol. 16. January, 1809. G

Much has been said by different writers about charms and specifics against the poison of the viper: though we know that such accounts are not very generally credited; but the fact itself, that there are in the vegetable world some plants which are endued with a specific power over lhe bite of the most noxious reptiles seems to be supported by testimony, to which the assent of a reasonable mind can hardly be denied. We are always happy when we find the number of such specifics enlarged by new dis. coveries, for they furnish very cogent and very agreeable proofs of the benevolence of the Deity.

The various documents which are either inserted, quoted, or referred to in the travels of Mr. Bruce afford incontrovertible refutation, if any were wanting, of the calumnious aspersions which have been cast on his veracity. Some have even doubted whether Mr. Bruce were ever in Abyssinia, but those who, will peruse the pre. sent work of Mr. Murray, will no longer find it possible to entertain any doubts on that subject, and of course as it is the veracity of a traveller which constitutes his principal excellence, we have no doubt that time will continually add to the well-merited fame of Mr. Bruce, and that he will be found to have been as scrupulous in his adherence to truth as he was hardy in enterprize, pa. tient of fatigue, and persevering in the endeavour to accomplish an object of the most laudable curiosity, in the midst of the most discouraging circumstances, and most terrifying obstacles. We cannot take our leave of Mr. : A. Murray, the learned author of this performance, without heartily wishing him success in that elaborate treatise which he is about to publish"

On the origin and affinity of the Greek and Teutonic languages, in which the history of the former, preceding the age of Homer, is traced and ascertained, the sources of classical philology explored, and several interesting facts established respecting the first population of the west.' .

If Mr. Murray be successful in filling up the outline which he has traced of this interesting work, it is likely to constitute one of the most important philological public cations that have ever appeared in this. or any otber country,

prored,

ART. VII.-A Statement of Facts relative to the Conduct :

of the Reverend John Clayton, Senior, the Reverend John Clayton, Junior, and the Reverend William Clayton: the Proceedings on the Trial of an Action brought by Benjamin Flower against the Reverend John Claytoil, Jun. for Defamation, with Remarks, published by the Plaintiff. price 4s. 6d. Bumford, Newgate street, 1808.

We cannot help regretting very deeply that so much pride and rancour should exist in any one who sets himself apart to be a preacher of the Gospel, as the present Statement of Facts exhibits; but since tbey do exist we are not sorry that they are thus publicly exposed, since to detect hypocrisy is to display its deformity; and no mode is more effectual than this to prevent mankind from becoming the dupes of it.

The opprobrious charges which were circulated against Mr. Flower, by his relative, the Reverend Mr. Clayton, seem to have been contrived in the most malicious and bitter spirit of enmity ; a spirit most unworthy of him as a man, and most disgraceful to him as a minister. The cause of religion is greatly injured, when ils public teach. ers manifest how little they cherish its spirit, and how ea- '; sily they can disregard its dictates, by giving the fullest scope to the most envenomed malevolence, and the most unnatural animosity.,

There seems to be nothing either in the birth, the parentage, or the education of Mr. Clayton which can at all justify that haughty and dictatorial tone which he appears to have assumed throughout the whole of his deportment to Mr. Flower. The origin of their connection, and the circumstances which attended it, are thus related:

. Mr. Clayton, previously to his arrival in London, had been recommended to me by some respectable persons, and among others by my cousin, the late Rev. T. Reader of Taunton, as a young man, liitle known in thë religious world, but not undeserving my acquaintance. He possessed popular talents, and his sermons at setting uut in life, were, as indeed has been recently remarked to me by others, far superior to what they have been for several years past. In the pulpit and the parlour, he was tolerably free from that dog matism and bigotry, and those clerical airs for which he is now so éminently distinguished ;* nor was he then the priest of the church,

in and most sia spirit mest most maliciolayton, s

of England in his exterior,' as he had not assumed the govin' and the cassock, and frequently preached without even a band! Shortly after the commencement of our acquaintance I introduced him to my family, where he was received with civility by my mother and brother, and with friendship by myself and my sisters. In the course in of a few months he was settled as pastor at the Weigh-house, and about the same time paid his addresses to my eldest sister, by whom they were favourably received. This event was somewhat unex. pected by my mother, my brother, and myself; and strong objections were made to the match by the two foriner, on account of Mr. Clayton's not having a shilling of property but what arose from his then slender income as a preacher, and his not having had a regular education among the dissenters; he having spent part of his minority in an apothecary's shop, but not liking his situation, was. transplanted to an hot-bed of the Countess of Huntingdon's, a Welch college, from whence he was shortly sent forth to labour in the methodistical vineyard. The great difference of years being on the wrong side (iny sister was 15 years older than her reverend lover) formed an additional objection. Here my friendship for my sister and Mr. Clayton exerted itself. After giving the former the best advice in my power, respecting her own line of conduct in the affair, I strenuously combated the objections of my mother and my brother. I argued, that Mr. Clayton was a man whose religious sentiments and general character they could not object to; that my sister had loog since arrived at that age when she had a right to judge for hero, self in an affair in which her own happiness was principally concerned ; and that her property, together with the salary of Mr. C. were sufficient to render them comfortable. All difficulties were at length so far overcome, that the marriage took place.' · The exercise of that friendship on the part of Mr. Flower, which concurred to render the amorous calvinist happy with the object of his wishes, more especially as she possessed considerable property, ought, one should think, to have secured his gratitude. But this is a virtue which is, we fear, not a little rare among the godly of modern times, and this gentleman does not appear to have possessed such a portion of it as would much diminish. the scarcity. Mr. Flower was, it seems, in his early days, infected with that spirit of pecuniary speculation which is