new.

ville, and called the Jew of Ve-ceived without jealousy, and obey nice. The English nation tolera- ed without repugnance. Though ted this disgraceful substitution, only called “to dress a sofa with till near the middle of the last cen- the flowers of verse," he has haptury, and the prologue was spoken pily deviated to adorn every subby the ghosts of Shakespeare and ject of general interest. It is a Dryden, who ascended from be- perpetual episode. His wit is ofneath the stage, crowned with ten epigrammatick, like that of laurel. The prologue-writer com- Young, without his severity. The plimented the taste of the commu- reflections, with which he cons nity by making the representative cludes the description of the imof the great dramatick bard speak mense palace of ice, built by the thus :

empress of Russia, I have heard These scenes in their rough native cited by a lady, as a fine instance dress were mine ;

of simplicity, though glowing with But now, improved, with nobler lustre antitheses.

shine. The first rude sketches Shakespeare's Alas ! 'twas but a mortifying stroke pencil drew,

Of undesign’d severity, that glanc'd But all the shining master-strokes are (Made by a monarch) on her own estate,

On human grandeur and the courts of This play, ye criticks, shall your fury kings. stand,

'Twas transient in its nature, as in show Adern’d and rescued by a faultless 'Twas durable ; as worthless, as it hand.

seem'd Intrinsically precious ; to the foot Treacherous and false ; it smild, and

it was cold. is the most popular poet in our language. His favourable recep- Cowper's version of Homer will tion is owing to no adventitious only serve as a beacon to warn fum circumstances, which frequently ture adventurers. It can only be raise into general celebrity writers, read by those, who, acquainted with that will never afterwards be re- the original, wish to observe, how, membered. His is the language in transfusing every thing with exof nature, delivered more faithful- actness from the ancients, nothing ly, than were ever the responses will be gained by the moderns. of the oracle by the priestess of The effulgence of the Grecian Delphos. “ From grave to gay,

bard, dark with excessive bright," from lively to severe," all are overpowered the mortal vision of charmed with Cowper. Yet he Cowper. He offers us only the indulges in no personal satire, and inanimate skeleton, the bones and why does he please the censorious? the muscles of Homer, in their He despises the artifices of fashion, terrifick nakedness, and for this and why is he the favourite of the we were to surrender the breathing dissipated, and the thoughtless ? image from the hands of Pope, No one, of any mental refinement, arrayed in his appropriate robes, is so corrupt, so remote from the and glowing with the lumen frur. simplicity of reason and of truth, furcum of eternal youth. as not to peruse the Task with delight. His moral lectures are re

COW PER

To the Editors of the Anthology.

Having lately examined the ancient laws of this State, relative to the constitution and rights of churches in the town of Boston, and reduced them into a digest, I submit it to you for insertion, provided you shall not deem it incompatible with the object of your useful miscellany. ANTIQUARIUS.

THE RIGHTS OF PROTESTANT CHURCHES IN THE TOWN OF BOSTON.

a that every church hath free lib. charges of the elders, when they erty of election and ordination of were employed by the order of the all her officers from time to time, General Court. It is to this cirprovided they be able, pious, and cumstance, that we must attribute orthodox. By the expression the the incorporating of so many of church,” is here meant, according the provisions of the Levitical law to a definition thereof contained in into the jurisprudence of the early a law passed in 1660,* such as are period of the state. in full communion only.” The In the choice of the ministers, teaching officer is intended, “ the the church were originally the minister to all the people where sole electors ; but for more than the church is planted.” All in- a century past, it has been an eshabitants, who were not in full tablished rule in the town of Boscommunion, were excluded from ton, and in the other towns of the any right in the choice, and if any commonwealth, that all who conone such should presume to act tribute to their support, shall have therein, he was accounted a dis- a voice in their election. By a law turber of the peace, and might be passed in the 4 and 5 of W.and M., punished by the court of the shire, it is declared, that whenever a by admonition, security for good church is destitute of a minister, behaviour, fine, or imprisonment, such church is invested with powe according to the aggravation of er to choose one. If the major the offence. The church is in- part of such of the inhabitants, as vested with liberty to admit, re- usually attend publick worship, and commend, dismiss, expel, or dis- are qualified by law to vote in town pose of its officers and members affairs, with whom likewise the for due cause : to assemble when members of the church may vote, it pleases, and to exercise all the shall concur with the act of the ordinances of God, according to church, and the person elected the scriptures : to deal with its shall accept thereof, he becomes members, who are in the hands of the minister, to whose support all justice, but riot to retard its course: the inhabitants and rateable estates and even with the civil magistrate, are obliged to contribute. In case “-in case of apparent and just of- of a disagreement between the fence given in his place,” but not church and the inhabitants, the to degrade him from his office or former may call in the help of a dignity in the commonwealth. council, consisting of the elders

The government of the colony and messengers of three or five. consisted, in those early periods, neighbouring churches. This of a spiritual and a temporal pow- council is empowered to hear, exer. It was usual to consult with amine, and consider the exceptions the elders of the churches in af- and allegatious made against the fairs of a civil nature,t relating to election of the churches.* If they the institution of laws, and the should approve of the choice, and conduct of publick affairs. And the person elected should declare in 1642, it was ordered, that the his acceptance, he becam. the minpublick treasurer should defray the ister of the society to all intents,