the young, and the relief of the sick, more extensively provided for, and if the other forms of destitution had adequate remedies supplied, and judiciously administered, much of the expense now lavished on prisons and penitentiaries might be saved, and the funds of the nation be applied more directly for the real interests of humanity, and of society.

The Charter recites that His Majesty, "pitying the miserable estate of the poor, fatherless, decrepit, aged, sick, infirm and impotent persons--and also thoroughly considering the honest, pious endeavours of the Mayor and Commonalty and Citizens of London, who by all ways and methods diligently study for the good provision of the poor, and of every sort of them; and that by such reason and care neither children being yet in their infancy shall lack good education and instruction, nor when they shall obtain riper years shall be destitute of honest calling and occupations, whereby they may honestly exercise themselves in some good faculty and science for the advantage and utility of the Commonwealth, nor that the sick and diseased, when they shall be recovered and restored to health, may remain idle and lazy vagabonds of the state, but that they in like manner may be placed and compelled to labour, and honest and wholesome employments"-goes on to state that the King had granted to the Mayor, Commonalty, and Citizens of London certain numerous possessions for the purposes aforesaid; constituting them "Governors" of the same, and directing them, as often as to them it shall seem expedient, or necessity shall so require," to make ordinances for the Government of the same. King Edward lived but two days after signing the charter, which he did thanking God "that he had given him life thus long to finish this work, to the glory of his Name."

The ground on which Christ's Hospital was prepared for the purposes of education, had belonged to the Grey Friars, who removed thither from Cornhill abut the middle of the 13th century, the celebrated Lord Mayor Whittington founding their library in 1249. Mr. J. I. Wilson, in his History of Christ's Hospital, 1821, gives a full account of these Friars. Henry VIII., in 1548, directed Ridley to announce the intention to devote that, and the Hospital of Bartholomew, to such purposes as his son was first enabled to carry into effect. The zeal of the Corporation of London was such that in six months they prepared the old monastery for the reception of 340 boys. There are now nearly 800, and 400 more in an additional establishment at Hertford for the younger children on the foundation, under 12 years of age. The pupils were at first clothed in russet, which was soon after exchanged for the dress they now wear, viz., a blue tunic or coat, reaching to the feet, with yellow stockings, and a small round bonnet or cap, which they more generally carry than wear.

The institution has been enriched by very numerous benefactors, principally citizens of London, some of whom are specified, with the particulars of their benefactions, by Wilson, and by Carlisle. King Charles II. founded and endowed the Mathematical School, for preparing ten boys annually for the naval service.

The Hospital was greatly damaged, and Christ Church destroyed by the great fire in 1666; though the exertions of the citizens restored these, under the direction of Sir C. Wren, yet the buildings are at best old, and irregular. An uniform re-building of the whole is contemplated. Already the Hall has been rebuilt, which is seen through an opening in Newgate Street, and of

which we present a sketch in these pages. The first stone was laid by the Duke of York, 1824, and the Hall was opend in 1829.

The Governors are Trustees to a Charity left by Rev. Hetherington for respectable blind persons, having incomes under £20 a year; which has received such additions, as the founder suggested, that more than 500 such persons receive £10 a year to make them " more comfortable." Application must be made by some one personally at the counting house for forms of application, before Michaelmas,-most of the pensioners are above 60 years of age.

The Governors by office, or benefaction, present the pupils; lists of which may be obtained by personal application at the counting house.

Many eminent men we know to have been educated in this noble establishment, who would otherwise probably have been comparatively lost to society. May such institutions be provided commensurate with the wants of our population; and may the other objects of the benevolence of King Edward, Ridley, and the Corporation of London, be more and more effectually carried out for the benefit of individuals, and the well-being of society.— We have given account in this Number of two noble institutions contemporaneous with the Reformation. Probably future numbers may enable us to give other instances of the beneficence of olden time, as an example to those of the present much more favoured and more able generation. There are still large openings, and loud calls, for the utmost amount of judicious almsgiving, which individuals and families can spare, for benefiting the souls and the bodies of their destitute fellow-countrymen.

81

SIR,-As many schemes of the chronology of our Lord's life have been put forth, I should be glad to have the opinion of your readers on the following:With Mr. Wm. Cunninghame, (see his "Season of the End" p. 75. &c.) I assign the year AN. JUL. PER. 4711; B. c. 3. (i. e. before the year called A. D. l, according to the vulgar era); A. U. c. 751. as the year of the Nativity; and with the late Professor Burton I assign September, (probably the feast of Tabernacles, John i. 14), of this year as the probable month of the Nativity. [Dean Prideaux assigns A.J.P. 4709; B. C. 5; i. e. A. U c. 749, as the year; and Rev. E. Greswell assigns B. C. 4; A. U. c. 750, i. e. A. J. P. 4710, as the year. According to the vulgar era A. D. 1 synchronises with A. J. P. 4714. i. e. A. U. C. 754.] The sole reign of Tiberius began on the 19th Aug. A. J. P. 4727, A. D. (vulgar era) 14, a. U. c. 767; and therefore his 15th year extended from 19th Aug. A. J. P. 4741, A. D, 28, A. U. c. 781, to 19th Aug. A. J. P. 4742, a. D. 29, A. U.C 782. "Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Cæsar-the word of God came to John." (Luke iii. 1, 2.) As the peculiar nature of John's ministry required the immersion of many in the water, we may conclude that it was the warm rather than the cold season of the year, when he began his ministry. I therefore assign the Spring of the year A. D. 29, A. J. P. 4742, A. U. C. 782, as the time when John began to baptise; and when Jesus came to his baptism "he began to be about thirty years of age*,” (Luke iii. 21, 28.) i. e. I conceive not less than 29 years of age, nor more than 31 years of age. (See C. Benson's Chronology. p. 176, 178, 179). On the original Hv de ó Inσovs wσel etwy трιакоνта арXоμevos, Rev. C. Benson remarks-"Now this construction has been conceived to depend upon the preposition aro understood: Hv de ó Inσovs αρχόμενος ειναι ὡσει ΑΠΟ ετων τριακοντα. If this be allowed it can scarce be said to mean anything else than that Jesus was beginning to be from, or above, or more than 30 years of age; and in this sense the preposition is frequently used with reference to time, ATо devov means a cœnâ vel post cœnam; and still more analogously, anо Taidov implies a pueritia vel post ætatem pueritiæ. (Viger p. 580. Therefore the verse at present under our consideration, if an instance of a similar construction, signifies not being under, but being above 30 years." (Chronology of our Saviour's Life, p, 180.) If Jesus was born in September,, B. C. 3. i. e. A. J. P. 4711, he was just 30 years of age in September, A. D. 28, i. e. A. J. P. 4741, and not 31 years of age till September, A. v. 29, i. e. A. J. P. 4742., and therefore in the spring of the year A. D. 29 (which was IN the 15th year of the sole reign of Tiberius, for his 16th year would not begin till the following 19th Aug.) would be about 30 years of age, according to Mr. Benson's interpretation. The first passover, noticed in John ii. 13, would then be A. D. 30, A. J. P. 4743, a. u. c. 783. The second passover, Luke vi., 1, (that the "second sabbath after the first" refers to a passover, see Greswell's dissertation, Sir J. Newton on Daniel, c. xi. p. 168, and Schleusner: with it the feast John v. 1, if a passover, as Greswell contends, probably synchronises, and so he places it; but if the Pentecost as Townsend contends, or Tabernacles as some contend, it might be in the same year as the passover alluded to in Luke vi. 1) A. D. 31, A. J. p. 4744, a. U. c. 784. The third passover, John vii. 2, (to which Jesus did not go up, according to sir J. Newton, c. xi. p. 169, 170, and Benson, p. 271. 272; but this seems at variance with Deut. xvi. 16, Matt. v. 17.,) A. D. 32, A. J.P. 4745, A. U. c. 785; the last, at which he suffered, John xi. 55., &c. A. D. 33, A. J. P. 4746, A. U. c. 786, (being the actual year of Christ 36,) the only year about this period in which the Passover fell on a Friday. I assign as the date of the birth of John the Baptist, March or April, B. C. 3, A. J. P. 4711.

I may add that the above scheme of chronology, will make Daniel's "70

*Campbell translated it, "Now Jesus was himself about 30 years in subjection, αρχόμενος.”

M

weeks," i. e. 490 years, end in the year A. D. 33. Sir J. Newton on Daniel (c. 10, p. 145,) shows that Ezra's return must be referred to in this prophecy of Daniel ix. 24, 25. The decree was made in the 7th year of Artaxerxes, B. C. 458, A. J. P. 4256: add to this 490, and we have A. J. P. 4746, i. e. a. D. 33, the year of the crucifixion.

I must here notice one or two errors in Rev. C. Benson's chronology. In a note at p. 54, he stated that he has adopted the Julian Period as the rule of his computation, to avoid confusion: now the exclusive use of this causes confusion. Sir J. Newton (on Daniel c. 10, p. 149,) Dean Prideaux, Dr. A. Clarke, &c. &c. say that the first year of the vulgar era is A. J. P. 4714; but Rev. C. Benson at p. 120, says it is 4713. If the reader is not aware of this, he will be much confused on comparing the different dates with Prideaux and others. E. g. at p. 215, Benson places the beginning of Tiberius' proconsular empire A. J. P. 4724, while Prideaux places it 4725; but according to both these learned authors it would be called A. D. 12. Again, at p. 15 he assumes that the vulgar era fixes the birth of Christ A. U. C. (i. e. year of Rome) 753. This would be correct if the vulgar era, A.D. 1, were A.J.P. 4713, as he states at p. 120; but if it is A. J. P. 4714, as Prideaux and others state, A. u. c. 754 is the corresponding year of Rome. When Mr. Benson gives A. J. P. 4709 as the birth, and 4742 as the date of the crucifixion, without any other date, the following difficulty arises: if we follow his own view of the commencement of the Julian Period, we must assign as the corresponding dates B. C. 4, and A. D. 30; but if we endeavour to ascertain the corresponding years of Christ by referring to Prideaux, we should assign B. c. 5, and A. D. 29. Now Mr. Greswell assigns to these events B. C. 4, and A. D. 30; but as he does not use the Julian Period we cannot tell for certain whether he means the same years as Benson, or one later in each case; but I am inclined to think he means a year later than Benson does, for he makes B. C. 4 synchronise with A. U. C 450. Now if he supposed (as Benson, p. 15 does) that A. U. c. 753 is 1 of the vulgar era, 450 would be equal to B. C. 3, instead of 4 as he gives it.

I have pointed out the errors in Rev. C. Benson's learned work, in the hope of assisting some one else who may be interested on the subject. After meeting with so much difficulty from the difference in calculation, your readers will not be surprised at my adopting, in this letter, three modes of calculation.

I remain, sir, yours, &c.

C. H. D.

REVIEWS OF BOOKS.

The Pictorial Sunday-Book. London: Charles Knight and Co., Ludgate Street. Part I.

We remember in our childhood to have derived great pleasure, and advantage which we believe still remains, from Mrs, Trimmer's Scripture History for Children, accompanied by little square volumes of prints, illustrating both the Old and New Testament. We have seen many others, and have used some in our own family; but the splendid and marvellously cheap publication now before us, immeasurably surpasses them all. We have proved its great attractiveness to young persons. It is a useful re-issue of the manifold pictorial illustrations of the Pictorial Bible, &c., for the special behoof of young persons. The first opening gives us fourteen beautiful wood engravings; and, if there were no more, they would be little more than a penny each. But we have eight such opened broad streets, besides a coloured map of the East, and a proportionate number of pages of letter-press, descriptive, first of the history of the book of Genesis, then of the life of our Saviour, and lastly of the Geography of the

Holy Land, as the commencement of a Scripture Atlas. This part of the work is largely illustrated with copies of the historical pictures of the best masters, depicting the entire book of Genesis, and our Saviour's early life, in illustration of the successive Sunday portions into which the letter-press is

divided. Moreover, actual views of the places mentioned, of the Eastern customs and costumes alluded to, and of the Botany, Natural History, and Antiquities of Egypt, Palestine, and the East, are given with profuse and instructive copiousness. The letter-press is judicious, simple, and unobjectionable. We have shown this first part to several, and all immediately determined to purchase it. We cannot recommend it too strongly to all families and schools