same success which had attended his other undertakings. The facts which he presented, in his own earnest and stirring manner, wrought wonders among every class of people. Although, before Mr. Williams's arrival in England, his name had been little known beyond the circle who were more particularly interested in his operations, in a very short time he acquired extraordinary popularity, and became a welcome guest of nobles and the exalted of the land. From the time of his arrival to that of his departure he fulfilled five and six public engagements weekly. The great facts which filled his heart the missionary never tired of repeating, and these statements produced everywhere the most striking effects. An especial instance is related by Dr. Campbell, of Mr. Williams's preaching in Bristol: "When, in the course of his sermon, he was detailing modestly and fervently the wonderful works of Providence and grace, in connection with his personal history and agency in the islands of the South, so stupendous were the events detailed, so-Fasetootai. On a mere intimation of surprising the changes wrought, so evidently and gloriously was the arm of the Lord displayed throughout, that the vast assembly, filled with delight and admiration, became unable to resist the overpowering excess of their emotions, and, in an instant, broke forth into a simultaneous burst of approbation!"

sionary Enterprises," a work which for romantic and thrilling interest is not surpassed by the world-renowned work of Defoe. Before he left, the effect of his appeals was very sensibly felt in the augmentation of missionary funds; and, in answer to these appeals, a large missionary ship was procured, every way sea-worthy and serviceable, so that the desire of his heart was finally and fully accomplished. The enterprise in which he then embarked was one of no ordinary extent. He returned with the intention of surveying the whole field, and preparing it for future laborers; not of any single society, but of every institution willing to aid in the evangelization of Polynesia. But his useful life was drawing toward its sad close -a few scenes more remained.

Out of the pulpit our missionary was no less attractive. His manner and communications charmed and interested every one who heard him.

Mr. W. was eminently social in his disposition, and was never happier than during his brief intercourse with friends while visiting England. On such occasions the conversation would generally turn upon the missionary's favorite topic-his own great work; and, for purposes of illustration, cases of Polynesian curiosities would be produced, and the table covered with idols, ornaments, and implements of every description. "Frequently Mr. Williams arrayed his own person in the native tiputa and mat, fixed a spear by his side, and adorned his head with the towering cap of many colors worn on high days by the chiefs; and, as he marched up and down his parlor, he was as happy as any one of the guests whose cheerful mirth he had thus excited." One result of his visit to the mother country, was the production of his "Mis

At Samoa he determined to tarry for a while, to the great joy of the people. His temporary home was at Apia; and a singular instance of the general attachment to his person was manifested on the occasion of his removal to another district

the possibility of such a removal to the people of Fasetootai, about five hundred natives of that district started for Apia, a distance of twenty miles, and seizing every parcel or package pertaining to the missionary, they returned in single file,— shouting, laughing, and dancing, and singing songs composed for the occasion; the chorus of which was,

"Williams is coming, is coming, is coming; He is bringing the lotu to Fasetootai."

Mr. Williams left Samoa with forebodings for which he could not account, but which were soon, alas, fully realized! The shores of Erromanga were the next that met his view; and here he fell a martyr to the blood-thirsty rage of the savages, for whose salvation he would have given his life a thousand times. The intelligence came upon the missionary stations like a thunderbolt. The natives for whom he had toiled and prayed felt his worth, and loved him as a father. No less was the sorrow of Mr. Williams's large circle of English friends, and the friends of the missionary cause generally,

for truly a mighty man had fallen! A life of such extended usefulness is worthy of noble mention in the pages of history; for the mind of man can never estimate the value of such achievements.

is growing wise. Man is tall in intellectual

SOCIETY FOR THE DIFFUSION OF USE- stature; his heels are on the earth, but his head

LESS KNOWLEDGE.

HE Annual Meeting for

is in the clouds." (Tremendous applause.)

The following report of the Standing

Tthe Dinusion of tting of the Society and Committee was then read

the General Confusion of the Human Understanding, was held on Monday last; the President, the Hon. Dr. Bubble, took the chair precisely at seven o'clock, assisted by the Hon. Mr. Fudgefield, and Timothy Tinshins, Esq., Vice-Presidents. The President delivered an introductory discourse on the usefulness of useless knowledge, and the advantages of confusion in the understanding, which elicited the greatest applause from a thronged and delighted audience. The following is an abridged copy of the sapient president's address:

"Gentlemen of the Useless Knowledge Association,—

6

REPORT.

The Standing Committee of the Society for the Diffusion of Useless Knowledge and the General Confusion of the Human Understanding, beg leave to report, that the affairs of the Society were never in a more prosperous and desirable condition. They have great pleasure in congratulating the Society upon the encouraging prospects which the present state of the Useless knowledge country holds out to them. sought after; and mortal understandings were was never more highly prized or more eagerly never in a more admirable confusion than at present. Your Committee beg leave to call the attention of the Society to sundry circumstances which, in their opinion, have had the most powerful effect in bringing about these

desirable results.

Your Committee feel bound to distinguish, with the most pointed and laudatory regard, the efforts of the newspaper editors, who, in the course of the past year, have labored with the most disinterested zeal in forwarding the objects of the Society; they have constantly shown themselves friends of useless knowledge, and confounders of the brains and understand

ticularly call to your approving notice, the unwearied industry of these gentlemen in discovering mares' nests, fighting windmills, basting dead cats, bottling moonshine, catching seaserpents, peeping through millstones, swallowing earthquakes, and gobbling down piracies. Your Committee recommend that each newspaper editor be presented with an elegant leather medal, bearing the inscription, “Ex fumo dare lucem,” in allusion to their wonderful sagacity in sometimes distinguishing smoke from fire.

"I have the honor of congratulating you on this anniversary meeting. We are engaged, gentlemen, in a stupendous effort. The object of our endeavors is to place the foundations of the intellectual universe on the highest state of moral elevation. There is a great truth, gentlemen, in the exaggeration, that the intense application of the human intellect in infinitesimal quantities to the analytical pursuit of psycho-ings of mankind. Your Committee would parlogical investigation, leads to the surest mathematical discrimination of moral idiosyncrasies. The human mind, gentlemen, I consider as composed of two qualities-ratiocination and immaterial recipiency. Facts are imbibed by the inductive process of mental recipiency, and, being rationally ratiocinated, lead to reason. This we denominate the march of intellect; and intellect hath three branches, namely, logic, metaphysics, and dogmatics, which, being synthetically combined, constitute man a reasoning animal. As the Stagirite remarks, concerning the method of philosophical induction, Omnis ratio de ratione, rationans, rationare facit rationaliter rationando omnes homines rationantes,' an axiom which, I apprehend, no one will deny. In the unenlightened mind, all attempts at reasoning are in the highest degree unreasonable, just as in the dark all cats are gray. Gentlemen, we live in an enlightened age; Peter Parley and the printing-press have effected a moral and hypercritical revolution; all men can read the Pandects, the Novum Organum, and Poor Polly Jenkins. Instead of the spelling-book and the primer our children have Cudworth's Intellectual System and Adelung's Mithridates. Modern intellect may be compared to a magnificent toad-stool, which shoots out its head on all sides the moment it gets an inch above ground. Sometimes it has been compared to an overgrown pumpkin-vine, sprouting right and left, and grasping at more than it can hold; but this is a misrepresentation; the mind will hold any quantity of knowledge since the invention of lyceums and enclycopædias; and there is no difficulty in the present day in getting a quart into a pint pot. Gentlemen, I say to you, Go on. Let useless knowledge flourish. The world

Your Committee would further point out to the notice of the Society the various quack doctors, and in particular the Vegetable Diet Sawdust Live-for-ever Starvation tribe. Useless knowledge is under infinite obligations to these individuals, though their reward and encouragement would seem rather to belong to that enlightened association, the Society for the Extinction of the Human Species. Nevertheless, considering the immense amount of useless knowledge they have propagated, and its effects in producing confusion not only in the understandings, but in the bodies of men, your Committee do not feel at liberty to pass them by without some adequate notice. They therefore recommend that each of these persons be presented with a medal of the purest and hardest brass, bearing the inscription, "Stultorum infinitus est numerus," in allusion to the very wide field which exists for their praiseworthy and philanthropic labors.

Your Committee further recommend to the favorable regard of the Society that distinguished individual, Dr. Humm, the ingenious reviver of animal magnetism, whose labors in the cause of the Society deserve the highest commendation. Dr. Humm has not only been

number of old women, quidnuncs, schemers, dreamers, steamers, system-mongers, methodmongers, improvers-of-society, &c., who are now exercising so vast an influence over the minds of the weak and the unlearned. They recommend that a medal be struck, emblematical of the whole of this enlightened community; the said medal to bear on one side the figure of a

toad just ready to jump, with the legend, "Sedet, aternumque sedebit," in allusion to the march of intellect; and on the reverse, the figure of a cornstalk monument, with the words "Ere perennius,” in allusion to the lasting fame of all march-of-intellect people.

THERE

MUSIC—ITS HISTORY AND INFLUENCE. THERE is no record of the exact period of time when music first stepped forth upon the earth to enchain the senses of man with the magic of her voice.

In the early chapters of the Bible mention is made of Jubal, the son of Lamech, who played upon the lyre. Josephus remarks, “that from Jubal not improbably came Jobel, the trumpet of jobel or jubilee, that large and loud instrument used in proclaiming liberty at the year of the jubilee." One of the oldest songs of which we have any record, is that which Miriam sung after the passage of the Red Sea. As we proceed with Sacred History, we find, among the Hebrews, the character of poet and singer united in the same individual. David, also, not only wrote psalms and hymns, but made instruments of music. His viol had ten strings, played with a bow. The psaltery had twelve musical notes, and was played upon by the fingers. The cymbals were broad and large instruments, made of brass. With these he taught the Levites to perform hymns to God on the Sabbath-day and other festivals. At the captivity of the two tribes, the singers and the musicians were carried to Babylon, where they outlived their imprisonment, and returned again with their instruments. Jesus, the son of Sirach, says, "that at the temple, in his days, the singers sang praises with their voice; with great variety of sounds was there made sweet melody." In the gorgeous processions of that period, whether sacred or warlike, no doubt music took a prominent part; in every age she has spoken a language to be understood by the most barbarous and uncultivated tribes, as well as by the most civilized. In the tomb of Osymandus, near Thebes, musical instruments have been found, and it has been concluded that the Egyptians VOL. II, No. 2.-M

were acquainted with their use two thousand years before the birth of Christ. Pythagoras is said to have learned music from an Egyptian priest.

From the provinces of Asia Minor the different modes of Greek music are derived. Mythological accounts invariably give the praise to Greece, where the art was first acquired and perfected.

It is supposed, and very naturally, that music owes her origin to some lone shepherd, who, while watching his flock upon the hills, imitated with a reed the various

changes of the wind as it swept with a whispering sound through the thick forests, or howled down the deep ravines, awakening with its call the tone of the torrents. and desolating the valleys with its strength. One can fancy the unutterable solace such a discovery would be to the solitary man, and how the dear ones of his homestead would gather around him when the sheep. were in the fold, and listen with strange delight to the melody issuing from his Pandean pipe. A beautiful myth lies concealed in the story of Orpheus, who, by his divine music, moved mountains and stones to follow him wherever he played. Losing by death his beloved Eurydice, he followed her to the entrance of hades, when, striking a chord in unison with his feelings, its tenderness softened the stern divinities to compassion, and the thrilling tones of his voice suspended all the torments of Tartarus, and Orpheus gained consent to conduct Eurydice back to earth on one condition, that he was not to look behind him; but in a narrow part of the gloomy road only one could proceed at a time, and, though he still played on to lull the jealous furies, he looked back to see if his beloved was safe, and lost her forever from his want of FAITH in the power which had carried him safely through so many dangers.

In the Justinian palace is a statue of Apollo, holding a knife in one hand and a human skin in the other; and there is also preserved, by the noble family of the Marchese Sotta, of Modena, a painting of Correggio's, representing the punishment of Marsyas, to whom is attributed the invention of the flute. This famous musician, as classic history informs us, resided at Celene, a city of Phrygia, of which it was once the capital, and, as he was one day wandering alone near a lake, he observed a musical instrument, which bore