derately and skilfully kiln-dried, yet while it continues new, it must be turned over at least once in twenty days.-When this practice has been continued, till the grain becomes fufficiently firm and quite dry, generally in two years, it is rarely neceffary to turn it any more. By this method of management, they have experience of preferving the grain in perfect foundness for many years, and they have no doubt that it may be so preserved even for a century. When I faw this granary, the lowest apartment was full of wheat from Barbary.-It is a very fine large grain, and they say it makes excellent bread.-I had hopes of obtaining a collection of the laws, regulations, and economy, by which the public granaries are here rendered effectual means of restraining monopolies, moderating the markets. and preventing the calamities of fcarcity, or exceffive prices for bread.-But in this I was disappointed by my fhort ftay at Geneva. I have been as much as I was able attentive and elaborate on this article, because I am convinced that fach granaries, wifely regulated and well managed, would be greatly beneficial to our burghs in Scotland, and will probably be adopted, if ever the adminiftration of their revenues fhall be established on a proper plan of integrity and public interest '

At the clofe of the work is given a pleafing account of the rife and progrefs of the village of Lawrencekirk, between Perth and Aberdeen, raifed by the generofity and public fpirit of Lord Gardenftone. Concerning this ufeful project, he fays,

I have tried, in fome measure, a variety of the pleasures which mankind purfue, but never relifhed any fo much as the pleasure arifing from the progrefs of my village.'

ART. V. Memoirs of the Life of Mr. Nicholas Ferrar. By P. Peckard, D. D. Mafter of Magdalen College, Cambridge. 8vo. pp. 332. 55. fewed. Payne. 1790.

MR.

R. Ferrar, the fubject of thefe memoirs, is now almost forgotten although his connection with the well-known Herbert, rector of Bemerton, and formerly known by the appellation of the divine Herbert, may, in fome degree, have preferved his memory. He was indeed a fingular and very remarkable man; a devotee, a reclufe almoft to monachifm; yet, under the guidance of reafon and virtue, firmly fixed as to the foundations of religious and Chriftian truth, but misled in the application by enthufiaftic and romantic notions, together with a mixture of fuperftition :-yet, though he gave into practices which well deferve the epithet fuperftitious, his great mind could never allow him to confider piety as confifting in forms and geftures, nor to reverence a bigotted zeal about them, however he might regard them as fubiervient to practical de

* See Rev. vol. lxiii. p. 145.

votion.

votion. It is impoffible not to regret, in perufing thefe memoirs, that fo much wifdom, learning, and integrity, fhould not have been better employed; and that a man of fuch abilities, both natural and acquired, fhould have allowed himself, on fome fubjects, to be fo confined and partial. He lived, indeed, at a time when reformation had produced a wonderful change as to ecclefiaftical affairs, but in which the spirit of inquiry was ftill greatly checked and reftrained; in which, knowlege was with difficulty attained; in which, fubjects of truth and liberty were imperfectly understood; and in which, the divine right of kings, paffive obedience, the inherent fanctity of priests, buildings, veftments, tables, times, &c. &c. were confidered by numbers as topics concerning which it was deemed impious and profane to entertain any doubt, or to employ any research. Such notions were, indeed, very convenient and pleasant to the abettors of priest-craft and arbitrary power; though founded on principles which reafon and religion, when guided by real Christianity, will effectually overthrow: but which, neverthe lefs, feem to have gotten a ftrong and lafting hold of a mind, in other refpects, so fagacious and praise-worthy as that of Nicholas Ferrar.

The learned editor of this work, Dr. Peckard, (who, by marriage, is nearly connected with the family,) informs us of the difficulty and disappointment which he has experienced, and which have prevented his publishing the volume fooner. A manuscript life of Mr. Ferrar, fairly written, and prepared for the prefs, by Mr. Francis Peck, was bequeathed, among other books and papers, to the Doctor. This manufcript he had been folicited, and intended, to make public: but having lent it to a friend who died foon afterward, he has never been able

to regain it. Having now, (he fays,) after near twenty years' fruitless inquiry, given up all hopes of recovering his property, he is nevertheless determined, as far as it is in his power, to gratify the folicitations of his friends.' This he does, by means of the original manufcript from which Mr. Peck's work was compofed. In a very fair and fatisfactory manner, he speaks of fome alterations which are made, and of fome reflections which he has occafionally interfperfed: leaving no room to doubt that the prefent production is faithful, in every thing of moment, to the original. Mr. Gough, in his British Topography, publifhed feveral years ago, mentions Mr. Ferrar; and it is to be wifhed, (fays the prefent writer,) that the author had exprefled himself with lefs difrefpect of a family, every way worthy of his admiration, though perhaps far above See Review, vol. xl. p. 455. T

REV. JULY 1792.

modern.

modern imitation." Mr. Gough may poffibly be too harfir when he styles Mr. Ferrar a useless enthufiaft, and in fome other reflections which he makes on the family; yet such excess of aufterity and appearances of fuperftition will excite ridicule or pity, even when united, which is far from being always the cafe, though it was in the prefent inftance, with reab piety and virtue.

Mr. Nicholas Ferrar was the third fon of an eminent merchant of the fame name in London; his family was refpectable, not merely for opulence, in which it was not deficient, but for what is infinitely fuperior to wealth or rank, for truth, probity, and goodnefs, to which they were all early and constantly trained. He was born on the 23d of February 1592. His childhood and youth were distinguished by little incidents, and by the confiderable advancement which he made in science and other accomplishments. At the univerfity, he was confpicuous for virtuous and amiable manners, and for great proficiency in different parts of learning. He left the college-life with many teftimonies of applaufe and efteem; and, under the fame advantage, he seems to have purfued his travels into different parts of Europe; for every where he gained refpect, which even his endeavours for concealment could not prevent. Concerning this part of his hiftory, we fhall infert the testimony that was given of him after his decafe, by Dr. Robert Byng, one of his contemporaries at college:" So well did he improve the time, that befide the knowledge which he had gained in the principal of the Western languages, Low and High Dutch, Italian, French, and Spanish, he was able to make relation obfervable of the moft remarkable paffages which had been incident to any of thofe places where he had made any confiderable abode; as myfelf, with many others who had the happiness to hear him difcourfe thereof, can give due testimony." Befide the languages in which he had fo well qualified himself both for writing and difcourfe, his attentive mind was directed with affiduity to laws, manners, customs, doctrines; practices, civil, ecclefiaftical, and medical; trades, arts, military and naval affairs, revolutions, &c. Thus was travelling, by Mr. Ferrar, directed to much wiser and better purposes, than it has been by the far greater part of those who, in these days, make what is called the Tour of Europe.

Mr. Ferrar appears to have been always determined for the Chriftian miniftry, and probably alfo for celibacy and the ascetic life but when he returned to England, with his mind cultivated and improved, he met with very particular engagements of a domeftic, and alfo of a public nature, requiring that affiftance which he was able to give, and which he was willing to beftow.

beftow*. His family ftood high in the mercantile line, and were connected with affairs of great importance to the nation. His father died in a year or two after his arrival, having appointed his fon Nicholas his fole executor.- This (fays his biographer,) was a great addition to the business already lying on him but he had abilities equal to any thing, with firmness of mind and integrity equal to his ability.' The great public concern which employed him, was the Virginia company, in which feveral adventurers, under the protection of government, were embarked. This is an informing and inftructive part of the volume, displaying, to much advantage, the abilities of Mr. Ferrar, natural and acquired, and alfo his fidelity and rectitude of mind; and it difcovers, as true hiftory always does, the chicanery and knavery of courts and statesmen: yet this gentleman, wife and well-inftructed as he was in other refpects, though he could perceive the fraud and injustice, was much infatuated by the notions of paffive fubmiffion to crowned heads. Mr. Ferrar was foon afterward called to parliament, and ftill pursued the object which he had undertaken for the Virginia company; for though inclined to be tamely acquiefcent in the decifions of fovereignty, he was inflexible in his attachment to truth and rectitude of conduct. His labours were indefatigable; one proof of which, among others, was his having fe cured attefted copies, transcribed at his own expence, of the original papers which had been all violently feized by the order, of a capricious and felfifh monarch. These transcripts were carefully preserved: but whether they are now in being, appears uncertain.

The diffolution of the company feems to have been regarded by Mr. Ferrar as the proper hint for disengaging himself from fociety: he now determined to carry into execution the plan on which he had long fet his heart, to bid farewell to the bufy world, and spend the remainder of his days in religious retirement, and a ftrict course of devotion.' He fettled with his mother and other branches of the numerous family, at Little Gidding in the county of Huntingdon, in the year 1625, where he continued to the time of his death, which was in 1637. The regulations of this household, their obfervances, ceremonials, proceffions, different employments, &c. occupy the remainder of the volume; to which we must refer the reader for farther particulars.

Some part of the time, in this retreat, was allotted to furgery and medicine, of which the neighbourhood occafionally received the benefit. Mr. Ferrar alfo compofed difcourfes on

He returned A. D. 1618, being twenty-fix years old.

different fubjects, together with dialogues, hiftories, fables, and effays, for the ufe of the family: but one principal occupation of the gentlemen, and fometimes of the ladies alfo, was forming harmonies of the fcriptures, in English, and in feveral other languages. Dr. Peckard gives a particular relation of the manner in which they were formed; and, by way of comparifon, adds an account of the method which Dr. Priestley purfued for the fame purpofe, correfponding very remarkably with the other. The exact agreement, (fays this writer,) between two men of uncommon genius and abilities, with respect both to the plan and conduct of the work, men living at one hundred and fixty years difference of time, men too, in learning, penetration, and judgment, perfe&ly qualified for fo arduous an undertaking, affords the strongest prefumptive proof of the excellence of the method, and at the fame time the higheft recommendation of it to the obfervation and practice of all who are engaged in a fimilar courfe of ftudy.'-This paffage indicates candour and liberality in the editor of this volume; and we have remarked other fimilar inftances in the course of our perufal of these Memoirs.

It ought again to be observed, in refpect to Mr. Ferrar, (and we fuppofe alfo to the other members of the family,) that, though surrounded by objects and practices of a superstitious or fanciful kind, which he had himfelf inftituted, and accustomed to auftere feverities, he does not appear to have been bigotted, nor uncharitable, nor to have placed religion in any exteriors. He confidered fuch obfervances as matters of propriety and decency; and, poffibly, to him, and to thofe connected with him, they might yield fome fort of service; though there is great danger of their having a different, and indeed an oppofite effect. To ignorant minds, nothing is more prejudicial; fiery zealots and perfecutors are thus produced; immorality is often confiftent with this kind of religion, which indeed contradicts and overthrows the whole purpofe of Christianity. Mr. Ferrar's devotion, though miftaken, was . not of this bafe and illiberal kind; it breathed good will to all men. We confider it as a proof of his mild and candid piety, that, among many other books which he tranflated, one was The one hundred and ten Confiderations of Valdeljo, a noble Spaniard, who was thought to lean to the doctrines of the Unitarians, in oppofition to the Trinitarian fyftem; and there are faid to be fome paflages in the work, which even seem to depreciate the authority of the fcriptures.

After all that may be alleged in vindication of Mr. Ferrar, whote ability, acquirements, and worth, we estimate as of a fuperior kind, we can never concur in the views which he

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entertained