A Journey in Brazil.

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there is no proper delta there. There being no mention of the matter, it was probably too early in the season to observe the strange conflict of waters which takes place at spring-tide at the mouths of the Amazons, when the colossal wave of the Atlantic overwhelms the majestic flow of the river, with the roar of a vaster Niagara. The immense collections made by the expedition, in all departments of natural history, but chiefly ichthyological, were despatched home, free of charge, by the United States consul at Para; and the industrious collectors coasted thence back to Rio de Janeiro to take a state leave of Brazil at its capital, stopping at Ceara on the way, and making a dash on the interior. As regards the important scientific results of the journey, they are rather hinted at than specified in this narrative, as the work of comparison, classification, and description must necessarily be the slow labour of many years. The only purely scientific chapter in the book is that on the physical history of the Amazons, and it is entirely taken up with the geological formations in the valley, and illustrations of the glacial theory.

With a description of Rio de Janeiro and its public institutions, and discriminating remarks on the political, social, and religious condition of Brazil, this interesting volume comes to a close. Mrs Agassiz discovers an utter want of harmony between the institutions and the actual condition of the people. "May it not be," she asks, "that a borrowed constitution, in no way the growth of the soil, is, after all, like an ill-fitting garment, not made for the wearer, and hanging loosely upon him? There can be no organic relation between a truly liberal form of government and a people for whom, taking them as a whole, little or no education is provided, whose religion is administered by a corrupt clergy, and who, whether white or black, are brought up under the influence of slavery. Liberty will not abide in the laws alone; it must have its life in the desire of the nation, its strength in her resolve to have and to hold it." The writer of these strictures had abundant means of observation in the best society of the country, and she is naturally inclined to look at the bright side of things; but the darker shades predominate. The sombre character of the people is typical of that moral melancholy which has infected her. With a sympathetic feminine touch, she depicts the dreary and monotonous life of the Brazilian senhora; and if the position of woman in any country be a true criterion of its progressive or defective civilization, judgment must go against Brazil. The old Portuguese notions about shutting women up, and making their home life as colourless as that of a cloistered nun, still prevail in most parts of the stereotyped colony. Many a Brazilian lady, it seems, passes day after day without stirring beyond her four walls, scarcely ever shewing herself at the door or window, for she is always in slovenly dishabille, unless she expects company. She cannot go out of her house, except under certain conditions, without awakening scandal. Her education, although including a little French and music, leaves her wholly unacquainted with the most common topics of interest; the world of books is closed to her; she knows little of the history of her own country, and less of that of others; she is hardly aware that there is any religious faith except the uniform one she finds around her; indeed, of all but her own stifled existence-at

which it is something to say that she repines-she is profoundly ignorant. The senhora thus, it is said, either sinks contentedly into a vapid, empty, aimless life, or frets against her chains, and is discontented and useless. In this connection we may note the terribly significant fact that books are seldom or never to be met with in Brazilian houses, not even the fazendas of the wealthy planters. But we fear we have drawn overmuch upon the patience of our readers, who may fail to derive, through our summary, a measure of that interest we have found in perusing this work. We have attempted no criticism, for so far as that implies fault-finding, we have none to make; and our approval of the book is, we think, fully implied. Let us conclude by retailing a very characteristic incident, more suggestive of the actual state of Brazil than many tables of statistics. It is Mrs Agassiz again whom we quote

"The other day, in the neighbourhood of Rio, I had an opportunity of seeing a marriage between two negroes, whose owner made the religious, or as it appeared to me on this occasion, irreligious ceremony, obligatory. The bride, who was as black as jet, was dressed in white muslin, with a veil of coarse white lace, such as the negro women make themselves, and the husband was in a white linen suit. She looked, and I really think she felt diffident, for there were a good many strangers present, and her position was embarrassing. The Portuguese priest, a bold, insolent looking man, called them up, and rattled over the marriage service with most irreverent speed, stopping now and then to scold them both, but especially the woman, because she did not speak loud enough, and did not take the whole thing in the same coarse, rough way that he did. When he ordered them to come up and kneel at the altar, his tone was more suggestive of cursing than praying, and having uttered his blessing, he hurled an amen at them, slammed the prayer-book down on the altar, whiffed out the candles, and turned the bride and bridegroom out of the chapel with as little ceremony as one would have kicked out a dog. As the bride came out, half-crying, half-smiling, her mother met her, and showered her with rose leaves; and so this act of consecration, in which the mother's benediction seemed the only grace, was over. I thought what a strange confusion there must be in these poor creatures' minds, if they thought about it all. They are told that the relation between man and wife is a sin, unless confirmed by the sacred rite of marriage; they come to hear a bad man gabble over them words which they cannot understand, mingled with taunts and abuse which they understand only too well; and side by side with their own children grow up the little fair-skinned slaves, to tell them practically that the white man does not keep himself the law he imposes on them. What a monstrous lie the whole system must seem to them, if they are ever led to think about it all. I am far from supposing that the instance I have given should be taken as representing the state of religious instruction on plantations generally. No doubt there are good priests who improve and instruct their black parishioners; but it does not follow because religious services are provided, that there is anything which deserves the name of religious instruction. It would be unjust not to add the better side of the

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question in this particular instance. The man was free, and I was told that the woman had received her liberty and a piece of land from her master as her marriage dower."

On the whole, it appears to us that, while dispassionately balancing its merits and demerits, Professor Agassiz takes a more hopeful view of the future of this country, than the lady's narrative alone would warrant. It may be he has visions of northern traders and speculators in the rear. He deeply feels that there are elements of a high progress in Brazil, that it has institutions which are shaping the country to worthy ends, and that it has a nationality already active, shewing its power at the present moment in carrying on one of the most important wars ever undertaken in South America. In her conflict with Paraguay, he reckons Brazil among the standard-bearers of civilisation. That war, he affirms, originated in honourable purposes, and is not maintained for selfish ends. And he adds, that "it deserves the sympathy of the civilised world; for it strikes at a tyrannical organization, half-clerical, half-military, which, calling itself a republic, disgraces the name it assumes."

LAICUS.

XII.-GERMAN LITERATURE.

Elfter

Zeitschrift für wissenschaftliche Theologie. Herausgegeben von A. HILGENFELD, Doctor und Professor der Theologie in Jena. Jahrgang. Erstes Heft. Leipzig. London: Williams & Norgate. 1868.

This quarterly journal for scientific theology has won for itself a good place, during the past eleven years of its existence, among the number of theological journals in Germany. The Lutheran University of Jena, in the Grand-Duchy of Saxe-Weimar, originated in the time of the Reformation. As the scene of the labours of the philosophers Fichte, Schelling, and Hegel, it attained to great celebrity at the close of the last and the beginning of the present century. These professors were ultimately removed to Berlin; but their lectures to the crowds of admiring students who gathered round them at Jena, gave a powerful impulse to the course of speculation pursued at that university. They impressed upon it the character which it long retained. It has now, however, recovered from the blighting influence of Rationalism, and holds a very respectable position among German universities. Dr Hilgenfeld is its chief ornament. He is the author of a valuable work entitled "Novum Testamentum extra Canonem receptum," containing such remains of antiquity as " Clementis Romani Epistolæ," "Barnabæ Epistola," "Herma Pastor," &c., illustrated by a critical commentary and notes. He is also a frequent contributor to the journal he edits. The number mentioned above, the first of the current year, contains VOL. XVII.-NO. LXV.

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five papers. The first is by Dr Hanne, Professor of Theology at the Evangelical Protestant University of Greifswalde. The subject of it is the Origin of the Human Race viewed in relation to Modern Theism. The conclusion of the article, containing the results to which the author is conducted, will be given in next number. We have here also the continuation and conclusion of a critical commentary on the Gospel of Matthew, by Dr Hilgenfeld. The third article is by Rönsch of Lobenstein. The author introduces his subject as follows:

"The treasury of manuscripts, gathered together by the industrious monks from Ireland, at the monastery of Bobbio, near Alessandria, from which already the so-called Fragment of Muratori' was obtained last century, a fragment of great value as regards the history of the New Testament canon,-has recently yielded a second gift to the theological world of considerable importance. This second fragment belongs to the department of Jewish Apocryphal literature. In a torn and dilapidated condition, it had been deposited in the Ambrosian library of Milan. The learned custodian of the library, A. M. Ceriani, has deciphered it and put it in order, and published it along with other manuscripts which have been also rescued from destruction. This parchment fragment, consisting of eight cartons, written in the Latin language, in the idiom of Italy, but very probably translated from a Greek original, is without division of words, and only very seldom is any punctuation in uncial letters to be met with. Hence it has been concluded that the codex belongs to the sixth century, and was probably brought from Ireland by Columban, the founder of the monastery. We have here exclusively to do with that part of the Fragment lately brought forth from the halls of the Ambrosian library, which contains the beginning of the Assumptio Mosis,' or Avans Mwvows,' which was from the second to the eleventh century of the Christian era, an important devotional book of the ancient church. It is not only expressly quoted by several ancient fathers of the church (as Origen, Didymus of Alexandria, and Evodius), but also in the acts of the Nicene Synod, as the Adscensio, or the Assumptio, of Moses. It is of considerable importance to the Biblical critic, as having a bearing on the judgment that may be formed regarding the Epistle of Jude and the second Epistle of Peter of our New Testament canon."

"As might have been supposed, so interesting a fragment drew toward it, as soon as it appeared, the attention of several men of note in Germany. These vied with each other in their endeavours partly to remove the difficulties of the hand-writing, partly to fill up the blanks which were found in it, and partly to explain the import of the text thus restored. We particularly make thankful recognition of the able performances in this direction of these two learned men who had already distinguished themselves by their labours in kindred departments of scientific pursuit, viz., Professor Hilgenfeld of Jena, and Professor Volkmar of Zurich."

The work of Dr Hilgenfeld, referred to by Rönsch, was published in 1866. It appeared as an appendix to his edition of the Letters of Clemens Romanus, under the title of "Mosis Assumptionis quae supersunt primum edita et illustrata." Volkmar's work was published last year. It is entitled "The Prophecy and the Ascension of Moses."

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It is a translation of the Fragment into the German language, with at facsimile of the codex and the chronological table. Rönsch uses Volkmar's edition in the remarks he makes on the subject. His paper is a contribution towards the clearing up of certain difficulties in the language of this remarkable document. The peculiar construction of sentences, and the government of words found in it,-such e.g. as in the phrases" sine quærellam," "palam omnem plebem," &c., &c.,— he accounts for by referring them to the forms of expression then in use among the people of Italy and of the provinces, who hesitated not to violate the rules of grammar observed by the classical writers. The article shews wonderful research, and a great breadth of observation. It contains an immense mass of verbal parallelisms, from many sources, intended to illustrate the remarkable usage of words and expressions found in this ancient manuscript.

Theologische Studien und Kritiken. Jahrgang. 1868. Zweites Heft.

In this old and well-known quarterly journal of theological literature, there is always a good supply of valuable and ably written articles. This part contains (1.) an elaborate article on "Justification by Faith," by Dr C. J. Riggenbach, Professor in the Swiss University of Basel, who is already favourably known as the author of "Die Mosaische Stiftshütte (the Mosaic Tabernacle), a second edition of which was published last year, and "Die Zeugnisse für das Evangelium Johannes," which contains a comprehensive and lucid statement of the evidences in favour of the genuineness of the Gospel of John. In the article before us Riggenbach says, "The doctrine of Justification by Faith, which was, in the time of the Reformation, one of the chief points of severance between the two confessions, and by Luther was designated Articulus Stantis et cadentis ecclesiæ,' and was regarded by the reformers generally as the very palladium of Christianity, has been defended since the time of the reign of Rationalism not always in the old way. Many protestants have, in their advocacy of it, approached the popish form of the doctrine; yea, even men who have hitherto stood forth as the zealous representatives of the church doctrine, have occasionally uttered expressions which would have been sternly repudiated in the time of ecclesiastical strictness. Even Hengstenberg, in his discourse on the Epistle of James (Evang. Kirchen-Zeitung, Nov. 1866), has, with many excellent remarks, recorded opinions which scarcely agree with the old protestant church doctrine."

"What, however, has at present induced us to direct attention to the doctrine in question is, the highly important contribution on this subject by Romang in the Studien und Kritiken, I. and II., 1867. It is interesting, in treating this subject, to compare him with Döllinger, who has discussed the same question in his great work, Christenthum und Kirche in der Zeit der Grundlegung' (1860). Here we meet with a Roman Catholic, with whom the polemic against Protestantism passes quite into the background, because he writes altogether as a biblical theologian. While in some things he shews the