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cellent men, on whom I actually wished to bestow that benefice, and who would have done honour to my choice; but, though distinguished by considerable talents and learning, they did not happen to possess those peculiar qualifications, by which alone the great objects I had in view could be accomplished; namely, a profound and critical knowledge of almost all the languages, countries, manners, and customs of the East, which Mr. Usko had better opportunities of acquiring than any man in this, or perhaps any other country. More particularly, his local situation at Smyrna gave him advantages towards becoming a most able critic on some parts of the sacred writings, which no other man in this kingdom could boast of. He lived twenty-two years at Smyrna, in the very midst of that country, where the apostles and their immediate successors preached the gospel. He lived in that city, where the illustrious saint and martyr Polycarp, the disciple of St. John, was appointed bishop by the apostles themselves; where he continued for a long course of years, wrote several excellent epistles to different churches, and was at last a martyr to his religion. Mr. Usko made the best use of so desirable a situation. He visited, and examined with care, all the seven churches, to which St. John addressed himself in the Revelations. He has written a short account of them, which strongly confirms St. John's predictions concerning them; and when he has a little leisure he will, I hope, be prevailed upon to revise, and enlarge his manuscript, and give it to the public, as it may tend to explain and clear up many obscure and difficult passages in that part of the Apocalypse of St. John, to which the attention of the public has been of late a good deal directed.

For all these reasons, Mr. Usko appeared to me the fittest person for me to engage, by a liberal and handsome settlement in this country, to devote all his time, all his talents, and all his uncommon skill in languages, both Asiatic and European, to such works as these, which he has promised me to do, and I am confident he will be as good as his word.

And, as I had already provided for near one hundred clergymen of my own diocese, had given no less than 4000l. a year in preferment to indigent curates, and incumbents, and had rewarded some men of pre-eminent merit by placing them in

the most distinguished stations, and giving them revenues far beyond that of Mr. Usko, I flattered myself that I might take the liberty of indulging myself by going, for once, a little out of the common track, and promoting a most learned foreigner, who appeared to me eminently qualified to render very essential service to the cause of literature and religion.

I am, dear Sir, very sincerely yours,

B. LONDON.

Copy of a Letter from the Rev. Mr. PALMER, Fellow of St. John's College, Cambridge, and Professor of Arabic, in that University, to the Rev. Mr. POTCHETT, Chaplain to the Lord Bishop of London.

Cambridge, Nov. 25, [1807.] Dear Sir,---I became acquainted with the Rev. Mr. Usko, shortly after my arrival in Smyrna, toward the close of the year 1805, and from that period to the present, have had ample opportunities of informing myself concerning his character. His literary attainments in whatever parts of science immediately connected with the duties of his profession, are highly respectable. Of languages, as well Asiatic as European, his knowledge far surpasses that of any one whom I have known either in this country or in the Levant; in the Arabic especially, where if in any Eastern language I may presume to measure his abilities, he possesses a singular facility both of reading and speaking. Mr. Usko's moral qualities and habits of attention no less to the instruction of youth than to his clerical duties, had acquired the general esteem of the factory: in proof whereof, it would be easy to refer to many Smyrna merchants now resident in London.

I shall not object to any application of this testimony, which may prove serviceable to Mr. Usko.

I am, dear Sir, your obedient servant,

J. PALMER.

A Certificate from the Levant Company.

We the underwritten merchants, members of the Levant Company, do hereby certify, that we are well acquainted with the Rev. John F. Usko, for whom we entertain sentiments of the sincerest friendship and respect, inspired by his amiable

character, the purity of his manners, and the integrity of his heart, and every quality which adorns the profession he belongs to; that he has filled the place of chaplain to the British Factory at Smyrna, in a manner highly satisfactory to that factory, and to the Levant Company; that previous to his nomination to that place, he travelled in different parts of the Turkish empire, in Arabia, and Persia, with a view of perfecting himself in the Turkish, Arabic, and Persian languages, of which he already possessed a competent knowledge, having studied them at the university of Koningsberg: in consequence of which, his Majesty the King of Prussia had promoted him to a professorship of oriental languages at that university, on his going to the Levant.

(Signed) JACOB BOSANQUET, Deputy Governor. J. GREEN, Treasurer. Signed also by nineteen gentlemen, assistants; and by thirty gentlemen, members of the Company.---London, 1st November, 1807.

REV. D. MATHIAS, M. A. presented to the rectory of St. Mary, Whitechapel, in the county of Middlesex.

REV. THOMAS THIRLWALL, M. A. Minister of Tavistock chapel, Broad-court, Long-acre, and lecturer of St. Dunstan, Stepney, appointed domestic chaplain to the Bishop of Dro

more.

The REV. SIR ROBERT PEAT, D. D. instituted to the vicarage of New Brentford, county of Middlesex.

BISHOP OF LONDON'S ADDRESS TO THE CLERGY OF HIS

DIOCESE.

Dated Fulham House, November 23, 1808.

Rev. Sir,---Having obtained a copy of the following resolutions, which have been lately entered into by all the most respectable inhabitants of Windsor, they appeared to me so well calculated to promote the great object they have in view, (namely, the suppression of those gross profanations of the Lord's Day, which are now most prevalent and most obnoxious;) that I thought I could not do a more material service

to the inhabitants of my diocese, than by requesting the clergy to promote similar resolutions in their respective parishes, wherever the same profanations or any other flagrant violations of the Lord's Day have taken place. I hope, therefore, you will have the goodness to exert yourself with zeal in the accomplishment of this most laudable purpose; and am, Rev. Sir, your affectionate brother,

B. LONDON.

Resolutions of a Meeting for promoting a due Observance of the Sabbath.

At a general meeting of the inhabitants of the town and castle of Windsor, held at the Guildhall, on Tuesday the 26th of April, 1808, for the purpose of adopting such resolutions as should be thought most effectual for promoting the better observance of the Sabbath, within the borough and its neighbourhood;---James Egelstone, Esq. mayor, in the chair:

Resolved, That the practice of opening shops, or otherwise exercising trades or callings on Sundays; the delivery of goods by the common carriers; and the admission of persons into public-houses and suffering tippling therein, during divine service; are gross breaches of the Sabbath, and tend greatly to the corruption of morals and the increase of dissipation.

Resolved, That the persons present at this meeting do hereby pledge themselves to discountenance such practices; and that they will not apply or send to any shop whatsoever, for goods, provisions, or any other article, on Sunday, nor suffer their servants or any of their respective families so to do; and they do recommend to the inhabitants generally to conform to this resolution.

Resolved, That this meeting do recommend to the several trades-people of this town and neighbourhood to keep their shops close shut during the whole day of every Sunday, (except where it may be unavoidably necessary for light, and in that case to remove all appearance of exposing goods for sale from the windows,) and not to sell any thing except in cases of absolute necessity, nor to permit the carriers to deliver goods at their respective houses during the day.

Resolved, That it be recommended to all persons who employ workmen, labourers, and others, weekly, to pay all such

their wages in sufficient time to preclude the necessity of their purchasing provisions, or other necessaries on a Sunday.

Resolved, That these resolutions be signed, and copies thereof be printed, together with extracts from the several acts of parliament, relative to the due observance of the Lord's day, and circulated throughout this town and neighbourhood.

Resolved, That the thanks of this meeting be given to the mayor, who proposed the above resolutions for promoting good order and due observance of the Sabbath day.

A committee to carry the above into effect was formed, consisting of the mayor, justice, town clerk, the magistrates of the counties of Berks and Bucks, (acting in the adjoining parishes) the dean and canons of Windsor, the provost and fellows of Eton, the vicars of New and Old Windsor, the ministers of Clewer, &c. &c.

The following letter was addressed in the month of January, 1808, by the Bishop of London, to the Governors, Legislatures, and Proprietors of Plantations in the British West India Islands.

Gentlemen, The official connection which I have with the British West India Islands, and the ecclesiastical superintendance which to a certain degree my predecessors and myself have for a considerable length of time exercised over them, has always given me a lively interest in their spiritual welfare, and an earnest desire and endeavour to promote it, as far as the vast distance between those islands and this country would -admit. But among the various classes of their inhabitants, my attention has been more particularly directed to that which is by far the most numerous of them all, and constitutes the great mass of people in all our islands; I mean the Negro slaves employed in the cultivation of the lands possessed by the West India planters, whether resident on their plantations or in this kingdom. On these my thoughts have been anxiously employed for upwards of twenty years, and I have omitted no convenient opportunity of publickly expressing my sentiments concerning their situation, the necessity of improving it, and the mode in which that melioration of their condition might and ought to be carried into effect. Almost VOL. L

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