resolving the whole into some morbid physical or mental affection, is to adopt a principle of interpretation which must jeopard all sound theology, and every description of historical facts.

Such distinction is made in the following passages: Matt. iv, 23, 24; viii, 16; Mark i, 32, 34; Luke vii, 21; Acts x, 38. In these passages we have examples of general allusion to the labours and miracles of Christ. Thus, in Matt. iv, 24, not only is the distinction clearly made between possessions and other affections, but different diseases are distinguished from each other: "And they brought unto him all sick people that were taken with divers diseases and torments, and those which were possessed with devils,δαιμονιζομένους,—and those which were lunatic,σεληνιαζομένους, -and that had the palsy; and he healed them." In Luke vii, 21, evil spirits, TVεúμата поνηρá, are distinguished from infirmities, plagues, and blindness, a distinction not without design. In Matt. ix, 32; xii, 22; and Luke xi, 14, dispossessions of demoniacs are recorded with no reference to disease of any kind, which makes the distinction, if possible, still more marked and palpable.

The demoniacs at Gadara furnish an example in which sober interpretation puts at defiance all attempts at reconciliation to the theory opposed to real possession, recorded Matt. viii, 28; Mark v, 1-13; Luke viii, 26-33. Here observe, the demon is addressed as a personal, intelligent agent, answering Christ's interrogation, giving his own name, and his reasons for assuming it; and making a request, involving deprecation and petition, showing knowledge, discrimination, and choice. As soon as the desired permission to enter the swine was granted, the whole herd evinced the influence of a presence and power inducing acts not explicable on any known principles of mere philosophy; but all perfectly consistent with the doctrine of real possession. Because the advocates of the opposite doctrine can account for the destruction of the swine only by assuming that one of the demoniacs-a raving madman, according to the assumption-ran in among them, and frightened them over the precipice into the sea. But how unnatural and forced is this hypothesis, which is manifestly lugged in to clear up the difficulty. For had these animals been in a state of forest wildness, the hypothesis might claim more plausibility; but it is groundless, from the fact, that they were in charge of keepers,-consequently, accustomed to the presence of men among them. In short, viewed as a real possession, all is simple, natural, probable; explained on the opposite theory, all is gratuitous, unnatural, and forced.

The case of the Jewish exorcists at Ephesus, is also exactly in

point; but for want of space we pass it over, especially as it is referred to in another connexion.

The case of the Pythoness at Philippi, (Acts xvi, 16,) deserves to be specially considered. Precisely what sort of affection this person had, cannot be determined with certainty by referring to the etymology of the word vowv. It is defined by Scapula, following Suidas and Hesychius, dæmonium, cujus afflatu futura prædicebant. It is probable that this damsel, or female slave, (as πaudiokn often means,) practised a species of fortune-telling, to the pecuniary advantage of her owner. Several points in the case deserve notice. How could this capacity for soothsaying result either from insanity or bodily disease? And if there were no real possession, how could Luke describe what occurred in such language as this? Verse 18: "But Paul, being grieved, turned, and said to the spirit, -πVEÚμATI,-I command thee in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her." Is there not good reason to believe that Luke uses the word vεvμa, spirit, here in the same sense that he does the phrase πνεйμа daιpovíοv ȧкaðáρтov, spirit of an unclean devil, in his Gospel, iv, 33? Of the result which followed, we need not stay to speak. But who can believe that either Paul or Luke would have committed such a play upon words in simply healing a mental or physical disease? Nothing of this appears when the former performed cures upon Publius and others in the Island of Melita, as recorded by the same historian. Who can doubt, therefore, that there was as much difference in the nature of the two cases as there is in the description the inspired historian has given of them? To suppose there is not, is to apply to the simplest narrative a principle of interpretation at once the most arbitrary and licentious, which would make the facts recorded in sacred history mean one thing or another, according to the prevailing freak or fancy of the reader.

Finally. To every firm believer in the Bible there is indescribable satisfaction in the assurance, not only that it rests upon an immovable basis, but that its Divine authenticity is only the more evinced when it passes anew through the scrutiny of thorough investigation connected with sound and sober criticism.

ART. IV. ANCIENT ENCLOSURES AND MOUNDS OF THE

WEST.

Ancient Monuments of the Mississippi Valley. By E. G. SQUIER, A. M. and E. H. DAVIS, M. D. Forming Vol. I. of the Smithsonian Contributions to Knowledge. 4to., pp. 306. New-York: G. P. Putnam. 1848.

[As the work named at the head of this article is the first fruit of the Smithsonian Institution, a brief account of the origin of that institution, and of its operations up to the present time, will fitly precede our examination of the book.

JAMES SMITHSON, of England, left his property in trust to the United States of America, to found at Washington an institution which should bear his own name, and have for its objects "the increase and diffusion of knowledge among men." This trust was accepted by the government of the United States, and an Act of Congress was passed August 10, 1846, constituting the President and the other principal executive officers of the general government, the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, the Mayor of Washington, and such other persons as they might elect honorary members, an establishment, under the name of the "SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION, FOR THE INCREASE AND DIFFUSION OF KNOWLEDGE among men." The financial and general control of the Institution was intrusted to a Board of Regents, consisting of the Vice President of the United States, the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, and the Mayor of Washington, together with twelve other members, three of whom are appointed by the Senate from its own body, three by the House of Representatives from its members, and six citizens appointed by a joint resolution of both Houses. To this board was given the power of electing a Secretary and other officers, for conducting the active operations of the Institution; and the whole country ratified their choice, subsequently made, of Professor JOSEPH HENRY, of Princeton College, as Secretary, and of Mr. C. C. JEWETT, of Brown University, as Assistant Secretary and Librarian. We do not detract at all from the value of the counsels and services of the Board of Regents, in saying that the comprehensive plan on which the Institution has been organized, and the success with which it has thus far been executed, are mainly due to Professor Henry. And no one can fail to recognize in Mr. Jewett's report and suggestions relative to the library, the fruits of long devotion to bibliography, and of practical experience in the ill-understood art of collecting and arranging books. From the Reports of these officers most of the statements here given are condensed.

The Act of Congress establishing the Institution, directed, as a part of the plan of organization, the formation of a Library, a Museum, and a Gallery of Art, together with provisions for physical research and popular lectures. To secure these ends, as well as the general objects of the Institution, a building was necessary. We confess that our fears were strong, in the outset, that the Smithsonian money might be absorbed, as so much of Girard's had been, in a costly erection to adorn the City of Washington, leaving the main designs of the

Will to be accomplished, if at all, only after the lapse of many years. But we have to record, on the contrary, a most wise and sagacious employment of the fund-on a plan proposed, we believe, by Professor A. D. BACHE, the present able Superintendent of the Coast Survey-in such a way that a noble building will be erected, and yet the original fund will remain almost intact. The whole amount of the bequest received into the United States Treasury, was $515,169; the interest was, up to 1st July, 1846, $242,129, making in all $757,298. The Regents resolved that the expense of the building and grounds should not exceed $250,000; and, by dividing this expenditure through five years, keeping the unemployed part of the appropriation meanwhile invested, they expect to complete the whole without withdrawing more than $100,000 from the amount of accruing interest mentioned above, thus leaving $142,000 to be added to the original bequest. The annual income of the Institution will then be about $40,000 per annum. The building is now more than half finished,—and it will probably be completed before the expiration of the contract, March, 1852.

As above stated, the aim of Smithson's bequest, as stated in the will, embraces two objects, viz., the increase and 'the diffusion of knowledge among men. The Plan of the Regents for the accomplishment of this two-fold purpose, embraces four distinct features.

1st. The publication of original memoirs (or Contributions) on all branches of knowledge, in a series of quarto volumes; 2d. The institution of original researches under the direction of competent persons; 3d. The publication of a series of reports from year to year, giving an account of the progress of the different branches of knowledge; and, 4th. The formation of a library, and a museum of objects of nature and art. All these are in active operation.

The first volume of the Contributions is the great work of Squier and Davis, now before us, which has been distributed gratuitously among the various colleges and public libraries in the United States, and the learned societies of the world. The law of distribution is narrow; as we have found, on application, that it would not embrace the library established at the Methodist Book-Concern for the use of the editors of our Church Journals, through whom as large a diffusion of the substance of the works issued by the Institute could be secured, perhaps, as by almost any single agency within the reach of the officers of the Institute. We do not mention this by way of complaint, for we have received nothing but courtesy at the hands of Professor Henry, through whose kindness we have been allowed the use of most of the wood-cuts employed in the illustration of the article below. Such large and expensive works cannot be very freely given away. We are glad to see, from the last Report, that a cheap edition of Squier and Davis's work is contemplated. The Institute could make no more acceptable present to the general public.

What has been done in aiding Original Researches is thus summed up:"The institution has assisted Lieutenant Gilliss in procuring instruments to be used in his expedition to Chili, and has caused to be computed, published, and distributed to astronomers, a set of occultations of fixed stars during the year 1850, for the scientific exploring parties and others. It has supplied magnetic instruments to the Mexican boundary survey. It has in preparation a Circu

lar, to be issued to engineers and other suitable persons, requesting them to transmit to the Institution statistics of railway and canal explorations, measurements of heights, geological sections, &c. It has sent letters to different individuals, and various historical societies, asking them to assist in collecting information on the ancient monuments of North America. It has assisted explorers in New-Mexico and California in collecting Natural History and Botany, by subscribing for the specimens brought home by them, and in purchasing collections made in other parts of the United States; and has established an extended system of meteorological observations, reaching from the Atlantic to the Pacific, now comprehending one hundred and fifty stations, from which returns are regularly received, and which, by the acts of the States of NewYork, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, with observations made at the military posts and naval stations, will probably comprise three hundred observations. Instruments are likewise to be furnished for offices of the telegraph lines, from which returns once a day are to be transmitted to the Institution and it has aided its own observers to supply themselves with instruments, by having a large number constructed in a very superior manner, and selling them at about half cost."

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In the third branch of the Plan, viz., the publication of reports showing the progress of the various branches of human knowledge, nothing has yet been laid before the public. But the first part of a report on Forest-trees of America, divested of technicalities, so as to adapt it to popular as well as scientific use, and containing all the recent discoveries, with much original matter, by Professor A. Gray, of Cambridge, Mass., will be published in a few months. A report on Meteorological Instruments, by Professor Guyot, and one on Recent Discoveries in Astronomy, by Dr. B. A. Gould, of Cambridge, Mass., are ready for the press. Also, a report on Agricultural Chemistry, by Dr. Lewis C. Beck, of New-Jersey. We regard this third feature of the plan as the one best adapted to secure the confidence of the mass of our people in the administration of the Institute. But, to accomplish this, the reports must be published at cheap rates, and kept for sale at places accessible to the public. We hope, before many years, to see a "Bookseller for the Smithsonian Institution" at every large city and town in the land.

The library is yet in an incipient state. If Professor Jewett's able plans be carried out, the time will come (though it cannot be soon) when the student can find in Washington, what is not now to be found in this country—a tolerably complete repository of bibliography. And this, in itself, would be a vast library.

A series of popular lectures in the Smithsonian building is now going on-a sort of appendage to the plans of the Institution, rather than a natural part of its organization. They may aid, it is true, in conciliating or enlightening such members of Congress as cannot otherwise be brought to understand the value of the Institution; we do not see on what other ground they can well be justified.

Our outline is necessarily bald and brief. But it contains a statement of facts, of which neither the managers and officers of the Smithsonian Institution, nor the American public, have any reason to be ashamed. The aim