or his friend.
" Kirby Hall, 24th August, 1813.
" My dear Sir,
" I was not a little pleased to hear of your proposed voy-
•^ age to the Mediterranean, both on account of your own
<^ health, and of the advantage which I doubt not will accrue
" to the Christian public. You will have opportunities of
" learning how far, and to what extent, the distribution of
<^ the Bible may be practicable, and what other steps we may
«< take in regard to the translation of the Scriptures and of
« tracts, and to the disposition of missionaries in those re-
*< gions. It is wonderful that the places consecrated by the
*' travels and labours of the Apostle Paul, should be yet left
" in darkness, unexplored. If your health improve under
•< that genial climate, I do not wish to see you home soon.
*^ My own health continues to amend. It is now seven
•« weeks since I lost blood, the longest interval since my first
<* illness.
'' Lord and Lady L and family are now with me.
<< They are the zealous promoters of religious institutions in
" Ireland, and are returning provided with new books,
«« tracts, and arguments. They consider five at least of
" their bishops as being enrolled in the cause. I have peti-
« tioned for two of them to countenance the Homily Society.
^« If I should have no return of illness, I have thoughts of
^« going up to town about the end of autumn, and propose in
66 that case to call at Mr. Babington's and Mr. Kemp-
" thorne's in my way. But by that time I presume you will
6i be on the foamy deep. Wherever you are, I pray that a
« blessing may be upon you till the end of your pilgrimage ;
" and remain,
<^ My dear Sir,
. 66 Very sincerely youi's,
66 C. Buchanan.''
DR. BUCHANA.N. 497
" Kirby Hall, 2d September, 1813.
*' My dear Sir,
" I have been favoured with your letter, informing me
<< that your voyage to the Mediterranean is just at hand.
" There are several important objects of research, which the
*• course of your route will enable you probably to attend to;
<* a few of which I shall mention, according to your desire.
" 1. We hardly know any thing of the state of Christiani-
" ty on the African coast, where it flourished in purity in
<« the third and fourth centuries. Hippo, of which Augus-
*• tine was Bishop, was the fountain-head. It is close to
" Carthage, (where the Christian Council was held,) and
<« Utica, and Tunis ; all which places are not much more
*< than one hundred miles from the Sardinian and Sicilian
" coast. Your message to the Christians will be, that they
<* may have copies of the Scriptures from Malta or England,
" if they choose to apply for them.
«< 2. The Jews inhabit almost every town on the African
"shore. The Hebrew Testament will be soon ready for
" them.
" 3. The island of Cyprus is a grand field for Christian
" investigation at this era. < The greater part of the inha-
*< bitants are Greek Christians. Besides a multitude of
« Armenians, tliere are here a great many Maronitest' or
«^ Syrian Christians. This is the account of the Abbe Ma-
" riti. He adds, « The Latins are far from being so nqme-
<^ rous, and consist only of Europeans, and the brotherhood
'« of St. Francis, known throughout the Levant under the
" name of the Fathers of the Holy Land.' — * There are very
" few English here ; and it is doubtless for this reason that
" they have neither a church or chapel, nor a minister of
« their religion. Should they happen to multiply, they will
« probably endeavour to procure all these things*\ This is
«< from an Italian priest ! I trust you will be able to shew
<«us how we may < procure all these things.'
. a Mariti, vol. i. p. 8,
K 3
^98 MEMOIRS OF
'<You may tell the Greek Christians, that the Greek
•* Testament, is ready for them ; and the Syrian Christians,
<« that the Syriac Testament will be soon ready for them.
*< I go up to London, God willing, to superintend the print-
*< ing of it, and of a Syriac Grammar and Lexicon at the
*< same time.
**4. It is said that two-thirds of the inhabitants of Euro-
'< pean Turkey are of the Greek, Syriac, Armenian, and
•< Latin Church. A continual subject of inquiry will there-
*< fore be, how many of these denominations respectively
*< live in any particular place, and how many copies of the
•* Greek, Syriac, Armenian, (the Bible Society** has not
»< thought of the Armenian yet,) and Latin copies of the
« Scriptures, including the French and Italian, may be re-
« quired as a primary supply ? Parcels may be sent at a
" venture.
*< 5. An accurate enumeration of the churches (buildings) is
" important, throughout every mile of your route, beginning
« with Lisbon, Cadiz, and Gibraltar. A cluirch is an ob-
<* ject of correspondence, if we know only how to address
" the priest in the language of his place.
«< I consider you to be the fittest man in Great Britain to
« go upon a voyage of Christian discovery.
« 1 hope to avail myself of Mr. and Mrs. Babington's
« kind invitation, and to stay with them two days in my
•< journey up to London. I cannot say how soon I shall be
« able to set out. Again I follow you with my best wishes ;
*< and remain,
*< My dear Sir,
" Sincerely yours,
** C. Buchanan.'^
Dr. Buchanan appears to have left Kirby Hall towards
the end of October. One of his first visits was to his friend
and relative the Rev. J. Kempthorne, at Claybrook, in Lei-
b Armenian Bibles and Testaments have since been printed by the ThcodosiaR
Branch of the Russian Bible Sociefv.
DR. BUCHANAN. 499
cestershire ; the foUowini^ account of which hy that gentle-
man cannot but be interesting to tlie reader.
«« The last time," says Mr. Kempthorne, "that he visit-
« ed us, which was in his way to Cambridge, 1 thought him
" eminently dead to the world, and, as it were, absorbed in
" heavenly things. His deep domestic afflictions seemed to
"have been greatly sanctified to him. He appeared to
" w atch for every opportunity of seasoning our ordinary
" discourse with the salt of religion. When we were speak-
<«ing of Carey's Atlas, he took occasion to refer, in a
" solemn and affecting manner, to the map of the heavenly
" city, which St. John has given us in the Revelation.
" When I spoke of Bonaparte's late astonishing overthrow,
« he heard it with compai-ative indifference, and soon ad-
" verted to the importance of the conversion of the soul to
" God, as involving consequences of greater moment than
" the fall of emperors and the revolutions of the greatest
" states.
" After our family prayer, he with much kindness and
" wisdom made some observations on my manner of cx-
" pounding the Scripture ; and after he left me, he called
" on a common friend, and faithfully expressed his fears
" respecting the safety of his spiritual state.
" Yet I have heard a piously disposed person, who saw
<< more of his domestic habits, regret, that his conversation,
" which was highly edifying, w hen he was called forth by
" pious visitors, was not more frequently and decidedly spir-
^'itual in his own family circle.
" With what exquisite sensibility of conscience does he
" himself lament this in his private reflections after his
^« second wife's most distressing removal from him !"
On the 3d of November, Dr. Buchanan wrote to one of
his friends from Cambridge as follows. The remark in this
letter respecting a motto which he had assumed, shews his
readiness to receive any suggestion respecting his conduct,
even on slight and unimportant matters.
*« I have been favoured with your kind letter. I liad
" lieard of the ninth babe at Rothley. May tha dew of
500 MEMOIRS OF
** "od's blessing descend on your increasing family, and
" make you all heirs of glory !
'* As soon as I had read your observations on the motto,
** I sent for a carriage-painter, and erased it. We have
<« had it nearly four years, and 1 never heard a word con-
" cerning its peculiarity.
** I have experienced very general and more than ordi-
*« nary civilities from the members of the University,
** particularly from the Bishop of Bristol. His Lordship
" introduced me to his family, as the man from whose books
•< he and they had derived much instruction. He and Lord
" Hardwicke were sitting together at Trinity Lodge when
<* I called, reading my letter to the Court of Directors res-
" pecting Mr. Bulier, not knowing that the Apology had
<• been published si)jc% It seems the book has been so
<* little advertised, that Dr. Jowett had not heard of it till
^* the review in the last Christian Observer appeared*
"There is not a single copy of it, or of the Colonial Estab-
"lishment, at a bookseller's in Cambridge. The Bishop
" and his friends partake of the spirit which animates you
« concerning Juggernaut.
*< I expect to be in London soon, when I hope to have the
*« pleasure of seeing you. Your last letter proves that you
♦< are as desirous I should be without spot as yourself.'*
Dr. Buchanan appears to have stayed about ten days at
Cambridge, and then to have proceeded to London, where
he was chiefly occupied in his preparations for the Syriac
New Testament. During his stay in town, he wrote the
following letter to his daughters.
"22d Nov. 1813.
<* My dear Charlotte and Augusta,
<* I return you many thanks for your letter. I am happy
« to hear that you are both in good health ; and I doubt
" not you are both making a due proficiency in your studies.
<* I am very much pleased, Charlotte, with your proposal
<< to give five shillings to the West Indian Mission, which I
•<* shall do when I find the treasurer of the Society.
DR. BUCHANAN. 501
« I sympathize with you, Augusta, on the death of tlie
*« pretty bird, Cherry, But our grief is in vain. Its spirit
« will never return. But when Augusta's spirit takes the
♦< wing, it will live for ever ; and those who loved her on
« earth will once more love her in heaven, if she and they
<« prove worthy of eternal life. Cherry, it seems, was sing-
*' ing a few minutes before its death. So, oftentimes, does
" the Christian sing and exult in spirit at the thought of
<« putting off the veil of flesh, and entering on the confines
*< of immortality. May you and Charlotte, after you have
i* accomplished God's will on earth, be enabled to sing your
<^ dying hymns !
" I may probably send your work-boxes, together with
" your Virgils, by the coach to Borobridge, before I return
" myself.
«* Remember me kindly to Augusta; and believe me to
" be, my dear Charlotte,
<« Your affectionate Father,
" C. Buchanan."
In December, Dr. Buchanan returned to Cambridge,
where he was diligently employed, not only in the learned
work which he had undertaken, but in preparing an Ad-
dress, the occasion of which will be shortly stated. Of this,
and, as it proved, his last visit to the University, his
friend Colonel Sandys, who came from Cornwall to meet
him, gives the following brief but edifying account.
«< I found my friend the most interesting Christian,
" while residing in the tower of Erasmus, at Queen's coi-*
•< lege, the winter before last ; where I passed my even-
"ings with him while busily employed on the Syriac
<< version.
« Here the learned divine was, as it were, absorbed in
*« the humble follower of the Lord Jesus Christ ; and here
•< he disclosed to me those views of his faith, which I found
<< beneficial to my own soul. His whole dependence was
*< upon Christ, for wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and
•* redemption !"
50S MEMOIRS OF
The Dean of Carlisle speaking of the same period thus
observes.
** I saw a good deal of him during the last months of his
«^ residence at Queen's college ; at which time his constitu-
<« tion appeared to have suffered exceedingly ; yet not so
*< mucli as to induce one to predict a speedy dissolution.
<'He was to the very last most indefatigable in his inqui-
« ries after eastern knowledge.
<« You know how very entertaining and instructive he
*< has made the printed reports of his travels and interviews
"with extraordinary persons: 1 had the good fortune to
<« hear many of the same things from his own mouth."
From Cambridge Dr. Buchanan wrote to his eldest
daughter as follows.
« Queen's College, 3lst Dec. ISIS.
^« My dear Charlotte,
*' I am extremely concerned to hear of this accident to
« Mrs. Thompson, and accompanied with pain too. Tell
^« her I truly sympathize with her. But, when we consider
" it in another point of view, we must not call it an accident,
« which you know means literally that which falls out by
<« chance ; fur nothing comes from God by chance. We
<« must view it as an evil permitted for some great good.
" I am pleased to see your assiduity during her confinement.
<« I am also pleased, my dear Charlotte, that you have pre-
« sented yourself at the table of the Lord. Your emotion
« on that occasion was very natural. I trust you will hence-
«< forward reap the spiritual fruits, and proceed in the way
« of the Lord rejoicing.
<« I bog you will present to your grandpapa and grand-
« mamma, Augusta, and all the family, my affectionate con-
« gratulations on the new year.
•« I pray that it may be a year of temporal and spiritual
<< blessing to you all.
^< I do not go forth to visits yet, as the Charge I am com-
« posing is not finished. I must send it to London on Tues-
««day next.
DR. BUCHANAN. 503
« I fully enter into your feelings on your first alarm, lest
•« Mrs. T. should have been taken from you. But you see
<« she is yet spared to you ; for althougli you are not her na-
" tural daughter, 1 hope you maintain and pray for a higher
*< relation. There is nothing durable and eternal but that
" union which is from Christ. Friendship, or relationship
'* by blood, except growing on this foundation, will soon die.
" I remain,
'' My dear Charlotte,
" Your affectionate Father,
<' C. Buchanan."
The employment which divided the time and attention of
Dr. Buchanan with Syriac, during his residence at Cam-
bridge, was the composition of a Charge, to be delivered,
at the request of the Church Mission Society, to the Rev.
Messrs. Greenwood and Norton, clergymen of the Establish-
ed Church, proceeding as missionaries to the island of Cey-
lon ; and to the Rev. Messrs. Schnarre and Rhenius, minis-
ters of the German Lutheran Church, proceeding in the
same sacred character to the coast of Coromandel.
The readiness with which the Court of Directors of the
East India Company granted the requisite license to these
pious men to proceed to the objects of their destination, was
a proof of the benefits resulting from the late solemn legisla-
tive recognition of the duty of Great Britain with respect to
the diffusion of Christianity in its eastern empire; and the
selection of Dr. Buchanan to address these oriental mission-
aries was equally judicious and appropriate.
The rapidity with whicli this admirable Charge to them
was composed, and the various information and important
advice which it contained, proved the vigour of its author's
understanding and judgment; while the pure and fervent
piety which breathes in every page manifests the maturity
of the advanced Christian.
The Charge itself comprises an exposition of that with
which our Lord s<Mit forth his Apostles to preach the Gospel.
It forms, in fact, a manual of sound wisdom and instruction:
504. MEMOIRS OF
and deserves to be frequently perused and thoroughly di-
gested by every one who aspires to the character and office
of a missionary. Like the former productions of Dr. Bu-
chanan, this address contains much important and interest-
ing information; and, though primarily intended for the
missionary, may be read with much advantage by every
minister of the Gospel, and by every private Christian.
The following extracts will afford a brief specimen of the
spirit and tendency of the whole.
Speaking of the periodical accounts which the missiona-
ries would be expected to give of their labours. Dr. Buchan-
an introduced the following important caution.
<« Let every page which you write be consecrated by sa-
" cred truth. Beware of that powerful self-deception, whose
«« operation is sometimes commensurate with a man's zeal
" for his object, which leads him to deceive for God's sake,
<^ and to do partial evil, under the hope and plea that great
« good may come. If you would keep at a remote distance
<« from such a temptation, avoid amplification and embeliish-
'i ment in what makes for the credit and honour of your
" personal labours, or of those of your fellow-missionaries.
<« Like great generals, who recount their victories in few
«^ words, let a modesty of description characterize your spi-
*< ritual trophies."
After pointing out in a faithful and striking manner the
various ways in which a minister, whether at home or
abroad, may deny Christ, Dr. Buchanan thus continued.
" My brethren, you may preach to the Hindoos, and say,
" ' Repent, and be converted ;' while, at the same time, in-
•« dolence, or avarice, or sensual passion, seizes your own
« souls, and you are quite indifferent about their repentance
<< or conversion, except as it adds to your own interest, or
ii the fame of your mission.
« Some who have preceded you, and have been solemnly
« designated to the sacred work, have fallen away. They
«« declined from sound doctrine, or they were seduced from
" pureness of living; and, instead of doing the work of an
DR. BUCHANAN. 505
^< Evans^elist, they have lived an useless burthen on the so-
" ciet} which supjmried tliem.
<^ I mention these thin,^s to warn you. But I have more
« pleasure in directing your view to other servants of
^« Christ, whose brii^ht example has illumined the East, —
*< who have been patterns of faith, diligence, prudence, and
«< fortitude. From the ministers of the two Churches to
<' which you respectively belong, I shall select two illustri-
« oils characters, who have left a great example for them
" that follow. I mean the venerable Swartz, of the Luther-
« an Church, and the late Rev. David Brown, of the Church
*' of England. These men did not deny Christ. They did
** not love father or mother more than Christ. They took
« up their cross, and followed Christ. If you knew, as well
<< as I do, the conflicts which they were called upon to sus-
" tain in the East, you would see how fitly the w^ords of our
<« Lord might be applied to them : * Behold, 1 send you forth
•* as lambs among wolves. But, beware of men.' If you
*< knew, again, the conjoined wisdom and innocence which
«« they manifested in these conflicts, you would acknowledge
" that they studied to obey our Lord's admonition ; ^ Be ye
" wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.' The character
« of both was marked by an extraordinary liberality of sen-
s' timent in regard to the diff'erences in religious profession ;
« a liberality, which others, in a confined sphere, could not
« well understand. In a word, they endured unto the end;
*« and both of them w^ere enabled to glorify God in their
'« deaths, by the manifestation of a joyful hope in the view
" of their dissolution.
« I have thought that this short record of these good men
<< would find a proper place in an address to young niinis-
« ters who are in your circumstances. * Be ye also follow-
<« ers of them, who, through faith and patience, have inhe-
« rited the promises !' "
The Appendix to this excellent Charge contains some
notices of the last hours of his late valued friend and col-
league, Mr. Brown, which serve to illustrate the heavenly
and devoted mind of that excellent man.
506 MEMOIRS OF
The health of Dr. Buehanan rendering it impracticable
for him to deliver his charge to the missionaries personally,
that office was assigned to an eloquent friend, who did ample
justice to the composition. On the 7th of January, it was
accordingly addressed to them before a general meeting of
the Church Mission Society, and was heard with a degree
of attention and interest which appeared to promise the hap-
piest effects from its author's exertions.
It is to the circumstances which have been just related,
that some parts of the following extracts from letters to Co-
lonel and Mr. Macaulay refer.
" Queen's College^ 3d January, 1814.
" I have sent by to-night's mail to Mr. Pratt thirty -three
•< pages of a Charge to be delivered to the missionaries on
•< Friday next. As I am quite unfit to go up myself, I have
*« requested Mr. Dealtry to read the paper for me. He may
<« select such parts as he thinks best for the occasion.
<* Dr. Milner approves of the passage upon * deiiying
*« Christ;' but I do not know what others may think of it."
" Queen's College, 7th January.
" The Bishop of Chester has expressed his wish that I
•« would retain the curacy of Great Ouseburn, which I was
•* about to resign, under the impression that I could not con-
" scientiously accept a license (under the ne^v act) as a re-
" sident curate, when it was notorious that I am not resi-
<< dent. But the Bishop is persuaded that the duties of the
<< parish will be performed to his entire satisfaction by my-
<* self or by my direction. His diocese extends to our pa-
<' rish.
« I inhabit Erasmus's rooms. They are chiefly remark-
« able for an immense corkscrew^ about a third of a yard
•< long, which tradition assigns to that eminent scholar."
" Queen's College, 13th January.
<< My dear Sir,
*• Many thanks for your letter. It is most satisfactory. I
♦< have constructed the note as you desired, without nameai
** or places. It is now round and smooth like a perfect
DR. BUCHANAN. 5q^
*' chrysolite, and will excite many a smile and many a
*< frown,
" I was smiling to think what a fine long letter I drew
•< from you. I see you can work, if we will only tell yon
*« what to do.
*« I entirely approve of your flitting to southern regions
•* this severe weather. I cannot look out at the window on
« the dreary waste of snow, but I think I see Bonaparte
'^and his squadrons, half covered, retreating towards Gog-
^f magog hills. The thermometer is at 12.
<^ Wishing you good fires, and every blessing,
^« J remain,
" My dear Sir,
" Very sincerely yours,
" C. Buchanan.'*
" Queen's College, 13th January.
^i It was indeed somewhat new to hear strains of com-
•« mendation from the lips of Mr. T. in public. The whole
<< assembly seem to have been in good humour. The view
*^ of the four missionaries perhaps melted their hearts ; and
« the news of the allies crossing the Rhine had just arrived.
^^ Mr. Farish says he enjoyed the occasion exceedinglyi
<^ I consulted the college to-day concerning the proposed
•« admission of Mr. Lee, the Shrewsbury linguist. It was
*•' agreed to admit him at Queen's."
" Queen's College, 7th Februaiy.
•< I see in the last Christian Observer, that Schaaf 's Lex-
** icon is mentioned as preparing for the press by subscript
« tion. Will you be so good as to inform me who is publish-
" ing it ? for I w as about commencing the work at my own
" expense, and the printer had just sent me an estimate.
" But I shall be most happy if the work has been underta-
^» ken by another. Mr. Kelly, of Dublin, wrote to me last
<* week to say, that he was projecting something in the way
•« of a Syriac Lexicon ; but he wished me not to delay my
508 MEMOIRS OF
*^ work on account of his, as he knew not when it would he
<* finislicd.
*« I propose to leave Cambridge for KIrby Hall on the
•< 17th instant."
Dr. Buchanan returned into Yorkshire about the time
just mentioned, and continued there till the month of July
following. While there, he wrote thus to a friend — ** I am
*^ stronger than I was; but my defect in utterance and
« breath remains, and also my want of memory ; which
" shews that my illness aftected the mind a good deal."
The Committee of the British and Foreign Bible Society
liad now determined to pvint the edition of the Syriac New
Testament, which Dr. Buelianan had been so anxiously en-
deavouring to obtain for the use of the Syrian Christians on
the coast of Malabar. With his usual zeal and liberality,