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deviations from it. Under the name of Sooffees, Fakirs, and Dervishes, the enthusiasts of Mahometanism are spread from the Atlantic to the Ganges. The holy mendicants of the Turkish empire are divided into thirty-two sects. They pass their days and nights in prayer, fasting, and in every species of bodily pain and mortification. Ceremonies similar to incantations, violent dances, frightful gesticulations, repetitions of the name of Allah, for hours, nay days together, impress the vulgar with a sense of their spiritual superiority.

Dr. Clarke gives the following account of the Dancing Der vishes: As we entered the mosque, we observed twelve or four teen Dervishes, walking slowly round before the superior, in a small space surrounded with rails, beneath the dome of the building. Several spectators were standing on the outside of the railing and being, as usual, ordered to take off our shoes, we joined the party. Presently, the Dervishes, crossing their arms over their breasts, and with each of their hands grasping their shoulders, began obeisance to the superior, who stood with his back against the wall, facing the door of the mosque. Then each in succession, as he passed the superior, having fashioned his bow, began to turn round, first slowly, but afterterwards with such velocity, that his long garments flying out in the rotatory motion, the whole party appeared spinning and turning like so many umbrellas upon their handles.

As they began, their hands were disengaged from their shoulders, and raised gradually above their heads. At length, as the velocity of the whirl increased, they were all seen with their arms extended horizontally, and their eyes closed, turning with inconceivable rapidity. The music, accompanied by voices, served to animate them; while a steady old fellow in a green pelisse, continued to walk among them with a fixed countenance, and expressing as much care and watchfulness, as if his life would expire with the slightest failure in the ceremony. This motion continued for the space of fifteen minutes. Suddenly, on a signal given by the directors of the dance, unobserved by the spectators, the Dervishes all stopped at the same instant, like the wheels of a machine; and, what is more extraordinary, all in a circle, with their faces invariably turned towards the centre, crossing their arms on their breasts, and grasping their shoulders, as before, bowing together, with the utmost regularity, at the same instant, almost to the ground.

After this they began to walk, as at first, each following the other within the railing, and passing the superior, as before. As soon as their obeisance had been made, they began to turn again. This second exhibition lasted as long as the first, and was similarly concluded. They then began to turn for the third time; and, as the dance lengthened, the music grew louder and more animating. Perspiration became evident on the faces of the Dervishes; the extended garments of some of them began to droop; and little accidents occurred, such as their striking against each other: they nevertheless persevered,

until large drops of sweat, falling from their bodies upon the floor, such a degree of friction was thereby occasioned, that the noise of their feet rubbing the floor was heard by the spectators. Upon this the third and last signal was made to them to halt, and the dance ended.

Besides these dancing Dervishes there are some called howling Dervishes, who set up a constant howling of prayers, &c., sufficient to deafen the hearers, but which they pretend has something supernatural and even miraculous in it.

At present this religion prevails throughout the Turkish dominions in Europe, Asia, and Africa; in the Barbary states, in the interior of Africa; the eastern coast of Africa, and the island of Madagascar; in Arabia; the Persian states; the Russian states of Little Tartary, Astrachan, Kazan, Kirghis, Kazaks, &c.; amongst the independent Tartars; in a great part of Hindoostan; many of the eastern islands, as Malaya, Sumatra, Java, &c. &c. There are also many Mahometans in China and other countries,

TABULAR APPENDIX.

A SKETCH

OF THE

PRESENT STATE OF THE WORLD,

AS TO

RELIGION, POPULATION, RELIGIOUS TOLERATION, GOVERNMENT, EDUCATION, &c.

NOTE-In the following Table-The Religious Denomina tions Established or Tolerated in each Country, (the former printed in Italics,) are inserted on the left hand column-The Present State of Religion in each of these countries is inserted on the right hand column directly opposite.

Religious Denominations, &c. FUROPE. ENGLAND and WALES. Church of England, or Episcopalians, with a general toleration of all sects of Dissenters in Religious worship; but which however are restrained, by the Corporation and Test Acts, from certain offices of trust and honour.

Present State of Religion, &c.

EUROPE.

ENGLAND and WALES. Among the circumstances favourable to vital Religion in this country may be reckoned the following: 1. The Institution of Bible Societies, and particularly that great engine of benevolence, The British and Foreign Bible SoIt is difficult to estimate the ciety,' which in ten years, has number of dissenters in this been the mean, in whole or in country. The Arminian Me- part, at home and abroad, of thodists(including the new Con- printing and distributing 1,nexion) amount to more than 148,850 bibles and testaments. 180,000 in Society, besides oc- With this parent society are casional bearers. The Calvin- connected more than 400 Auxistic Methodists are probably iliary and Branch Societies, in equally numerous with the Ar- the British dominions only. minian; and the Indepen- 2. The general establishdents, Baptists, and Presbyte-ment of Free Schools for the rians, with a few other sects, Education of the poor: as 1. may be reckoned equal to both classes of Methodists. The Roman Catholics are estimated at nearly 100,000; and the Friends are very numerous; so that the whole body of Dissenters must certainly exceed a million, and make about one tenth of the population. All who are not Dissenters are gen-as extensive as that of the Bierally considered Members of the Establishment; but if we farther deduct all who make no profession of Religion, and who attend to no forms of worship, the number of real Churchmen inust be still considerably reduced. For a man who neither believes the articles, nor attends the worship of the estab- 4. Societies for Foreign Mislishment, has no more right to sions, which now exist in albe called a Churchman than a most every denomination of Mahometan or a Chinese. Po- Christians, and extend to every pulation 11,000,000. Govern-quarter of the world. ment, limited monarchy.

The two celebrated Universities of Oxford and Cambridge

give

Sunday Schools for children employed in manufactories and manual labour. 2. Daily Schools either for children of the Church of England, as Dr. Bell's; or for all denominations, as those of the British and Foreign School Society, whose influence promises to be

ble Society. 3. Schools for Adults, whose education has been neglected till they came to years of maturity.

3. Village preaching, by which the gospel is spreading in all the obscure and distant parts of the Kingdom, where it had not usually been heard.

5. Benevolent Institutions, adapted to meet and to relieve almost every species of human

misery;

Religious Denominations, &c. | Present State of Religion, &c.

give a spring to education The through the kingdom. number of members, teachers and students, about 3000 in each. These universities have, for several ages, produced maof the first scholars in Euny rope. During the present century, by means of the Lancasterian and other systems of instruction, education has been much more extended to the children of all classes of the community, than at any former period. More than 200,000 children are now enjoying the benefits of instruction under the patronage of the National Education Society.

SCOTLAND and the adjacent

Isles.

misery; and these supported in times and circumstances, which bear very hard upon the class of persons by whom they are chiefly maintained.

In Wales, it may be added, the children of the poor have derived great advantage from Circulating Schools, which remain for a certain time to teach the children of a particular district, and then remove to instruct another.

SCOTLAND

Partakes in all that has been

The Scotch Kirk, or Pres- said of England; and has been byterians; the Protestant particularly benefited by the Dissenters from which are call-institution of Sabbath Schools, ed Seceders, and are divided which have been introduced into Burghers, Anti-burghers, into many parts of the country and the Relief Kirk, &c. It is with great success. remarkable that Episcopalians also, by crossing the Tweed become Dissenters. Population 2,000,000. Government, limited monarchy.

IRELAND.

Four Universities testify the literary eminence of Scotland. That of Edinburg is very famous. In no country of Europe is education so fully enjoyed by the poorer classes of community as in Scotland. Parish Schools are established throughout the country. The religious system of the Presbyterians requires much attention to be paid to family instruction, and has produced the most visible and salutary effects.

IRELAND

Church of England, with Is certainly far behind England the like toleration as in Eng-in mental culture, and has been land; and the like disabilities kept back by priestcraft and as to the Catholics, who form superstition. Now, however, (according

the