SPECTATOR'S LIBRARY.

GEOGRAPHY AND THEOLOGY.

The Nestorians; or the Lost Tribes; containing Evidence of their Identity, an Ac- count of their Manners, Customs, and Ceremonies; together with Sketches of Travel in Ancient Assyria, America, Media, and Mesopotamia; and Illustrations

of Scripture Prophecy. By Mahalphecy. Grant. M.D Murray, Ficriew, The Marriage Mart ; or Society in India. By an Indian Officer. In two vols.

BIOGRAPHY.

Life of Potrarch. Thomas Campbell, Esq. In 2 rola.

MEDICINE,

The Sanative Influence of Climate; with an Account of the best Places of RC'esoCu'ilburNtr7furl Invalids in England, the South of Europe, &c. By Sir James Clark, Bart., M.D., F.R.S., Physician in Ordinary to the Queen and to the Prince Albert. Third edition Jlerray.

DR. ASAHEL GRANT'S NESTORTANS.

THE Nestorian Christians derive their name from NESTORIUS, the patriarch of Constantinople, and the unsuccessful opponent of the bloody and unscrupulous Saint Cram. The doctrine for whielt NESTORIUS was really condemned, in 431, was for denouncing the title of Beoz6uor (Mother of God) bestowed upon the Virgin Mary ; but his heresy consisted in attributing two persons as well as two natures to the Saviour. In despite of his abdication and enforced banishment, and the burning of his books by the Emperor's order, his doctrine continued to spread. When his followers were perse- cuted out of Asia Minor, they took refuge in Persia ; where they multiplied greatly, spread themselves into Tartary and India, (the Portuguese, upon their first arrival on the coast of Malabar, finding a Nestorian church,) and it is said even reached China. The rapid progress of Mahometanism, the devastating wars of Trianon and ZENGIS, with the changes incident to all Oriental govern- ments, very greatly thinned their ranks ; but Nestorians, or sects having a resemblance to the Nestorians, are met with in parts of Asia, though their strong hold is on the confines of their former seats,— the mountainous parts of what is now called Koordistan.

The Nestorians have been an object of regard to the Reformed churches, as presenting a living relic of primitive Christianity be- fore it was entirely corrupted by the superstitions which grew into. Popery ; the heresy of NEsTomus seeming too metaphysical for his rude disciples to uphold. They have latterly also acquired a practical interest, as Rome is making great efforts to entice them into her communion. The Americans have established a mission at Ooroomiah, for the purpose of educating the Nestorians, furnishing them with copies of the Scriptures, and enabling them to resist the delusions of Papistry by every possible way. Skilful in "human natur," as SAM SLICK has it, if not profound in Biblical learning, the American Board of Missions thought a medical man would be an excellent assistant in the cause ; and Dr. GRANT gave up his practice in Utica to endeavour to penetrate amongst a people whom even the bold and thievish Koords regard with fear and trembling. The result of his four or five years sojourning in Asia is embodied in the volume before us ; and is presented in three parts,—the first containing a narrative of his travels, with sketches of the people ; the second consists of an argument to identify the lost Ten Tribes with the Nestorians of Koordistan ; the third part is a mystical attempt to interpret certain passages of Revelations. Though brief and rather bald, the account of his journey is the most curious part of Dr. GRANT'S work ; and is not without considerable interest, for various reasons. A few modern travellers- have been "right round," and one or two through a part of the mountains of Koordistan ; but no one before Dr. GRANT has been into them, excepting SHULTZ, who was murdered there. The par- ticular geography was unknown ; so was the character of the country and of the people, beyond what has been preserved by XENOPHON. Dr. GRANT, indeed, travels in other places besides the Koordish mountains ; but the brevity that renders him bald in describing points of interest induces him to cut common matters very short.

The region which was the scene of our author's pilgrimage is bounded on the West by the Tigris, and on the East by the inland salt lake Ooroomiah, and lies between the 36th and 39th degrees of North latitude. The whole of the country is a high table-land, the lake of Ooroomiah being nearly 5,000 feet above the sea ; but as the centre of the district is approached the mountains in- crease in height and difficulty. In their inmost fastnesses reside the Nestorians, whom it was the object of the Doctor to visit— much to the astonishment and horror of every one, Turk or Koord, to whom the excursion was mentioned.

To the borders of their country,' said the vigorous Pasha of Mosul, I will be responsible for your safety; you may put gold upon your head, and you will have nothing to fear ; but I warn you that I can protect you no further. Those mountain infidels (Christians) acknowledge neither pashas nor kings, but from time immemorial every man has been his own king.'"

Nor were the notions of the people at all behind those of their Governor.

" My Koordish cavass (police-officer) from the chief at Akre was still with me ; but he was very reluctant to proceed, lest he should fall into the hands of some of the independent Nestorians, who are represented as a most formidable- race of people. The most extravagant stories are told of them ; and it is said that when any of them come to Amadieh to trade, they are not allowed to re- main in the town over night, lest they should obtain possession of the fortress. They are regarded as almost invincible, and are represented as having the power of vanquishing their enemies by some magical spell in their looks. On one occasion they came and drove away the flocks of the Koords from under the very walls of Amadieh, in return for some aggression upon themselves. And when the Ravendoos Koords, after subduing all the surrounding region, threatened their country, the Nestorians are said to have seized six or seven of the Koords, cut off their heads, and hung them up over a narrow bridge which led to their district, as a warning to the Koords who might attempt to invade them. That such stories are told and believed by their Moslem neighbours, is sufficient evidence of the terror inspired by their name." But "the Devil is not so black as he is painted"; and besides the .bond of a common faith, and a knowledge of some of their priests, Dr. GRANT carried with him in his medical art a perpetual letter of xecommendation, not merely for favours to come but for those already performed. After reaching one of their Bishops, and dis- missing his terrified Cavass, Dr. GRANT pursued his way into the interior, sometimes uncertain of his reception ; but he more than once encountered grateful friends where he least expected them.

" Onward I sped my course down the steep declivity of the mountain, now -cautiously climbing over the rocks which obstructed our course, now resting my weary limbs under the inviting shade of a wild pear-tree, and anon mounted on my hardy mule, winding along our narrow zigzag pathway over the mountain spurs, and down, far down to the banks of the rolling, noisy, dashing Zala. Here lay one of the large, populous villages of the independent Nestorians, which extended amid fertile gardens for more than a mile in length. " What reception shall I meet with from these wild sons of the mountain, who have never seen a foreigner before? How will they regard the helpless stranger thrown so entirely upon their mercy ? One breath of suspicion might blast my fondest hopes. But God was smiling upon the work in which I was engaged : prayer had been heard, and the way was prepared before me in a manner so wonderful that 1 can hardly forbear repeating the account, though already made public.

" The only person I had ever seen from this remote tribe was a young Nes- torian, who came to me about a year before entirely blind. He said he had never expected to see the light of day, till my name had reached his country, and he had been told that I could restore his sight. With wonderful perse- verance, he had gone from village to village seeking some one to lead him by the hand, till in the course of five or six weeks he had reached my residence at Ooroomiah ; where I removed the cataract from his eyes, and he returned to his mountains seeing. Scarcely had I entered the first village in his country, when this young man, hearing of my approach, came with a smiling countenance, bearing in his hand a present of honey, in token of his gratitude for the resto- ration of his sight, and afforded me an introduction to the confidence and affections of his people."

Here is another curious instance illustrative of the utility of at- taching medical men to all missions destined for people in a back- -ward state of civilization.

" On the evening of the 25th, I arrived at Kerne, almost exhausted with a a walk of ten long hours ; and was soon recognized and welcomed as an old acquaintance by one of the Nestorians of the place.

" .1 was not a little surprised when he mentioned that he had seen me at Ooroomiah, and received medicine and other relief at my hand when sick and -destitute. It seems that he had come to me more than two years before, with a disease from which I had very little hope of his recovery. Having learned that he had travelled a great distance, I sympathized with him in his mis - forunea, gave him the best medicines and directions I could offer, and a small sum of money, with which he bought some cheap and necessary clothing, and returned to his home in the mountains. From that time I had scarcely thought of my poor patient among the thousands who had come for relief. But the promise of God is sure : ' Cast thy bread upon the waters, and thou shalt find it after many days;' yes, and with an abundant increase. Not bread merely did I find, but every thing to make me happy and comfortable in my long and weary wanderings!"

This primitive people are curious in many points of view ; and deserve a more philosophical observer and a more graphic describer than Dr. GRANT, though many of his anecdotes are striking enough. So far as we can gather from his account, they appear to have the vices and virtues of remote and independent mountaineers ; among which, the point of honour stands out preeminent, keeping the country in a state of ferment with blood-feuds, and sometimes giving rise to very tragical catastrophes.

" Cases are related of very unhappy results from the high sense of honour entertained by this people ; one of which occurred in the family of my host some years since, and occasioned the death of two promising lads. One of these boys went out to cut down a valuable tree, in the absence of the parents of both, who were brothers. His cousin forbade him, saying the tree belonged to his own father. But the first boy persevered ; while the other went and brought out his gun, and deliberately shot his cousin dead upon the spot. An indelible stain would now rest upon the family of the murdered boy, unless vengeance was satisfied according to immemorial usage ; and the bereaved father, who was the legal avenger of blood, could accept of nothing but the blood of his brother's child; and they were both buried in one grave before the setting of another sun! " Another instance is said to have occurred at a social party, where, with less of formality than is used by some of our men of honour,' a person, in ex- change for some supposed insult, plunged his large dagger, such as every one wears at his side, into the breast of another ; upon which the brother of the slain, the legal ' avenger of blood,' closed the tragical scene by laying the murderer dead at his feet. But such cases must be of very uncommon occur- rence, and they arc related as such by the people. The summary manner of the punishment no doubt deters from crime, since the criminal has little chance of escaping justice."

NESTORIAN NOTIONS OF GEOGRAPHY.

From a distance, I could see the patriarch looking out of his chamber- -window with a small spyglass, to get a view of his strange visiter from the New World. According to their system of geography, the earth is a vast plain sur- rounded by the ocean, in which leviathan plays around to keep the water in motion, and prevent its becoming stagnant and putrid : and this leviathan is of such enormous length, that his head follows his tail in the circuit round the earth! That I had crossed the ocean, where I must have encountered the monster, was a thing almost incredible.

POTENCY OF OPINION.

On my way from Van to Erzeroom, I met with a pleasing instance of the value of foreign protection to the traveller in these countries. While I was sleeping under the tent of a petty Koordish chief, a horse belonging to my party was stolen in the night. I told the chief that he must see that it was returned, or I should make complaint to the English Consul. The horse was soon restored.

THE WORD "BISHOP."

Their form of church-government is essentially Episcopal; but, with a single exception in the Jelu tribe, there is not a bishop among the independent Nesto- rians, where their religions forms have been preserved the most exempt from any foreign influence. It was a singular fact, to which my attention was first called by the testimony of Dr. Buchanan, that there is not a word in the Syriac language expressive of the office of bishop. The Nestorians, in common with the other Syrians, have borrowed the Greek term episcopos. This is the more re- markable, considering the fact that the Syriac language was extensively used in

Palestine in the days of our Saviour, and was spoken by our Lord himself; and

considering also the very early date of the Syria9, Version of the Scriptures; as

early as the beginning of the second century. every case where the term bishop occurs in our version, in theirs it is 'rendered presbyter or priest. I make these statements with the single remark , that, while this form of church- government may be the beat for the Neatork.ins in their eiscumstances, there is enough in the facts I have mentioned to, caution us about too hasty an in- ference concerning the apostolic origin of Episcopacy,.on the ground that IX exists in a church which was founded 1;3- the Apoatles.

The argument to identify the Nestoriana with the Tea Triles is weak and insufficient. Dr. G5tANT, as might be expected, is inferior to Mr. JACOB SAMUEL in the peculiar knowledge requisite to discuss the subject to advantage : and we think his case by no means so good as that of the author of The Remnant Found. The Nestorians have no historical records upon the subject ; they have no know- ledge of Hebrew ; they do not practise circumcision, nor, so far as we perceive, any other purely Jewish rite,—for an " avenger of blood" would make out most nations to be Jews ; a very strict ob- servance of the Sabbath was kept by the Pilgrim Fathers; and to compare the Jewish "cities of refuge" to the sanctuary afforded by a church, would have found the lost tribes all over Christendom during the darker ages. The course of Dr. GRANT'S arguments, however, though they fail in establishing his conclusion, incidentally throw a good deal of light upon the religious practices of the Nestorians, and upon the character both of the Nestorians and Jews of Koordistan.