science, the more wonderful are the conquests of the mind in these respects. We may merely single out one more illustration, as it is among the latest of these discoveries in zoology: we allude to the case of the planaria torva, as detailed in the experiments of Dr. James Rawlins Johnson. He cut off the head of a full sized planaria below the eyes; a new head was reproduced in a few days. He cut off this second head; a new one was again regenerated; a third, fourth, fifth, and sixth experiment met with the same success. Among a vast number of experiments, equally extraordinary, he divided many other planariæ into six, and even eight parts each portion retained its vitality, and set about reproducing as much of a new body as was required to restore it to the form of the perfect animal of which it had once formed a component part. Our author then dissected wedge-shaped pieces out of the heads of other planariæ, which were speedily reproduced; and, according to the depth and breadth of these pieces, a new eye would be produced, making three eyes; or two new eyes, making in all four eyes; and if the incision was very deep, in that case the parts would branch off and form two perfect heads. These are very wonderful; and, if our understanding is perplexed, and our reason puzzled at these things, what shall we say to their arrogance, when they presume to pass judgment on the modus existendi of GOD. The lesson which the volume of nature teaches, is humility; and the lesson which Revelation teaches, is, in like manner, humility. Pride is not taught in the school of CHRIST: the docility of a little child is best calculated for the attainment of "that wisdom which is from above." The modus existendi of the CREATOR can find no analogy in the works of creation: when the problem of these wonders of creation is solved, it will be soon enough to speculate on "that which is UNSEEN, and ETERNAL." We should not have adverted to this great question, at all, had we not conscientiously believed, that, it seems a matter of little moment whether we believe Revelation or not : without it for if REASON has settled the question, independent of Revelation, the latter would be useless; or, is Revelation only a mere codicil added to reason which is divine? As to the personal appearance of the SON OF GOD, in his humanity, there has been some contention; and tradition has not been idle. We think it by no means improbable, that some of the early Jewish converts might be desirous to possess a memorial of their LORD, in a medal which might bear an impress of his "visage;" and, that such medals did exist, though both Celsus and Origen might be ignorant of them. In these remote periods, even in the paintings and sculptures of Thebes, much more in those of Greece and Rome, their statues and pictures were correct likenesses, and were multiplied without reserve. Besides, there was another source which might supply such a medal, altogether irrespective of the early Christians. Scarcely an event occurred, of great moment, that was not commemorated on a coin or medal. So remarkable a history of events as those which occurred in Judea, would not pass by, we may be perfectly sure, without some such commemoration. It is highly probable, that the governor of Judea would send to Tiberius, and the Roman senate, a representation of the illustrious individual who was the author of that "new religion," which, according to their own account, had "turned the world upside down." A series of such medals, from which we might be able to draw some definite conclusion, on a subject certainly curious, would be interesting. In Plate III. fig. 27, is a correct representation, from a cast in our possession, taken by a friend from a bronze medal in the Ashmole Library, at Oxford. On the obverse, on the collar, is the word MESSIAS; and on the reverse, the words may, perhaps, be rendered, Nought can be ascribed to thee, O! ELOHIM, of the fiery indignation which covered him." In Plate I. fig. 1, is a fac simile from a silver medal, in the same Library, from a cast also in our possession, and obtained at the same time with the other: it may be compared with that of Plate III. fig. 26, and our wood-cut-the absence of the nimbus, or halo, which encircled the heads of saints in the seventh century, affords some presumption of its priority to that period. Fig. 26, Plate III., is a faithful copy of an antique brass medal found near Cork, in 1812, on the site of an ancient monastery, contemporaneous with the introduction of Christianity into Ireland: on the obverse, the first letter of the Hebrew alphabet is interesting. Some have considered, that aleph, here, is to be considered a numeral, and may denote that it was struck in the first year after the resurrection; and the letters on the other side, to be the Hebrew name for JESUS. A friend of ours, however, objects to this partition of the letters, and observes, that it is the very word by which, according to ancient prophecy, GOD was to be known in Gospel-times; namely, ISHI. This solution seems at once interesting and satisfactory. Different translations have been published in Mr. England's ingenious pamphlet, descriptive of the Cork medal. We submitted this, as well as our own cast, to our friend, who is better conversant in Hebrew than we pretend to be: the first part of the legend on the field of the reverse, he reads, "Messiah, (or Christ,) the King, came in peace;" and this seems to be the concurrent reading of the numerous scholars to whom the medal has been submitted. In our cast, the latter half, on the reverse, our friend translates, “ And man, man was made life: thus corresponding with Hottinger's silver medal: it would appear, however, that some copies read, "And GOD man was made life; which is, perhaps, the original reading some copies have, "And light from man was made life." The latter part of the Cork medal, our ingenious correspondent thinks, may be translated, "And the mighty man was made life. The following is a fac simile from a bronze medal, in the valuable collection of C. Rawson, Esq. Halifax; to whose courtesy and kindness we are indebted for it. It is interesting : to compare these with one another: obtained from sources altogether independent of each other, they still appear to have been derived from one original. Dr. Walsh gives us, in his Essay on Early Coins and Medals, a representation of a similar medal, obtained from a Polish Jew, at Rostoc, in Germany. Rowland, in his "Mona Antiqua," 1702, has described a similar medal, and given a sketch of it. This medal was found at the ancient Druidical circle of Brin-gwin. There are, however, no letters on the obverse; and the legend on the reverse, is considerably different. The celebrated medal, we have thus imperfectly described, has been the subject of curious research among antiquarians for three hundred years. It was seen by Theseus Ambrosius, at Rome, in the pontificate of Julius II, the predecessor of Leo X. It was even then considered an object of interest and curiosity. It is interesting to consider this medal in connexion with the celebrated letter of Lentulus to Tiberius and the Roman senate, with which description it seems remarkably to correspond. In rejecting documents such as these, we may be guilty of an unwarrantable scepticism. We do not see why this should not have been taken; but we see many reasons to believe that such a representation of the SAVIOUR might have been copied. Mr. Bagster, to whose valuable Biblical publications the world is so much indebted, has published a beautiful print, on steel, from a piece of ancient tapestry, in his possession, being a profile of our SAVIOUR, said to have been taken from an emerald, once in the treasury of Constantinople, and given as a ransom for the emperor's brother, taken captive by the Christians. Mr. Martin has copied this, on a very reduced scale, for our title page, from Mr. Bagster's print. There are other medals with the SAVIOUR'S portrait; such as that of Basilius and Constantinus, and some subsequent to these; but, those which have obtained our more especial notice, we presume, may justly claim a much higher antiquity. The correspondence, &c., with Abgarus, the king of Edessa, are of a more doubtful character. In Plate III. fig. 28, we give a fac simile of the reverse of a very rare and valuable medal of Tiberius, for which we are indebted to the friendly courtesy of H. H. Williamson, Esq., of Greenway Bank, (Newcastle, Staffordshire,) in whose interesting collection of coins and medals it is. This medal, all antiquarians agree, was struck by Tiberius upon the event of the destruction of the thirteen cities of Asia, by the earthquake which took place at the time of our SAVIOUR'S crucifixion. On the obverse, is the head of Drusus, without laurel, and the legend, "NERO CLAUDIUS Drusus GerMANICUS IMP." On the reverse, Nero Claudius Drusus, is seen sitting robed in a curule chair, with various spoils disposed around him; holding in his right hand a branch, and in his left a scroll of parchment. The legend on the reverse, is "TI. CLAUDIUS CESAR AUG. P. M. T. R. P. IMP. P. P." This medal is so extremely rare, that Matthew Dean, Esq., Dr. Mead, Snelling, and others, valued it at twenty pounds; or, at the option of the possessor. Some suppose that the earthquake, which took place at the SAVICUR's crucifixion, was felt over all the world-a supposition extremely probable: others confine it to the land of Judea. Dreadful must have been the convulsion which rent the veil of the temple from top to bottom―a fact mentioned by Josephus. St. Cyril, of Jerusalem, says, that the rocks of Mount Calvary, which were rent by this earthquake, were still evident |