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IflAND'SE\NK)HDv]rVMOaW]lWRSI]IY
►
240164
^W
ScfihiBiBd]
/*
TABLE
OF THE
Titles, Authors' Names, &c, of the Pub-
licatioos reviewed in this Volume.
N. B. For REMARK ABE. e Passages in the Critkhms and
Eatram^ sec the INDEX, at the End of the Volume.
1^ Far the Names, aleo, of the Authors of new DisaerlatioDS,
or other curious Paper?, publiahed in the Memoirs and
TttANSACTiOKS of ihc Scientific Academies at Home or on
the Continent, and also for the Titles of those Dissert ations» &€.»
of which Accounts are given tn the Review^— ««ee the ladiHw
printed at the End of each Volume,
jdSU TALES^Ttwtls^, Page i8i
jfdamj rn the Action] of Bjecuncnt,
M^^hpia* Motiiior, %i^
Amtrifat NottK, EiplontDry TraveU m,
Aitat9mkat Examinadoat, iecond Edi-
iion* 11 6
AjMi9^ of the Fij^haiig DlidLtof,
Atmrnkkii See Baify.
Amtuftj Aa, on the Eip«<liency of re-
pealflEif» 41$
Apapiexjr C»iM of, ays
Appftidix lo £he Doctrme of Life ^i*
Archnf^ of Diicovcrieif foe iSlO «nl
ifr##t Sodery far, their Trafi^ctlo<i%
VokXXVllL aud XXIX^ 040,
At^tamd'% Sertnofif 393
Attempt to cKplalfl Ui« LiibSTtj of thft
AMiuwmat Rdlectkiii, 3^$
Aft
^a//j*«
vr
CONTENTS.
B
JSaifyU Appendix to his Doctrine of An-
nuities, %%%
Balance t Perpetual, 331
JSMulHMte»v€harcof,- 7 .^^ . -IX^
JBarrd^t Pretensions to a final Analysis
of Sublimity, xo6
Aif^*s JEscidapian Monitor, 214
JVMtf/<V/ of Christianity, 41a
Behhain% Fast Sermon^ 336
Bencey See Cassas,
Bemgtf, Miss, the Hesbit and the Fanc]r,
a Tale, loa
BoctaecMi Decameron, Spirit of, ao8
BoUeau*s Translation of GaniUi on Pbli-
tic«l Economy, 419
; *s Introduction to Political Eco-
nomyi ik-
BUtiffy-^CoHseih ^ ma FWe^ aX3
J9oy/s Passages from Chtysostoia, &c.
BraoH% China in Miniature, Vols. V.
and VI., 540
Ji^fWM's Account of Laws agsiiist the
Cathoub, 316
Brunofifuirptardf See NeerfoMri*
Burnt Who fares best ? 105
Burney't (Dr.) Sermon for the Sons of
the Oergy, 335
,., '4 (Mm) Tnkt of ^at««» a
Kovel, 10;
B»rein Sehnon, 440
Bf^b^t Vislttiioki Serhioftj 223
i^, iM^ Ml Otoouf, A FrifOlteBC^
i02
CaUow and CoUins — Guide to Tuitors,
••— - • 2X4
Campaign in Portugal, Journal of, 379
Canning's Speeches at Liverpool, 93
—— — , Review of, rt.
Cmitjitt Topographical Dictioiiary of
. Wales, 406
$mnlhn Herbart, a Novel, ie%
Ousoj and Bmce — Piauresque Views in
. breace,^c&, 545
QaMic.QfuAi§n, foil View 0^ 321
Catbolksi Account of Laws against, 3x6
I I , Roman, proved to be hostile to
Protestant EstabGshmems, 32ft
I , See Torrensy See Corrttpmtd-
. mrff •
Ckarlts /., Account of the Coffin of,
333
Chart of Bank-notes, 217
Cbateaabrian^t Beautiet of Christianity,
412
Cbeynei Cases of Apoplexy, 275
Cbina in Miniature, Vols.V. and VU
540
Cbineitt Translations from the popuhir
" -'Xiteiature of, • ^08
CftrM/Mni/y, Beauties of, 41^
Cbryjottem, Passages from, 173
Ciarke on Religious Worship, 443
CaUbs, Sequel to, 319
Goleridgit Remorse, a Tragedy, 82.
CoZ/rff/, See Caltow.
Combes Description of antient Marbles,
170
Commumm Office, reformed, 443
Cohseifs a ma FUU, %l$
ConsideraiioM on Political (Economy,
104
Cinjtihgti^tn Englbh, Four Letters on,
216
Ctntiuentai System, on the, 103
Coopers (Mrs.) Wifer-tf Novel, 102
Corretfondence on the Catholic Bible-
Society, 323
*^«* CmrrnpmAnu vAth the Revirwtrt^
112. 224. 336. 448
Cm*s Memoirs of the IDngs of Spain,
Crusades^ H'lstory of, 493
Curate and his Daughter, a Novel, 212
€yplKring4btk, #3l
D
Ddmai^ Set Hajmond.
DanieCs Timea, a Prophecy, 209
Davi/s Fables, 209
Deatb, Punishment of. Debates and Opi-
nions on, 316, 317
Debates, See Montagu,
Debtf National, Inquiry into, 63
Delam/tberie*s Lectures on Mineralog}',
486
Deliverance of the North, a Poem, 436
Delu£*s Geological Travels, Vols. If.
and III., 155
Demetrmsy a Rvtshm Romance, 438
Denomination* i Reli^ous, See Evans,
De Benzyl Faithful Irish Woman, 2x2
Des€riptiom of Antient Marbles, 170
— — of Fonthill Abbey, 220
Deserted Village School, a Poem, 209
Diary, Literary, 330
Dibdltt*% Metrical History of England,
436
Dittionary,
CONTENTS*
406
Dk^^rkif Aichivei of, for 1810, iSi !«
2}i*av€fj of luniut, 44^
DiirtftmtiMmM on the regenent« hittt
99
^r'f Four Letteri <»i the Eugliih Ccm-
■dtyiiofij $16
Mfttmmj^ Political, See limhau^ See Cm-
£^rtEw^^'fr (Mi««) T&lei «f Fuhioiuye
Lfe» VoJf. IV.— VI., 320
££/vfdf/»ffp NAtuQil^ See £MJor*
Ejefim^mti Treatiie &ti the Action of,
£/ift?*i Advice to Chrntian Piri?ati, 327
Mi^md^ Metrical Hitiof/ of^ 4,:^^
Emmr wn NatioDul GfwernineJJt, 193
' cut Njtioiul EducatioJJ, 394
JfTtrt of Univ«njiitfltt 44t
Eaay on Mind, 107
Mi^ajit M'lEcellaneoui, 106. 306.
Mvaxf\ Pondeceri EfuyVj^ 306
*i Rvlijious Liberty Vlndkr^ted,
44^
« — -^\ Sketch of ReZitgious Deiii?niiii!i-
tjons, tlth EditiftHf 444
Emfta^^t Answer ta thi Btiltop df IJn*
fgmlkner*t Accoutit of FuLhami nt
Ftmaglft M*j Kii Art of Memory, 35
/UTi Sketch of E^sln^ Hutor^, ai^
Frnamtri See Qvtiiwfit See HamtttQMf S««
£f«jriijjo*i.
^w*f Bffith of Ovid inmlited^ ^^
iifj^t^ See Z^r JT0|i^
FsmthiU-Al^, DeicriptiOD of, d3o
Bmiiamt Account of, %%t
F^ Ffi^ of th« CiThQlic Queitkxi,
3 at
Qahford on the E0ecu of AktUlloci «r
the SLave-tnde, %tt
OflU'i L^<t of Cardinal Woliey, <«i*
</ifrfft#, 47
— 'a Voy<gei and TfrnfeU, 53 f
Gvhom'i Chart of Banlt^nutet, ftt|
CamUh oil Political Eccmomy translated'^
419
Gaul J Poetic, 519
Getfgt&phy^ Elemenu of, 43^
Gee^mfiBkal Pitmer, 43^
QtrmaM Syjihilitic Fhysidia, 315
duoMrn a Fjfagrticnt, 309
GiaJuUr, Fightings Ototomy of| 54^
(no^ff See Sarisrim*
O&^trnmtniy N^tioaalT See Ent^t
Gfwv/i M«Tnoirt of Joiin of Arc,
G/ffff ati^ Sicily, picturesque Vie
Giiidr to Tut Oft,
G«JBff^9 SefiJioffeSf
Ouy'i School Cjphirmg Book,
t%6
i iitf
J4i
lit
314
4.11
Jia(/ordt^iTli.,on tbe Coffio of Charlea I.>
Hamiltm on the NitJuiml Debt, 65
ffarvfy'i Hduti of Lojalty, 437
ififdr* and the Fancy, a Tale, lo»
if fro of Sf tiimanci, *t*
.Af^/j on Aetient Lawt ind Cuscomth
NhUiLai Sketches of Politic** Stc-, 4*3
Hijtorjf Emghmi^ Skftdi of £v«Dt£ iti,
iWi- JTf, Bishop, Selections from, 3^9
M§rmiy*i Ntm Younf Man's Comfatikm,
413
Hturt of Loyalty, 437
Mi^Utim'i Speech o& f uttice» 4j
I ibd I
Uveitigafkm of tb« Popi^ttiiMi Jcc.
4*»
Jfetn of Arc, Mcmoi n of, l *6
JfA^thd^ Account of<, 1* t54
/riVi Melo^lies, lia
C ON TENTS.
Mlmfy, 00 the CotMfitSon of the Nations
of, uoHer the Goths, 470
..»— , Nonh of, Pktureique Tour in,
544
Jmmius, Letters of, Woodfall's Edition,
367
■ I -^ Discovery of, 446
JmvemU Spectator, Vol 11^ 213
tMdfBircfs Lottery, ai4
lumhert*s Perpetual Balance, 331
JLawst Antient, Hints on, %2o
Lt koy de Fiagif'New Selectioa of
French Synonyms, 481
LtfUri of the British Spy, 109
•, Four, 00 the English Constitu*
don, ai6
■■' on the Nicobar islands, 313
m^^^ of Muller, 449
■ of Voltaire, ,513
JMerty, Religious, vindicated, 44a
JLimeolmt Bishop of, Answer to his Charge,
176
ZiteTtfry Diary, ,330
ZaUrahtre^ French, Picture of, 460
M
Jdatymnon't Journal of the Campaign in
Portugal, 379
MarbUsy Aniient, in the British Mu-
seum, Description of, 170
Marchangyi Poetic Gaul, 519
MeditatiMSy Sacred, 328
MeMiesy Irish, Selection of, 1 1 3
Memory, New Art of, 35
M*tamorf botes t of Ovid, new Transla-
tion of, , , ^51
Mttriemi History of England, 436
Mejers German Syphilitic Physician,
l/RAa^t History of the Crusades,
493
Mtmdy Essay on, 107
MimeraUgyt Lectures on, 486
Mirza Abu Taleb, Travels of, i8a
Montagus Debates on Bills for abolish-
ing die Punishment of Death, 3 16
'* Opinions on PunUhment of
Death, Vol. IL, 317
Moore, Mxn hie Irish Melodies, 1 13
Mwnartj% Hero of Salamanca, aia
Morritomt Horm Sinicet, 108
MmlUr's Lttten to hii Friends, 449
Mtwra/s Selections from Bishop Home,
3*9
N
NeMoHs, European, Picture of, 474
Needbam*i ReminucetOim Nmrnermlu,
Neergaard'% Picturesque Tour in the
North o' Italy, 544
Nevf Art of Memory, 35
Nieoi*ar Islands, Letters on, 313
NoUe Foimdling, a Tragedy, 99
Nortb, Deliverance of, a Poem, 430
Numerale, Chart of, 164
(Eeonowiy, Political, Considerations on,
X04
' — , See BoileoM,
Otinionsy See Montagu.
Orgeri Translation of Ovid's Metamor-
phoses, Numbers II.— VIII. 251
Ovid, First EpisUe o^ transltted, 97
— , Metamorphoses of, translate,
*5X
Outlmei of Van«ctart*s Plan of Finance,
63
Oxoniana, a Poem, 98
PampbUtcer, Numbers I. and II., 447
Parents, Advice to, 327
Passages from Chrysostom, &c. 1 73
Patrick^ Chart of Ten Numerals, 164
Peck^s (Mrs.) Vaga, a Novel, 213
Perpetual Balance, 331
Pbarmacopttia, last, Examination of,
x6o
PbiUips\ Examination of the last Phar-
i6o
434
460
474
500
Nortii
macopcei.!,
Picquot*% Universal Geography,
Picture of French Literature,
— ot European Nations,
ot the Russian Empire,
PUe\ Exploratory Travels in
America,
Poems, See TburUwf Dovaston, Byron^
DanieL
Poetic Gaul, $1^
PoUt'us, Sketches of, 4*3
Ponderer, Series of Essays, 306
Poor, lales of the, 2»x
Population
CONTENTS.
fit
of* 4S8
^d^ifgo/, IffiUiul of tba Campaign in,
379
frtitt libeitj of. Attempt IP explaki,
Pfwgretf of \}it Russian Power, jo8
iVtffa^i Coaiment on, 1^9
JUjmanJ't Picture of the Russian £m-
pire» 500
Mr/armed ComTnimloQ Office^ 443
MigemtraU Life, DisiertJtiatis oni 440
J?B/^'i TnJef*5 Siffi-^ard, 210
Rase^e'i Review of Canmoi^s Sp««cli«s,
Ra^fUn CUJelif an Ode> 433
Empire, Picture o^ joo
of Pol^iics, fire*
9^4
' Powerj on the Profrew of, 50B
£J^i7f«'i Aiiatomj of the Fighting Gb^
dijtor, 54*
Safi9riut OQ the ConJitioD of {h« Itatian
Njitiom viuler the GtjthSf 470
BmMMdtr/^ Life ud Sermons of Gunii,
439
StUtith Picture of European Nations*
474
Stv^M on the true Principles of Veriifi*
cnion^ S%S
SatiB Lair luki, a Novel, I13
SioUamd, Sketdiei in» 164
Irffsfii'ft Account of the Lake of Tibe-
SeiectitH of Iri»h Mc1odie% 113
Ifrv^v, (ifjgle, 1 1 a. ilj, 334* 33J»
336- 448
« — ^-, eoUectif e, by Guan, 439
£r^£/ to CcEl:hi, J 19
Sntrm^A Sermon, 44 S
8&aw'M General Zooloiy, Val VHL,
t8
5^ Thinkfi for Htrt^f^ li^
^'frj, a dofoe sck Tak, 43^
SiauA of Events in English History,
319
»■— fif DeaominatioQS of Chiittans,
Sfavr-irade, on the EffeCtI of the Abo-
Ittion of|. %i$
S^in, Klngi of) Memoiff of, 179.
353
S^taisr, luveoil*, VoL II,, nj
S^eat/$ (Mits) Curate and hii Daughter^
3 IS
^- — ^'i Sketchei in Scotland, ^$4
Spirit vf Boccaccio's Decameron, %oS
S/>y, British « Lettert ot^ 109
Su^£Ht&tf^ Sir John, hii Irlih Mclodiea^
Sltvjari i Translation of the Travels of
Mlnia Atm Taleb, ti%
StiMimtiyi Final AnalyiiE of, to6
Sm^tH on the AiiDyity<Actf 41^
Sur U Sytiemt Cuniintnitit^ toj
Synrnym^t tVoTJch, New SelcaiOQ of,
Syjitmt Contioental, tm the, lO^
Tdlei of the Poor, l%i
of Fashionahle Life, Vols. 1 V^— VL
7%innas*i Visitation Sermon, 114
TBurUvf^ Lord, his Poem4» 31
Ti6etidij Like of, Account of, 40*
Timtj, a Prophecj» zoq
Terremi on the CathoHc question , Second
Edition, ^%%
Tour^ E^cturesque, in tlie North of Italy^
544
TritJft\ Sjife-guaid, 3KJ
Traiti of N^tture* a No ire I, 102
Truii/aaifm of the S^jcitftv for Arts, Sec,
Vgk XXVIIL and XXIX. i+o, 393
Travrlii Geological, 15 j
of MirM Abu Taleh, i2%
— , Eipioratory, in North America,
-, Sec^ €^lIJOi^ See Nargasri
Trotter A Hoble Foundling, a TragedjTa
99
TittarMf Guide to, S14
i; and V
r*ffl, a Norel, a? 1
Faliimrt, a Tahs, loa
Fmniitarft Plan of Finance, 63
Ftrstp4ahmt^ on the true PHnctflef of|
J»5
f'Vrr of th« CathoUc queMiou, 31E
I
THE
MONTHLY REVIEW,
For M AY-;;:.f8.3.
Art. I. An Jiccount of Ireland^ statistical aaJ iotitie^J. .By
Edward Wakefield. 2 Vols. 4to. pp. 1600. 61. 6%: BjArcJa,
Longman and Co. 1 8 1 2 . '•*:*"
A LTHOUGH the present is, we believe, the first time of
^^ Mr. Wakefield's appearance as an author, his name has
been familiar to us during several years. On the examination
of witnesses before a committee of the House of Commons in
1808, on the question of the sugar-distillery, he came forwards,
with other agriculturists, on the part of the barley-growers.
His evidence was given (Minutes of the Committee, pp. 109,
no. III, 112, 1 13-) with clearness and impartiality: but
we are inclined to think that his conclusions might have been
in a considerable degree different, if he had carried his re-
searches farther into the subject. Had he been fully apprized
of the unfavourable effect on the revenue, of taxing rum higher
than corn-spirit, he would probably have participated in the
sentiments which we have formerly expressed, (M. R. Vol. Ixiv.
p. 3 T I.) and would not have hesitated to acknowlege the jus-
tice and policy of a free competition. — Another occasion, on
which Mr. Wakefield's opinion came under our observation^
was the perusal of the evidence given in 18 10 before the
Bullion-committee, to whom he delivered (Minutes, p. 134.)
a circumstantial account of the state of the currency, in the
iister-island. He had at that time resided nearly two years in
Ireland, occiipied in collecting materials for the present work i
and following, in some degree, the example of his brother
agriculturist, Mr. Arthur Young, whose tour in Ireland excited,
tlurty years ago, a considerable share of public attention. To
a gentleman who had been in the habit, like Mr. Wakefield, of
valuing and managing land, the inspection of a country, in
which so much remains to be done by the introduction of
improved husbandry, was an object of primary interest ; and
to this powerful motive was added the predilection inspired by
the circumstance (Introduction, p. 10.) of Ireland bemg the
native soil of some of his nearest connections. These consi-
Vol. LXZI. B derations
Wakefield*/ Account rf Ireland^
Iterations led to his undertaking an examination of tlie state
lof the country \ and the want of a' fjiU and comprehensive
imrork on the subject was the motive *tof communicating tlie re-
sult of his labours to the public. V:-, '
Ponderous as are many gf the volumes through which we are
I doomed to travel, we hive-.scldom met with a production of
[more formidable appcofl^/re than the present. The subjects
{discussed arc, in,* 69itrse, many and various. They may bc
Briefly enumerated under the following heads : Vol. L Climate,
Soil, Rural EcpiJomy, Rivers, Canals, Roads, Harbours, Ma-
nufactures^-—Vol* IL Foreign Commerce, Fisheries, Paper-
Cinnenty, Revenue, Local Government *, State of Education
. /jind Religion; Population; with observations, at great length,
*• dh what many readers may deem the most entertaining part of
the whole, National Manners-
To literary fame, Mr, W. expressly declines any pretensions :
but a rigid critic will bc apt to doubt his sincerity, and to con-
Itrue the extraordinary superabundance of quotations from
tf arious languages into an indirect call on his readers for a tide
the character of extensive erudition. In another point, Mr.
l^W.'s candour will be less distrusted. We allude to the passage
(Introduction, p. 2.) in which he represent* his work rather
as a store-house of materials than as an arranged and digested
composition. His friends, he says, were urgent for its early
production \ a feeling which, whether it exists in an author
or in those who have influence over him, seldom fails to leave
behind it 2 subject of serious regret. An expectation of
change, in certain points, of the situation of Ireland, seems like-
wise to have accelerated the publication of his Account. la
our opinion, however, neither the importunity of friends, nor
the anticipation of change of political circumstances, constitutes
an adequate reason for pressing forwards the appearance of a*
book which is intended for permanent use. That Mr.W,
would greatly have gained by a more careful condensation of
his materials will appear from our subsequent remarks : at
present, wc postpone all observations on tlie general character
of his performance till our readers are made acquainted with
several of its particular features. Th]$ acquaintance will be
facilitated by exhibiting an abstract, or analysis, of tlie obser*
vations on several of the topics which are most interesting to a
reader on this side of St. George's Channel. To this task,
therefore, wc proceed •, p that, whatever pj n
Mr. W.'s family-conneciiuii ^ ivc given him for i ii-
vidua[s, it has left him thoroughly impartial in that gesi€?:al
description of national character whicli belongs to the provtoot
of an author. He is y^x^ far from being a flatterer % and \m
ctts
Wakefield^ Account &f IrtlanL ^
gets out widi declaring that * those are the best friends of ii;ian-
lutid^ who are bold enough to point out their errors.* Wa
qucsstloni however, whether the majority of his Irish readers
will thank him for being so explicit in his communications ;
aiui they may be inclined to think that the patriotic object of
UDpcoving Ireland might have been promoted without 50 literal
an exposition of the " nakedness of the land."
Family Injiu£}]cf, — ^That aristocratical influence, which in this
country \% so much subdivided, is in Ireland compressed in
a great measure into three powerful families ; those of Beres-
£ard| Ponsonby, and Fo&ter. Of the first, the Marquis of
Watcrford is, li not the political leader, the head in point of
rank and fortune ; and our Portuguese commander, Marshal
fieresford, is one of his near relations. In consequence of a
long co-operation with government, it is computed that not
ieffl thiti one-fourth part of the places, civil and ecclesiasticaJ^
in Ireland, is filled by the dependents or connectionf of this
family. In politics, they have generally been opposed to the
Pousonbys, having been advocates of the Union, but having
tak<^ no part in the Catholic-question. Such is the affibility
of their manners, contrasted with the reser\^e ©f their anta-
^f3BBM%y that k has become a common saying in Ireland, that
** a Beraeford pays more attention to an enemy than a Pon-
Muby to a friend *
Of the latter family, Mr. George Ponsonby, the opposition*
teider in Parliament, is the political chief* This gentleman*s
abilities are fully acknowleged among ourselves ; and the Irish,
who have known him longer, while they do equal justice to his
t^oic^j are warm admirers of the rectitude of his heart. The
lMUly*iicl<* and rank are enjoyed by this gentlemaji's nephew,
l^ord Poosonby, the brother-in-law of Lord Grey. The Pon*
tiMibys are related likewise to Earl Fitz-William, and h«ve
long been on terms of attachment with the Devonshire family.
They joined with the Fosters in opposing the Union ; and they
have of Jate become, as is well known, zealous advocates of
the Catholic^uestion. The shyness or reserve of manner,
which is common among them, has been considered as super*
cllioui, when a more accurate observation would hare re-
•olired it into a notion, perhaps somewhat refined, of the
Jjdiaviour which is incumbent on an independent gentleman,
Mr. John Foster, .Speaker (before the Union) of the Irish
House of Commons, and lately Chancellor of the Irish Ex-
^Aequer, is the head of the family of that name. He has long
been remarked for his attention to the study of the statistics of
Itebod ; and Ids ardour in that respect was probably the chief
ciUJe of his caking office in 1804 under Mr. Pitt. A decided
B % boldneii
4 Wake^EeldV Account of Irtland,
boldness in following his own judgment, in opposition to the
strongest impulse of public opinion, has been the cause of his
recent loss of popularity and consequent retirement from office.
Like the two other parties, the Fosters h^ve many connections
in the occupancy of official situations in Ireland, Mr. Grat-
anj without being directly allied to any of these families,
supported the Foster* and Ponsonbys in the question of union,
against government an J the Bercsfords, In his general politics,
he chief difference between him and Mr. Fox consisted in his
approving and supporting the war with France,
Familiar as are the names of these political leaders to the in-
liabttants of towns in Ireland, a tntveller may visit the peasantry
far and wide without dit>covering any tokens of knowlege or in-
"terest in such matters: (Vol.11, p. 35^2.)
In the courie of my journeys,' says Mr. Wakefield, * I frequently
ti quired of the people whether they ever heard of such men as Pittg
Fox, Ponsonby, Foster, &c. ; and I was astonished to find, notwith-
fttandiiiF the inlelhgcnce and acutcncss which they display in the com-
non affairs of life, that many of them wn^ unacquainted even with
kbeir names. The name of Cromw^ell, however, seemed to be very
familiar to them, as the great object of their hatred ; and such of
them, but the number was very small, as had any idea of modern
ttatesmen, appeared to be no less rancorous against Mr. Pitt, never
ponouncing his name without the strongest marks of indignation.
They spoke of Bonaparte, but never in terms of detestation : if they
ever uttered any thing severe against him, it was on account of hii
treatment of the Pope. — But notwithstanding that the people of Ire-
land do not enter into the minutiae of politics, and seem little inter-
ested in the downfal of one minister, or the elevation of another, nor
appear to be anxious about the fluctuations of party, many of them
have very correct ideas of the general state of the country* which
they acquire by that spirit of inquisitiveness so peculiar in their cha-
ficter. In the wilds of Connaught, many, although entirely ignorant
of political parties, were unanimous in their hatred to the government
of the Castle ; which, whatever form it may assume^ or whoever may
direct its meajiures, is considered as the focus of oppression ^ — a place
where they apprehend every ray of power is concentrated to keep
them in a state of slaviali subjection ; and this opinion, handed down
from father to son as a legacy, acquires new strength^in every suc-
ceeding generation.
*' Aul^ugh these classes pay Utile attention to political parties*
they are always ready to form private faction tf or associations ; like
the inhabitants of savage countries, where the government is wcak»
and the people barbarous. These coahtions are always for the re-
dreis* either of private wrongs, or public grievances, but witliout any
permanent object, or with any intention of overturning the govern-
ment. Such assi>ciations have a great resemblance to those of feudal
time^, but with this dtifercnce, tliat the latter were al'. d by
tome cliief, or leader, who often rtf trained their uti^ : .y, amd
isoderatcd
Wakefield'/ Ammt rflrthni.
mederateil tlieir furj ; thoBc now in Ireland are^ for the moat pait»
tiimulmous meetings, where the p^^oplc act without concert > aie irre»
gular in their moveo^eDts, and frequently uadecided in action..'
The impartiality shewn by Mr. W. in speaking of political
leaders was necessary to correct a notion rather current in
Ireland, where every thing is ascribed to party-spirit, that the
present work was intended to recommend the views of Mr.
Foster. It is true, (Introduction, p. 5.) ihut Mr. Foster ap-
prored of its plan, and was active in procuring information for
the author : but similar obligations are acknowleged to those
who are well known to differ from him in views of Irish policy.
In fact, the approbation of the act of Union, and of the Catholic
claims, (points which are uniformly supported throughout the
book,) are directly at variance with Mr. Foster's creed. With
regard to the former of these, Mr. W. takes credit for being
superior to the temptation of that popularity which, in Ireland,
is too often sought by declaiming against incorporation with
Great Britain, and in tavour of a separate legislature.
Finances i and State of the Paper-Cur re ffcy, — In no respect is the
difference in the management of business, in the two islands,
more clearly evinced than in the collection of the revenue. In
this country, the average ex pence of collecting is only five per
cent. ; while in Ireland (Vol. ii. p. 272.) it is regularly double,
and sometimes triple, that amount. Another highly unpleasant
circumstance in Irish finance is the disproportion in the pro-
gressive increase of debt and revenue ; the latter, notwithstand-
ing all the additional taxes, having failed to keep pace with the
former. The amount of the Irish debt, computing it, as it
should always be computed, by a reduction to the ordinary
money of account, is at present about fifty-five millions sterl-
ing. By adopting this mode of reckoning, we avoid the endless
perplexities that are attendant on the various descriptions of
stock. The public debt of England changes its anK)unt re^
markably in the mouths of different speakers ; being represent-
ed by some at five hundred, by others at six hundred, and by a
third party at seven hundred millions. Now by reducing our
stocks to the sterling money of private transactions, we are
freed from these embarrassing differences, and find that the
amount of our unredeemed national debt is about four hundred
and seventy millions. As to Ireland, it was acknowleged in
Parliament at the -opening of the session in January 181 1, that
the revenue had suffered by the distress of trade. It had de-
creased (Vol.ii. p. 272.) about 8oo,oool. ; a new proof, if any
were wanting, of the ruinous tendency of our Orders in Council.
Were the trade of Ireland in a flourishing condition, her taxes
under the present system would yield nearly five millions sterling.
B 3 With
I
I
Widi regard to paper-curtency, the conditioti of Ireland it
considerably worse than that of England. The over-issae,
whtch in this country has taken place gradually and moder-
ately, has in IreLmd proceeded since the suspension of cash-
payments with a highly pernicious rapidity* It is common for
the less respectable of the Irish bankers to pay to brokers, and
others, a premiunt for putting their notes into circulation \ ati
expedient by which, in the long run^ almost any house must be
reduced to a suspension of payment* Various consideratioiw
concur to shew that such must be the result \ the expence ii^H
too great for the profits of any new bank *, and the anxiety tdlH
extend circulation by such means leads to the ruinous practice ^
of making advances on doubtful security. The truth of thi«
negative and ungracious reasoning is but too fully evinced by
the repeated failures of Irish banks j for wherever we look, we
observe among them a proportion of bankruptcies equal, per-
haps superior, to any that has taken place among ourselves dur-
ing the last three unfortunate years. Of the Dublin banking-
houses, the two greatest, those of Latouche and Newcomen,
are conducted on the plan of the London bankers, and issue tm
notes. — As to the amount of paper in circulation, only that of
the Bank of Ireland is matter of publicity. In tBio, it ave-
raged about 3,2oo,oooL The term of the bills discounted sel-
dom exceeds two months ; and the rate of dividend on their
bank-stock is 7} per cent, per annum, with an occasional
tofius. The legal rate of discount in Ireland is 6 per cent.
Anotlier evil, not less serious than over-issue of paper^ is a
circulation of forged notes, to an extent of which, in this country^
we can have no adequate idea. Parties of swindlers attend the
fairs for the purpose of duping the country-people 5 vid^ m %,
prosecution, if it takes place, is seldom directed farther than 10
the compensation of the person defrauded, the offender appre*
hends little more than the obligation to give a good note for 1
bad one. So ingenious are some of these counterfeiters, that
the deception can scarcely be discovered by any but a banker.
Pcverty ^f the Irish Peasantry * ^^ The abject and uneducated
state of the majority of the lower orders aflbrds but too much
room for practising such deceptions as we have just mentionod.
It is melancholy that so numerous a body of our fellow-subject*
should remain strangers to the enjoyment of comfort, and to the
blessing of habits of industry. In looking to tfieir clothing, if
it be fit to give the name of clothing to that which barely suf»
fices to cover them, we find that it generally consists of a coarse
woollen fr: — i 1 a factured by themselves. Most other artici
of wearing ^ are, in like manner, home-made j bccauj
bowarer impet feet may b§ tbcif warkmatifliipi thcj must be
IQ satisfied
Wakefield'/ Aemtnt pf Inland. j
Sed With It, as they have not the means of making pur«-
dtees* Though the pressure of poverty is almost universj
among the Irish peasantry, the most distressing examples are
found in the province of Connaught : {Vol. ii, p. 757.)
* The poor who hold farms in partnership rank no higher than the
herd of the graiier, who has frequently two or three acres of land«
keeps a few cows or sheep, and very often receives no other wagefi
than the maintenance of these animals. These people send their sons
to tcf tool, hut complain that they cannot afford the same advantage to
their daughters. This may account for the women in many districts
not understanding a word of EngUsh. — The mountain-tenants, a still
poorer class, reside in the most wretched huts, and are the *• //«/•
fftmjf** who, in summer, travel into Ldnster in search of work, while
the wife and children wander about begging, and soliciting charity
'« for the honour of God.*' Groups of these poor creatures may be
seen during the summer-months, from one shore to the other, peranw
bidating the country in want and misery. One of the children car-
ries a tin kettle ; others, if stout enough, have a bundle of bed clothes
on their backs, and the mother is frequently loaded witli an infant,
that peeps over her shoulders out of a blanket in which it is
iospcodrd.' —
* On the western side of the Shannon, the appearance of the people,
their dress, the form of their cottages, and even the Irish laug^uagc
which they speak, are different from what they are in Leinster or
Munster, or in any other part of Ireland. The inhabitants of this
ade of the river treat those on the other side with the utmost con-
tempt, A common term of reproach with them is, ** he is a Con*
naught man $*' and I have htard the people of Dublin, when a gen-
tkoun^s carriage was pasting, drawn by hones of different colours^
badly matched, and as an lU-built vehicle always does, rattle in a
pccuUar manner, exclaim with a contemptuous sneer, " there goes a
Coiuiaught."
* labour here is lower than in other parti of Ireland, and the
pcopk in consequence of the nature of their leases live in a state
which approaches almost to tlavery* Little money is to be seen in
drculatton ; every payment is made by conveniences ; but still, as
muck wretchedness and poverty is to be found in Dublin and within
thirty mUet of it, aa in any part of Counaught. In this province, and
tlie esse is the same in many parts of Ireland, labourers are never em-
ployed without a person to overlook and attend them. They gene*
nlly work in companies i but half the time is wasted in g^si^ing
either with the overseers, or among themselves. In the course of my
touri I observed many instances of this idle habit, and was much
amiMed with their eonversations. I have seen gangs of young women
«np]oyed in hay-makin? or in gatliering potatoes, indulge in the same
^peoi
wnth Uie overseer the whole day.
remarked among the
tndimi
'Coring tXm two feasant I attended the fair at Ballinasloe, I pcr-
€0vci a crai aoxirty itt the tnhabiianti of Comiaught to leuUate
ipeofity, Joking and laughing with the oversee
An inclination to the^ and pilfering is still 1
igeoc Insh/ —
B4
ftr
th*,
I
m
of
I
Wakefielil'/ Acayuni tf Inland*
for Xht coTitempt with which they are treated by the people in otlier
provinrcs. I hud an opportunity of observing many scenes that are
not to be met with in any otlicr part of the British empire, and which
make a wngiilar impression on a stranger. When the Bishop of
Kilmore entered the fair, he was saluted by a loud and general howl,
which resembled more the war.whoop of »aTageii, tlian a complimentary
acclamation. It seemf d, however, to be highly gratifying to the
multitude, and to produce a smile of satisfaction on the faces of
Gal way buc keens.* —
* Following the banks of the Shannon, the country to the north
Limerick has a few resident proprietors, but is not remarkably p
pillous. The poorer classes, particularly in the neighbourhood of
Bruff, where I pissed in November 1 808, are an active race» w' ~
go half naked, hve in miserable mud cabins, and arc, no douf
hardy. It is impossible to find any country where the people
more confined to potatoes for food, than the inhabitants of
district.' —
« Counfy of fCfrry On leaving Tarbert, I lost every trace of
resident gentry, and travelled lo Kerry -head, pasjilng through
country, the inhabitants of which I was told were all ** White Bays*
I do not know what title tht-y gave themselves, nor is it of much tm
portance ; but I spent two nights among them, and experienced u
sincere hospitalily, and found as much personal safety under t^
roof* as I ever did in the most civilized parts of England Tl
cabins are built of aionc without cement, and the doors are of wicL
ivork. In every respect, they had a wretched appearance. Ti
was ^o scarce that they were glad to use any thing for fuel ; and w!
they lighted a fire, they endeavoured to increase the warmth by c<
Bning the smoke within the walls of their huts. I was advised n(
to enter into so disturbed a district, but as I was conscious that
act of mine deserved their resentment* I entertained no fear ; I
neither carried pistols, nor was dressed in uniform ; I conversed
freely with every one I met ; kept company with many of the pooiwr
orders on the road ; and by the time I reached Kerry-head, had
many attendants to shew me the Atlantic. I found them a quick,
inquisitive people, supertitious, querulous, and of an idle disposition.
The principal objects •f their complaint were proctors* tithes, middle-
men, and bad landlords*' —
• In this part of tfic country, wpddingf, among the opulent, and^
even those among the poorest 1 th considerabl
eicpence. The usual seasons i ; Ji before Leni
and a month before C!iri»tmas, which they call ** before Advent*'
Th»' dov,TT generally consists of some cows; and thr lady*9 bcii
d' 'to advantage, depends otl the number of uii
• '.th'^r Is a!>I^ t''i firstow. The father of t n
en tlie niKfTi the greatest number of cows.
havr- T>^Tn isritl+'.-L v\ ''i^rlv a day i^ ta^'isiJilr
O _' neighl*
^■*^ v. «... i^ cuiUimxi 1 .
Wakefield'j Account uf IreianJ.
cfcry ene who comes is welcome. The expence to a visitor is about
68. 6<L Of this sum, 28. 2d. is given to the priest ; is. id. goes to
his coadjutor ; the same to tlie musician, who enlivens the company
with the melodious strains of his bag-pipe, and a Uke sum to the cooky
who superintends the preparation of the entertainment. The dinner
consists of << every delicacy" that the adjacent district can supply ;
andy as those who partake of it are numerous, a whole sheep, with
pigs, turkeys, geese, and fowls, are dressed in the surrounding
houses. Ten or fifteen gallons of punch are made, of which the
company, both men and women, liberally partake, and the merry
dance is kept up with great spirit during the greater part of the
uight.'
Rural Economy. — If those persons, whose ideas of agriculture
are formed on the practice of our improved counties^ feel
disappointed at the backwardness of many parts of the south
and west of England, how much greater would be their morti-
fication on witnessing the miserable system pursued in Ireland !
There, it is still an universal practice to thresh on the bare
ground ; and the method, plain as it is, of giving land rest, in
the early part of the course, by means of clover, is hitherto
very little known. The Irish farmer possesses neither capital
nor any conception of the method of laying out money for an
ultimate return 5 all his object is a paltry profit at the present
moment. With equal blindness, the landholder thinks of no-
thing but an increase of rent, and pays very little attention to
the comparative industry and responsibility of the applicants
for his land. Several years of experience must still pass over,
before the majority of the Irish landlords are convinced that the
amount of the money-bargain is but one part of the business ;
and that the ability to cultivate land without impoverishing it
is of more importance than the payment, for a few years, of a
delusive increase of rent. A great extension of tillage has,
during the present age, taken place in Ireland : but it has in
general been extension without improvement. Increase of po-
pulation leads to the cultivation of more ground, but the mode
pursued continues nearly as backward as ever. The use of the
spade instead of the plough, or, to speak generally, a waste of
manual labour in lieu of the shorter process of machinery, con-
tinues the mark of a thick but poor population. While, in Great
Britain, the siae of farms is progressively augmenting, and em-
ployment is found for the growth of the population by multi-
plying the improvements of agriculture, — in Ireland, the chief
resource for rising numbers consists in a division and subdi-
vision of the paternal occupancy. Cottage is added to cottage
by each successive generation : but the potatoe, cultivated by
the h^nd, is still almost the only source of support and em-
ployment, ITie consequence is indeed an increaFc of rent to
the
la
WakcfieMV Accmmt of Inland,
the landlord, but no increase of property or of comfort to hit
humble lessee. Wlieat is very little known in Ireland, and oats
are never used by the inhabitants as food : like barley, they arc
raised chiefly for the purpose of distillation*
Rents in Irelnnd are generally accounted high in comparison
with those of England j a notion winch arises chiefly from in-
attention to the greater size of the acre, to the smaller value of
Irish currency, and to the exemption of die land from poor-
rates. The fashionable plan of encouraging Irish agriculture by
bounties has been, as we observed in our report of Mr. Newen-
ham*s work, (M. R. Vol. Ixviii, p. 197O greatly overvalued.
An open market is all that Ireland wants, and all that it is good
for her to have. The true bounty is to employ every advisable
expedient for stimubting the industry and extending tlie views
of the Irish farmer ; a slow and we fear a difficult process,
but one of which the prospect is greatly, though indirectly,
favoured by the expected abolition of religious disabilities, as
well as by the diffusion, -.drcady commenced, of tlie blessings
of education.
In endeavouring to ascertain Mr* W.*s views respecting the
principles of the corn-trade, we find ourselves somewhat per-
plexed by that loose style which forms a considerable blemish
in his book. In one passage, (VoL t p* 585.) he advocates a
bounty on the export of corn ; while, in another, (p. 601.) ht
regrets the existence of our corn-laws, and is desirous of consi-
dering them as, what they certainly are notj a defence against
bounties on importation. In addition to this fallacy, he ap-
5 ears to discourage the importation of all foreign com, and
eclares, (p. 602,) with all imaginable composure, that nothing
but a high steady price will answer the farmer's purpose* He
appears to forget that a rise in the money -price of corn is, in a
great measure, a delusion, and obliges both landlord and tenant
to make a proportional increase in their cxpenccs* Wc are
better pleased with him in another passage, where, comparing
the condition of French and Irish farmers, he traces their
poverty to the same cause, viz. the almost total want of capital.
In France are many poor farmers, called metayers^ who are
unable to contribute any thing towards working a farm beyond
their personal labour, and a few implements. The live* stock,
such as it is, is provided by the landlord \ and an agreement it
made to share the farming returns in equal proportions ; a plan
indicative of a very rude state of agriculture, and by
which tlie fine climate and soil of France are so inadequatel] ~
seconded that they produce scarcely eighteen bushels of
on an .iverage, per acre,
Tlie miserable etfects of want of capital in Ireland wiD \i^m
come apparenti on considering the large sum that is required in
Wakefield'/ Account pf Inland.
II
tlus country to tlo justice to a farm. It is computed, on an
that A farmer should not set himself down without a
aTengCj
L in stock and
of lol.
It ought to be
' the
money,
equal to the payment of the following items : ist> a ye;ir's rent \
2d. a year's labour 5 ;?d* seed-corn \ 4th. implements ; 5th,
horses i 6th* cows. Now in Ireland no rent is paid till the
first crop is threshed out; as to labourj all must be done by tlie
family y because they can seldom afford to pay for assistance ;
and as to seed-corn, it is frec^ucntly obtained on credit from
mercantile dealers, and sometimes bought with money bor-
lowetl at the exorbitant interest oijivi per cent, per month* Next,
as to tlieir implements, these are so few and so indifferent as to
amount to a mere trifle ; the horses merit no better description ;
aaid the cows have, in general, been reared on the premises of a
landlord on the footing of what is called a " convenience,'* a
method to which we shall advert presently. Thus the Irish far-
11 '■>% his career in want, and continues it in poverty. If
li ^ be industrious, he may sometimes save a little money,
which lie never thinks of expending in the improvement of his
ground, but hoards or keeps buried in the earth until the mar-
riage of a diiughter, or some other fiimily-call, obliges him to
encroach on his slender stock.
The old plan of discharging public burdens by labour, instead
of money, still continues in practice in Ireland. It is thus that
the farmer acquits himself of the county-cess, and, which ia
ttuich more pernicious in its consequences, performs various
vices to his landlord at an inferior rate of wages, or for in-
cct accommodations in the shape of an allowance of cow's
grass, oat and flax-land, potatoc-ground, Sec. These and
Other irregular modes of reimbursement constitute what is cur-
rently termed " payment by convenience." However natural
this plan of balancing an account may appear, it engenders
habits very different from those which are produced by regular
lyments in money- The true way of stimulating industry in
_ backward country, or of keeping it up in an advanced state,
U to hold forth a definite payment for a definite service. Hence
the practice, which has become %o common among ourselve»|
of paying all classes of workmen, whether manufacturers^
tradesmen, or labourers, by the piece. No wlicre is the con-
ttait between the two modes more strikingly exemplified than
in Ireland : (VoL 1. p. 515.)
' ** A» to the conventcncies,** say» an Irish country-gentleman re*
^skt in Tipperary, ** the peaamts get LljL*m from their employer!*
Ton sure twenty-pence per day would be clieapcr to the farmer, or
getttlcmaiii, to pay them, for no one wht> lives out of this county can
beheve the low tney occasion by their trcspa« of cattle, fowl, and
pigt, botli wilful and by neglect* I am now rearing (ist of May,
WakefieldV Aecmnt of Inland*
hi,) barley in potatoc ground; I let some to my workmen zl
light pounds an acre last year, which I mean to let out with grasi*
peedsj and thife day I am in /i <war with ihcm to remove their poiiiloe*
out of the Iioks, which, although growing in a mat, it is with difiU
cuhy, and by force, 1 can get them to remove* I haveoifcrcd them
hordes tbree months to remove them t thin may give you some idea of
their manner a ; all along the field* llicy have made gaps through a
new qnick hedge, sooner than pass a httle round by tlic gate» and
although I have been twenty-five years among them, I know no
means of managing lh?m, neither will they lead or drive, iior do I
expect to 6ee them in a better situation.** * —
Now for tbe reverse of the picture, from Mr. Wakefield's
own obsci^ations : (p. 512*)
* When at Mr. Stewart's, at the Ards, in Donegal, I found that
h& pnld hii labourers in mone^ e-^ery Saturday nigbt* He was the only
man in the count y> perhaps, who thought oi it, and the difference
which it produced was undoubtedly striking. I was there in company
with Sir Wilham Rowley, hia son, and his brother, the Rev. Joshua
Rowli*y ; and I remember we were all fdled with aatonisliment long
before we got within the walls of hia domain, at the appearance of
every thuig around us ; being unable to discover what magical power
could effect foSpeedy, aud jso uncommon a difference as weob^^t^rved
not only in the looks of the people, but iu their habitations, and
whatever else belonged to them. We, however, soon found that the
SPEJ-t WAK READY MOVEy, and REGULAR WEEKLY PAYMENT*.
* J shall now proceed to the opposite bide of the kingdom, to the
residence of the Rjv. Dr. Dudley, at Killown, in the county of
Wrxh»rd, where this gentleman may be constdeAd as a new settler'
on the living to wliich he was presented ; but different from a country
^uire, with his "army of freeholders." I found Dr. Dudley at
Lillown, cmptuycd in the same manner as I had often &cen him at
Brad well, in Essex ; giving work to the poor^ and encouraging their
bonc&t uiduatry. His httle iarm had the appearance of an ant-hill :
payment J were mude every week in money j people came to work for
hitn from a great distance, in every direction. He took me out to
«ec his workmt u, and I shall not easily forget an expression he made
use of on that occasion ; it dest rves to be recorded, and may afl'ord
a us'ful ksson to those who are too apt to judge from prejudice :
«* Wik* Hf Id, hmk at thc^e poor fellows, and honesUy acknowledge
that un Ir.shmiin can work; but bear this in mind, that he is paid
every Saturday night***
- Ltoies. — The tenure of land in Ireland is often di^rcnt
from that of ' try. It ia common to read, iu the Irish
psptrs, advci: ,\q kt land on lease •* for ever." Thiii
practice originates from the ciicumbtance of fnany Irish f
betng held by grant* from the cr — ^ ^ •• ■' - t-cut of u tiun-
retiU a conscqutTice of the coi, nt on t^ic tin*
12
fiince
Wakefield'/ A£cmnt of Inland.
since he possesses unbounded power over the soil,
of limited durations, tlie length of term is various
be classed as follows :
6i years with JiYes. [ 2t years with lives*
3 1 years with ditto. z i years-
31 years.
Covenants for a course of husbandry are scarcely known in
Irish leases, the quantum of rent being the grand object of at-
tention. The clauses sometimes inserted for the repair of
buildings are generally a mere form, and are considered as such
when a case happens to be brought into court, for the plain
reason that the buildings are seldom worth repair. Parlia-
mentary influence i^ much considered, every proprietor having,
it may be said, ** an army of freeholders." This, however, is
very far from leading to an assurance of preference to the occu-
pant at the expiration of the lease ; a small addition in a stran-
ger's offer sufficing to produce a transfer of possession. This
want of confidence between landlord and tenant is calculated to
engender the worst consequences ; and, taken with the erroneous
system of leases on lives, it may be considered as the main
cause of the prevalent habit of over-cropping. It was in vain
that Mr. Wakefield argued with Irish tenants that it was not
their interest to run so many crops : the constant answer was,
" I hold the land only during such a person's life ; he is ad-
vanced in years, and who knows how soon he may drop ?"
i« But you will get a renewal V « I can't tell tliat." « But
it is most probable there can be no wish to change the te-
nant ?" " A high rent will be bid for the land if // be in
heartr
In the south of Ireland, it was formerly the custom for
gentlemen of landed property to hold, in their own manage-
ment, large tracks of land, under the grazing system : but this
mode has now fallen into disuse, the proprietors finding it ad-
visable to retain only a moderate domain ; and letting out the
remainder on lease. As to the general question of the length
of leases, Mr. Wakefield is inclined to think that, in England,
twenty-one years form a suitable term : but in Ireland, where
the laoour of a lifetime seems necessary to bring the land into
tolerable condition, he is of opinion that leases ought to be for
tKhty-one years, or more. He has attempted an estimate of
the average rent of land throughout Ireland ; a computation
necessarily vague, but not wholly uninstructive. The result
is about 1 1. 7s. for the Irish acre, equivalent to near i ys. on our
meahure. — He !:> by no means disposed to join in the common
outcry againat middlermen ; and he observes diat a material
^doctioa is to be made between the property which, is in a
condition
H
Wakefield's Accmfd Gf Inlani.
condition to be let at once to the ordinary tenants of z countiyy
rand thit which, in order to be rendered productivej requires
tthe aid of a wealthy intermediate occupant. Neither does he coin-
T cide in the common declamation against absenteet, since it often
[lappens that the property of these gentlemen is not the worse
managed for dieir being out of the country : but he acknow-
leges tliat se\'eral landholders are in the habit of making a
ihort annual trip to Ireland, to have a pretext for calHng them-
selves residents, and for evading the payment of the income-
\ tax. The total of absentee-rental he computes at between two
, and three millions,
If Mr. Wakefield be indulgent to middle-men, he is by no
I means sparing with regard to agents or land -stewards. Many
I of the Irish gentlemen are unfortunately so improvident as to
' be in debt to their agents, which, in other words, is putting
themselves in their power; and the conicquence is that the
, ;jgent practises corruption without either fear or shame. On
receiving a farmer's offer for a lease, it is not unusual for some
of these modest persons to ^sk in direct terms, *• And how
much do you propose to give to myself ?" and it is quite com*
[mon for tenants to pay money to the wife and daughters
I of the agent, or to whomsoever they deem likely to have infln-
^ence with him, (I. 299.)
« While in Kildarc. during the spring of the year 1809, a gentle-
^Inan with whom I am in habits of intimacy, and on whose strict vera-
Icity I can place U\\\ reliance* communicated to me the following cir-
cumitance, which, had it been a solitary instance, I should have sup*
preMed ; but, as a hundred of the same kind might be produced, it
ought to be made known.
* My friend being about to go to Eogland, was desired by one of
his neighbours to wait upon a gentleman in London, to request the
renewJof tlic lease of a farm. The gentleman received hiia with
much politeness ; and, after some conversation on the businesa* referred
him to the agent who resided 00 the estate. On application to
the agent, he immediately said, " You must give so much per annum
as the rent, and it will be necessar)-, likewise, that you should make
me 1 preaent of 500L — I have been offered 300I. alreadv." As a
companion to the above, I shall relate a circumstance nearly of the
ime kind. The late Duke of Lein^cr, upon tl^e appointment of a
cw agent for his estate^ borrowed of him 2c,oooL The agentt
who WW a man of character, being desirous to have it uiiderttood
liether or not he was to follow the usual custom, and to receive
esents ^ro the tenants, asked his employer in what manner he
uld act* His Grace replicdf ** Get all you can**'
Many agents have sons, or other relations, settled as shopkeepcft
' cm tome part of the estate to which tliey belong, and a lenf nt, un*
lets he chooses to run the risk of incurring the displeasure of these
Wptefy cmnnot purchate t yard of tape or a pound of cWse m any
other
Wakefield'/ Acauat of Inland.
»5
Other place* Nay, I have known agents* when lliey had no relationa
to prDvide for in this manner, dispose of a shop to a strangeri and
exact from him a per-centage on all hia profile. ' —
• One estate in the north* which came under my observation,
yielded to the English landlord 8000I. per annum, and to the agent
loooh indcpendenily of the patronage which the latter obtained,
to the benefit of his family and dependants^ I know another in-
ttance, where the leases of an estate of io,OOol. per annum being
eipired, the agents on the renewal, exacted a year's rent from eacn
tenantt by way of ** Uatt-mQuey^* and thus put at once into hi«
pocket io,ocoL*— *
• I do not, however, wisli to be supposed, that I mean to include
in one general character all those agents who arc intrusted with the
management of estates in Ireland. I know that in thai country there
are many most respectable agents ; honourable men, who would as
little take a bribe from the hands of a tenant, &3 they would pilfer
a guinea from a banker's drawer. I observed less of that meanness
among the non-resident agunts, than among those who live in the
mauition of an absentee.*
B^gs, — Ireland possesses no great diversity of soil. Chalk is
unknown ; clays, where they occur, are less stiff than in this
country ; and the greater part of the island abounds with lime-
Itoiiet or calcareous gravel. Luxuriant herbage is often found
to spring from n calcareous sub-soil of little depth. This is
usual in the counties of Roscommon, Galway, Clarcj and other
quarters ; but the richest grounds are to be found in the county
of Meath. The districts called the Caucasscs lie along the
banks of the Fergus and Shannon, and, though they present
the appearance of marsh, are of such extraordinary fertility as
never to be injured by depth of ploughing. The lime-s tone-
gravel, so common in Ireland, may be always made conducive
to the improvement of the ground. The counties of Tippeniry
and Limerick, Longford and Cork, abound in fertile spots ; yet,
ridi as Ireland is, Mr. Wakefield is scarcely disposed to allow
'that^ acre for acre, her soil is superior to that of England,
I Assertions to that effect, he thinks, would be less positively
urged, were travellers to take into account the rich Innds of
Cambridgeshire, Lincolnshire, the south of Yorkshire, and the
north of Nottinghamshire, In such comprehensive calcula-
tions, it IS necessary to make a material deduction for the
extent of surface lost in bogs. These bogs are not, as we are
apt to imagine, similar to the marshy fens in our eastern
counties, the value of which has, in tlie present age, been so
wonderfully increased by draining: but a^riidical difference
prevails in point of soil \ that of our marshes being a * black
spungy moor of rotten vegetable matter,* while tlie bogs of
belaad consist of • inert vegetable matter/ covered, more or
less,
i6
Wakefield*s Acccunt oflrtlafid*
•less, ^vith unproductive vegetables, and concaimng a laige qiian-
ehy of stagnant water. While the former is found capable, aftw"
"having been drainedi of producing unrit-alled crops of grass
find corn, the latter seems scarcely to throw out a single useful
^)ant. The bogs of Ireland extend chiefly to the westward of
>ubltn, in a' range which expands in breadtli as it approaches
western ocean. This large track includes, among oth^
Dgs, those that are comprized under the collective name of
f iihe bog of Allen; which is by no means» as it is . nly
I supposed, one continued morass. A Board of Con. n
lias for some years been employed in investigating tiie means
i^of improving these unproductive levels, and recommended the
system of large drains; an opinion with which Mr. WaVcfieU
not disposed to coincide. In this, as in other places, how-
r^ he has ^o incumbered his reasoning with prolix detaili
bat it is no easy matter to analyze the ground of liis opinion*
tit is perfectly ob\ious that, if the springs which discharge
I vater into bogs can be traced, and a drain be directly applied
tliem, the desired result will be successfully produced. We
e aware, hkewise, that, in several cases in w!uch a bog has
reclaimed, the expence has been equal or more than
[jual to the market-price of prime land : but this excess of
Jtpenditure may, in our view of die matter, be more fre-
tly ascribed to an imperfect knowlegc of the proper course
improvement, than to any absolute impracticability, as some
persons allege, of conducting such undertakings on a pro-
Itable plan.
Fiii-L — ^A deficiency of fuel is one of the greatest drawbacks
pn the prospect of improvement In Ireland. It was truly re-
narked by that sagacious observer, Dr, Franklin, that, in a
Climate like ours, no circumstance affects so directly the com*
fort of the lower orders as the supply of fuel. The obvious
reason is that the command of fuel enables them to prolong,
their hours of work ; much of the domestic labour of poor
women, such as spinning and knitting, as well as the manu-
factures performed by men, which give little exercise, being
difficult of execution when the fingers are numbed witli cold.
In severe weather, therefore, these poor people go sooner to bed
and rise later than they would if they could afford good fires
or warm stoves. If we look around among ourselves, we shall
find thit .(bundance of fuel and increase of manufactures regu-
larly go hand in hand. What else is the cause of the thick
population of Birmingham, «nd of its neighbourhood; which,
in the recent examination of witnesses before the House of
Commons, oo the subject of the Orders in Council, wer
presc
Wakefield'/ Account 9/ Inland.
X7
nresented to contain, within a moderate clrcucftference, not
fewer than 400,000 inhabitants ?
Various coal-mines are found in Ireland, but the quality is
I either of an inferior nature, or, which more frequently happens,
the difEculty of working is such as to give tlie coat no more
than a partial or local sale. A3 it is thus much dearer than
English coal, Ireland continues to be supplied by importation,
particularly from Whitehaven. The chief coal-w^rks arc those
of Castle-coomer near Kilkenny : but, comparatively large as
they are, they raise only forty tl^iusand tons annually, at an
espencei it is said| of nearly ios» per ton, which is double the
cost at many of our collieries. The works of Arigna, in the
county of Leitrim, described by Mr, Newenham (see M* R,
VoL Ixvii. p*359.) in such sanguine terms, are not, in Mr*
Wakefield's opinion, likely to be more prosperous than the
others. As to woo«^ it is so "scarce throughout Ireland as
very seldom to be used for fuel •, and English coal finds its
way not only to Belfast, Dublin, Cork, and other sea-ports,
but into the interior towns, such as Carlow and Mullingar,
through tlie medium of canals* Among the lower orders, the
chief fuel is turf cut out of the bogs ; and the cutting, drying,
and carrying of this substance exhibit, in Ireland, as in Scot-
land, a scene almost as busy as harvest. Hence the poor are
often in great alarm at the design of draining a bog, fearing
that they may be deprived of their fuel j an apprehension, how-
ever, which is wholly without foundation, because, after it had
been drained, the sub-stratum would become so compressed
as to afford much better turf thun before, and the peasantry
would save a great part of the time which they lose in drying
the turf. We extract the following passages from Mr* W/s
joomal :
• Aug. I ft. Mrath. Killeen. — Some parts of tfiis county are
very badly iupplied witb fuel. Each cabin requires at least twenty-
. five kifhes for the consumption of one winter. Habit, and the want
of gratet, prerfnt any attempt being made to employ coals. One
ton af coalt ii equal to fourteen kishcs of turf, at 49. 4d, each, and
1 ton of coalt coats only 34s.' —
• Aug. 1 2th. Westmeath. Reynella,— Turf is sold here for one
lUQing per barrack kish. Coals, from Kilkenny, cost 3». 6d. pcT
[ cwt-' —
• Sept, 8th. Donegal. Ballyshannoti. — Went into a cabin be-
ionging to a widow woman, who takes in two lodgers \ thene Ktdgers
join Willi her in purchasing fuel, of which tbcy burn two horse-loadt
po'Wfek in luinmer, and three in wmttr* The expense m the for^*
OCT Mtfon it eight*pence each, and in the latter from ihirtccn-pence
Id dghteriKpence per week, making the vhok annual exprnditui^
fcr that article upwards of Etc pounds, Coalt, at Bally tUadnoQ^ sell
Jbv. Maiti 1S15. C for
1 8 SbawV General Zodogy^ Y&L VIIT.
fcr a guinea and a half per ton. The family of a laboiiret in Enffi*
^Jand can obtain fuel at a much cheaper rates aa a loa of coala wilt
St ihem a year,
• Dec. 20th. Limerick. Grange. — Mr* Grady, and the Rcv.Dr,.
If itzgerald agree in opinion, that c?en at the bog side> turf costR eack
I cabin 40s* per annum/
It is apparent that, had our manufacturers, in opposing the
[Union, considered the obstacles to rivalship on the part of
I Ireland from a deficiency of fuel, they might have saved them-
f selves much disquietude, and might have exempted Mr, Pitt
[ from the necessity of introducing into tlut act conditions equally
[ait variance with a libt^ral policy and with Uie wishes of the
Vpeople of Ireland.
{T^ be ccnfmtitd^l
J Art. II. General Zoology^ or Systematic Natural History. By
George Shaw, M.D.,F.R.S., &c. With Plates from the first
Authorities and mogt select Specimens* Engraved principally by
Mrs* Griffith. Vol. VIII. Parts i. and ii. 8vo. PP* 570.
$7 Fbtea. '2I. 12s. 6d. Boards. Kearsley, &c. t8l2.
IN making our report of each portion of this valuable workj
, we have no need to trouble our readers with general re-
I marks on its nature and object, but may only congratulate tliem
[on its regular progress towards completion. We have now to
letate that, in the present volume, the estimable author discusses
rtfie remaining genera of tlie order P/V^r, or Pies ; namely, Bu*
I ^erosy Momoia^ Musophaga^ Buphaga^ jilccdo^ Shtdy Tcdus, Upu^
petf Prom^rops^ Mercps^ Certhia^ TrochsJuj, Ramphasios , Scjthropi
^CraUphaga^ and Psittacuf^
SucercSf or Horfi-hilL ^^The birds of this family, which in-
liabit the warmer regions of Asia and Africa, seetn in 90itie
Ijneasure to correspond to the Toucans of the new world, being
I distinguished by the great size of their beaks ; which, in most
I ©f their species, are rendered still more extraordinary by a pro-
icess, or appembge, on the upper mandible. As tins latter
1 characteristic does not exliibit its genuine form till tlie fuli
Srowtli of the bird, and as the males and fema>|es assume very.
ifferent appearances, the precise determination of the specieau
lliecomes a matter of considerable difficulty. The substance of
* eir huge bills is not solid, but channelled ; and tb^ir serm*
lures are often apparently irregular, in consequence of the injury
rhich they receive from seizing their prey ^-ith violence : our^
ccording to Latham, the circumstance of their feeding f>n ftsli
c^uires confirmation.
6Kaw*/ Gemrar ^mhgj. Pal P^tft t^
Of the twenty-five species, or varieties, particularized by
Dr* Shaw, several are dispatched with somewhat provoking
brevtt]^ ; from the want, no doubt, of more ample and accurate
imdUgence relative to their distinctive characters and natural
diflposittons* On some occasions, however, tlie splendid la-
bours of Levaillant on the rarer birds of India and America
have contributed to fill up and to enliven the descriptions.
An example of this kind occurs in the account of the re-
markable species dcnoniinated Buceros rhin&ccvGs^ or Rhimcvroi
* The general sixe of the Rhinoceros hom-bitl is that of a hen-
tufkeyp but its shape is more slender m proportion : the neck is of
moderate length, and the tail slightly cuneated ; the colour of the
whole bird is black, except the lower part of the abdomen and tip of
the tail, which are white ; the bill, which is enormous in proportion
to the bird, measures about lo inches in length, and is of a slightly
curved shape, almrp -pointed, sefrated in a somewhat irregular marii
ner on llie edges, and furnished at the base of the upper mandible
with an extremely large process continued for a cotisiderable space
i& a jiaraUel direction with the bill, and then turned upwards in ^
contrary direction, or in the manner of a reverted horn ; this process
* I divided into two portions by a longitudinal black line, the part
'kjvc the line being of a bright red, the part below yellow, and the
ck part or rising base, ne>ct the head, black : the bill itself is of
Biiar colour witli the process, being black at the base, the remainder
"jreliowt ttnored with bright red towards the base : the k^rfl are short,
atrong, and of a pale yellow colour. In the specimen described by
M. Levaillant, the abdomen was entirely black ; the tail, as in the
above described specimen, tipped with white, and the whole plumage
exhibited a slight bluish gloss when exposed to a strong light : the
rves werr blackish ; the eye-lashcs long, black, and flattish. Thi*
bird was of a timid disposition, endeavouring to conceal itself ffon*t
view, and of a dull and heavy appearance* It did not walk,
b«t bopped' along in the manner of a crow- The only appearance
^f liTcUneii* which it exhibited was when its food was brought by tiie
person who had Uie care of it : at such times it ran forwards with tx*
tended wings, opening its bill, and uttering a slight scream of joy. It
waa fed wiib biscuit steeped in water, flesh cither raw or dressed,
ri^" '^ ' % 5cc, M, Levaillant one day offered it some ucvvly killed
*- which he had lately shot, and which it readily devoured
tntiit'j .liter bruffeing them for a considerable time in its bill* It
was aaid also, during its voyage from India, to have alwuys pursued
fHf and mice wliencver it perceived them, thoug^i it never wa*
fttmble enough to catch one« Its monstrous bill, which at tim ap«
Mora so formid^tble a weapon, is by no means such in reality, and
M* Levaillant assures us that he several times put his hand into ihe
bill without feeling the slightest pain, thou^^h the bird exerted all
Its endeavours to wound it, M. Levaillant adds, that the Hum-btlis
» general arei in his opinion, naturally cfirnivorous, all tho^e which
C a
he
I
I
ShawV Generol Zoohgjt VeL FIH.
be observed in Africa feeding on terpentSi UzardBf insectSi Icc.^aiuf
iometime^oD carrion.'
The Unicom species afFords an article not less Interesting
than the preceding^ the author having adopted Buffbn^s amus-
ing recital, and subjoined some additional notices from Le-
vaillant :
* The Flolaceour^ a native of Ceylbn, was examined in a living
state by Mons. Levaillant in a menagerie at the Cape of Good Hope,
whither it had been brought by a Dutch vessel returning from India^
It shewed a remarkable degree of docility and attachment towards
its keeper, and was fed with meat, either raw or dressed, as well as
with various kinds of vegetables. It also pursued and readily caught
both ratf and mice, which it swallowed entire, after having rubbed
them in its bill. It was a general peace-maker tn the menagerie, and
whenever a quarrel arose among any of the other birds, it imnlt-
diately ran to tftem^ and by the strokes of its beak enforced a sus-
pension of hostilities. It even kept the larger birds in awe, and
LevaiQant once saw it cause an ostrich to run away with all its
speed, pursuing it half flying and half running. In short it be*
came the formidable tyrant of the whole menageriet which it imposed
upon by the size of its enormous bill rather titan by any genuine
power* thus proving the general truth, that appearance alone often
prove* a succcsiW substitute for reality.*"
The kiiroduction of the Helmefed or gaUaUdH^xmAoAlX into the
British Museum is so far of importance^ as it reveals the insuf-
ficiency of the cotijectures which had been hazarded by
Edwards and LevaiJJant ; tlie latter of whom, having specu-
lated on the bill and skull, inferred not only that the bird to
which these parts belonged must be of a very different family
from the hom-bill3| but that he must be almost incapable of
flight.
Dr. Shaw*s history of the only known species of Momata^
or Momotf viz. the BrazUian^ is cliiefly made up firom the ob»
scrvations of Edw^ards and Latham-
Musophaga vwlaceay or FhUi PIafttain*eaterf is the same ele-
gant bird whicli the author had already described in the Muscrtm
Lcva'iatmm^ under the appellation of Cuculus rcgiui ; and its
proper station cannot be very correctly assigned, until it be
distinctly ascertained whether its feet are constructed for
walking or for climbing. M. Iscrt, who, in die Berlin.
Transactions, describes a living specimen, represents them as
ffiisortal z but it has been suggested that, like the Touraco-
- Wrd, it may possess tlie power of placing its toes in cither
position*
I
I
ShawV General Zoology^ VqL VllL
Is aibout the size of a Lark» of a ferruginous brown above,
paler beneatlij with tlie tail-feathers somewhat pointed, and
the bill straight, thtckish| and gibbous towards the extremity.
It alights on the hide of cattle, antelopes, and other qua-
drupedsi from which ft picks the larvc of gad-flies : but it
likewise feeds on various other insects. It is a very shy
bird, and is usually observed ill small flocks, of six or eight
individuals*
Though the numerous family denominated Aiceioy or King-
fishery is found in each of the four quarters of the w*orld, it
chiefly affects warm and hot latitudes, only one species being
indigenous to Europe, In most of them, brilliancy of plumage
is more remarkable than elegance of form v and the predomi-
nant colours are blue, green, and orange. Notwithstanding
the shortness of their wings, their flight, which is horizontal,
is strong and uncommonly rapid : yet, in the midst of their
most impetuous career, they can suddenly stop short, and
remain motionless for many secoi*ds. When seated on the
branch of a tree, should a iirh drop from tlieir bilJ, they will
instantly dart after it, and recover it before k can fall to the
ground. They are observed to haunt rivers and the vicinity of
waters, living on fish and aquatic insects, which they catch
with singular art and dexterity ; plunging down on their prey,
seizing it cross ways in tlieir bill, and either swallowing it on
the spot, or retiring to some resting-place, where they may
devour it at leisure. Like birds of the accipitrine order, they
have a capacious stomach, and possess the faculty of disgorg-
ing bones and other indigestible substances in the form of pel-
iets. They lay from five to nine eggs, in cavities which they
form in the banks of rivers, &c. Of forty species, here de-
scribed, the common or European sort affords the most cnter-
laining article, because it is most familiar to the observation of
ornithologists.
The SiiUf or NnUhatchej^ ate, in their general manners,
much allied to the Wood-peckers, chiefly frequenting trees, in
the cavities of which they breed, and feeding on nuts, berries,
insects, &c* Besides the single European species, of which
the history is pleasingly enough detailed, (principally in the
language of Mr. Pennant and Colonel Montague,} twelve others
ire here briefly characterized. The European, it might have been
noted, has seldom occasion to quit the woodtid iiscricts of a
country, even in winter i because, should its store of nuts and
grain be exhausted, it can still have recourse t<3 dormant insects,
or their larvx. The Norwegians, however, have observed that,
previously to wrt or stormy weather, it sometimes comes down
^m the inland parts to tlie coast* The male is very as^i-
C 3 duoui
32
Shaw*/ Gemral Zookgy, KoL VllL
duous in his attentions during the nursing of the young : but|
when the latter are able to provide for themselvesi the family
breaks up, anc} each individual lives apart. Notwithstanding
this solitary disposition, however, nut-hatches are often seen to
associate with creepers, titmice, &c., and, in aviaries, they have
been known to live on the niost friendly terms with Jimiets,
chrj flinches, &c.
In the large species, {Sitta major ^) the form of the hillf which
is thickish in the middle, and curved at the tip, seems to ex-
clude it from the genus. ThePusi/ia is described principally from
the defective representations of Catesby ; which, as far as we
recollect, are corrected by V'mllot ^i in his History of North
American Birds.
The T^dia^ which are chiefly ijihabitants of the wanner
parts of America, are distinguished by a peculiar flatness of
the bill, and may be discriminated from the Fly-catchers, to
which tliey so nearly approximate, by having the outer and
middle toes connected. In his scanty exposition of this tribe,
Dr. Shaw has been principally guided by Latham and Pallas ;
but more copiousness of detail might have been derived from
Desmarest's Natural History of Tana gers, Todies, and Manakins,
a sumptuous publication, which we had occasion to notice som^
time ago. Fourteen species, however, are here enumerated
and defined.
With regard to the VariegaUd Tody of Latham, Tcdier Varic
pf Buffon, &c., which has been conjured up from some vague
and confused notions of tlie description and figure of Isplda
Indu&f by Aldrovandas, the present author observes, with his
usuiil critical sagacity, that * the bird intended was a specie^
pf Ca-iJjia or Creeper, and that Aldrovandus merely calls it a
King-fisher in compliance with the title by which he received
it. It has therefore nothing to do with tlie present genus,,
and can only serve as a remark.ibie instance of the carelessness
vith which works of this kind are frequently quoted* The
Count de Uufibn, or his coadjutor Montbeillard, observes that,
ai AUrovanduf) is wlant relative to the shape of the bill in this
tird, he cannot pretend to determine whether it sliould be
placed in ixus genus or nor. Aldrovandus, however, expressly
jcUres the bill to be longish, slender, and of a black colour ;
ind the ii^uti-, though rude, would, even at the present day,
for a tolerable representation of spme of the African and
t^merican Ccrthia*/
* 1 (*i& gciitkmau'* name \s umformly ^^Titten yitlki by Dr*
ph4W : bat wheivm hm the n^kt i o&aded, that it Abould be plucked
mi \
The
Bliaw'/ Gefteral Z^jft^gy^ Vof, Fill.
The genus Upupa is far from
includi
the
numerous ;
present arranj^ement, only four species, of which the Epc^i^
or Common Hoopce, afforcis the most varied description. The
remaining three are, the Minor^ MadngascariemU, and Nigra*
Their discriminative characters are a long slender bill, some*
what arched underneath, a longitudinal crest, or double row of
feathers on the head, which the bird can erect at pleasure, and
the feet gressorial.
The family of PrMtw^ps is conspicuous both for elegance of
form ^nd brilliancy of colouring ; insomuch that the Superhu
And Paraiiiieufy in particular, have by some writers been classed
with the Birds of Paradise. By others, again, they and their
congeners have been considered as more properly belonging
10 the Hoopoes: but, in general, the lengthened and cuneated
tail constitutes a good differential character* Besides the two
m,uked species to which we have alluded, the Cctruieui, ^^fir»
StriatHSf MexicanuSy AuratttiuSi and Erythrorywhos^ are succinctly
delineated by Dr. Shaw.
In the title Alerops^ ox Bti-iater^ arc included thirty-six speciesi
which are distinguished by their curved, compressed, and c*-
rvnated bill ; the lip of the tongue being, for the most part,
jagged i the two middle tail-feathers projecting beyond the
others ; and I lie feet formed for walking. Their general food
is insects, especially those of the Apis tribe. Their note seldom
exceeds a whistle, and that not always of a pleasing tone: but the
Cindnnatut^ or Poe ki^iatcr^ is prized not less for its long than
for its glossy plumage. Their manner of flight, and their habit
Urf seizing their prey, when on wing, in some measure assimi-
it€ them to the Swallow tribe j while their gay and vivid co-
burs, and their mode of nidificarion, are more analagous to
those which are exhibited by the King-fishers. Several of the
more remarkable species are natives of New Holland, particu-
[ iirly the PhrygiuSy or Embroidered^ which the author had already
raescribed in his Zoology of New Holland.
Under the rufous species, it might have been observed that
the individuals belonging to it rather atTect than shun the
haunts of mankind, and often build their conspicuous nests on
the outside of houses, and sometimes even in the interior of
human dwellings. They seem neither to penetrate into ex-
pnsive fore»;ts tior to frequent elevated situations, but to reside
bushes, or flutter alxmc in the open plains, appearing
always in pairs, and never in families, or flocks. When they
tifig, they bring tlieir body forwards, stretch out their neck,
Dil beat their wings. Their note, which is common to both
ue«, is heard throughout all the year, and consists in the
1, frequent, and lively repetition of the syllable chL Their
HCit, which is composed of clay, is hemispherical> or shaped
14 SUtw*/ Gmtral Zpchgf, Vol. FIIT.
like a b^er^s oven, zibout six inches and a half in diame
and one inch in thickness. The male and female alternately
fo in quest of and arrange little balls of clay, of the size of a
azel nut, and will sometimes complete the .structure in the
course of two days. From the entrance on the side, is a par-
i^tition within, which terminates in a circular form, on the oppo*
Btte side i with a .^^mall communication to the chamber, in which
l,So\iT white eggs, dashed with rufous dots, are deposited. As
bese nests commonly last for more than one season, they are
lometimes seized by the brown Swallow, and other birds, which
are desirous of saving themselves the trouble of building: but|
the original proprietors wish to re-^ccupy them, they banish
itniders without ceremony.
The Certhi^f or Creepfrs^ comprise upwards of a hundred
Especies, and naturally occupy an intermediate station between
1ie Bee-eaters and the Humming-birds, with both of which
tsome of them may be very readily confounded. In many in-
Itances, however, they may be separated from the former by
"he want of the equal projection of the two middle taiUfeatherSt
^ind from the latter by the structure of the tongue. This or-
gan, * in the Creepers, is generally of a lengthened form, divided
into several processes or filaments at the extremity ; while in
the Humming-birds it rather resembles a long double tube, the
end of which is abo sometimes divided into filaments as in the
Creepers- In the splendor and variety of their colours, the
Creepers rival the Humming-birds, to which they are so nearly
idlied that in some of the smaller species the distinction between
the two genera beccmcs somewhat obscure/ Indeed, wt
roust profess our ignorance of any permanent criteria that
uniformly apply to all the reputed species of Certhiat;
Montbeillard and Vieillot were fully justified in their attempts
to reform the genus, alihoujih the titles of their divisions are
barsh or outlandish. The birds of this family creep along the
trunks and branches of trees, with wonderful dexterity and nim-
bleness, in search of insects and their Iar\*ac ; and some of the
smaller sorts likewise extract the juices of flowers, in the san
manner as the Humming-birds. With the exception of tfc
Fomilimis^ ox Comtfion^ and the Murariai or JFail-creepcr^ few of
them occur in Europe. The African species, which is a native
©f the Ci»pe of Good Hope, is not only adorned with the richest
colouring, but is much admired for its sweet and tuneful song,
which is deemed by some peraons superior even to that
nightingale. The WatiUi is so designated from havin
each 6ide of the base of the lower mandible, an oranj
caruncle* It is a native of the island of Tongataboo; whe
the language of Vieillot, « it may be considcicd as the Carypfswif -
^iiaw*/ Genera! Zcci<>gy, FhL FItT. ' %^
oFtlie deserts, enliirentng the solitary voods with its melody,
fiom the dmwn of moniing to the close of day/
The history of the Trochilij or Humming-hirds^ ii prefaced
by the ibll owing appropnace remarks t
* The hfillknt and lively race of Hiimming-birdij so remarkable
ftt ouce for iheir beautiful colours and diminutive sixe, are the pecu-^
Irar natives of the American continent and adjoining islands, and, with
fe«^ cjEoeptiorts, are principally confined to the hotter regions. Thdr
TJvacity, swtitne$s, and singular appearance unite in tendering them
the adoiirattion of nrnnkind ; while their colours are ao nidiant that it
is not by comparing them with the annlogous hues of other birds,
that we ar« enabled to explain with propriety their peculiar Gplendor,
but by the more exalted brtliiaiicy of polii^hed metala and precious
itanea ; the ruby, the garnet, the sapphire, the emerald, the topaz,
and polished gold, being con^idcrtd as the most proper objects of
elucidation* It is not, however, to be imagined that aU the species of
Humming-birdji are thuj decorated; some being even obscure in
their colours, and instead of the prevailing splend^^r of the major
part of the genus, exhibiting only a faint a p pear ^t nee of a golden
green tinge, diffused over the brown or purplish colour of ther back
and wings. The genus is of great extent, and hi order that the spe*
ciet may with greater readiness be inveatigatedt it hat been found
accessary to divide them into two sections, viz. the curve-billed, and
the itrait-billcd. The exact limiti of the two divisions are, ho we vert
difficult to detcrraicit-, *
* The mode of life in the Humming-birds appears to be uniform*
They live by absorbing the sweet juices of flowers, which they ex-
tract With their tubular tongue ; and though small insects are said to
bavt; been sometimes observed in their stomachs, yet this seems
rather accidental than regular or natural.
* A magnificent work has lately appeared on this genus by
Messrs. Vidlot and Audebert, in trhich a laudable attempt has been
made to exhibit the splendor of the natural coloui s by means of
powder or shell gold impressed on the plates. It m.ist be confessed
that it has not succeeded in all instances so completely as might be
wished. The work, however, is extremely valuable, not only as con-
taining good figures of the major part of established species, but
also of numerous varieties, and is preceded by an elaborate and in*
gniious disquisition relative to the structure of the feathers and many
other particulars.'
From the information of those who have had opportunities
of observing the little flatterers in question, we are enabled to
add that their bill and feet are weak, but the former very long
m proportion to the size of the body ; that their nostrils are
minale; and that their tongue is capable of being darted a
great wav out. The strength of their rump and tail-feathers
(nables mem to turn in the air, and to stop short in the midst
of t)li^ fleetest career ai if suspended before a flower \ flapping
their
I
* ShawV General Zc^ogy, VoL Vllt
tjicir wings with inconceivable quickness; thrusting their tongiit
into the nectaryi without discomposing the petals j and holding
their body in a vertical position, as if stuck fast by the bill.
When they are engaged in extracting the honied jutce front
the blossoms of a tree, a person may approach near them with-
out frightening them away- Their note, which is scarcely
ever heard, except when they flit from one flower to another,
consists of the syllables ttre^ more or less shrilly but feebly pro*
f flounced. Two of them are seldom seen together, or even on
Jthe same tree : but, when thfy happen to encounter, they are
liold and pugnacious ; and their fierce conflicts often trrminate
in their sudden disappe?. ranee, without the spectator being able
to decide on the issue of the struggle. They make a long he*
mispberical nest, of the down oi a species of thapsus, and
suspend it from the branches of trees ; where it is concealed by
the leaves, the female laying two white eggs, of the size of peas,
which are hatched by tlie alternate incubation of both parents.
These guardians of their tender progeny display great courage
in driving away other birds which approach their nest, and
will sometimes assail and cliase them, without any apparent
motive- Humming*birds are taken alive by firing at them
with sand, scattering water over them from a syringe, or in-
tangling them in delicate nets, because the finest shot woul4
tear them to pieces, and twigs smeared with bird-lime would
destroy their plumage.
Among sixty or seventy species reviewed in the present work,
the Pilla^ MnfigOf CQlubris^ ViiUott^ and Minimus^ may perhaps
be selected, as most worthy of the rci»der*s attention. Having
stated the characters which apply to tlie Mango^ Dr. Shaw tlms
proceeds :
* Dr, Latham menlionn a variety of thi« spocies in which the throat|
jon each aide the black stripe^ was white. He also informs us that m
pair of young Humming-birdki, aupposed to be of this species, are re-
ported, on unexceptionable teetimony, to have been brought ahve to
England, having been hatched dunng their voyage from Jamaica,
where the parent bird, while sitting on her eggs, was discovered by
a young gentleman then on the point of leaving the island. He cut
off the twig on which the nest was placed, and hrought it on board
the ship. The female soon became suiHciently tame to suffer herself
to be fed with honey, and during the voyage hatched two young
^QC^ but did not long survive that event ; the young were howeveir
^ successfully managed as to be brought in sood health to Englandf
where they were in th« posaetBifm of Lady Hammond. Dr, Latham
iuld«, that Sir Henry Englefield, Barl», and Colonel Sloane were both
witnesses to lhc«c little hirds readily taking huney from the lips of
JLady Hammond with their bills. One of the biidi survived at least
two
SliaVi General Zoology, Vol. Fill «7
fWO naonths from the time of iu arrival j but the other did not live
inany day* ♦*'
I Rcfetring out readers to the work itself for the lively and
^ engaging notices of tlie Cofubrit^ or red-tli routed species, we may
be allowed to remark ihut, like the rest of its congeners, it is
seldom caught alive. A gentleman, however, who h^id observed
Iofie of them enter into the bell of a convolvulus, ran immedi-
ately to the spot, shut the flower, cut it from tlie stalk, and car-
ried off the surprized captive : but he could not induce it to
take food ; and it died in two or three days. Charlevoix, when
in Canada, had one of them in his possession for twenty-four
hours. It suffered itself to be handled, and even counterfeited
deatli, that it might escape : bu. it fell a real sacrifice to a slight
frost, daring the night, * My friend Captain Davies informs
me,* says Ur. Latham, *that he kept these birds alive for four
montlis by the following method ; he made an exact represen-
tation of some of the tubular flowers, with paper fastened round
a tobacco-pipe, and painted them of a proper colour. These
were placed in the order ot nature, in the cage in which the
little creaiurefi were confined ; the bottoms of the tubes were
filled With a mixture of brown sugar and water as often as
emptied 5 and he had the pleasure of seeing them perform every
action \ for they soon grew familiar, and took their nourishment
ill the same manner as when ranging at large, though close
under tlie eye/
The Tmcans^ which chiefly affect the warmer regions of
, South America, are at once recognized by their very large, light,
w, convex bill, serrated outwardly, and slightly curved at
lip \ and by their narrow, cartiUginous, and feather-like
tongue. They feed principally on fruit, especially that of the
palxn»» and sometimes on the buds of trees, and insects : but
they also destroy a great many small birds, assailing them with
tJieir enormous bills, expelling them from their nests, and, even
in their presence, devouring their young, or their eggj, whicU
* • A%^x^^ in his History of Paraguay, tells ui that Don Pedra
Melo of Portugal, ffovcnior of Parjiguay, kept a Humming-bird^
which wa^ caught full-grown, for the space of four months- It was
permttttd to fly about the house at full liberty» knew its master per-
xectly w^U, whom it would salute, and fly round him in order to ask
itt food* Don Melo at such times took a cup of clear syropi and,
inciimag tt a httle, the bird would plunge itbi beak into it and feed.
He alio gave it lowers from time to tim^, and thufj \M\^ charming
anitnallived apparently a$ well at in the open plains, till at length,
during the absence of its master, it perished through tlie negJigcnG<>
of the domestici,'
they*
$haw*/ Gtmrat Zoology, VoL VUI,
pull out of holes, or tumble to the ground. If z nest be
tcorucructed of clay, they refrain from attacking it till it ii
ftened by raiui when they easily demolish it by repeated
Mows* From the&e distinctive propensities, Azara has classed
^thcm with^birds of prey, though their organization and geneial
* .ibits are very different. They are often obsetved in small
cks, of eight or ten, roaming from place to place in «(uest of
and advancing northwards or southwards as the fruits
ipen, without being guided by the impulse of stated migra-
QS. They make their nests in the cavities of decayed wood,
in holes that have been abandoned by wood-peckers ; and
bey are said to lay two eggs : but probably they breed more than
in a year, as they are rather numerous, tlio^rgh the divef"
Ijlty of species is comparatively limited. These birds seldom
I five Jong in a state of confinement, and are of such a chilly
[temperament that even in their native climates they shrink
[irom the cool of the evening. One of the brgest species is tliat
l^hich Dr. Shaw denominates the jUdro^^andine Toucan, and
t%hich corresponds to Ramphastos plcatu4% Lin.
• Total length about twenty inches j of which the bill measures
iiE, and is of a yeUQWi:;h green colour with a reddish tip : the general
^Cobur of the bird is black, with a glosi of greyish green on the
igsi the breast yellow or orange-colour ; the thighs, lower part
of the belly, vent -feathers, and lip of the tail, bright red* This species
ia a native of Guiana and Brazil, and seems to have been first dts-
liiirtly deacribed by Aldrovandus, It is said to have a frequent
habit of moving its head from side to side, while uttering iti notci,
which resemble ill-articulated words, and hence, in iti native regionSi
has obtained the popular name of the Preacher/
Very nearly related to the foregoing genusj but differing tit
L Ae greater strength of the bill, and in the entire sides and bifid
Fcxtrcmity of the tongue, is the Scythrops ^itstrnlasU^ or Aus-*
tralofhn chatiml-hili, the only known species of its genus. It
is the PsUtactouj horfi'Ml of Phillips, and the AnmTtalom-born-'
kill of White.
Crotophaga, in like manner, comprehends only one species,
namely, the Americana ; which has th^ bill distinctly carinated,
^or keeled, on the top.
« Thii species is principal! j^ an inhabitant of Ae hotter regioni of
South America, and particularly of Brazil ; it occurs however in
rariouf parts of Korlh America, a« well as in several of the West
Indian islands. There appear to be two racet or varieties, agreeing
in colour and general appearance^ but differing in size \ the larger
bein? nearly ofthe tice of a Magpie^ and tlie smaller hardly rstc^-
tag that of a Bluckbird»
* In their mode of life, these birds resemble the gtnut Buphaga#
feeding principally oq inaacu vhicb infest cattlep and particularly oq
SfcawV G^iteral Z^lcgj^ PpI. FIIL itf
thoK of the gemis Acarui mnkiog under the division Ridnus or
} TiA, which in those regions are oftea dreadfully injurious to the
I cattle ; they also feed on various kinds of lizards^ wonns» caterpillars,
Itc*, and, in defect of thesei will often attack various kinds or vege-
tables, and particularly maize and rice. They generally frequent open
places, and are never observed in woods of any considerable size. Tney^
usually fly in small flocks of twenty or thirty together, and when on the
ground or perched, are always observed to carry their heads drawn in
or close to the shoulders, litting near each other, and uttering a con-
stant chattering cry somewhat in the manner of Starliags* The/
are of a bold and fearless nature, and are scarcely alarmed at the
•ouad of fire-arms ; and as they arc not numbered among edible birds*
on account of the rankness of their flesh, they may be said to enjpy a
kind of privileged security. Their wings are short, and their flight
leebk^ and dunng a storm numbers arc said to be destroyed. They
breed in March, and build in thick bushes, forming a verj^ larg^ nest
of interlaced twigs and grasses ; lined with dry leaves. It ts pre-
tended that several females lay and hatch their eggs in the same nest ;
•0 that these bird^ may be considered as in some degree analogous to
Beavers among quadrupeds. The nest is about a foot and half in
diameter, and of a very considerable depth ^ but varies according
to the number of families that are to inhabit it. Some ii>dividuala
however are said to build single nests, or else make divisions in the
cavity of a large one for their own offspring ; where this is not done,
I the whole of the eggs roll together in the middle of the nest, and
one bhrd is said often to cover or stt on the whole ; but it is to be
•upposcd that in this case they relieve each other by turns ; when
the nest is at any time left without an attendant, care is taken to
cover the eggs with a layer of leaves, both for concealment, and m
order to preserve a proper degree of heat ; and when the numerous
family i* hatched, the busy mothers are assisted by the males in feeding
ihc young ; and where several groups, have been hatched in the sepa-
rate inclosures of the larger nests* the parents are said to feed all ta
common, without making any pai'ticular distinction between their
own offspring and that of their neighbours. They are obsened to
breed several times in a year ; and the €gg%^ which are several ia
Dumbert are of a bluish green colour.
* The Ked-bill is a bird of a tame and gentle nature, and when
taken early, may be educated In the same manner as a parrot, and
caught to speak, but its disagreeable smell is a reason for seldom
practising this experiment. Whether the larger and smaller races
above mentioned ought to be considered as constituting one and the
same species only, or whether they are truly distinct, can perhapt
only be ascertained by an accurate examination of all particulars rela*
live to these birds when observed in their native regions/
A very attractive portion of the present volume is that which
unfolds the history of tire Parr^it tribe ; upwards of a hundred
and wxty species or varieties of which are noticed under the
generic title Psiitmus^ Although they preferably reside in the
vanner countries of the old and the new continents, and althougli
none
ShawV Gefural ZooUgyp TqL Vllt
none of them ate natives of Europe, yet they are found at t
much greater distance from the equator than Buflbn had too
rashly assigned to them. Their roosting stations are usually
in the woods of islands^ situated in rivers which traverse large
forests, or in other places of difficult access. In the form ot
their bill, they resemble the Accipitnsy but in their mannerfi
they coincide witli the other genera of Pua* They feed on
the fruit and seeds of various plants, are for the most part very
docitej and, by means of tJietr thick, fleshy, and rounded
tongue, are often enabled to articulate with more precision
than most other birds. They climb with great case 5 having,
besides the ordinary structure of scansorial feet, the power of
bringing forwards one of the hind toes at pleasure, and of
assisting themselves with their bill, the upper mandible of
which is moveable. They associate in pairs, and occasionally
assemble in large flocks- iSome of the species equal the do*
mestic fowl in size, while otliers exceed not the dimensions of
a sparrow : but most of them attain to a very considerable age.
Like monkeys, they carry their food to their mouth with theif
feet, and, like them, are aUo noted for their active, imitative,
and petulant dispositions.
In his elucidation of this splendid and interesting section of
the feathered race, Dr. Shaw has ably availed himself of X*c-
vaillant's superb delinciitions ; without overlooking tlie impor-
tant details which have been furnished by Edwards, Latham,
Buffon, and other respectable ornithologists.
Some striking particulars are recorded of the Scarlet Maccaw,
As a proof ot the attachment of which that bird is sus-
ceptible, we^ may mention that an inhabitant of the town of
Assumption, in Paraguay, having shot one of them in tlie
country, tied it to his horse's crupper: when another individual
of the same species followed him to his house, which was ia
the heart of the town, and, when be alighted in the court-yard,
threw itself on the dead bird. For several successive mornings,
the same afl^ectienate creature was observed on the wall of the
court-yard, and was at length found by the servants at the aide
of its dead companion, w4ien it allowed itself to be caught ; and
it afterward became an inmate of the house.
LTnder the article Psittacus Guianctuisi or Pavouane Parra'-
kefft the author introduces an important observation of Levail-
lant, relative to the long-tailed Parrakects in general, viz. :
* Though this tribe may properly enough be allowed to constitute
t%vo natural subdivisions, one disunguished by having tlie tail rcgu-
li^rlv rjr trfadually ctmcatcd by the successive elongation of the sade-
f ■ the middle ones, and tbe oilier by an elongation of the"
V : _ i-is to m certain distance ouly, tbp tWQ oaMk ofirt mtrnn^
out
I
I
I
•m to a great extent beyond them, yet in a state of domesttcky it not
wnfrcquenlly happens, in con^^equence of the procesa of moulting, ih^it
the genuine shaps of the tail h injured or altered in it 3 proportions ;
tinift eaufliDg a great degree ol uncertainty as to the tribe to which the
bird belongs. It is to this circumstance that MonR. Levaillant attributrs
ihe mistaken in the work of BuHbn, who h;(8 often described the sane
ipeciet under different names, and under diflcrent divisions in tha
tribe. Hence the necessity of obtaining, if possible, such specinaenm
as bave been taken in their truly natural or wild state/
Psittacus JirpionJrij or Akxandrtru Parraheetf is so named
becaiiae it is supposed to have been first made knovm to the
antteiit Greeks in consequence of the Indian expedition's of
Alexander the Great. — * In the reign of Nero, the Romans firsc
became acquainteti with other species of p;irrotS| which they
obtained from various parts of Africa/ — * These birds appear t6
have been in great request among the Romans, who lodged
them in superb cages, ornamented with silver, tortoise-shell,
and ivory ; and the price of a parrot often exceeded that of a
slave/ — We aie also reminded that Ovid's beautiful elegy on
the death of a parrot refers to an individual of the Alexandrine
species % and Dr. Shaw has not only inserted the original text
of this elegant effusion, bat has accompanied it by a free and
spirited translation.
Some anecdotes arc related of the Erhhacuf^ or commoa
grey species, which we would transcribe if we had room ; and
we unwilhngly suppress the details reported of the Aurora^ a
real or supposed variety of the Amazon parrot : but they are
too extensive for our pages.
The deportmetit of the Damask parrots, as portrayed by
Levaillant, forms the subject of another very amusing passage.
It is time, however, to close this article, with the single re-
mark that the dry and uninviting complexion of a very consi-
derable portion of^'the present volume ought, in fairness, to be
ascribed rather to the nature of the subject than to any remis-
sion of the author's exertions 5 since it treats of a great variety
of birds, of whose habits and dispositions little satisfactory
information has-been obtained-
AsT* III* ' ^p^mi ottirwral Occafhtij, By Edwnrd tor*d Thur-
low. Cr. dw>, $$. BoaiHJs. WhifeandCochr«uic.\:it$i3.
^XfE distinguish mtich genius in these poems, much irregular
• * fancy, and much uncorrected taste. The noble author
dwells in another spliere, and lives in another age. The ro-
mmdc Sidney is his rcai prototype^ and his imagin:iry com-
lacion. He feelS| thinks, and writes, like a ** preux cki-valier,**
3*
Xi?rrfThurIowV Pcitm*
The consequences of possessing this etherJalixcd imaginMiort
are v;arious. In the first phce, here are indications of some of
the highest qualities of intellect, united with the purest recti-
tude of feeling, and with the warmest goodness of heart;
but, at the same time, we perceive an air of impracticability about
the whole poetical character; frequently a lamentable defi-
ciency in judgment; and a perverse mixture of grave and gay
that destroys the effect of both* We shall illustrate our
panegyric, and (we fear) amply confirm our censure, by several
extracts from the little collection of verses before us.
In the fragment of a poem harmoniously written In the
octave stanza, we huve the following address from a very
visionary species of muse, to the hero of the occasion^ Zerbino*
We should premise that the spirit and the extravagance of
Aiiosto seem to be equally the objects of the author's imitation*
< ** O youthful guest, whose lines ments divine
Bespeak you of the blood of king* to be.
That softly wander on these shores of mine,
Where all thin^ of delight you well may see*
If to diviner wisdom you incline.
And thirst for fruit of immortaliDf,
Zerbbo, to your sight I will declare
What wonders are in earth, in tea, in air.
•• The tilv'ry dragons to the team of thought.
That feed upon the pleasure of the air.
From out their sileot caverns shaU be brought.
And yoked to the wheel ; do you prepare,
Zerbino, as when greatest things are wrought.
To fortify your breast with sacred prayer %
For in a little space you shall behold
The courts of amber, and the gates of gold !
** I tell you, yx>u shall walk the shades of night.
And hear the song, that can turn back the day»
For Hell, Zerbino, opens to my might.
And upward to the Morning I can stray ;
The Muse 1 am, that offer to your dght
The banks of Lethe, acd the starry way :
No harm shall meet you on your sacred road ;
Far Virtue in all worlds hath her abode*
** Tis Vtrtue, not your golden arms, can save
Tour soul from Evil, that with wand'riiig ^glit
Doth Journey on the wtn^ of Care, and brave
The mie perdition of the ocamy light |
For Rest is not her consort, by mt wave
Of Styms darkneti, or the oysol bright ;
But vim mm \nm plmt iht beats the air»
Iflcevant on her jgromey of detpiir.*' '
♦ After
Lord ThurlowV Pcmis.
ti
Aftef a brief and less alarming allusion to Virgil, tlie poet
l^rcxreeds in a strain that sets our heads swimmings when we
attempt to follow him" :
ii « I will you show the palace of the Moon,
And take you in the track of Phoebus' car.
In all his glorious altitude at Noon ;
Where you ttiay wonder, how each little staj^
Like pearl, upon the milky air is strewn ;
And see the World diminished from afar;
Awake* Zerbino, for the Sun is high,
And we ere night must to Olympus fly." *
A description of the Muse, who is speaking, succeeds ; and,
having the quantity of * golden * light/ and * silver* qualtties of
sundry kinds that are about her, she is a worthy inhabitant of
Heaven.
The encouragement and respect due from crowned heads to
poets, and ever paid to them by judicious monarchs, accordv
ing to Lord Thurlow, are thus inculcated :
* They fill him wth deep cups of Bacchus old.
And Mess him with the fat of venison ;
The while some ancient tale is strictly told.
And reverend Age doth give its bf*tufioii
To what the stately tables do uphold :
Then musick, that is sure a denizen
Of Phoebus' court, with some immortal air,
^Tfce light digestion doth for him prepare.
* So then upon the stringed harp he sings
A song, that may delight Olympian Jove ;
Of something, which lie learnt beside the springa
Of Helicon, that with eternal love
He fills the feast, and to sweet madness brings
The breast of him, who from his throne above
I>oth bow his ear to catch the sacred song.
And drinkcth with delight the musick strong*
* Now so Augustus to our Virjril did j
He fed him with the black Falernian wine ;
By which the themes, that else had been forbid.
Were chanted with sweet love, and joy divine :
Too long his Muse had been with shepherds hid^
But now amid* the stately courts doth shine ;
By great Mec^nas to Augustus brought.
All Italy had glory in his thought*
^ But, checking here the rein, I must return
To good Zerbino,' &c. 3cc,
* The profusion of gold and silver that occuri in this author really
tantalizes us in the present aera of paper-
Rbv, May, 1813*
Zerbino^
>4
Lord ThurJowV Poentf*
ZcrbirtO, in a journey through the air, which he takes witfi
hU celestial roonitress, exprcs&es a wish to tarry a while wuhin
sight of Jerusalem ; and, looking down on the holy citf> h«
thus deplores that " abomination of desolation'* wluch abides
among her ruins ;
* For, ah ! her pride is gone, her glory waste.
Her temples in the mournful dust are laid ;
Dishonoured by her foemen, and defac'd.
That so the wiU of God might he obey'd ;
H^r sons are slain, her ramparts arc displac'd,
A byeword to the nations she is made ;
And yetp abandoiiM, like a mourning Queen^
Magnificent in sorrow she is seen.
* No more her songs of marriage shall be heard
To shake the roofs of cedar, and of gold ;
No more her youth shall be to battle stirr'd.
When they the fairness of her state behold ;
No more within her gates, at ev*ning heard,
Her aged men shall commune, and unfold
The wonders of their youth, and fairer days;
But mute her love, and silent is her praise/
This is In his Lordship*s best style, and we wish that he
would cultivate his talent for the pathetic rather than for the
sublime. We hope to see the improvement, and the continua-
tion, of the poem of < Hermilda/ (whence we have made these
extracts,) *cre we have grown much more grey in our critical
employment.
We beg, however, that the noble author may be advised not
to introduce so large a portion of the House of Peers to the
acquaintance of the general reader, in the next edition* We
never saw so much of Debreit's Peerage versified before. Here
is a sonnet * To the Most Noble Prince, the Duke of Dor-
set i* another to * The Right Hon. the Earl Spencer •,' who it
nut only * Knight of the Most Noble Order of the Garter,' but,
in this poet's language, a * transcendant Lord ;' another • To
the Right Honourable the Earl of Moira, Lord Hastings and
Rawdon,' who is * a great Lord ;* another * To the Right Ho-
nourable Ltird Holland,* who is * a most favoured Lord \^ ano-
ther < To the Right Honourable the Earl of Granard,* who is
an * hermk Lord/ — <* Good Lcrrdt to see the various M'ays,*'^
&c- &c. 8c c.
The « Song to Sir Philip Sidney,' which follows, is the best of
several encomiastic addresses to the memory of that lUustrioiif
man : but it is quaintly broken o^ with a parenthetical iauendo,
thit
* Thi rndbf^ iSd n^ fnUb tbli fcem/
Thf New Art of Metnory*
^
We greatly disapprove this kind of « Brar aiid FtdJtV* condi^
sion ; especially as we have another fragment in the volume.
We have not only to object to the frequent recurrence of
obsolete and aifected phraseology, (such as * beam/ for * beam:^
and ' tvhatso^* for *^ukatever/ * naked pap/ for a more delicate
expression; * y-ihoftf/ and ^excasful/ 5cc. &c, &c*) but we
must censure some occasional inaccuracies in grammar, such
as * that* for « who/ and the aukward omission of the article,
&c. i and, particularly, we must point out for erasure such
fiatmtus as
' But more in the next canto %v\U appear y —
with other liberties of the same kind j in which a writer seemi(
rather disposed to pull his reader by the nose for listening td
him, than to repay his attention with due respect,
A < Song to Amoret* is truly in the style of the J* Verses by
a Person of Quality,"
I « Let not a tear thus stain thy cheek,
^ Which glows a purple Jtrnme*
The * purple light of love* is rather burlesqued than fairly re»
presented by this picture of it.
We must now, however, take leave of the Noble Lord, who
wUl, we think, write more correctly if he attends to our sug-
gestions : but, even if he disregards them, he has powers suf-
iicieni to atone for many defectt, and clearly to distinguish liim
from the common herd of poets.
AkT- IV. The New jfri of Memory ^ founded upon the Principles
tauglit by M* Gregor Von Feinaigle : to which is prefixed some
Account of the Principal Systems of Artificial Memory, from
the earliest Period to the present Time* Illustrated by Engrav-
ings- i2mo» pp, 408. 1 2d. Boards. Sherwood and Co- 1812.
'pHE improvement of the memory, like that of our other fa-
^ culties, depends so much on its exercise, that any study
which calls it into action must in some measure strengthen
and increase its powers, and is^ therefore, if for no other rea-
son, deserving of attention and encouragement. Independ-
ently, however, of this recommendation, to which the system
of M, Gregor Von Feinaigle has an undoubted claim, its in-
genuity and practical utility must be generally acknowleged,
although a difference of opbion may exist witli regard to its
probable permanency. These reasons, and the novelty of the
subject, will induce us to appropriate a larger spnce than may
•etm to be demandedi or deservedi to the consideration of a
D 2 volume
I
The Niw Art pfMfpwrp
volume wnich is not sanctioned by the Profcssofi but h coifh*
piled by a person who, as he states in his preface, attendf
only * one course of lectures.' He adds that he * took vef
copious notes,' and afterward supplied * the analogies an3
illustrations to which the lecitire had very cursorily and dis-
tantly alluded.* The favourable opinion of friends, as usual,
sent the work to the printer ; and the editor declares that he
* is not aware that any apology is due to the Professor on ac-
cotint of this publication/ Without at present deciding this
question, we should, were we in M, Feinaigle*s place, be less
incrmed to quarrel with the author on the score of illibcrality,
than for the meagre and unsatisfactory account of the system
tehich the comparatively small number of pages here appro-
priated to it can supply.
M. Gregor Von Feinaigle, who Is a native of Baden, visited
Paris m March 1807, and delivered lectures on hi* ** New
System of Mnemonics and Methodics ;" as we learn from a Let-
ter written by M. Fichtel> who in speaking of them thus ex-
presses himself :
•* Notwithstanding the limpltcity with which Ke announced Ew
Jectilres in the papers, I could not deterroine myself to become a pupil
of his, as I thought to find a quack or mountebank, and to be laughed
jit by my friends for having thrown away my cash in such a foolish
manner. Perhaps I should hesitate to tlus moment about the utihty
of this ncw-invcntcd method to a^sifit our natunJ mf'mory, had 1 not
had tilt? pleasure of dining sit \m Excellency's the Count of Metter-
nlch, the Austrian ambasMdor, %rho fbllowed» with all his secretaries^
the whole course of lectures ; they all spoke very advantageously of
it, tike^-isc several other persons of the fir«t rank I met diere : in
confluence of lliis I was inserted into the list of pupils » and I follow,
sit this moment, the lectures. All I can tell you about this method
U : it is a very simple one, and easy to be learned, adapted to all age<
md tcxes: all ^fficulties iu such sciences as require an extraordmary
good Biemory, for instaucet the names and epochs iu liistory, are at
ucce ov^-Tcome aiid obviated* There is not one bnmch of aJence to
whkh this method cannot be app^jed.'*
He adds that, in consequence of certain sarcasms in the
public prints, ** M* Feinaigle, to answer all these critics at
gcice/* gave a ptiblic exhibittoo ; at which, without his appear-
ance^ twdve or ^teen of his ptxpils aaendhed^ ainl
* Each made such an application of the method a« his situatiosi ia
Cfe re<ii2htd« The pdndpil parts were the foUowing : history about
eraef and ycift ; gvtygraphy, wkh retptct to loDgttadc, Utitudep
wmk/etitwkMkuiHt tquai^ milea, a:c &c. t gr«m«»r in tariotu
liaj^iiiglij jlnani atkttm. editioii* of the tame worlc ; pflndects, their
drndooi aad t^ of esch book^ &c« $ different mtem of botmny,
anihflletkf && &c. At hn one deiiro tlie
Hi N/w Art if Memor^
37
^SJ^Sn one thousand words, without any connection whatsoever,
and without nurqeric order ; for instance^ the word attronomer^ for
No» 62.; ^oo€h for No. 188.; hvtlyt for No. 370.; dynailiff for
^No* 2^.; Davult for No* 90, &c. &c., till all the numbers were
1; and he repeated the whole (notwithstanding he heard thes^
U* without order, and but once,) in the numerical order ; or he
I you what word \raB given a™iist any one number, or what num-
^iny one word bore. It is still more striking-* but certainly, like-
wise, more difficult, to retain as many numbers however great they
may be. For words and numbers I could venture tnyself^ with the
greatest safety, aB far as one hundred of each ; and 1 am sure, after
having fixed them once^ which is done in less than ten minutes, I
«ould repeat diem to you at any period, without ever tliiuking any
jnorc of them."
To the^^e statements of M. Fichtel, is added the more im*
portant testimony of the celebrated French astronomer, M-
Xialande. — Early in 1811, M. Feinaigle visited England § and,
having made use of Ks own system in the acquirement of the
language, he •* gave at the Royal Institution a public Experi*
metit of the efficacy of his Method of facilitating and assist-
ing Memory :"
• The exhibition look place before an astembly of several hundred La-
dies and Geotlemen» who were astonished and delighted with the result
of the experiment. Four children, two boys and two girls, all under
14 years of age, had been put under Mr. Feinaigle's care but two or
tliree day* beiore: he had one of the girls but an hour and a half; and
the longest tuition that any of them had received was but four hours and
a half. — One of them repeated Goldsmith's Hermit backift*ard and
forward, and stated the stanza, the line, and the order of any remark-
able word required of him. - — One little girl answered to questions in
the chronology oi' the Rohian Emperors ; and another multiplied,
without slate or paper, t'wo sums of c't^ht figures by ei^ht^ and de-
dared that ihe had not previously been taught arithmetic— A boy
determined the geograpliical situation, in degrees and minutes, of
JO different cities ; and on a planisphere chalked out on a board,
marked down the true situation o^ places named to him. — Mr.
Fincher, of the Institution, also recited the Mincralopical Tables of
Hauy, the second part of which he had taught himself on Mr. Fein-
atglc'f system, together with the first part of Brisson's Oniithologic
Sjf^tcm ; and he declared, from his own experience, that the princi-
ples of Mr. Feinaigle's art were equally calculated to give facility in
the acqtiintion, and certainty in the retention, of the tables of any
Other science — a fact which was confirmed by several Gentlemen
present, who have attended the private courses of the Professor. *-•
Nothing could be more satisfactory than the result of the experi*
menu ; and the company returned Mr. Feinaigle ^eir thanks/'
These experiraentSi with some extraordinary additions^ were
repeated in various pans of the kingdom with the same sue-
Ci:s$ ID that and the following years 3 during which time he
D I num*
numbered among his pupils some of the highest characters in
the country. '
Having thus raised the curiosity of our readers by a stat
ment of some of tlie effects of the system, we will endeavou
to satisfy it by giving, as simply as we can, a short abstract <
the plan itself^ the principles of which are so slmiJar to those
cf the iopkal memory of the antients, that we shall repeat some
of the remarks of the late Professor Barron on the subject,
as quoted in the volume before us, from his Lectures m Bellti-
Lfttres and Logic *.
** The principal eitpcdient for assisting the memory is derived from
association. For instance, when I see a house, I naturally recollect
the inhabitants, their manner of life, and the intercourse I have had
with them. The sight of a book prompts the memory of its contents »
and die pleasure, or profit, I have received from the perusal of it- A*-
view of the sea may suggest the idea of a storm, and the painful recot
lection of the loss of property, or of the life of a friend, by shipwreck.'
The art, then, of aiding recollection by association, is to conned
thoughts remote, or abstract, with others more obvious and familiafu
that the recurrence of the latter may bring along with it the memory
of ihe former. Thus the sight of my ring, wliich I cannot miss ta
observe, reminds me of the action, to suggest the remembrance of
which I moved it from one finger to another. The ringing of the
bcB, or the sounding of the clock, prompts the recollection of th«
business I had resolved to perform at these times. A glimpse of th ' *
first words of a paragraph, or a page, introduces the recollection ^
the whole. In a word, we must connect the things we wish to re-
member with the immediate objects of our senses, that offer themselves
daily to our attention, but particularly with the objects of our Eighti
the most vigorous and lively of all our senses, and of which the object!
are, perhaps, more numerous than those of aU our other senses put
togetntr.
** This theory is the foundation of all contrivances which have bcen»
or, perhaps, can be, employed to help recollection,**
The foundation of the system, then, like that of the an-
tients, being locality and association, but ^ more extensively
an^ advantageously applied than it was by them,' M, Fein-
aigle begins, with great policy, by exposing the defects and
difTicultics in their division of a room ; which rendered a
complex calculation necessary, before the situation of any given
number could be found. On each of the four walls of a room,
they would represent in their minds the letter M., to the five
points of which tliey would attach numbers in regular orders
thus making one room contain twenty numbers, on which
f B^ Rev, Vol liii* N, S^ p. 67,
twenty
I
I
Th New Art 9/ Miffmj. ^39
twenty different matters to be remembered could be fij&ed.
This method they carried through as many rooms as they re-
quired \ and when they wislied to recall an object, they referred
to the number of the point of M on wi\ich it had been placed ;
but this ^^-as a troublesome process; because, supposing that
the number required was 48, it was necessary, in the first
place, to divide that number by 20, in order to find the
rmm in which it occurred, and the next number to the quotient
was that of the room; thus, 1 is the quotient, and 3 ia the
number of ihe room *, — the remainder, 8, was then to be di*
m^i^ by 5, to find the side of the room \ and here again the
quotient, i, is not the answer, for It must be on the 2d sidei
— ind then the number left, 3, was the place on that side*
The complexity of this method affords a striking contrast in
favour ot that which is adopted by M* Von Feinaigle ; in whose
system the situation of the place, on which the object to be re-
membered is fixed, is seen in the number itself: thus, the num-
ber 48 is on the fourth side of the room, and on the eighth place
on that side. This facility is occasioned by a judicious use of the
magrical number 9. By drawing two perpendicular and two
horizontal lines, every side of a room is made to contain mfu
equal divisions, or squares. These divisions, on each wall,
ire numbered from i to 9. The four walls make the decimal
figures from 10 to 40, and the order of them is thus arran^^ed ;
the pupil, standing with his back to the windows, counts from
the left to the right as in ordinary reading j the Jirst wall is thut
on his left hand i the second^ before him ; the thirds on his right
hand ; and the fourth is behind him* The numbers then on
ihefirit wall are from 11 to 19; those on t\\t^ second^ from 21 to
29; those on the thirds from 31 to 39 ; and those on the fourth,
from 4f to 49. The figures 10, 20, 30, 40, which give the
titles to the sides, are placed on the ceiling over their respective
walls. The Jioor^ by being divided in the same manner as the
walls, gives the for si nifie figures, and the centre of the ceiling
h numbered 50. One room is thus made to contain a regular
series of numbers from i to 50 ; the places of each of which^
being permanently fixed, it is impossible to mistake 5 the cor-
lesponding square on each wall having the same unit attached
to it, and the wall itself designating the ten. These numbeift
can be carried to any extent througli other rooms. The Pro-
fessor shortly exemplifies the use of these divisions, by shew-
ing the great facility with which a number of perceptible ob-
jects may be remembered by fixing their locality, and connect-
ing them together, or with some other object already on the
place* Our readers will be convinced of the truth of this fact
by a dingle thai of the method. Common esperieace and ob-
D 4 icrvatioa
I
I
I
7J< N^w Art i>f Memory,
scTvation prove that the memory altogether depends on the
order in which subjects to be remembered are impressed on
the mind. A simple artificial locality has always, therefore^
been a desirable ol>ject, as of tlie greatest importance in this
respect \ and since the idea was Erst practically suggested by
Simonidcs, who delivered tl\e disfigured friends of Scopas to
their relatives for intermentj by remembering the order in
which they sat at the feast, every mnemonist has endeavoured
to form an uncomplicated arrangement of places, which has
been effected by the ingenuity of the present Professor.
Although, however, we are enabled to remember striking
2nd ludicrous objects by placing them it order on the squares^
we shall find that the fixing of numbers, which cannot b«
represented but by the figures tliemselvesi will not receive any
assistance by this arrangement. Neither can letters be so re-
membered *, and there would appear a difficulty in fixing the foU
lowing letters in their order on the mind : F. N. G. L, S. N. W*
R, T. F. M. M. R. : — but, as soon as these letters are mad^
sense by the introduction of vowels, and it is found that they
compose tlie words Fdttaigl^s New Art of Metnory^ the dif^
jiculty disappears and the consonants must then of necessity
be repeated in their order. Thus, likewise, by changing the
figures into consonants, and forming words by the addition
of vowels, and by placing tliese words, which should be the
names of sensible objects, in the order before described, any
number of figures may be remembered with the greatest
readiness. All the consonants are, accordingly, divided among
the figures, and the vowels are entirely omitted. In Dr.
Grey*s system, figures are also expressed by letters: but he
uses the vowels and consonants indiscriminately, having one
of each to represent each figure. The words which he com*
pounds from them have no meaning whatever, but are sup-
posed to be remembered by being formed into a sort or
nonsense-verse, composed of various words, the firsi 3 .
of which are the jf/3/Vr//, and the remainder are the . E i
apply to them. As these lines, however, from their tot
want of sense, must require much study and frequent repeti-"'
tion to fix tliem on the memory, it appears to us that no more
exertion would be necessary to enable the student to remer
ber the dates themselves, without resorting to such a method^-^
No such dilficulty is found in M. Von Fein tern ; in
which, by the exclusion of the vowels as repi cs of tha ,
figures, the pupil has only to form a word, (expressing i|
ftensible object|) the consonants in which give the 42(e uiat
be requires,
Th«
Tlji New Art ofMimory^
41
Tlie application of the art to chromhgy Is perfectly simple
miA easy. A series of kings, &c., with the years in which they
began to reign, may be so strongly fixed on the mind in a
quarter of an hour, that nothing can obliterate the impression.
This is done by converting the name of the king into some per-
ceptible object; the designation of which is so similar to the
sovereign's name in sound, that it cannot fail to be recognized:
9£ Wiilow for WHiiam ; Hen for Henry, Sec. The letters com-
poiung the date are tlien formed into a word, which the learner
connects with the object into which the name of the king is
changed j forming some fanciful picture of the whole, to be
placed on tlie square which answers to the number in tlte
series. The second and otJier kings of the same name (if
there be more than one,) are shewn by placing two or more
of the objects by which the first was represented ; as thre^
wiUowJ for William IIL, or eight hens for Henry VIH. The
representation for this purpose, and throughout the whole of
the system, must be such as can be painted, or seen " in the
roind's eye j" and it will be found that the more ludicrous and
imcommon the association is, the more strong will be the im-
pression on the mind. We will attempt to explain an example.
The Jifth king of England after the Conquest was Henry IL^
who began to reign in the year 1 154* This is represented by
two hem and a laylor. The consonants in the latter word de-
signate the figures 154, the preceding thousand being mnder-
Itood in all ; and tlie two hens are tlie symbols, as before ex-
plained, of Henry 11. These are connected by some ludicrous
association, which of course will strike each learner differently,
ami the whole picture is placed on the fifth square of the
room, thus shewing the number in the series of the kings. If,
therefore, the date of Henry IL*s reign be asked, the student
immediately looks to the square on which he has placed the
two hens, and the whole answer is seen at one view j the re-
membrance of any part of the combination calling to mind the
remainder of the picture.
This metliod, with a perfect knowlege of the room in which
tiie series is placed, will be found completely sufficient for the
purposes of chronology : but an additional facility is given.
The numbers having already been localized, by being placed on
the squares of tlie room, the Professor proceeds to realise them,
ai he expresses himself, by representing them in symbols that
lysemble in some degree the figures for which they are placed,
Tlius the figure 2 is distinguished by a Swnn ; 5 by a Throne :
6 by a Cormi-^cQpi^ / 20 by a Peacock ; and so on* The pupil,
llterefofef here receives a set of symbols representing the figures
IfOiD ) to toO| which are remembered wuhout much exertion
from
from their correct imitation, and from their corresponding
situation on the walls. The use to which these are here appiied
we shall see hv referriDg to the instance of Henry IL, before
described, which will now i*tand thus : 5. Henry II. — a taykr
sitting upon a ihrom^ with t%i>o hettt^ one under each arm.
The association is certainly strengthened, and the picture, made
more btriking from its increased absurdity, now gives the whole
answer at one view : the word • /ovAr^ suggesting the date,
the * ihrcrj^ shewing tlie place and the number in the series,
and the < two kens* expressing, as before, th^ name of the
king.
We do not, however, think that the introduction of these
symbols in the study of chronology is necessary, the plan before
described being in our opin on amply sufficient, and preferiibie
on account of its greater simplicity ; and we would the mi
readily part with them in this branch of the ftudy, in which t
benefit ariJng from their use is comparatively trifling, because
they are so necessary iind of such infinite service in the i^iib-
jects to which they are aftervi*ard applied*.
The first three lectures, which cont,iin tlie matter before
described, have enabled the student to fix any number of
figures, any variety of dates, and any series of chronological
tables *, and he may likewise make a very useful application of
them in the ordinary business of life. The four next lecture*
are appropriated to the 5tudy of geography and statistics, the
application to which will be found both ingenious and simple.
Our limits will not allow us to enter minutely into the details,
nor should we deem it fair to do so were it in our power ; we
are only desirous of giving such an account as will recom-
mend the study to the attention of the public by explaining a:
few of its leading principles, and, mstead of defrauding the
Professor of the reward which he merits excite curiosity sufii-
cient to procure him an accession of pupils on his return to tiie
metropolis.
He places the ^mrld in a couple of rooms, each of which
contains one hemisphere. The four quarters of each hernia
sphere are allotted to the four walls, diminishing gradually in
t>ie northern hemisphere, to a point (the north pole) in the
centre of the ceiling, the floor being the equator- In th©
southern hemisphere, the ceiling is the equator, and the pole
introduce the figurr*nnmhcrt
if this book contiiinn % faithful
The Ntw Aft &f Mtmorj*
4J
is made of course in the centre of the floor. Each wall, with
its centre of the ceiling or floor, is divided exactly like a com-
mon map, every division or square containing ioo% L e, lo'
of longitude, and 10° of latitude. These divisions are deno-
minatcd ladders, and ladder-steps j the breadth of the ladders
containing the degrees of longitude, and the height of the steps
giving those of latitude. The number of the ladder, or mea^
sure of the longitude, is the didmal figure* and that of the step,
or latitude, is the unit s in the same manner as, in the former
part of the system^ the number of the wail was the dtdm^i
figure, and that of the square the unit. Thus number 1 1
(ist ladder, and ist step,) contains the first lo" of both longi-
tude and latitude, the meridian of Ferro being adopted for
greater convenience j and the mode of fixing the principal
places within those degrees is as follows. This square, besides
2 large portion of sea^ contains a small part of the coast of
Africa, on which are Sierra Leoney and Sanguin, The figure*
numbers before described are here brought into use, in whicH
No. II. (the title of the square) is represented by the Pillars
(f Hercules. One of these pillars may be supposed to be placed
in the sea and the other on the land ; and for an association
with the names of the places, Leotie will call to mind a lion^
which may bo the lion killed by Hercules : to which we can
add its bl&odi which the name of the other place, Satiguiriy im-
mediately suggests. Thus, when the places are named, the
connection recalls the degrees of longitude and latitude within
which they are situated; and when the degrees are given, the
places are by the aid of the association as easily remembered.
The walls of the room thus becoming a chart of the globe, a
little practice will soon enable the student to fix all the prin-
cipal places in this manner. The great number of squares to
be supplied should not deter him from proceeding ; because,
when he recollects how many degrees are covered by sea, or
by places which are too insignificant for notice, he will find his
task comparatively easy, especially if he be careful to avoid per-
plexity, by filling only one square at a time.
The application to particular geography \s not, in our opinion,
so clear, nor indeed so useful, as to general geography. The lec-
ture on statistics, on the other hand, is very ingenious, and may
be turned to great account.
In the lectures on history, which is next considered, another
division of the room enables it to contain a century \ and to
each year is appropriated a separate square, on which its various
events are represented by an imagined picture.
This lecture is succeeded by three or four on the study of
languages i in wlii^i however, scarcely any use is made of the
mnemonic
TJf New Ah <if Memory.
ygnnemonic art. On this account, and because we under
I that the system which the Professor has formed is to be more
rfbUy explained m a work of his own, we shall at present
[abstain from any explanation of it: merely stating that the
[lectures on the subject are very amusing, and contain a great
I number of examples to prove the (Connection between various
[languages, and to account for the akeraiion which words
J derived from the same origin undergo in different countries, by
» reference to the character and genius of the language into
rhich they have been introduced.
The method of fixing systematic tnUa in the memory is the
{subject of the next lecture. This is accomplished by realizing,
[or forming into some sensible object, each name desired to be
) fixed, and localizing the objects so found in regular order. The
I Study of poetry and prose, of which the succeeding lecture
[treats, is effected by pL\cing the subject of each stanza, or para*
l^raph, on the symbols or figure^numbers ; and connecting
I ^em together by some associatioru
In another lecture, the Professor shews how multiplimtim
\ cf many figures may be performed in the midst of company ;
I for which no other assistance is required than the use of the
Symbols and the letters. The principal advantage of doing
this seems to be that the pupil may have an opportunity <rf
[exhibiting a specimen of the powers given by the system*
lit is however an amusing exercise, and not without its use^
I since it may be practised at any time, and gives the Jcamer
a^ facility in forming combinations^ and fixing them for more
\ important services. The study of ariikmetic^ introduced in
the last lecture, is not aided by the system of artificial memory
f invented by the ProfessoTi but is rather a new method <rt
\ teaching figures and the elemental rules of arithmetic \ by
which, if adopted in the instruction of youth, some kbour
[ vrould undoubtedly be saved. We have seen something simi*
tlar to M« Feinaigle's rule for multiplic«tioQ practised in the
I Lancasterian schools.
Having thus concluded our short abstract of the principles of
I the system, we shall recur to the commencement of this art]cle»
j H'here we have hinted tliat a difference of opinion might be en-
tertained as to its probable duration \ and as our readers will
\ already have classed us among the advocates of the system^
' they will perhaps be surprised to find that this doubt has ex«
j istence in our minds. We musti however^ acknowlege tbatf
iiiotwithstanding the good opinion of it which we entertaint
vc are not sanguine in our expectations that it will r r^^
present agc» or even keep its ground as long as iliv ut
Uihnka of Dr. Grey ; we even fear that the grave^ which BhaJl
7 CODUill
Jh&<f New Art of Memory*
n
I
I
cmtaiii the ashes of the ingenious Professor of the art, will
also bury in oblivion the method which he taught; and that hi9
na^me will but survive to give authenticity to the wonders re-
lated of his system^ and to swell the hst of those whose in«
structions h^ve been forgotten from the impossibiHty of render*
ing them intelligibre on paper* We do not apprehend the ac-
complishment of tliis prophecy in conseq^uence of perceiving
any deficiency in the plan itself, but as arising from the very
nature of the principles on which it is formed ; and because
we consider that such may be the inevitable fate of any systemt
that is in a great measure founded on fancy, and of which
the association of ideas and the applicTation of them to sensible
objects are the leading principles. Nobody would attempt ta
master a mere theory for the assistance of the memory, un-
supported by any practical illustrations \ and in nearly the
fame predicament this New Art of Memory is placedp since
the examples produced in its support, though perfectly intelli-
gible when explained in the lectures, are of such a nature that
ft Is impossible to give a written description of them. Even
in hearing tliem, they are necessarily so ludicrous as to require
more than common dependence on and respect for the in-
structor, to command seriousness of attention. For this reason,
we have forborne to extract more than one of the examples
from the present volume ; and those practical applications which
we iiavc otirselves supplied will be the best illustration of our
sentiments. They appear ridiculous and absurd in their present
places, and absolutely require oral explanation to be imprinted
with any effect on the mind. The different impression which
the same object makes on different minds increases the diffi-
culty, and almost precludes the possibility of an effectual
explanation in writing. We may, without fear of contra-
diction, add that the system is very easy to be learned, but very
diffictilc to be taught.
The preceding observations are strengthened by the fact
which die larger half of this volume proves j since it contains
an account of sixty works on artificial memory, all of which
are entirely forgotten, except the one to whidi we have al-
ready alluded. Tlie reason, according to our principles, is
obtlous* Dr. Grey's system, "■ though certainly not so ingenious
ai many which preceded it,, is of so simple a construction that
its principles are easily explained, and its application to prac-
tice requires only continued study in the pupil : while the very
ingenniry of some of the other systemb, by precluding a clear
definition of the principles, and throwing a cast of absurdity
over the examples, raises an obstacle in the outset more than
iuiEctem 10 deter the learner from proceeding.
Though
4tf
Thi New Art ofManory*
Though we are therefore compelled, most unwillingly, t<i"
rprefis an opinion against the probable immortality of M. Voa
Pdnaigle's art, we are anxious, from a full conviction of its
|ubstantial merit, to preserve its existence bv every method
diich our humble powers can suggest. We have attended a
[course of the Professor's lectures, from which we received
Ixnuch entertainment and information, exclusive of tlie unde-
["feiable advantages to be derived from the application of the
[system ; and we have great pleasure in bearing our testimony
the clear and unaffected manner in which he delivers hi&
linstructions, to the readiness witli which he answers every ob-
Ijection and explains every difficulty, and to the liberality with
Which he opens every future course to his former pupils. The
[iystem itself, when orally communiciited, is adapted to the
[tneanest capacity ; besides being infinitely serviceable in the
[more important subjects, to which other systems have been
[usually confined, it can witli equal facility be used in the com-
[inon transactions of ordinary life j and its application, as none
jisrho have heard his lectures will deny, id rather a source of
[amusement thun of labour. It possesses all the advantages
[of the preceding methods, and as a whole is superior to any
Ithat have yet appeared*
Under these impressions, we can honestly recommend those
lof our readers^ who have the requisite leisure, to attend a
Pcourse of the lectures. That they may enter on it unin-
Ifluenced by any prejudice against tlie subject, we would
[advise ihem not to trust themselves with a perusal of the
[volume before us, at least till after they have received the Pro-
Ifessor's instructions, which alone can make it intelligible. The
Irst 220 pages contain an analysis of the different worlcs on
[the subject of artificial memory, some of which are given
[€ntire. This part of the publication is certainly not devoid of
[entertainment, and proves that tlie editor is both assiduous and
I ikilful in compilation : but we doubt whether any real benefit
[from it can be derived to his readers, adequate to the dispro-
Iportionate increase of the volume which tlie introduction of
[these abstracts occasions. A short account is given, at the con-
[elusion, of several persons who have exhibited * extraordinary
[powers of natural memory ;' commencing with Hortensius in
*II5 B.C., and conclud'mg w^ith Jedediah Buxton, in A, D.
117^1, whose portrait is added. The detail of the system,
[which gives the title to the book, is the most unsatisfactory part
it. To this charge, the compiler may answer that an ai»
endance on one course of the lectures could scarcely enable
lim to give a fuller account, and that no better has yet beea
[furnished to the public : but we may reply tliat, notwithstand*
ing
Galf/ Lifi^ bTc. cf Cardlnat WtJffy. 47
ing these reasons, many persons will charge him with iilibc**
fality in nuiking the present use of the Professor's instructionSf
and all will accuse him of something; like presumption m sup-
posing himself to be capable of explaining the principles of art
alt so difficult to be described, and of sach various application,
after so limited an attendance on the original inculcator.
Ajit. V* Tkt Life and Administration of Cardinal WeUey* By
John Gait.
^ArfuU concluded from our lait Number ^ p*%^li\
AMii> the transactions to which we have adverted in our
former article, an incident occurred which we do not re-
collect to have seen elsewhere mentioned, but which amply
deserves notice, and reflects the highest credit on the Cardinal.
At the time of which we are speaking, the law of hereditary
succession had not been established in Denmark, any more
than in other northern states : but the successor was elected
from among the members of the reigning family, and was not
invariably although usually tiie heir- apparent. Mr* Gait justly
observes that, even in England,
< In the reign of Henry VIIL, the riffht of blood doe^ not appear
to have been considered as essential in tlie succession. For he was
allowed to dispose of the crown by will» and actually excluded liis
eldest MSter^s heirs from the right of succeeding. The Enghsh con-
ttitution, indeed, appears, generally, to have very dirAinctly recog-
nized the supreme and ultimate authority of tlie people, and to have
held the inoaarchs entitled to the throne only so long as they fulfilled
their engagements. The opinion of Wolsey as to the ohligation of
kingi, and the power of lords and commons, is now an acknowledged
majum, both in the theory and practice of the constitution.' —
* Christem IL, who married the Emperor's sister, Isabella* and
niece to the Queen of England, was, at thia time, King of Denmark.
I>aring the life of his father, and while only seven years old, he had
beeo elected to succeed to the crown. Whether this was considered
by the electors as a favour which entitled them to impose new restrlc-
lioo» on the royal prerogatives, or that the old King, with a view of
laying the foundations of a regular hereditary succession in his own
family, had conceded that his son should be more limited in power
than hJa predecessors, is of no importance to ascertain ; but Christern,
after his accesssion, thought, as the restraints upon him were greater
than customary on the kings of Denmark, and having been incur-*
ted without lus consent, that he was not bound to abide by them.
Is stead, however, of resigning the crown, as he, therefore, ought to
have dooe, he so acted that the electors were obliged to declare
that he had violated the conditions on which he held it. Id con-
ioq^ence^ they proclaimed the throne vacant, and ek-cted his uncle
Mo the acyrertigotf .
• Chrlsteni
• CKristem left the country, with his family, and took reliige k
the Netherlands, expecting from the powerful relations of his wife*
such assistance as might enable him to recover the throne, Thej
afterwards came over to England, and were received by the court
with the distinction due to them as the near relations of the Queen*
Upon his soUciting aid, however, the Cardinal advised him to repair,
V^ithout delay, to his patrimonial dominions, and try, by beneficial
' conduct, to recover the good opinion of the Danes, and a reconcili*
' ation with his enemies in Denmark. He assured him that Henry and
[ Chnrles would use their best persuasion, both by letters anditiinistettj
to tlie electors, the new King, and the influential lords of the realm,
to procure his restoration ; and that, out of tlic respect which Henry
liad for Isabella, his niece, he would, as an inducement, offer to
•guarantee to the Danish states, the reformation of those abuses of
[ which they complained, and for which they had deposed him. The
Cardinal also added, that the English residentiary at Rome should
j be immediately instructed to apply to the Pope for his interpositiout
[ by briefs and exhortations, in order to accomplish the restoration*
r** But if these fair and equitiiblc means fail of effect, then others
ri^l be tried. For it is disreputable," said he, "to reason and good
Jiensct that a prince iihould, by the wilfulness of his lords and com*
hliions, be expelled from his kingdom, without having first given an
J answer to a statement of their grievances,*' With these assuranccsi
iChristern departed, and Wolsey immediately concerted the means
ijbr realizing the expectations that he had cherished ; but, in the endf
Ithc cause was necessarily abandoned.^
We fully agree with Mr. Gait in his reflections oil tlus
{€vent,
* On account of the insight which it aifords to the Cardinal's poli^^
tical notions. His expressions on the occasion are, indeed, so ex*
Iraordinary, considering his situation, and the period in which he
lived, that, if he had not, under his own hand, furnished the record^
they might justly be auestioned, having never before been particulariy
isoticed by any historian^'
Although the most be made of this occurrence of wise and
Iconstitutional conduct, it is unfortunately but a solitary instance^
id cannot purge tlie Cardinal from those sins of omission and
^commission which must have embittered his fall, and which
continue to weigh down his memory. If in the transaction
^'With the Danish king, he set an example which in this age a
beaven-bom minister was not wise enough to follow, we cannot
forget that he suffered his youthful and inexperienced master
to be successively made the dupe of the Popes Julius II. and
Leo X., and of his father-in-law Ferdinand j nor that he insti-
gated him so long to delay the restoration of Tournayj nor his
shameless bargain wiili Sforza, of the revenues secured to him
by Cliarles ; nor his indemnity from the French regent ; nor his
unwarrantable conduct ia the case of tlie Spaai^ ambassador i
aor
Gall'/ Ltfe^ ^c. Gf Cardinal Widiif. 49
nor the extravagant pomp which made him a subject of ridicule
to his concempor-ii ics ; nor his oppressions and rapacity \ nor
that he encouraged Henry to dispense with ParHamencs or to
■uperscde their authority. Though Mr. Gait nnny sincerely be
of opinion that, in Wolsey's ever-varying conduct towards
Charles V. and Friincis L, the interests of England and of
Europe were always uppermost in his niind^ we think that a
▼cry different line would have been pursued, and that a very
different result would have fol lowed ^ had not Wolsey, iti the
enviable situation in which he was placed, been Induced by the
cunning and the bribes of Chnrles V. to depart from his duty to
his King and his country. '
It is in vain to say that no guilt is imputable to Wolsey be-
cause Henry was privy to all the gratuities and pensions be-
stowed on him, and to the ignominious traffic which this un-
principled churchman carried on with every state that had any
transactions with his sovereign. If Henry did not feel the dis-
grace which these shameful measures brought on himself, — if
he shut his eyes to or was regardless of the consequences, — how
does this take away from the baseness and infamy of Wolsey ?
Were the pensions and grants on that account less the wages of
corruption ? Would the foreign princes have conferred them,
if they had expected no fruit to be their produce ? Would
they have continued, renewed, and added to them, if they had
not found their purposes in them answered ? We are too near
the times of Wolsey, the events in which he was engaged
are placed too much iji open day, the evidence that convicts him
is too clear, the instruments which secured the price of his
treachery exist, and public opinion and the voice of history are
and always have been too decided on the subject, to admit of
the chimerical attempt to depict Wolsey as a faithful, upright,
minister, appcnring in any degree plausible. It would have been
as easy for his lilminence in his day to have attained the so-much-
desired pontificate, as it is for his present biographer to invest
him with any honest and honourable reputation : but it is not
with respect to Wolsey alone that Mr. Gait volunteers para-
doxes. He sports one £ar less venial in the following passage,
which is to be found in a note at p. 107. :
* I cannot understand how Sir Thomas More ever came to
be coDflidered so highly among the worthies of England as he com-
iponly is. He seems to have been a pleasant-tempered man ; but
much of his agreeable qualities arose from an excessive disposition to
flatter. During the time he was chancellor, he was fully as complai-
isnt to the King's humours as any of his previous ministers. His
literary works liave no great merit. I never could muster paticr.ee
enough to read his Utopia. I suspect that much of his celebrity has
apieo from his life having been writtea by his s«Q-in-law.'
Rev. Mat, lb' 13. £ On
5© Gait'/ Li/ff £s*r. of Cardinal Wohij.
Oa the subject of his biography, Mr. Gait bestows hism^arm
acfmir^tion, while he thu:i expresses himself of a cotemporary
who has been as unanimously admit eti a? Wolsey has been re-
probated \ and <?uch is the light in which he views the man who
has been universally represented as the brightest ornament of
I die agCi the fine geaius, the finished bchobfj graced with every
hrirtue, adorned with various accompUshmentSj of unbending
Fintegrity, the incomparable magistrate, and the martyr to his
[principles j — mistaken principles, it is true, but honestly enter-
[taincd by him. It must, however, be owned tliat it is in cha-
Kicter for the panegyrist of Wolsey to be the detractor of Sir
'lionua More. To apply the same language to both these
personages would, we admit, h.tvc a strange appearance : but
*Ir. Gait is not chargeable with the inconsistency-
Altliough the more than royal splendour of the CardinaFf
tyle of living is far better known than his character of a faith-
ful and upright minister, under which be is described ui the
present volume, still our article w^ould be imperfect Mrithout
iome reference to this feature in his life. In the ensuing
sketch, an attempt is made to state his revenues^ and tQ
give us an idea of his style of living:
* Wolacy had attained the meridian of his fortune* In every
transaction abroad, his name was mentioned and liis influence felt.
The learned and the artists of all countries cnme trooping to hiu
gates, and the kingdom rcfionndt-d v/ith the fame of his affluence, and
the noise of the buildings whic!i he was erecting to luxury and know-
ledge- His revenues, derived from the fines in the legatinc court,
the arcljbish.>pnc of York, the biahoprlc of Winchester, and the
abbey of St. Albiin'*, with several other Kngllsh bidhoprics, which
were ilield by foreitfners, but assigned to him at low rents for grant-
ing them thv privilege of living abroad, together with his pension!
from Chark'0 imd Francis, the emoluments of the ehancellorsln'p, the
revenues of the bishoprics oi Badajos and Pbcentia, in Spain, with
rich occaMitjnal prcjicnts from all the idUes of the King, and the wealth
md domait^a of forty dissolved monasteries, formed an aggrt*gate of
income equal to the royn! revenues. His house exhibited the fniest
prudnctioijS of art, which such wealth could command in tlie age oi
Leo X. The walU of his chambers were hung with cloth of gold,
and tapestry eull mure precious, representing the most remarkable
events i^i sacred liistory, for the easel was then Aibordinate Xq the
loom* His Jlv»or;3 were covered with embrotdrred carpets, and aid.*-
boards of cypres* were loidcd with ves*el3 of gold. The sotio of the
Aobihty» accyrdtng lo iJie fashion of the age, attended him a» pages \
and thi* d uly .service of the buuaehold corresponded to the opuLrnce
and oneiktilion of the master,
* The entertainment which the Cardinal gave at Hampton
lo t)if r**rciu.li commissioners, who were sent to ratify ihe \
dSTcuiive «ud defensive^ OE^eedcd itt iplciidor every banquet
I
I
I
• GallV Life, E5*f, tfCarHnat Woliey.
*faid# Ticfore that time, been exhibited in England, Two hundred
mnd eighty beds, with furniture of the co&thest silks and velvetl, and
»8 many ewers and basons of silver, wer^* prepared for the guest*.
The halls wert illumiuatt?d with innumerable sconces and branches of
Jilate, Sapper was announced by the 80iind of trumpets, and lenred
with triuir.phal music. Bvit tlic master was not yet come. He had
been dctaii>«rd late in London^ and the desert, which consisted of
'figures, cjistlcs, and cathedrals, in confection ar)% with all the emblemi
of ecclvMastical pomp, and the pageants of chivalry, was on the tables^
when he entered, booted and spurred. Having welcomed the guests^
h* culled far a golden bovrl, filled with hipocraa ; the French com-
inissioners were served, at the same time, with another, and thev
iTciprocally drank to the health of their respective sovereigns. He
then rt?tired to dress ; and returning speedily to the company, exerted
thoHt convivial talents which had farst contributed to his attainment
of this excessive grandeur. The Frenchmen doubted which most to
admire, the mansion, the feast, or the roaster. Wolscy felt ex«
uhingly gratified, and the measure of hi* greatness could hold no
How vapid is this empty pomp, when compared to the real
grandeur which surrounds a truly great and beneficent cha-
racter I How ditFerent is the submission which is tlius extorted^
from the unfeigned homage which the mind voluntarily pay*
to a Fabricius or a Marvel !
The short passage which follows, although presenting to u»
nothing that is novel, is so interesting and so just, (if we except
the latter part of it,) that we must submit it to our readers:
* The terrible constancy with which the people liave reviled, for
mor^ than six hundred years, the English system of rule, must be
SKfibed to the effect of something vicious in that system- The rela-
tive condition of the people will appear to have continued unaltered
since that epoch f and yet, in all t tie series of the ministers who have
successively ruled England, will it be fomid that any one of them hat
yursued a wiser policy, than that of Cardinal Wokey V
The derail of this policy, particularly after the challenge
which is here held out, ought to have formed a part of the
present narrative j anil it wouJd not, in our opinion, have
betni the least interesting portion of it.
IVIr» GitJt thus describes Wolsey's scheme of ecclesiastical
reform :
■ He taw that the clergy would be compelled to resign their in-
fluence over the affairs of mankind, unless they could recover that
irJative superiority of knowledge, by which, in ruder times, they
had acquired the ascendancy. What stood, in his mind, as tlie church
of Chnit, wa* the pre-cminency of the priesthood* In the conse*
tci^ueaces of the Lutheran opinions he did not affect to value tlie
precepts, but only the damage and detriment which might ensue to
the papgj power and dignity, were the prieitt to declare themselves
£ 1 independent
5^
GaltV Llfi^ tsfi% of Cardinal TFoljif.
k independent of each other, and consequently dissolve that tmghtf
|confcderacy which had ao lung- ruled and enjoyed the world. Hit
tystem of ecclesiastical reftirmation is, therefore, leas remarkable for
Hts effects on the progress of knowledge, than on account of it^ ob-
jects. The aim of his design b was, to obtain for the priesthood, ge-
neraUy> tlie SAxne kind of influence which ihc institutes of Loyob^
^afterwards, to wonderfully ministered to procure for tl)e famous so-
ciety of the Jei^uits. It was calculated to render them entitled to
possess superiority, although directed to preserve their cxcluwve
privileges.'
Of the Cardinars services to literature, Mr* Gait gives this
jlowitig account :
' The object of Wolscy vvas to produce a general effect ; and tlie
bistory of hls^ patronage of hterature relates, in coiisequence, more lo
Uistitutions than to men of genius. In this respect, as in his politieiJ
neasurcs, he differs advantageously from Leo. X. j but he is not so
fortunate in his reputation. His name is not connected with those
" poets, historians, and artists ; but how many men, the pride of
i^ngland, and the ornaments of the Ppccles, may trace the origin of
heir best attainments to the institutions and efforts of Wolsey ! The
brcadtli and sohdity of his designs and undertakings for promoting
knowledge, entitle him to be placed xcry high^ if not pre-eminent,
among the patrons of learning. He was, in the emphatic sense of
' the term, a Statesman ; and his munificence to hterature was not
bestowed on individuals, hut distributed with a general liberality, for
the perpetual benefit of the realm- The mind is disposed to contem-
plate this part of his policy with unmingled satisfaction ; aud notwith-
standing the overweening ostentation of his household and deportment,
the aim with which he reformed the laws of the Universities, founded
colleges, and procured eminei;t professors to alter the stagnjint state
of learning, entitles him to be considered as animated by that noble
ambition, which has immortality for its motive, the improvement
of mankind for its means, and the gratitude of posterity for its
reward.'
In a note, the author copies a portrait of the Cardinal at lut
own tablcr sketched by Sir Thomas More. It is in his u^ual
lively style, and wc cannot pass it over, though Mr. G- calls it
fikrUatisred :
*• It happened one day, that the Cardinal had, ixy a gi*eat audience^
made an oration, wherein he liked himself so well, that at his dinner he
lat on thorns till he might hear how they that sat with him might com-
mend it. And when he had sat musing a while, devising, as I thought^
upon some pretty proper way to begin ; at last, for the lack of a
bettf ri he brought it even bluntly forth, and asked us all how well we
liked the onition- But when the problem was once proposed, till it
vas full answered, no man, I ween, ate one morsel more ; every man
'1 into so de<?p a study for the fiiidmg of some exquisite praise. For
that should have brought out but a vulgar and a commun com*
mtodfttion, would Lave thought hiiuielf shamed for ever. Then said
GaltV Life, Isfc. of Cardinal Wolsey. SS
m our sentences by row as we sat, from the lowest unto the highest,
in good order, as it had been a great matter of the common weal, in a
right solcnm council. He that sat highest, and was to speak, was a
^reat beneficed man, and not a doctor only, but also somewhat learned
indeed in the laws of the church. A wonder it was to see, how he
narked every man's word that spake before him ; and it seemed that
every word the more proper it was, the worse he liked it, for the cum-
berance he had to study out a better to pass it. The man even
iwet with labour, so tliat he was fain in the while to wipe his face.''
It does not appear that the Cardinal took any active part in
establishing the College of Physicians, and it is here merely stated
that he patronized the undertaking ; by which, we apprehend,
we !lre to understand that it met with his approbation, and that
he gave no obstruction to the design.
Referring again to the obligations conferred on literature by
the Cardinal, the author states that
' He was several years minister before he came forward conspi-
cuously as the patron of national instruction. He had been previously
the Mxcenas of individuals ; but the history of his munificence to
literature relates chiefly to public institutions. The character of his
mind fitted him to act happily only with wide and prospective consi-
derations. The warmth of his temper, and the pride of conscious
greatness, however high his aims, and noble his motives, rendered
nim harsh in familiar intercourse, and unqualified to acquire the affec-
tion of those mcb of endowment and knowledge whom ostentation
invited to his house, and affluence entertained. The court happened
to be at Abington in the year 1523, and a deputation of the heads of
tlie colleges, being sent from Oxford to pay the compliments of the
University, the Queen was afterwards induced to visit that city, ac-
companied by Wolsey. They were received with the customary cere-
ntOiiies ; and the Cardinal, in reply to the oration which was ad-
dressed to him, declared, that he had the interests of his parental
University much at heart, and that he was desirous of substantially
evincing his filial attachment. He accordingly proposed to found
certain public lectures, and offered to undertake the revisal of the
statutes, which were at variance in tenour with one another, and ad-
verse in spirit to the prosperity of learning. These proposals were
gladly received. — Cambridge soon after adopted the same measure,
and even exceeded Oxford in adulation. The address voted on the
occasion declared, that the statutes were submitted to be modelled
according to his judgment, as by a true and settled standard ; for he
was considered as a man sent by a special order of Divine Providence
for the benefit of mankind. In order to evince still more the unli-
mited extent of this confidence, the senate conferred on him the
power for life of legislating for the University ; and proposed to
honour his memory with perpetual yearly commemorations. These
acts of homage, in themselves remarkable proofs of the ready sub-
serviency of public bodies to the existing powers, are worthy of ob-
servation, as they form an imjportant aera in the history of Enghsh
fitcnturc. From the date ot the revisal of the statutes by Cardinal
E 3 Wolsey,
It
^
p
I
Wolscy, the progreM of popular learnings and the improfeniefit
the language, were rapid and extraordinary in the Univeriities ; in
which, prior to that epoch, there wa* scarcely a member dislingnished
by any proficiency in practical knowledge. Tliey were inhabited
only by men who had dozed into corpulency over the pond:roui
folios of scholastic divinity ; and it wa» probably less on account of
any advantage that was expected to arise to tiie public from improv-
ing her statutes, that Cambridge addres&ed the Cardinal wnh fuch
idolatrous adulation, and invested him with such supreme power, than
the hope of inducing him lo prefer her for the seat of a college, which
it was then rumoured he intended to build on a plan of the greatest
magnificence. It is, however, but justice to ?dd, tliat Cainbridge
▼ery early became a candidate for liis patronage ; for when h«* was
only Bishop of Lincoln, she offered him hdr chancellorship, which he
declined*'
We have next the measures which were taken by the Cnr-
dinal for the purposes of erecting Christ Church College, nnd
Ae intended Grammar School at Ipswich : designs which were
worthy of a more noble ambition, and of having more pure
gains applied to them \ — which must be allowed lo do honour
to the projector, and to redeem not a few of his delinquencies
md errors. The following is the account which Is here given of
his literary attainments :
♦ His acquirements as a scholar were rather proofs of the gene^
tallty and vigour of his talents, than evidence of the exteut of his in-
telkctual powers compared with those of others* The length and
fulness of his public dispatcheSj And the variety of circumstances
which he comprehends within the scope of his topics, entitle them to
he regarded, in many instances, as dissertations on the events and
proceedings of the lime. His style, at once powerful, circamsianiial,
"pod diifuse, convevs so ample an expoMiion of hfs mesning, that he
rtever fails to iill the mind of the reader with a complete conception
of what he aims to produce. His sentences ore sometimes involved,
and often ind«- finite ; but he pours forth sii: h an amazing breadth of
explanation, that the general effect is it resistible, lu this reypect
the characttr of his eloquence may he compared to a large stre*im
flowing through a marshy country : thongli the main current be clear,
impetuous, and ttrong, the bounds and banks are shoaly, sedgy, une*
qual, ii regular, fmd undefmed*'
Wolsey*s mert Is certainly very much enhanced, if what U
here stated be true, that
* At Lord Chancellor, he had often as much occasion to observe
the tgnonince of the lawyer?, as in hi« epifcopul capacity that of the
der^y j and he h*is been dcscribfd as often interrupting the pleading!
of the barrii*teri, and bitterly animadvcrtinjj on their Witnl of know-
ledge. To remedy an evtl wliich irOijblcd the pubhv jiifisprudcnce
pit the fou 1, utid made its ii*^ce«sary t -o
rjy diatr . ; disorder aad vcxaUoHj he ] i-
GaltV Ltfcy isfc. of Cardinal Wolsej. ^S
tfon, to be founded in London, in which the study of law should be
eflBciently cultivated. The scheme was consonant to the general
liberality of his views, and perhaps is still requisite. The architec-
tural model for the building was considered a master-piece, and
remained, long after his death, as a- curiosity, in the palace at
Greenwich.*
It is difficult to conceive how a mind so immoderately ad-
dicted to money, and to empty parade, could harbour and
cherish plans so noble and grand as those in which Wolsey
engaged for the benefit of posterity ; and it excites our wonder,
while it gives us a very high opinion of his talents for business,
when we find him, incessantly occupied as he must have been,
volunteering the reform of University-statutes, and executing
the undertaking. These services cannot be too much extolled;
nothing is more beneficent, or confers more true glory.
The testimony which is here bofne to the Cardinal's judicial
merits is in unison with all the historians, and rests on the
authority of his excellent successor. It is asserted that in this
character he was ' obliged to contend with the opposition, and
to endure the obloquy of every rank and class of the nation.' At
the period in question, no fixed Liw prevailed in the Court of
Chancery, but the Judges who presided in it paid little regard to
precedent or system, and made thoir decibions conformably to
their own notions of equity and justice.
In the subsequent pa^isagf , we perceive no allusion to any
delinquency, nor indeed to any error or infirmity, of the Car-
dinal ; the language of it is applicable only to a wise, honest,
and beneficent minister :
* The grandeur of Wolsey continued to increase until he became
possessed of greater power than, perhaps, any subject before his time
had ever enjoyed. He was virtually the head of the church in Eng-
land ; prime political minister ; the chief judge of law and equity ;
legislator of the two Universities ; arbiter of disputes between the
King and foreign princes : and his income was supposed to be equal
to the amount of the royal revenues. But the full and perfect round
of reflected splendour was destint^d to wane, aiid to suffer at last a
total extinction. In all the vicissitudes of his master's humours, he
had still preserved the first place in his esteem. The clamours of the
clergy failed to disturb tliis unlimited cor.fidence. The impartial
justice of his cor.duct as a ju-l^^e, though offensive to the pretensions
of the nobility, afforded no plaiisible ground upon wliich his integrity
could be im})e;u;lied. His views of foreign pclicy reaching beyond
the age in which he lived, and compreheiidinjj the interests of pos-
terity, were nc'ver popular ; far less the financial measures which they
leil him to adopt ; but the success of his plans for advancing the
political importance of the nation, gratified tht? ambilion of Henry ;
and, in those days, pifblic opinion was a trifle in comparison with
royal &TOur* At length, however, the same lofty arrogance of prin-
}L 4 ciplc
I
ciple which showed itself so proud and stubborn to the cUrgy, tlie
fiobihty, and the people, was to be found at variance with the wi&hcs
of the sovereign himself ; and it was Wolsey's fate to furnish oac of
the most striking instancet of the instability of fortune^ and the in-
gratitude of despotic power, which the whole compass of history
afford*/
The author here expresses himself as if the complaints of the
clergy had been without cause : but this is not the fact, and the
contrary is elsewhere admitted even in thi-i volume, Wc should
have been glad if Mr. Gait had pointed out the instances in
which the Cardinars foreign poiicy reached beyond the age in
%vhich he hvi'di and informed us which of his political acts had for
their aim the benefit of poster it y, Hhfinamial measures were not
only urjpopuinr^ but were in some instances daring violations of
the constitution, and oppressed the people without being ap-
plied to worthy objects ^ nor are we able to discover w^hich of
his plans advanced the political importance of the nation. Did
Charles confer pensions on him, did France indemnify him, for
such services ? - We admit that hia conduct came to be at
variance with the wiiihes of his sovereign, but vre deny that
principle had any thing to do with the matter ; and we cannot
admit that Wolsey's fate was a striking or even any instance of
the ingratitude ot Hetiry : the ingratitude was on the side of
Wolsey: but we grant that he experienced from ajustly-ofl'ended
master a resentment very disproportionate to his offence.
IVIr, Gait is evidently incorrect when he states that Henry
l^as not led to think of dissolving his marriage till the year 1557*
^It is indisputable that the subject engaged his tlioughts at a
much earlier period ; and that, at the time above mentioned, he
was taking measures to effect it. On the occasion of his first
communication of it to Wolsey, a symptom was visible which
foreboded that it would prove fatal to the favourite :
• The Cardinal fell on his knees, and entreated the King to absn*
don a design so hostile to the faith of which he was the declared
ihailipioii and defender; especially while the whole jstructurc of the
Imrch was rent with schisms, and shaken from roof to foundation by
the tempest of the Lutheran controversies. Nor could he omit to
point out the political c^ ils of incurring the enmity of the Queen's
r ' lations, and l!ie certainty that her nephew the Emperor would ^io-
kml) endeavour to revenge the insult which the proceeding would be
tu his family. But Henry was not to be persuaded from his rtiO*
iution : he miisted upon knowing Wolsey *s opinion of the abstract
question. The Cardinal, in order to gain time, and poselhly with a
hope that some accident might occur to alter the King's mind, begged
^ihat, in a matter of such importance, he might he allowed to conicr,
pre\ rously, with persons better versed in the Divine and ci^ il laws. A
reyu-it 50 rcaionable was rradily granted*'
3 Our
GaltV Lifi^ life, of Cardinal Wolsey. 57
Our readers will recollect that a bull was obtained from the
Popcy authorizing Wolsey and Cardinal Campeggio to hold a
court in England in order to decide on the validity of the King's
marriage *, and that,' accordingly, these two persons held a court
for that purpose. In the extract which we subjoin, a just idea
of Wolsey is given, and a clue may be found to his behaviour ;
which, as stated by some writers, appears to have in it some-
thing mysterious. He ought to have declined sitting on a com-
mission to try a cause in which his sovereign was a party, and
his former pretensions imposed on him an impartiality which
that sovereign would ill brook : but such was his insuperable
vanity, that he could forego nothing which was connected with
parade and state, although it was obvious that the situation
would prove very difficult and dangerous, if not fatal.
* If the Cardinal was of opinion at first, tliat the validity of the mar-
riage ought not to be called in question, the case was materially altered
when the King's doubts had become publicly known, and were com-
municated to his subjects. It then became his duty to bring the
matter to a speedy issue, and to hasten proceedings which involved
the legitimacy of the royal offspring, and which, in the event of
the king's premature death, might again entail on the nation the mi-
series of a disputed succession. As a prince of the church, he was
bound to maintain the papal authority, by an undeviating adherence
to every canon and formality in the course of a process of such im-
portance. He is, therefore, in the progress of the divorce, to be re-
garded as acting in a double capacity, as the minister of the King and
of the Pope. To both he was bound to act with fidelity. The ser-
vice of the one whs contrary to the interests of the other. His situa-
tion was extraordinary, and his difficulties without a precedent. He
was placed in a situation where his honesty had the effect of making
him equally offensive to both parties ; and integrity, almost nec^i-
farily, exposed him to the suspicion of partiahty and equivocation.*
The court had been sitting a considerable time, had sum-
moned the august parties, and they had appeared : the Queen
had declined the jurisdiction, and appealed to Rome : but still
the court proceeded to hear evidence ; all was in readiness for a
decision ; and a day had been appointed in which it was uni-
versally understood that judgment would be pronounced, when
the King, and the nobility and great men of the land, attended
in the full expectation of hearing it. Or^this occasion, how-
ever, Campeggio, to the astonishment of all who were present,
adjourned the court to a distant day :
' Indignant at such a proceeding, the Duke of Suffolk broke
out into a violent passion, and, vehemently striking his hand
upon the table, swore by the mass, that he saw it was true
■what was commonly said, that ** never Cardinal did good in
England." Wolsey, conceiviDg the insinuation to be directed againU
him.
I
^
^
p
5$ Galf*/ Lifif (^e* 9f Cardinal IVohey.
him, said, in a sedate emphatic manner s ** Sir, of all men in ihit
realm you have the least cause to disparage car<^nal« ; for if poor I
had not been, you would not now Ii.ii?e had a head on your shouldeft
to talk BO contemptuously of us, v^ho neither meant you harmt
nor have g^vcn you cauae to be offerjded. I would have you to
know, my Lord, that I and my brother wish the King as much hap*
piness, and the nation as much honour, wealth, and peace, as you or
any other lubject whatsoever, and would as gladly gratify all bii
lawful desires. But, my Lord, what would you do, ifyou were one
of the King's commissioners in a foreign country, instrusted with the
jnTtstigation of a solemn and dubious affair ; would you not consult
with bis Majesty before you iinishcd the business ? 1 doubt not but
you would. Therefore, repress your malice. Consider we are com-
missioners, and for a time cannot proceed to judgment, without the
knowledge of him from whom our authority is derived. Nor can we
do more or less than our commission allows ; and he that will be
offended with us on this account is not a wise man. Pacify yourself,
my Lord, and speak with discretion like a man of honour, or hold
your tongue. Speak not reproachfully of your friends. The friend-
•hip that I have shewn you, and which before I never mentioned, you
well know,*^ The King, in the mean rime, comported himself with
more moderation than could have been expected from his impetuous
temper. He manifested no particular displeasure, but still the ruin
o£ Wolsey was considered inevitable.'
The favourite is now moving in a diiFcrent direction from the
King, and is a last roan; unless all his faculties forsook hini, he
must have anticipated his disgrace.
The duties which the pretentions to the tiara imposed on
Wolsey do not present themselves to the author, any more than
they did to Henry, till the present juncture arises; although
they, as well as the bribes m^ pensions, had their effect on many
of the previous transactions in which the Cardinal had been
concerned- No prince less devoted to Rome, and less
negligent of his duty and his dignify, than Henry, would
havQ> for a moment tolerated t^iis puerile but pernicious ambi.
tidn in his minister.
It is strange that Wolsey, although aw^are of Campeggio's
intention to adjourn the court, never acquainted the King with
tliat design. Inthe whole course of the cause, the English Cardinal
had.suflercft C o to h^ve the entire management of it,
and had defoii ni in every tiling relating to it, although
Campe^glo w;m his junior, Henry had begun to suspect that,
in the dispatches tran-smitted by Wolsey respecting the divorce,
be evinced a greater degree of anxiety for the interests of the
church, than tor those of his sovereign. ^ From so determined
a candidate for the papacy, this was to be expected, though it
V 'y caU forth the displeasure of a Prince less un-
it . capricious than Henry. — We object to the in-
troductign
Gait'/ Lif€f Wf . tf Cardinal Wolsej.
S9
txodisction of the terms honesty and inUgrity into this passage :
these unpretending and homely qualities WoUcy did not
much affect ; but if they weighed little with the ambitious Car-
dinal, he had not lost «lght of the high pretensions which he had
vtv^de \ he was aware of what was expected from a Ciindidate
for the triple crown-, he did not forget what, in this emergency,
Jie owed to his character 5 and he could not ofier an insult or shew
even the shadow of disrespect to that church, to be the head of
Mrhich he had so recently aspired ; for, unfortunately, even while
the divorce was proceeding, on the occasion of a sudden illness
'Atn\ of a subsequent reljpse of Clement, Wolsey had with
great activity renewed his claims to the papacy- Had the Car-
dinal at this moment been in any manner wanting in respect
to the authority of the church, and had he betrayed its interest*
even to gratify the wishes of his sovereign, he would have
covered himself with ignominy, and been regarded by the
whole Catholic world as the last of mankind. By accepting the
present commission, therefore, he had placed himself in a situ-
• «tion, in which he must either make an ungrateful return to a
bountiful master, or he would destroy at once his fondest hopes,
bciie the whole tenor of his life, and render himself the most
degraded of his species. If it wa^j not much the custom of
WoUcy to interrogate principle, or to deliberate about what
honfjiy and integrity required of him, he had spirit enough to
avoid the Infamy in which a compliance with Hcnry*s expect-
ations would have involved him. He feels the absolute necessity
of firmly abiding by pretentions which Henry had been
absurd enough to sanction ; he resolutely shuns the last degra-
dation % and who is there that will not applaud the consistency,
rather than censure the ingratitude ? He soon pays the penalty
of indulging an insane ambition, and of engaging in incongruous
designs ; and if the King complained of the returns made to
him, he might thank his own folly for them. It was the pur-
suit of the pontificate which proved the ruin of Wolsey* The
crescent was as much within his reach as the tiara. Suppose
for a moment that he obtained it; to whom must he have been
indebted for it ? To Charles, the rival of his master, the known
enemy of the independence of Europe, What figure, moreover,
would he have made in a scene in which Jbe was altogether a
Itranger ? He would not have known how to conduct himself
when raised to this giddy eminence, but must have acted under
the guidance of some one or moreof his courtiers, and would have
been inferior in al! that gives real importance and consideration
to the meanest individual about his person. He would liave been
an alien in his own court, the sport of those who in appearance
prostrated themselves before hiiPiand having nothing to cheer and
console
I
console him but mere nominal grindeur. In short, he would hare
resembled a senseless idolj that wns mocked by the grimaces of
contumelious worshippers. Nothing can be imagined less cal-
culated to answer the ends oi ambition, or to administer hap-
piness. Had Wolsey been possessed of a really great mind, he
would have spumed the lure, and would never have wished for
aught beyond the station to which his sovereign had raised hiro.
Such a course, it is true, did not lead to spiritual supremacy :
but> as his rare fortune had placed him at the helm of Europe,
he might have exercised a civil primacy, and might have had
dependent on his will, and obedient to his wishes, the potentate
whose place he aspired to fell. At the time in question, and for
ages preceding it, tiie first ministers of the European sovereigns
had been for the most part churchmen \ and it had frequeiJtly
happened that such favoured persons were complimented by the
Pope with the purple : but they never sought to render that
character eiTicient, nor indulged the hope of ascending the papal
throne ; nor (we repeat) would any sovereign but Henry have
suffered such a design to be harboured by a confidential servant*
From this time, we see Wolsey rapidly hastening to tlie close
of his career; and the conduct of the discarded favourite is as
inconsistent with a great mind, as the insolence of his prosperous
days, Mr. Gait ascribes loftiness to Wolsey, and he cer-
tainly had an ample share of that quality : but it entirely for-
sook him on this occision, and fallen fortunes never overtook
a more feeble mind, or rendered a spirit more broken. It must,
however, be owned that, under the semblance of shewing
mercy, the cup of adversity vi^as in the highest degree embit-
tered to the discarded minister. Some writers have ascribed
this semblance to real tenderness on the part of Henry, whidi
they suppose to have arisen from some lurking remains of regard
for his former favourite : while by others, with more reasoui
* Heury himself has been suspected of sanctioning this crudt v from
a vicious principle of policyi in the expectadon, that as Wolsey dis-
regarded popular clamour, he might » for the restoration of bis
ileur, not scruple to sustain even the obloquy of the Roman cons : . ,
by pronouncing the sentence of divorce. But he ought to hnve
known bis lofty character better ; and that the love of fame, which
renders public men incorruptible, though nearly allied to the love uf
power and splendour, never admits rank into comparison tvith repuifi'-
tton. The treatment which the Cardinal received, wounded without
irritating. The eagerness with which his former associates endca*
Toured to rise on his ruin», — the neglect of those who had sliared hf"
botuity, — the abortive assurances that he had received from the Kirifl
— and the conviction that, without being restored to favour, he neve
c-inld he able to contradict the wilful misrepresentation, ^* ' ' tCJ
dlaily made, of his purtii intcoUons, but must transmit a i^
I
GaltV Life^ Isfc. of Cardinal WJsej. 6l
tnd ^Biced character to poiterity, — corroded his feelings to such a
degree, that hia life was despaired of.'
The incensed Henry, who from being the defender had
become the fierce assailant of the faith of the church of Rome^
judging of others by himself, might expect that Wolsey, to
gratify him, would prove a traitor to that community of
which he had always been a zealous supporter: but Wolsey did
not on this occasion bdie his former professions as a church*
man ; the subservient minister was lost in the aspirant to the
chair of St. Peter; and the favourite is never seen, 'but is
throughout the delegate of the sovereign Pontiff. Royal
favour, his place, his fortune, and his life, arc sacrificed at the
shrine of consistency. In this instance only, as far as we can
discover, is Wolsey truly and indisputably great. In thesitua-
tbn, he could not have acted otherwise : but he might and
ought to have declined so critical a trust. We still think,
however, that, if the hope of the pontificate had never en-
tered into the contemplation of ^Yolsey, he was too much
the victim of avarice, and too much occupied by the frivolities
of shew and pomp, to have borne the part of a great and bene-
ficent minister. *
From such a man as Henry, nothing that accorded with jus-
tice and moderation was to be expected. When we consider
that he had been in a manner the cause of the delinquencies of
Wolsey, and a party to them, — and that, though heinous, they
weretnot of a nature to be brought forwards as crimes, — his
displeasure ought to have been appeased by a dismissal of the
Cardinal from his various employments, by a partial con-
fiscation of his property, and by confining him to his see,
and enjoining on him the edification of his flock. Here
Wolsey ought to have been allowed to spend the remainder of
hb days, in peace and tranquility. Yet we see him meet with a
treatment so disproportionate to his offences; his implacable
enemies act a part so malicious ; they are so ingenious in
harassing him, so systematically aggravate his sufferings, anil
subject him to such exquisite mental torture; that the fallen
minister, virith all his aggravated faults and failings, becomes
an object of compassion. — The author thus sums up his
character :
« If it be true that no man by less effort ever attained so much
dignity as Cardinal Wolsey, few have been thrown down from so
great a height under the imputation of smaller crimes. He was
undoubtedly a character of the most splendid class. Haughty, am-
bitious, masterly, and magnificent, he felt himself formed for supe-
riority ; and his conduct, if not always judicious, was uniformly
freat. His exterior was dignified, his demeanour courtly, his dis-
cernment
62
Gait*/ Life^ isfc. of Cardinal IVolsiy.
CPHimrnt rapid, hi» eloquence commanding', and bi« comprehentioi
irast and prospective. The number, \?aricty, and magnitude of hit
public trusts, in all of which he was eminently distinguished, are
1 proofii of the elastic powers of his mind, and the vtrsatility of hli
talents for business. His avidity to amass wealth was contrasted
with an expenditure »o jii^enefous, that it lost the name of avancff
and de5ei?*/ed to be digtiTfi.d with that of ambition. Hi9 ostentation
'was so richly blended with munificonce and hospitality, that it
ought to be ascribed rather to the love of distinction than to vanity }
and his pride was so nearly allied to honour and justice, that it
teemed to be essential to his accomplishments as a states mm. All
his undertakings showed thi* combining and forcseeinv^ faculties of
1 his genius* The league of Loudon was the grand fundamental
charter, by whith the Europtaw natioiis recovered their indt-p-rndencc
•from the Pope ; and ihvi ch^mge in the alhance of Englund iifter the
tattle of Pavia,. w.4S on? of those rare and buld measures, which may
f divide die opinion of t)ie world, au to their wisdom, but must cotn-
mand its admiraiu'n. The pnjcJpl*- of that change, having itf
foundation in the league of Lundon> was to preserve the equilibrium
of Europe ; aud if t:on«ist'*ncy be csseutiid to charactcr» and charac-
ter be strength as applied to nations^ the dignity of Englaiid waf
tjbviously more advanced by adhtring to her principle?, than her
I power would have been augmtnird, by continuing the partnership of
war with Charles. The Cardinal's :iystem for the retornmtion of
^the clergy, though defective in philosophy, was singularly liberal in
I policy ; for statesmen arc often by oiRcial necessity rather the pro-
r lectors than the enemies of corruption* It is true that he did not
I calculate on all that flood of consequences which m^y be traced to
his measures, but it could not have arisen from and rUikiagijnore
partial. Therefore, whether e;>timated by fiis natural endovvmcni«»
ibis lortune, or his designs, Wolsey must be considered as one of
LthoBe great occasional men, who, at dist;int tntrrvab, suddenly ap-
pear, surprizing the world by their movements a^d their splendour j
ind who, having agitated and altered the regular frame of society
fty their influence, are commemorated as the epochal characters cm
history.*
Our limits will not permit us to dispute the paradoxes which
lire here crowded together \ nor is it very necessary that tliis
kask should be accomplished. The positions here advanced are
in direct opposition to the clearest evidence, founded on in-
disputable facts J from which, conclusions very opposite to
chose of Mr. Gait have been unanimously drawn by die whole
aeries of our historians, supported in our days by a Humci a
Robertson, and a Henry.
If the reader be already acfjualnted with this part of otr his-
tory, and on his guard against the heresies liere 'attempted to
be imposed on him, he will find in thii volume much toamu$e
and instruct him* The sentiments of the autlior are liberal,
his views are enlarged, and he is not wantii^ in ingeuuity :
2 but
VansittartV Plan of Finance^ Isfc. 6j
but to give plausibility to the positions which he has chosen to
hazard and defend) no talents, acquirements, or skill, can be
of any avail. If, moreover, we have been pleased with the
spirit of the performance, with the sentiments of the
author, and with the proofs which it furnishes of a good un-
derstanding and general intelligence, we have been disappointed
at not finding more of the fruits of research, and a greater stock
of particulars. In a professed life of Wolsey, we conceive that
we were warranted to have this expectation fulfilled. ^
Occasional hints, which appear in the course of the present
volume, induce us to believe that Mr. Gait is a member of a \
very large and flourishing sect, who regard a late famed mi- 1
nister as heaven-bom. In some instances, he seems inclined, ;
but does not venture, to assimilate this personage to his incom- j
parable and immaculate Wokey ; but to the mediocrity in foreign
politics, which we assign to Wolsey, we cannot admit that me
personage in question made even a near approach. From the com-
mencement of the revolutionary scenes among our neighbours,
to the day of Mr. Pitt's death, (the period in which alone, with
the exception of a short inter-regnum, he had any occasion to
exhibit the foreign minister,) not a single transaction occurs
that will admit of being compared with the conduct adopted
by Wolsey towards the fugitive King of Denmark ; of which
an account under his own hand has reached us, and is inserted
in the Appendix to this volume. No person will peruse that
document without entertaining a very hv^h. idea of the com-
prehensive mind of the writer, of his political prudence, and
of his profound insight into the nature and principles of go-
vernment ; nor without applauding the liberality of his notions,
and the manliness which could lead him to avow them.
Art. VI. Outlines of a Plan of Fir.ancs; proposed to be submitted
to Parliament. i8 1 3. 8vo. p-?. 42. 2s. 6d. Hatchard.
Art. VII. j4:i Inquiry conc^rrlrj the Rise and P repress y the Re*
demption and present State, and the Management of the National
Debt of Great Britain. By Robert Hamilton, LL.D., FR.S.E.
Professor of Natural Phiiosopliy in the Marir.chal Callege and
University of Aberdeen. 8vo. pp. 212. 6s. Boards. Longman
and Co. 18 13.
Art. VIII. Substance of the Speech of IV. Hushissony Esq.y in the
House of Commoiib, in a Committtc of the whole House, upon
the Resolutions proposed by the Chancellor of the Exchequer,
respecting the State of the Finances and the Sinking Fund of
Great Britain, on Thursday the 25th of March 18 13. 8vo.
pp. 80. 38. Murray.
THE subject of Finance possesses so few attractions, that the
public are in general satisfied with the transient impres-
sions
^4 VansittartV Plan of FmancetHzrmlton en tie Naiimal Debt^
slons conveyed by the newspaper-reports of speeches, or by a
cursory perusal of those legislative *' Resolutions" which usually
contain the substance of official plans. On the present occa-
aion, however, a larger share of attention is demanded. The
[operation of our Sinking-fundj — the pillar, in the current
lopinlon, of our public slocks, ^ — has been new -modelled j and
Lit happens, by a singular coincidence, that one of the few trea-
[tises on finance, which deserve a permanent reputation, has
come forth precisely at the time when ministers found it expedient
tto bring forwards their late regulations. That this coincidence is
fnot the effect of concert is sufficiently apparent from the tenor
lof Dr* Hamilton's book, and from the unceremonious style in
[which he treats the favourite arrangements of our most admired
^financiers. Yet his principles are directly applicable to the
I new project, and assist the inquirer in throwing off much of
I die mystery in which, whether from design or from inattention^
, it is veiled in the ministerial expositions.
Ill entering on the examination of this subject, it maybe proper
I to apprize our readers tliat we are very far from deeming it
[practicable to invest a disquisition on finance with any of those
Lcharms which serve to beguile attention in the discussion
lof lighter topics. We can promise them nothing but an atten-
[ tion to perspicuity, and an anxious wish to be instrumental in
[correcting some of the popular exaggerations which prevail with
I regard to the magical operation of compound interest. It has
[long been our opinion that a debt, whether public or private,
1 could be discharged only in two ways \ by the payment of an
lequivalent, or by the injury ©f the creditor. Schemes of llqui-
l dating our national incumbrances, by sinking funds, appeared
[to us nothing else than a transfer of money from one hand to
jsuiotlicr \ a transfer capable, by the mode ot its arrangement, of
lljecoming an engine for keeping up the price of stock, but
I wholly insufficient to lessen our debt without a correspondent
I drain from our productive capital. The idea which had occurred
[to us in the shape of general reasoning has been elucidated by
[Dr. Hamilton with the perspicuity of arithmetical illustra*
[tion. After all the praises lavished on our sinking-fund, and after
rthe opponents of Mr. Pitt had joined almost with one voice in
extolling this far-famed measure, it will startle a great part of
the public to find this object of national admiration successfully
[assailed by an^ndividual in private life, whose days appear to
^ have been passed at n:ther more than a respectful distance from
the precincts of the Exchequer and the Stock-Excliange. We
cannot, perhaps, anticipate for the learned autlior any great share
of popular favour, since it would be a much pleasantcr thing for
the community to imagine that the sinking-fund operates by some
iJNinderfuTly Ingenious and bene Bciai contrivancet than to sit
^cio^i-n with the diy and UTprrfiiable conclusion tiiat we h^e
b4»en, all along, doing nothing more than giving one
*»€qaiva{ent for another. It is true, (if the truth must be
► spoken,) that, while we have been pa^ying with one hand
twelve or thirteen millions a-year, we have been bonowing
f twenty in ^^nother : but the latter part of the tale is seldom told|
• and we huve been lon^ taught to fix our thoughts on a time at
which the accumuLitcd product of our sinking-fund should
tffect a diminution, by wholesale, in tJie national burdens. In
•uch a state of things, this unfeeling philosopher of the north
may lay hisacccunt wuth severe expostulations for labouring to
dUpel the gratifying anticipation ^ — and here we cannot help
remarking the discrepancy which exists between men who are
not only educated in the same part of the world, but who
* follow, or profess to fbllow, a kindred course of study* Sir
John Sinclair is a countryman of Dr. Hamilton, and, like him,
a political arithmetician ; yet how widely do his estimates and
conclusions difler from those of the Professor ! Sir John pro-
ducedy w^ith a happy fluency, not only argument on argument,
but axiom on axiom, to prove that the stoppage of cas]i-pay-
ments was a public benefit, and to humble the Bullion-commit-
► tee to the dust. Lord ShelTield, too, pouied forth a display
of oratory, both in parliament and in print, to demonstrate the
excellence of our Orders in O^uticiL These men are •* wnse
in their generation,'* and both received their reward at the
5 of a disceniing ministry ; his Lordship being honoured
the rank of privy counsellor j while Sir Jol n, notwith-
standing his approbation of *« Lycurgus and ol bis iron-
I money," condescended to accept the ofl&ce of R-ceiver of the
' Und-tax for Scotland. We have yet to learn that any of this
plea^ng attention has been shewn to such wt iters as the
author of the • Inquiry into the Management of our National
Debt/
Wc shall divide our discussion of this subject into the fol-
bwitig parts :
IL Observations on the genera! Principles of Finance,
n. on our Public Stocks.
in. ■ on the Sinkjiig'Fund.
IV. - on Mr. Vansit tart's New Plan*
L Principla of Finance. — Uader this head we shall endea-
vour to direct the ideas of our readers to a few fundamental
nilcs, by the application of which, the merits of a fliKmcial
plan may be estimated without going into the endless detail
c*f ariilimetical calculation. National incorne, as Dr. Hamil-
ton retnarks, can arise from no other source than the produce
Rev. May, 1813. F of
66 Vansittarfx Plan of JPinanu^ Hamilton §n the Naiknal Ddt^
lof agriculturei manufactures, and commerce- The gwaler
bpart of It must go to provule the people with the necessaries
Ksind comforts of life; and it is the remainder only that can
be applicable to public purposes. Taxes, it is afErmed by
many, are harmless, and in some respects even useful. It is
> also fashionable to consider them as a spur to industry \ a point
jAvhich, in the opinion of several very competent judges, may
) be safely left to the desire, inherent in us dl, of bettering our
t circumstances : but, in analyzing the progress of public im-
provements, we shall find that diey have been often retarded
and seldom or never accelerated by taxation. Next, as to the
extent of taxation, though many seem to think that its limits
R are almost indefinite, nothing is clearer than that, when carried
beyond a certain point, it lessens consumption, and becomes
comparatively unproductive. These persons forget, likewise,
that, by the depreciation of money, our revenue may have
I. doubled in a term of twenty-five years, without going farther
' tlian its nmety formerly reached in defraying public expences }
and it is not generally known that increasing taxes form one of
tlic most powerful causes of this unfortunate depreciation.
Another topic, on which a considerable difference of opi-
nion exists, is the question » *' how far the national debt is a
public misfortune ?** Dr. Hamilton has treated this point at
some length. He very prudently declines, however, to enter the
lists with those hopeful disputants who maintain that this debt
constitutes a part of our national wealth ; and he does not
bestow much time on those who consider a public bankruptcy
as a happy expedient for the restoration of our finances. Ht
proceeds to examine how far the circumstance of having our
countrymen for our creditors affords an alleviation of the bur-
den of the debt ; and, in admitting that the stocks-holder bears
a part of the taxes raised for the payment of his interest, he
contends that the greater share of the burden still falls on the
industrious.
< It ia argued by thoie who still retain the generally exploded opi-
nions concerning money, that all the money raised in taxes, at least
all that comes to the 6tock4)oldcr, is spent among those who pay it,
and that therefore it is no loss to them. As well might a person
forcibly qitfer a merchant's house, and take away his money, and tell
hfm he did him no injury, for the money or part of it would be
1 employed in purchasing the commodities he dealt in, upon which he
► would receive a profit*'
We come next to the important question of the method of
discovering effectual remedies for a diseased state of finance*
These must consist in a prolongation of the periods of peace^
in a reduction of war-expenccs, or in tlie unpalatable alter-
I
and HusiussonV Sprech
natife of increase of taxation,
remiirks :
Oa the first topic. Dr. H.
* If oatioas could deriTe wisdom from past esperience^ and ftom
the judgment which ts formed of many fofmf r wars, now that the
pasaiofis which excited them arc subsided, much might be urged
SIT favour of a pacific system. It will be admitted that we hav6 fre-
quently engaged iu war for trivial or unattainable objects— that the
obtects have generally not been attained — that, under pretence of
guarding against distant and improbable dangers, we have incurred
present and imminent ones — that passion and national pride, rather
than rational views of national interest, have been often the ruling
principles of our public conduct — that, as we have engaged in war
rashlj, we have perscirercd in it with obstinacy* and rejected offers of
pacibcatioo, more favourable than those which we were afterward*
tmder the necetsity of accepting/
Without applying any of these dowfirlght epithets to the
existing contest, the Professor observes that the judgment
formed of the measures of the present day, by posterity, may
possibly be as little favourable to our prudence in persisting in
them, as the sentence which we» on our part, are ready to pass
on the discretion of our ancestors. Were we, however,
doomed to continue at war, the only alternative would be an
increase of taxes ; since excess of revenue above expenditure,
whether arising from economy in peace or from large imposts
in war, is the only real sinking-fund for the discharge of our
debt ; and for any efFectual relief to arise from the operation of
compound interest, we shall look in vain. Without our deny-
ing the abstract truth that a sum increasing hy compound
interest will, in progress of time, attain a surprizing magni-
tude, the calculations of theory will be found to give way in a
succession of generations! as tliey have always done, before
the mutability of human measures. Moreoveri however stea-
dily we may persevere in the plan of the sinking-fund, its ope-
ration cannot outweigh the elTects of so expensive a war-system
IS we have followed during the last century. Let us keep in
femembrance that the progressive accumulation of debt, at
compound interest, would advance in the same rado, and
arrive eventually at as large an amount, as its counterpart in
the shape of a fund of liquidation. The arithmetical principle
is the same on both sides of the account : it operates as much
against us as for us. We prevent, it may be said, its opera*
lion on the debtor-side, by making regular payments of inte-
rest: but is not the money, which is drawn from the people
to supply this interest, a diminution of the productive power
ot oadonal capital ? It must be taken from iGme fund, and its
ifcicncc operates to prevent a portion of our capital from re*
F 2 ceiving
6Z VansittartV Plan of Finance j Hamilton on the National Debt^
ceiving that progressive Increase of which compound interest
I affords so clear an illustration. It may be replied that the
[i6ney returns into circulation through the medium of the
Libtic creditor: but this circumstancej when closely analyzed,
found to be nothing more than abidance tq the evil of raising
he yearly interest by taxes -, that is, it is just as pemiciotis to
he. public, in a calculating view, to pay the interest regularly,
^Sis to leave it to accumulate. Whichever course we take, wc
are forced to arrive at the conclusion that public debt, once
contracted, is an absolute and permanent loss. It is, as
^Mr* Huskisson confesses, (Speech, p. 40.) * the record of so
luch wealth consumed j* and it is in vain to think of making
Ht good, otherwise than by an equivalent sacrifice in another
iquarter.
While, however, on the score of calculation, the annual
jjayment of interest is as unprofitable to the public as the accu*
h^ulation of debt In a compound ratio, we are far from ac-
[fcounting it the same in a maral point of view. In that sense,
it IS good for a government, as for an individual, to be held to
La regular payment of the interest of money borrowed. It
ikeeps alive in our recollection the aid which we have received*
Land the price which we pay for it % and it impresses on us
lie necessity of setting bounds to expenditure, as well as of
limiting those schemes of speculative enterprize which the
iler of a country frequently shares with the most visionary of
^his subjects.
IL Our Public Stocks* — At the commencement of our national
lebt, in tJie reign of King William, the legal rate of interest
as 6 per cent, ; and the reduction to 5 per cent, took place
m 17 14. Since that time, government has limited, by the
Dng arm of the law, the rate of interest in private trans^
tions, hut has not unfrequently exceeded the prescribed ratio
I its own dealings. This excess, however, is less apparent to
lie public eye, since it has become the practice, particularly
luring the last thirty years, to give the loan- contractor an
equivalent in the 3 or 4 per cents. The plain course for go-
iernment, in conformity with the spirit of the law, would be
to give lool., 5 per cent, stock, for lool. in money, and to
ider the debt redeemable, like any private debt, at par ; that
by paying back the lool. money in return for the stock,
i^hencver our finances admitted of the reimbursement; but
recent policy has been to flatter the stock-holder not
Ij with a secure interest, but with an expectation of rise
I cho vJue of tlie principal. The law has put it out of the
Dwer of mini t«r8 10 redeem 3 or 4 percent, stock at a price
oportioned to the rcdemption^ratc of the 5 per cents* The
act
I
I
I
I,
I
and Huikisson^s Speich.
act of parliament says merely that " stock is redeemable at
par-," thnt is, although the commissioners of the sinking-fund
may make partial extinctions of stock at the market-price, there
can be no comprehensive reduction, on the part of gov^erni
ment, without giving a price equivalent or nearly equivalent to
the extravagant rate of lool. in money for tool, 3 or 4 per
cent, stock. The practical result is a kind of necessity on the
pan of government to repay nearly 140I. or 150I. for every
iDol. borrowed ; because peace, which is the season for exten-
sive repayments, is likewise the season for a high price of
stock. Freviously to the last war, viz. in 179a, tlie 3 per cents.
had risen to 98^ a rate which thecommissioncts of the sinking-
fund wouldj in the event of its recurrence, be obliged to pay in
the same way as other purchasers.
As a counterpoise to this pernicious anomaly, Dr, Hamilton
recommends an adherence to tlie plain principle tVat, in creat-
ing stock, government should render itself liable for nothing
beyond the sum actually borrowed. If, in consequence, it be
necessary to give the loan-contractor a higher rate of inteiest
than 5 per cent., the excess may be granted in the ^hape of a
long annuity j a method by which the loss to the public would
evidently be le-^s than by the dangerous contingency involved
in the present system. The distinctive feature of a long an-
Duiry is that it becomes eventually extinguished without the
payment of a full equivalent on the part of the pubrc. Indi-
vid uaJs in many situations attach nearly as much value to an
afmuity for eighty, ninety, or one hundred years, as to a per*
petuity. The lapse of such a period is obviously a matter of
more consideration to private persons, than to a nation whose
financial measures should be founded on a reference to per-
manency. It is on this principle that Mr. George Crawfurd
has laboured, in his ** Doctrine of Equivalents," to persuade
our financiers to deal out long annuities to our loan-contractors,
in lieu of permanent stock. How far the measure would be
susceptible of ^<*w^ra/ application seems very doubtful : but, in
^ part hi manner, it has already been adopted by several of our
financiers. They have, at ditferent times, borrowed sums, of
which the collective amount is such as to require a yearly pay-
ment in long annuities to the amount of somewhat more tlian
a million j and it has been so managed that these difftrent
annuities should all terminate at a common period, viz, in the
year /860,
Having mentioned a material advantage enjoyed by the
Jtock-holder in the mode of receiving reimbursement, we are
now to notice a consideration of equal magnitude in the op-
posite scale. The progressive fall in the value of money is al-
F 5 together
7© Vansittart'/ Pluncf Fmanct^ Hamilton m thi Nationai Dtk,
together in favour of the debtor, and against the creditor*
In the course of the bsl thirty years, stock, like other money*
^property, has fallen to half its value in the purchase of the
I jiecessaries and comforts of life : but taxes have by no means
[chared this unfortunate depreciation ; their produce, in many
[respects, like the rent of houses and land, having risen, in nu^
Ifnerical amount, in proportion to the fall in tlie value of
jinoney. The debt of govemment Is thus the same, while the
itneans of discharging it have considerably increased. To judge
|ifrom appearances, the fall in the value of money is by no
i^eans at a pause-, and its practical result is to give a great fad-
lit y to government in lit^uidating the national debt by means of
an unintended injury to the stock-holder.
We add a few farther remarks on our public stocks, by way
[cif familiarizing our readers with finance-calculations, A
loan-contractor, though he advances his money by instalments,
I at different intervals of the current year, is allowed interest on
Ithe whole, nearly as if he had paid it down at once^ and a
\ suitable discount is granted on any part of the covenanted sum
[vhich he finds it convenient to pay before the stipulated
instalment-days. These however, are merely official modi-
f fications, and make in fact no difference to the public : but
fthey ate noticed here because they must be taken into account
pn computing tlie fo/jw/, or premium, which it is always neces-
fsary to pay to the loan-contractors. Another point worth D)en-
Itioning is that the transactions relative to our national debt,
[«uch as transfers of stock, payment of half-yearly dividends,
I &c*, take place, not at the Exchequer, but at the Bank of Eng-
[land ; and for this agency, govemment pay the Bank, by agree*
^jnent, a certain annua! rate on each million of stock. Before
1786 this rate was 562I, los. ; — in 1786 Mr. Pitt obtained its
^ reduction to 45 oh : — and in 1808, in consideration of the mul-
, tiplied profits of the Bank at the hands of the public, the rate
hwas farther reduced to 340L Having premised these parti-
culars, we proceed to a few observations on the nature and pro-
Igress of the sinking-fund*
in. Th^ Sinking-fund. — Although indebted for its extension
I and flourishing condition to Mr. Pitt, this lund did not, as
I jnany persons imagine^ originate with that minister. Sir Robert
IWalpoIe, BO long ago as 1716, not only commenced a plan of
[that description, but persevered in it for some time with con-
tiderabre firmness. He derived the supplies for it partly from
Uurplus-taxes, and partly from a more acceptable source^ the
pliving attendant on reductions in the interest of the national
l^debt. In those days, however, our ministers held the public
confidence by a much weaker tenure than that which Mr. Pitt
poss<cssed|
I
k
I
mnd HuskissonV ^ifdi*
possessed ; and on the occurrence of extraordinary demands, Iti
the year 1733* a trespass was made on the inviolability of the
sinking-fund^ by taking a part of this sacred reserve for the
current cxpences of the year. The principle once infringed,
there was no limit to subsequent transgressions. Year after
year, the resources of the sinking-fund were appropriated to
other purposes, and its operations in the reduction of debt
became comparatively insignificant. Dr, Price, writing in
1772, computed that it had not, in the preceding half-ceniury,
paid off above twenty millions •, and, in the Outlines of Mr,
Vansittart's plan, we are told (p. i.) that its operation was in
fact greatly below this qualified report. At last, in 1786,
Mr* Pitt, encouraged by the rapid growth of national wealth
after the peace with France, determined to give a bolder and
more permanent character to the constitution of the sinking-
fand« He perceived that it was the only arrangement by which
the public could be flattered with the hope of an eventual dis-
charge of their debt, or by which a minister could keep up
tbe price of stock so as to obtain future loans on any thing like
tolerable terms. The basis of Mr. Pittas plan was a reliance on
the power of compound interest ; a power which was pour-
trayed to him and to the nation by Dr. Price, with all the zeal
of an enthusiastic calculator. Whether Mr. Pitt was aware of
the real nature of the sinking-fund, or was inspired with a part
of the fanciful expectations of the reverend author, we do not
pretend to determine. Ministers are proverbial for holding
forth the fair side of measures : but, at the period in question,
Mr, Pitt was young, little prepared by previous education for
habits of accurate calculation, and prevented by endless de-
tails of office from giving a continued attention to an intricate
course of reasoning.
In point of fundamental principle, Mr, Pitt's sinking-fund
was little more than a revival of the Walpolian plan : but a
diflference consisted in the provision of larger funds, and in
the additional precautions taken to secure the in vioLibility of
their appropriation. A special board of commissioners was
appointed, and was rendered independent not merely of the
Treasury, but, in several respects, of Parliament. Mr. Pitt
birring classed together the various taxes under the general
name of consolidated -fund, it was agreed that a million should
be taken annually from this fund, and vested in the commis-
sioners for the. redemption of the national debt. The money
u the disposal of the latter was to be farther augmented by
bpted annuities ; and by the interest of the discharged deht until
the sum applicable to the purpo>e of liquidation should amount
to four millions annually. Siji years of p^^ice and of flourish-
ing cofDjoerce toOawed this meuute^ said om revenue ex-
^ ^ perienced.
I
perteuoed a progrefifiive increase) ^^hich many c^oad-ii^iurd
persons among u& w^re ready to a&cribe ro Uil
rangements of government. Jn the ycur 1792^ i\ii.jiu> v^.-
culating probably on a rcnewiii of wafj Jetcrmined to meet
the expected shocks on public credit by a new measure in aid
of the sinking-fundp Thi^ was no other than an act to pru-
vide, on every new ioan, taxes to tlie extent of one pec cent,
of its nominal amount, a^ a separate sinking-fund for the eve
tual repiiyment olr this particular lo^n | and it w;t» compute
that the prcxiuct of these taxe^, aicreased by th'
compound interest, would liquidate each loan in l^
five years. Though this plan was open in fact to tlie same
objections as the former, it w:^$ well adapted to support public
confidence ^ and it iias accordingly been continued, with little
variation, throughout the successive budgets of the bit and the
present war.
In 1 801, the Addington*ministry, finding it expedient to
repeal the income-tax, chose to accompany the measure witli
certain arrangements, which bore tb<^ <ippearance of giving
additional strength to the snikmg-fund ; but these, being mat-
ters of official regulation, need not be recapitulated *, and a si-
milar silence is applicable to Lord Henry Petty*^ fintince^plan,
because it was not eventually followed up in practice.
The general indignation excited by Ik>naparte*s usurpations,
and the alacrity of the public in the war, having empowered
Iministers to impose lar^e war-taxea in 1803, 4, and 6, the
[otocks were kept up in price ^ the sinking-fund was permitted
Ito increase in the ratio of compound interest', and, during se*
reral years, our loans were comparatively small, and our re-
|:venue wa« fast approaching to the amount of our annual expen*
pditure^ Accordingly, government was enabled to go on with-
lout trying the hazardous experiment of new taxes in se^isons
[of unpopularity* The session of 1 809* in which their authority
f was impaired by the circumstances connected witli the investiga-
lion concerning the Duke of York, and thni of 1 8 10, when similar
[discredit was produced by thcWalchercn inquiry, wetc thus al-
I lowed to pass over wiUiout any demand on the public purse. In
jthe next year came the successes of Lord Wellington; and most
[opportune were they for the support of our national credit, as
I the expensive contest in Spain and the defalcation of revenue
]tt home, consequent on the Orders in Council, had sunken
the price of stock, and threaten<?d a renewal of former diifi-
^ eiilttes. The lapse of another year served but to make matters
I worse, and the ttrms of the loan of the summer of 18 12 wU!
I frovc a lasting monument erf the condiiton to which an iiifo-
p4icio]us imerferem e with trade ' 'need our fiaahccft. At
igth a changft took plact^^ an< l r& dlscoveral tiAt there
^iW HuskissonV Speech. 7?
might be wisdom in other measures than thof>e of uninterrupted
war. To this change, and still more to the uet;essity of the
case, we are disposed to ascribe the recent alteration in the
management of the sinking-fund.
Benire we enter on an examination of the particular features
of Mr. Vansittart*s plan» it will be useful to adrert to this ob«
serrations of Dr. Hamilton on the general nature of a sinking-
fitttd. Dr. Price maintained that the << inviolate appropriation fr
of a specific sum, operating in war and in peace, was a mea- t^ '
sure of the utmost consequence ; that the effects of such a ^1
system were &r superior to those of any other application of a -j-,
surplus; in short, that the operation of compound interest |
might be termed almost omnipotent." What a contrast between
these sanguine tf^rms and the cool reasoning of Dr. H. !
* In opposition to Dr. Price's doctrine, it is maintained that the se*
paration of a sinking fund from a general revenue is a measure of no
efficacy whatever : that in time of war, when the expenditure exceeds the
revenue, the preservation of the sinking-fund, and consequent increase
of loans, is a srstem from which no advantage can arise : if it could be
conducted without expence, it would be nugratory ; as it is necessarily
attended with expence, it is pernicious : that at the conclusion of a
war, any surplus revenue applied for the discharge of debt during
the subsequent peace, operates by compound interest, during the
continuance of peace : but the notion of uniting that period to ano-
ther period of peace, or to a still longer period of alternate war and
peace, in order to obtain the powertul effect of compound interest
acting^ for a great length of time, is illusory.* —
* The Doctor's plan for discharging the national debt by borrow-
ing money at simple interest, in order to improve it at compound
interest, is, we apprehend, completely delusive. He admits the
absurdity of such a measure in private life, — and its absurdity in
national finance is exactly the same. The cases differ only in extent
of sum, and duration of time, which no ways alter the general ten-
dency of the measure. Suppose a million borrowed for this purpose,
and assigned to commissioners for the redemption of the national
debt, in whose hands it operates by compound interest- The interest
of this loan is 50,0001., which must either be provided for by some
additional tax, or saved by some nr.'asure of public economy ; or if
neither of these be adopted, an additional loan must be made next
year to pay the interest. In the former case, it is the tax or the
economy, and not the operation described, that bene tits the revenue;
and they would have produced the same effect by affording an addi-
tional surplus improved at compound interest, without any loan. In
the latter case, 5o,oool. is borrowed the second year ; and a sum
equal to the interest of both loans, or 52,5001., the third year; and
thus the debt accumulates by compound interest against tnc public,
exactly to the same extent that the money vested in the hands of the
commissionerSj accumulates in its favoiu:.'—
* The price of stock, Uke that of any conunodity, depends on the
proportioo of supplj and demKnd. Whaterer iumfi sat brought into
the
w
74 VansittartVP/an of FinaWi^HzmWton m thi Naiiermt D^tf
the money market, and applied by tbe commissioners for the purchase
of stock ; equal sums are withdrawn ^m the money market, by tbe
mdditional loans required to replace what is invested in the hands of
the commissioners.'
If, therefore, the sinking-fund be nothing more than a trans-
fer from hand to hand, it remains to inquire how far it is worth
the expence of keeping up. It avowedly increases the amount
of our lo.ing, and the public sustains a loss equal to the bonus
paid on the additional sum borrowed.
Without reckoning the expence of the commission for the
fedemption of the national debt, (which has in fact been very
moderate,) Dr. H. computes, after a variety of calculation*,
(p» 14 a. et uq.) that the toss caused to the public by Mr. Pitt's
sinking-fund amounts to a sum of nearly sixteen miitiom. The
plan adopted in 1 792, of adding a fund, in taxes, of one per
cent, to the nominal capital of every loan, experiences a simi-
lar accusation. The Professor does not object to the imposition
ef move taxes than are required by the interest of a loan, but
he contends that they should be differently appropriated.
• The sum of surplus-taxes, instead of being made over to the
•inking-fund, should form,' he says, (p. 154.) * a deduction at
^once from the amount of the loan/ This recommendation
^ill be found of more importance than it may at first appear :
iince, while it secures all the efficacy attendant on the acqui*
•ition of a surplus-revenue, it saves to the public the homu on
what would otherwise be borrowed. It saves likewise the loss
that would be incurred by paying at a high rate, in peace, a
portion of the money which we borrow on comparatively un-
favourable terms in war. — On the other hand, Dr. H. admits
that the scheme of the sinking-fund has had a reaJ effect in in-
ducing the country to submit to additional taxes : but how far
this, taken in a comprehensive view, has been a good, it will
remain for posterity to determine. * We are not/ he says, < of
opinion thit the sinking-fund has contributed in any degree (o
frugality m expenditure. The time during which it has ope-
rated» has not been a time of national frugality. Ministers have
had the full power of raising what loans they pleased, lo supply
the means of any expenditure, however lavish ; and it will not
be said they have used this power with a sparing hand/
Lord fienry Petty 's plan of fuiance receives no better treat-
ment at the hands of this rigid investigator. It was blended,
be remarks, with many circumstances of collateral advantage^
which were extraneous to the leading prhiciple of tlie measure,
and tended to embarrass the formation of a distinct opinion on
it. Divesting it of these incidental accompanimeotSi Dr. H.
ei/iiJ^tB its operation vet^ eTi^UdiVv u\ two tables^ (^. iiot
21 i.) and pronounces Vt (p.i6^.'i loW i\ve tt^os\ %xti^\v<aw^:i^
#f aW the schemes for the icAucuou ol uut ^\&aV\^\i^«^«tvit*
Mi HuskissonV Speech.
IS
Mr. FansUtart^s Pian p/ Finance. — " To speak to ac-
Its'* is seldom an easy or a pleasant task : but it would be
ird to discover a more luckless attempt at iriteUtgibility than
tt which ia exhibited by the demi-official pamphlet under the
b of * Outlines of the Plan of Finance/ To Mr, Van-
art's pen we can scarcely ascribe it, after the specimen of
leaf anJ in some respects elegant composition which waa
""prded by his published speech on the Bullion-question*
the present tract, the reader turns over page after page, and
doubt whether to attribute the obscurity to the inattention
tthe design of the writer. After much consideration, he
Is out that the leading feature of the new plan is to make the
Viking-fund in a manner stationary, taking from it the annual
litions of interest accruing from discharged debt, and hold-
these additions, in whole or in part, at the disposal of
iament.* Hitherto, tlie stock bought up by the commis-
bers of the shiking-fund has been kept uncancelUd ; and the
F-yearly dividends on it, being paid regularly at the Bank
0 these commissioners, in the same way as to other creditors^
ave served to form annual accessions to the sinking-fund,
^ow, however, the total amount of debt discharged (about
40 millions of stock) is to be declared cancelled ; and the taxes
upplying the funds for payment of its interest are pronounced
pplicabie, not exclusively to the liquidation of our debt, but
ikewise to the interest of such fresh loans as may be necessary.
Ifter all, the diflFerence between the old and the new plan is
hiefly in appearance ; ina>>much as it is iicarly the same thing
o prevent the increase of debt as to discharge it after its exist-
!ncc. We shall endeavour to throw some light on the opera-
bn of this intricate and ill-described plan, by making a few
extracts from the tables subjoined to the official pamphlet*
Estimated Annual and Total Amount of New Taxes, to
be imposed according to the Old System, and according
to the Proposed Pllti ; on the Supposition of Annual
LfOans of 2B,ooo^oool. at 5I, per cent*, until tlie Re-
demptioo of all Funded Dtbt created prior to 1815,
^0!d
System*
jlnnnaL
Total,
Propaad Plan.
TataL
Annual,
1813-
1814.
1815.
1616.
1S17.
1818.
1,866,666
1,866,666
1,866,666
1,866,666
1,866,666
1,866,666
f, 866,666
7^.66,664
9'333»330
i,S66t666 iij,o66,662 j
i,S66, 666 , i4,gjj,^28 i
,127,963
,290,206
1,127,963
1,127,963
1,127,963
1,127,963
2,418,169
5,094,944
7tQ99>i IQ
Withot
^^^^^^^E*^^^^T^^^^V^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^3^^^^^^^W^^^^^^^^^H
76 Vansktart*^ Plan ofTmana^ Hamii ton m the National Dehu
Without much calculation, we are enabled by the above to
arrive at one comfortable conclusion, — the assurance of an
essential diminution in the progress of taxation. The next
table is of greater length.
Estimated Amount of die Sinking Fund, at the ist of Aur
gust in each Year, according to th*i Old Syfitem, and accord-
ing to the Proposed Plan, upon the foregoing Suppositions.
Old Systtm,
Proposed Plan.
i8i3, -
U»2<59,958
14,397,921.
1814. -
14,423^^55
13,647,817
1815. -
15,634,627
12,860,207
1 i8i5, -
16,906,357
12,033,217
1817. -
18,241,674
11,164,877
1818. -
^9Mh1S1
11,607,837
1819. -
21,115,944
11,428,842
1820- -
22,661,740
12,639,033
^
1821. -
23,090*971
13,896,609 ^1
1822, -
24,718,019
26,426,419
15,208,314
^1
1823. - 1
14,498,719
1824. .
28,220,259
14409,318
1825, -
30,103,750
14,876,057
1826. -
32,081,437
16,227,984
1827. -
34,158,008
16,719465
1828. ^
36,338,408
i6»734*35J
1829. -
38,627,828
18,161,693
*i850. -
19,745,200 1
17,820,636
1831. -
21,204,960
18,634,662
1852. -
22,094,571
19,027,436
'
1833- - 1
23,671,799
19,606,337
1834. -
23,063^828
*9*S77i542
' t«35- -
23*4941319
20,523,121
18^6. -
25»H'v?34
21,300,648
-
i«37- -
36,858,638
2 1,9 » 7*084
♦ In 1830, the sinking-fund, according to the existing syi*
tern, is reduced from 41^03 1,719!. its amount on the istAuguit
of that year, to 19,745,2001, in consequence of the redemption
of the debts consolidated by the act of 1801.
The point, on which the reader must fix his attention, a
1
3 1
explanatory of the similarity of result in the two plans, is the '
' ^^^^H
arrangement for the year 1830. On the old plim, the sinking-
fund was to undergo no suspension of accu^luIating progress
until that year \ — whatever might be the amount of our bur-
/^^^^^^l
-
lot
dens, J
af^d Huskksoii's Speech.
77
dens, and whether peace or war was to be uur lot, this fund
was to proceed on the plan of compounil interest until that
yearj at which time a sum of tixes to the Limount of nearly
twenty millions was to be taken from il, and either repealed or
declared applicable as a provision for the interest of fresh koans.
Nciw« tlut which wm to bedeUycd until 1830, and which W3*
ta be tioae m 4 mass, is 10 be done forthwith and progressively.
The change, however, 4:^^ httle el?e than a change of calculation ;
ih« year 18^0 having bL*en inserted in the old plan wkh no
ottu*r object than to exhibit, in a deiinke point, the sweeping
f^s lilts of the sinking-fund-
We present, in the third place, a comparison of the effects of
the two plans with regard to the method of keeping the ac*
couiJli of the public debt.
Statement of the Periods of Redemption ©f the Funded Debt
contracted prior to I Si J, according lo the Old System, and
according to the Proposed Plan ; coiitbuing the foregoing
SupposiuonB*
£000/.
Old Sjiim.
Prepottd Plan.
AH prior to - - - Tjj)3
1830
i8rj
Lmaa of • - • 1793
do.
1813
»794
1796
1797
1798
1799
t8oo
do.
do.
do.
do.
do.
do.
do.
1814
i8t6
tSiS ,
1821
1833
1824
1826
I801
1S02
1803
JS04
1805
1806
do,
do.
1832
"834
»83J
1827
1829
1830
1831
1832
f Ww Tm Loam -
'W»7 tSupp^Lcii - -
i8at
1837
'833
^833
1808
184+
1833
1809
1810
>»43
"843
*^34
1811
t3l2
1844
1836
'837
Hen.,
78 VansittartV Plan of Finance^ Hamilton on tU Niiiim4tl Dik^
Here, as in the rest of this official Outline, credit appears to
be assumed for much more than is performed. The uiuuspect-
ing reader naturally lakes for granted, from the imposing sound
of the word ' redemption,' that the new plan is actually of
superior efficacy in the liquidation of the national debt. Nay,
there appears in the first line a difference of not less than seven-
teen years ; — a diflference, however, which will be found to be
nothing more than a distinction of account. On the old plan,
the liquidated stock remained in the hands of the commission-
ers of the stnking*fund j while, on the new plan, the stock, as
we mentioned before, is accounted cancelUd^ and the secttrities
producing interest are held applicable either to farther reduction
or to other purposes.
By T*My of preventijig alarm or injury to public credit, from
the promulgation of the new plan, several palliatives and ap-
parent advantages have been coupled with tL An immediate
annual addition of 67O1O00L is given to the sinking-^f und | a
provision of one per cent, on unfunded exche<]uer-bilTs is to be
made for the purpose of their gradual liquidation ; and a far-
ther precaution is taken for those years in which the addition
to the public debt may exceed its reduction. Amid all these
explanations, however, a scrupulous silence is observed as to
the main point ; namely, thatj the imposition of fresh taxes to
the extent required being impracticablei we have found it ne-
cessary to trench on the sinking-fund. It was indeed high
time to have recourse to a new expedient ; the demands for the
present year, in the shape of loans, being for Great Britain and
Ireland (Huskisson's Speech, p. 36, 37. fiS*) little short of
40 millions. In a late important transaction, (we mean the
funding of the exchequer-bills in the end of March,) Mr» Van-
sit tart was obliged 10 gram stock at an ascertained loss of
15 1 per cent, to the public. Nothing, therefore, could be movt
opportune than the recent change on the Continent for the sup-
port of our stocks, y^A for the introduction of a financial ar*
rangement which, under different circumstances, would have
been productive of serious alarm. Other considerations like-
wise have had a tendency to co-operate towards its favourable
xeception. Few persons, even among stock-holders, comprehend
the plan in its extent : but they are satisfied that it leads to no
immediate Injury, and they look to time and chance for a balance
eo remote disadvantages. An assurance of having no new taxes
for four years is a most consoktory point, and is alone sufficient
to form a powerful counterpoise to unfavourable anticipations.
The pacific character, too, of the measure, the disposition which
h discovers to keep our expences within compass, and the ac-
knowlegement of the necessity of husbanding our resourcef»
aire
I
I
and Huskisson*/ Speech
mre points calculated to recommend it as much to the capitalist
as to the philosophic advocate for peace. It has one more merit
alsOf according to Dr* H^mihon's principles i inasmuch as it is
more profitable to the public to prevent the creation of debt
than to provide for its subsequent extinction.
After having bestowed these epithets of commendation on
the new plan, it becomes necessary to make a few remarks of
an opposite character. The measure discovers^ it must be con-
fessed, very little ingenuity ; and the minister has had the di^
cietion to found on it no personal claim for reputation. Ghdly
sboald we add that the praise of candour were equally due to
cbe ministcrt or to the author of the ofHcial * Outline/ when he
comments on the state of our funds : but the confident ob-
servations in this respect, and still more Mr, Vansittart's subse-
quent speech (31st March) on the new taxes, are of such a
nature as forcibly to remind us of the tone of plausibility and
exaggeration which becomes habitual to men in office, and of
the truth of the Frenchman's remark, ** Qt/ctt ne peut point
regmr inmcemmeni'^ We neeti only give, for example, the
assertion (Outlines, p. 18.) that the * great and ultimate object
of the sinking-fund is to relieve the nation from the burden of
taxes which would be entailed on it by the indefinite extension
of the public debt/ This assertion is brought forwards with
as much gravity as if the sinking-fund itself were derived from
any thing else than taxes ; or as if the writer were serious in
the belief that, by some inexplicable charm, it operated to re-
duce the burdens of the people. Another allegation, less gross
indeed, but equally unfounded in point of policy, is the argu-
ment (p. 17.) respecting the * advantage of keeping in reserve
the means of, funding a large sum (suppose 100 millions) as a
resource against war.' This declaration is particularly calcu-
lated for popular effect, and is maintained with as much confi-
dence as if the fund, thus provided, were not wrung from the
productive capital of the country, * It would be/ says this
writer, * the first example of an Immense accumulation of pub-
lic property, formed without the impoverishment of any indivi-
dual / as if this accumulation could be raised otherv^use than
by taxes, and as if taxes were wholly passive as to retarding
population, depreciating money, or injuring our manufactures
and trade. How necessary is it to recall to such writers the
Oiaxtm of Vauban, ** Que Pargeni U mieuK employe est celui que
k Rm iaisse entre Its mains de ses sujets^* We have had in Eng-
land no example of a government hoarding up money taken
from the subject, "since the days of Henry VTL ; a prince cer-
tamly not the fittest in our history for the imitation of a Chan-
cellor of the Exchequ
t"
Singulari
So VanslttartV Plan^f'Finofi^f'il^miiiim m theNatknalDiit^
Singular, however, a ^ this pamphlet ts, ir ' ' '^w
for the official hints Mnth which it is inli _ pL-
is eipresiied (p, 4.) that our continental expences will nat bt
of long continuance ; and it is admitted that an addition to
our war-taxes would be felt as a very heavy burden. It is
afterward confessed (p. 16.) that to avoid additional taxes h
the true way to render the present taxes productive ; and it is
taken for granted (p. 33.) that the rate of interest may fall in
^eace to four per cent. These admissions are remarkable in the
eye of any person who is accustomed to watch the^ language ot
ministers, as indie itivc of an approximation to a Change of
politico. Until Lord Liverpool's accession to his present sta*
tion, our cabinet and the subordinate departments spoke no
other language than that of an indefinite prolongation of war.
It is amusltig, likewise, to trace a similar change in the more
elaborate speeches of Mr. Huskisson. He, who was formerly
m resolute an advocate for adding sacrifice to sacrifice, noti-
deems it proper to admit (Speech, p. 53O that the eirtension
of our debt can raise the * interest of money to six or »cven per
-cent. ; and that this high rate of interest has a prejUdidil
effect on our manufactures, our commerce, and above all, on
our agriculture/ The official * Outlines' conclude with a copy
of the ** Resolutions" submitted to parliament, the substance oif
•which may be comprized in a few sentences, and wiJl serre to
throw some light on Mr. Vansittart's mysterious plan.
The amount of national debt contracted before 1786 (netrly
^40 nnlHons of stock,) is now discharged by the operation of the
sinking-fund.
An ofHcial declaration shall be made that this, ajld such
fatther 5Ums of national debt as may be bought up, are satisfied
and discharged.
After such declamtion, the stock so satisfied shall be formaHy
cancelled by act of parliament; in order to make provision Jir
chargifig arty future loan on the fun As hitherto apprttpriattd t9 tie
payment of the inttresi of the stock thus redeemed*
The sum of 867,963!. a-year shall be forthwith added to
the sinking-fund ; and all monies belonging to that fund shall
continue applicable to the reduction of the national debt, ex-
cept in as far as these Resolutions otherwise provide.
We are now to take leave of Mr. Vanaittart and his financial
calculations, for the purpose of making a few remarks, in our
critical capacity, on the compositions of Mr. Huskisson and Dr.
Hamilton. The chief merit of the former consists in perspi-
cuous definitions of official measures ; such as (p. 6. 10. 19.) of
the nature of Mr. Pitt's sinking-fund ; (p. 33.) of the object of
the new plan ; with a variety of details, (p, 19, 20- 27* 50.) on
which
1
J
eW Hu$k)$$onV Speech*
Ci
%htch notHing but their want of interest to general readers
firevifnts u$ from enlarging, « A loan,' says Mr, Hu&kisson^
(p» 49.) < is noiiiing but the sale by gm^emmenc of a certain
number of annuities at the best price which it can get.' — « Mr,
V. '^ plan nrvay be called an expedient for pushing our
<If iL' of war as far as possible, by taking as muuh as
P' im the Sinking-fund.* Mr. H., though no stranger
to L - , usibility of lone assumed by men in oiBce, confesses
(p. 44i 45* ) that he was not a Jittle startled at the bold a8«
lerDuns contained in the official ' Outlines' and the appended
iablci \ and he proceeds to detect their fallacy with the acute-
ness of a practiced politlcianj expatiating brgcly (p. 60* et seq,)
on the inconsistency between the present and the former
opinions of the Chancellor of the Exchequer, After all, he 19
obliged (p. 73O to admit that the change, against which he
makes such vehement protestations, is in a great measure no-
tninal ; and tlut a modification of the late plan of our sinking-
fund would, in any event, have soon been requisite. In hia
Speech, (p. 3*;- 48. 53.) as in hit publication on the Bullion-
question, we have been struck with the keen opposition-style
of this quofiihm supporter of ministers; a keenness which neither
a personal comphment (p. 79.) to Mr, Vansittart, nor an ap-
parent moderation (p, 32.) in pushing an argument, is likely to
render palatable to the coadjutors of his eailier days. ~ la
analyzing the substance of his reasoning, the principal con-
clujiion is that Mr. Vansittart's plan would be unsuitable for a
long continuance of war; and, in forming an estimate of his
Speech as a composition, the leading blemioh will be found to
consist in prolixity.
On turning to Dr. Hamihon's pages, we find a work com-
posed in a very different spirit from either of the other produc-
tions* It is a plain and unadorned statement of the result of
patient and methodical calculation ; and the writer appears to
have no other view than the correction, or rather the modifi-
cation, of some very erroneous and generally circulated opinions.
The only point of resemblance between Iiim and Mr. Huskisson
will be found in a mutual partiality to difTuscness of illustration^
This was the grand error of Dr. Smith, and arose from his not
being aw^are how greatly a habit of condensation may be made
conducive to perspicuity. The Appendix to Dr, Hamilton's
publication is exclusively in the foi m of tiibles ; a form so much
luptirior to any other for arithmetical combinations, that we
cmnot help regretting that an approximation to it had not
been attempted in various passages (p. 46, 47, Sec.) of the
ttxt. Calculation is seldom an attractive ezercise of our
powers ; and nothing proves a greater relief to the tedium of
Rsr. May, 1813, G it
Coleridge*/ Remorse ^ a Tragedy,
it than the points which well chosen vacancies render distinct
and prominent to the eye of the reader. The learned author
takes the precaution, in our opinion very unn**cesiiarily, to pro-
test against the imputation of deficient patriotism, in conse^
jucnce of the freedom of his strictures on our finances. Of
crieurSf as the French term them, or uf those who run riot in
Cdeclamations on pubUc prosperity, we have had abundance tn
tour day : but the men whom the country really wants are those
Twho can unite a spirit of impartiality to the knowlege snd in-
iustry which are necessary to throw light on her most import-
T%nt interests. — It is of consequence to remark that Dr*H«
Joes not undertake to di'icuss the tnor/J influence of financial
leasures j we mean, the temporary effect produced on the
popular mind by the adoption of a specious system. His la*
bours are strictly arithmetical, and his judgment on our ofRcial
rschemes is founded altogether on their numerical results. With
^this limitation^ his conclusions are to be received^ and if hii
pountrymen are agreed tliat permanent consequences are the
^nly objects worthy of a wise goveniment, they will be at no
JOBS to put ^ value on the ijiformation which he has given to
fthem.
Lrt, IX, Rf morse; a Tragedy, in Five Acts, By S. T. Cole-
ridge. Secoad Edition. 8vo. 5s. Fuplc« 1813.
"^ OOD tragedies have seemed, for some years past, to be t
^ species of composition almost extinct in England. It
tiight be interesting to investigate the causes of this strange
l4ecay of one branch of national genius, and to ascertain whe-
llfaer they are to be found in the size and pantomimic splendor
icf our theatres j whether the taste of the public, which dc-
r^iands that size and splendor, be not, in fact, too frivolous
lor so high and grave a kind of entertainment j or whether our
Mramatic authcws themselves have not unaccountably failed in
hmbition to reach the highest point of their art, as if some
^enal law depressed their efforts and forbade them to rise
^bove a certain station. These questions, however, we n^ust at
resent decline to discuss j and confining ourselves principally
the pliy before us, which has more than common claims
to our attention, we shall endeavour to appreciate its merits,
and also to throw some light on the obstacles wliich have pre-
vented tliiji, and (by implication] other dramas of the day from
attaining a grt ater degree of excellence. Firat^ then, let ui
•ffer a tulerab^ full analysis of the story of « Remorse/ whicli
will include some remarks on the conduct of that story i and
cxamint
ColeridgeV Rimcrsi ; a TragtJy^ ii)
txamine the delineaiion and contrast of the characters, in^
ter»periing our observations with a few passages^ which may
give the reader an adequate idea of the dialogue.
The scene of thi^ drama is in Spain, and the time h the reign
of Philip the Sv'cond, just at the close of the civil wavs against
the Moors, and during the heat of the persecution which
Taged against them i shortly after the edict which forbad
the wearirtg of Moresco apparel, under pain of death. The
Marquis Vaidez, a noble Spaniard, has two sons, Alvar and
Ordomo. He is also guardian to the orphan Donna Teresa,
who is alike the object of Alvar's and Ordonio's passion. So
far we are reminded of the plot of '* The Orphan :" but the
resemblance here ceases. Alvar, indeed, is the favoured bro-
ther, but the atrocious character of Ordonio is borrowed from
some other source. He hires assassins to remove his rival ;
but the principal of them, Isidore, * a Moresco chieftain^
o^ensibly a Christian,* relents, on being informed by Alvar
that he is Ordonio's brother. Alvar leaves the country, but
at the opening of the play he has returned to Spain ^ having just
landed on die coast of Granada, where he intends to assumt
the disguise of a Moor. The years, too, which have elapsed
lluring his exile, and his youth at the time of its commence
aient, — his long imprisonment, (which followed on his being
and taken in a battle for * the better cause^ in the
Slates,) — and the scar of his wound, — « all conspire 19
his disguise. He adds :
■ ■ Besides, they think me dead :
And what the mind believes impossible.
The bodily sense is slow to recognise.' •
!e determines to seek an interview with Ordonlo's wife, aSj
he was informed by the assassin, Teresa had already become ^
yet he retains some doubt of the tale, and a sort of general
persuasion of the fidelity of bis betrothed mistress. He it
also resolved to awaken the conscience of his guilty brother ; •
Isidore having betrayed that he was employed by Ordonio.
We are made acquainted with the chitf of these circum-
stances in the first scene between Alvar and Zulimez, his
faithful attendant. The full disclosure of such important
events to that attendant, by his master, is opportunely delayed
till their arrival in Spain ; and thus the audience is made
acquainted with them inartificially enough. A scene between
Vsldez and Teresa follows, in which the father unsuccessfully
* Was this plulofophical piece of poetry iMggested by the doubts
|jtk^ Apostle Thomai i
G a f}«a4t
^
^
^
M^ Colerl JgeV Remsrse ^ a Tritge^.
pleads tlie cau<4e of his son Ordonio \ the f^ct being that TereSi
fettot married to himi and is entirely nver$e froni his addresses*
Monvredro, a Dominican and Inquisitor, now enters, with
Alhadm the wife of Isidore, 'A*ho his appealed to Ordomo fo
tcjjtiraony of hit * soundness in the Catnolic ialtli,' he havic
been accused of a relapse into Mohammedanism* On Ordonio %
fentrimce, a $cene ensues, which excite?* strong symptoms of
* Remorse* in the guilty brother, and' increases Teresa^s aver-
sion for him. When the men have retired^ she Hngers with
Alhadra on the beach, where the whole of the bcene hat
hhlicrto pas.-ted ; and while the latter is expre'^^ting her fears
for her husbiuid, they are interrupted by Alvar in hi« Mof :^ii>h
dreis. Alter *»ome agitation on his part, he eouverses widt
them, and, under the fiction of a dream, relates or rather
Shadows out the principal circumstances of his attachment to
Teresa, and of the attempt to ast?assinate him. Teresa , of
eout^e, IS greatly interested by this conversation ; and %\\q
leaves Alvar more ijiclin^ d than ever to believe in her fidchtv.
Act ii, introduces Ordonio and Isidore, near the bou«ve of
!he latter, in a wild and mountainous country. The patron
gain wishes to employ his dependant in his intrigues; and
h\t desire now is that Isidore should disguise himself as m
inagician, and endeavour by some pretended act of sorcery to
Convince Teresa of the death of Alvar. For the furtherance of
this design, he tells him to make use of the portrait of Teresa^
which she had given to Alv^r at their parting, (overseen by Or-
donio,) and which, according to Ordonio's orders, Isidore had
taken from Alvar when his life was spared: — ^an event of
which Ordonio is still uninformed, Isidore refuses com-
pliance with this new deceit ; urging that> at the time of
the assassination, Ordonio bad told him he was beloved by
Teresa> and that lie was ignorant of her attachment to Alvar,
— nay ignorant who Alvar really was. A quarrel ensues, In
tlie course of wliich Ordonio learns that his brother (before his
supposed death) was informed that he was the planner of the
assassination. This circum&tance produces a design of bitter
revenge against Isidore: but it is now proposed that the
Moorish strangcTi (the unknown Alvar,) about whose cha-
racter much of mystery has appeared, shall be employed in this
stratagem on Teresa. An i ^ between the two brothers
tliercfore takes placci at a • -ii the mountains, in which
the elder ha", been concealed. After some delay, ar I
hnriH -rlirustsdircctcd by Alvar . against the conscienceoi U..:....^,
tl r learns the delightful secret tliat Teresa is not the
WiH' (M hi: brnther, and is -overjoyed to necelrt h\^r - 't
(whidi he M^l been obliged to iurreudcr in order tu *
9 U^l
. Coleridge*^ Rimorse^ a TragtJjf. %^
life) for the purpose of the intended deception: but neither
the plot) nor its object on Alvar's part, namely, the wish to
louse the conscience of hi;> brother, can excuse such cold-
blooded delay in the loyer^s recognition of his mistress \ smd
besides, there is something so strange, and at the same time to
ludicrous, in this incident of tnock^magic^ on which the whole
piece turns, that we cannot but consider it as a capital and in-
surmountable defect in the story.
Act iii. opens in the castle of I^rd Valdez, with the 80«
lemn mummery of soft music and invisible choristers, an altar^
and incense suddenly taking fire on it, &c. &c. In the midst
of the farce* instead of the picture of Teresa, (whose aversion
to the * unholy rite* saves her the pain of being present,) is cx-
bibited an illuminated representation of the scene of Alvar^s
supposed assassination. This, it <;cems, Alvar had executed
(for, opportunely y he is a limner,) during his banishment ; and
the conscience of the villain i aroused by this exhibition (which
we do not despair of seeing hereafter at the Royal Academy)
as keenly as th«u of the king by the play in Hamlet. The In-
quisitor and his attendants, however, break in on tlic scene of
sorcery, and hurry olY Alvar to the dungeon under the castle.
A scene succeeds between Valdez, Teresa, and Oruonio, which
calls forth btill more eloquently the compunction of the guilty
brotlicr.
The Ivth act introduces Isidore waiting for Ordonio in a
cavern among the rcwks \ where, after some dark and pregnant
interchanjje of words, in which Ordonio bodies forth their own
situation under a feiijjncd tale, (reminding us of Alvar's pre-
tended dream before *,) the wily villain assaults his a^cnt, and
attempts to destroy him. Isidore, although sumixioned by a
most * moving letter' to the interview, yet entertained some sus-
picions of Ordonio, and came ready armed : but he is disarmed
in their rencontre, and flies from his superior into the inner
part of the cavern. Plithcr Ordonio pursues him, but presently
returns, alone : exclaiming,
• I have hurl'd him down the chasm ! Treason for treason/
At first thought, and still more at first sight, this incident
commits some sin against poetical justice, and consequently we
are beginning to recoil from it : but ou a moment's considersr-
• We have througliout the play too much dreaming, and allusion
to dreams ; and wc are almost tempted to imagine that on some of
these occasions the author's will was suspended, (as 13 the case in
to owell on such airy
dreams,) and that he was mechanically forced
subjects by tome involuntary impulse.
tion.
I tion» w% acquiesce in it, as the probable though shocking teftdl
I of the situation of the desperate Ordooio.
Teresa now appears at the gate of the dungeon in which
Alvar \b confined. Valdez enters, and again vainly endeavours
to reconcile her to the love of Ordonio, Meanwhile, a peasant
brings him an alarming but unintelligible letter from his son,
. snd he haptens to unravel it. The scene changes to the « moun*
tains by moonlight,' and A Ihadra appears in her Moorisli dress.
She is shortly joined by a band of her countrymen, who are all
Ltager to revenge the death of Isidore, which Alhadra inhuming
, grief communicatee to them. She had followed her husband to
[ ^e cavern, and, looking down the chasm in its last recess, had
ieen his blood on tlie jutting rocks. They rush off, impatient
for revenge. — ^The whole of this scene strikes us as natural and
• tpirited.
Act V. discloses the interior of the dungeon, and Alrar
^ soliloquizing on his sad estate* Teresa enters ; a most beauti*
i ful scene follows j and their recognition is gradually and ten-
kderlv completed. Ordonio now appear?, with a poisoned goblet
in his hand : a very impressive dialogue takes place between
the brothers; and Ordonio at last, in an agony of horror,
discovers his much- injured Alvar. Juntas his shame, grief,
I pride, and * Remorse/ are mingling together into one wild
[distraction, Alhadra and her devoted Moors burst into the
^prison, and Ordonio dies by the hand of the wife of Isidore.—
[The rest may be imagined ^ Alvar and Teresa bend over the
f liody of their « guilty brother,'
We have thus analyzed the story of the play ; and in so
otng we liave anticipated some of our intended remarks on the
striking scenes, as well as offered the observations which
l^e promised on the conduct of the plot. It remains for us
call the attention of the reader, and ro recall that of the
cctator, to the more prominent beauties of the tragedy \ aiid
point out the contrast of character in the Dramatis Ferimm*
)escrjptions, of a high and unusual merit, occur in every ict.
\ detached passages, in which soiue common thought (or
some thought which we fancy is common, from its ac*
irleged force and general intelUgtbility,) is clothed tn its
language, we mean in the very best and most poetical, art
mlso numerous :
• Remone ii as the heut in wtiicfi tt growt :
If that be gentle, tt drops balmy' dews
Of true RepentAAtte i but if proud and ^loomf ,
It is i p(»isoQ-tn% thM» pierced to the inmoilt
Wf^cafyMrtofpoim V
TUi
ColefidgeV Riftmrsfi a TmgeJfy^ :§f
TiboB is well : but much that fpltow^ is better. Of Shakspeare
we are frequently reminded ; not by any paltry plagiansm^
but by bold and original inutatimf if we may be ^owed ^e
^fxpemxm. For instance,
I * My long captivity
Left me no choice : The very With too languiih'd
With the fond Hope that ourfi'd it i the tick babe
I>roop'<] at the bosom of its famiah'd mother.'—^
*< Thy WWJ& was father, Harry ! to that thmight"
Harrf the F&urthw
Botby periiaps, are conceits : but the copy is superior to thie
CflginaL Then, as a description %
* Jihar. As we paa«ed by, I bade thee mark the baset
Of yonder cliff —
* Zuiimt^* That nicky leat you meijif
Shaped by the billows I —
* Ahar, There Teresa met me,
The morning of the day of my departure.
We were alone : the pyrple hue of dawn
Fell from the kindlin? east aslant upon us.
And, blending with tne blushes on her cheek,
Suffut'd the tear-drops there with rosy light.
There seem'd a glory round us, and Teresa
The angel of the vision ! —
Hadst thou seen
How in each motion her most innocent soul
Beam'd forth and brighten'd, thou thyself would'st tell me.
Guilt 18 a thing impossible in her.
She must be innocent !'
The touching fancies of Teresa, in her description to Valdez
of the employment of her lone hours, occupied as they are
in sanguine dreams of the safety of his son *, display a very
powerful range over the wildest and least frequented lands of
poesj, in the mind of the writer : but these we must omit.
Alhadra's description of her miseries in prison, when first she
* Surely Miss Baillie must have seen (or must have dreamt of )
this trait in the character of Teresa. Her own " Aurora" is not a
more ardent picture of Hope ; and, in a pissage which follows, we
{mcy that we trace some resemblance to *' Orra." Is not this *^ith*
ferst'ttious fear ?*'
* — — Still a tale of spirits works upon her—
She is a lone enthusiast, sensitive.
Shivers, and caimot keep the tears in her eye : —
And such do love the marvellous too well
Not to believe it.'
G4
fsH
98
CoiefklgeV Retmrsi: a TrageJj^
fell under the censure of the Inqubidon, is equally forcible \
a different manner :
* Tireid* What might your crime be >
* Jilhnd* I was a Moreaco }
They cast me, then a young and fturwu^ motber.
Into a duJi^on of their prisjon house,
Whcijc was no bed, no iire, no ray of light,
No tonch, no sound of connfort I Tlie black air^
It was a toil lo br^atli^ it ! whf^n the dotjr,
glow op.ninE: al ibc appotntcd Hour, disclosed
One Intinan countenance, the Ln.p*^ red fliime
Cower'd as It cntcr'd, and at nr.cc sunk down.
Oh miscrnblt! I by that h^np to see
My infant cjuarriiUiii;^ with iht' coarse hard brrad
Brought daily : for Uie httle wretch wa* sickly —
LJMy rafje had dried away its natur »1 food.
|In dirkncsg 1 rctnaiu'd — the dull bell counting,
/^hich haply told mc, that the all-chc' ring auii
|^«iH rising on our garden. When I dt)/-ed,
ly infant's moanings mingled with my slumbers
Lnd waked me. — ^ If you wcr^ a mother, lady,
should scarce dare to tell you, tliat its noises
ind peevish cries so fretted on my brain,
That I have struck the iDnoccjit babe in anger/
We omit much that follows, of very curious obserration
Tcharacter, and of truly pathetic poetry- — If a due occasion
%rhc for the introduction of $uch a thought as^ the following^
fvbo will reject it?
« Time, as he courses onwards, still unrolU
The volume of concealment. In the FUTCRE,
As in the optician's glassy cyhnder.
The indistinguiihible blots and colors
Of the dim FAST collect and shape themsclvcsi
Upstarting In their own completed image.
To scare or to nrward.' —
Should we have doubted for a moment of the genuineness of
Tthe subjoined passage, had we found it even in a dQuhtJul work
K>f Shakjtpeare ?
^ Valdi^^ My Alvar lov^d sad music from a child*
f\ — * was lost ; and after weary search
'^ I htm in an open place in the wood,
7 Lt ivnicii spot lie had followed a blind hoy,
^ho breathM into a pipe of sycamore
strangely movinjif notes : and these, he said,
taught him in a drrTim* \^iw, we first saw
Jlrctch'd on \W. brc- : ath.bank :
^iid lower down p. p^
lii head upon the bhiia boy '5 dug. It plas'd mc
To mark bow Tie had fetten'd raiiDd the pipe
^ aiher toy his graridditi hiul ?atc giv^n Kinw
Methinka I ace him no^v a» be theiilookM^
Even io 1 — H^? had outgrown hut infant dress. *
Yet fitill he ware it*
' Alv* My tears must not Dow 1
I must uot gLi»p hia knees, a^td cry, My Father !'
Some of the morbid and atlieistlcal reflecuotis of Ordonif
are strongly expressed :
' Love ! love ! and then we hate 1 and what t and wheicibre i
Hatred and )ov« I Fancin; oppoa'd by fancin I
What ? if one rrptile sting another reptile ?
Where ib th-™ c; ifne ? The g<.Jod1y face of nature
Hath one di^tfeatunng ^izii^ the les» upon it.
Are we no: all pr^'d stin'd Tranaiencyj
And roli Dishonor ? Grant IE, thnt this hand
Nad given a morsel to the hungry worms
Somew*hat loo early — Where's the crime of thist
Thit ihlH mLst .L?eds bri,.g on the idiocy
Of mot^t-eycd Pei-ltenc? — 'lia like a dream !
* FM* Wild talk, my son \ But thy excess of feeling ■- .—
{avtriitt^ hmseifm
Alnriost, I fear, it hath uuhingM his hrs^m,
■ Qtd* {No/w in soiiio&uyt W n&'ut afidrftsing hii father ^ and
just after ihc jptrr/j has cemmencedf Teruia re-apptars
tt 'id itil'vatuis siotwfy^ )
Say, I liad lay'd a body in the bmu I
Well I in a month there a warm furth from the corse
A thuusand, nay, t^ni thousand s:?inieiit beinpfs
In place of that oae miin. — Say, I had iiV/V him I
(T'^r^sa starts f and it o^ iuttnlngm
Yet who fihall tell me, that each one and aU
Of these ten thousand liveii is not as Happy
Ai that one hf^» whiqh b Iiig pu^hM aside,
Made room lor these u.m umbered
* Fald^ O m . re madness !
(^Teresa moves hastily forisiards^ and placti herself direetij
he/ore Ordoniop}
(a
' Ord* \Checkmg ih/f Jelling of surprlxe^ and forcing hii tsnu hU§
an expressk
Teresa ? or the phaiJiom <
an expression ofpia^fulcourieijm^
i tif Teresa V
The direction*^ to the actors in this passage, and in manv
others, are too German ^m{ too miiiute : but, ^-ays the author
in the preface *, ' from the neccsijity of hastening the public
♦ Wc eannot avoid remarking the inaccurate compositioa of thii
preface, particularly ip, the £rit pag^f
catioa
^tp CbleridgeV Remorsi: a Tragedy.
cation I wzs obliged to send the manuscript intended for the
stage, which is the sole cause of the number of directions
printed tn Itafic$/ His gratitude to the performers is sureijr
oyercharged*
Isidore's description of the chasm, down whidi he is after-
ward hurled^ in the fourth act, is poeticali if not dramatic*
Whatever these expressions may be, they are living and
energetic :
* . My body bending forward, yea» o'erbalanced
Almost beyond recoil, on the dim brink.
Of a huge cha^m I slept. The shadowy mooDahinc,
Filling the Yoidf «o counterfeited substance,
That my foot hang aslant adown the edge/
Teresa^s contrast of Alvar and Ordonio, when she is
resisting their father's sollicitation for the latter, is a passage
which may modestly be compared with the comparison of
Hamlet's father and uncle :
* O that 1 had indeed the «orcerer*i power
I would call up before thine eyes the image
Of my betrothed Alvar, of thy First-bonx !
His own fair countenance, his kingly forehead,
Hia tender smiles, love's day>dawn on his lips I
That spiritual and almost heavenly light
In his commanding eye — his mien heroic.
Virtue's own native heraldry ! to man
Qenialf and pleasant to his guardian angeL
Whene'er he rladdenM, how the gladness spread
Wide round him I and when oft with sweUiug tears,
Flashed through by indignation, he bewaiFd
The wj-ongs of Belgium's martyrM patriots.
Oh, what a grief was there — for Joy to envy.
Or gaze upon enamour'd !
O my father I
Recal that morning when we knelt together,
And thou did* at bless our loves 1 0 even now,
Even now, my aire 1 to thy mind's eye present him
As at that moment he rose up before thee,
Stately, with beaming look ! Place, place beside him
Ordonio's dark perturbed countenance I
Then bid tne (Oh thou could'st not) bid me turn
From him, the joy, the triumph of our kind \
To take in exchangie that brooding mau, who never
Lifts up his eye from the earth, unkas to scowl.*
Her exclamation of melancholy joy, when reflecting on hct
past days of love, is not inferior :
* O Alvar < Alvar I that they could Tttwm
Those bleased days that imitated heaTen,
VThtm
I
^^1
CcderiJge'/ Rtmoru; a Tragedp
#«
Wlien we two wont to walk at etcn tide ;
When we saw nought but beauty j wheo we heard
The Toicc of that Almighty One who lof'd u«
In every gale that breatE'd, and wave that mnrmur'd S
O we have lincnM» even till high-wrought uleaiure
Hath half auumed the countenance of griet ,
And the deep ifgb ieem'd to heave up a weight
Of bhis, that preat'd too heav v on the heart«
And thit majcttic Moor» seems he nut one
Who oft and long communing with my Alvar
Hath drunk in kindred lustre from his presence,
And guides me to him with reflected light ?
What if in yon dark dungeon coward treachery
Be groping for him with envenomed poignard* —
Hence womanish fears, traitort to love and duty^
111 free him. [£'xiV Tercn/
Alvar*! reflections on the ill^judging conduct of men to*
wards their erring brethren, and his eulogy on the reforming
powers of Nature,
(* With other ministrations, thou, Oh, Nature !
Healest thy ivand'ring and distempered child,')
may perhaps remind our readers of the German sentimenta-
lity which was so fashionable a few years since ; and which,
among other sublime effusions, produced — ** Oh holy Nature!
thou dost never plead in vain !"^ — but such ebullitions of senti-
ment ought to be and are Ic58 offensive now \ and perhaps the
recoil of opinion, by which we have been led to despise and
laugh at every thing sentimental, requires check rather than
encouragement at present* When Orcionio offers the poisoned
cup to Alvar, the remark of the latter, by which he conveys
or rather hints his suspicions that the cup ts poisoned, appears
to us to be conceived and expressed in the last corruption
of taste :
• jflvar* Yon insect on the walU
Which moves, this way and that, its hundred limbsi
Were it a toy of mere mechanic craft,
It were an infinitely curious thing !
But it hat bfe, Ordonio 1 life, enjoyment 1
And by the power of its miraculous will
Wield* all the complex movementi of its frame
Unerringly to pleasurable Ends !
Saw I that insect on this goblet's brim
I would remove it with an anxious pity i
» Ordonio* What meanest thou ?
jUv. There's poifon in tlie wine,*
Alvai'i
I Coleridge*/ Remorse i a Ttdgff^f*
Alvar's reproof^ however, |o his half^reasoning and whoOf
[ sWndoncd brother^ i& most eloquent and instructive :
* What then art thou ? For slame, put up tby sword I
What boots a vreapon in ^ wkherM arm?
^J fix mine eye upon thee, and thou tren(iblcs.l !
1 1 speak, and fear and wonder crush thy rage,
[And turn it to a motionle&s dlfttraction J
FTliou blind self vvorshipper ! ihy pride, thy cunning.
r*rhy faith in universal viUarry,
[Thy shallow sophisms, thy pretended scorn
For all thy human brethren — out upou them !
I What have they done for thee ? have they givcu thee pcac
i Cur*d thee of starting hi thy sleep ? or m^de
1 The darkness pleasant when thou vrak'st at midnight I
\^Tt happy when alone ? Can'st walk by thyself
I With even step and quiet cheerfulneis ^
iTet, yet thou may'ist be gav^d > ■ -
* On/, (vaeaniij rt^eaiiftg the words*) Say'd X sav^d ?
* AH<> Ouc pang I
Could I call up one pang of true Remorse 1*
We conclude our extracts with the last speech of Alhadra ;
< I ibank thee, Heaven I thou hast ordain M it wisely*
That 9 till extremes bring their own cure. That point
fin misery, which makes the oppressed Man
F ssof his own life, makes him too
1 he Oppressor's — Knew I an hundred men
3 it not palsied by despair,
*i lid shake the Kingdomi of the World ;
*^ I » tuuudationscif iniquity
V kik away, eaitli groamug from beneath them ;
I The strong*holdii of the cruel men should fall,
^leir Temples and their mouutainous Towers should fall ;
~^'D£iotamn setm*J a beautiful thin^^
all that wea* and had the Spirit of Life,
[Sang a new song to her who had gotie forth.
Conquering and still to conquer.'
Our readers, wc think, will now be ready to join with us in
our approbation of the vigorous and animated ver&Ification of this
drama. It is indeed occat'ionally irregular and inharmonious, but
scarcely ever spiritless. The characters demand a more unquali-
fied panegyric. Alvar(withtheabovc-nj' * ' ^ofliis
^unnatural conduct a& a lover) is an .; of the
gentle, ardent, and generous cavalicri ! nature
itsdf, exposed to dangerous tempuiionj : ^ .^ .;... ,ii $QOie
" &f its raost striking varieties of weakne^ and strength* of good
^nd bad* Alhadra is Mcc / ' nire. Teresa, t% v 'or
confcs&cS| is imperfectly
Ji but still i$
94 Canning^/ Spachis^ mnd RoscoeV Rtvit^ &f them*
to lead CO an urgent petition to Parliament ; and tb€ Usut A
this and other petitions being a repeal of our Orders tn Cousctli
the oppaskioniiits in Liverpool flattered themselves with hiYiiiff
obtained a suQicient hold on their townsmen to carry the nomi-
nation of the two membera at the lare election* In iheir ar-
dent calculations, lyiweirer, they not only overlooked the weight
of the influence that would be exerted against them, and the
.stubborn adhere; jce of their adversaries to former feeiiD^Si
whether conn;5cteci or not with sound views of their own inte-
rest, but, by attempting to bring in both membersj they ei*
cited unusual activity against their design.
Mr* Brougham having been put up by the oppositionists, and
appearing to be highly acceptiible from his recent parliamentary
labours, the ministerialists found it necessary to look out for a
man of reputation as his rival i and they fixed, with considerable
address, on Mr* Canning, Not satisfied with carrying that
gentleman's election, they published, first in the news»papersj
2X1^^ afterward in the shape of a pamphlet, the admired ha^
rangucs with which he regaled his hearers from the hustinca.
In turning over these pages, we find little that differs from trie
common professions and declarations of an electioneering can*
didate : but they were managed, perhaps, with more than
common dexterity » and delivered with more than ordinary
eloquence.
Mr* C. took occasion to tell his friends (p>2S*) that the office
•of Secretary of State had been twice offered to him in the coarse
of the last six mon:hs. *« I declined o(Ece, gentlemen, not
because I was unwilling to render any services of which my
foor abilities were capable — not because 1 did not acknowledge
the gracious di.sposition of my Prince j but because, if accepted
I on such terms, it would not have enabled me to serve the pub*
ilic ^nth efficiency." A very cautious manner, this, of explain*
ing a refusal which is said to have proceeded from an expecta-
tion of taking, with Marquis Wei fesley, the lead in the cabinet,
.and from a determination not to come into office without it !*-«
However, amid all the^e effiisions and discloGures, Mr, Canning
sedulously avoided two topics: — ^his conduct towards Lord
jCaiitlereagh, and the difference with Mr. Perceval which led
'to his own resignation in autumn i U09.
JVIr. Roscoe, in his * Review,' enlarges chiefly on th^ perti*
laclty of tlie quondam mmister respecting the question of war*
Pf< Gentlemen,'^ said Mr. Canning, *« I have been the uoifonn
[supponcr of the war** — <* There is, in point of fact, no nec€«-
ary connection between the question of war and the question
^f scarcity" — ** Gentlemen, you must not attribute youf
lufierings to the misconduct of gOTcmmem^ — "Touraf*
2 flicdoaii
Canning'/ Spnchii^ and RoscoeV Review of them. j^j
fltctionSt gentlemen, are as unavoidable as a hurricane or a tor-
nado.'* These, and other exprct*sions equally extravagant, are
quoted and criticised at considerable length by Mr* Roscoe,
He exprei»!»es (p< 57-) great sarpriije that tlie inhabitants of Li-
verpool! Warrington, and Manchester, have bestowed applause
on such language i and he tal:c& (p. 47, 48.) great pains to demoru
strate the absurdity of the notion that uur trade can be eventually
benefited by an obstinate prosecution of hostilities* He does not,
however, like some other oppositionists, go so far as to charge Mr.
Canning with being cotiscious of the fallacy of the argument!
which he so gravely pronounced. The latter found their suspicion
on Mr. C/s declaration at the public dinner at Liverpool, that
" the price we should have to pay for peace would be the sur-
render of our maritime rights." He could not, we have heard
it said, fail to be aware that what are called maritime rights
are chiefly measures atlecting enemies, or neutrals *, and that, in
a state of peace, there is no such character as either enemy or
neutral. Accordingly, the discussion of maritime rights expires
at once with the cessation of hostilities ; and it would be futile
to make stipulations relative to them in a treaty, because such
stipulations could not be applicable to a state of peace, and
would certainly be disregarded on a renewal of w*ar. Bonaparte,
indeed, has chosen to make many vehement declaratbns on the
subject of maritime rights : but his allegations are known to be
frequently thrown out for the purpose of delusion j and on
turning to the Monitmr of January 1808, we find it expressly
admitted that the treatment of neutrals " needs form no stipu-
lation in a pacific arrangement^ being necessarily suspended
during peace, and liable to alteration on the renewal of
In another part of the pamphlet (p. 9. et seq\ Mr. Roscoe
examines Mr. Canning's views regarding parliamentary reform,
and seems astonished to find him little acquainted with
the history of our constitution. * I had been accustomed,' says
Mr. Roscoe, (p. 6*) * to consider him as having formed an im-
portant part of administration, and, if not the leader, as the
most effective person in a great political party. What then
w^is my surprise when I found, instead of extended views, the
most narrow and unaccountable prejudices ? Instead of grave
or sober remarks on points in which good men differ, and wise
men doubt, the most crude and inconsiderate notions.' Such,
we believe, is often the mortifying discovery, on a near ap.*
proach to those who shine forth to the multitude in ail the rays
of official splendor ; and that Mr. Roscoe should not long ago
I);ive had penetration enough to make such discoveries appears,
we confess, rather extraordinary: but we have no wish to
pursue
Monthly Catalogue, Poitry^ (sfc*
' jjuTsue the su^jject farther; and we should have hardly ac!verte<I to
it, were it not to be apprehended that the prudent and tem-
ticrate disposition, recently 'liscovervd by the majority of otir
esmen, may be rendered It*s« acceptable to tiie publ c by
[i-$ounding declamations in favour of war and vigour, on the
in of parliamentary candidates for popularity.
MONTHLY CATALOGUE,
For MAY, 1813.
POETRY, &C.
Jlrt* iz. J^arwlci CastU ; a Poem* EinbelUthed with Engraving*
fi-om Drawings by J. Roe, Wanvick. 410. pp* 47* 53. Long«
man and Co* 1 8 1 2,
** Ut p'tctura pocits^* would in »ome respects be a corrfct ;iccount
of this publication ; we m<-an, that the poet tind die laxidscape-
|>ai liter bavr with tolcrabli- exactness represented Warwick and Kc-
pel worth Castlefi ; and that tboft€ of our readers wlio have visited
tiieae cekbrated spots (furnrtJTig pcTbaps tbtf most striking contrait
f»f ruined ard of undccayLd beauty in arcliitecture, that our coiiniry
can exhibit,) will recogn»7.t the features of each with pkasun** Whik,
lowevtr, we praise tlir? dcsi^i of both anittfi, the cxeaition of iJicir
several representations is by no means so meritorious* In thr poetry^
indeed, we have many defects io notice. Throughout, H w::f*t»
tpirtti and too often harmony ; and the language is not no fsulllcst
W it should be in a short and easy effi>rt of verBificatioii* Let our
leaders form their own opinion from these specimens :
* Majeirtic ioweri I pafct I9 now the day.
When giant strength, and brut a! forCe bear sway,* Stc.
* No guards mount ramparts for drfcoce or atate,
£ttt one old PorUr keeps each Castle gate.* 6*
, • And now boid Fancy wild excursion triejt,
Spreads her i/road ^in^ 0/ CossameTf and ilicf
To other day*, when Kiu^ht with gallant air
By deed of arms did woo some Lady tair/ Ut» ti«
As the bard i« proceeding to a$o ii ^ '" *. Tower, Jn Wiirwfc
Caslle, he checki* his lofty flights ui a with Uic foilovsiuig
truly sensible remark :
< But dangerous now vagaries in the head.'
Apin, wlicn he frar« that his strain it loo moroac tnd onsocialt be
iuhjoins,
* But these «pe ^utrUj ef an ittmlifJ*
Tlie bcat'ties of Guy's Cliif dfser*'^ iJie profusion of epithet!
(namdy, * n.>mdntie, sweet, caK ' '- ^ -' ^ ' " M<jlj ^t^
author «howcrf 00 this gk^iicil n, ^^
«, CQUplcU
{
tBmtm^
m^
i
MoMTHLT CataloCUS, Poettjt (tte.
97
couplet. He taket so notice, however, of tlic fine ipecimeni o€
paintin^f {the works of a lamented son of the |)n>prietof,) whicb
adorn tlic interior of this sin^larly attractive man don. Leamington,
and ita lately increasing popularitj ai a wateritig-place, are not for-
gotten ; nor, indeed, any part of the more intereflting environf of
Warwick, — If a second edition of thia " Warwick Vade Mecwm*' ap«
peara, fct the author erase the following diitich :
* Leave me my cottage, competence, and verse,
I ask no more than to deserve no worsen
as well as the note about faith and good works.
Art. 13. The Pint Epistle of Ovid translated ; and Minor Poems.
8vo. 2s. T. Hamilton. 181 2.
This little pam.phlet (for it consists of only thirty-seven pages) is
dedicated to Capel Lofft, Esq., * the learned patron of literature.*
In the Preface, or rather the Advertisement prefixed to the poetry,
we are informed, * that the small portion of knowledge which the
author possesses has been acquired by sedulously improving those fir«
terstitial vacancies* {Dii honil What a phrase!) < which a lifey
spent in business or domestic concerns, has afforded.' This ominous
introduction is followed by a very adequate display of rhymes. What
motive can induce people to publish such verses as the subjoined ?
< To thee, Ulysses, slow to bless my sight.
Does thy Penelope this letter write ;
Yet not an answer with thine hand prepare.
But come and let thy lips thy fate declare.*
*' Hanc tua Penelope lento tihi mittit Ulysse ;
Nil mihi rescridas, attamen ipse veni,"
Enough of the * translation :' let us now refer for a moment to the
* Minor Poems.*
* Ode to Genius.
* Where dost thou. Genius, lofty pow*r !
Thine habitation hold ;
Below does thy high palace towV,
Built of terrestrial mould :
Or liv'st in upper regions bright.
Where never ebbs the tide of ligh
Or not confined to place
Through the immense of space.
Dost thou, excursive spirit ! take thy way ;
To the far distant worlds thv visit pay.
And of stupendous universe the extended bounds survey?'
Spirits, they say in the schools, are not in loco, but uhi. What-
Cfer tkey may mean by this, it is clear, according to the present
writer, that spirits may ** pay visits** any where ; and consequently,
we presume, they may be at home to a select party on any occasion,
imever their home may be, through * the extended bounds rfstum
tmdmi mmverte* Tnuy, this is very sorry stuff.
taw. May» 1813. H Art
MoMTHLT Catalogue, Paetrj^ i^c
Alt. 14. Ommlana ; a Didactic Poemt in seTcral Letters on llie
late improved mode of Study, and examination for Degrees in the
University of Oxford, By a Cambridge Master of Arts. 8to.
pp. 98* 68, sewed- Bickerstaff, 1812.
From the aukvvard and barbarous language of this unconnected
rhapsody* we expected, as we toiled along, tnat we should discover
the false pretension i of the author to any personal kuowlege of the
Universities which he severally represent! and reproves ; but alas 1
he really seems to be a son of Alma Mater ^ from his acquaintance
with her formi and discipline, as she presides over each of these injti-
tuttons. Whether Cambridge has to suffer by his claim of relation*
iliip, or whether in fact he be an unworthy Oxonian, we are at t
loss to decide. However this may be,
•* Grania luum renuitf Khedyclna refu^U alumnum*^
Not only is he a gross offender in expression^ but his versiiicition is
more incorrect than any which in these musical days it is usual to
tncounter. A few extracts from any part of the book will lufficicntJy
•ooiirm our censure :
• Redolent of duty, on religion's plan,
They know to vindicate God's wap to man»
Not so to vindicate what burning zeal
Gives by abstracted faith weak minds to feel|
When laden by their sins they bode no (tmrf
Since visionary saints their prospects cheer*
And Jesus, hand in hand, and cheek by jo wit
Pours drops of brandy into sinner's soul ;
Thus spirit -renovated, they exhale
Crude eructations^ indigested, stale.
Endorsed prcdestinators, by their head
Calvin i no sleeping partner in the trade*
First of the^mi, on enlarged pnndple
To Faith their ipcculative profits tsdl*
And dividends propoae of twelve per ceoLv
From new tinology^t repo«Vry sent*
Meek saints. 1 tbe gilt of bitterness not pasC«
In tc«th of rtfrthattt damnaUou cast»
Save those by evangelical controul,
Tho' flenlily Justs still war against tbe tdiiL
All stn>ng in faith, gtvt drubbing to the devU^
Arch*demon him, the ortgio of <W.'
The ensiiini^ line it as accurate in gTimzaar« a* the wliok of tk
siiove passage IS elegant in design and executioii i
* And must oiir youth with faculties bt/t^mM f
It ffodd be endless to eiiultatmte iiich oBoKxa* « Ncm if il^ il^ do^^
^c, ^7^ a»d *9Tgvmmim. 'aec., gj^ttre «i«prittH.— Tlie o«lf iateiwi.
f p«m <if tise pandUet itr tk mottoes (o dk sritnl letter
lesonctcdtt sanselc^gth htm TlMiiiiaoo«Co«per, flee ftc Ammg
' ^ ^ 1 gTi«wttkildsfideiidct !• wUcb we hs^ illoded, the
articfo
Monthly CiiT^LOGUE} PoetrjM iAv 99
aitJclc U omitted throughout | * a wondering age' ts called wondering
iM, Jwd * an attentive bo)*,' attentive bciy^ &c. without mercy,
Walter Scott may be ao permitted to trespass occasionally : but is it
tolerable Tanta d'nsmtkm^ &c. ?
Art. 15* FitT^^Otx/anne; a Ballad of the Welah Border, In Three
Cantoi. With other Rhymes, legendary, incidental, and hu-
Diourouft. By John F, M. Dovastun, A.M. iimo. pp. 286*
Tt. Boards* Longman and Co. 181 a.
The ballad of Fitz-Gwarine is by far the be«t in this colKction,
mod contains some pleasing imagery and poetical touches, altliough
tbey are disfigured by a want of pohsh and correctness in the verse.^
The humorout poemt, however, are far from commendable; ^nd
the author's talents must be aided by time and study, if he aspires to
thetitle of a poet : though we question whether, in any case, his com-
positions would rise above mediocrity, or repay him for neglecting
the more solid pursuits to which he aeems to be professionally
devoted*
Art, 16. T&e NohU Foundling; or, the Hermit of the Tweed, a
Tragedy, in Five Acts. By Thomas Trotter, M.D. 8vo. 4s.
JLongman an d C o, 1 8 1 2 .
' The Noble Foundhng' contains many poetical passages, and
••me entire Bccnea which are sufEciently dramatic. * On revisiting
Tweedaide,* says Dr. Trotter, * after many years of absence in the
•errice of my country, early feelings naturally recurred to my re-
membrance, and gave birth to the following drama/ It is partly
founded on a border- tale relating to Hahbie Ker of Cesaford, and
comprizes the old story of an usurper, and of a rightful heir who
is at last restored to his property. Some of the characters, especially
those of the hero and the heroine, are well conceived and supported:
but httlc that is new occurs in any part of the tragedy. We are
continually reminded of Douglas, and generally to the disadvantage of
the present performance, though sometimes we think that it will bear
the comparison, — We omit the speeches of Albert and of Orlando
id the second act, as both inferior to their original :
' Alberts My name is Albert ; and unknown to fame
On Yarrow's banks my clod-built cottage stands, 3cc-
• Orlando^ A small estate, enough for frugal times.
On Lccder^s banks was mj paternal seat,' &c,
butf in point of flowing and unlaboured versification, we do not con*
cave that the subjoined passage would have done any discredit to the
tragic poet of Scotland, Matilda and Oswald, the heroine and
hero, are converamg previously to Oswald's departure for the wars.
The speech of the Lady is certainly too long, and too artificial : but,
waiting th^se objections, we must commend the passage.
• MaHida, Can heaven approve this murdVous waste of being t —
Above all creatures man is most a savage —
*Tif man, inhuman man, whose trade is war :
Thii givw creation's face the gloom of mourning j
Ha ABd
1
too
Monthly CatalogtjEi Poeiry^ ^t.
And clothes his mother earth iti robes of sable •^
Guilty pre-eminence ! —
* Oswald. Pity, the <3ear prerogative of woman ;
The gift that made her beautiea more divine,
Wakes io thy breaat an cxcets of compassion —
* Mat* Oh 1 how I pray that heaven would yet depute.
Some meek forgiving spirit to be umpire —
I plead not to offend the soldier's ears^ —
Oswald is all absorb M in camps and arms ;
And the first trumpet that shall sound the charge,
Shall stifle all Matilda^s cries and fears —
' Osw* Not abseDce, nor the thousand toils of war,
Shall ever raze thy image from my breast —
While camps contain me, thou shall charm my thought! i
Thy smiles shall shield me from each hostile arm —
When vict'ry opens, thou shalt be the prize ;
And all my life be 8 wee ten 'd with thy love.
* Mat, But should the fate of battle e'er hang doubtful :
Ah ! think while pent in some sequester* d turret,
I, with my female friends must feed on tears i
And sadly ask each passenger the news —
O ! say how shall I bear the dire suspense ?
* Oi'w* Let but Matilda's bosom cease to fear ;
Fortune will yet be faithful to our wishes.
* Mat. And in aome hour more luckless than the rest ;
And anxious as we trim the midnight lamp.
Or pensive wait the slow approach of morn ;
The fearful message stuns our trembling ears,
That all is lost ! — how shall we hear the tidings ? —
Or where for succour will the helpless run ? —
And, as the Trojan dames, their town on lire.
Made every fane to echo with their shrieks %
Shall we, on lovers, husbands, brothers, call —
Then frantic hasten to the field of battle.
Where not yet cold the bleeding soldier lies —
How shall we stoop to view eacn mangl'd warrior t
Wash from their pallid cheeks the crimson stains,
To Icam the features of the form we lov'd'^
Amidst this dread and agonizing scene :
When boisterous grief has reach 'd supreme distraction |
Thy more than wretched, lost, forlorn Matilda ;
Shsul raving seek thy p^c and bloated corse —
With Oswald's name drown every dying groan :
And to thy dear remains convulsive cling - —
Till this frail heart shall bur at — those pulses stop ^
And woe itself forget to utter more —
Oh ! — iSmtoons into Oswalttt atmi*)
* Oiw* Help — bring help, Matilda sinks away—*
We must notice, at we pass, the faulty liae —
c Wakei in thy bretit an excess of compassion |'-«-
I
MpHTHLT Catalogoe, Poetry^ btc.
and we must censure the ^tnBast of
* When boist'roua gnef i)a$ rpach'tl supreme diitiaction s'
but, on die whole, the dtaloga^^ 4uiff]y, 19 creditable as a piec«^ of
poetry. We »elect a companion tq*ttjih a different manner^ It is the
soliloquy of the master-viUaint wbei^lirieels his foitu&es beginoiDg to
totter under him : " / '■
* The hour approaches that must try my eooHjge:
And tell the present age and future timei * ** ^»'
How Ceiflford liv'd — - and how he chose to die— -^ «
True* I have been ambitious — what of that — *' ,• ' *'
There is a sneers in the game of life ; '•-•'*•*■-
Which if I have not earn'd — I have deaerv*d it —
Ko puling eounseU sway'd my daring passiona %
No cries of conscience tam'd their bold career j ' %•* ^
Or brought my soul to sue a mean repentance — ' **
What pujiy minds de ii^nate guilt and fraud ;
The vaulting spirit calls the road to greatness-^
Then what is fame if not the way I wish it I
'TIS but a sound made to decoy the fool :
The bait which pi^dants use to litre the boy \
And bend the future mauhuud tu their craft-—
The sturdy moralist who musters ages ;
To cull the polish'd system of his laws :
He brings not forth a purer code than mine ;
Still must he scourge with iron, or rule with bloods-
. There be among us in these latter days,
Men who can whine ; and give you tears like girls—
Their nature is too faint at sight of blood :
And catch the megrim when you speak of wounds — -
An hundred such would make you half a soldier :
So much the rogues are traitors to their species —
Were I agrain to pace this round of life ;
I would not trust those weeping fools an hour ;
Whose wat'ry hearts so quickly flood their nostrils —
Had I thus chosen friends of sterner stuff:
Whose breasts are steel'd against these melting humours ;
This day had never witness'd Cessford's fall :
Or knaves in smiles been scoffers of his fortune.'
After these specimens, we roust acknowlege that we are siurprued
to meet with too many instances of carelessness or want of judgment ^
like the following :
< Since the business of life is to die ;
O how hard is the lot of the brave ;
The knave, and the coward, and traitor »— Oh lye !
Are secure of a shroud and a grave.'
This is part of a songf intitled * The Forlorn Hope.* — How could
the author describe his physician so ludicrously as to spoil the whole
effect of his imitation of the scene in Macbeth > or what right has Sir
Walter Ker to object to the Doctor's fine and farfetched expressions^
when he answers him as follows I —
^3 «He
tfh
MoNTHLT Catalogue, Novell.
I
• He asks not for thy jargon but thy 'aid —
If in thy fharmacopoly thou hast ^ ^rfl^.
Or in the codex of thy numerous Jeii't/iiais
A charm is known that can lm\hy^T curbt
Go bring it forth, thou sh&Il;^ well requited,
* Physician, 1 will. : \^ * (Exit Physician*)*
: . * • *'
;•/*:*• KoyELS.
Art, 1 7, Tht^Heaff and the Fancy : or^ KaUinore* A Taic» Bf~
Miss Bengcr* . 1 zmo. 2 Vols, i is. Boards. Lonrmaa and Co.
I Mt»9 ^pn^r may be said to be a wnter of no ordinary dasSf onor
her worli contains beautiful sentiments, and flashcB of real genioi.
[ l^ftVf of the characters are new ; the narrative of Cornelius is ircry
LttQiUiing ; and the whole promises to charm the heart and captivate
nhc/anty of many readers. Yet the fair author sometime* mulctpUet
I incidents till she confuses the story ; and she speaks too often in ibe
I present tense^as, * he still lees her,* for he still saw her, 5c c*, which,
[ In narrative, is inelegant. As, however, we find so much to com*
1 xnend in this novel, wc hope to discover no room for ceasure in aivy
P future productions of the same pen.
Art, 18. The Wife; or Caroline Herbert. By the late Author of
*» The Exemplary Mother.'* (Mrs. Cooper.) i2mo. 2 Vols.
los. Bourda. Bee ket and Porter. 1813.
This is not only a moral but a religious tale ; written with timpU^
eity, and offering an example of virtue which may be useful and io-
eresting to many of our fair readers ; particularly such as are specu-
_ ftting on matrimony- — We may recommend it, therefore, not only to
those who habitually peruse novels, but to others who may be dis-
posed to amuse an hour or two with a work by which they cannot
be injured, and may be benefited, if they please.
Art. 19. Traits of Nature* By Miss^umey. Author of Claren*
tine, Gcraldiiie Fauconberg, kc* umo. 5 Voli. iL iq%.
Boards. (2d. Edition, 4 Vols.) Colbunit
X*andscape*paintcrs and novel-writers take the same liberty wttk
Nature ; Uiey do not copy her in massff but select and combine
her n;o?t sinking features, in order to hcigirten interest and to augment
pleasure. W th a ct>mplcte kitowlege of aU the sccreti of her art, Miis
iJurney hah strewed ihf patJi, along which she has conducted her hero
;ind heroine, with a &ii gular variety of incidents ; and if some of the
coiitri\ .nces and surprises arc rather dramatic than natural, she would
perhaps, excuse hurfeflf to the critic, by saying that her undertaking
rtciuiied htr to avoid all tamenr ss, and to produce a strong effect. A
fertile mvciiiion, adtxteiity of management, and a flueiicy of *!tylc, are
manifct.' in these volrjmefii Occasionally, however. Miss B. is a lit tic too
neghy^ent m her cxpr ssions, and betrays a fondness for hard wrn ••«
but tl table is hleucl^d with excellent moral lesions j and, wImIl \Ut
n.ind is amused, it is aleo improved.
We have before remarked that, together with family •talents, we
difccru a fajuily-Iikeaeit in thii lady's productioot ; aod the same tde« 1
excite
MONTWLT ClTltOGO*, Politw.
">3
tveifed by the vo!umrs before us. la particular, the heroine » Adela*
ftnkri us as bearing 2 resemblance to Eveiina^ in character aticl
muation.
POLITICS.
Art* ao. Sur U SyUeme Centmeniah ei tur tei Rapport i avie h
SucJe* 8vo. pp* 91. Londres. 1813.
Art, 21, Th^ Continental System t and iff Relathm ^Uh Sweden p
^ Tranthted from the French. 8vo. pp.102, p* 6d» Stockdale,
jun. 1S15.
Although this pamphlet has been advertised in our news-paperi at
tbe work of the celebrated Madame de Stael Hoi stein, the name of
that philosophic bdy i^ not inserted in the title-page ; but the compo-
sttjon of the tract h such, on the score of ingenuity at least, as would
prove no discredit to her. The firiit part oT it consists of a summary
▼iew of the principal events which have taken place in Europe, since
the rupture of the peace of Amiens ; in which the writer attempts no
description of battles, and scarcely relates the occurrences of cam-
oaigns, but the political plans of Bonaparte are very luccessfully de*
lineated. To grant peace on moderate terms has been his policy at
•evmd times, on the calculation that it was never safe to push an ad-
versary to despair ; and a government replaced, after great misfor-
tunea, in any thing like a tolerable situation, is likely to consent to
I almost any sacriiice which does not involve its overthrow. In the
case both of Austria and Prussia, we have seen Bonaparte reserve his
richest harvest of acquisition for the season of peace. — After having
dwelt some time on the narrative-part of the subject, the autJior pro-
ceeds to dehneate what is or rather was called fe jytteme continenial }
in other words, *' the general exclusion of English mercliandisc from
the ports of the Continent." The coneequcnces of such a course, to
any country that adopts it, are represented to be the ruin of foreign
trade, and additional burdens in the shape of taxation in order to
supply the new deficiency of revenue. In that style of exaggeration
which detracts materially from the merit of this publication, and
brings it down to the level of a party-pamphlet, this system is farther
represented as * estranging armies from their country, and as causing
the overthrow of all constitutional forms.*
Towards the conclusion of the tract, the author enters on a Av^
cussion of the course which, under existing circumstances, it would
be most advantageous and honourable for Sweden to pursue. It was
jnbnner days a diplomatic adage in the North, that ** France was the
[ iaHifll ally of Sweden :'* but, says this writer, ^ we have no longer
the tame rrance, the same Sweden, or the same Europe, France
formerly gave subsidies j now she exacts tribute. Her po&ition, in
ether days, was distant from Sweden ; now she is close to her, and
tserdjea a direct controul over Denmark.' — These considergtiont
aee followed by an ardent ealogium on Bemadotte. * His country^'
•ays this writer, * was defended by him in her most difficult limes ;
aiMi wherever he has marched, the inhabitants have blessed his endea*
iOart to mitigate the horrors of war.' In pursuance of this encomi*
■itk ftytf, and as a contrast to the conduct of Bonaparte, an anecdote
H 4 it
I04
Monthly Catalogue, Politics.
h told (jp* ^i.) of Bemadotte'fl conduct towardi the unfortunate
IDuke d'Engbien, which h^is been copied into tnoa^t of our newg-paperSf
and in the same medium has been contradicted, apparently byja
French emigrant, who assert 8 that the Duke was not at Paris, nor
absent from hie regiment, at the period in question. If this counter
statement be authentic, it in course militates against the accuracy and
respectability of the pamphlet.
The question of co-operation on the part of Sweden with England
is next examined, and decided, as our readers may anticipate, m the
alErmative. The cession of Gwadaloupe to Sweden is represented as
a desirable equivalent for a participation in the war with France ; and
wc tee with, regret that a similar course of reasoning is pursued with
respect to the acquisition of Norway : to which, at present, the mea-
lurcs of Bernadotte seem to be actually directed.
On the whole, this is evidently a kind of manifesto in support of
the conduct of Bernadotte, and of his claims to the confidence of the
Swedish people. The chief recommendation of the pamphlet is a
considerable compass of philosophical reflection ; and its great draw-
back is the want of due allowances on the other side of the question.
Bonaparte's violent and odious tyranny is repeatedly brought for*
warda, without any accompanying admission that the revoking part of
his character has produced a general detestation of iiim, and has
rendered him incomparably less dangc rous than he would otherwise
have been, to the independence of foreign countries. — The translation
into Enghsli, published here nearly at the same time with the French
copy, is evidently a hasty composition.
Art. 22* Constderaiiont on PoUfical (Economy* 8vo. pp. 21.
Printed by Bulmer, London. 1S13.
Tius little tract consists less of a series of reasoning than of a list
of propo&i lions, on the subject of political oeconomy ; and the writer
mppeara to have had in view the diffusion of the more prominent truths
of the science, rather than the enunciation of new doctrines. The fol*
lowing are examples of his mode of composition :
* The value of every thing consists in its use ; the use of every
thing" in consumption. Con sumption is the realization of value. — AU
that we grow or manufacture would be of no value, did we not use
and consume it. Yet the idea of consuming is too often combined
with that of poverty, the idea of riches with hoarding ; though the
first tends to increase, the latter to check production ; for there can
be no inducement to raise what is not to be enjoyed* — The wealth <»f
England consists in increased production, called forth and upheld by
increased consumption. The consumption of England is greater
than that of every other country, and of course its production-'
* The division of labour, by increasing the sum or *itock of ItbotiTi
tends to lessen its price. The invention of, and imprnvemcou in
machinery, aud every thing that lessens the necessity of labour, leseeof
its price,
* On the other hand, what makes labour scarce, raises its price :
thua the employment of men as soldiers and sailors by government > of
servants in families, by lessening the sum of labour for other pur*
poses, rai^a its price and improves its situation.. It has been coo-
ls sidered
Vu
J
MoNTULT Catalogue, Religmt.
fS
policy to check at much as possible any rise m the pnce of
a few polota, such a$ the principles of taxation, (p. i8,) the
I author ventures to state novel views of a aubject. He disapproves of
all t^%t^^ such as those on windows, which check the trade of glais
and glaziers, aud limit our enjoyment of light. Even coaches and
otlier pleasure -carriages should, according to him, be free from public
burdens ; both on account of their convenience, and to avoid dia-
Icouraging the branches of manufacture which are required for their
cofistructJon,_ His plan \f onld be to make revenue arise more directly
from the income of the individual: avoiding to tax consumption except
in cases in which, as in the instance of spiritous liquors, health is
concerned ; or in which policy requires the discouragement of a
foreign article. — Whatever may be thought of this reasoning, the
tract, as for as it is explanatory, is intitlcd to approbation ; the
•cicncc of political ccconomy being unfortunately too little undcr-
* stood.
RELIGIOUS.
Art,25. Who farci hesty ihe Christian or thr Man of the World?
or, the advantages of a Life of real Piety compared with a Life of
real Dissipiition. By Colonel (now Major-General) Burn of the
Royal Marines, Author of *• The Christian Officer's complete Ar-
mour,*' &c. 3d Edition. i2mo* 2s. 6d. Boards* Mathews
and Leigh,
A dialogue between Horatio and Eugenio, in which the latter illus-
trates, in a very easy and familiar way, the truth of St. Paul's doc-
trine, that '* Godhness is protitable for all things, having thejbromue
tfthc life that now <V, as well as of that which is to come.'* That the
man, whose mind is imbued with the true religious principle, ha* more
genuine pleasure than worldly dissipation can afford, is a maxim ac-
knowleged by all the wise; and Col. Bum's little book is valuable in
as much as it is calculated to impreis this sentiment on the generality
of readers : but we think that he is liable to the charge of incorrect
and extravagant representation, when he describes * the true believer
as having every thing his own way,* The pious man, from a steady
persuasion pf the w i^dom and goodness of Divine Providence, checr-
fttUy submits to the will of God : but it is a perversion of ideas to
ny that • he has every thing his own way ;' for this implies that he has
something to do with the appointment of things^ or, to use Col. Burn*8
fynftiliar but not allowable expression, that his will < is sweetly mingled
nilh the wiU of God.' The Deity wills, and the creature acquiesces.
Cot B. expresses his meaning better subsequently, when he says,
'All Christians give up their vviUs to God*' Indeed, he afterward
ohaenres that • God does not always give his children what they ask ;•
a rsnark which wiU not agree with the preceding assertion that they
kivr esftry thing their own way, Wc take notice of tliis part of the
Hithof 's picture of the advantages of religion, because glaring incon*
suSaide* ought not to appear in a popular work. — Eugenio triumphs
, bthe argument: but Horatio, like Fehic, defers the full considcra-
Cba of t£e important subject to a mast conveaient ssason. Eugenio
is fcry CalTiJUsUc.
M isc&L-
to6
MoMTHLT CiTiLOCUE, Miscfllane$us*
MISCELLANEOUS*
Art, 24. PreUnnons to a final Analysts of the Nature anJ Orsgut
tt/SubHmlt^t Stylff Beau/yt Genius^ and Taste ; with an Appen-
dix, explaioing the Causes of the Pleasure which U derived utdri
Tragedy. By the Rev, B. Barrett- 8vo. pp. 175* boards.
Murray. 181 2.
If our readers consider this title-page to a «)liiiiie of 175 pagei«
they will rightly conclude that some at leaat of the subjects liicre
mentioned cannot be very thorougldy analyzed j and that ihcy are
here presented with little more than a rapid and auperBcial sketch of
this interesting field of inquiry. Mr. Barrett begins with a brief ac-
count of the several theories of Longinus, Blair* and Burke, con-
cerning the source of the sublime ; and he successfully exposes the
weak points of Burke's argument, by pointing out many sublime
objects which excite no terror in the beholder. He is not so happy
in his endeavour to shew the want of comprehensiveness in Blair's
doctrine ; and we are still inclined to think that the notion of power
t« inseparably connected with the sublime. Mr. Barrett's own theory
Is nearly that of Longinus himself. * Sublimity in writing is thai
quality which imparts to it an air of command,* (P. 25.) Mr*B. trans-
lates the term |AtyaXai;j5;iat by the phrase ' a sort of iommand.* Blair
and Boileau had rendered it by "n noble pride.*' The difference is
merely nominal in our apprehension ; and we should be glad to learn
from Mr. Barrett, how he would separate his air of command from
the consciousness of * fo^er^ or from * a nohle pride ?* Wc think
that he is equally indistinct in his remarks on sublimity in objectSt
considered separately from their sublimity in description ; and we
cannot approve of his receipts for atlaimng luhlimity^ which he ima^
gines are wanting to supply a defect in the treatise of Longinui.
Still we would not be understood to deny the praise of considerable
reading and reiection to Mr. Barrett ; and we recommend aU lovert
of these abstract meditations to peruse his volume* The latter part
of the book we estimate the most highly j and we are pleased to see
the tribute of just applause which the author bestows oq the philo-
iophical acumen of St, Augustine.
Art* 2 J. The Druid ; a Series of Miscellaneous Essays, 8vo*
pp. 256, Printed at Glasgow, 1812.
An instructive and entertaining miscellany is here presetted to ui«
The essays, indecdj are of very various degrees of merit ; all of them,
perhaps, bear more or less the marks of hasty composition, or at least
of youthful and imperfect taste ; and the grammatical errors are too
numerous : but much know lege is scattered throughout. An uniform
vein of good feeling pervades the volume ; and we think tliat few
readers, ctipeciaUy of the younger class of students, can rise uniin*
proved or u nam used from the company of The Druid*
No. I. *The Seer of Glen-Myvyr, a Tale,' in the mamacr of
Ossianj was as little adapted to our taste as any paper in the coHec*
tion ; and indeed we regarded it as a very inauspicious beginning.
The short common-place in No, 3. * On the transitory Nature of
Wealtli and Graadeur, exemplihed by the Fate of Dgn Emanuel de
13 Souxa/
I
MoN^BLT CATALOCUt, Mucillanttms.
pleaaed u« much Iw^ttcr. The ttanxas descriptive of the
ing, in No. 5, * Oo Early Rising,' do not pottees sufficient
laa^c to induce us to quit our beds a moment sooner than it our
CUitom. No. 4. * The Heir of Strath gartney, a metrical Tale,* con.
tains much attractive matter for the lovers of the genuine limplicity
which is to be found only in the Neiu-oIJ-^al/ad-^tyle i but we have
repeatedly lamented our inability to appreciate^ and consequent un-
worthiness to enjoy, such melodious musings. No. 5* ' £ valine ; or
the pcmicioui Effects of too much Induljgence to Children,' it a good
moral story, but rather too hackneyed in incident, and not half «o
impressive m the denouement (though more gentle* perchance,) as the
** Modem Griselda." In No. 6. we have • A Biographical Sketch
of the Life and Character of Hamlet Prince of Denmark,* which
adds some interesting particulars from Saxo Grammaticus to our im*
mortal Shakspcare's story ; and No, 7. gives a very full account of
the noxious winds, called the Simoom, Kamsin, Harmattan, Sa-
micl, and Sirocco. The versification of the 34th and 35th chapters
of Isaiah, in the Sth number, we cannot commend ; and the * Deli-
neation of Humour,* in the 9th, has nothmg particular to distinguish
it. The * Definition of Courage* in the loth is rather prosing:
but • Eugene and Caroline' in tne iilh number is a very touching
little story. — We can specify only a few of the remaining papers.
The essay ' On the Rites of Buddha' is worth reading j as containing
a sufficient abstract of the information to be found in longer accounts
of the Ceylonesc Messiah. The paper on * Tulipomania' is very cu-
rious ; and the explanation of that most singular species of gambling,
which prevailed in Holland, principally in the years 1634, 5, 6, 7,
will serve, as the author suggests, for a popular illuslration of the
mjiitry of stock -jobbing. Number jo. * On the moral Effects of
GOoUltipL&ting the Heavens,* is a \'ery pious and philosophical essay.
W« MC happy, therefore, to be able to give a very good reportt on
die whole, of The Druids
Art. a6. An Esty m Mindt and its moral Education. Crown 8vo.
4s. Doards. Longman and Co. 181 2. «
Considerable information is conveyed in this small volume, relating
to the laws which regulate the connection between mind and matter,
or, more properly speaking, between mental and bodily phienomeua*
The author does not pretend to much originahty ; but he has selected,
arranged, and abridged the remarks of some well-known writers on
ihete interesting topics. We have indeed, at times, reason to com-
plaiii of a want of precision in his language ; and brief as this com-
pendHim of philosophy is, wc must censure an occasional superfluity
of statement- The tautology of the first sentence, for example, has
too many parallels : * Arrogaace and a contentious disposition, en-
geodering animosity, will be found, on inquiry, to be the common
source* oT disturbance to the peace and harmony of mankind,' kc, &c.
Scfcnl of the detached reflections are worthy of quotation, from the
iBimier in which old thoughts arc reproduced. We shall cite one of
tbeie ** old friends with new faces.''
'Cm
lo8
Monthly Catalogub, MhcelUtmus*
< On the Atsociation of Idcoi**
• Every one knows the effect and durability of earl)' and ab»fli
associations ; as those of fear with darkness, and disgwst with
beautiful objects of the reptile kind. Habits of thinking an4 aclinj
also hold the mind in a thraldom as potent as has been conceived
the spells of magic* Many species of vice and debauchery are _
fisted in from habit, even when the gratilication derived from them
confessedly little, and the destruction attendant on them eri'
certain.* (P. 14.)
Sometimes, good and sound observations are mingled with t
weak and untenable positions. For instance, what can be more
distinct and confused than the definitions of reajomnj^t and of juJgi
wenff (i. e.ju(ig'tttg) in the following passage; or more iinphilosophJ
than referring the production of wit to the same origin with that
the two acts or two modifications of one act of mind just mentioned
Yet the definition of wt itself, and of humour as contradistingtiithi
from wrV, is surely ingenious, and partly if not entirely satisfactory^
Let us attend to both the sentences. * The mind has the po'wer
holding in review a series of perceptions or ideas, ^nA judging of thi
similanty, discordance, or other relative qualities ; and this act of r
mind may, in its operation, be called reasoning ; and in its conclusi
judgment (i.e. judging.) By this ponver we are also enabled to p
ceive those comhtnatlons of similitudes which we call wit ; and thi
stubhorn dissonances of things combined^ or those resemhlancei of
tordant things^ which we call humour/ We are referred, in the no1
to Addison s papers in the Spectator for an account of wit ; and „
FieldiJig's preface to Joseph Andrews for an account of humour,
We would add a reference to an essay by Congreve, for the benefit of
our readers ; and for the benefit of the author we would recommi
him carefully to reconsider JjOcke's celebrated distinction betw<
wit and judgment, — We are on the whole well pleased with tl
manual of metaphysics.
Art. 27. Nor^ Sinter : Translations from the Popular Liieratui
of the Chinese. By the Rev. Robert Morrison, Protestant Mil-
sio nary at Canton. Bvo, pp» 71. 3s, Boards. Black and Pany*
Every authentic account of the state of Chinese knowlege (if
a phrase be admissible) has not only proved it to be stationaryt
to have continued so for a long series of year% but has also ah*
that it stopped in the first instance at a very low degree of &dvan<
mcnt. The magnified antiquity and the studious sefi-conceahnent
that extraordinary people are unerring proofs of their ignorance ;
it is curious to observe, after their undue exaltation by earlier
more credulous travellers, how much in late years •' a plain tale has
put them down.'^ Their scientific attainments have ended as a lablr»
or have sunken as to real substance into nothing ; and in their reltgiouSt
moral, and legislative codes, we discover the folly without tbe in-
nocence of chUdren. In a word, a nation nviihout any sense ofkentsur
is a phscnomenon which can only excite our compassion, when our
disgust is surmounted. Excepting great dexterity in some mecha-
nical arts, what is the amount of their acquisitions ?
Thm
it of
1
MoHTHLT CaTALOGUEi MisctilattiOUI*
10 f
Tittle ipedmens of the popular literature of the Chineie fully ccwi*
firni, mid admirably illustrate, the late accounts which we have re*
cehrcd of their manners, customs, and character* The translator is
m iiKMit rcapectable and useful man^ indefatigably employed on a task
^wllicll we would not willingly regard as hopeless, however slow must
fcc its success % namely, the diffusion of the Gospel over that populous
country, by means of a correct version of the Scriptures into the native
laa^uage. He has published the Acts of the Apostles from a Roman
Catholic version, improved by his owu careful revision ; and subse-
qucBtly the Gospel of St, Luke> the fruit of his own labour. In
the Bsune cautious manner, and constantly availing himself of the aid
of a learned Chinese whom he has retained, he is advancing to the
remaining books of the New Testament.
The preface proceeds to inform us that the Directors of the Mis-
sionary Society guarantee the genuineness of the specimens of
Chinese literature which are exhibited in these translations. The
first is * The Three-character Classic ; on the Utihty and Honours of
I-eaming ;' in the original, " San-tsi-King ;'* which is the first of four
small tracts that are put into the hands of children in China, and
it is childish enough most assuredly. The second is ' The Great
Science/ "Ta-Hio;" which is more solemn, but equally empty.
The third is the account of • Foe ;' an unintelligible rhapsody in
Mfttt and ID parts excessively foolish. As a specimeo, we select
the following short passage :
* It is written in the book Pu-yeUf tliat Fot was born of the royal
fiunily Chm-IL He exhibited great wisdom and splendour j and was
■Uislrst in every place. Wherever he sat crossJegged, the eartli
produced the golden iun flower. He walked seven steps to the east^
west, iK>rth and south ; with the iinger of his right hand he pointed
lc» heaven ; with that of his left he pomted to the ^rth» and speaking
with the voice of a lion, said, " Above, below, and all around there
is none more honourable than L** He was born on the 8th day, of
the fourth moon, of the 24th year, of the reign of King Chao ; dur-
ing the dynasty CkeuJ*
The remaining « Translations' are equally unmeaning, or uselesSf
for any purpose but that of shewing the literary character of the
people who can jidmire them ; and in perfect silliness %ve know
nothing equal to the * Discourse dehorting from eating Beef, delivered
under the Person of an Ox,' Yet the influence of this ox is so great in
Chna, that perhaps one in twenty persons (some say one in ten) will
■ot eat beef*
Art* i8. The Letters of the British Spy* timo, pp. 215. Printed
at Baltimore in America ; and reprinted for Sharpe and Hailes^
London. l8u. Price 5s. 6d. Boards.
These Letters obtained a very rapid and extensive popularity in
America, where they first appeared in a daily paper, and afterward ran
through four editions in their present state,, The last edition, from
which this reprint is made, was taken from a copy which had gore
through the hands of the author, and was, consequently, revised and
e^rrected^ * Common fame,' the publisher informs us, • has decided
the wofk to be the fruit of ao American pen :' but it is written in
the
110
Monthly CATAtoc^Ei-MhcfUanmtdi*
^
m
thBd]
the character of a young Englishman of rank ; who is sappoicd tm
correipond with a member or the British Parliaincnt, during a louf
through the United Sutes in the year 1803*
The subjects of the letter! are very varioui. Topographyp clia«,
racter, literature, politics, geology, &c. &c., pas* in swift and suc<
cessive review under the author** observation. The style possesacf i
liveliness, and a force, which fix the attention ; Uiough the first oc-
cawonally degenemtet into flippancy, and the last swells into bombast.
— When we lately reviewed a work from the United States •, w«^ hail
the pleasure of being able to congratulate that country on the _
honours of its literature ; and the present composition, although
titute of the humour which embellished its precursor, posses:
firmer and a higher tone ; but alas I the sanguine hope which we then
expressed, that mutual conciliation would heal the unhappy differ-
ences bclwceti the two moat naturally allied countries in the woHdf
has ended in bitter disappointment. This is not the place, howcrer,
to dp more tlian to lament the painful warfare in which we art
engaged ; and to pray most fervently for its speedy termination*
Perhaps an extract from * The British Spy* will be the best mode
of conveying an idea of its style, if not of its general merits ; and we
are sure that it will he laore amusing thin any criticisms which w»
could offer on these letters- The author is making some remarks on
eloquence, and on the peculiar characters of several American orators;
and he has just been adverting to Bacon's fanciful thought '* that ii ii
agreaMe to naiuref that there thauld be tome trammiti'mnt and oftrm*
tiont from spirit to spirit Without the mediation of the senses »** \ He
then proceeds, after an allusion to the story of the depression of
Anth^ny^s spiiit in the presence of Caesar^ with his own obaem-
ttons :
* Yet if there be not lomctliing of this secret intercourse frota
spirit to spirit r how does it happen that one speaker shall gradually
invade and bemimb all the faculties of my soul as if I were handling a
torpedo ; while another shall awaken and arouze me, like the clangor
of the martial trumpet ? How does it happen that the first shall in-
fuse his poor spirit into my system, lethargize my native intellects,
and bring down my powers exactly to the level of his own ? or that
the last shall descend upon me like an angel of light, breathe new
energies into my frame, dilate my soul with hit own mteOigcnce, exalt
me into a new and nobler region of thought ; snatch me from the
earth at pleasure, and wrap me to the seventh heaven ^ And, what
is still more wonderful, how does it happen that these different effects
endure so long after the agency of the speaker has ceased ; insomachf
that if I sit down to any intellectual exercise, after hstening to the
first speaker, my performance shall be unworthy even of me» and the
numb-fish visible and tangible in every sentence ? whereas, if I enter
♦ The collection of Essays intitled ** Salmagundi ;" See our
kvthVol, RS., P.41S.
f Animal magnetism (not to mention other enthusiastie impoituresY
must have taken iti riic or rather gained its success from some lucn
ftotion as this.
MOKTHLT CaTALOGVB^ MiseillaftiQut.
lit
I
«eti the same aTnasement, after having attended to the last- mentioned
orator, I shall be astonished at the elevation and vigour of my o«m
thoughts ; and if I meet, accidentally, with the same production, a
iDOtitn or two afterwards, when my mind has lost the inspiration, shall
•carcely recognise it for my own work !
« Whence is all this ? To me it would seem that it must proceed
cither from the subtile commerce between the spirits of men, which
Lord Verulam notices, and which enables the speaker, thereby, to
identily hb hearer with himself ; or else that the mind of man po$-
iCiaetf independently of any volition •n the part of its proprietor, a
ipede« of pupillary faculty of dilating and contracting itself, in pro-
povtian to the pencil of the rays of light which the speaker throws
upon it ; which dilatation or contraction, as in the case of the eye,
cannot be immediately and abruptly altered.
* Whatcvor may be the solution, the fact, I think, is certainly as I
have stated it : and it is remarkable that the tame effect is produced,
though perhaps in a less degree, by perusing books into which dif-
ferent degrees of spirit and genius have been infused. I am ac>
quaiuted with a gentleman who never sits down to a composition,
wherein he wishes to shine, without previously reading, with intense
application, half a dozen pages of his favourite Bolingbroke, Hav-
ing taken the character and impulse of that writer's nund, he declaret
that he feels his pen to flow with a spirit not his own ; and that, if
in the course of his work, his powers begin to languish, he finds it
eaay to revive and charge them afresh from the same never-failing
source.
* If these things be not visionary, it becomes important to a maDf
For a new reason, what books he reads, and what company he keeps;
since, according to Lord Verulam*s notion, an influx of the spirits of
others may change the native character of his heart and understanding
before he is aware of it ; or, according to the other suggestion, he
may so habitually contract the pupil of his mind as to be disqualified
for the comprehension of a great subject, and fit only for microscopic
observations. Whereas by keeping the company, and reading the
works of men of magnanimity and genius only, he may receive their
quatitiea by subtile transmission, and, eventually, get the eye, the
Ardour, and the enterprise of an eagle.
* But whither am I wandering ? Permit me to return. Admit-
ting the correctness of the principles formerly roeotioned, it would
teem to be a fair conclusion, that whenever an orator wishes to know
what effect he has wrought on his audience, he should coolly and
conscientiously propound to himself this question* Have I myself^
throughout my oration, felt those clear and cogent convictions of
judgment, and that pure and exalted fire of the soul, with which I
wisbed to inspire others \ For, he may rely on it, that be can no
more impart (or to use Bacon's word, transmit^ convictions and sen-
tttions which ne himself has not, at the time, sincerely felt, than he
can convey a clear title to property in which he himself has no title.*
In taking leave of * The British Spy,* we must assure our readeri
thgit evecy letter contains something worth their perusal* Several
^peofic rnlts io espreima occuTi besides the more general defect!
lit
ComHESPONOBNCE.
to which we have alluded : but we shall pass them over, only warning
those who are unacquainted with the precipe value of Signor Recu*
pero^i and Mr. Brydone's testimonies concerning the lavas of Mouot
^taa, that some degree of caution will be necessary in theii aJmis*
lion of all that is here quoted from those authors.
SINGLE SERMON.
Art. 29* Christianky an inttUeciual aud indi^tiiual Rdlgm
delivered in Reushaw-street, L»iverpool| October lo. iBiij ifl a
Chapel opened on that Day for the Worship of the One uDdivided
God* By John Grundy. 8vo. lu Eaton.
Taking for his text Romans, xiv. 4, 5., the preacher erects the
three following propositions on that passage ; i tt, that Chni^jiinity
addresses itself to the understanding ; 2dly« that it is an individud
concern, having no connection with worldly policy; 3dly, that an ex-
plicit avowal, by each individual, of the result of his inquiry, will be
acceptable to Almighty God, Each of these points is argued with
ability* Mr. G. contends that • no man, rn strict propriety, can be
•aid to beheve what he does not understand ;' and to the instances
usually adduced in proof of tlie contrary position, he replies in a
manner which shews that he is able to distinguish correctly: without
which faculty, sound reasoning cannot be prosecuted.
Correspondence.
Wc would very readily comply with the request of W. F., who
dates from Bethnal House, but wc know no more now of the publi*
cation to which he refers than the child unh&rn^ to use a homely simile^
— Our * library^ must be as large as Westminster Abbey, to contain
all the publications which come into our hands in a long senes of
years, according to our Correspondent's supposition.
It does not appear, by our records, that the second part of the
tract mentioned in the letter from Saltcoats has ever reached u«.
From a particular circumstance, we have not been able to notice,
in this month's Number, the work wWch is the subject of a recent
r letter from Mr. B. of the Temple ; but wc hope to attend to it in
[ 'our next Review.
Notice.
The Appendix to Vol LXX. of the M. R. is published with this
Number, and consists as usual of a number of articW in ForkigN
Literature, with the 77//r, lnd^:t^ ^c, for the Volume. Any of
> our country -readers, who do not receive it with this Review, will
f please to observe that the two Numbers should be forwarded together ;
I »nd that, if they are not, the faijlt hes with the book;K;ller, or in the
I omisfion of an order for that purpose.
"%c^
THE
|MONTHLY REVIEW,
I For J U N E, 1813.
W COI
■ Ur
w
L jf Sehcthn 6f Irish Mthdltt / with Symphonies and Ac*
companimeuts, by Sir John Stpvenson, Mus, Doc, and Characi
terisuc Word* by Thomas Moore, Esq. Folio* Four Num*
bcTS* 15s, each. Power, London and Dublin,
[^E feel convinced that all our poetical readers ^'^ tJiank U8
for stepping rather out of the strict line of our dutVi
in pursuing the lyrical bard of Ireland to the piano forte.
When a collection of national airs is accompanied by a number
of equally national songs, it surely is not the musician or the
musical amateur alone who is interested in such a publication ;
but every lover of song, and every lover of his country, mus|
exult at hearing the melodies of antient minstrels rescued from
the degrading association of unworthy poetry, and consecrated
anew to courage, to love, and to patriotism, by strains of a
higher mood. Delighted as we have been while listening to
the softer muse and music of the present author, a feeling
of unmixed and deeper satisfaction has been excited by
cfae more noble and more manly display of genius which
if now before us. It is not only that portion of his readers
who were ever disposed to look indulgently on his youthful
errors, whom Mr, Moore has here farther conciliated ; in his
own words, otherwise applied, * he has won the wise, who
frown'd before, to smile at last :' but wc cannot give a clearer
qrinore concise view of his objects in this work, than by quot*
ing an extract from his letter to Sir John Stevenson, printed by
the publisher of the Irish Melodies, Mr, Moore thus expresses
himself on the design then in agitation ;
«< I feel very anxious that a work of this kind shoufd be under*
lakes. We have loo long neglected the only talent for which our
English neighbour^ ever deigaed tp allow ua any credit ^. Our
national
♦ Thia is a little too querulous j and indeed, much as wc are di«f
fiOfcd to allow the justice of the accusations of Ireland against Eng^
nnd in ^n«nd, we roust fttill think that this author is often too
Wd in lui tone of complaint. Can such a (one produce the de^ire4
SeUcthn ^ Irish Melodia*
f
I
national muiic hai never been properly collected • ; and while the
compoaera of the continent have enriched their Operas and Sonatas
with melodies borrowed from Ireland, very often without even the
honesty of acknowlegemcnt, we have left these treisureg in a CTeal
degree unclaimed and fu^itivt* Thus our airs, like too many of our
countrymen, for want of protection at home, have passed mto tbe
service of foreigners. But we are come, I hope, to a better period
both of politics and music ; and how much they are connected, in
Ireland at least, appears too plainly in the tone of sorrow aiid depres-
sion which characterizes most of our early iongi* — The task which
you propose to me of adapting words to these airs is by no meaoi
easy. The poet, who would follow the various sentiments whicb
they express, must feel and understand that rapid fluctuation of
spirits^ that unaccountable mixture of gloom and levity, which com-
p>08ea the character of my countrjTnen, and has deeply tinged their
music- Even in their liveliest strains we find some melancholy note
intrude, some minor third, or flat seventh, which throws its shade ai
it passes, and makes even mirth interesting, — If Burns had been an
Irishman, (and I would willingly give up all our claims upon Osaian
for him,) his heart would have been proud of such music j and his
genius would have made it imraortaL
** Another difficulty (which however is purely mechanical) arises
Xrom the irregular structure of mapy of those airs, and the lawless
kind of metre which it will in consequence be necessary to adapt to
them. In these instances the poet must write, not to the eye, but to
the car ; and must be content to have his verses of that description
which Cicero mentions — ** Qnos it cantu spoiiaverist nuda rtmatulni
oratio.^' — That beautiful air " The Twisting of the Rope,'* which
has all the romantic character of the Swiss Ram des Fachtx^ is one of
those wild and sentimental rakes which it will not be very easy to tk
down in sober wedlock witii poetry f* However, notwithstanding
all these difficuhiei, and the very Httle talent which I can bring to
surmount them, the design appears to me so truly national, that 1
shall feel much pleasure in givmg it all the assistance in my power/*
We have only to add lo this extract another short quotation
from the * Prefatory Letter to the Marchioness of D — / in order
to put the general reader in full possession of the author's own
estimate of the task which he has undertaken. To those who
conciliation ? At the tame time, we are anxious not to be incltided
in the number of those who condemn the popular feeling of the work.
On the contrary, at Mr. M* admirably contends, it is addptsed to
the higher orders of society ; and their patriotism may bear a littk
excitement without any mischief* Rev\
<« ♦ The writer forgot, when he made this assertion, that the public
are indebted to Mr, Bunting for a very valuable collection of Irish
music ; and that the patriotic genius of Miss Owen son hat been
employed on some of our finest airs,"
f The author afterward confesses that these observatioQt on the
•faaracter of the m m i^uestion w«re hattily advanced.
irt
SeUctim of Irish Mehdiif.
*S
rested in musical history, this * Prefatory Letter* will
afford considerable instruction and amusement. ' We shall be
contented to observe that Mr. M. professes the more common,
and surely the sounder, opinion of those, who do not carry the
aatiqtiity of the Irish music (tliat is, of its finest and most
popular airs) much beyond « the last disgraceful century,' as he
expresses himself : but, assuredly, he means the last but one*
* Those w^ild and melancholy strains,' he continues, * were at
once the offspring and the solace of grief, and were applied to the
mind, as music was formerly to the body, Decantare hca Dulm^
iia** • In the subjoined passages, will be seen the extreme ardour
and cnlliusiasm which inspired the poet in his musical rtverief^
for we cannot help thinking that a part at least of his eulogium
on the " Irish Melodies** deserves that title. Still, the very
fancy which he here displays fitted him the more thoroughly
for his attractive labour ; and the result has been proportionably
mccessful :
* It has often bcrn remarked, and often er felt, that our music is the
trueitof aU comments upon our history* The tone of defiance, suc-
ceeded by the languor of despondency — a burst of turbulence dying
away into softness — ^.the sorrows of one moment lost in the levity of
the next — and all that romantic mixture of mirth and sadness f, which
it naturally produced by the efforts of a lively temperament to shak^
off, or forget, the wrongs which lie upon it ; such are the features of
eur history and character which we find strongly and faithfuMy re*
fleeted io our music \ and there are many airs which, I think, it is
difficult to hsten to, without recalling some period or event, to <a/hkh
thtir exfrriiion leems peculiar iy apphcahit. Sometimes, when the
•train is open and spirited, yet shaded here and there by a mournful
recollection, we can fancy that we behold the brave alliea of Mon-
trose marching to the aid of the royal cause, notwithstanding all the
perfidy of Charles and his ministers, and remembering just enough of
past sufferings to enhance the generosity of their ^regent sacrifice.
The plaintive melodies of Cardan uke ua back to the times in which
he lived ; when our poor countrymen were driven to worship their
God in caves, or to quit for ever the land of their birth (like tha
bird that abaodoos the nest which human touch has violated} \ and
• We call the attention of our readers, particularly, to a confess
iion which Mr, M* now makes, ' that few of the Irish airs, of a
tivili%e4 defCTiption, can lay claim to quiie to anc'*ent a date as Mr,
Piiikcrtofi nllowi to the Scotch,* viz. the end of the lixtecnth ccn-
tiiry, Thii confessioa will add force to what we shall presently
remark.
f Thit description of Hibcmiat i«xpwr* y»x*«-«<r«, beautiful as it if,
would surely be more intelligibly deduce from poetical thao from
amiGil trioeace. Ren*
Il6
Sehctioft of Irish AfehJiej*
in many a song do we hear the last farewell of tbe ejcile* minting
regret for the ties which he leaves at home with sanguine expecta-
tions of the honours that await him abroad — such honours as were
won on the field of Fontenoy, where the valour of Irish Catholics
turned the fortune of the day in favour of the Frencht and extorted
from George the Second that memorable exclamation, •* Cursed be
the laws which deprive me of such subjects I*' '
Having thus prepared our readers for the mixture of politici
and poetry which we arc about to lay before them, we shall
•elect some of the worrls of the songs, and subjoin a few
obfervations on their lyrical and musical character.
First, we must observe how greatly superior the pathetir
and melancholy ^songs are to those of a livelier description:
we mean in point of poetry : as to thehr music, we shall find
occasion to make a remark of a different tendency- We do
not even except those in which spirit and tenderness are united.
Pure pathos seems to be this author*s forte, < Go whtre Glory
waits thet /* and * Oh hrtathe not his Name^ are good specimens
of this manner m the first number : but our decided favourites
are the two which we transcribe, and which cannot be muti-
lated without being destroyed. We therefore present the wbolf
to our readers.
I.
* When he who adores thee has left but the name
Of his fault and his sorrows behind ^
Oh ! say* wilt thou weep when they darken the Hfsm-
Of a life that for thee was resignM ?
Yes, weep ! and however my foes may condemn,
Thy tears shall efface their decree j
For heav*n can witness, tho' guilty to them,
I have been but too faithful to thee !
< With thee were the dreams of my earliest love,
Ev'ry thought of my reason was thine : —
In my fast humble pray'r to the Spirit above
Thy name shall be mingled with mine \
Oh \ hlessM are the lovers and friends who shall live
The days of thy glory to see ;
But the next dearest bleesiJig that Heaven can give
Is the pride of thus dying for thee !* ♦
* These words, the author says, allude to a story in an old Iriil
MS- However thi» may he, they have that double appUcation to
patriotic and to personal attachment which h so touchingiln many t£
these poem8« To a weaken private feelings of affection, at the same
time that we inspirit the love of our country, is an effect which it iv»
quires no common genius to produce, bu^ Mr* M. producet it it
pleaiure.
«7fc
Sdectien (^ Irish Mtlodlii* 117
' The Harp that once through Tar^^s Halls* succeeds to this
mournful effusion, and 13 an adaptation of new words to
«« Gramachref^^^ as beautiful in their kind as Sheridan's « Had
I a Henri for Falsehood fratrC d*^ — * Flj not ye^ is as lively and
interesting as it is unexceptionable in point of moral design^
although it may offend the prudish ear by some warm ex-
pressions ; and * Oh ! thhik not my Spirits are always as lighf
IIS enchanting. Pursuant, however, to the plan which our
limits impose on us, of selecting only the compositions in
which Mr, Moore has touched a chord of unmixed tenderness,
we shall turn to still more moving strains. < Jho' the last
Glimpse of Erin* (•* Air, CouFm,'*) is of this description; but
the following song again possesses the species of merit for
which we are seekmg, in the highest degree :
I
H ' As a beam o'er the face of the waters may glow,
^^ While the tide runs in darkness and coldness below,
^^^B So the cheek may be tinged with a warm tunny smile,
^^H Tho' the cold heart to ruin runs darkly the while.
■ I
* One fatal remembrancet one sorrow that throws
Its bleak shade alike o'er our joys and our woes.
To which life nothing darker or brighter can bring.
For which joy has no balm, and amiction no sting : «-
• Oh ! this thought in the midst of enjoyment will stay ;
Like a dead leafless branch in the summer's bright ray,
The beams of the warm sun play round it in vain —
It may smile in his light, but it blooms not again T
In the second number of the first volume, we have two
more songs of our chosen kind, and we shall quote them both.
The first is set to the air already mentioned, ** The Twisting of
the Rcpe.'*
1.
* How dear to me the hour when daylight diei.
And sun-beams melt along the silent sea ;
For then sweet dreams of other days arise,
And mem'ry breathes her vesper sigh to thee !
r Aod, as I watch the line of light that plays
Along the smooth wave towr'd the burning West,
1 long to tread that golden path of rays»
And thiidL 'twould lead to some bright isle of rest.'
I 3 Tbi
1 1 8 Sflecthn of Irish Mehdi$s,
The second song is adapted to that simple and touching itr»
'* My Lodging is on the cold Ground**
* Believe me if all thote endearing young channtp
Which I gaze on so fondly to day,
"Were to change hy to morrow, and Beet in my trmi
Like fairy -gifts, fading away —
Thou would' St still be ador*d as this moment thou art.
Let thy loveliness fade a& it will ;
And around the dear ruin each wish of my heart
Would entwine itaclf ycrdantJy still.
2.
< It is not while heauty and youtb are thine ownf
And thy chceki unprofan'd by a tear,
That the fervour and faith of a soul can be knows
To which lime will but make thee more dear, —
Oh 1 the heart that baa truly lovM never forgets,
But as truly loves on to the close ;
As the sun-flower turns on her god when ke sets
The same look which she turnM when he rose/
In this number are many gay and spirited productions, from
which we may select a few lines as specimens of their style,
before we conclude.
No. I. of the second volume offers nothing that is exactly
worthy of association with tlie foregoing selections in iheir
peculiar manner i although many stanzas are scattered
throughout, which possess exquisite effect where they are in-
serted, and some will hear detachment from their context. A
few of these we shall offer to oyr readers at the end of our
critique.
Number 4. contains also some bold and animating verses \
especially the song intitled < Avenging and bright h the swift '
Sword cf Erin f and several lines in * The Princ/s Day / • but '
our attention is rivet ted by one of the sweetest little balhds, 1
wild as it is, which we ever read, called * Lovers Toung Dnam! \
* Oh I the days are gone, when beauty bright
My heart's chain wove ;
When my dream of life from morn till night
Was love, still love I
New hope may bloom ;
And days may come
Of milder, calmer beam,
• We should not omit to mention * She is far from the Land*
In this number, as another instance of the union of lo?e and patriotiia
to which we have alluded.
But
J
Sfticthft if Irish Mtl<dm^
But there'« nothing half so sweet in life
As love*« youHg dream ,
Oh \ there'* nothing half so sweet in life
As love's young dxeam !
'XX9
Tho' the bard to purer fame may soar
When wild youth*« past j
♦* Tho* he win the wise, who frown 'd before,
To smile at last,'*
He'll never meet
A joy so sweet
In all his noon of fkmei
As when first he sung to woman's ear
His soul-felt flame,
And, at every close, she biuih'd to heir
The one lov'd name t
S-
* Oh ! that hallo w'd form is ne'er forgot
Which first love traced f
Still it lingering hmunts the greenest spot
On memory's waste !
'Twas odour fled
As soon as shed,
*Twas Morning's winged dream I
*Twas a light that ne'er can shine again
On life's dull stream !
Oh ! 'twas light that ne'er can shine again
On life's dull stream.'
This is language that speaks to every heart* TATiere, we
would ask, is the antienc classical trifle remaining, that comes
so thoroughly " home to our business and our bosom?" If .
any where, it must be sought m the Greek anthology : for, %%
to Horace, the tenderest (in a few^ passages) of the Latin painters
of cvery-day life and feeling, he has nothing approaching to
this individual, reality of regret \ and all tlie glow and softness
of Tibullus are suddenly restrained and rendered of none effect
by bestial degradation. Ovid, indeed, in his inimitable
« Trisiiai^ {in its kind far the most perfect of his works,)
breathed the true strain of personal affliction. Still we cannot
think, with all these allowances, that the antient poets had
half the tendeme^s, half the love, and other noble feelings, that
even the inferior minstrel of modem and $f Chrutian times has
often manifested.
The musical part of this very popular publication forms so
important an object in it, that we should not discharge our
duty to OUT readers without making some remarki on its merits,
I 4 although
116 Sileulon of Irish Mitddiis*
althougli perhaps It is a subject not strictly adapted lo literary
criticism. We are aware, too, that in this instance the taste
of the public is so decidedly pledged in favour of the " Me-
lodies," that a critic would stand litrle chance of an unbiassed
hearing. However, we are not disposed materially to dis;ient
from the favourable opinion which has been generally formed,
and we therefore offer our remarks with the more confidence
and satisfaction, ^ — The airs, it is well known, are selected from
those which have been, or at least are supposed to have
been, in use in Ireland for so long a period of time as to
have become nationalized in that country. We express our-
selves cautiously on this subject, because we could have
Wished that the work had been accompanied with some good
reasons for the allowance of the cl.jms of these airs to na-
tionality f and in sundry instances we entertain doubt on the
validity of these clainos. Many of them, indeed, are known to
have been originally composed by Irish bards : others bring
thcrhselves home by their subjects and circumstances, names
of pbces, &c. &c. Ali the remainder, where the authors i *
them are not known, ought to be shewn to bear such mark
of peculiarity of style as are sufficient to naturalize them : but
the difficulty of executing such a task must be very great; and
we do not wonder that the editor has shrunk from it. Many
of the airs are so similar to tcknowleged Scotch airs, that we
cannot distinguish them •• Others seem to have so little
peculiarity, that they may have been produced in England*
Italy, or elsewhere. The Irish and Scotch have often been
competitors j and we fear that they will hardly agree in the
sctthmenti of their airs, any more than in those of their saints,
heroes, and poets* In so large a collection as the present, it
will naturally be expected that some of the airs should possctfH
More merit and more clearly admissible claims to nationalit^l
than bthers : but, at the same time, that all of them will exhibit
fiomething in common with each other, to give them a sort of
family resemblance, — * quaih decst issi s&rarunu -^This last cir-
cumstance constitutes the principal ground of objection to all
similar collections of national airs. In Scotch tunes, we hate
a perpetual recurrence of something which reminds the hearer
that they were originally adapted to the drone of the bagpipe i
while in Welsh melodies, and in those of Ireland, we have a
l^pid succession of notes, a redundant fullness in the bars and
♦ Wben the author talka of the Scotch stealing the Irish airt,
AS well as the Irish saints, while He offers no specific proof of the
former assertion, the story of Dempster " the Saiat- Stealer,** fec«»
tious as it i», pfcves uotiung.
phiises, I
-El
SetiCiim of Irtjb MiloiHeu
121
pbrtses, and (if we do not offencl) a sort of jingle which
immediately refers their origin to tlie harp; an instrument noc
adapted ro the display of any prolonged modulation^ nor capable
of any uwell *, or what the Italians call '' jGsiitiuto" — It will
perhaps be said chat this is an erroneous view of the matter,
because popular airs (which were songs in their first origin)
^ould have been formed on the capability of the voice, and
not with reference to any instrument : but, although this re-
mark may at first sight seem to carry weight with ir, the fjct
is that all these airs, though composed for the voice, must
have been the production of musicians whose ideas hud been
derived from the music of the harp, or were considerably
tinctured by its peculiarities j and we are convincei! that any
person, who will peruse these airs without prejudice, wJl find
that the observation which we have made on them Is corrtct.
It would be in vain, therefore, to look for that pathos which
the music of Italy, or even of our own country in its antient
dayi* can produce ; and which eminently ch-iracterizes the
best of the Scotch airs. The pathos of those airs in the present
collection, which are to be considered as pathetic, arises from
different sources ; and we are far from s.jying that they are
not calculated to produce their effect : but they certainly are
not, in gemrai^ among the best specimens in the coliectionf.
The Ihrelier airs have a charm which is entirely peculiar, and
are as superior to the Scotch tunes of that kind as the Scotch
aira of the pathetic kind are superior to those of the Irish. As
some collateral support of these remarks, it may be observed
that all, or much the greater portion, of the airs to which the
Scotch oppose the claims of the Irish are of a melancholy and
pathetic nature*
The composition of these tunes is marked by some additional
peculiarities to which we shall briefly advert. A great portioR
of boldness and origin4lity prevails in some of the mudulatiotis:
but^ on the whole, they do not afford much scope for musical
• We are awire of the modem improvements id this instrument j
and we anticipate still greater perfection from the ingeouily of
M. DxtA I but t9mt truth, we fear, must always be found in our
ofa|ection.
f Tl^ following nine airs are the principal of those which can
W nuirked as decidedly pathetic* out of the whole fortv-eight.
U CmUn* a* Gramaihree. 3. Beltfve me mthm alL 4* Sit is far
fnmihiand. ^, Banh of Banna, t* Dtrmoit* 7. Silent^ Oh!
M^jfle* $* When he wic> adore* ihet* 9. I sa^ thy form. The
5th and 9th have be^cn generally dasied as Scotch air» ; and the 3d
we believe to be EngUsh.
criticism.
Irtll Setecihn &f Irish MeMhs*
criticism* At page 35. of the third part, is an air of rather is
extraordinary character. It is in triple time, marked three-
eights and the air runs in phrases of Jive bars each, the ca-
dence falling on every fifth bar. The effect of this may be
learnt at once from the measure of the poetry. For example ;
* Through grief and through danger thy smile hath cheer'd
my way.* ^
We have seen some modern fanciful music, in which this qum*
fuple style has been adopted, both for the phrases and for the
bars : but we have not before observed It in any old music
The bases and arrangement of the music appear, in out
humble opinion, to be executed in a correct and appropriate
Btyle by Sir John Stevenson 1 but we must be permitted sin*
cerely to wish that he had stopped here. His Symphonies, wi
think) do not by any means manifest equal judgment. They
arc too frequently in a style that ill accords with the ain
which they are to precede or follow ; and which seems rather
characterized by a desire of giving opportunities to performen
to display their powers of execution, than by a just apprecia-
tion of the purpose which they are to answer as attendants on
the principal air or melody f . We must also be allowed to
declare our entire disapprobation of a practice now grown
very common in the musical world, of " harmonizing," as it is
called, tunes which have become popular as single airs. It
appears to be supposed tliat, by this novel species of compc*
• A better instance could not be lelected from these Tolumcf, to
•hew the justice of Mr. M.'s comparison of auch numbers (quoted
above) to the verses which Cicero mentions. They indeed want
music.
+ In the « Prefatory Letter,' Mr. Moore notices the practice
which is not uncotnmon in these ain, and in other music of a simiUr
detcriptionf of coueecutive fifths* This practice is well known to be
contrary to a general rule of composilion : but, althoiigh we cannot
concede to Mr. M. any positive beauty in such a succession, we arc
by no means disposed to deny that the occasional introduction of it pro-
duces that pkasing effect which always results lirom the judicious
employment of a licence, or the use of a discord. The rules of
composition are generally founded in nature j and this (as Rousaeau*
we belieTe, discovered,) arose from the imp-osBibility of conducting
harmony f if the parts could proceed in dilferent modulations or keys
at the same time ; which must be the effect of a continued succetsioii
of fifths ; but this is certainly not the necessary consequence of one
•uch succession, and therefore such a case may very well form an ex-
ception to the rule, as it is not within its principle. We may thus,
|>erhaps, account for the occasional adoption of the practice by thi
great matters to whom Mr* Moore alludei.
16 iitioDs
H
SfltetM of Irish Mflodks.
113
Rf the effect of a glee is produced : but that is hj no meani
lie case* We conceive that a person sitting dawn to compose
lusic for one voice, or for several voices, must in general b©
impressed virith very different feelings and conceptions in the two
ases. In the first, he would naturally confine his endeavour
to the formation of an agreeable air-* in doing which, he would
be entirely unembarrassed by the idea of attaining any other
object ; and he would aim at a plain, consistent, manner of
dealing with the moduhtion of which the single voice was
capable. In composing for several voices, he would direct his
effi>rts not only to attain a pleasing effect, but to produce it
by die union of melody and harmony ^ and his materials being
iDore various and extensive, his conceptions would naturally
be to likewise. Where the effect to be pr6duced required that
an additional importance should be given to any one of hit
voices, he would excite it by the management of the other
pans, without creating any aukwardness or inconsistency:
but this we believe to be impossible in the innovation of *' har-
monizing/' There the composer has his air ready made : that
air must be adapted to some one of his voices ^ and that voice
must take the lead, or the effect of the air cannot be preserved.
The consequence is that all the other voices used must be mere
accompaniments, not entering at all into the original Idea and
f genius of the composition, but called in solely as substitutes
or instrumental accompaniments. In airs which take any
considerable compass, it is scarcely possible to do this, because
the voices will necessarily interfere and cross each other; and
to meet such cases the auk ward expedients of repetitions, drop-
ping parts, &c. &c., are adopted -, till the auditor is tempted
to say as the Chinese did, when «f God save the King" was
played in parts, ** that the air might be very good, if the ac-
^mpamments would let it be heard/* We do not apply these
remarks particularly to the specimens before us : but we think
that they are generally applicable to them in common with
Others 0/ the same sort ; and we wish rather to reprobate the
practice in toto than to censure any notorious instance of it.
We admire glees and single songs in their placet : but we do
fiot admire a kind of composition which confounds both of
those species, without possessing the richness and variety of
the one, or the vigour and spirit of the othen
We trust that we shall be excused by our readers for thit
unusual sort of digression. The interest of every fine art
claims a share in the attention of those who watch over the
" Belles-Lettres j" and the great popularity of the present work
forms the best defence (if any defence be required) for thus expa*
tlating beyond the limits of our ordinary tubjecti of observation.
Ijj| S^lecthn of Irish Mihd'tes*
We hasten now to conclude our critique, and to relieve die
technicaliiy of some of the preceding remarks by our promited
selection of detached beauties from the 'Irish Melodies,* beautiM
which are so abundant, and of so striking a description, at to
place the author indisputably at the head of our living aong*
writers ^ \ and to enable him on some occasions proudly to
contend for pre-eminence with Barns himself. '
* Drink to her who long
Hath wak'd the poet's sigh^-
The ffirl who gave to song
What gold could never buy !
Oh \ woman's heart wa* made
For niinslrd*hands alone ;
By other fingeris playM
Jt yields not h Jf the tone*
Then here's to her who long
Hath wak'd the poet's sigh
The girl who gave to song
What gold could never buy J* Hcc. fte,
< Oh ! blame not the Bard^ &c. is a sort of excuse (and a raof
'Spirited one) for the poet's devotion of his muse to subjects of
love and light enjoyment. In better hours, he might have
steered a more exalted course :
* But alas for hi.^ country ! her pride is gone by
And that spirit is broken which never would bend ;
O'er the ruin her children in secret must sigh,
For 'tis treason to love her, and death to defend !
Unprix'd are her eons till they've learned to betray \
Undistinguish'd they live if they shame not their sires j
And the torch that would light them through dignity's way,
Must be caught from the pde where thdr country expires,* &c.
Whether <* The Banks cf Banna' be of Irish or Scotch originali
i that well-known and delightful air cannot complain of such an
\ asiOciate as the following :
* When thro' hfe unhlest we rove,
Losing all that made life dear.
Should some notes we us'd to love
In days of boyhood meet our ear ;
Oh I how welcome breathes the strain,
Wak'ning thoughts that long have slept —
Kindling former smiles again
In faded eyes that long have wept !' &c.
The beautiful air, •* JVhen in death I shall f aim *'-/ Vr
Jishonoured by the extravagant nonsense (for no geiuk:
• Never forgettingt however, the merit of the veteran Dibdiiit— lui
["tflndemeis, hit spirit, his humour, and his extraordinary fertility.
13 will
Selfcthn of Irish Melodks*
m
MnW suit the occarion) of the first and third &tan:!as* It is
worse than the scene of the <' Bleeding Heart** in Dryden's
charming fable. The second stanza is again in good taste :
I* When the light of my song is o'er,
Then take my harp to your ancient hall j
Hang it up at that friendly door
Where weary travellers love to call • :
Then if some bard, who roams forsaken.
Revive it's toft note in passing along.
Oh ! let one thought of lis master waken
Your warmest smile for the child of soog«*
In another air, the deaths of Fox and Nelson are briefly but
woithUy lamented :
I — - « Oh ! gone are our beacon tights ! — ^
Thou, of the hundred fights !
Thou, on whose burning tongue
Truth, peace, and freedom hung !' Itc.
«* EviliefCs B9wer^* has some lovely lines, but is too com*
monly quoted for our selection* The ensuing passage indeed
IS equally well known, but has something so singularly fanciful
about it as to demand insertion* The allusion to the old tradt*
tiony in the first four verses, explains itself :
* On Lough Neagh*s Bank, as the fisherman strays.
When the clear cold eve's declining.
He sees tlie round towers of other days
In the wave beneath htm shining \
Thus shall memory often, in dreams sublime.
Catch a glimpse of the days that are over ;
Thus sighing look thro* the waves of time
For tne long-faded glories they coN'er !'
rith one more extract, we must reluctantly close our examw
oaticm of this attractive work \ and, although many remaining
pathetic strains sollicit our regard, and we had intended only to
listen to the •* mournful muse,'* we shall select a livelier finale,
because our readers may wish for some little relief to the
lombre tenor of our foregoing quotations. We sliall leave
ibem at Mr- Moore's disposal ; and we are sure that they will
join with us in hoping soon to see another and another number
ti * Irish Melodies/
* Come, send round the wine, and leave points of belief
To simpleton sages, and reasoning fools ;
This moment's a flower too fair and brief
To be wither' d and stained with the dust of the schooti.
** * In every bouse was one or two harpSy &ee to all travellen^
irho were the more caressed the more they excelled in music*"
Your
1 16 Grave'/ Memoirs cf Jean ef Arc*
Your gla»» may be purpK and mine may ht blue }
But, while they are fill' d from the same bright bowlt
The fool who would quarrel for difference of hue
Deserves not the comfort they fihed o*er the soul.
2.
* Sball I aik the brave toldier, who fights by my lidr
In the cause of mankind, if our creeds agree I
Shall I pve up the friend I have valued and tried*
If he kneel not before the same altar with me ?
From the heretic girl of my soul shall I fly.
To seek some where else a more orthodoit ki&s \
No I perish the hearts and the laws that try
Truth, valour^ or love, by a standard like tbis \*
Art. IL Memmrt of Joan ^Ar€% or^ Du Lyt^ commonly called
the Maid of Orieans j chiefly from the French of the Abb6 L.eo|rIet
du Freinoy: with an Appendix and Notes, By Geo, Ani
Grave, 8vo. 7s* dd* Boards* Longman and Co. 1812.
►t^h15 volume is an abridged translation of the French woiit
^ intitled Histoin de Jeanne ^Arc^ vHtrge hfroine it martjn
JPhatf published in 1753 by the Abbe Lenglet Dufresnoy ; isA
the Abba's three duodccimoes are themselves an ill-made epi-
tome of the more extensive biography by Edmond Richer, x
jyndic of the faculty of theology, who wrote in 1628 a copiotis
Histmn dt la Futdk iOrliansy which was never printed at
large, but remains one of the folio manuscripts in the library of
the Louvre.
Sbce the time of Richer, and even since that of Lenglet*
many historical discoveries have been made relative to the lite of
Joan of Arc, The entire third volume of the quarto work.
Notices et Exfraits dts Manmcrsts de la Bihliothique du Rm,
printed at Paris in I790t consists of previously unpublished
materials respecting the history of that female ; and not only
the documents preserved in the Parisian libraries and archtvee
are there analyzed, but also those manuscripts of the Vatican
which throw so cleat a light on the nature and character of tlie
inquisitorial process to which she fell a victim.
To undertake a new life of Joan of Arc, without carefully
examining this recent treasury of information concerning hcTi
is not respectful to the public i since it is efficaciously to deby
the progress of information and science, by reprinting for cir*l
cubtion the repositories of an ignorance jn a particular point
which prevails no longer, except with the incurious and the
unread. Lenglet's history may be well abridged, but itisncC
iprell to abridge Lenglet*s history. M, de L' Averdy's critical '
coounentary
Giayc*/ Memoirs cfjean of Arc *
iiy
commentary on the trial, and on the revised processi was alfo
a supplement which it is unpardonable to overlook.
The birth of Joan of Arc is here placed in 1412 ; not early
enough, we suspect, by three or four years* Her father was a
yeomani and employed her to milk the cows and drive the
horses to water \ she rode astride, and with all the courage of
a boy. Her mother was very religious, and inspired her with
great devotion to Saint Katherine, who had a fine church at
Fierbois. — Among the persons whose authority powerfully
acted on tlie mind and soul of Joan of Arc, was a Franciscan
friar of Troyes, called Frerc Richard. He was a travelling
popular preacher, who collected in Paris congregations of five
or six thousand persons ; and who had so much influence over
the women, that they made bonfires in the streets of their broad
bonnets, against which he had been heard to preach in the pul-
pit. • He supported for a long time the English party in France :
but the haughtiness of the Duke of Bedford, while regent for
Henry VL, having ofFended the Duke of Burgundy, who was
the real soul of the party which adhered to the treaty of Troyes^
Richard, and others oi the clergy who leaned on the Duke of
Burgundy, changed sides. The political apostacy or conversion
of Brother Richard took place about or soon after the year I422#
To him Joan of Arc was so passionately attached, that she wai
accused of having received the sacrament at his hands three
times one Christmas^day ; and after her execution, in 14J1, ^
Dominican inquisitor, who was preaching against Joan of ArC|
publicly described her as misled by Brother Richard the Cor-
delier. (See Villaret, VoL xiv. p. 257. and xv- p*77.) The
decisive and critical influence of this itinerant preacher, over the
intellectual habits and singular conduct of Joan of Arc, has too
much escaped the attention of her biographers. The accurate
knowlege of the state of France, which he possessed in conse*
quence of his pastoral travels ; and his opportunities of ascer-
taining by observation that the clergy awaited only the pre-
tence of an anointment at Rheims to declare for the tight of
Charles VII. ; will account for those early oracles of Joan of
Arc, which indicated Rheims to the Dauphin as the moat essen-
tial goal to which he should run. By an attempt made in
142$ to tax ecclesiastical property^ the Duke of Bedford had
offended the church of France.
That Charles VII,, whose circumstances were desperate,
should receive with complacence, at the hands of an ecclesias->
♦ He disdained no superstitious acts ; and he sold leaden medal-
lioDs of saints which were to be worn about tha pcrtgii, as charoii
agalnit the deviL
tical
1
taS
Grave*/ Memotn of Joan of Arc*
tica! foctioTi, which was drawing nearer to him, a prophete«$,
through whom they hoped strongly and powerfully to moTcttie
vulgar, is sufllci£^ntly naturaL He would willingly send to her
the stuffed boot which distmguibhed him from his ccmnierfi
and then pretend to wonder at her knowing the wearer t — he
would honestly admire her unusual proficiency in rtitHtary
exercises, and would be well au^re that, in order ta reemit
a French army, such a serjeant would be an impottid
acquisition.
The sort of courage, which is blind to consequences, mcrt
often falls to the lot of the tools of destiny, than that prospec*
tive ambition which proportions enterpriae to means ; and thb
was the courage which animated Joan of Are* When she
quitted Blots at the head of the new levies who weredi^patcbd
to the succour of Orleans, waving the holy standard -^'htch hid
been confided to her hands by the assembled priesthood of tlie
town, {who affected to obey her inspired commands in conae*
crating the banner,) her beauty, her eloquence, and her appa*
tcntly severe graces, inspired enthusiasm : but she figured itia
procession of glory, not of danger. So again on her triumphal
entry into Orleans with these succours. It was not rash in tbf
besieged, after this reinforcement, to attack the besiegers: oc
the contrary, the Duke of Burgundy had withdrawn hisassl$t^
since from the Engll^h ; and this alone would have frustratcf!
their purpose t but, as Joan of Arc carried the holy bamseri
though she did not even wield a sword in theSe attacks, the
whole merit of the victory was given to her. The news of fccr
exploits arrived at Paris, embellished by the narrative arts ot
the clergy into legendary miracles ; and the Duke of Bedford
himself wrote to London that a blow had been »tn3ck by the
hand of God, detrimental to English affairs. It ill suited hira
to reveal that his own arrogance had disobliged the Duke ot
Burgundy, whose defection was the secret cause of the whdc
revolution*
At the time of making the treaty of Troyes, the Duke of
Burgundy was married to Michelle, an elder sister of KaAf'
rine the wife of the English King Henry V, By abolishing in
this treaty the Salic law, the Duke of Burgundy hoped to
prepare for his own family a claim to the throne of Fra!Kt»
niore legitimate than that of the English dynasty; and he let tl:<"
English root out the King, intending next to root out ti*
English. The loss of his first wife, however, without children,
had extinguished the plan of aggrandizement which attadtt"'*
him to the interests ol Henry V* \ and he was now dispositl
to forget the assassination which had provoked his liinnrr
disioyalty.
Grave*/ Memoirs of Joan of Arc*
nsf
It 80 happened tliat the whole country between Loches^
where the Dauphin was resident at the time of succouring
Orleans, and Rheims, where the coronation was projected,
was in the hands of creatures and dependants of tlie Duke of
Burgundy. With his connivance, the entire procession was
easy : but against his cordial opposition it could not have been
cffiscted. Frere Richard was always at hand, and ready to
whisper to Joan of Arc how mucn the Duke of Burgundy
could allow to happen : — where it was needful to attack, and
where it would suffice to summon j — and thus a negotiated
progress was disguised in the garb of a conquest, and of a
conquest effected by the heroism of the PucelJe* The Duke of
Burgundy, not having made his terms with Charles VII., and
perhaps not being convinced that it was practicable to expel
the English, did not choose as yet avowedly to break with
them* The treachery of his adherents gave up Gergeau, and
betrayed Lord Suffolk : but it suited best to represent the per-
fidy as involuntary defeat. The civility thus shewn to the
Dauphin at Gergeau wms returned at Auxerre ; and the town
was gently amerced by the roplists, instead of being besieged^
avowedly out of consideration for the Duke of Burgundy, At
Troyes, a secret understanding with the Bishop Lesguis^ was
effected by Richard in person ; and it was communicated
through the Maid in a marvellous and oracular form.
The coronation having at length been accomplished, Josm
was properfy advised to declare that her mission was ended }
ahe had been the mouth-piece of the church in speaking to the
monarch j and, like other instruments of the church, she had
been lifted by the eloquence of the clergy from mortal to an-
gelic rank. The daemon of ihia world, however, had some
po$i>ession of her mind. She could not relinquish the incense
of vain glory j and in the sellout of crowds, in the devotion of
armies* in the deference of courtiers, in the panegyric of priests^
*he took a natural delight. It was represented to her that het
presence would etKourage the armies, and emancipate France \
and that teal victories would take place, like the simulated
triumphs, wherever she held the banner of her country. She
yielded, therefore, to the sollicitations of military patriots, and
encountered danger- The King recompensed her with nobility,
and painted lilies on her shield ; but she had no longer the en-
chanted armour of the church. Moreover, her pompous exaU
tation into a prophetess was met, by the English party, with a
counter-accusation that she was a witch* The popular fear of
her was thus enfeebled : soldiers were soon collected who did
not dread to oppose the bands which she conducted \ and at the
second time of her advancing to the charge in honest warfare.
Us?. JUME, 1813* JC ^9
L
,*^
Gmve*/ Mtin&ifs rf Jean if Ari*
^wa« taken prisoner at Compiegne, So much ecclestsstical
bp^a had prevailed in the very panic which she w .' ' ro
inspire, thut the historical traces of such terror amu. j1-
diery are rot easily any where to be remarked.
After the capture of Joan of Arc, it became natural to agt»
late the question to what class of captives i»he belonged, and to
what conduct the captors were obliged. The English regencyt
su.^picioufi of the Duke of Burgjundy in whose juristUciion she
had b.en t.ken, paid lier ransom to tli , and tbe»
caused the University of Paris, and llip \ ral of the
Inquisition, to apply to the Duke of Burt^undy for leave to
jud}»e the culprit ccclcMastically. If the Duke offered to pro*
tcct ber, it was acknowlrging that she had been a go-between
to his dtjx^nd ants and the royalists ; if he gave her up to the
Inquisition, it was acquainting all the clergy in hii* jurisdiction
that tht'y were still at the mercy of tlie University and Chapter
of P. iris. He had, however, the baseness to relinquish the protec-
tion of hi» instrument; and the English regency thought that they
liad gos'O too far not to act on a condemnation w^hich they had
extorted. No person can read the stoi^y of the cicecution wiih-
cut shudders of horror j and it was received, as it ought, with
an indignation which broke loose in every market-place. This
^eed of inhumanity, not the sword of Jfoan of Arc> expelled
the English from France. Yet such executions were detesubly
frequent in those days. In the preceding year, two womeo
had been arrested at Paris for laying claim to revehtions » and
the one of them, who said that God had appeared to her in u
white robe with a scarlet hood, was bumL (See Villarct,
Vol. xv» p. 36.)
In the particulars of the trial given by UAverdy, it appears
(p. 43 ♦) that Joan of Arc had interviews with Friar Richard,
in which he proposed to her to adopt the revelations of anotlier
w^oman: but this was an attempt at schooling, w^hich her indc-
|vtndence withstood. It appears, moreover, (p. 47- and p'6o.)
tliat she had frequent internal apparitions, seeing figures of
•^ Saint Katherinc and Saint Michael, resembling their ptcttued
ppcarance on altar*pteces ; and when, at the age of seventeeo^
quitted her father's house, w ithcut leave, and associated
V a recruiting p.irty, spending her days and nights among
them, these saints, she said, (p. 60 ») approi'ed such conduct.
It seems that her internal apparitions were someumes mual
^'Teminiscences, and sometimes auditory remioiscenccs : she
'Stated in prisotn (p. tji.) that &lie had repeattdljp heard rdces
f'sayini^ that she should be deliverrd : but she admitted that
I her. \ internal apparition*
^ n be nutt reality ; and tnvo-
lumarp
GnveV Memoin tfjt^n cf jfrc^
»i»
btemal appariiions seldom take place, without some
'^the organs of sense or idenlization, some paralyms of
ntntive macliinery of the brain* Hence this latter
paritions have a specific date, before which they did
5 and therefore they are readily supposed by those
em to be out of the course of nature, or supernatural,
bn, the Bishop of Beauvais, who chiefly managed the
cx>ndcmnation of Joan of Arc, had been appointed
ese \i\ 1420 by the party of the Duke of Burgundy*
leir creature \ and he evidently thought that there
cniatlvc between sacrificing her character! as a witch^
his patron^ as a traitor,
oUect that a writer in the Monthly Magazine (Vol. vu
s the singular doubt, whether the Bishop of Beauvais
ivately rescue the innocent sufferer from death, by caus*
j^usual apparatus [un trei bout e chaff and dt pldtrf^ says
ftl witness,) to be built up in the center of the funeral
pugh which chimney it seems possible, during the
M the combustion, to have withdrawn her undetected :
retailed testimony to her piety and feeling, during the
^ies of a protrrictod torment, which are quoted br
I (p. 4<J7.) from Massiea, and other origitial autho*
Bge us to reject an hypothesis so soothing to humanity.
,that a female appeared iji 1436, who called herself
Ire, who was recognised as such by the two brothers
Iginal Joan of Arc, who was ennobled as such by the
p who was married as such by a gentleman named
msis* The somewhat jocose address of the Kingi
H^ami^i soyez, la tres bkn mrenue^ mi rwm de Dhuf docs
fever, point to the return of the original Joan of Arc,
c appearance of a representative whom patriotic gratr-
tto endow. 'JTlie unusual efforts, and repeated exa-
, which were made by public authority to substantiate
bity of the Pucelle, shew that the breath of scandal
•Always respected it. If, after having run off with a.
t party before she was seventeen, — sine scitu et contra
parent um suorum^ dum ess ft atattf septemdedm onno-
pdocirca^ dcmum paternam egressafuit^ ac muhittidini h-
pha sequent ium sociatct diu noc tuque cum eis conversando^
\fiitt rare almm muiiirem secum kahrnte^ — she had re^
rne in a condition to add a new Joan of Arc to the
would not have been surprizing ; and this daughter
e carefully concealed while the reputation of chastity
irtant to the mother, and would just tltcn be icknow-
|thc relations and endowed by the King when the age
\y approached.
TL % Raptn
L
til
Wakefield'/ Acceuni of Ireland,
Raplti has attached to the reign of Henry VL a long dlsief'
tation concerning Joan of Arc : but, partly from want of at-
tention to the vacillating state of the Duke of Burgundy's alle*
giance, and partly from want of the information brought out
by L'Averdy, he misses the real spring of the machinery, and
looks for it in Baudricour and Dunois^ instead of Frere Richard
and the Armagnac party.
The author of this volume has much yet to do, if it is to be
tendered a satisfactory and enduring piece of history* Lenglet
has adopted a tone ridiculously panegyrical ; he aims at a genteel
account of his Joan, endeavours to ennoble any vulgarity which
might be attributed to her behaviour, and describes witli thea-
trical effect the critical moments of her singular existence* Hii
very facts have a colouring and a varnish, a deceptious glitter,
not adapted to the age and the persons described. The whole
tincture of the narrative should be changed \ and the omitted
information should be collected, and inserted in the proper
places. We have here the heroine of an epopea, and not the
woman of history. To the minor praise, however, of translating
with fidelity, of abridging with sufficient omission, of com-
posing with general (though not always accurate) elegance, and
of glowing with adequate sensibility, the present author U Ti«
iibly intitled.
The character of Joan of Arc will long continue to exciie at-
tention : great poets have dwelt on her achievements : Shak-
speare and Schiller have placed her in tlieir dramas *, Voltaire
and Southey in their epic poems. Their delineations are in
course calculated rather for effect than for fidelity of repre*
dentation j and it may safely be affirmed that neither the poets
nor the historians have as yet sketched a striking likeness : so
that a niche still remains in the wall of the temple of European
biography, which awaits a statue from tlie liand of a philoso-
phic artist.
1
Art. III. Mr, WakefieldV Account of Inland.
[JrtkU contludtd from p, i8.]
TTavinc given, in our last Number, a sketch of the cent
^^ of Mr, Wakefield's book as far as they regarded the
amount of the revenue, the condition of the peasantry, and tiie
progress of agriculture, we proceed to topics of a very different
nature. The accommodations for tlie promotion of commercej
the state of education, and the estimate of national character!
are the subjects which now call for our consideration-, and they
art qI so mugh interest to themsdvesi and so {ully treated by
Wakefield*/ Airou/ii cfJnknJ*
133
them rather a larger
Mr. W.| tbat we are Induced to assign tc
^pacc than our limits can with propriety afford,
Harhtirs and Canals. — Mr. Wakefield, though seldom
dUposed to speak strongly of the advantages of Ireland, is
scarcely behind her warmest admirers in extolling the excel-
lence of her bays and harbours. On the east coast, indeed,
from Belfast to Waterford, the sea-ports are much incumbered
with dangerous shifting sands ; and at Dublin, in particular, it
has hitherto been found impracticable to remedy this inconve-
nience : but from W.iterford westward, Ireland abounds with
harbours whicbi as we have already explained in our report of
Mr, Newenham's work, (Vol. Ixvi. p- 357.) may be put in
competition with any in the world. In another point, how-
ever, that of canals, Mr. Wakefield difi'crs materially from Mr.
Newenham, as well as from that numeroun body in Ireland who
allege that public money cannot be better expended tlian in
works of tJjat description. He grounds his opinion on a reason
in which we fully acquiesce, and which we have already re-
corded in our page-s; namely, that no undertaking deserves the
name of an improvement unless its returns are such as to de-
fray its expencc. Of the various canals in Ireland, the two prin-
cipal are the « Grand Canal*' and « Royal Canal," both running
across the country from Dublin to the Shannon, and both more
employed in the conveyance of passengers tlian of merchandise*
The former was the earlier undertaking, and was begun on a
scale o( greater width than was necessary. Both canals have also
been cut in wrong directions j the Grand Canal being made to
join the Shannon tOo-soon, while the Royal Canal was diverted
from its course by that private influence which is so often the
banc of public works in Ireland, The Grand Canal is said to be
a losing concern ; and no wonder, since little in the shape of
a bulky commodity is conveyed on it besides turf for the con-
sumption of Dubliji ; but, bad as this is, the Royal Canal is in a
much worse condition, being unfinished, and in the receipt of
an income of only 15,000!. a-year, with a debt of more than
a million* Farther grants of public money would, in Mr,
Wakefield's opinion, be wliolly inexpedient \ the districts to
which it is carried having no mines, nor manufactories, nor
timber. The ardour of the Irish for canals makes them forget
that these undertakings should follow, instead of preceding, the
progress of mdustry \ and they forget also that, their principal
towns being almost all sea-portH, canal-navigation was less
wanted in tlieir country than in the wider extent of inland
territory in England. To please the nation, however, a Board
of Commissioners was established at the time of the Union,
and intrusted with the disposal of half a million of public
K3
jnon^^y
ii4
WakcfieldV Accmnt tftntani.
|jn<mey for the support of such canal-undertakings %% jni^t
t appear conducive to general utility* Of this sum,about 4oO|OooL
) have been appropriated ■, yet> of all the canals in Ireland, it is
>* thought that only one, namely, a short cut from Newry to
\ the sea, serving as a ship*canal, actually pays itis expences.
Roads. — The roads in Ireland are much celebrated for the
\ Excellence of their conJitioiu There are no bye-roads, and all
[ the highways are of two widths ; a mail-coach-way being
[i broader than the others. The whole expcnce being defrayed
) hy an assessment on land, and the road-materials being very
) durable, few turnpikes are requisite ; and it is only in the
) neighbourhood of Dublin, where the frequent passage of
I vehicles wkh goods tends to injure the roads, that tolls are
I collected to defray the expences of repairs, Mr. WakcEeM
I has inserted (Vol. i. p. 660.) a table of the annual county-4S-
^lessments for this purpose. The sums levied are very consi-
derable> being, for counties of ordinary extent, such ds An-
trim, Clare, and Down, fully 2o,oool. each; for Tipperary
^ »nd Cork, above 30,000!. each.
Independently of the roads for common purposes, GoTcrnmcot,
immediately after the rebellion in 17981 employed the soldiers in con-
"itructing militar)' roada through the mountuins of Wick!ow and Wa-
'"terford, and in the former they extend from barrack to barrack.
\ Very little traffic is carried on by these roads ; but they are as 8mootK
ms gravcl-wuiks, and the whole line being executed under the direction
^©f an able engineer, they have been made to wind round the aides oC
I the mountains, so as to obviate any sudden rise. A traveller is some
considerable time in ascending them ; yet the elevation is so gentle a&
^ to be hardly perceptible, and to occasion no inconvenience. By thc«
inroads a communication hai been opened in district s, before imper*
l^ious ; and they may be considered as useful works, which do infoiitc
[credit to the projector.
* In the majoritv of the counties, the roads are not only excellent,
but numerous ; this great advantage has arisen chiefly from the
\ country gentlemen having a just opinion of their usefulness, and on
^ Account of the cmjploymentf of the people in their construction : bat
like all other benefits, it has its attendant evils ; as frecjuent iustaDoe*
I «f road'jalking occur, a ter?D given to the making of uaneceMury
foads for the purpose of serving a tenant or dependant/
From roads, Mr, W. piisses, by an easy transition, to Posts
l^nd Inns. Yet, connected as these subjects are^ he deeiDS ft
proper, with tliat unlucky predilection for amplification which
ormt a great drawback on the usefulness of his work, to make
in historical reference to the origin of regi V ts. In the
^%ouri;e of this ir.vestigAiion, he carries hib r ckevenao
far as the age of Cyrus the Great. It wa^ in the reign of
L^harlcg L that a regular post w js first e^t ablislicd between
4 EngUodt
WakelieldV Actauni ef Ireland,
ns
tland, and Ireland; and it desenres to be recorded
time of the Commonwealth, the post-ofEce bu&i-
iies«'of the three kingdoms was farmed for the moderate sura
ef lOjOOoh a year. At present, the packets sail daily from
three stations, Milford-haven, Port-Patrick, and Holyhead ;
with the exception of the days on which, by the intervention
of Sunday, no mail is received from London. Tlie ordinary
. passage from Holyhead to Dublin is twelve hours: but, when
the new harbour constructing at Howth, on the outside of
Dublin bay, is completed, the average will not exceed eight
liouTs* With regard to st^ge-coachcs, an Englishman may be
' surprized to learn that Ireland scarcely possesses one which
' does not emanate from Dublin. At the same tiirc, it should
'be observed that the canal-boats take many passengers 5 and
that the inland-communication, limited as it still is, has been
' much improved within these twenty years. Yet it is abun*
dantly clear that those who travel for pleasure must not go fa^
' into the interior of our sister-island.
* Pott -horses and chaises, such aa they are, may be obtained in
most parts of Ireland. The btter are called, by way of ridicule,
rattU'trabt^ and are the most wretched vehicles that can be conceived.
Miss Eageworth*8 celebrated picture of Irish posting in her late
work, entitled "Ennui,*' is an exact description of the carriages
that are 10 be met with in Connaught and many other places.
• With regard to inns, Ireland seems to be far beliiud many other
parts of the empire. Buildings occupied for this purpose are of s
very inferior kind, aiid the inn-keepers have very little civility or at-
tention. In an Irish inn, the eye, as in France and in Spain, is every
where disgusted with flthy objects. The olfactory nerves also are
often affected by the noxious effluvia arising from the same cause ; and
if a waiter attend, which is not aU^ys the case, he is a being who in
general would form an excellent subject for some of our eminent cari-
caturists. His hair, most commonly, ban^s down in a kind of pig-tail,
but as it would be troublesome to untie it, he never uses a comb, and
of course, none of the covering w!»ich nature has there given i& ever
Jo^t by cleaning. His hands^, perhaps, have not been washed for a
month ; and a clean shirt or clean shoes are considered as things alto*
,j:etlier unnecessary/ — * Y'et the charges in these houses are enormous j
equal to those made in tlie first taverns in London ; and the perqui-
siiL's which the waiters, chambermaids, hostlers, boots, &c. expect,
grc^atcr than tho^ it^ex given in England. I know of no comfort to
fcc found in an Irish inn but one, that is clean sheets ; and to the hd-
tour of the country, I found these in every place which I visited.' —
* But tlie inconvenience arising from bad inni, uncleanly waiters, and
dmy accommodation, is trifling, when compared with the danger to
which travellers are exposed through the defective it;ite of the police.
In the year 1808, a new stage-coach was advertised as about to start
firom Dubhn to Cork, and as an inducement to passengers to take
jiloccsi it If as emphatically stated, that the vejiicle was lined ^hh
:«3*
Wakefield*/ Aceounf df Ireland*
Ifopper^ and tlierefore completely bullet-proof,-* The man^^oftdief
rcarr)- two guards, properly armed and accoutred.'—
^ ' I have nlready had occasion to allude to many ahntes tn this
\ country, and I am sorry that I must still add to the catalogue. No
; department, indeed^ in Irelandt has been worse managed than that of
I the post-office. The office of postmaster- general has commonly been
^ bestowed on noblemen who never attended to it, and most of the in-
ferior places liave been filled by deputies, or rather sub-deputies, »o
, that those whose duty it is to see the business properly executed, are
ignorant of the manner in which its duties are performed,* — • Thotc
vrho are desirous of seeing a true picture of official abuse, need only
^ take a view of the post-office estabhshment of Ireland. Public officer!
) jrecejvijjg salaries, ajid employing at very inferior wages, substitutci or
> clerks, who from the penury of their situation are obliged to seek a
livelihood by adventitious means, and become venders of ncws-paperf
and other periodical pubhcations/
As to post-office revenue, the total collection in Ireland is
' nearly 20o,oool- \ of which somewhat more than half is con-
cumed in charges of management. — The carriage of heary
I goods along the roads takes place, not in waggons, as in thi$
J irountry, but in one-horse cars; and of late years in small cart»»
, called Scotch drays, with high wheels and iron arms, in which
^ twenty*two hundred weight can be drawn by one horse.
DhtUUrics. — We recently took occasion * to draw the at-
tention of our readers to the melancholy effects attendant on
the late abatement of the duty on spirits in Ireland \ and we
* have now the satisfaction of receiving Mr. Wakefield's support
to our opinion. Ministers acted on the persuasion that the only
plan for counteracting illicit distillation was to lower the duty to
the legal distiller : hut the increased sickness and misery con-
sequent on the cheapening of spirits have too fully proved the
impolicy of the experiment. It took place at the urgency of
• the Irish landholders, who were dissatisfied with the substitu*
tion of sugar for com, and were impatient, at all events, to
'secure a sale for the latter. This, however, it is clear, is not
' the way to overcome illicit distillation : the evil is too deeply
tooted, and will yield to nothing but the progressive advance
\ ©f improvement in the districts in which it is most practised ;
And which are more particularly tlie north-western counties.
* Whisky from ilhcit stills is sold as openly as if it had been gauged
» by the exciie-officer ; it has a peculiar smoaky taste, different 'from
\ which has been regubrly and carefully distilled, and which the
pie imagine to Jmve acquired its white colour from vitriol : ^v^erc
^ to find hiult with the whisky in the northern coiuuies, tlie imme
filiate reply would be, ** It's as good * pocheeu' as any in Ulster, for
\%t never paid a happ*eth of duty/' * —
[that
Some idea of the magnitude of this evil may be formed from the
i iollowing table, which contains the number of unlicensed stills that
to ha?e been aeized in the cour^ of five yetrS| from 1802 to
J 802.
1805.
1804*
1805V
Sis months, to June i8o6>
I
I
»
Stilk
Heads,
M^unni,
. 4,131 .
• 3''90 ■
. 2,809
^ 2,575 .
. 1,018 *
■ ^flU
, 2,360 .
• 2,021 *
• ^732
• 2,974 ,
. 2,656 .
• 2^573
. 1,401 .
• 1,213 •
u»098
• 1,074
13.439
9'73^*
Total
When to the evidence afforded by this remarkable list, we
add the frauds practised in former years by the regular distil-
lers, it becomes probable that more than half of the spirits con-
sumed in Ireland escapes duty. Recent examinations on this
$ubjt*ct, by a Board of Commissioners, aflbrd a striking example
of the lamentable irregularity which is prevalent in Ireland,
That excise-ofEcers should sometimes be in the pay of illicit
distillers docs not surprize us : but collusion with the licensed
diittiUer cannot fail to suggest very painful reflections* The
Commissioners in question have reported that
f In many instances the visits of the gaugers are accommodated to
the convenience of the distiller, who is thus enabled to regulate hia
work m 3uch a manner as to have his premises apparently correct on
these occafions ; and if the time of the officr's coming be inconvenient,
he goes awmy, and returns at an appointed houn It is stated, also,
that ^qucntly the entries made in their books are altogether ticti-
tious particularly thoee of their evening visits, and written with a
preparation of ink easy to be discharged, in order to substitute false
entries ; and tt appears from the deposition of several eminent distillers,
that government, by collusions of this kind, sustain a Ions, the extent
of which is immense* One distUlcr candidly acknowledged, that he
frequently made 5,300 gallons of spirits in a week, at a tmie when he
was charged with 2,075 ^^h' > another, that he annually made 9,coo
Of 10,000 gallons of spirits weekly, when his charge was but 4,970
gdlons, and that had it not been for some defect in the apparatus, he
€oald have made a still greater quantity ; a third, that he made, on an
average, 6,500 gallons, and sometimes 7,000 weekly, when charged
with no more than 3,500 ; and a fourth stated it as his belief, that the
•pints privately made by distillers in general were, at the least, equal
in quantity to the spirits with which they were chargeabl«/
Education, — Mr. W. is an ardent advocate for the diffusfen
of the blessings of education throughout Ireland, He is like-
wise a zealous supporter of the system of Lancaster ; in whose
behalf his mother, Mrs. Wakefield, well known by her publi-
cations for the instruction of youth^ early took an active part.
Mr. Dewari
fj»
WiikcfieldV Accmnt rf htland.
Mr. Dewar, whose work on Irehiid we lately noticed, (Rariew
for April last,) has treated the topic of Irish education at conn*
dcrabie length : but we are not the Jess desirous of reporting Mr*
W/s observations on this highly importatit question. The He*
gleet of the educztion of the Irish has hitherto been so great, that
5ie subject cannot be too frequently brought for\%^ards \ and the
two writers, moreover, prosecuted their investigations on dif-
ferent plans. Mr. Dev^r ?.vailed himself of a know^lege of the
Gaelic language to converse frankly and confidentially with the
humble cottager \ while Mr.W. directed his attention to detect
the mismanagement that prevails in tlie public schools, fa
these, as in every other department, he had the mortificaticnof
meeting with proofs of that system of jobs which in Ireland hii
jyerverted so many well meant institutions. The endowed
schools of that country are of two kinds :
1 , Six public schools founded by royal authority, above a
century and a half ago, and liberally endowed as to funds.
2. Chartered schools founded in 1733 by Geo. II., and sup-
ported partly by royal grants and partly by private subscript
tlons.
To begin with the former. The object of their establish-
ment was to afford instruction to the children of the poor ; and
it is not a little amusing to find tlie names of distinguished
members of the families of Foster and Pon^onby in the list of
so humble a class as that of schooWnasiers. The fact was that
gentlemen of these families discovered, as others had done
before them, that these appointments flight be rendered " very
pretty sinecures." They proceeded accordingly on the coo*
Ten tent plan of pocketing the fixed salary, without aiming at
any addition from the discharge of the duty. On a late inves-
tigation, only one mar-ter out of the six was found to have ac-
tually fulfilled the obligations of his office. The example of
the other incumbents became contagious; and two additional
schools, liberally endowed by private individuals, were managed
'in the same commendable style : both being absorbed by the
Reverend Joseph Presion, brother of Lord Tara, who continued
for a long time in the receipt of more than 2,oool. a-year,
* without the slightest idea,' we are told, * of dischargmg th«
duty either in person or by deputy/
The * chartered schools,' though more numerous than those
which we have ju^t mentioned, were restricted on their founda-
ticn to a specific object, viz. that of " instructing the children
of the Popish and other poor natives in the English tongue.**
I The fuudn, whether derived from government ur fro«i f rinic
liberality, were put under tlie direction of a body of V i?,
bearing the ride of tlie « Incorporated Society.** ^— - iv»
additions
Wakefield*/ Account of Inland.
'«»
additions of parlbmentary grants, and individual contributions,
have carried the yearly interest of this fund to the sum of
30,000!. \ yet, ample as this is, little has been done towards
accompJisKing the object of the institution. The zeal of the
society, in making converts to the Protestant religion, has proved
unfavourable to the humbler object of diffusing a knowlege of
our language; since the Directors not only declined to admit any
other than Popish children, but they went the length of putting
into their hands a catechism derogatory to the creed of their
parents* Such a course of proceeding coald not fail to be
highly repulsive to the Catholic body j many of whom exclaimed,
•• that the Protestants robbed the poor of their children in order
to bring them up in a new religion*** The obnoxious catechism
has lately been discontinued : but it would be vain to anticipate
any considerable degree of instruction among the Catholics from
seminaries of which they have been so long suspicious. Mr,
Wakefield suggests a remedy for this evil, by what appears to
us a very plain and equitable arrangement of the funds :
* My wish/ he s.iy?, « would be to divide the great funds appro-
priated for Dational education. Let that pgrtion, wliich by the termt
of the bequest, or settlement, is directed to be applied to the educa-
tion of Protestants, be invested in the hands of a board, consisting of
persons of that religious persuasion, to be expended in educating the
children of Protestant© only. The nttcmpt to instnict children, boru
of Popish parents, has entirely failed ; the remainder of the funds,
which, in all probability, would amount to three quarters of the whole
(according to the rules of proportion), the object being to promote
education, and not to make converts, should be committed to the
management of a committee of Roman Catholics, laity and clergy
united ; for the great aim should be kept in view, — to improve tiie
condition of the Roman Catholic tichoolmaster ; who, starving on a
miserable and precarious pittance, cannot be expected to have any great
attachment to a country where he is so ill rewarded^ or to entertain
respect for a government by which he is so neglected* This class of
men might be rendered highly useful to the state ; once gain their
confidence by kind treatment, and that feeling of gratitude, which
ever actuates the human mind wliere ilie heart is not debased, will
convert them into loyal and useful subjects,* —
* I would not debase the people, nor wound their natural pride, by
offering tlicm education free of expense- Neither would 1 tear the
chdd from the arms of the parent, and from his native cabin, to place
him in a school which has all the appearance of a gaol, rather than
that of a seminary of learning, I would cherish that most prominent,
and most excellent trait in the Irish character — the strong affection
which if exhibited between the parent and the child. Were masters
»nd mistresses, on the Lancasterian plan, cstabhshed in every parish,
sod no catechisms introduced which are calculated to inspire children
with hatred towards those of a different religious opinion, the pr©-
sc»t
i
1 40 Wakefield* J Account of h'iland.
lent funds would be sufficient. — I ma^r, prrhapf, be toM, that thr
Roman Catholics would not concur in a plan of this kind. I hire
had more conversations on this subject with the leading men amoGg
the Roman Catholics than almost any other individual in the kiog*
dom ; and I have no hesitation in asserting, that if offered to them w
a proper manner, they would hail with joy the auspicious hour, and
co-operate in any scheme of liberal education that might be pro-
posed/
The following circumstance relative to Mr* Lancaster is re*
markable :
< According to report, Mr* Pole, the Irish miinster, wishing to
establish a Lancastcrian school at the House of Industry in Dublini
wrote to Mr, Lancaster, to send over a person acquainted with hit
method to give the necessary instructions for its formation. Lan-
* ' caster's enthusiasm induced him to answer the letter in person, as be
conceived the object to be of so much importance as to require every
attention tliat he possibly could bestow upon it. His expectation!,
however, were disappointed ; for, on arriving at Dublin, Mr- Pole
seemed surprised, and informed him that he &d written only for onf
of his assistants. Lancaster, however, requested the minister*!
patronage to lectures which he intended to give on the subject of his
plan; but, fortunately for Ireland, the minister dechne ' any
countenance to the design. This refusal, in all probai for-
w^arded the improvement of the people of Ireland, in regard to edua-
tion, at least fifty years. Had Lancaster been patronised by tbc
Castle government, ht would have been considered by the bnlk of the
inhabitants as the mere tool of a faction j and his :>y8tcm, which in
my opinion, will do more good to Ireland tluui any oilier that could be
adopted, would not have been favourablv received. Lancaster hai
been hailed by the Cathohcs as a benetactor | and they have deter-
mined to carry his system into effect/
Mr. W. proceeds (Vol. ii. p. 420. et leq,) to comment wkK
great animation on the abuses of other public institutions in
Ireland, particularly that of the Dublin Foundling Hospital. It
seems that the trustees of that establishment were too much oc-
cupied with other matters to give tlieir attendance, * except
when offices of emolument were to be disposed of;' and th:
consequences of tlie cruel neglect prevalent in this institution
were a miserable mortality among the diildreni and scenes of
filth and wretchedness which, we hope, are now banished from
it for ever.^ — We pass from this affecting subject to the Catholic
college of Maynooth. The sura allowed by Government for
that establishment has lately, we believe, oeen increased to
1 3,000!. a-year. The course of study consists in Latin, Grceki
"Bellcs-Lettres, Mathematics, Natural Philosophy, Moral Fhilo-
I sophy> and Divinity :
« The establishment of Maynnoth accofRmDdatcs 200 iloilenta
lodgings { a^'urds Uicm cotnmooi and instruction $ tupphes
Uvtm
WakeficldV Account of Inlani* I4I
llrem in the public halls with coals and candles during studying hours*
Each student pays 9I, 2fi. entrance money ; provides himstrif with
cloth»» books, bedding, and chamber furniture ; pays for washing>
mending, and candle light for his room. This expense may be
moderately estimated at 20I. per annum.
* Each student before admission must deliver to the president
luthentic certificates of his age, parentage, baptism, and of having^
taken the oath of allegiance, together with the recommendation of
his prelates. He is then examined in the classics, and admitted, if
approved by the major part of the examiners/
Load Manners. — After having passed over a long list of sta-
tistical details, we arrive at the more entertaining topic of
natioiul manners. In these respects, Irelmd presents stronger
points of contrast than almost any other country of similar ex-
tent ; for which, two great causes may be assigned, viz, the dif*
ference of religion, and the successive arrival and settlement of
numbers of foreign colonists. In the province of Ulster, this
difference of national character is, from situation, particularly
apparent ; the Protestant manufacturers living at no great dis-
tance from the Catholic peasants. The latter reside in the
mountainous districts to which their forefathers retired after
their unsuccessfyl attempts at insurrection ^ retaining the antient
Irish language, living as a separate people, and holding very little
intercourse with their neighbours,
* UliUr, — The traveller who pursuei the high roada throughout the
province of Ulster, will find the people, in general, more industrious,
better clothed, and living in a more comfortable manner, than the
same class in many other parts of IrL4and. — But in the mountaina he
will meet with a barbarous language, intellijrible only to those by
whom it is spoken, and a race whose wretched condiuon almost ex-
ceeds description.* *^
* No country affords a more striking proof of the superiority which
education and wealth has over numbers. Were an enumeration made,
the Roman Catholic population would, 1 believe, preponderate ; yet
'theie people are depressed beyond all conception, and what may ap-
pear aitonishing, they bear their degradation without murmuring or
complaiiit. Familiarized with misery, they have acquired an habitual
apathy, and have become indifferent to tho^ ijbjects in which the in*
babitaiits of a free country are always interested i they seem neither
to know nor to feel the extent of tbcir misery.* —
* There is a district, comprehending Donegal, the interior of the
county of Derry> and the western side of Tyrone, which is cmplia-
ticaily called by the people ** The Black North,** an expression not
meant, as I conceive, to mark its greater exposure to the westerly
wiodi, but rather its dreary aspect, — Tliere are immense tracts in this
part of the country whicli their owners never deigned to gladden by
tbcir presence^ ^- Alt!iough the lirien mannf^icture is spread over this
part of the country, its bene6cial cfccts arc not to be observed in the
appearance
I4t WakefieldV Account cf Inlani*
appearance or habits of the people. It is m the n >ood oC
Belifi»«t» where commerce, and the cotton and linen n.-. ....... ^i^, hw
ittmulated industry^ that the improved state of the inhabitants is coD'
•picuous.* —
• The custom of going bare-footed prevails throughout Ulster |
butf in many instanceSf arises rather from habit than povrrty/'^
• The women in the weaving dtstncts are much accusloincd to
▼jsiting each otlier, and these visits arc called keaUng* A young
female with her spinning*wheel on her head travels a considerable dis-
tance, to the house of an acquaintance, where others are a5&embled»
who spin, sing, and converse during the whole evening ; after whicK
ttiey cheerfully return to their own homes, 'without panicipating ia
any refreshment excepting potatoes and milk.* — * The distinction be»
tween those engaged in manufactures and the other classes, is w
nothing so conspicuous as in their dress* Among the women^ cotton
and muslin arc in common use : these habiliments give a gay appear-
ance to a country, and are a sure indication of industry. — ^Tlie supcv
riorily of the weaver is produced by the united labour oF every member
of the family, all of whom contribute to the general support,* —
Oatmeal-cakes is the bread commonly used in the north. Whcaien
bread is never seen, except in the Iiouses of the more opulent mha*
bit&nts, and even in these it is of modern introduction. ^iiVni^^f
in Scotland called pottage, which is oatmeal boiled with water^ aod
eaten with milk, is a common dish in the north, and many of tht
children have no other food*' —
• Every cabin is provided with a dog* and some have two Of tkrvf^
which, in general, are ill-tempered animals, constantly running out and
barking with fury at the passengers, and particularly those on horse-
back, to their great annoyance. These animals are a great nuisance
in Ireland. I have been followed tor miles by half a dozen of these
curs, which are as ferocious as wolves, yelping at my Jiorse's heels ; and
1 have known many dreadful accidents from their savage attatki.* —
■ In Fermanagh a class of yeomanry is met with who charactcriif
themselves by the expression, "just as good Protestants as any in ill
Ireland j" which does not imply that Uiey are more religious than
others, but that they are not exceeded by any in rooted aversion and
inveterate enmity to their Roman Catholic ncighboiirt* In this
county, I have seen estates advertised to be sold with this recoin*
roendation, *• that they were more valuable, because tenanted by
Protestants.**
• There are opulent farmers, who have beef on their tables, and
drink port wine on a market-day, at Enniskillen, where a toast to the
glorious memory^ of King William is fi/ini to the hrim^ the glait Hftii
tQ the mouth ivith the right hantit and sumUowed without a tip.* —
• EnniskilJcn is celebrated, and, not without reason, at a eonvvtiiont
place for obtaining recruits. A military turn has long prevailed
among the inhabitants of this county, and there are few familici
who have not one or more sons in the army. Young men who in-
tend to enlist, travel from very distant parts to Ermiskillei), whcft»
there are always recruiting parties, belonging to tortkc ^vouriie rrgs-
Biexit ready to receive thcm^' -«»
* Tlirough-
Wiii^fidcfV M€mni ef Irdand. 1 4 j
« ThrottgboQt Ulster the reraertibrance of original litlcs to estates
is nearly loil, but in other parli af Ireland it is «tiU kept ajivc ; and,
in some cases, supports a delusive hope, wliich, at ihi* distance of
time, aiid after so many changes, never can be reahzed. In UUterX
only recollect being infortntd oi one instance of this kind j it occur-
red on the coast of Donegal, where the property of the M*Swii>e's,
who, according to tradition, were tributary to the G*Dont>ei's of
Donegal, was claimed by a blacksmith, who worked for Mr- Stewart
of the Ardi. It was however a disputed point, for mrtuy besides
this humble son of Vulcan made pretension tu the honour of the same
descent.'
On entering the hilly county of Leitrim, and drawing
towards Connaught, the traveller finds himself surrounded by
native Irish, Dancing is here as mucli lu vogue as In the High-
lands of ScotLindj and the Gaelic is the only language knovt^n
among the poor. They have very little idea of the nature of
government, or of tlie obligation of law ; at least as far as it
regards pilfering* On discovering a trespass of this nature,
they are abundantly ready, from a fellow-feeling, to compound;
and when asked why they do not inform against an otTender
who Is detected in stealing their property, they reply tliat it
would be hard to *'hang a m:in for stealing a bit of mutton,**
To physicians, they have as great an aversion as our valorous
atlies, the Cossacks ; who, as we have lately seen, (Review for
July, p, 130.) consider ** drugs as much more formidable than
the artillery of an enemy.*' In the county of Sligo, many of
the first families are of Welsh extraction, having received their
estates by grants from Cromwell :
* This country is fortunate in having one resident, Mr. Wynne,
whose presence and example must have a beneficial influence on the
people. — He possesses the confidence of the poor, who look up to
him as their friend and benefactor. Being in the habit of conversing
vrich people whom I met on the road, I was told by many, that when
Uiey sustained any imur)'-* they always appltrd to Mr, Wynne iot
redress, and on inquiring the reason, was told, ** because his justice
wan good.'* — * Thai he may be better able to attend to the calls
of humanity^ he seta apart certain days for the administration of
justice, and Lady Sarah makes the same arrangement for listening
to the complaints of her poor female neighbours. On these occa-
•iont, the domain gates are thrown open to all. The litigants, mrmy
of whom come from the mountains, and cannot speak a word of
Hnghsh, make known their case, which is often some trifling
quarrel, through the medium of an interpreter. In general,
Mr. Wynne obliges them to present a written narrative, which
they employ some schoolmaster to dra'.v up. So numerous are the
suitors sometimes, and so eager to be heard, that it is difHcult to
preserve order, and make them attend to their turn.' — ' I was much
amused with the complaint of a woman, who through an intcrpi*eter
claimed
144 Wakefield V Account $f Irelamd.
cbimed a fortune from her father ; on the case being explained, it
appeared that her father had promised her ten guineas, six of wWch
he had paid ; and when Mr. Wynne, after some trouble, connnced
him that he ought to keep his word» he cheerfully agreed to pay tlif
remainder.' —
* Although quarrels are here very frequent, fighting single-lianded
if unknown* No one ever resolves to rely on his own personal coungf
or strength ; when a man sustains an injury, or conceives himself
affronted, he calls in to liis aid, not only his immediate relatiom
and friends^ but his neighbours and fellowparishionersy and some*
times the inhabitants of a barony. Whole districts thus become in-
terested in individual disputes ; the combatants marshal thcmscKes
under leaders distinguished for their prowess \ shtUelas arc thei/
weapons, and when a general engagement takes place» many ire
wounded on both sides.' —
* Connaughu — The poorer orders have very vague notions of pro-
perty, or the nature of the moral obligation- They shew httlc desut
to increase their wealth by habits of mdustry, nor do they set mutb
value on the laws, and the regular administration of justice which
protects property when acquir^ ; all they look to is the benefits of
the moment ; their own advantage, whatever it may be at tiie time ;
and the same principle forms the grand spring of action in a greater or
less degree throughout all ranks. It actuates the country squire who
* ciringcs before the Lord-lieutenant's secretary at the Castle, and the
half -starved cotter, who sits two or three hours in the morning in the
court -yard of some great proprietor, to catch his Honour before hf
mounts his horse ; and who wastes day after day seeking an oppor*
tunity to tcU him that he is the cousin, removed in tune tenth or
twelfth degree, to some of " his Honour^s" old tenants, who has bcc& i
dead, perliaps, tliirty years. " And what if you arc his kinsman ?'
** I have a bit of a favour to beg of your Honour." ** And what do
you want, man ?" — This short dialogue is followed by a compbint
against some neighbour, or he expresses a desire of taking n
land. This is the common mode of address employed by t
when soliciting for any favour* They begin with many prvimiirtary
phrases, and keep the main object in reserve until they discover how
the great man is afiected towards them, or conceive that they ha»c |
insinuated themselves into his good graces. When I was at Cooltirr»
in the month of August, 1808, a man w^as brought before Admir^
Packenham, on a charge of stealing timber : on entering tlic roomt
his first address was, " 1 heard, plaze yourHonour, that your Honour 1
wanted some stores for the Lord -lieutenant." — "And what if I do I**
replied the Admiral, ** what is that to you V* ** I was only tluukin^» '
plaze your Honour, that I would have got them for your Hooour. *
The fellow imagined » that by this piece of dexterity the AdtQind I
'Urould suffer him to escapt ; but he found himself miuakeot fw j
f was committed to Mullingar jail/ —
* 7*he class next tn importai»cc to the landed proprietors are tJic i
graziers, who rank, or affect to rank, with those who are properly
called the gentry of the country. These men are ambititr -Amt j
ibe drcsi and imitate the majiQcri of their lupcriors* mfx\
nlMkl
WakefieldV AccQunt of Inlands
*fir
_ ilto 10 b« called on the grand jtwy- To gire themselTea tlie ccnfC'
B qtMDce derived from high birth, if their names have the least retrm-
^^^^ce to the native Irish, they prrfix an O. — They dine at as late
^^^Hu>ur at any nobleman u h^^^ ^ dirty fellow with his hair tied, acd
^^HBlout powder, waiting at table by way of butkr out of livery, and
roaiiitaiD an affected and ridlculotift state. Their houses, except one
K or two rooms that are fitted up for shew, arc almost without fiirni-
H t^rc ; their clothes are generally kept in an old tnmk, and the
kitchen, like Noah's ark, is a receptacle for animals of every kind,
demn and unclean. It is enlivened by the grmiting pig •, aod it %%
. £^qu€nted with little ceremony by the cackling fowls/ —
, * la GaJway a man of large property is termed a ** StatesmaOp**
I bist QWt who possesses only a few acres is called a *' Patchman." I
" ifie beard one of the latter jjentlemen abused by a fellow at BalUn-
""1, and reproached in the following words, which are considered as
ly degrading ; «* You Gallican, you*re only a patchman," The
pfmuiger brother of a patchman is looked upon with great con*
afTonli a relief to turn from these scenes of poverty and
leness to the east coast of Ireland^ and to observe the con-
trast exhibited by the comfort and industry of the inhabitants
of tlie county of Wexford, '^Thc latter are, in a great measure,
the dedcendants of the English who settled there in the days of
Cromwell ; and some of tliem trace their progenitors as far
b:^cfc aa the first invasion of Ireland in the reign of Henry II,
Though the majority, beyond all proportion, are Roman Catho-
Jks, the Irish language is almost unknown among them. The.
vomen much excel others of their sex in Ireland, in the im-
portant point of cleanliness both as to clothes and furniture*
Hene^ stockings and shoes are untversaUy worn, and the muslin
gowns and caps of the females form a pleasing novelty to tlie
eye of the stranger who has been travelling through the less
cultivated disiricts of the west and soutL The ^rms, like-
wise, are considerably larger than in other parts of Ireland \
and provisions are in abundance. General Vallancey, spe^iking
of them, says,
" The people of these baroniec live well, are induitrious, cleanlvs
md of good morals. The poorest farmer eats meat twice a week*
and the table of the wealthy farmer is daily covered with beef, mutton*
or fovfU Their beverage is home-brewed ale and beer. The houses
rf the poorest are well built, and neatly covered with thatcb ; all
have ont^oflices for cattle. The people are decently clothed. They
are strong and laborious, and the women do all manner of rustic
Thev receive equal wages with the men.
irofllg pk^tightng excepts
• •It IS not uncommon for an Inshmau in some parts of the country,
when a stranger pays him a visit, to call out to his vWfe or childrcD,
*• Turn the pigs out, and let the gentleman in," '
Rsv. Jty.vj:, 1813, L la
M<J
WakefieldV Account of IrelanJ,
In tKis deltgfitful epot the greatest harmony aubsittt betiredi tl?e
Undlord and the farmer i and it h common to meel the t- ^- tV
landlord's table. Such b tlicirarcrsion to idleness, tbnt ^ar
appears in these baromef, he is immediately handed from Luusc to
house, till he is beyond their boundaries.*'
On crossing the river Barrow, and holding a westward cour>«,
the traveller becomes very soon immersed among native Imht
One of the grcate:»t drawbacks on the appearance of Irish cot*
tagers^as well a ^ r comfort, is the to? ' loii.
In Englan J, thib . . c, however small, -r'l
family a crop of usiiui vegetables : but in Ireland no 3uch dung
is to be seen ; potatoes alone are cultivated.
* County tif Ceri. — I was infanned b^ Mrs. Towneend, an intd*
ligent dderly bdy who resides at Caiillc Townsend, that women are
hired to attend funerals, and that their bvrsine^s is to rehearse a kind
of oration on the character and ancestry of the deceased, A pcxitioOt
presented by the widow of one of these poets to Mrs. Town?iend#
contained the following expressions : ** May your Ladyship long
reign — My cabin was bi^ilt by my husband* by the force of h»
•trains, as Amphion built Thebes by the power of his lyre/* Tlab
liidy said, that the poor in her neighbourhood sup' at nine oVIoek|
inverse by the light and warmth of bog-wood uutil eleven or twclint ;
tise at a Late houry and milk tlieir cows at eleven in the forcnoua.
* The farmers in tlie inland part of the country live upon potatoes
with the addition of butter-milk, as they cannot afford to use milk
fresh from the cow. At Christmas* perhaps, they indulge in alittJe
meal j but the labouring cotters have no other fare than dry potatoes,
<nd consider it fortunate if they are enabled to purchase &all tO
render them more palatTihle. The account girrn of the poor of Corkt
by Mris. 7*0WTj«;f nd^ \^ ri picture of mi*wery and diBtress» ** Honsei
dtffitrin si'^e^ " to the circum- j,y
arc all built, to the farmcf Je
plan withan o[H^n chitnney at one cn^'
A partition at the other; tins is the t
•ervcs also for a store-room* The walL are too low to ailow aa
tipper floor for habitable purposes; but a few sticks thrt^wn r:cj:o«
at the feet of the raficTs form a rcccpt^ulc for lumber, a-
dowB are a luxury to which t-ot la" rs rjrrlv aspirc ; h it , ao
indispensable rtc|\usite, thev >rs, Uf
hs^fc one alw3v: n.fu fnr it' u. the
cleanliness of t tp
hoases in any •.,».! ...,,^ ^....v..v...»t -.^ —..,., .,.. .,.. .,..,...iuy
custom prevails or - every vessel on the floor, «tid maiisi>(
dung-holeis before \ !»•' umi ^i . ' * — i
• The potir are much neplectcd by the ricW clashes ; iind IillMr
been informed of mrmy, nfi ' ' " ' ^ - ^^ »,^
1 lyraimy and opprrwtion to v^ >n
I ©uc. In the n '
tior man's ti:
VfakcBeid^s jfcceant ^f IrHanJ. 147
'in the midst of a crowd, near the winning post : the inKbmMi wretch
who inflicted the wound, was a gentleman of some rank in the countj^
but his name, for many reasons, I shall not mention. The unhappy
sufferer was standing in his way, and, without requesting him to move*
he struck him with less ceremony than an English country squire would
a dog. But what astonished me even more than the deed, and which
•hews the difference between English and Irish feeling, was, that not
a murmur was heard, nor hand raised in disapprobation ; but the sur*
rounding spectators dispersed, running different ways, like slavei
terrified sit the rod of their despot. I observed to a gentleman with
whom I was in company, how different a feeling would have actuated
the pdpulace in England. " What!'' replied my friend, <* would a man
there dare to strike his superior V* — Yes ; " And on his own estate-
and in the midst of his tenantry." Well, but twenty magistrates of the
county of Carlo w are present. Will tkey not interpose, and redress
this man ? •' Oh ! no, they will get into no quarrel with — — /* •
When l>e leaves the open country, and directs his attention
to Dublin, a traveller discovers a remarkable contrast of afflu-
-cnce and penury. The gay and the wealthy flock to this bril-
liant c.:pitul from almost ev^ry piirt of Irelaikl. The Lord-
lieutenant, Lis family, and his olficial do per. clients, mix freely
in society; the Commander-in-chief, with his statF and other
officers, follows the example; while the dignitariesof the churchy
the lawyers, and the members of the University, all figure in
the same sphere.
< Scarcely a night passes in Dublin without balls, assemblies, and
musicai parties. The removal of tlie parliament has been favourable
to society in this metropohs ; for the attention of gentlemen is not
now so exclusively directed to political discussions. The houses in
the city are all occupied, and are increa&in|^ in every direction ; so
that the vacancy occasioned by absentees, since the Union, is supplied
by a class of people, less valuable perhaps in some respects, yet, who
fill up their place as to number. In all public places the company
mix freely, without restraint or formality, and the consequence is, a
general knowledge of each other ; a circumstance which gives more
animation to crowded circles in Dublin, than is to be met with either
IB London or Paris, where persons may frequently meet, and yet
acquire very little acquaintance with each other. A social disposi*
tion and love of amusement seem to pervade all ranks, and the dance
is often kept up with as much spirit in the back room of a shop-
keeper, as in the splendid mansion of a peer.' — 'Gentlemen of the law,
not being accommodated with chambers as with us, mix mure in so-
ciety.— Dublin is remarkable for the number of its lawyers ; no city
ill the world gives employment to so many attorney s. — It is extraor-
dinary that medical men in Ireland are not held in the same estimation,
as gentlemen of the other liberal professions. Pliysicians are treated
with particular contempt in this country, though there are many pro-
' fessors of medicine as much distinguished by their skill and learning,
as by their humanity and attention to the comfort and health of the
L 2 poor.'
1
14^
ralwfield*/ Jeccunf ef tnhnJ*
pdOf .* <M ' In the middle rajiki, hot utipperft, a pi'ofusion of disKeti 8s<!
pUtes loaded with meat* are considered as genuine hotpitality. Tbe
frugal repast of bread and clieese* with a draught of homebrewed, »o
common among the tame class in England, » here quite unknown.
The meat breakfast of the English country-s(juire> or the more luxxt^
riout one of the Scottish laird, on whose plentiful board are displayed
mutton, ham, dried fish, marmalade, honey, and other daintiea, Uncrer
leen in Ireland : yet the breakfast in tliat country has always an addi*
tion of plenty of t^%^ The English custom of a luncheon it eeUoo
in use ; meal-times are much the same as in England, except among
tradesmen, whose shops are not open so soon in the morning by two
hours, as they are in London : consequently, the breakfast is laier.'
Were we, however, to turn from these scenes of festiyity to
the dwellings of the lower orders, we should witness a very dif-
fcront picture* The Rev* James Whitelaw, in his valuable
account of the population of Dublin, observes :
** In the ancient parts of this city, with few exceptions, the ttreett
are generally narrow, the houiei crowded together, and the rean ar
back yards of very small extent. I'hese dwellings are occupied by
working mantifactiirprs, by petty shopkeepers, the labouring poor,
and beggars, crowded together. A single apartment in one of these
truly wretched habitations, rates from one to two shillings per w«ck;
and to lighten this rent, two, three, and even four famiJUes, becooie
joint tenants. I have frequently found from thirty to Efty indivi^
duals in a house. An intelligent clergytrtanof the church of Rome>
assured me that No. 6. Braithwaite-slreet, some years since, CQR*
tained io8 souls. From a careful survey twice taken of Fluuket
street, it appeared that %2 contiguous houses contained 917 to'
which gives an average ot 28 and a fraction to a house : and the
tire liberty averages from about 12 to 1 6 souls to each house. Tl
is certainly a dense population. The best informed inhabitanta, ho
ever, assert that it was much greater a few years since, and to this
opinion I wiliingly accede."
National Character. — From these details of local manne:
'Mr* W passes to a more comprehensive subject, a generals
vey of the Irish character. Here, as in the rest of the bool^p)
he holds a tone of strict impart iality^ g^vi^g the Irish credit ht
many good qualities, but courting no favour by softening the
opposite side of the picture* * They are,' he says, as « extra-
vagant as the French in an appetite for praise, and in a high idi
of themselves and their country/ One of his chief objecttoi
to them regTirds their habitual want of moderation, and their
incessant tendency to run into extremes. * Their enjoy meiit of
the present moment is jtitngk-d with no anxiety for the future;
a want of thought which makes them often impatient to grasp
at objects which, when attainedi afford not the expected gra-
tification/ Unluckily, their hospitality is not always accoBi-
panied by the exercise of le^s oateiitatious vlrtiLes.
<Tlni
ol^l
beir"
- AWL I
WakefieMV Acceunt of trttand.
M9
That they iire generous^ I have admitted \ but tht« quality' eJc-
lendi chiefly to strangrrs. If wc examine them ia one of the most
Uportant relations to toctety, we shall &nd, that at landlords they
esact more of their tenants than the same clasa of mco in any other
ccmotry. The conduct of gentlemen towardi their tradesmen is also
^r^Tf reprehensible. Punctuality, I shall be told, is not generosity*
But thoie who credit the assertion of Dr, Crump t that " there is no
COOtitrT in the world where tradesmen make so many bad debts/'
aMMI aUow, that justice is another virtue no less necessary, although
by lOfne not held m equal estimation.* — *The higher ranks hare as
oiFcrbcaring pride, which prevents them from educating their childrea
io industrious habits, or suffering them to engage in commrrce.
Tradesman they consider as a distinct class in society ; and everT
btt&tnei5 is contemned, that of wine-merchant excepted, in which
tome branches of the first £amilie« in the kingdom arc engaged in
Dublin/-^
■ It will be found, on examination, that Ireland ha« a greater
number of drones in the hive, in proportion to its population, ihaa
my other country in Europe* The northern parishes are more than
•umciently served by a triple provision of clergy ; the minister of
the church of Rome and his coadjutor | the Presbyterian minister
and hit iiaiitant» and the different classes of Methodists. — Every
Oilier pm of Ireland has a double set of clefgy, either resident or
al>«ent, who waste the resourcet of the country for their support.
When the multitude of persons set apart for rehgious instruction it
conaidered, and the number of those who are educating for the tame
parpote, the grost amount will be found greater than is at first evi-
t. To this list may yet be addend an immense swarm of lawyers^
their dependants of every description ; judges, for the same
* cr of people ia double proportion to those in England, and
• attendantf; are more numerous ; unnecessary domestics, and the
^mdetf and lazy loiterers attached to every establishment* In conse*
qticoce of the manner in which the revenue is collected, there is an
host of officers, who must be placed in the same clasa. The country
towns in Ireland are filled witfi idle persons, the most conspicuous of
>rkom are middlemen, who find that, by re-letting the bnds they have
previously taken, they can raise an income without the exertions necet-
tary for agricultural pursuits. I must not omit to statCt that pro-
fetsed beggars are very numerous.*—
* Much time is lost from the late hour at which the people risc^
tHf days they devote to pleasure, and those given up to relig^iout
ceremonies; I calculate that one-third at least of the tinte of the
^kbourtog classes in Ireland, is wasted in holy-days, funerals,
~ *Dg«, christenings, fairs, patterns, races, and other recreations.*
' *— • AU rjLoks are most anxious to become acquainted with every
circumstance rcapecting a at ranger. When one is among them,
I fbey have penetration enough to discover him, and ask him in-
i Qittnerable questions. In my way to Bantry, in October, 1808, I
iiuei a grtiilemaii on hort^cback, attended by a servant* He stopped
wm when he came up, and accosted me with, " Pray, Sir, from
do yoti come V* •* From Killamey/' — •* And wliittier
L ? arc
1 JO Wakefield'/ Account of Irrlani,
zre you going ?" ** I am going to Ban try*'* — <* And fca^e you
letter of mtrtiduction to Lord Bantry V* ** Ves ; itid can you inf<»
me whether his Lordship U at home t" — ** Why, to be sure now j
and Captain White and his lady are both ttterei and youUl be li£aTtil|
welcome.** ' —
* Tlic vanity of the Jrijih is evincod by 8om« of the c-"^ - - t ap
pellations i a married woman is never addressed^or sp ? th
wife of any one ; such an appellation would outrage the rt^'Ungs, \
be most ofenwve to an Irishman ; etiquette requires that ihe
ihciuld be " the lady." Even an holrKkrepcr expects when you in
quire after his spouse, that ytni sliouid ask " how bis lady does.*^
To speak ^^i her as Mrs, Murphy, Mrs, O'FlaSerty, or Mrs, O'Fl
negin, would be considered as ill bred.* —
* Formerly, excessive drinking prevailed among the higher or
but this practice is now entirely out of fashion; instead of this symfa
of ancient barbarism, a custom much more rational has been introduc
The gentlemen do not drink until tea and coffee are announced; eve
one when he feels disposed leaves the table without ceremony, and i
tires to the drawing*room. The host^ however, conceive» hixnaell
bound by the laws of hospitality to remain at his post till the last« j
he is never disturbed by a call from tht' ladies.
* Amongst mercantile people and rich graziers, most copioua liha
lions are slill offered at the ahrine of Bacchus ; but fashion begins tf
exercise a most beneficial influence, and the example of the nigh
ranks is now generally imitated. The common people, however, i
ttill mwch addicted to spirituous liquors-'—
* Notwithstanding the difference of prices in England and Irelao
every article being cneapcr in the latter, the first establishments in Ir
land are inferior to those of a respectable farmer among us- Tl
are more aervants, more horses, and more acres in hand j yet fewe
comforts are to be found in an Irish family, than in one onaintained^
two-thirds of the ex pence in England* Celibacy being unfa$hiouabl«^J
domestic servants are in general married ; hi:nce an incalculable wasi
]$ occasioned, and servants ere frequently kept because their masteci
have not the funds to pay them their wages,' —
* Ireland is a country where aristocrat ical influence ts more
lent than m England. Every thing which governmcin has to bestoi
being reserved lor parliamentary interest, and conferred on the high
order of Protestants, there is no middle ordt-r of people lo balance I
tween the very great and the very humble. Regiments of militia haf
been raised for the purpose of extending patronage, by giving the n
mination of officers to certain individuals. Barracks have been erect/
for the puposc of creating a market for an adjoining property. If i
look at the pension Lft, and examine the sums paid by way of coo
pcnsatiou, a momentary doubt will not be entertained, that in Irela
a wide- spreading system of corruption prevails. During the existenc
of the Irish parliament, the very idea of honesty was held in derisio
When a gentleman, whose wife and daughters were loaded with tin
weight of public mon^y, rose to address the Legislature, and bcgal
by saying, " If ever 1 gave an honest vote in my life * j'^ tlie roar of
laughter was so great thai he could not proceed, '^>
Wakefield'/ Aeotunt of Inland.
*Jt
* The pretalence of what U here termed jobbing, u every where so
coD^picuous tirat uo useful cnterpris* is uiid^*rtakcn, without being
contidercd by the people as " ajob.'* I cltd not myself escape the
imputatidn | for many of the newg*papers assured their readers, that I
was paid ^rt guineas a-day by government, and they aekcd, *• Who
would W3ute his time without remuneration I" '
It deserves to be noticed^ as a proof of the social disposition
of the Irirfjt tliat a labourer ia never seen to work alone, not
€\evk \n a barn* — All the larjje towns have suburbs* occu-
pied by the poor, which in some places are distinguished by
the name of " Irish-town." They usually consisted of mud
cabins thatched with straw, and half buried amid heaps of dirt j
a dCv'icription which was formerly applicable, in truth, to most
parts of tlw provincial towns. During the last age, however, a
visible amendment has taken place ; and the more affluent in-
habitants now occupy stone-huiit houses, with slated roofs.
QmdittQn of the Females^ — Among the lower orders in Ire-
land, women are treated with much less tenderness than in
England* In the country, they are subjected to the laborious
drudgery of digging turf or setting potatoes, and in the towns
they are daily seen bending under the pressure of heavy loads.
In consequence of this liarsh treatment, and of continual ex-
posure to the weather, they exhibit, at an early period^ the
marks of old age. Nothing, it must be confcssedi affords a
more striking indication of the backward state of a country,
than the harsh treatment of the weaker scr, — Early marriage
is common in Ireland among all ranks. Ini^tead of waiting, a9
with us, until a provision of some kind is made, it is not
unusual for a young couple to begin the world in debt, which
they have a confident expectation of speedily discharging,
chough it too often happens that one burden is merely the fore-
runner of another J and Irish females, by marrying under the age
of twenty, enter on the most important duties of life in a verv
inexperienced state of mind, — Among other points which call
for condemnation, is tlie practice, unfortunately too general, of
putting children out to nurse, Mr. W. complains, (Vol, ii.
P'797') ^^ terms which, we hope, are too positive, of the pre-
valent habit of parents contracting an alliance for a daughter on
views of mere calculation, and with little consideration of the
feelings of the parties. Among the lower orders^ with whom
the pressure of poverty Is felt, we are more inclined to take
the author's words in their literal meaning :
* The same picture, but in an humbler degree, may be tnci^d
through every rank downwards, until it exhibits an interesting young
female in the bloom of youth and beauty, exposed as it were in a
public mart* This practice ii avowed without ablush by the moun-
L 4 la
ifa
Wakefield*/ Account tf Irttond.
vUin farmer* in the wilda of Kerry, aiid I have beheld with pam inj
liiotiishracni 6uch scenes in the course of my tour/ —
* Beilevuct Feb, 13, 1809, One of the house-maids, a pretty
young woman twenty -two yeari of age, waa this day married to t
man old enough to be her father. He wau a widower with fiire
children, and before ao great a gtranger to her, that she had never 10
much as hf ard his name. He had seen her at church, and though be
Kad never spoken to her, sent her a message that he would marry her.
Upon inquiry, I fiad that such sudden marriaget are very oOfRtDOII.
The girl be:irs a most <*xceUent character- Her chief inducesnttit I*
marry was the settlement ; that of the man, a scarcity of Protdtult
women.*
Reverting to the upper ranks, it desenre* to be remarked dift
family-pride in Ireland forms, in general, an effectual saf^-guaid
against unequal alliances* It is rare that a genteel woman con*
sents to marry a man born in an inferior station of life ; andt
on the other hand, a natural daughter, though liberally endowed^
has little chance of forming a respectable connection. Though
the Irish ladies do not escape Mr. WakeCeld's sweeping &ev<s
rity, for their unforgiving strictures on the less correct part of
their stty he does them ample justice in other respects ; and he
dvc^ells with pleasure on tlieir sympathetic and charitable dis-
position, declaring that he could fill a volume with instances of
their benevolence. As to their exemplary character in a moral
point of view, he fully confirms what we recently laid before
our readers (Vol. Ixvi. p. 175.) from the observation of another
traveller. In treating of the county of Sligo, he says,
< The women in this part of the countiy are easy and unreserved
in their manners When the English regiments were herCt after the
rebellion, the officers found them exceedingly fond of cvctT- oodU
iimusement 5 but, being unacquainted w^ith Insh manners, they coO*
ceivcd that the squeeze of the hand while leading down the Bnerry
dance on the green, or the half-reluctant kiss in a corner, were in-
dications of further favours. In this, however, they found themselfOi
egregiously mistaken. In Ireland, a female, as Jn Scotland and ia
every cotnitry where the heart is uncon'upted, will converse freely,
and sometimes indulge in d&uhh entendre^ which would call a blush
to the cheeks of our town-bred ladies ; yet, their hearts are pure, and
their virtue so well guarded as to be in no datiger/
Wc are now to bring to a close these long descriptions of
Ireland and Irish manners, and to direct our attention to the me-
rits of the writer. The principal alloy to our good humour with
regard to Mr, W. arises from that cause which so often exhausts
the pntlencc of reviewers, — an unfortun^ite diffuseness and pro*
lixrty of style. By an odd coincidence, his fellow- labourer ia
the Irish vineyard, Mr* Dewar, has fallen into the same kind of
tre9p«|ss ; but some shades of diflfereuce prevail in the nature of
y dieir
DS^ss sufficient knowlege io eouble him to gratify his ap-
:e for quotation. Hence the at! vantage, if such his roa tiers
rider it, of very coptous notes. F^rt of this stock of anno-
►n we are willing to aicribe to an anxiety to Jesscn the
et'* doubts on disputed points \ thoughj if that be the case,
W, somoiimes makes odd miscalculations of the value of
a^ithority. A naturalist, for example, would hardly gite
sf to a iuspicioua argument an the testimony (see Vo], w
Ut} of such a book as H^JiVs Travels in Scoilaiia ** To fiiid
srimen of the profuse introduction of irrelevant matter Into
ten, we need seek no farther than the chapter on * Bogs f
re we find (Vol i* from p, 86» to 102.) a string of general
TV^ttoTis on the hogs and marshes of the world at large,
:h would be mucli better adapted to a philosophical treatise
hose stubboni impediments to husbandry, than to a toe ^
ey of Ireland* Nejtt to the offence of unnecessary ex pan-.'
I come the never-failing aUcndants of hasty composition |
repetition and want of method. On opening the chapter
Irish Manners,' the reader is forcibly struck with the unfor-
Xe distribution of materials The account of provincial
lA, and even the more limited report of the manners of
Jiiit are interspersed with particulars evidently belonging to
^eral head of nsitional character^ and> which is worse, be-
one part of tlie picture is finished* another is thrust into
» without any refeiencc to the degree of their mutual le^
n.
r« are ready to admit that the reduction into order of so
f a mass would have been a task of no tifling compass.
be book stands at present, so many superfluities remain to
^54
Wakefield*/ Account of Ireland.
ject his com position. The impatience to make tn e^irlycomrau
cation of his views should never be allowed to outweigh the cc
sideration of the injury attendant on the misplacing of importafl
materials. To go prematurely to press is productive of evils
are not easily remedied i and it might have occurred to Mr/
that a step of this nature could as little be recalled, as the
early marriages which he so pointedly censures on the part i
our Hibernian brethren. — In a case like that of the preset
work, where the mass of materials is so large, it is worth whif
to consider whether an author cannot dictate what he has nfl
time or patience to transcribe. Dr. Campbell, the author
the Political Survey of Britain, derived, we believe, much %i
commodation from this plan in his voluminous productioni
and those, who are not disposed to put his example in compe
tion with their objections to such a method, may find a moil
convincing proof of its advantages in the case of Adam Smttb
Desultory, however, as is the composition of Mr.Wakefidd
and unfavourable as this fault is to a continued perusal,
work will be found to contain an extensive store of useful
formation. The author has very properly avoided the endlelll
theme of historical and antiquarian disquisition, and has coil
fined the objects, if not the mode, of his discussion, to topics <
the present day. The official documents inserted are also bod
recent and well chosen j so that^ on the score of reference!
publication is of considerable value. It is not the less coo
mendable for containing occasionally extracts in the jonrtia*
form; a form possessing no small share of the animation whidi'
arises from noting transactions at the date of their occurrence;
and it is this animation which constitutes the^chief attraction ot
travels when given in tlic shape of epistolary communicationiil
We have sometimes remarked verbal inaccuracies, of whici^l
however, we shall notice only one example. We allude to th« (
word * instigation,' which is used by Mr, W. on occasions
which its first meaning, ** incitement to ill,'* must have beea
farthest from his thoughts. It occurs (Vol. ii, p. 402.) wlial|
he is describing Mrs. Wakefield's zeal in behalf of the Lancas
terian system of education; and ag:iin (Introduction, p. 17.JJ
when treating of that grave and certainly not eviI-intentione4 1
body, the " Dublin Society/' — To conclude; we rise from j
the perusal of Mr, W.'s book with feelings which will probably
be general among his readers j viz. an approbation of the honesty
with which he has delineated his picture, and a deep sense ol I
how much yet remains to be done for the amelioration, we had
almost said the redemption, of the country which is the object
of his details.
Art.
00k lor the purpose ot iliustrating tiie positions which
1 advanced in his " Elements," and of combating the
IS of Mr. Playfair. Mr. Dehic's researclics were princi-
lonfined to the S. W. part of this kingdom, in the coun-
Hants, Dorset, Devon, Cornwall, and Somerset. His
d, as we remarked on the former occasion *, is to give a
linute detail of every appearance that he observed, and of
circumstance, that occurred during his journev ; and tp
tt)ttOi in all cases to the great object which be had hi
10 that nothing is left for the reader to add» eith^ pf
r hifcrence* "^s plan has some advantages ; since it;
rthe idea of accuracy, and impresses the mmd with the
it confidence in the veracity ana good faith of the writer:
•the same time it produces much repetition, and suffers
ention to flag, in conseauence of the frequent recurrence
! same descriptions and the same explanations. The
il result, however, is that the author seems to have clearly
Wt his case ; to have shewn that Mr. Playfair's hypor
'although extremely plausible and ingenious, is not couut-
led'by an appeal to existing phaenomena $ and that, though
J .have strong analogies in its favor^ yet a still stronger
fy of fact may be brought in opposition to it. These
jj^ derive also a peculiar interest and value from. the cirr
laoe of their eiving a minute account of those dbtrict^
J^. P]ayf;ur had cited as affording the most direcj; ex-
I in support of his opinions; and which parts are reviewed
b. Peluq with a particular reference to the deductions
pS.beeo previously formed concerning them.
t author's first exnedition was into Dorsetshire. Hamn*
156 DelucV GtJogtcMl Travels^ n?//. IIL and IV»
•ea hj riTcrt, cjuit thf coasts, and diffuse themselve* over the deptl
of the ocean ? — - It vrill be seen, by the details iato whkk my ob
ratioas will lead me, that these three questions embrace almost
whole of the history of the earth 5 and indeed all tlie discustk
which have hitherto taken place in geology, evidently shew the la
portance of not leaving these objects involved in any obscurity/
In order to acquire a correct idea of the jrature of the actio
which the sea has exercised on the land contiguous to it, and <
the extent of these changes, it is highly important to becoo
acquainted with the position of the strata in the neighbourifl
country ; and therefore, although the author's attention wa
chiefly directed to the phenomena of the sea-coast, he toc
ctery opportunity of examining the mineralogy of the inreric
The Isle of Portland, tlXiA the Chesil-bank which is attached
it, afforded him many interesting observations. The Che&il
bank is a prodigious mass of sand and gravel, raised up in
form of a mound^ lying parnllel to the west side of the island
and separated from it by a narrow estuary, which is sever
miles in length. The materials of this immense bank ha*
evidently been cast up by the waves of the sea \ and the pha
fiomenon affords a strong argument against the opinion of " '
PJayfair, that the sediment of rivers is deposited at the bottofl
of the ocean and tends to raise its level. The foundation 1
such banks or bars near the coast, or at the mouths of rive
is supposed to consist of a ridge of submarine rocks, formed
the time when the strata of the earth experienced that revolt]
tion, or catastrophe, which reduced them into their presen
condition. This opinion is supported by tracing the counec
tion between these banks or bars, and the ridges of rocks ill
the neighbouring districts 5 and by pointing out the progres«]
sive accumulation of gravel and sand, in situations in which \
similar kind of support is aflbrded to the loose materials
are carried down rivers, and deposited by the waves near 1
coast.
In the neighbourhond of Weymouth, Mr. Deluc notices al
peculiar configuration of the land near the sea, which is pro»|
bably more or less common on all shores, but which seems ttlj
be remarkably prevalent on the south coast of our island. It iil
called, in the provincial language of the country, a comhti]
which h describ5d to be a valley that does not intersect
ridges of the hills, but terminates in the upper part of them bf J
a narrow end, gradually becoming wider as it descends, until it J
opens with a considerable mouth either into some larger combt J
or on the shore of the sea. Mr- Deluc insists much dn ihi \
ihape of these combes as affording a very decisive objection to
the Huttoniaa hypothesis of the formation of vallics ^ because,
so
ie action of running waterSj and of the elementf^, hss
. to diminish rather than lo increase their cavities* The
of phseiiomcua attending the situation ?nd formation cf
eculiar kind of v.dlej? is one of those M^hich most fre-
y occurs in the course of these voiumesj and seems to
ong the points which the author has most strenuously
ed and most clearly established.
Dther of the questions at issue between Mr, Deluc and Mr.
liT is the origin of the beds of gravel that are occasionally
on hilts. The latter gentleman contends that tbey at-
pTOof of llie gradusil decomposition of the surface of the
which is continually though impeTcepHbJy going for-
i| and h^ supposes that the gravel must have been trans-
Ikito its present situation by the action of running waters
some more elevated spot. Mr, Deluc, on the contrary,
serving the form of the adjoining district£> and the nature of
itrata, deems it impossible that the gravel can ever have
diepo&ited since the period at whicJi the earth assumed it»
tit form ; and he consequently concludes that the deposi-
nust have taken place when the present continents were
ed by the ocean* This is an observation which frequently
i in the course of these travels ; in the hills of Dorsetshircj
BVOOihire, and in the Isle of Wight, That beautiful islandi
1 the author examined with considerable attention, af-
d, by the position of its strata, an illustration of the partial
tkoce and consequent elevation of the solid parts of the
's surface, which form so essential a feature of his hy-
m&i and it seems evident that, by a subsidence of the norths
EOast of the island, the chfB on tlie opposite side have
c^n^'r^^AA
15 g DdacV GfotogtcaiTrdvek, Vjs. IIL and IK
the Purbeck quarries furnished him with an additional proof o(
his position, that they must have assumed th?ir present geneial
form while lying at the bottom of ihe sea, before the birth of
the present continents* One cf the circumstanccsi which he
supposes to be most decisive in his fayour, is the occurrence of
horizontal strata, lying on such as are nearly vcrticaL
* The upper strata^ as well as the lower, must have been rormca
in the &ea ; now, as in the Huttonian theory, the latter an* itipposrd
%/o have been broken in the very act of elevation which brought them
above its level, this circumstance haa of nect'ssity led to the strange
hypothesii already refuted undtr different forms ; namely, that sub«
acquently to the production of our continents by elevation, some of
their parts, by subHidence^i returned below the level of the sea, where
Dcw strata were formed upon them ; after winch they were agm
elevated,'
Mr* Deluc's attention is next engaged by the geology of
Devonshire and Cornwall j and into those counties he made
two journies which may be considered as the most interesting
of the series* This remark depends, in some decree, on the
circumstance mentioned above, that Mr. PI ay fair had potntrd
out these districts as aiTordlng him proofs of his own hypo-
thesis J whereas Mr. Delac, after a survey which appears to
have been much more minute, conceives that all the ph^no*
mena tend to the opposite conclusion. In his first journey^ he
passed through Devonshire, and ouly entered on the borders
of Cornwall : hot, in a second expedition, he proceeded qtiite
to the Land's End. In illustration of the Huttonian hypotheiis
respecting fbe formation of the beds of rivers, Mr. Playfair
pariieulariy referred to the south coast of Devonshire and
Cornwall j and, after having stated in general terms that the
valleys through which rivers discharge themselves, in elevated
and rocky countries, lave been actually produced by the waters
of these rivers gradually cutting through the rock which com-
poses their bed, he observed ;
** Let us take, for an example, the coast of the British Chann^lt
from Torbay to tlie Land's End, which is faced by a continued
rampart of high cliiF*, formed of much indurated and primeval rock*
I f we consider the breaches in this rampart, at the mouths of die
Dart, oi the Plym and Tamer, of the river at Fowcy, of the Fall,
the Hel, S:c. it will appear perfectly clear, that they liave been pro*
duced by their respective streams. Where there h no stream, thcf^
is no breach in tke rock, no softening in the bold and stern aspect
which this shore every where presents to the ocean. If we look at
the smaller streams, we find them working their way through the
cliffa at the present moment ; and we see the steps by which the
larger valleys of tlie Dart aiid the Tamer have been cut down to the
level of the sea/'
Mr- Play.
d then extended n\any mile:: farther into what is now occupied
sea.
this hypothesis, Mr. Dcluc opposes tlie foHowing :
lat, from the origin of our continents, the streams formed by
d-waters have entered the same channels, and discharged them-
nto the tea by the same openinei, through which we see then^
prtiMt I— that thete channeU, and the opeMng* theimelf<%
K eflficctt of ccmTulsioiis of the stratit not niilj niitf fff Jcnt tfl
ler when thflie watart, began to flow, Irat to tiw Iwrth of tht ton*
p«w-thatthete waters, since they have began to flow, haveraiaad
pteidsy instead of deepening them s -*and that the sea^ fyr
iavuig encroached on the lands, has, on the contxary, beeQ
every where removed to a distance from them.'
paove this theory by reference to fact, and eipeciallf
M very facts which had been adduced by his adversary
Itttaaacing the contrary opinion, is the object which th^
rhad continually in view during hia progress along the
gf Devonshire and Cornwall. He attempts to substantiate
aion by shewing, that the size of the valley is frequently out
ibportion to the siie of the river which flows durough it ^
i aome. instances, vallies arc to be seen without any stream;
•^opposite sides of vallies are composed of diflerent ma*-
I that the position of the rocks in the neighbourhood is
f to evince that a fissure or subsidence has occurred in
ilU to which the valley has owed its formation ; that the
ne obviously filling up the valleys through which they
»j the deposition oT their sediments ; that the bed of the
It their mouths is often much below the level of the sea t
I(So PhillipaV Exammatim efihe Piarmac^pang*
Stratum is of a different kind, where no coneiguous elrratiosi oc-
curs from which the blocks can have been transported, and whoe
they are dispersed in so partial a manner as to shew that tbif
could not have been deposited by any cause operating generally
over the whole surface* In our account of his first volomc^
we stated Mr, Deluc's hypothesis on this subject $ — he ascribei
the existence of these blocks, under their present circum stances,
to the violence of the commotions which took place when • the
internal fluids, compressed by the subsidence of the sepantad
masses, cast out these fragments detached by the coUision of
those masses in their regular motions/ The subject is of coo*
fiderable difficulty : but perhaps the conjecture of the author
may be well founded; and we agree with him so far as to believe
that these blocks were deposited nearly in their pre&eni positioo
by some violent revolution, which took pbce before the ewih
received its present form.
As our limits will not permit us to follow the audior in im
four tlirough Comwall, we shall only add that he appears to
have surveyed it witli hts accustomed accuracy, and that be
details his account in such a way as to convey to the miod a
conviction of his perfect fidelity as an historian of the phacDO-
mena of nature. We must also repeat our testimony to the
candor which MnDeluc, in all instances, observes towards bis
opponents : although much interested in the establishment of hit
own opinion, he never attempts to eflfect his purpose by aof
improper arts ; he always states the contrary hypothesis with
fairness ; and be never permits any expressions to escape him
which ought to give irritation to his antagonist.
Abt. V
/f/i Experimental Examirtattan j/* the hi/ Edithn ^ tit
PharmacoptttA Lomiinensis ; with Remarks on Dr. Powcl*s Tfl
lation and Aunotutions, By Richard PhiUipst
Boards. W. Phillips, Underwood, Sec, 1811
Svo.
5i.6d,
¥t ^ now generally admitted tliat the Royal College of Phy«i^
^ cians, in ilieir late edition of the Plurmacopccb, completely
failed in their object ; and tliat, instead of producing a woti
which was creditable to themselves and valuable to the public^
they brought forth an abortion which would have been disggicc*
ful to the merest tyro in science, and which is» in many in-
spects, inferior to the onethatit was intended t^* le* If
tlie conviction of this truth should not have ni ili«
mind of every practitioner from a bare perusal of ih- o*
pocia, and if it had not receive i ten-fold force by aii ,.; "
of the notes of the grand agent of tlie College^ Dr, Pc
ca:inw^t
to Its "commands, U fitted w\(h blundtrs and incoii-
1^ — blunders fraught with danger to the lives of the
' ft and inconsistencies that render those processes im-
ile which all the apothecaries in England are ordered to
Such evils are, indeed, the necessary consequence of
] system of exclusion on which the College is founded^
i$ at present maintained in all its rigor.
\ 9ome remarks on the manner in which this unfortunate
rk was produced, the author proceeds to examine la
ier the various preparations which it contains ; and
1 pursuit of this object he displays his own great skill
$try and pharmacy, he shews that of the processes
[fay the wisdom of the College, some are impossible
inadequate^ some wasteful and others unchemical ;
n some instances a substance is procured different from
K which was intended, and that in others the process is
MIS to the operator. In addition to all these serious
■cms, is one that is still more weighty ; the charge of ai
Wof inaccuracy that is unpardonable, and almost
ceivable*
Phillips begins by making some remarks on the new
'ature of weights and measures which the College hat
he conceives that the change was not requisite j and
that, cither through ignorance or carelessness, the
employed in a manner that is Inconsistent with the
on which they were adopted, and in some cases in-
extricable confusion. A circumstance which must
r impress the mind of every person, who studies the new
pacoposia^ h the number of unaecesaary changes that havt
FhlllipsV Esmmmihen tftSe f^macapma*
« In the Pharmacopeia of 1787, the Acidum Nitricum
W3» prepared by mixing equal weights of acid and water : in
present, nine measures of water are added to one measure of
and the connparative stren^h of these mixtures is stated by I>r,PoTi
■'to be as 16 to 10* I shaJl examine this conclusion.
« The bulk of equal weights of fluids being inveriely as their j
'^eific gravity* that of the nitric acid formerly ordered is I .Ot and \
•of the water 1.5 ; together 2*5 for the bulk of mixture cotitautii
one part of acid. But in the new mode 10 parts of the mixture 1
tain also i part of acid ; wherefore the strength of the old prepa
tion is to that of the new as 10 to 2*5 ; or as 40 to to, instead i
16 to 10.
* From a cause which cannot be mistaken, no reason whateverl
been assigned for the change introduced in this preparation/—
* In the former Pharmacopceia, one part of sulphuric acid was i
fected to be mixed with eight parts of water ; both by wemht :
College now order fl. oz» if of the acid to be mixed with n, oz» J
ef water, and we are rather whimsically informed, that this d
h»A been effected because *Hhis mixture will be more convenieQilyi
and its dose more easily apportioned than the former one/' Nov ]
find the proportion of the weights of the ingredients was before 1
fidently easy j to ascertain the volume of each required a little ca'
lation, which is now requisite if the relative weights of the ingredi
be sought ; and the relative volumes of acid and water aelecled I
the reasons above quoted are in the inconvenient proportion of ^
to 29.
* I shall proceed to examine the assertion, that this preparati
bears to the former one the proportion of 159 to 100* The bulk^
one part by w< eight of sulphuric acid being called i.o, that of S pa
of water is 14,81 making together 15.8, for the bulk of the mixtu
containing one part of acid ; 47.4 of the mixture then hold 3 paj
of acid, the quantity contained in ti parts of the new preparatioits
and the strength of the new is to that of the old as 47*4 to ^z,
148 to 100**
The liquor amfmntM of the late Pharmacopceia affords
atriking example of the careles&ness and ignorance of the ne
legislators- Mr. Phillips justly remarks ; « When any pr
ration has been long in use, and its dose consequently gener
understood, it seems unadvisable even to improve the metha
of procuring it, if the alteration necessarily occasions any varii
tion in its strength \ in the present instance, however, the prg
cess has not only been changed for one which is worse, but
medicine has been most materially altered in power.' Th|
author then enters into an elaborate critictsni on the mode i
which the ankle la directed to be procured, which seems to 1
on several accounts objectionable. Its strength is increased
five-fold, yet the same dose is still ordered as of the former j and J
it is added in the usual proportion to those preparations of whicbl
the Mmmonia forms a constituent part. The coosequeace is
the
Jr. FowelFs iHustrations are the mosit intricatej and that Mr,
ips displays to most advantage his critical acumen* This
>T*3 remarks on the antimonial preparations are of peculiar
> aa tending to counteract the errors of the College, and
fe a considerable share of nt:w informatioo on this impor-
Dlass of compounds. The different oxyds of antimony are
dered by die College as similar in their n^iture, and tbit
tke is farther enforced by Dr* Poweil j yet what novice ia
ce is not acquainted with their diSerence, and knows not
jome of them are nearly inert in the stomach, while others
nedicme^ of the most active nature ? For the preparatton
itar-emetic, the College directs that peculiar oxyd to be
oyed which is called the powder of Algaroth ; on which
ct Mr. Phillips observes ;
L6er ail that hat h^n said of the extreme impropriety of eca-
ig thii o&ide, I am dispo^d to think that the method of pi^pa*
I 19, if poasiblej worse than the medic ipe Itself^ It haa not a
' jfioperty etiential to i good procesi j whilst ererj^ property
I It does possets is more tnan sufficient to itamp h bad* It h
brly uofortunatc, that of uniformity, the very property for
i ii h said to ha ire been introduced, it i^ absolutely destitute ;
wiU venture to assert without fear of contr^dictiont that^f I>r«
II have tried the process^ some of the properties which he attri*
to the product must have arise u from his procuring what it
0t his intention to obtain, other wiie he would not hate ventured
oaunend ten grains of this oxide as a dose, nor would have as^
J that when two parts of it are boiled in a tobtion of three
of tartar, ** loore ox yd than may be itrictly neceisary li
ed.*'*
I conopkte the sum of transgressions, it appears thit
Pktnc
tf T9ff ffffwurstf^
from iuch sources* It i$ indeed absolutely necessary rilj
that the Pharmacopoeia be again rerised, (or rather entir
new^modelled J or that the bod]^ of the profession ihould ti»
iolire to employ the old edition.
It miiy be proper to remark ^ that Mr* Phillips give* his enttft
tssent to the objections that were urged by Dr. Bostockt »n i^
pamphlet against the nomenclature of the new PharmacopGcia.
i^t* VI- // Chart o/T^n, Numerals In T%tfO Hundred Tcn^mits
with a DescriptiYe Essay ; extracted from the 7ih and Sth Nuin*
bers of the Classical* Biblical, and Oriental JournaL By the
Rev* R. Patrick* Vicar of Scdcoats, Hull. 8vo» pp, 5!,
Sherwood and Co* 1812.
LAKGUi^s U msttnctive in the humm race, A mother and
her child soon contrive names for the objects and actioui
to which they have occasion in common to attend ^ and though
the parent may atteoipt to dictate the first words, she is na*-
turally induced bo to modify them as to render them most
easily uttered by the infant. Hencei in all languages, the
easiest syllableSi mamma f amme^ mama^ have been applied to
the ideas, bnajt^ nurse^ tmther^ which first require a pbce
to human nomenclature* Children concert with one aiw
crther an additional set of names and nicknames ; of whicbi
for the most part, onomatopoeia is the basis. The feeder, or
^ther •, of the family progressively introduces those words
which must one day connect his young people with the ex*
terior world \ and mus^ in a state of savage anarchy, each
household erows up with a pecntiar talk^ having some wonii
that are understood only at home, and some that are cammofl
to the village and to a larger neighbourhood. The more
population thickens, and the oftener neighbours meet, the
greater is the proportion of words which grow into a public
stock, and the smaller is the proportion which remains as hejj^
blooms in particular families. Social migrations, or mUitary
company, throw into oblivion tlie domestic and bring into
circulation the general words | and thus tribes, and at length
nations, become possessed of a common dialect. A language,
Kke a lake, is formed by the confluence of many petty streamsi
and then it runs over in one great stream, to mingle with the
Other spreading idioms of the earth.
It is not so certain that numeration, as that Ianguage> i|
instinctive among mankind. Nations may learn of themselves
* la Latin, /^of^r aeenu to be contracted hgrnfmior^ analogouily*
to
J
i66
Patrick'^ Chart ef Ten Numerabl
^
tuggesCsng a tripartite idea i Fier is cxmencted from Jh^mi
and therefore signifies four ; Ffm^ or fivci is the hand t Tt^k
or ten, means the toes : but the words six, seven, eight, an4
nine, have been borrowed from the Romans, instead of Ae
Tound-about expressions previously adapted, such as twice-thrw,
or twice- four* Of all the primary numbers, jeven appears to
hive been the most difficult to invent -, and hence it is alaoit
everywhere a borrowed word, and is common to the Helir«f-
dialect as well as to those already specified^ In the Koriacki
an Asiatic, and in the Jalloffe, an African, and in the Mexicai%'
an American language, fivc-and-one, five»and-two, fiTewan^*
three, Gve*and-four, stand for the second half of the digits^
Our arithmetical figures, as Villoison has proved from antios
manuscripts, are corriiptions of the letters of the Greek alpha*
bet, and were brought into use by the mathematicians of Alex-
andria, about the time of the Antonines : but to reckon by tem
is almost an organic idea, resulting from our five^fingercd
handst
In order to ascertain whether a given tribe invented, or bojb
rowed, its arithmetical table, it is necessary to compile a cata^
logue of those words which have commonly been made tit
basis of numerical metaphor. Thus, if in the Madagascii^
numbers the word /eemff represents five, it must be next ii^
quired whether this same word signifies hand or foot in Made*
gassian, Tnngue is their word for hands •, and tambo^ for feec
Hence it may be suspected that tlie Madegassians did not
vent their own numbers. On examining farther, it ap
that all the Malay nations count with words closely resembli]
the Madegissian numbers i and it may therefore be infi
that the Madegassians, among whom these numbers are
autochthonous, have learned to reckon of the Malays »
Malay numbers prove a commercial intercourse with
Malays : but they are used by many nations of wholly disdoct
origin and descent*
We recommend it to the present industrious author, io order
to render his work permanently useful, to accompany his lists
of numerals with tlie words of most frequent occurrence j and,
as at page 38. to 40., carefully to state from what book each list
is derived. Other writers on language can then turn to th«
authority, and might be able to draw inferences from the entire
vocabulary preserved by a given traveller, which could not satis-
factorily be deduced from specimens merely numerical. The
Persians, like the Greeks and Latins, have their numbers from
the nation which spoke Sanscrit i but they derive not from that
nation the main basis of their dialect. The path of commerce
is to be sought in the numerals of countries, but the. path of
I a conquest
atn 01 I
^
I
?atncic*/f^rr %f Ten Numtra^, ^7
n mcir political dictionary : while, in order to trace
the "descent and alUnity of nations, we must examine their
domestic vocabubry, and compare such words as father, mo-
ther, son, daughter, brother, sister, hands, cars, eyes, feet,
mnd lips.
In analyzing the tenth chapter of Genesis, the Reverend
author justly observes (p. xiii ) that it contains a geographical
sketch of primaeval Asia ; the metaphor of filiation being there
employed to designate provincial subdivisions. So Ferishta
begins his oriental history by saying that Dekktn was a son of
Hind, who was a son of Shem j meaning that Dekkan is a
subdivision of Hindostan, which is a subdivision of Asia.
Noah, tlierefore, is the name of the entire habitual continent
known to the writer, or of what we now call the old world.
The idea of personifying the dry land, and of describing it as
having alone escaped an universal deluge, with its animals under
its custody, in a cage woven of branches of trees, is a striking
" "ory, worthy from its antiquity and simplicity to be
. the sacred volume, and so to be handed down as an
everlasting possession to mankind. Still, we are not convinced
that Mr. Patrick has entirely defined aright the early subdivi-
stons. Japhet may nearly answer to Europe : but the' Europe^
or the West, of the Ninevites and Babylonians, among whom
this document originated, included Asia-minor besides the
modem quarter of the world. Ham comprizes their south^
Syria, Arabia, and ^gypt; Shem, the more eastern countries*
Cash cannot mean Ethiopia, as the translators of Genesis
(iu iaA would have us believe \ it was washed by the Gihon,
which IS the Chaboras, and is to be sought in the high lands of
Mesopotamia : so that Cush probably included Eden. Schloet-
zer, writing at Moscow, during the existence and civilization
of that Ul'fated metropolis, thinks that we may discover in
'"feshech the Aluscovites {Nordische Geschichte^ p, 281.); and
theory Mr Patrick adopts : it has also the sanction of
:hart» and of Michaelis, [Splcihgiumj p» JiJ \ yet the Mas-
sagetai of Herodotus, who about the time of Cyrus made great
inroads into Assyria, ought to occur in the list* Perhaps
[Og can be tortured into a name for the Massagetai, or Scy-
fis J which indeed is Schloetzer's oplniona Tarshish is ill
lered by the present author, Tartasus- The Tarshish of
ture is no where the Spanish sea-port below Seville, but
Tarsus in Cilicia, where Saint Paul was bom % which,
though now deserted by the sea, was in Jonah^s time a sea-
port.
Of the Biscaysn or Basque language^ a vocabulary of the ten
pfunary numerals is given at p. 3, This singular dialect
M 4 deserret
1^8 Patrick*/ Chart of Ten Numifali.
deserves % more attentive study than antiquarian reseafch
e?e Mariana, I. i. c. 5.) or than travelled philosophy has yet
en able to bestow. It is wholly a m others tongue, not coim
pounded of the other primaeval languages of Europe i suck n
the Latin, the Celtic, the Cimbric, or the Gotliic. In Basque^
§ltv signiBes herd^ and sndia means gnat £ so that the name of
the elephant, or great cattle, is native among the Basques.
They arc consequently an African colony, pressed into the
nortn of Spain by Roman settlers on the eastern coast. Yet
they are not remnants of a Carthaginian colony 5 for neither
their numerals, nor any parts of their language, resemble ibt
Hebrew, or Punic, remains. From the Grantmaire Ba^qta ii
H^rri€tf printed at Bayonne in 1741, we wDl copy a few facti
respecting this tongue, which may amuse the speculator* The
pronouns arc ^1 for /, He for thcu^ Btra for Ar, Gu for <cj^, Cu
for ye^ Berac for they^ Plurals of nouns are regularly made ia
#r, whence the language of Aquitaine was called in Franct
langm d^pc^ and hence the name of the antient province of Lan»
iuedoc. Degrees of comparison are thus formed ; Saint ^ holy,
ainiuagot bolter, Saintuena^ holiest : but, as in all other di lectS
of the workt, the adjective good, On^ is irregular, and has Ho^
tetter, for its comparative. This is expressed by Hart^ mim by
Snea^ his by Beria, The tenses of verbs are formed by means
of auxiliaries;! not of coalescing terminations. Guit^nt^^ whkh
designates man^ signifies also z Jim form, Jauna is masUr i
^auntoa Is Gi>d $ Sua l^firii. Andrm is mis t res s^ a^ if from A»tf»
Gcicoa is highy Pizco is /w, Dia is fnuihi Nasta is tnixtf Sec*
Ni naiz means I am^ Ni dut is Ihave^ &c. The verb agreei
with its regimen in number \ of which prospective attention
we have also traces in the modern Italian « Ama^ or fn^ter, is
an unborrowed word, but formed, like all the earlier ideas, with
the easier consonants.
In his preface, this learned author adopts a theory hazarded
in the Monthly Review for July i@ii, that language is con*
fluent, not diffluent^ that rude countries and early ages had ai
many languages as separate families, each inventing its own %
and that, with every progress of intercourse and co-operatton^
the number of these tongues grows fewer and fewer, until at
last all will be absorbed and confused (if we may use this term
for me/ud togfther) in one universal language common to the
whole earth. Yet in the Essay, or Section, (p. 17. to 20.) and
again in the Section p. 21. to 37,, the old theory is implicitly
followed that language was originally one, and is continually
diverging and subdividing into many 5 or that it is diffluenti
TiO\ ccnflucnt. We are aware that this is supposed to be the
dacupc of the autt^ pf the eleventh chapter of Genesis. — A
tempest
PatrickV Chart of Ten Numeral/*
169
tenpest bursts on the tower of B^beh The fellowJaboureri
^•OSMler this phsenomenon 35 the descent of an angry^ god, not
99 the natural consequence of the lonely height of the building.
They disperse, and soon cease to be able to understand one
anotKer. — The general lawi that co-operation and intercourse
bad rendered common to all the Babylonians a given language«
if here attested \ as aUo the general law, that segregation and
independence particularize the dialects of families and pro«
irince^ The only part of the account^ in which the writer
appears to have trusted inference rather than testimony! is iu
the proposition ihut, before the association of the inhabitants of
Shiiur to build Babylon, their whole land (Gen. xu v. t.) wat
of one language and one speech. He suppo*?es the state, first
occasioned by their intercourse, to have been the immemorially
permanent one 4 because his records did not extend back beyond
the date of that association ; ^ it is only against this iupposi^
tioa that our theory in "iome degree militates. In the prior
document^ (Gen. x. v. 31.) complete evidence occurs of the
previous variety of human languages ; so that it is inconsistent
with that part of Scripture, to maintain the hypothesis of any
original single primaeval tongue having ever overspread Asia,
At p, 36. Mr* Patrick transcribes, from the Thesaurus of
Hickes, a table which deserved to have been used as a model
for the compilation of these comparative vocabularies. First
occur the denominations of those objects which are usually
xiamed by onomatopoeia. Every original language imitates dii-
lenemly. The tvoifof the Goths is not derived from the uluiare
of the Latins -, because the name of the animal must have ex*
iued before the description of his cry *, yet in both words the
attempt to imilale a howl by an articulate sound is apparent and
ivdible. Sccomlly, occur the domestic relations. Thirdly,
the parts of the hotly. Fourthly, the surrounding mute scenery
of nature, such as sun, moon, fire, water, earth, and snow. la
thwp words, to the formation of which the ear gives no deter-
nioaie help, the arbitrary variety of structure is wonderful* ->«
Due care has not always been taken in this volume to print
COfreetly the word^ quoted. For instance, at p. 37., tinga is
Mated to be G^^rman for tongue^ whereas the German word it
zungi, — On the whole, thiii work displays more erudition than
plulo&ophy, and more reading than judgment : but it comprizes
in a sjnaJi compass an important mass of fact. We anticipate
Itaeientoal republication, with tables more comprehenMve, an
cot more perspicuouf , and a purpose more definite.
A^T.
#tl
AliT* VIL A Deuription of thi Coileciioit ^/AncUnt Marhkt m>
iht Britiih Museum i with Engravings. Fart I, ^to, iSPlaOan
iL 55. Boaids, (Large Paper, iL 15s.) Nicol and Soa, i8tf*
IN Vol Uvii. of our New Series, page ju, we noticed Rbv
Combe's dcscnpiion of the antient Terra-Cotta* in the
British Museum ; and we apprized our readers that it was the
commencement of a series intended to exhibit the whole con-
ttnts of that superb gallery of antiquities. The volume before
m is the next publication in succession, being the first part of
the description of the antient marbles, and displaying the con-
tents of the first rotunda, or second room in the order of
passing through the gallery. We observed of the pre-
ceding work, that it did not appear with all that costly splen-
dour which often distinguished national productions, the ma-
nagers being obviously intent on making it more extensively
useful by the smallness of the price : but, in examining the
fiPtient volume, we have the gratification of seeing an evident
iftlpiDvement in the engravings, which testify the advantage of
practice in this school of the arts v and this is a benefit whidii
under the soUicitous care of those who have the charge of the'
undertaking, will doubtless be progressively and widely dif»
fused throughout the country.
A remark occurs in the Introduction, with which all ad*
mirers of art and of antiquities must cheerfully accord ; Tix.
* that the dimensions of the marbles are carefully given \ thjit
the names of the places, in which the different articles wete
discovered, are stated in every instance where they could be
ascertained J and that in the engravings, as well as in the
written descriptions, particular attention has been paid to dis-
tinguish and point out those parts which are not antique. It is
to be regretted, that this practice has not been more generally
adoptedi particularly in the earlier publications ou ancient
sculpturei as it is in consequence of this omission that the an*
tiquary, relying too much on the accuracy of an engraving, hii*
been frequently led into error/
Plate 7. is a beautiful engraving of an elegant Eacchanaltan
vase^ accompanied by the following description :
« A vase of an elegant oval form, with two upright maasive handles i
it it ornamented all round with Bacchanalian figures, which arc exe-
cuted in a «tyle of incomparable excellence. The aubject repretenti
the celebration of the orgies of Bacchus by a number of persons who
imitate the dresset and characters of a Faun, a Satyr, and male and
female Bacchantei, The Faun has a thyrsus in hii right hand, and
18 covered with the skin of a panther ; the Satyr is bearing an am-
phor of wine ; the female Bacchantes are dressed in thin transparent
drapery which Boats in the air ; out of theoij with her hair diihe-
veiled*
4
Oombe'i Deicripi. ofAffU Marbki in tk Brit. Mmeunu 171
ip^ed, attd her head hciit forwardt U in the act of brandishmg %
JuLiie* vrbile attathcr ib bolding the hind limb« of a kid. The nude
Bacthanles are rcpresoiiicd of different ages ; one, in the flower of
youihf and of a beautiful form, ia leaning on the ahoulders of a
Young female ; he has a torch in hii right Jiand^ and a Ught cloak
sangtng over his arm. Near the Satyr arc' two other male Bacchautei^
ose of whom, of an aged appearance, and with a pedum in his liand,
ee^ms 10 be in a state of iutoKication, and is supported by his more
youthful companion. The strong muscular ftgure, near the centre^
with a panther at his feet, and with his right arm upbfted, is in the
act of •timulatiijg the votaries of Bacchus to a continuation of the
rite&i ill which endeavour he is seconded by the Satyr, who holds up
Ml right hand iu tJic same action of exhortation. Nearly the wliolc
of these figures, agreeably to the rites of the Bacchanalian game*, are
in tJie act of dancing,
• The Dionytia, or orgies of Bacchus, were instituted in comme*
moration of his conquest of India, and were celebrated in different
parts of Greece, but were observed with greater splendour at Athentf
perhaps, than at any other pkce. At these festivals it was custo-
jaary for the people to imitate the followers of Bacchus, and to run
ibout the mountains, feigning phrenzy* and repeatedly shouting the
name of Bacchus.
^ At the lower part of the body of the vase are eight female
figuiesi holding a patera in each hand j they have wings, and tenai*
nate in the form of Tritons. An architectural fragment^ which re.
preieiits a figure precisely similar to these, and which has probably
Delonged to a temple dedicated to Bacchus, is in the collection of
Lord Elgin, and similar representations of male Fauns have occurred
in the Terra-cottas. In the ancient sculptures we sometimes see the
Bacchic and marine characters united ; an instance of this kind occun
in a terminal head, formerly in the Vatican, In which tlie attribute!
of Bacchus are blended with those of a Triton. This beautiful vase
was found by Mr. Gavin Hamilton in a spot called Monte Cagnolo,
in the Villa of Antoninus Pius at Lanuvium, When discovered, it
was lying in several detached pieces, which have been carefully
joined together. The female Bacclianite on the left, and the Faun
'lich is next to her are modern, with the exception of the feet of
^former, and of the lower legs and left arm of the latter. The
f of the figure which holds the torch is modem, and the left arm
of the Satyr an well as a large portion of the head and a part of the
amphora have been restored. The rest of the vase, with the eitccp-
tion of the pedestal, ia ancient, and iu excellent preservation. It
measures in height 3 feet \ inch.*
In plate U, the artists have been very successful in represent-
ing the fine Venus of the late Mr. Townley^s collection | o£
wliich it is observed that
< The drapery, though bold, is light and finished, and is supported
<)y being thrown over the right arm. The attitude of the statue it
easy and graceful, and the inchnation of the head perfectly correi-
pondi wim the character and expreisison of the whole figure. The
•culpture
•colptareid of the kighcat order^ and the origioal poliaK of the ,
it acimtniblj prcsenr(^» but the kft ^rm^ die right hand* mud the tip
of the t\om have been restored : upon the whole» ihij figure mxf nak
WA one of the finest female ttatuci which have been ret di«covemL
* It consists of two pieces of marble, imperceptibly joined at lie
lower part of the body, within the drapery. The maitile of wtidi
the body is compoied is of a lighter colour, than that of wkkii ibe
Aapcfy 13 formed, and the beautiful effect produced by tbii oo
IKHret tbat it wa« not an accidental circumstance, but wat die
of preTtoui knowledge and skill in the artiit* It was in ccHiaet
•I the two part a being detached, that they were allowed to be es*
ported from Italj, as iragmcnts of two different statues.
* This exquisite piece of sculpture was found in the rmxm of the
fttaritime baths of the Emperor Claudius* at Ostia, by Mr* Gam
Hamilton, in the year 1776^ A figure of Venus very nearly re*
•embHog the present, but with the podlioa of the irma tevmed,
^ecart on a medallion, in bronze, of Lucillaf where the goddett is
irpresented standing at the edge of the sea, or at the head of a bathf
«uiTO«Dded by Cupids, one of wliich is leaping into the watery «id
it ia not improbable that the present statue might have been p1ace4
as an appropriate ornameot, in the baths which weft coostructed M
the spot where the statue was discovered*
« It is 6 feet 11^ inches high» ttkchiding the pliiith ; tW latter
Beatares 4} inches.*
The colossal head of Herciilcs, plate 1 1*, is thus described:
* This colossal head of Hercules is of the finest Greek sculpt arr.
The statue to which this head belonged evidently represented Herculei
xu a Ktatc of repose, and was probably a copy of the famoua itaiue
of Glycon, found in the baths of Caracalla, and now in the covt of
the Famc&e Palace ; it was after this model that the bust waa re-
stored at Rome. The head, however, diners in several point!
from that of the Famese Hercules : the face is broader, the rouadci
•f the chreks and forehead have more convexity, and the hair of tlif
head and beard is more in distinct masses ; the whole head indeed ii
executed in a balder style of art, and is, if possible^ chaiBCteriacd
by a higher degree of grandeur and sublimity* The ears of Her*
rules are gcoer^dly represented of a remarkable form, having a twolo
aad lacerated appearance. Tliis peculiarity is very striking in """
instance before us. The motive which induced the ancient sculpi
to represent Hercules with this particular mark, was in order to
mote the injuries he received in the numerous combats in which he
been engaged. This superb head was dug up at the foot of Mount
Vesuvius, where it had been buried by the lava of that volcano ; ii
was presented to the Museum by the late Sir WilEam Hamihotu
« The nose, the right ear, and a splinter on the right choek, MV
the only restorations it has received. It measures^ including tha
ku£t, 2 feet 5 i inches in height-'
The elegant console, plate i j., is «aid to be ' a part of ont
ef tht supports of an ancient table} it consists of a. double
4?(}luie, of a very eleg;AUt iorm* The circttnivoltttions of tht
upper
1
BofdV Paimgnfrom Si. Ckysottom, £5V*
»7S
mppet md lower parts turn in contrary directioQS. The lower
Isolate serves as z basis or pedestal to a figure of Victorjf^
hich fills up the intervening space in a light and beautiful
ITi^niier. The marble has been so elaborately hollowed out
behind this figure* that with the exception of the feet and
^tngs it is perfectly detached.' Mr. Combe will probabl]^
idter his opinion of the antient destination of this ornament on
iookixig Uito Desgodetz's Antiquities of Rome, where he will
find a very similar subject in the plates of the arch of Trajan*.
A"
Aht. VIII . SiUci Patsaga of the W^rUtngs q/ St. CbryiOit$mp St*
Gregory ffa%tan%m» and St* Bail!* Translated from the Greek
by Hugh Staart Boyd* The Second Edition, corrected and
enkrgcX Royal Svo* pp. 37c). 12s. Boards* I.oagmai»
BOUT the middle of the last century^ in consequence of Dn
lVEddleton*s Inquiry into the Miraculous Powers, 5cc,, the
metit of the Fathers underwent an ample discussion; and their
credit was so much depreciated, that their writings were sold in
the shops at little more than the price of waste paper. Their
childish credulity, their ridiculous narratives, their senseless
ciuity and their hyperbolical and declamatory style, induced the
odtfarated Archd*-acon Law to say of them, " that they spote
IS children, understood as children, and taught as children*''
To these antient preachers, however, Mr* Boyd is so ex*
tremely partial, that he seems inclined to add the Holy Fathers
to the College of the Apostles ; but wc are disposed to think
that the specimens which he has here produced will not recover
for them one atom of their faded reputation, nor recommend
them as persons of sound judgment, strong reasoning, and
vigorous persuasion. Though Mr* B. introduces them with
|]ie warmest encomium on *the purity of their diction, the
Ipkodor of their rhetoric, the warmth of their imagination^ the
ndmess of their imagery, and above all, their profound know-*
lege of the human heart,* the judicious reader will not relish
ll^tr style of eloquence ; which would be proi^ounced by an
^^Ush audience to be exuberant, vapid, and sometimes im«
beetle* After an expression of astonishment that these Fathers
* have not been presented to the English reader in an English
dlC^St' Mr* Boyd, in the very next page, speaks of < the glowing
lietaphors of Nazianzen,' yet honestly confesses that *be
knowt not of any oration of his which would be read with
unmixed pleasure to the end, and therefore that he has not
tfmnslated any one entire** — That Mr* B. has over- rated tht
works of the saints specified in the tide will surely appear froi^
f ^ BoydV Pasfngef from St, Ctfrjmstmti fe^.
tHe following short extracts. St, Clirysostoin, treating on tk
efficacy of prayer, uses this extr^ivngant language :
* The potency of prayer hath subdued the strength of fire ; k
hath bridled the rage of hons ; hushed anarchy to rest ; exttngubhei
wars ; appeased the element? ; expelled daemons ; burst the cnains rf
death ; expanded the gate* of heaven ; assuaged diseases ; repeiki
frauds ; reecued cities from destruction ; it hath stayed the «ui5 in hb
course^ and arrested the progress of the thunderbolt : in a vrordr it
hath destroyed whatever it an enemy to man.'
What will be said of his comparison of the poor to olire-
trees ?
* Let us proceed to the service of the poor* This place may be
called the Mount of Olives. The poor are olive trees planted in tlie
temple of the Lord, distilling that precious oil which feeds the lamp
of our salvation J that oil which the five virgins had.'
Relative to the mystery of the Holy Sacrament, as it ts
termed, expressions are used which will not pass current witk
consistent Protestants ; and in one place St. Chrysostom%
weakness and credulity (if it was mere credulity) will excite %
smUe:
* Iq that hour (that is* when the elements are consecrated^) th^
aDgels surround the priest ; each marshalled host attunes the note of
gratuladoD, and all the sanctuary^ and all the akar, is thronged witk^
heaven's radiant tenantry^ in reverence of him who hes there ! Tlui
might easily have been accredited from the nature of the rites whidi
are then performed. But 1 have heard a man relating that
person, an admirable saint ^ and one who was in the habit of be
▼isions, informed him, he was once blessed with such a sight*
assured him, that when the sacrifice was ojfercd, he beheld instant
neoualy a multitude of white-robed angels encompassing the alt
and bowing down their heads, as soldiers do homage to their pni
And I, at least, believe it.*
As a specimen of St. Gregory's pulpit-eloquence, we take 1
passage or two from his farewell sermon, on his resignation
the see of Constantinople, A. D. 381- :
* FarewelU O apostles ♦ \ a noble colony, my preceptors in my toil^
although 1 have le»s frequently celebrated your rites, bearing in mi
body the Satan of your Paul, perhaps for my advantage, through whic^
I am removed from you. Farewell, my episcopal chair, thou daisfl
rous yet envied throne ! ye patriarchs, and prelates, alike retpecC
sanctity and age ■ and aU who minister at the table of the ]
drawing near to God, who is near to them \ Farev^reli, ye eboirf
Nazarcncs, ye chanters of the psalmodies, ye nightly stationiy
* * He alludes to the relics of St. Andrew, Timothy, and L*u
which were tnuulated to Constaatinople by the Emperor Coq
•tantiut.*
pioui
4
Boyd'/ Pasfogts from St. Chrj^sojiom, to*f.
'75
pious virgins^ ye saoctimomous inatrons» yr tnbe« of widows and of
orphans, ye eyea of the poor for ever fixed On God and us ! Fare-
well, ye hospitable mansions, lovera of Chri3t, sweet soothers of mine
infirmities \ Farewell, ye frequenters of my sermons, ye crowds and
concourses, ye expeditious notaries, ye rails so often pressed by those
who hungered for my discourse i Far^well^ ye kbgs and palaces,
je court lert and slaves j if faithful to your prince, I question ;
Co God, moat frequently, unfaithful. Clap your hands j cry aloud ;
exalt your oratotu* : my loquacious and evil tongue is silenced ; but
it will not be silent always, though at present I forbear* Farewell,
O magnificent city, and lover of Christ i' —
' Farewell, O Trinity, my theme of meditation, and my wreath of
glory! May'st thou be cherished by, and cherish, these my
pet^le f»
At p*2[0.» after having minutely described the ingenious
labottrs of the bees in the construction of their waxen cells, and
in filling them with honey, this saint exclaims, < O that we
could resemble them ! who may be styled the apiary of Christ*
Should some methodlstic preacher stumble on this bright
thought, m his next sermon, he will perhaps address the elect
2S Chrisfs hee^hivel
Towards the end of his work, the motive of the translator
seems to develope itself. Mn B. aims at introducing the
evidence of the Fathers as decisive on certain knotty points of
controversy ; and, in order to lend a helping hand to a very
lame argument, he adopts Father Peter's mode of proceeding,
by stigmatizing all those yi^ho are adverse to his opinions as
* unholy and abandoned writers:* (see p. 278.) while, under a
•emblance of Protestantism, passages are quoted by Mr. B. from
the writings of St. Cyril of Jerusalem, which are more in
onison with the Popish doctrine of tran substantiation than
with any tenet held by the Reformers :
* Once, in Cana of Galilee, he changed water into wine ♦, by hi«
native power ; and is he not deserving of belief, when he changes
wtae into blood ♦ I When invited to the celebration of human nup-
tttk, he achieved that deed of surpassing strangeness ; and shall we
tiot much more readily acknowledge, that he gives us the fruition of
hia.body and his blood? Wherefore, with all certainty and con^
riction, let us receive these as the body and the blood of Christ ;
for in the form of bread his body is given thee, and in the form of
wine his blood is given thee, that thou, having participated the body
and the blood of Christ, mayst become of the same substance with
t^em.' —
^ * * The verb ^trJim.TO^^ is used in both these places. We here find
Gftil^ tn unison with Chrysostom, (and indeed with all the Fathers, 1
that the consecrated elements are miraculously changed.
itteutig
Thfl fact 14 plain v no man of common honesty would deny it,'
The
r
i
I
XjS Eustace'/ Aniw$r io ihi Stjhcp ^Llne^Mt Ctargg.
• The bread and wine of the cucharist, before the holy tirroc»>
tioo of the adorable Trinitv arc mere bread and wine, but when the
invocation has been made, the bread btcomcs the body of Chmt| and
the wine the blood of Christ/
From these extracts, some idea may be formed of the style
and merit of the Fathers in question as preachers. Their wodct
«re certainly gifting up^ as it is termed, in the market | and ia
aome points of view, they are useful as books of reference: bm^
if the English reader judges of them from the select passagei
here given, he will not call for any uuMna/e tramlaihn of them|
nor will the scholar, who might desire them for mere occaakmal
consultation, be disposed to pay that price for their W0rka» at
vhich they are marked in some recent catalogues*
The present translation, as far as we have examined it, h
fairly and even elegantly executed : but occasionally Mr* Boyd
takes the liberty of introducing words which are not in the ori-
ginal, for the purpose of rounding the sentence. Thus, in the
well known and affecting speech of Chrysostom's mother^ tntbi
first book of the treatise on the priesthood, we have this seiK
fence, * exhausted nature whispers that I bhaU not trespass on yoti
long ;' but the words ixhausted mture whhperi have no corre*
spending terms in the Greek, where the mother merely lajp
that she shall not live long : Um /^trr^' fUHf^ir mwthtvaafj^m Xf^i^
Similar insertions may be noticed in other places. The words
* a stain en thi page of naturi (p. 69.) are interpolations b|
the translator.
Amt. 1X« Amwtr to the Charge dSvered hy tbi L^rd BUkpp tf
Lm£§h t9 ihi Chrgy fsfthai Diocete^ at the Tnennia] ViutatiQn 81
the Year 181 J. By the Rev. John Cbetwode Euiuce. Second
Edition* 4to. pp^JK Mawmam 1S15.
T>ETW£EN Catholic* and Protestants, a new controversy ii
^ instituted. The debate refers not now to matters
spiritual and ecclesiastical, but to the supposed bearings dT
respective systems on certain points purely political. As
as religious helief is concerned, they seem to employ so di:
en I a process, that they are never likely to come to any ace
modation : but, if both systems contain in them nothing ho;
to civil governments, both may be fostered by the state wii
equal safety and advantage, and no reason can exist in the pro-
tection of the one for the exclusion of the other. Protestants,
however, will demur to this representation : since they iuve
been in the habit of contemplating Catholicism not only ais er-
roneous in point of doctrine^ but as big with ausohief to the
9 British
*
-J
I
I
Eustace V Answer t9 tie Bitkdp tf Lin€9Ms Ciergw^
British constitution, and hence their prejudices againu it have
been strong and their language violent. Catholics being now
required, in self defence, to speak for themselves, the subject
is beginning to assume a different aspect* It appears that their
clergy are more enlightened than we were led to imagine, that
they are not behind us in an abhorrence of despotism, that
their notions of religious liberty are often more correct than
those of some of our own Protestant divines, and that they
disclaim those dangerous tenets which the violence of party
has attributed to them.
Mr, Eustace, the author of the present Answer, is a Catholic
clergyman of considerable information and acuteness j and
though we cannot think that he is justified in charging the
Bishop of Lincoln with ' displaying a virulent spirit,' * with
being malevolent,* and with having a design * to defame the
Catholics,* we are persuaded that many of his remarks, on the
points fairly at issue between him and the learned prelate, are
irell founded, and will be so considered by the judicious part
of mankind. We could not suppress a smile at the angry tone
which he assumes on the Bishop's introduction of the term
Pa^htJf to denote the members of that Church whose chief
;iff is the Pope. If he had been acquainted with the writ-
of the Protestants, and had perused the multitude of ser-
nims in the English language against Popery, he would have
known that it is a term familiarized to our divines by general
use : but, when they become more intimate with their Catholic
hn' *iis olTenGive word will in some measure perhaps
gre jte, and that which is more acceptable be adopted.
Mr. £• then proceeds to an eiamination of the positions and
argiimcfits which the Charge contains ; premising that * trutli
aiKi error are so interwoven as to render the task of separation
extremely di^cuh^ In the first place, he combats or rather
flatly contradicts an assertion made by the Bishop, and on
his general reasoning turns, that * the Catholics now
j, notpJeratioriy hnt poll itcal power ;* and regarding this
position as containing something equivocal, he offers a state*
ment, in reply, which exhibits a clear view of tlie object of
Catholics in their several appeals to the Legislature, * Tlie
Catholics disclaim every wish and intention of acquiring power
Of influence of any kind; they ask for no distinction i as a
ibey arc only ambitious of being confounded with the rest
►is Majesty's subjects without any mark of privilege, or of
penalty/ After having attempted to counteract a representation
which he considers as * unfair and Invidioua,* Mr. E. proceeds
in a manner similar to that which we formerly adopted, lo
Qotit^e Dr. T/s defective definition ©f TeUrotUn s very
** r, JoK^, iSij' N pertincntlj
178 Eustace*/ Amwer to the Bhhop of Lincoln^ s Charge*
pertinently observing that, * as long as the profession of any
particular opinion is puttisked by any loss, forfeiture, or diaa-
iiliry, they who !io!d that opinion cannot surely be said to be
in possession of perfect toleration/ The word toleratioiiy
(which expresses only sufferance^) we are pleased to find, il
growing as much out of fashion as the term Papist. Vih^
bounded liberty of conscience and of worships the privilege iKWf
required, goes beyond what is generally called toieratitm s and,
as Mr. E, remarksj < there should be no question of toleration
in the present circumstaiKe.' It is contended that, considering
the three large independent clturches of which the population (a
the empire is composed, and the various sects of Dissidents^
* liberty of worship' (he does not say, liberty ofcmiciena,) is
necessary to public tr*inquillity ; and while he agrees mA
the Bishop in Linnenting the growth of sects as an cnl,
(* an evil arising from the bold and independent spirit of the
nation,*) he advises no penalties and coercive measures for iti
cure.
WhenfMn Eustace comes to the Bishop's next grand position,
that • the Roman Catholic Faith is not only a system sf religisn,
but a system of politicly* he affects to treat it as * a perfect no-
▼city/ the object and meaning of which he is unable to guess :
but, though he has succeeded very well in representing the
genuine Catholic faith to be, in itself^ as unpolitical a system
as Protestantism in its purest form, he cannot be ignorant
of the prominent part which the Court of Rome took for
centuries in the politics of Europe, and w^th what insolence its
cardinals, legates, and bishops domineered in the courts of
princes. Happily, these times are gone, (we should hope)
never to return. That we owe the British Constitution to our
Catholic ancestors, and consequently that the religious princi-
ples of Catholics cannot be adverse to civil nberty, is brought to
our recollection : but this negative praise of Catholicism wiU
not content Mr. E., who tells his Lordship that he is * pre-
pared to maintain, that the fundamental principle of our
relieion is the freest that can be imagined, becauf^e it makeSi
not the opinion of the decision of an individual, whether pope
or bishop, or even of a national church, but the positive weU-
ascertatned belief of the whole Catholic body, the Rt^Je of Faith,
T^o this universality ^docinne^ to ihh publlL' testimony ^ and to it
only, all Catholics of whatever rank or dignity, or attainments,
the Pope himself not excepted, are obliged unconditionally to
submit ' This passage merits attention not so much on ac-
count of the purpose for which it is introduced, as for the eit-
pi a nation which it gives of the origin of the Catholic rule of Faith;
which is not rested, like that of Protestants^ on tlie sQk evidence
9^ tfXH^
EustaceV Amwerto the Bishop of Lincolr^s Charge, tj^
iiftd authority of the Sacred Scriptures^ but on tradition *, or, as it
i* here termed, the well-ascertained belief of the wholo Catholic
body ; and to this public t^siimony^ as Mr, E. calls it, * uficon^
ditional submission^ is required* This unconditional submission
in spirituals may, for any thing that we know, be compatible
witli the most perfect civil freedom : but we are at a loss to
perceive how this fundamental principle of unconditional sub-
mission is * the freest that can be imagined-' We believe,
however, that * Christianity in all its forms* may well amalga-
mate with the British constitution; and that the latter is no more
in danger from the Christianity which rests on the supposed
succession of the bishops of Rome from St. Peter and the evi-
dence of the traditions of the CaUiolic church, than from that
Christianity which is deduced wholly and exclusively from the
Bible.
Some pains are taken by Mr, Eustace to shew, in opposition
to the Bishop's fears, that the Establislied Church cannot be
endangered by conceding the claims of the Catholics :
* A Church Establishment is aupported either hy the power of
government acticg in opposition to the wishes and opinions of the
majority of the nation ; or by the nation in oppoiition to the opinionf
of the government ; or by the cordial co-operation of both the nation
aiid the goTemmcnt. The Episcopal Church of Scotland was for-
mcrlv* and the Protestant EstabUshment in Ireland is at present, in
the iirfct predicament- Both common sense and experience conspire
to teach us that the existence of such an Establishment must be at
all times precarious, and that while it does exist, it must ^ve occa*
won to endless heart-burnings and discontent. For what more glar-
Z absurdity is it possible ^r the mind of man to conceive, than that
Fa ckrgy without laity, pastors without flocks, teachers without
arers, and churches without congregations ?
• Tradition is the common law of the Catholic Church, and the
jyureci of General Conncili are its itatute law : but Protestants re-
ject both these authorities ; resting llieir faith solely and exclusively
on the Biile or the Noly Scripturei* While these fundamental points
of difTerence exist, the union of our Protestant church with that of
Rome is impossible. We Protestants say that, when the apostles
died, the whole system of faith was sealed up and complete ; and in
course wc reject, as spurious and unnecessary, every subsequent ad«
dition to the Gospel, let it come frt^iu whatever quarter it may*
However desirable, therefore, an union between Catholics and Pro-
testants may be, it is opposed by such insurmountable difficulties,
' thai w>e did not expect to fmd one of our most learned prchtes, (Dr.
HuotiDgfoni^ on a late occasion, expressing his surprise that no plan
of accommt»d:ition between the two churches had been projected*
(See his ProUitant Letter to Lord SamerSf noticed in our last VoL,
P-33a.)
N 2 * I know
l8o Eustact:'/ Aptswer to thi Bishop of Llncolffs Charp.
* I know not wliethcr the second case can with strict propriety fe?
•aid to exist in Saxony, for though tlie reigning family haa long been
Catholic, and the establishment Lutheran, yet such has always becD
the discretion of the sovereign, and such the confidence of the tub-
ject, that no obnoxiouu change has ever been attempted on one tidti
and no suBpicion ever entertained on the other. The Elector cif
Saxony is a devout Catholic, and he is surrounded by Cathn uc mi*
nisters ; a fact which demonstrates more forcibly than any specuhtiTt
argument, in opposition to your Lordship's reasoning, that Catholici
may be invest id *with po'wer and yd noi be solidtous ta overt hro*a^' ^n
istablfjhment *ivhtch they believe to be hereticah
' In the third class stands th.- Church of England, founded upon
the earfy prejudices, the habits, the feelings, and the aSections of the
majority of the Englijih nation, supported by a splendid establishmentr
and upheld by a numerous body of clergy connected by birth, edw*
cation^ services, or interest, with all the property and all the power
of the country. When to these advantages vire add the authority of
the lovereign, exerted both in public, and what is still more effective,
in private, we have enumerated all the means of security, all the
pledgea of duration which even ciiution can require or zea) itself cai
devise.'
If the concessions to the Catholics are likely to malse a cbange
in the public opinion, and thus to diminish the attachment of
the nationi the Church of England is in danger : but not
otherwise.
Writing as Protestants who have studied the grounds of our
faith, and who can (we presume) ** assign a reason for the hope
that is in us," we have not objected to give the Catholics fair
play, by permitting them to make as many converts as they could
It may be said, however, that we are more bold than wise : but
what is the matter of f jct ? Mn E. may hope that tilings will
change hereafter : but for the present he rather comforts the
Bishop of Lincoln thnn congratulates himself by recording the
state of the convert-list on both sides of the question:
« Point oiitj my Lord, if you please, the converts lately made, the
congregations newly established in your extensive diocese, and the in-
creasing influence of t!ie Catholic clergy. In return, I will present
a catalogue, much more gratifying to your Lordship's feelings, of
Catholic families extinct or fallen off, or reduced congregations, and
chapels without clergymen. Within these last forty years, notwith-
standing the repeal ot several p^nal statutes against us, we have lost
five or six noble families, at least as many baron eta, and several
clergymen, and esquires. In return u'e have recovered an ancient
title (Fauconberg), convened two or three Protestant clergvracn,
but 1 fear few or no gentlemen. Yon see, my Lord, the exchange
is against us, notwithstanding tlie encouragement which the legis-
hture has so tmprudentiu without doubt, held out to us, in allowmg
us to profess and practise our religion wthout the chance of being
^kcggared, transported, or hanged/
Stewart*/ Travels of Mlrza Aku TaUb*
many Protestants are seriously alarmed on account of the con^
nection of Catholics wkh a foreign spiritual head, and that
means ought, if poiisible, to be taken to obviate this difficulty.
Art. X. The Travels of Mir^a Ahu Taleh Khan, in Aaia, Afrtcii
and Europe, during the Years 1799, 1800, 1801, iftoa* and i8o|f
Written by himself^ in the Persian Language. Translated of
Charles Stewart, Esq, ^M- A. S. Professor of Oriental Languages 01
the Hou. East- India Company's College, Herts, 2 Vols. 8to»
pp* 73S, ih 18* Boards, Longman and Co, ,
A LTHOUGH we have long ago hnd various works under the
-^^ title of Persian Spies, and other assumed Asiatic desig-
nationsi tlie present is, we believe, the first authentic book of
the kind. A tour in Europe, by an Orientalist, for the ptir-
pose of observing and reporting national manners, is so unex<
pccted a novelty as to possess tlic strongest claim to the atten-
tion of the curious ; and this claim acquires additional force
when the traveller is found to be a man of considerable expc*
rience and knowlege of the world. Fortunately, this work
was ushered into notice under circumstances which leave no
doubt of its authenticity. The writer was personally known
to thousands during his abode in London in 1800 and i8oi i
and however Professor SteWart may have improved the style
and arrangement in translating the narrative, his character
affords satisfactory security against any suspicion of interpo-
lation. Lender these circumstances, the Travels of Mirza
Abu Taleb possess interest both on the ground of originality
and on that of utility ; and those of our readers, who have not
had an opportunity of perusing the volumes, will probably re-
ceive with satisfaction the brief abstract which we shall now
endeavour to give.
Abu Talcb, or, as he is here termed, Mtrza Abu Taleb,
was born at Lucknow, in 1 75 2, of Persian parents, and ^*ai
employed early in life as a district-collector of revenue under the
government of Oude : but, in llie progress of the dissensions in
that country after the year 1780, he was left without protection
from poUtical enemies, and found it necessary to repair to Bengal*
Here, notwitlistanding the favourable disposition of Lord Corn-
walli% Sir John Shore, (now Lord Teignmouth,) and others, he
remained, year after year, without employment. His dependents,
seeing no prospect of his getting into office, successively left him;
and at last, in 1799, an English gentleman, his intimate friend,
having invited him to accompany him to Europe, the de*
jectcil Persian accepted the offer, in the gloomy anticipation that
la a * journey $0 long and replete with danger, some acctdetit
R
Stewart*/ Travels of Altrza Alts Taltk
might occur to deliver him from the anxieties of the world and
the iiigr.»tituile of mankind/ Impatient to leave Calcutta, tliey
embarked on board a Danisli Indiaman \ in which, besides ob«
taininjr only indiifcrent accommodation, they unfortun.iteiy had
to deal with a selfish unprincipled captain. Their situation was
not improved by havmg as a shipmate a * Mr* G— — d, a very
oas&ionate and delicate gentleman,' the quondam husband of
Madame Talleyrand. Abu Taleb afterward met this person at
Paris, soUiciting an official appointment through the lady's in-
terest ; a foint which he actually carried, having received a
nomination under the Dutch government at the Cape.
After a disagreeable passage, attended with considerable
<langer| tlic Danish ship anchored in False Bay at the Cape %
and the passengers, diajjusted both with the vessel and the
capt»n, proceeded to Cape-town, Here Abu Taleb had the
first opportunity of seeing a city built in the European style.
He was highly pleased with it ; and, though nowise partial to
the character of the Dutch inhabitants, he foiind means to pass
some time between town and country, in a course of agreeable
and useful observations. Taking his passage from the Cape to
Europe on board a British vciself he was enabled to see Saint
Helena by the way, and arrived in the latitude of the English
channel in the beginning of December 1 799.
In tlie case of a traveller to whom European sights and man-
ners were so Strange, it is of some importance to take notice
of the first impressions. The Cove of Cork was the place at
which Abu TaJcb first set hh foot on European ground j and
the extent and circular form of tlie bay, the verdure of the hilJs^
the appearance of the town on one side, and tlie neat hou«-es
and romantic cottages on the other, witli tlie forts and the
number of surrounding veiiSels, conveyed to \iv^ mind the most
pleading sensations. At Cork, he was struck with the ele*
gance of tlie shops, but disappointed by the low situation of
the town and the dirtiness of the streets; which last appearance,
however, was owing, in a great measure, to the season of the
year* On entering his hotel, he was gratified with the com*
modious extent of the apartments and the prompt attention of
the servants, which formed a complete contrast to the slowness
of hi& countrymen. The regularity of the houses, and their
height, but particularly the glass in the windows, were all
objects of attention to an Asiatic traveller. — The next occurs
rence was a visit to the country-house of a gentleman ;
1 • 1 was particularly pleased with his cook-room, it being the first
regular kitchen I had «ecn ; the dressers for holding cldiia, the racks
fofT depositing the dishes after they were washed, the pipes of cold
aad bgikrs of hot wateji which, merely by turning a cock, were
N 4 «upf lied
184
Stewart*/ Travels of ATtrza Ahu Talei*
supplied in any quantity that could be required, with the maditnerf
for roasting meat, which was turned by smoke, all excited my
admiration.*
Aware of the multiplicity of servants required by our country-
men in India, Abu Taleb declares that his Irish friend lifed
as comfortably on his small property of a few hundreds a*year|
as an English gentleman in India could do on an annual in-
come of a lack of rupees. (12,500!,) — He proves htmselfi
throughout his journey, to b^ remarkably attentive to the
ladies^ and the first specimen of that disposition is given in his
account of the nieces of this gentleman's family :
' These ladies, during dinner, honoured mc with the most marked
attention ; and as I had never before experienced so much courtitf
from heauiktf I was lost in nd mi rat Ion, After dinner these angeli
made tea for ub ; and one of them having asked me if it was sweet
enough, I replied, that* Having been made by such hands, it oould
not but be sweet. On hearing thiu, all the company laughed, and
my fair one blushed like a rose of Damascus.'
' When travelling from Cork to Dublin in the mail-coachfi
was highly amused at the readiness with which the people of I
inns, on hearing the sound of the horn, prepared the fresh horses,
and avoided delay : but he was greatiy mortified at the short-
ness of tlie time allowed for meals on the road. He was f^
markably delighted with the view, transient as it was, of Kil-
kenny, and employed the interval allowed to breakfast in
catching a glance of the river, as well as of the gardens and
orchards on the opposite side-
At Dublin, his attention was attracted by the regularity of the
streets, the elegance of the houses and furniture, and partis
cularly by the singular union of utility and ornament in our
grates, or, as he terms them, the * steel and brass niachinet
for holding fire,* The shops of the jewellers and haberdashers,
and the splendid appearance, at night, of long ranges of lighted
lamps, formed in his eyes new and captivating objects. The
beauty of the Phoenix-park, and the delightful prospect in
Dublin-bay, afforded him much gratification, and made him
exclaim that he no longer wondered that our countrymen itt
India should consider that region merely as a temporary so-
journ* — In dehneations of national character^ we have seldom
jmet with a more downright or explicit writer than Abu Taleb.
Though very far from giving the Irish the praise of prudence
and judgment, he pays a merited compliment to their attention
to strangers ; and he remarks that they understood his signs
and broken English much better than tneir fellow-subjects on
Ihis side of the Channel ;
^ The
$
I
Stewart*/ Travels of Mlrzu Abu Taki*
< The Irish, by reason of their liberality and prodig^ality, seldom
have it in their power to assist their friends in pecuniary matters :
tbey are generally in straitened circumstances themselves, and there-
fore canr.Dti or do not aim at the comforts and elegance of the Eng-
lish : neither do they take pains to acquire riches and honoiirB like the
ficoichf by limiting their expeuccs when in the receipt of good in-
comesi and paying attention to the Great. In consequence of thU
want of prudence, they seldom attain to high dignities, and but few
of them, comparatively, make much progress iii science. Their
great national defect, however, is excess in drinking. The rich ex«
pcnd a vast deal in wine ; and the common people consume immense
quantities of a fiery spirit, called *u*hhiy.* —
* The Irish *momen have not such elegance of manners, nor the
handsome eyes and hair of the EngliBh ; neither are they as tall nor
so good figures as the Scotch ; but they have much finer complexiooB^
«re warm m their affections, lively, aud agreeable.
* For some time after my arrival in Dublin, I was greatly incom-
moded by the common people crowding round me, whenever I went
out. They were all very curious to see me, but had no intention of
offending me. Some said I must be the Russian General, who had
been for some time expected ; others affirmed I was either a German
or Spanish nobleman ; but the greater part agreed that I was a Peraiaa
Prince, One day, a great crowd having assembled about me, a shop-
keeper advised me to walk into bis house, and to sit down till they
fhould disperse* I accepted his kind invitation, and went into the
»hop, where I amused myself by looking at some penknives, scissari,
Sec. The people however thronged so about his windows, that several
of the panes were broken ; and the crowd being very great, it was in
vain to ask who had done it.
* About a fortnight after my arrival, there fell a very heavy shower
of snow. As I had never before seen any thing of the kind, I was
much delighted by it* The roofs of the houses and tops of the walU
were soon covered with it, and in two or three days the fields and
mountains became a white surface, as far as the eye could reach*
During the time it continued to snuvv, the cold was not very great ;
but when it ceased, notwithstanding I had all my doors and windows
shut, and had three blankets on my bed, I lelt the frost pierce
through me like an arrow. The fire !iad scarce any effect on me ;
for while I warmed one aide, I was frozen on the other ; and I fre-
quently burned my fingers before I was aware of the heat. At length
I discovered, that the best remedy was walking ; and during the con-
tinuation of the fi^ost, I walked every day seven or eight miles. I waj
apprehenjiive that my health would have suffered from the severity of
the climate ; but, on the contrary, I liad a keen appetite^ and found
myself every day get stronger and more active.
* I rccollccl that in India, when I only wore a single vest of
Dacca muslin, if I walked a mile, I was completely tired ; but here,
when my clothes would have been a heavy load for an ass, I could
have nin for miles without feeling the smallest fatigue.'
After having remained nearly two months in Dublin, the
fersiau traveller proceeded, by Holyhead and Chester, to
Ijondon,
1 86
Stewart'/ Travels of Mirza Abu Takim
London. Here he was greatly puzzled to find suitable lodglngs^a
hot and a cold bath being primary requisites in his consideration.
Margaret Street, Upper Berkley Street, Rathbone Place, and Ib-
botson'S hotel, were successively his places of abode-, the last of
which proved very convenient, but was unluckily beyond the
Teach of his finances. He was in the habit of visiting all places
of public amusement, and found himself so exhilarated by the
coolness of the climate and the attention of his friends, tliat
he * followed the advice of the divine Hafiz, and freely
gave himself up to love and gaiety.* He made frequent ex-
cursions to the country, and visited Windsor, Oxford, and
Blenheim; at which last, the extent and beauty of the grounds
struck him .so forcibly, as for a time to * eiface all other ob-
jects from his recollection/ London, however, was the chief
scene of his residence, and the field of his observations. He
attended clubs, balls, and even masquerades.
* I one day received uii inviiaiion card from a lady, on which was
written > only, " Mrs. ^- — ■■ at home on evetiing.** At
£rst, I thought it meant an assignation ; but, on con stilting one of
my friends, I was iriformLd that the lady gave a Route that night j
and that a roitte meant an assemblage of people, %vitbout any particular
object ; that the mistress of the bouse b^d seldom time to say more
to any of her guests, tlian to inquire after their health ; but that the
servants supplied them with tea, coflee, ice, &c, ; after which they
had liberty to depart, and make room for others. I frequently after*
wards attended tliese route «, to some of which, three or four hun-
dred persons came, during the course of the night.*
He was greatly pleased with the goodness of our roads and
stage-coaches, but found very different feelings excited by the
wonderful prices of our provisions, * In England,* he says, • a
good appetite is a seriour. evil to a poor man/ With all his
susceptibility of female charms, Abu Taleb approves of keeping
the ladies under * salutary restraints,' and even seems satisfied
with that ungracious part of our statute-book which permits a
* man to beat his wife with a stick, provided lie does not en-
danger the breaking of a limb/ He was much surprized at the
freedom of the lower orders towards their superiors ; and at the
comfortable condition of the servants, who, he says, (p. 264.)
« sleep, not on the floor but on raised beds, and are as well
clothed as their masters/ Adverting to the numerous servants
who accompany a gentleman out of doors in India, he adds, * I
can scarcely describe the pleasure I felt, upon my first arrival in
Europe, in being able to walk out unattended, to make my own
bargains in the shops, and to talk to whom I pleased j so dif-
ferent from our customs/
The traveller next comes to the important point of our na-
tional characteri and gives us fresh proofs of his rigid inapar-^
tiality.
more serious still, applies to our deficiency in religioi
Tand an inclination among many to philosophy, or fre
In addition to these imputations, he accuses us of
courtesy to our inferiors, as wcU as of an unnecessary
sublesome luxury in our mode of living. The Arabs
RTtars, he remarks, (Vol. ii. p. 36.) made their conquesi
by dint of numbers nor by superiority of armour, but
paucity of their wants. An * English gentleman living
KTt end of the to\^Ti, when reproached with waste of time^
ply, *< How is it to be avoided ?" I answer, Curtai
i:iumber of your garments ; render your dress simple ; wear
l^ards ; and give up less of your time to eating, drinking^
Hkeping.* — He is by no means pleaded that we should not
TOre ready to acknowlege our national defects, and he dis-
^all palliatives j such as that '* no nation was ever exempt
Brices,'' or *« So long as we are not worse than our neigh-
^ there is no danger,** &c. This reasoning, he adds, ii
? : f5r fire, whether in summer or winter, is still in flam-
At I and the smothered flame will break out, in the sequel,
L double violence. He is particularly severe on the
fcunate authors who run, he says, to the Press as soon as
HRve acquired a smattering of a subject :
M& portion of science and truth contained in many of these
Ei is very small ; besides it is more difficult to eradicate an erro-
s opinion once contracted than 10 implant correct ideas in a mind
Jtivated. Far be it from me to depreciate the angelic character
ir William Jones ; but hia Persian grammar, having been written
1 he was a very young man, is, in many places, very defective ;
1 8ft
StewattV Travels of Mirza Aiu Talii*
scription, he falls into bad humour at several of our cusi
The surprizing number of our turnpikes, and stili moi
aidless demands on the packet of a stranger who vi;:ii$ oui
cathedrals, or * tombs of the kings/ arc by no means to 1
A more serious objection regards the use of feathur-bi
niy other Indian customs (he says) I laid aside without diiBcuJi
but sleeping in the English mode cost me much trouble
depth of wintcri the softness of a fcadier*bed is bearable
as the weather becomes warm, it is productive of great re]
tion/
It is some satisfaction for these serious rebukes, that the man
ners of the French attracted a still larger share of the author'!
disapprobation. After having resided betM^een two and thre<
years in London, he bade adieu to that * beloved city,' and p;
over, in 1802, into France. Here the clumsiness of the stag
coaches reminded him of a Hindoostany carriage drawn b
oxen ; and the cows and other animals were thin and pooTj
appearing like those of the east, although tlie soil and climat
were evidently better than in England. The coarse looks of t[
country-women, and the filth of the inns as well as of the Pari si;
coffee-houses, formed additional objects of unpleasant contraat
to the scene which he bad just left. It was in vain that h
sought in Paris a clean and retired lodging j he could obtaii
no reception but in buildings of many stories Ln height, and coi
taining perhaps fifty persons in their various apartments. Th<
lofty grandeur, however, of these stone^edifices on the outside^
formed some kind of counterpoise to the want of comford
within ; while the number of hot and cold baths, and particu^
larly the convenience of those which are constructed on boat
moored in the river, was a source of high gratification \ ant
the impression produced by the magnificent pictures in
Louvre was such as to make him think that the sights i
Dublin and London were Httle better than play-things. In treat
ing of the French character, he makes a very fair statement
botJi sides of tJic question :
* The public library of Paris contains nearly a mllKon of '.
in various langimgcs, aiid upon all subjecta. ha establishment 1
iDOSt liberal I have any where met with, as the people are pern
to enter it gratis, and have not only permission to read there __
whole day, but to make extracts, or even to copy any book in tfa
collcctiori.'^—
* Whilst travelling, or when dining at French ordinaries, Ij
frequently ^urprixcd to see with what gcHsd-humour the gentle
put up with had food, and vrorse wine 5 and whenever I cotnpl; '
^hey took great pains to persuade me the things were not so hi,
ihat ibc majtcr of the h^^use w;is not in fault. The French afl
tets on a tray, and aftcrvvarda eggs or fruit, if calif d for* Thi»
i to iivoicl lutimng backward and fiirwardj to v^ hich tlie Eng-
ve a great objection* But hi P^iris, altIion;:;li the w-iiter per-
knows hy experience what articles are requL^ilf-j Le will firtt
tlie coffee i then the sugar, a third tim-f thv milkj and, bcft re
n possibly breakfast, lie must have ruadtf half a doit^n Lrip*
bar/ —
i beholding these inert qualities in the Fretich, I wai convlaced
Ot««dl«taiiding their numbers, skiUj and bravely, thej *wilfnrvrr
it sufer'sarity (Stvfr the Engfisb ; wlio, although inferior iit
:h of armies, arc perse vcring* and indefatig^bl'^^ in resources and
'ances. It really astonishes me, Iiow tbe French, being nm
nt in energy atid perseverance, iliould have acquired lo much
nd power.
le French women are tall, and more corpulent than the Ed^-
It bear no cotnpariaon with respect to beauty. They want the
aty, mod<?&ty, and graceful motions of the English damsels, *—
were also paijitcd lo an excessive degree, were rery, forward*
cat talkers. The waists of their gowns were so short and full
» that the women appcEred hump -backed^ whilst the drapery
t was so scanty a^ bp.rely to conceal half their bosomt, AL
I 1 .im by nature amoroufi, axid e^^ily affected at the sight of
, mnd visited every public place in Paris, I never met with a
I woman who inttrestcd tne,*
m Paris, Abu Talcb proceeded southward by way cf
I Aviguon, and MarseiUes ; a journey during which he
tuple reason to regret the convcmencc of Eiiglii^h txz^
f. At MArscilieSj he embarked for Genoa, and found tFe
of Chfit city and its b^y one of the most delightful whiih
I yet seen* The custom in Italy, of allowing the hdies
mended by cicisbeos, appeared not a little cxtraonijiiarf
* but
190 StewartV Travels of Mirza Abu Takh,
* The inhabitants of GeDoa are all proficients in the science of
musicf and possess a greater variety of instruments than I have aeen
elBewhere. One night I was reposing on my bed, when I waa rou«i4
by the most charming melody, in the street, I had ever heard* I
•tarted up, and involuntarily ran down stairs to the street door^ but
found it was locked, and the key taken away ; I therefore haste
again to my room, and felt every inclination to throw myself outi
the window ; whcoi fortunately, the musicians stopped, and my aenaT
retwnied-
* I had frequently been informed, in London, that the Italia
excelled all the world in their skill in music ; and I here _
knowledge, that the Indian, Persian, and Western Europe munc,
bears the same comparison to the Italian tliat a mill does to a &nfr
toned organ/
From Leghorn J he proceeded to Malta^ where he was
agreeably surprized to find tlie Iangii;ige comnin a great m
turc of Arabic, Though the Maltese is chiefly compound
of Greek, Italian, and French, the pionuncbtion approac.^
▼ery much to the Arabic, the letters S, Z, and T, being
same in both languages* — His next voyage was to Constani
Tiople, in the course of which he had a distant prospect of mai
classic scenes : but with these he was not strongly impress
his knowlege of history being limited to the records of mociei
Persia and India. Athens he briefly describes as the *bii
place of Plato, of Diogenes tlie cynic, and of several otj
celebrated philosophers,' Constantinople, as usual, was de-
lightful at a distance, and very much otherwise on close insp
tion* He disliked the perpetual smoking of the Turks, the
of their inns, and their idle conversations carried on in thi
coffee-houses in a loud ,tonc of voice. He remarked th
though the atmosphere of this metropolis is cold during a con-
siderable part of the year, the Turks have no idea whatever of
the benefit of taking exercise* A Pasha enters his hall of audi*
ence, In the moniing, by a sm?Jl door communicating with his
Harem, remains there during the day^ and retires at night by
the same door, without even looking into his garden. The load
of clothes, which this want of exercise makes it necessary to
wear, appeared to Abu Taleb still more unfavourable to health
than the down-beds of our own country. — He was introduced
to the Turkish ministers^ several of whom, particularly Ahmed
Effendi, spoke Persian with great fluency. ^ — From the Turkish
capital, he set out on his return by way of the interior of Asia,
accompanied by a Mchmander, or conductor appointed by
government : but the journey, in itself unavoidably uncom*
for table, was rendered doubly disagreeable by the character of
his guide. From Constantinople to Bagdad is a distance of
nearly 1900 English miles, which were travelled over by him in
somewliat
de-
Stewart*/ Travels of Mima Jtha Tidet^
'somewhat less than two months. At Bagdad, ae at Bussora,
he underwent^ partly from his own . irritAbility and partly
from other causes, a repetition of mortiiicaiiotis ; all of which^
however, were forgotten in the hospitable attentions of Go-
vernor Duncan at Bombay Here a passage was procured for
him on board a frigate going round to Calcutta, where he
landed in August 1803, after an absence of more than four
years.
The work is concluded by an Appendix, containing a cu-
rious tract on the treatment of women in Asia; a subject which
VTdS suggested to Abu Tu.)eb by the notion prevalent in Europe
that the fair sex in the East live in a state of thraldom. Tlie
observations are curious, chiefly as communicating the reasons
which strike the imagination of an Orientalist as productive of
differences in national habits. The Asiatic women appear to
him to have the greater liberty of the two j possessing^ he sap,
(p. 412.) more autliority over the property of their husbands,
and over their servants, as well as over the education, the religion^
and the marriage of their children. At the same time, the
Asiatic ladies have no trouble in entertaining the guests, or
attending to the business of the husband. If a divorce happens
to take place in India, a mother docs not, as in Europe, relin-
quish all her children to her husband, but carries away her
daughters and her property; a step, indeed, which she will have
little hesitation in taking on the occurrence of a quarrel of less
consequence than those which lead to a permanent separation*
L Polygamy does not exist in India, in the manner commonly
f- imagined i the first wife being the only one who is considered
as on a footing of equality with the husband. Women sub-
mitting to become the wives of a married man are not admitted
I into the society of ladies, but have either a separate dwelling
or occupy a subordinate station in the house of the equal wife.
The truth indeed is that polygamy is very rare, and generally
carries its om^^i cure along widi it ; ' for from what I know,*
says Abu Taleb, • it is easier to live with two tigresses than
with two wives.' This emphatic assertion he confirms, (p. 41(5.)
by adducing various points in which an Indian lady makes no
scruple of tcazing her husband ; such as * keeping dinner wait-
ing for her coming to table; visiting her own friends frequently,
and remaining day after day under their roof, though repeatedly
entreated by her husband to return ;' all of which, it seems, are
put in practice for the sake of keeping a hold on the husband's
affection. Another assertion of Abu Taleb, and one which^
we confess, rather startled us, Is (p. 416.) that the « Asiatics
appear by their manners to place a greater reliance on a wife's
discretion than the Europeans.* * Here^' he says, * custom
prevents
tgt
Stewart'/ Travtb $/ Mifza Ahu Tahh
prevents i married lady from going* abroad without the com*
pany of a friend, and to sleep from home would be at vari-inct
witn all rule; — whereas in the East a wife will go uiiattetided
to the house of a lady of Her acquaintance, though their hus-
bands should be strangers, and will remain there a week with*
out its being thought any thing unusual/ Next, as to ""
custom in Asia, of ladies not entering into the society of g^
tlcmen, and not even seeing them, the motive, says Abu Tal
is choice, not compulsion j because, in the East, the house-dooi
being kept open all the day, the females could not, without such a
precaution, be free from incessant interruption, or find leisure
for domestic employments. In Europe, were commodities as
cheap and servants as numerous as in India, * we might (be
observes,) see a separate house, table, and equipage, for the wife-*
Finally, he thinks, it would be the practice to keep females
out of sight in Europe as much as it is in India, did not the
coldness of the climate require exercise in the open air ; while
the necessity of participating in the active duties of life calls
for a degree of experience on the part of a woman, which re-
tired habits would not afford. In India, on the other hand, the
duty of a wife is limited to the simple charge of taking care
of ner husband's property, and of bringing up her children.
This singular and amusing production was reduced into its pre»
sent shape by the author, after his return to Calcutta in 1B03,
from a journal commenced at the outset of his travels, and regu-
larly continued. The book being published in MS,, according I^J
the Persian method, a copy came, in 1 806, into the possessid^H
of a British oflicer, who procured a correct transcript of it a^^
Allahabad ; and this transcript, being brought over to England,
was put into the hands of Mr. Stewart, who declares that he
has translated it as literally as the different idioms of the two
languages would permit* With all his sollicitude, however, to
adhere to the plan of the original, he found it necessary to
retrench certain poetical effusions in which the author wai
very fond of indulging ; as well as long lists of his friends at
tlie principal places which he visited, A dissertation on anatomj^^
and a formidably long description of a hot-house, were likewij^H
viewed by Mr. Stewart in tlie light of excrescences : but the3^
retrenchments, witli a partial transposition of the chapters for
the sake of connection, form the only deviations from the ori*
ginaL — The style of the translation is easy aiid perspicuous-, and,
whether the merit be due to the Persian or the Englishman, a
great variety of observations will be found compressed in
a smaller compass than is usual in books of travels.
By a short note appended to the second volume, we a|e ,
concerned to learo that Abu Taleb did not long survive his re-
5»
turn
J
^M
ht}^n on KnUcnal G§vimm<
trdent love of truth, to treat wiili contenipt the most receiTnf i
tipinious and the most respectable authors, if they accord nol^
with his views and conceptions.
The work may be stated to consist of ;i series of drscjuisitioni
on a variety of iin portent topics relative to the theory and prac-
tice of government. Under too many of the heads into which
the virhole is divided, will be found little besides crude thoughts
tnd unconnected fact^, confusedly jumbled together; but, by the
side of these farragos, the reader will occasionally meet with dis-
cussions which are lively^ striking, and impressive* Some of
the subjects so treated are of high present interest j and it b
therefore to be greatly wished that the author had not pre-
eluded every hope of tlicir producing any good effect, by the
obnoxious matter with wfiich they are accompanied, and the
offensive manner in which he seems so much to delight- We
should pronounce this to be a learned, although not a chaste or
judicious performance, did we not include in our notions of
learniog not merely a store of matter, but also just ideas, and a
proper arrangement and application of the whole. In our concep-
tion, no two things arc more distinct than a performance abound-
ingwith quotations, and a learned treatise; a work exhibiting un-
connected striking thoughts, and an original proiluction. When
the two latter descriptions meet, they insure immortality : but
how rare is the union ! The hand of nature, a finished edu-
cation, unremitting industry, a strong passion for a particular
pursuit, and a love of true glory, must combine together to
form the mind which is capable of thus excelling*
The public will learn, from a paragraph in the * Preliminary
Discourse,' that more benefits are in reserve for them, of which
they were not aware :
* In this performance I mean to include whatever eminently piw-
motc&, internally or externally, the strength, the happineM, and Ae
prosperity of nations. I divide the subject into three parts : ifc^J
whole is already written ; yet, as each part is in a great measure C(M^|
plete in it&elf, and as the work, from the variety and importance «W
it'» objecti, is necessarily extensive, I find, that it will be much moi^
f onvenient to myself, and I hope it vrill not be much less coDvenicnl
to the reader, to piiblifih the three parts at three several times, Whtt
may be called the Constitutional Part I now deliver to the public £
tlie second and third will ioon follow, if some unexpected acddcflt
should not obstruct my design/
* The whole is already written:' — the greater is the mt$«
fortune- If the author would accept our advice, he would give
the subject another and a more mature consideration, and write
over again ail that is not already unfortunately sent forth ta
the public. He would then, we believe, find in the result tlttl
15 ht
Ensor on National Gwerntnntt*
195
ne had made a great saving in reepect of paper and letter^press,
and» if he have any feeling towards others, that he had trespassed
less on the precious time of his readers.
The laboured iipology, which Mr. Ensor makes in his Preli-
minary Discourse, for espousing the cause of reform, and for
employing his labours to recommend and promote it, might
we think have been spared* The empire contains a sufficient
number of persons who admit that the British constitution, ex-
cellent as it is on the whole, is not free from original defects j
and chat it has suffered from time and the course of events, as
well as from insidious attacks. Few persons, who are qua-
lified to speak on this subject, will assert that all is right in
this respect. Who will deny diat the financial burthens of the
empire are grown excessive t "Who does not lament that they
3re become such, that it requires the utmost commercial pros*
perity to enable the nation to bear them, and that we are thus
rendered miserably dependent on foreign states? In our opinion,
no field more requires iiivestigarion 5 and would to God that we
could see it entered by more labourers equal to the undertake
ing, who would pursue it with due diligence, and in a becom-
ing manner. Persons, however, to whom the study of our laws
has scarcely been even a pastime, who cavil at fundamental points
in the frame of our government, and who can perceive no excel-
lence in it, are not the sort of labourers that we should will-
ingly employ. Great as we admit the present defects of our con-
stitution to be, we do not desire to have it touched except by
those to whom it is still an object of love and veneration- If
we are intitled to expect great things from temperate and judi-
cious reform, let us not forget that still more ;nay be lost if
the venerable fabric should be overturned.
Mr, Ensor's Preliminary Discourse is a fair specimen of the
work Itself. It is enriched by a great variety of quotations,
and, in the course of it, many important topics are well elu-
cidated : but scarcely is a single subject thoroughly discusHtti, or
any useful conclusion fully established. It resembles a collection
of hints intended to be made the bases of farther meditation*
The wary and cautious reformer, who, in planning a consti-
tution for a people, pays great attention to the ?^tale of that
people, to their degree of knowlege and civilization, and to
their habits and situation, does not suit the taste of this author;
to whom gradual amelioration appears to be base temporizing-
No consideration, we imagine, would induce him to relax from
his theoretical principles *, he professes, indeed, to be satisfied
with reform ; but his doctrines and his language give impulses
to the mind which, we apprehend, must carry it much beyond
that point.
O 2 I»
.1^6
Ensor m Nathml Governmenu
In the commencement of his investigatiom, Mr. E- states
the usual divisions of political constitutions, treats of each of
them separatLly, and tlien cf the several combinations into
which they are su&Ceptible of being uniteci. It is not a Ettlc
curious that none of the simple forms of government, nof
any of the combindtions of diem, meet his approb^iott v yet
he would not have nations be without governments ; — ^aad
he even contlescent!s to give a sketch of a form of government^
such as in his opinion would be exempt from the defects which
he finds to prevail in abundance in all existing system^
and against which he so freely and constantly inveighs. We
shall shortly give some account of it.
The subject of Atcnarchy appears to us to be treated with
very great unfairness. The author does not take into his con^
sideration how far institutions, usages, and laws, may qualify
even an arbitrary monarchy j nor does he notice the advantage!
which arise from the stability of the executive power under thii
tfgimen. He deals largely in such declamation on this subject ai
we recollect was some years ago to be found in the French publi-
cations of the day : yet in this chapter the reader will observe
several of the extravagant positions of Mr. Burke satisfactorily
confuted.
With regard to Anstocracy^ tlie writer is more sober j and
under that head he introduces some just criticism, which is too
frequently overlooked when this topic is under consideration:
* Monarchy having been considered, we come to Aristocracy
This form of govern mtfnt is frequently praised by Aristotle^ a ad by
other ancient writers ; as Plutarch, who says, •* Democracy is better
thantyranuy, aristocracy is the best.** But it is of material impor*
tance to observe, that the term aristocracy had in those remote time!
a very different mtaning from that wliich it now bears : as is obfioui
from Aristotle, when he explains the reason of his preference, Aht-
tocracy, he says, depends on virtue j which is preciaely Montesqtiieu's
principle of a repubhc, Aristotle adds, that it is that sort of go-
vernment» in which educatioti atid institutions direct \ that in nt^
estimation it rteembles a commonwealth ; and, comparing it with
oligarchy, he says, in an aristocracy the well ioatructed direct the
itate, in an oligarchy the rich,*
It might occasion some surprize if Dem<^racy were as
little adapted to the taste of Mr. Ensor as either of the other
simple forms : but that is not exactly the case : he does indeed
tell us that he rwidemru this form, and adduces in support of
his opinion the following apposite quotations from Aristotle :
' Some who liave been the most decided advocate! for man's na-
tural equality, a8 Aristotle for instance, have also been the most de*
fided eDemiei to democracy according to my deinition of lU Tlie
philosopbcf
Ensor on Nationai Government*
"97
philosopher sayf, that thi« govemim'nt arises when the free, because
they are equal in some things, believe themselves equal in all ; to
which cause he attribute* great disseutions in the r.tate. All mea
have equal rights, but not to equal things j or, as Aristotle sajg in
another part of his Republic, though a man has jis good a right to
his mina as another who contributed one hundred has to hif hundred
minx, it is not just, that he who brought a mina nhould have an ecj^al
share with him who contributed a hundred.'
He then proceeds :
* All men are equally free by nature, and should, generally Rpcak*
logy remain so in society. But a poor man has not the same p ret en-
«ioDS to the national exchequer as the rich, nor has an ignorant simple
man the same pretensions justly to sway the counsels of the jiation
as an experienced sage, nor a dastard in the day of battle to lead the
forces of the state as a chief of approved valour and conduct.
Some^ says Aristotle justly, though fiobbcs gibingly reprehends his
remark, should direct, wliile others from their feeble powers and
limited attainments should act subordinately to them* But beside
the distance between the incompetent and the capable, there are also
tlegrees of intelligence and capacity among the learned and the en-
lightened. It is therefore not natural, it is indeed most unnatural,
that in situations which require sagacity and talents, men of unequal
and inferior abilities should be invested with eqiisd responsibiLty and
power : this would be, as Isocrates says, to act most unequally, be-
cause most unjustly. There is also another observation of the same
orator to the same purpose. Equahty does not consist in confound-
ing the good and bad, but in distributing to each individual his
desert. Hence I conclude, that equality in a political and ra-
tional view is to grant to superior men an opportunity to distin-
guish their superior qualities in serving their fellow-citizens. Thi*
ifl not consonant to democracy, and of course I unequivocally con*
dbmn it as unsuitable* to the purposes of a govtrnmenl, which aspire*
at perfection,*
Having thus expressed himsclfi howevefj concerning demo-
crapy, he combats the objections usually alleged against it, aad
apologizes for its defects :
* The Athenians have been dso reprobatfd for many unjust con
viclioDB of celebrated meii. I admit, ihai many of ibem were ut»»
just. But how does t!ii3 affect the characttT of the people ? It
proves that they were deceived, not that they were unjust or invi-
dious. Those whom they condemned they believed guilty, and ihii
was frequently proved by their annulling tlieir own seulcuce, when
they discovered their errour. Witness the coiisequejiue of thnt event,
%vhen th''y sentenced to dfatli eight naval commanderii, uhuni tliL'y
had sent against the Lacedemonians, Immfdiately after their con-
demnation they arc better informed -** they bment their own prccipii-
tancy, and they decree, that the false accusers should be arraigned for
cmlumny in liaving deceived the people. Their contrition was their
^wu, tiicir ejToufB the crimes or those who deceived them/
O3 u
19S
Elisor en National Govemmtnt*
In the history of democratic extravagancies, nothing occurs
more disgusting and painful than this representation. If we
may judge from our own feelings^ proceedings that less admit
of palliation, or that create a greater disgust towards the
authority whence they emanated, cannot be mentioned.
It is justly observed by the author that,
* As the Atheoian state always leaned in it's exeemes to a dfinio*
«racyy the Roman in it's ei(ce««e« inclined to a despotism. The
Athenians by their judgment of ostracism, rather than expose their
freedom to the possibility of danger, dismissed their most popular
citizens ; while the Romans, by appointing the most celebrated of
their people to the dictatorship, occasionally authorized by law that
domination as a refuge, which the Athenians regarded as a catastrophe
to be prevented by suspecting danger even from virtue itself.*
Mr. Ensor thus recapitujates, in his manner, the labouit to
which we have been adverting ;
* My object ia now I think clearly ascertained, so far at least, tint
I would not establish a monarchy, which sacrifices many to onri or
an aristocracy, which increases the grievance by the increased number
of rulersp or a democracy, which changes a people into a mulcitude,
or any of them combined or confounded together, for the govenuncot
«f nation s« It is my object to frame a common wealthy founded Ofl
ualimited hberty and universal subordination. In such a itate,
though uniformity would not always be preserved^ revolutions and
insurrectioni could not harass mankind, and distract the landi The
rivers which intersect it'e tenitory would not occasionally sweqi
away their banks, and pursue untried courses. Neither would stonis
and tempeits, which break up the channels of the deep^ aiid aink the
«arth in the abyss, destroy it's seaports and inundate it's fields $ but
airs and currents moved by known laws at varying intervala with
endless vicissitude would preserve the whole in purity a&d stability
for ever.*
When the subject is so grave, when expectations have been
rtised so high, and when the reader has been kept so long in
suspence, less of metaphor would have been desirable : but,
in that case, the work would have been Jess consistent with
itself. At length, we conceive, we approach the author's
Perfect Commonwealth ; for can we expect any thing short of
this from such an Aristarchus in constituiions, such an arch
censor of all past and existing forms of governments ? He de-
nominates it himself a commmweaiih fmnded on unlimiitd iiberij^
mnd univeriai tutor dinattm. It is not a monarch y, nor an aris-
tocracy, nor a democracy, nor any combination of them. The
reader, however, must not yet reckon on having his curiosity
satisfied, but must wade through many tedious pagee^ and
peruse much common«place matter, touching dimate^ situ-
miion ^f » /^^^O ^^K pmtim^ and physical strength cf nafmut
• eonfidfratitSf
Elisor m Nathnai GavfrnmtnU
^9»
tenfedtraciis^ the iMient of states^ and a ccmuft before the pro-
mised Luid is presented to his longing view. M my of the ob-
servations which are ofifered in this inisctU.iny are just, but they
have not the merit of novelty to recommend them, and have
been better treated before : we lihall therefore indulge the
reader's impatience^ and proceed to introduce him to the com-
mon wealth of Mr-Ensor.
Before we are permitted to see the political paradise^ we arc
debyed to be told ;
■ The »ort of government, which I admire, Is that praised by
ThucydidcR, ** ia which the commons, the middle order, and the
mott expert, unite in administering the affairs of the commoDwealtlw"
It i* the same which Cicero adomi with hi* eloquence, •* in which
the high, and low, and intermediate (jrders consent, lilcc a harmony
produced from various sounds**' la the same spirit Aristotle prefers
a. constitution, which embraces the various orders of citizens. This
^philosopher frequently declares the same opinion, adding, that the
cau^ of seditions and revolutions proceeds from the want of this
happy composition, and that the more perfectly the orders of to-
*ciety are combined in directing the administration, the state is better
^established. To strengthen his observation he exemplifies L^cedx-
mon. To the same purpose Plato speaks ; ** Neither the common-
wealth wliich approaches too near monarchy, nor that which affects
^a boisterous freedom* ia to be preferred ; but that which is equally
^ rtfiioved from anarchy and despotism.'^ '
^ Nothing of this sort finds its proper application in the British
constitution ; in which Mr. E,'s superior understanding can find
only matter for censure and ridicule* We are told thaf^of all the
forms of government which the wisdom of man has been hi*
'therto able to frame, the famous Spartan commonwealth was
the most perfect; and that it is the model which the author has
had in view while forming his regimen. Scarcely is a bare
* outline shewn to us of the grand plan, before the author again
plunges into a tedious inquiry respecting the origin of the
' Spartan government, and into a detail of its minate parts. It
is remarked that
* The senate consisted of twcnty^ight* This, Plutarch says, was
-the number of the council, which assisted Lycurgus in methodirJng
his laws. These, as weU as the ephori, were elected by the people ;
it seems, however, that the senators were to be sixty years old, while
the ephori had no limitation of age, and were chosen in consequence
of their merit from all the people.
• This presents a very different outline from the British monarchy.
Here it no senate appointed by the kin^, no men inhcriirng the right
•C their fathers to legislate for the nation. Here is no king uncon-
Mlkid by law, and superior to justice. The king was amenable to
jttdgmctit ; and miraculous to tell, no imftrium in imperio haunted
the pcopVi dreams, nor wis the sute dissolved when a bad king
O 4 wftA
2CO
Ensor on Nathnal Gavirnmmt*
was arraugned for misconduct • The king did not form one hamth
of the legidature, he had at mo6t a double vote m the lenaitr : be
had in snort, as Pythagoras fcays, the most confined power o£ all
kings whatever. If the Spartan kings were bad, they were tried
and punished. Yet martyrdom did not sanciif)' the royal traitors
execution ; nor waa poatenty filled with pious horrour and coD*ter-
nation, because a head, which had dispraced a diadem, was srvwed
from the body by the same axe, which at the instigHtion of that
traitor's royal son afterward murdered Russel and Sydney. Their
kings were punished ; yet, can our prejudices believe it ? the state
continued to ex-ist, nor did even convulsions or disturbance distract
the pcople^i —
* It is therefore very possible, that the king may be amenable to
justice, yet the royal power continue : it is very possible, that ike
royal power may be extremely limited, yet remain secure* —
* Such was the mixed but liberal nature of the Spartan constitu-
tion. The king waS the chief magistrate, who voted with the senators
and executed the decree of the majority. The senators were vene-
rable for their years, they were elected by the people, and ihcir
office continued for life. The ephori were of mature age, xhm
office was annual, and they also were elected by the people* Thus
the power of the state, though variously inodified, was wholly po*
pular, beginning, ending, cootinuing, and reappearing with the
people. This preserved the greatest equality among the people \
even* says Thucydides, between thr rich and poor. To this popularity
of it*s nature is to be ascribed it's strength and permanency. ** The
people,*^ says Aristotle, " participated in the great imperial con-
cerns of the state, and this accounts for it's tranquillity and du-
ration."
* I have considered the Spartan state at this length, bccatiie I
conceive, that the appointment and office of it's constituted autbo*
rities give 3 fair outline of what ought to be the constitution of a
State, that endeavoured to unite security with freedom. It consisted
of assemblies of the people, and ephon» who were presidents of
those assemblies, and who represented them when they were dis-
solved t of a senate ; and of a chief magistrate. This bears the
character of i^n^dom and simplicity, and seems to be dictated not only
by common sense, but by the nature of society.'
Altliough the Spartan system is here held up as the
model which is to be consulted in forming the new constitutioa
of British government, we are not to conclude that all which
is to be found in that favourite pattern is to be copied in the
new regimen, Mr. E* makes no appropriation of the black
brothj of the iron moncyi of the discouragement of science,
letters, and commerce, nor of the double royalty, nor yet of tlie
Helots and the indecent dances. Indeed, he informs us
that these are parts of this antient system uhich do not meet
his approbation. The modern school of abstract coin would,
wc apprehend, as much object to iron as to gold or silver.
102
Lord Byron'j Giaour^ a Fragment,
and he should be sensible that, without the requisite qualifict-
tions> he docs injury to the cause which he me:uis to serrc.
Two other works by this author, on National Education^ auod
on The Defects of the English Law/, are before us, and wiB
demand our attention in succession.
Art, XI L The Giaour t a Fragment of a Turkish Talc By
Lord Byron. Svo, pp. 41. 45. 6d. Boards* Murray* 1813*
GiAotJR means Infidel m Turkey. Our fair readers must he
kind enough to pronounce it Jowr^ or Gowr^ or 31?wr, or
in any other manner more agreeable to themselves which may at
once keep It a monosyllable and permit it to rhyme with lirmer^
hower, power ^ &C*
He from whom the present poem derives its title was a
Venetian, who, sojourning on tlie other side of the Adriadc,
seduced the affections of Leila, the dark-eyed favourite of
Hassan. Detected by her impetuous lord, she was condemned
to die the death often inflicted by vindictive jealousy in the
East ; viz. to be fastened in a sack, and plunged into the un-
fathomable ocean. A short time afterward, in the course of a
journey undertaken for the purpose of supplying the place of
Leila, Hassan was attacked by her desperate and heart-broken
lover, and slain in a short but bloody conflict. The con-
clusion exhibits the state of the Christian's mmd, when he
subsequently buried within the walls of a monastery hi^ ft*
collections, his remorse, and his despair :
* He pa«8^d — nor of hit name and race
Hath left a token or a trace.
Save wkat the father must not say
Who shrived him on his dying day|
This broken tale was all we knew
Of her he lov^d or him he slew*'
It is not without considerable hesitation that we express our
belief that we have given a correct sketch of this little romance 5
and, to say the truth, we are as much indebted for our
knowlege to an explanatory note at the end of the volume, as
to the poetical narrative. This narrative is also in chareKkr%
proceeding from some person who has had opportunities of
seeing what he describes : but as to what his connection is with
the dramatis persons^ or the events, most readers will pro-
bably remain as ignorant as ourselves. He speak ji, indeed, as
an eye-witness of scenes the most remote and disunited from
each other, both as to time and places and in reality it is not
•ne fragment, but many, with which we are here presented.
The
Lord Byron'/ GiMwr^ a Fragmmt^
203
^e readers of ChlUe Harold will not be disappointed in
ir expectation that theae great and obvious faults of plot and
mgement must be amply compensated, as similar defects
^in that poemi by beauties ot the highest order; and those
\ of lively painting, and that fine but melancholy strain of
1 reflection, which may be said to have been there rather
red than used by Lord Byron, are here employed for the
rpurposeof adding interest and probability to a deeply affect*
»Ty, related with rapidity and fervour. The picturesque
and plowing scenery of the East are no longer drawn
be portfolio, like a series of pictures : but they fix in a
abitation, and stamp with the most striking characters, the
lb which is actually performing on the stage before us,
^e must notwithstanding take leave to begin our extracts
h a simile, which mav in our opinion stand the comparison
'lany that we remember, as well in justness of sentiment as
ace and delicacy of expression*
• As rising on its purple wing
The insect-queen • of eastern spring.
O'er ennerald meadows of Katmneer
Invites the young pursuer near,
And leads him on from flower to Bower ^
A weary chacc and wasted hour,
Then leaves him, as it soan on high
With panting heart and tearful eye ;
So Beauty lures the full-grown cmM
With hue as bright, and wing as wild ;
A chase of idle hopes and fears.
Begun in folly* doted in tears.
If won, to equal ills betrayed,
Woe waits the insect and the maid^
A life of pain, the lots of peace.
From infant's play, and man's capriCe ;
The lovely toy so fiercely sought
Has lost its charm by being caught.
For every touch that wooed its stay
Has brush'd its brightest hues away.
Till charm, and hue, and beauty gone,
'Tis left to fly or fall alone.
With wounded wing, or bleeding breast.
Ah ! where «hall cither victim reit ?
Can this with faded pinion soar
From rose to tulip as before ?
Or Beauty, blighted in an hour,
Find joy within her broken bower ?
["he blue.wiuged buturfly of Kasbneer, the moU ntre and beau-
\ the species/
^jPl4 Li^r J Bf ton* J Gtmuf^a Fragmeiff,
No; ,
Ne'er u , ,, ^e thai die,
And iovchcr things have mercy ahewn
To every falling but their own,
And every woe a tear can daim
Except an erring sister's shame/
Our only objection to this beautiful metaphor (which applies
also to that of a scorpion, imrnediately subjoined to it,) is the
want of due connection i^ith the rest of the poem. These fine
verses are not adapted to those which precede and follow it,
but arc studiously Insulated from them by asterisks ; though the
tone of reflection is such as to harmonize very happily with the
subject- A little trouble would have interwoven both passages
in the most natural and graceful manner; and we must
strongly protest against this abuse of the convenient word
fragment^ as much too listless, and too lofty.
The description of Hassan, setting out on his expedition, tS.
singularly spirited :
< Stern Hasian hath a jouraey ta'en
With twenty -vassiih in his train,
Each arm'd as best becrimcs a raan ♦
With arquebuss and atajhan ;
The chief beSbn?, as declt'd for war,
* Bears in his belt the scimitar
StaiuM with the best of Araaut blood,
When in the pass the rcbeb stood.
And few return'd to tell the tale
Of what befell in Fame** vale.
The pistols which his girdle bore
Were those that once a pasha were.
Which still, though geinmM and boss'd with ^oM»
Even robbers trcnabl? to bt'hold. —
'Tis said he goes to vroo n bride
More true ihaii her who hft his sitic;
The faithless ftave thai broke lier bower.
And, worse than faithless, fur b Cinour! ^
• The sun's last rays are on the hi!J,
And sparkle in the foiintaiu riD,
Whose welcome waters cool and dciir.
Draw blessings frc>m tlie inonntaitjeer ;
Here may the loitering merchant Grttic
Find that rcpofe 'twere vain to Sf^^ek
In cities lodg'd too near his lord,
And trembling for his secret iioard —
Hert^ may he rest where none caa see,
lo crowds a skive, ia deserts tree ;
Afvd
J
Lord ByrouV Gfmur^ a FragmetiL ^oj
And with forbidden wine may stam
The bowl % Moslem must not drain. —
• ••«•#•
* The foremnst Tnrtar*« in the gap,
Conspicn yellow cap,
The rest i > ned line the while
Wind slowly thru ugh the long defile ;
Above, the mountain rear* a peak,
Wliere vultures whet the thirsty beak>
And tbeir's may be a feast to-night.
Shall tempt them down ere morrow^s Hght-
Beneath, a river's wintry stream
Has Jihrunk before tlie summer beam,
And left a channel bleak and bare,
Save shrubs that spring to perish there.
Each side the midway path there lay
Smaill broken crags of granite gray.
By time or mountain hghtning riv^n^
From summits clad in mists of heaven ;
For where is he that hath beheld
The peak of Liakura uo veiled >*
mm • • • « «
Tc omit the combati and pass to the Mohammedan*s curse on
o:urderer of Hassaii :
But thou, false Infidel! §hah writhe
Beneath avenging Monkir*fl scythe ;
And from its torment 'scape alone
To wander round lost Eblia' throne ;
And Bre unquench'd, unquenchable —
Around — within — thy heart shall dwell.
Nor ear can hear, nor tongue can tell
The tortures of that inward hell ! —
But first, on earth as Vampire sent.
Thy corse shall from its tomb be rent ;
Then gha&tly haunt thv native place.
And suck the blood ot all thy race,
There from thy daughter, sister, wife.
At midnight drain tYie stream of life j
Yet loathe the banquet which perforce
Must feed thy Uvid living corse |
Thy victims ere they yet expire
Shall know the dicmon for their sire,
As cursing thee, thou cursing them.
Thy flowers are withered on the stem#
But one that for thy crime must fall —
The youngest — most belov'd of all,
Shall bless thee with a faiher*s name —
That word shall wrap tTiy heart in flatnr !
Yet must thou end thy task, and mark
Her cheek's Uit tinge, her eye*s last spark,
Aod
2^6 Lord ByrcmV Gmour^ a Fragment
And the last glatsy glance rouBt view
Which f regies o*cr it* Ufclcs* blue ;
Then with unhciU'Myed band ahak tear
The tresses of her yellow hair,
Of which in life a lock when shorn,
Affection** fondest pledge was worn ;
But now is bonie away by thee,
Memorial of thine agony !
Wet with thine own best blood shall drip,
Thy gnashing tooth and haggard lip ^
Then stallcing to thy sullen grave —
Go — and with Gouls and Airits rave i
Till these in horror shrink away
From spectre more accun^d tha» they i*
The description of the Giaour many years afterward, in tlie
monastery, is very finely introduced in immediate succession
to the passage just quoted, and forms a powerful contrast :
• " How name ye yon lone Caloyer ?
His features I nave scann'd before
In mine own land^ — 'lis many a year.
Since, dashing by the lonely shore,
I saw him urge as fleet a steed
As ever serv'd a horseman's need.
But once I saw that face — but then
* It was so marked with inward pain
I could not pass it by aeain ;
It breathes tne same darK spirit now.
As death were stamped upon his brow*
* u *Ti8 twice three years at summer tide
Since first among our irerefl he came y
And here it soothes him to abide
For some dark deed he will not name*
But never at our vesper prayer.
Nor e^er before confession chair
Kneels he, nor recks he when arise
Incense or anthem to the *»kieE,
But broods within his cell alone.
His faith and race alike unknown.
The sea from Paynim land he crost.
And here ascended from the coa»t|
Yet seems he not of Othman racci
But only Christian in his face :
I'd judge him some stray renegade,
Repentant of the change he made.
Save that he shuns our holy shrine.
Nor tastes the sacred bremi and wine.
Great largess to these walls he brought,
And thus our abbot*» favour bought ;
IJL
■Sk
MONTHLY CATALOGUE
For J U N E. 1B13.
POETRY, &C.
Art- 13- Spirit of BoccaccioU Decameron ; compming Three Da^'
Entertainment; iran^/tsttd, leUciedj connected, and versified* froJJi
the Italian, Cr* 8vo. 3 Vols, il. 10s. Boards. Cadell and
Davits, 1812.
No^ more convincing proof can be given of the unejctinguishabk
tpint*of Boccaccioj tnan the delight which will be afforded to sueK
readers of thi» lame translation of him as never read any otlier.
Xfame we call it, because the verse is frequently most inbarmomou*,
the language feeble, and the whole effect so inferior to that of the
old prose version, that few if any who are acquainted with Boccaccio^
even in the eaid version, vnll be induced to peruse all the present
volumes. Still lefts will those who can relish the original endure $9
iniptrfect a copy. The author at times endeavour* to be very Uleral ;
but he generally is as free as possible j and he has also taken the
liberty of altering some of the stories, and of connecting the whole
of his selections. The proper names are pronounced wrooglj"
throughout. Philostratns, Pampinea, N^opfiTTe, are favourable
♦pecimens of the pronunciation of the * Spint of Boccaccio/
If we look at literature only after its revival, Invention, pure
invention in the plot and management of a story, will seem to be
exclusively of Italian growth. Not only can we trace our owa
Shakspeare on almost all occasions to this fertile source of fabVr
|>ut the French I and every other European nation that lays claim 10
literary honours, mnst in this primary mark of distinction delb* to
the Italian : but, if wc turn our eyes still farther back, sad
examine the recorded efforts of eastern imagination long previously to
the 5cra which we are contemplating, we shall fnid reason tt> detract
•omething from the originality of the Italians themselres in tlui
branch of composition. Whether it be the fruit of climate* of*
warm sun, and an unclouded sky j or whether the consequent idl^oeti
and story.telling disposition of the Orientals combine to excite thil
faculty of invention ; it is certain that European stories of every
kind (especially the amorous} may be traced, mediately or imtne-
diately, to the East. The Greeks of antient times, and the Itahaoi
of later ages, have equally borrowed from this copious fountain-head
of fancy : but few, if any, fabulists have so admirably mingled truth
with fiction, and have so completely established their claim to a fc*
condary if not a primary invention, as the great Boccaccio. The
father, absolutely, of the modern novel and romance, (for he deak
as much, if not more, in the detai! of common and every -day-life as he
does in wild iiud extraordinary scenes,) he has left all his successon
and all his imitators at an immeasurable distance. His indeceucy wu
not only the vice of hi« time, but, mingled as it is w^ith bold and Just
satire against the retigroua orders, it pleads an cxcu^ wliich no wi$e
contemporary would intmcd lately liavc rejected. J a our ag«, indccdt
4 lilt
Monthly Catalogue, Pottrjn
X09
ihe cage is tltered £ and the pment volump«« chaste as they arc when
compared with the original^ arc not fit to be placed on any Udy'x
toilet. With this warning we shall cmiclude ; assuring the male
part of our readers that, in spite of all the faults to which w^* have
allttded in the present * Spirit of Boccaccio,' th'^y w\\\ here iind mxtch
10 entertain them ; and that many passages in the version re Beet
credit on the author's genius, and on his command of easy and ap-
propriate eipression. By his choice of subjccti in the year tSl2,
nc hat voluntarily narrowed the circle of his readers to a small
number*
Art. 14. Thi DnerUd Fillagi School, a Poem. 8vo. 19. Longman
and Co. 1813.
We ihoixld be glad to see the pleasantry of ihii writer more
worthily employed, than in ridicuHng that zeal for promoting the
education of the poor which now pervades the kingdom. Few
persons seem to question the expediency of teaching children of
all ranks to read and write ; and, since the old *' Village Schools*'
were insufficient for this purpose, it may be well to assist or super-
»edc them by later inventions. At any rate, and without engaging
deeply in controversy with the author, we deem his fears about the
alphabet perfectly futile, and can assure him that learning to trace
tht letters in sand is not * a shppery knowlegc gained loo soon ;*
as well as that, if he chuscs to * peep' at some of Dr. Bell's school-
mistretsest * amidit their pigmy throngs' he raay still see * high
spectacled her revtnnhal nose,* as he informs us was the case witli
his favourite dame in days of yore.
Art, If. Fahlet In Verse; from i^sop, Lit Fontaine, and others*
By Mary Anne Davis, iimo. Boards. Harris- 1813.
As a work intended for children, these fables have considerable
merit ; since they are written with a pleasantry which must make
them attractive, and the moral lessons which they convey are
adapted to young people : wliile the author's poetical style is easy,
and suiEciently harmonious.
Art. 16, The Tlmn ; or ihe Prophecy: Second Edition. With
other Poems. By George Daniel. Cr. 8vo. 53, Boards.
Wilson. 1813.
* A modern satirist has much to do/
says Mr. Daniel, and he might have added, to execute that much
^eti is a very arduous undertaking. The Times^ or human nature
under the various aspects which it assumes in the present cultivated
yet whimsical, absurd and refined yet pro^igatc age, must be allowed
to open tf'wide and varied iield to the moral observer; and if by
•• shooting folly as it flies," or by the aid of wfU-directcd ridicule,
those persons could be ** touched and shamed*' into decency and
^od conduct, who are now triumpliant in their career because they
are ** safe from the bar, the pulpit, and the throne," all must acknow-
legt^ satire to be one of the most useful species of writing. What,
howc'vcr, are we to say on this head, when vice and folly continue to
he as bold and shameless as if no satiric lash had ever been applied ?
Kf:v. June. 1813, F ShiU
Monthly CAmtoGUE, P&etrj.
Shall W€ intimate that the poct« of our own day« want finr and forte tti .
carry on so formidable an attack ? Whatever may be thdr getiiui^'J
they seem, in general, to over-calculate their powers. Yet it h th '
common fault of the modem satirist to glide into the eaiy track
imitation, when he ought boldly to aipire at cutting out a way (
drely his own- Reminiscence, if not mistaken for invention, h madl^
to supply its place ; and the new author, at the moment when he W
raising expectations of a new world, introduces the poetic reader t^
their old acquaintances. Whatever talents Mr. Daniel may po»ri%
he seems to want sufficient pride to assert the independence of hit^
muse; and so richly has he stored his memory from the pages of Popc^ j
that he copies his thoughts, hit expressions, his rhinies, and <
sionally even his coarseness, W— e, at full length, often disgrac
Terse of the Twickenham bard, but in our more refined age wc C
call a spadif a ipade ; and we wish that Mr, D. had not repc
employed this coarse word and its synonyms, Wc have — * Pe
tucn bardt' — * Wind whistling through the panes' — * With cravinj
belly and with aching head* — * When saint and savage hail Uie LorS
of all* — * I hate a titled rogue with all liis fame' — • Moralir.e hiil
song,' &c*, which are modes of expressions pilfered from Pope ; and!
though the following couplet is a little disguised, it is a close imitdtioil
of the same bard ;
* Cura'd is the wretch, unworthy of the Nine,
Who meanly pens one mercenary line.*
Mr. Daniel is not in the slightest degree suspected by us of eominjl
under his own curse : but, if he be not mercenary, he, even as a I
•atirist, may be suspected of being too severe * and when severity oat I
«• Herods Herod," it loses all its effect. In giving a character of the j
Times, their religious fanaticism is fair game ; and satire lias a rigiitj
lo lash tliose ignorant preachers
* Wlio know no more of Scripture than a posi^
And count that doctrine best which pays the moit ;*
but we cannot believe
« That rogues, to 'scape the gallows, turn divines ;'
nor that the Tabeniacle*pulpit is supplied from Newgate. ffmntUg-
ton and other preachers of Methodism hitch in his Tines : but poor
Dr. Collyer is satirized at some length, and forms a portrait in hb*
Daniel's severest and coarsest manner,
* While gentle Collyer, pretty spoken youth !
Sings at his ease the mangled word of truth ;«—
Talks small, and picks his teeth, then reads the h xt^
Converts a pretty girl, and weds her next i —
I loath the puppy, with his gospel rules :
A preaching coxcomb is the worst of fi>olal'—
Wliy any stigma r.liuuld be cast on the Doctor for converting i pr
girl, and marrying her aftcn^-ard, we cannot find out. He d»d no
conv*^t her, we ^fujipos^, hcaiue she was pretty ; and if thiis wuooe^
reason for marrying her, it was not a bad reason. Aft«T all, boiT'
ettr. Dr. C» i» still a Ccelcbf, who has not found a Lucilla.
lO
Monthly Catalogue, Pceitf^
zxs
^ ' iracterB in high life are attempted on this satiric canvas :
hu ,)ot add that they are sketched with a roaBterlv hand-
One pcji^o among the great* designated by ••^•^ is thus add Up
IQ view:
* But Fortune, ever mindful of his fate.
Creates her fool a Minister of State ; —
He robs the nation with rapacious hands —
His title asks for equipage and lands ?
Whores he must have, no matter from what source.
While mountebanks and fiddlers come of course ;
And what this villain docs, because he's great.
Would hang a hundred rogues of mean estate-
U this a statesman, this a public man ? —
View haughty
then doubt me if
you can/ —
On the profession of the bw, Mr. Daniel pours forth his vengeance :
but caa hi: be justi^d in the hint which he throws out respecting
irii>f^rn juries ?
* What, TRUTH a libel ?— heaven d<ffeDd my cause.
And shield me firom it's enemy, ye laws.—*
You speak too warm, some mischief may arise.
The Law's a foe, Attorneys are the spies ;
Attorneys vile, who when God*s wrath begins^
He sends on earth to plague us for our sins.—
Produce an instance — if my counsel fail.
Will you lay down five hundred for my bail ?
Forj^^^^i naWfin tlcjc reforming ilmesp
JLike prudent touh mate money of our crimes ;
And hate to see a Bribe (so honest grown,)
Fall into any pockets but their own- —
Vfhztjilihy here ? — 'tis a thing, we see,
Civility has softened to ^.fee** —
Farther on, Mr. D. Ushes the gentlemen of the law, and icemi to
point his rage at a certain Chief Justice :
I * Let no dull Justice take his daily paia%
B By talking much to hide a lack of brains ;
H (Like one / inow^ who sits with fury big,
^^^K» In all the empty majesty of wig, )
^^^B And deeming hb^ls worse because they're irue^
^^^ Cage the poor author, and abuse him too/
I The prophecy, at the end of the satire, would teach us to hope that
HjL certain illustrious prince will emulate the fame of Henry V., whose
^■Uttpry is given, and then this hobbling couplet follows ;
^^^^ • Apply the tsXt — there perhaps may come a time
■ - (And now I qvXj prophecy in rhyme)/
^ In general, however, tlie lines have an easy flow, and the rhymes are
ml good J yet such as * speak' and < cheek,* * fate^ and • wait*' * calm' and
^ • harm/ &c^ cannot but offend us. Mr. Daniel is perhaps capable of
OKire ^aitrgf than he has here displayed; and if he should be
P % 8Me
tn
Monthly Catalogue, Navefj,
more diificult in pleading bimselfi lie wUI be more likely ta tiicceed in
pleasing his readers.
The poems gubjoined to the 77iPif/ are not of tufiicieot conaec^ueaer
to tntitle them to particular notice. ^"
NOVELS.
Art. 17. The Curate and hit Davghter; a Cornish Tale, by Elisa-
beth Isabella Spence, Autljor of «• Summer Excttrsioiii;,"
** The Nobility of the Heart,*' &c. iimo. 3 Vols. 155. Boai^
Longman and Co. 1812.
The sentiments of this novel are unexceptionable 1 but the
abounds with improbabilities, and the author't morality is more <
rect than her grammar • since almost every page contains some ime-
GuracieS) vulgarisms, or absurdities. For instance, in Vol, i. page 61.*
we read of • ihe iransiiive hrea*t of Lady Soffkia /* in Vol. ii* page 85^
the same lady is made to exclaim, • I drive my coach in tix ;* m
Vol. iii. we read of * episcopalian bishops ;' in page 1 88., the
epithet of ' beautiful iruognito* h addressed by one of the principil
personages to his mistress; and the name of St. Aubyn is tbrottghoiit
metamorphosed into Seyntauhyne*
Art. 18. Th Faithful Iruh W^man i or the House of Bunder. By
Captain S. S. De Renzy. ramo. 2 Vols. los. 64. Boards.
Sherwood and Co. 1813.
Several expressions occurring in this work seem to evince that the
author is the countryman of his fictitious heroine ; but his work has
also many grammatical errors whicli cannot be excused as being
Irishisms ; and it is moreover disfigured by double entendre. Yet the
character of a faithful Irish domestic is well drawn : her language ap-
pears to have been copied from Dature ; and her uncouth expressbos
of attachment render some scenes at once laughable and touching.
Art. 19. She Thlnh far Heritlf 12 mo. | Vols, i6». 6^^ Bovd:^
Longman and Co* 1B13*
Here « repeated, in very ordinary lanE:uage, the hackneyed story
of a fair damsel, who lakes refuge in a farm4iouse from the persecu-
tion of her loverSfc and, though amiably ofhciating in every mecrtl
capacity, preserves her handu and her dress as spotless as ber mind-
Come laudable sentiments, however, are to be found in the third
volume ; and, though this novel offers no attraction to fastidi0tu
readers, its faults of composition mre not sufficiently glaring to
prevent it from being placed, with many of itt peers, 00 the jKsho
of a circulating library.
Art. 10, A Hero uf Snlnmanta: or the Novice Isabel. By H. M.
MoriartVt Author of " Brighton in an Uproar,'* &cw lajno*
jj Vols- 15s. Boards. Souter. 1813.
In the commencement of this tale, we are abruptly introduced tot
most courageous infant, who, having an arm and a leg broken, h^
aileep till the surgeon arrives to eet them ; and the rest of the story
is equally natural. We object to such names as * Caytain Ap-strap,*
, s T^lw Reverend Mr, Fiith,* and * Lieutenant Amphabiotis %* and we
hlaice
MONTHLT CATALOGtrt, EJuCStiUt.
a»3
the author for inserting long description i of Oxford,
Cambridge, and the kingdom of Siara, without an acknowlegement
of the Geographical Dictionary whence they are borrowed. Theie
passages are the best in the work* but they will be insiifficient to
preaerve tt from obhvion.
I
II
I
Mrs, Peck, Author
1 8s. Boardi* Ro-
Alt. 21. ^aga ; or a View of Nature, By
of ** Maid of Avon/* &c, izmo, 3 V«li*
bifiaoiia. 1815.
The first title of this novel ig perhapi more applicable than the
muthor supposes, for we have seldom met with a book so deficient in
point and meaning, or to replete with '* long patsages that lead to
nothing,** In some parts of the work, an imitation of Mad. Cot-
tiit't or Mils Owenson's writings appears to be intended : but the^
liktneis is so unfavourable ai to remind us of Dr. Johnson's observa*
tion on the production of one of hti imitators : *' It hat the in^ation
mi the Sybil without her inspiration/*
An. 32. Sr&ith La'tu Sutii ; or a Tale of the Eighteenth and Nine-
teenth Centuries. By the Author of** Tlie Two Brothers-** 1 2mo*
4$. ^d. Boards. Robinson. 18 12,
This short tale bears some resemblance to the French ** Cauiei
uUlreif** from its intricacy of legal perplexitieSj and the simplicity
with which they are related. A little more embellishment and am*
pUfication mignt have excited greater interest for the principal cha*
iacter« than will now be felt : but the story of Mrs. Wilson is origi*
nal \ and the work is recommended by iti brevity, and its entire free-
dom from affectation or false taste.
EDUCATION*
Art* 15. Cometh a ma FUk ; pu nouveaux Conta ; i. e. Advice to
my Dairghtcr, or more Talcs. By J. N. Bouilly, Author of
*• Tales ior my Daughter.*' i2mo» pp*5Z9« Boards. Colburn.
1815.
This volume may be considered as a sequel to the former production
of the same autlior, which was mentioned in the M. R. for Jan. 181 1»
liocc M. Bouilly still offers his advice under the attractive form of
tales. In some of these compositions, however, the denouement ia
too theatrical \ many of the characters are such as will scarcely be
found in real life ; and in the story intitled * Ltt Prejamptiom^^ the
misukcs of the two sisters are exaggerated till they become unna-
tural* Yet, as this work uniformly inculcates lessons of practical
inorBlityt while it offers an agreeable variety of anecdotes, it may
ht read with amusement and advantage.
Art. 14. The JwoentU Spectator* Part 11. Containing some
Account of Old Friends, and an Introduction to a few Strangers.
By Arabella Argus. i2nK>« Darton* 1812.
We noticed this writer's first volume in the Review for Jaauary»
181 1, and we announce with pleasure the second part of so pleasing a
work.
The idea of a Spectator for children is ingenious ; and tlic trifling
ikoUs and uopkaaant habits to which they are habls are bvre dis*
F J playtd
1*4
MoNTHLT Catalogue, Miiieim^ ift*
played in a good-humoured and amusing manner* We C3nTie*t, \!tm*
ever, congratulate Mr8» Argus on having attained the iJ
accuracy to which we counselled her to aspire. In ps^ ^ »»e
read the following sentence ; * The last thrive months has made ;' and
in page 142., * Whose amiable mind and excellent character hai ex-
cited,' 4:c,
Art. 25. The Lady^Birds* Lmery ; or the Fly^a Alphabet, By
Queen Mab. Pocket 4to* is. Longman and Co» i^ij*
Although it is heyond the comprehension of those children who
have still the alphabet to learn, this ingeniout performance may aford
aimisement in the nurtcry, and procufc additional populirtty for
Queen Mat*
Art, a6, ji Guide fo Tutors^ Parentif and private StudenU^ m the
Selection of Elementary School Books, in every Bninch of Eda-
cation, by the late Rev. Joshua Colhns. A new Edition, revised
and enlarged, by t)ie Rev* Samuel Catlow, late Master of the
* Seminary at Wimbledon, Sec. lamo. is* 6d* Longman and Co.
Elethentary books for children are now published in such numhen,
that a work like the present becomes desirable to assist the choice of
teachers, by pointing out some of the most eligible performancet in
the different branches of education* Messrs. Colhns and Catlow age _
too fond of recommending sekctwni of history and poetry t intt^^fl
oT entire works which might be read with still greater adir^otaplH
but, on the whole, they have executed their task with ability^ %A "
have produced an useful little volume.
M E D I C 1 N E| &C.
Art. 37. The jEsfuIaflan Manitor $ or faithful Guide to the His-
tory of the human Species, and most important Branches of me<ficil
Philosophy ; combined with moral Reflections, and enforced by
reUgious Precepts* By the Rev, Ed. Barry, M*D., Rector of
St«Mary*ii, Wallingford. 8vo. pp.170. 4s* 6d. Boards* Long*
man and Co.
This work exltibits a character of benevolence in the writer, wlikk
we should have wished to have seen supported by a correspoi
share of genius and ability ; but, when the intention seeing to
been pure, we are not disposed to criticize with severity any failure in
the execution- This performance, as we may learn from the title,
combines science with morality ; the author describing the lunctioQf
and structure of the body, and from these deducing rules for its proper
government and direction. We do not know that the design can h€
considered as in itself objectionable | indeed it nolds out strong recom*
mendations ; yet, from some cause, it has very generally bappeiied
that such plans have failed; and, in the present instance, the sdentifif:
part is unfortunately so meagre as to render it almost useless. The
observations relative to medicine, however, must have the advantage of
being harn.lcns ; since their extreme barrenness must prevent €^eo tk
most sanguine reader from supposing that he had derived from ihrtt
any iiiBight into the knowlege or cure of disease. We will quote the
whole section on dropsy; • > . -• *
< Dropitei
MoNTHLT CaTALOGCE, MfJidne, is^c.
2ly
I
I
^^DropKii 9Tt chronical diseases* and originate from bx fibres,
and m^j be cither of general, or particular, affection of the body.
The ifiMiediBfte caiue di all dropsies ariaes from the circumstance of
the exhaliag wtndg throwing oif more fluid than the absorbent vesselt
can take up again*
* The indicatioot of cure will principally ccnwat In eodeavouriD^ to
fcmove the cause of the disease, in discharging the waters effused into
the several carides, and fortifying the patient against a relapse^ by
imtritioiis and warm diet ; strengthening the solids by proper me-
dicines and exercise, and refraining, as much as possiblei from the use
of fluids.'
To the latter part of the work we must allow more merit : it con*
sists of a series of * Remedies, in all cases of emergency, from sudden
accident 2nd alarm, which demand prompt and immediate help, cliiefiy
tefectied from Dr. Fothergill's preservative plan, Dr. Struve's prac-
tical eifiiy, and the reports of the Royal Humane Society ; to which are
idded some other important observations/ It includes also the • treat-
ment of drowned persons, burning of females by their clothes having
caught firCp a few cautions that might prevent the frequency oi
bouses on fire,* and other articles of a similar nature. It is indeed
m collection of useful information.
We conclude by quoting a set of * general precepts, on the im-
portant concerns of health, and of acquiring the habits of a well-
ordered mind.' Although some of the&e precepts may be deemed
trifling, many very wise persons would do well to attend to them.
* I. Exercise, temperance, and chastity, are as angelic guardians
to preserve health ; while indolence, excess, and sensuality, are the
unbiish demons to destroy it.
' 2. Avoid costlveness of body, by the occasional use of gently
laxative medicines,
* 3, Proportion the clothing to the state of the weather, and if
fcry liable to take cold — or subject to rheumatic affections, wear
flannel next to the skin.
* 4. Guard against obstructed perspiration as much as possible |
it b the lamentable source, in this variable climate, of the greater part
of the diseases of its inhabitants.
* 5. Keep the feet warm, and the head moderately cobl.
* 6* Avoid all sudden extremes, especially quick transitions from
heat to cold, and from cold to heat.
* 7. Cleanliness of person, early retirement to bed, and quitting it
betimes in the morning, give vigor to the intellect, cheerfulness to the
foiod, iiid firmness to the constitution.'
Aft. 38. Th^ German SyphUitlc Physkian ; or a Treatise on the
Venereal Disease; containing the newest Method of Treatment
of the most enlightened Physicians on the Continent, To which
are subjoined a Glossary of medical Terms, and the necessary Pre-
, icriptions ; chiefly for the Use of those, who, afiected by this
"^tiease, wish to ascertain its Nature m all its Appearances, and
^to misist themfclves, so far as to avoid the dreadful Consequences
•f Enpiriciim and Quackery. By George Charles Meyer, M. D.,
P 4 Surgeon
aifi
MONTHLT CATilLOGUE, PoIUu/.
Sur^on in the East India Company^s Scnriee^ &c« &e«
4*. Boards. Hig-hley.
Wc are not friends to popular medicine in geneiral, and lea«t of all
to popular treatises on the venereal disease ; which, on every accouttt,
is ill adapted for self-treatnient. Its various forms demand the «l-
peritnced eye of a practitioner for their discrimination ; the reiaedjei
are of a most powerful iiature» and^ although absolutely necetaary ta be
employed* should never be touched but by the most skilful hands : the
disease requires for its removal a length of time, and a continued
application of medicines^ for which tew persons under their owd
dircclion would have sufficient perseverance ; and, lastly, the stalie
of m<nd, wliich the subjects of this malady generally experience, ren-
ders thtm peculiarly unilt for the conduct of a long continued and
delicate plan of treatment. Our objections against Dr, Meyer's per-
formance, however, do not rest merely on these general groui^;
the opinions wliich he advances arc erroneous and dangerous { and
doubly daajjerous when broached for popular use.
Art. 29. Anatomical Examlnaikm, A complete Senei of anato*
mical Questions, with Answers, The Answers arranged so as to
form an elcment;*ry System of Anatomy, and intended as prepara-
tory to Examinations at Surgeons'-HalJ. To which are annexed,
Tables of the Bones, Muscles, and Arteries. The second Editioc,
corrected* lamo, 2 Vols. I2S, Boards. Hfghley. 1812.
Both in the title and afterward in the preface, the object of this
work is stated to be the communication of that degree of anatomical
knowlege which may enable a candidate to pass through an exami-
nation at Surgeons'-HalL We ppoke of the first edition in terms of
general approbation; (Rev. for May, 18 i I* p. 104.) but we would
inculcate, on the minds of those who are aspiring to the honors of sur-
gery, a determination not to trust to mere catechetical information ;
since it is certainly very easy to puzzle any person who is not really ac*
quaintcd with the subject, whatever stock of questions and answers he
may have stor^^d up in lus memory. Still, within k that such examination j
as those before us are not without their use, by exercising the student
at his first entrance on the science, in the use of terms : but we must
regard tliem merely as forming a commencement of his studies, which
are afterward to be forwarded and completed in the lecture-nxwa
and dissecting-room. The work is respectably eicecuted*
POLITICS.
ArL 30. Four LtUeri on ihi English CoMtitutkn* I. On different
Opinions concerning the English Constitution. 11. On its Prio*
ciples, IIL On its Defects, IV. On the best Means of promoting
its fundamental Principles. By G* Dyer, 8vo< pp. 156* %%m
Johnson and Co. i%i2.
Being better known to the public as a poet than as a political in*
vestigator, Mr. Dyer deems it necessary to explain^ in his preBicet
the motive of the present treatise. He was engaged, it teems,
more than twenty years ago, iu inquiries which obliged him to reflect
6erionsly on the nature of our constitution, and to analyse the l^bovri
pf various political w^riiers. The eventful period that has interv^Bcd
his been cilculatedf to use hi« owa cxpressionsi ' to elevate hit
thoughti.
V
A
MoKTHLY Catalogue* P^Hfici.
217
lllf) itm his feeltogi, and 8lr«ngthen hi« reasoningg.' Accord-
^^6^1 ' .^'^ other engairemcnta have prevented him from bestowmg
eoniinufd attention on thw great subject, he has no hesitation in re.
cyrring to them, and in stepping aside for a leason from more hnmhlc
puriirits. After this preamble, and some general observations on tlic
pnnciples of government, Mr, Dyer proceeds to treat of the Englisll
conititiition in four letters, or chapters* which ftdlow each other in
ihe order announced in the title^age* Notwithstanding the san-
guine anticipations of personal mends, Mr. D, observed the prc-
estition of printing a very limited edition of his work. Temporary
qtiettfont, he remarks, may become popular in consequence of par-
ticular circumstances, but the case is dififerent with poUtical disqm-
tTtions directed to an analysis of general principles.
It would much exceed the space into which the overflow of political
gamphle'ts obliges us to circumscribe our observations on each particu-
ir publication, w«re we to enter into an abstract of Mr. Dyer's cU'
borfltf? r^?ays* Ai far as we can judge, he acted very prudently in
CO: Thin a moderate compass his espectation of the sale of
his ^ . The subject is dry, and his manner of treating it it
not OilcuUted to invest it with allurement. His style is deficient in
br^Tity, and the reader is often put out of patience by preamble?* and
circumlocutions when lie is eager to arrive at what may be called the
** marrow** of the reasoning. On the other hand, we do not often
meet with an author who is possessed of such extensive acquaintance
with writers on the nature of government as Mr, Dyer has evidently
acquired ; and the reader, who finds a reluctance to travel through
the abstract disquisitions in these essays, may satisfy himself by a
reference to a few passages (pp. 9^ tj. 82.) as to the author's intimate
knowlege of the labours of those who have preceded him* He will
therefore probably be disposed to regret that Mr, D.*8 time and talents
have not been directed to topics of more general attraction.
Art. 31. A Chart, exhibiting the Relation between the Amount
of Bank^of-England-notes in Circulation ; the Rate of Foreign
Exchange* j the Prices of Gold and Silver Bullion, and of Wheat ;
accompanied with Explanatory Observations, By S. Tertius
Galton. 8vo. pp. 32. 2s. od. Johnson and Co. 1813.
Mr, Galton confines hia observations in a great measure to the c%*
ptanation of his engraved chart ; of which it would be difficult to
f«nn a distinct idea without ocular inspection. We have long been
of opinion tliat this method of elucidating a complicated subject
might be adopted with great advantage in a variety of progressive
calcuhitions* Mr- W. Playfair's Statistical Breviary owed its per-
ipicuity to dehneations of this nature ; and it may be safely laid
down as a general rule of instruction, that an address to the eye is a
less difficult and less tedious process than taxing the memory Mrith
arithmetical computations. In the present chart, the points illui*
trated are the Bank-of-England-notes in circulation,
Fluctuations of our exchange with Hamburght
Market price of gold'bullioni
^■j> siivcr-buUioo,
■ — of wheat.
Mr# Mu-
%iS
MOKTHlt CaTHLOGHE, fTfff Iftdkl,
Mr. Mushet^s ubles of bullicm md exchange have served for ^
ground-work of tfiis Chart; and the chief difference between the twn i
it that the one represents by lineis and space* that which the oilier tXM
hibited in numbers. A few observation* are added to cxf^sia
principles of currency ; in which Mr, Galtoa avoids the discustixAl
controverted points, and expresses himsejf with a caution wkkk <
leave no ground of offence to either party,
WEST INDIES.
Alt* $2* An Eu&y 9n the good Effect t which may he dermed in the, ]
Brituh Weit IndUt in conjtquence f>/ the Ahohii&n of the Afrkaml
Slave Trade .- including an Inquiry into the present insular Polk|^ I
of those Colonies. By Stephen Gaiafordy Esq. 8va. pp*2S(^|
^^a. Baldwin. iSii.
In his preface, Mr.Gaiaford apprises the public tlut his ohfl^nr»s 1
ttons on the Weat Indies are the result not of theoretic speculation^
but of an actual residence of several yean in that part of the globe |
and he comes forwards as a decided enemy of the slave -trade, and a
zealous advocate for improvements in the education of the negroes.
Unfortunately, however, his style and disposition of materials are
not such as will create a favourable prepossession on the part o£ hi* |
readers. He is fond of indulging in quaint expressions ; such at i
calling his prefatory observation, ^ precursive remarks,' and the freej
negroes * the coloured free;' and difference of complexion isi according 1
to his way of writing, no * excusable cause' for disunion of interesta
among the inhabitants of the colonies. Without dwelling farther on
these blemishes in the composition, we have no hesitatton in agreeing
fully with him (p. 169.) that the new system of education, whether
on Bell's or Lancaster's plan, would be very well adapted to the
children of negroes, and that the ex pence would be wholly inconsi-
derable. To cultivate the minds of these degraded beings is the true
way to render them easily manageable, by giving them a feeling of
propriety and an acute sensibility to the shame of punishment. It Ji
the way likewise to make them intelligent and profitable workmen ; and
the present mode of treating negroes m our sugar-colonies is coarse and
unskilful to an extraordinary degree. The acts annually paaaed by
the island-assemblies for the regulation of slaves, while they limit the
extent of punishment, and prescribe a regular allowance of food» arc
wholly silent with regard to the proper method of conducting plasti*
tion -labour; and the rule of working by the piece, plain as it seems, it
very little practised in the West Indies, though our experience at
home affords so many striking examples of its superiority ovef the
in discriminating plan of paying labour by the day or the we«k, * I
know, however/ says Mr. Gaisfordj (p. 177.) • conductors of plan*
tations who have tried the experiraentj in cases where they have bad
a piece of work inconveniently retarded, and they have been surprized
to find how soon slaves would dispatch a dzy*& task in the anticipatloii
of a few hours day-light for their own appropriation,*
Mr. G. enters afterward on a discussion of the propriety of eman-
cipating slaves. This is a very delicate question ; and the unfitness
of bodies of people, who are apparently superior to ilavet^ for the
enjoy-
ItowPBLY CATAtocn, Histtn,
at?
■ty, will be strongly urged on t le,
it- iiy to the miatrable failui:? o£ the- at
iMh^ and in the colonics, but to the more recent exn nd
dSsnoioti in ihr territory of the Caraccas. It is per' . la
pecple, ualcss coitsiderably advaoced in icformatioTif «f^ mcspable
of cnjoying^ a fr<."r conntitulion : but the question relative to our
negroes has nothing political in it, and i» in fact conAned to the
emuDcipation of indiviauals, on the payment of a stipulated price for
each. • This price/ says Mr. G. (p^ 4 77*) * should in no case be per*
mitted to exceed the lowest general average-value of slavei.' Though
we c;fcn by no means admit the infallibility 'of this rule, we coincide
with Mr. G. in several other point » connected with tliis quc»Uou.
I We agree with him likewise in regretting the absence of gentlemen of
property from our colonics. When the means of preserving hecdth
and of educating 2t family in that climite become more generally un»
dcrstood, we hope that the labouring classes will not be so much
deprived of thr improving example oAheir superiors*
Mr. ( L was intended for pubUcation shortly after the
abohtioi rade; and it is dedicated to the Duke of Glou-
cener, a* Prtrsident of the African Institution. In his eagerness to
dieprecTite slavery, he makes an historical reference to the circum-
»t£r gradual aUoHtion in Europe ; which might have proved
an I ijstration of his reasoning, had he not unluckily fallen
fp. 64* et it^*) into a variety of difFuse and extraneous observations.
Nothing can be more calculated to lessen the utility of a book that is
iDtcnded for the perusal of persons in whose eyes brevity and clearness
are indispensable requisites* Mr. G. therefore must expect only a
▼cty partial adoption of his ideas» either among our planters or among
the persons in connection with them on this side of the Atlantic.
Should he be induced to resume the subject, it is to be hoped that>
to his knovrlege of useful facts and his ardour in recommending tm-
pro^ement, will be added a more successful mode of claftfing aod
elocsdating his argumcntt.
HISTORY,
Art* 35» j1 Sketch of the principal Event t of English fTuUff*
By William Felh 12 mo, pp.195. 33, 6d, Boards. Rivington,
Mr. Fell announces this little work a^j designed chiefly for the use
of young persons, and of those who may not have time or oppor-
tunity to peruse the English history at length. He is of opinion tliat
the leading events in our annals produce a more striking impresstoa
wlien exliibited in separate order, than when blended with miscella*
neous matter of subordinate importance. The chief contents of thia
compilation are as follow :
The Conqueit.
Obtaining of Magna Charta,
VTars of York and Lancaster*
G
R.
Accetaion of the House of Bnms.
wick.
Rebellion in 1715*
Rebellion in 17^5,
Rebellion in Ireland in 179S.
Origin and Suctssion of the E>ngt
of £oglaod« fj%
120
MoNTatT CiTiLoCDB^ Musflloogmi,
Tht aathor's ityle is clear, and not de?oid of iQimatioQ ; m thit
his book, without any pretensions to originality, may be said to fulitl
the object of its publication. We have noticed occaiional errors oti
the part either of the writer or the printer ; of which we shall specify
only one example, riz. (p. 146,) ' resolve to make an truftiom into
England,*
/Lri, 34* Hints on the Lantti and Cusiomi of am lent and moditn
Nations i respecting Marriage, Dower, Descent of Property, Ike
By a Gentleman of the Middle Temple. i2mo. pp.124* 5**
Sherwood and Co.
A heavy, in discriminating compilation, consisting of scraps takes]
from a multitude of writers, without any attempt to ascertain theif
accuracy or probability.
Art. 35, The Trader^ s Safeguard and Couniing'Housi Gmld§ i con*
taining the Laws relating to Masters, Apprentices, Clerks, Shop-
men, Joirrneymen^ Manufacturers, Sec, setting up and exercising
Trades; Bills of Exchange and Promissory Notes ; Bankruptcy;
Contracts and Agreements for the Sale and Purchase of Goods ;
Warranty, Payment, and Delivery of Goods ; Usury ; Cheating ;
Interest ; Partuership ; Agency ; Suretyship ; giving Characters
to others, and entering into Securities for their Conduct ; and a
Variety of other Topics indispensable to be known by every
Person connected witli Trade. By John RoUe, Esq.p Banista'
at Law. 2d Edition. 11 mo. pp. 305. 7s. Boards. Cook*
1812.
The contents of this compilation are so fully expressed in the title-
page, that little remains to be added in the shape of explanation. The
plan of the writer is to insert the substance of the law on the parti-
cular point discuesed, and to add, regularly, a rcfcrenee to the de-
cision or statute which constitutes the authority. His subjects
appear to be sufficiently well choien ; and the practical effect of fre-
quent reference to a collection of this nature must naturally be to
make a perion in trade more familiar with the laws relating to his
employment^ than he would otherwise become without the lapse of a
considerable time. The acquisition of such information by the routine
of practice is slow and uncertain : the consequence of which is too
often a resort to a much more expeasive method of obtaining a deci-
s on, when a disposition to mutual conciliation, joined with a tolerable
knowlege of law, might have enabled the parties to settle their dif-
ferences in an amicable and summary manner.
Art. 36* ji Descrlphcn o/" Femihdl Ahhty^ Wilishlre, Illustrated
by Views drawn and engraved by James Storer. Royal 8vo«
pp. 24. i6d« Boards. Clarke.
The singular edtJice, known by the name of Fonthill Abbey, ii
situated at the distance of eighteen miles from Salisbury. It was
designed by Mr.Wyalt on a pbn suggested by the proprietor^ Mr.
Beckfordy and ia undoubtedly the most expensive building in the coo*
vent style of which we have heard in recent timea. It consists of three
great parts % a castellated mansion | a large octagonal tower of 276
feet in height ; a»d 1 spacious haQ which projects from the building
II like
MOMTHLT CATAtOGUSf Aliscillani9US. lit
like a chapel. Of so extraordinary a fttmctuFc, no distinct idea can
be formed from verbal defcription. The engravings given with the
|)resetit tract are very goodi but a want of clearness is observable in
the narrative* The view from the top of tlie great tower 13 of vast
evtenty comprehending on one side Lord Arundel's terrace adjoining
War dour-castle, and extending on the other as far as Glastonbury,
The immediate neighbourhood of Fonthill Abbey consists of ground
finely diversified ; and a journey of many miles may be made along
the winding patiia of the inclosures, without retracing the same
aurftce. As ihoottng is not permitted within the fences, the game it
•ecn sporting undisturbed ; and hares pass quietly within a lew
paces of the windows, or receive food at a hor&e'a foot from Uie
bands of a rider. A part of this singular building remains unfinished ;
^Xi^ comparatively little progress has been made in a magnificent tower
which has been begun at a distance, on very elevated ground.
An, 37, Talit of the Poor; or Infant SufFerings, lamo, pp,8f.
Boards. Longman and Co. 18 IJ*
The cliief claim to notice, which these tales possess, is founded o«
their appearance of truth ♦, and on the expediency that such mtsenet
aa they describe should be known and redressed. They aeem to have
been written from the impulse of real feeling, and a work thus elidted
wiU seldom be found tedious. The present volume is short and
•imple, and we beg leave to recommend it for perusal.
Art* 38* y/n HittorUat and Topografhka! jiaount of Fulham^ in-
cluding the Hamlet of Hammersmith. By T. Faulkner. Author
of ** The Historical Description of Chelsea*" 410. il, as, ; and
8vo, 1 1. IS. Boards. Egerton. 1 81 3.
Mr. Faulkner, having made his dehut in a volume on the hittory of
CheJjiea, (see M. R* VoLlxiv. N.S. p. 330.) now ventures to come before
the public by describing the adjacent town of Fulham, with iu hamlet
of Hammcrsmitht and the principal country-houses. In treating of
theie plain topics at so much length, the reader must be prepared for
a notice of very humble matters ; such, for example, as (p. 6^.) the
description of a church-porch, and (p. 358.) the donation of a pump
and wl4li with the notable addition, in another part, (p. 161.) of an
troQ ladle. The book accordingly will interest only the worthy in-
habitants of Fulham and Hammtiramith ; who, to judge from the
tubfcription-hst, have not been slow in patronizing it. To general
rtiders the objects of attraction are very limited, being confined to a
fifw records connected with public considerations ; such as in (p. if.
and 45^*) the copies of antient assessments, or the biographical
notices of individuali of notoriety in the literary or poUtical world,
who have resided oa the spots described- Among these, the reader
wIB find Sir Nicholas Crispe, of the time of Charles L ; Sir LeoUne
Jetikihs, who lived under Charles 11. j Bubb Doddington, Lord
Mclcombe ; Dr. RadclifFe, the benefactor to Oxford ; Ricliardson,
the aullior of " Sir Charles Grandison ;'• the late Mr. Johnson the
booJ&seUer, ^Ct ^c. These sketches arc extracted from magazines,
* Tbr author states that they we descriptive of actual occurrencef .
or
IbfrrHLT CATiLoairtt Muctttmmm.
'othfri
I froTTi which
hud to
This vo'
to ikfTPe 1 brief fK>tJcc of a renurtaMe
hm the niertt cf attentive anrm^eineiiU sod in general cjoipet cfiwf
except when a« in p. 345". he toucbes 00 Imtoncil groiuia, mtt4 i^
pments Robespierre to bsve been st the head of tiie Freock goift«»
mem in 179^*
Sereral engrsirtngt dceoT^te thit publicajtioo.
Art- 39. Diurnal Reading! ; being Lesson* for every Day
Y<^ar ; con nllt^cl from tJie moit approTed Autboridesy aod
Eiilcrtaianicnl with In£tructJon. tsmc
' a Co. 1842. .
ii variety, and contains sonae useful aod maM'
airvufting ^xua^*.^ n^.ii ; cent publications. Thofefrom the writiiiin
of Dr. Buchanan and Dr, Clarke will be found particularly bterest*
ing - but the details from Prud'homroe (mis-spelt Prtmdhommte^ H
ptge 290* ) of the atrocities committed durinjs: the French Aei>oIii*
tioti, and the account of an impaleinent, from Siockdaie^ in page 26S.f
with ftome other passages in the tame style, are so horrible tnai per-
haps the eye of youth ihould not be unnecessarily shocked with tbcffi.
The dftcriptjon of *< The Burning of Hindoo Women," in |^gc
32 f., is copied from Southey*6 " Curse of Kehama," and not frosj
the ** Asiatic Revearches," as is erroneously stated ; and the nagpcpf
Nealhny is in thil transcript changed to Ncaling^
' Fraiiicai^
Art. 40. Appendix to (he Di>ctrin€ of Lijf jInnmtUt and jfiMMTi
containing a Paper read before the Royal Society on a ocw
thod of calculating the Value of Life Annuities. By Ffautcf
Baily. 8vo. pp. 78. 48. Richardson* 181 5.
It appears that this * New Method of calculating Anntiitiet* it
the plan, not of Mr- Baily, but of Mr. George Barrett of Petwoithai
Sussex ; who had, at a great sacrifice of time and labour, prepared a,
Ms. a'tery comprehensive set of Hfe-annuity tables* These he pn>.
posed to print in two large quartoSf and to publish by subacripciofl ;
but he failed in receiving adequate encouragement, either from the
• Life-Assurance-CompaDiet or from other quarters. The hope of an
extended publication being thus disappointed, Mr. Barrett drew tip 1
short memoir, which was presented to the Royal Society, under the ins-
prcstion that they might deem it worthy of insertion in the Phik*
sophical Transactions* Here, however, his friend was as unlucky it
the original calculator ; and they have, in consequence, both deter-
mined that the memoir in question should be brought before the bar
of the public.
Mr. Baily begins by observing that such is the trouble attending
the calculatioQi of life^annuitieti, particularly when two or more
lirei are concerned, that the only tables fit for practical use are tho«e
©f Dr. Price and Baron Maseres. He proceeds to explain (p. 2f*)
a method of abridging the labour of such calculations, or rather of
arranging^ on a new plan, the tables for determining the value of
life-annuities. Various exemplifications of this plan arc added in
the shape of tables of annuities on single livef, on two joint-Htes,
oa three joint liveii and on M. de-Moivre's hypotbeais*
These
MoMTHLT Catalogue, SingU Smmew.
«3
com-
These exam plet and thecleameai of tlie accompany iv"" ^'
relieve the subject, to an alteiitivc reader, from a greai \_
plcxiiy; yet an explanation of it would require an ci.u f
adtogether disproportioned to our limits. Wc mu»t acco*
fer the persons interested in these calculations, to the mcrauir lat it*
Our Assurance-Companies are in the habit of doing busiaes* on tl;e
concluwons drawn from the estimates t.T ' v> at Nor ' i ;
and in this plan they are induced, says , to per: s
from a conviction of the accuracy of these csumates a« matcf u!^ ]v>r
comprehensive calculations, than from tlie convenience of referring to
a variety of tables already computed from them* Mr. Barrett regrets
much that these associations do not bring into practical use the obser-
vations subiequently made on the duration of human life in Sweden*
and those of M. de Parcicux in France,
SINGLE SERMONS.
Art. 41. Umformiiyt one great Criterion of " Keeping the Fmtb *•"
preached at the V^isitation in Canterbury, 18 ii* By the Rev,
Edward Arthur Bush, M. A., Rector of St. Andrew's, Canter-
bury, £c(ic Svo« is« Longman and Co,
Art, 42* A Vindication of Religious Liberty : preached at Bridport*
June 17. 1812. Before the Western 'Unitarian Society, By
Robert A spland« J2mo« is. JohniK)n and Co.
These two sermons came to us in the same parcel, and wc put them
together in the same article, not becau«c Uicy agree, but because
they, toto rar/e, differ from each other. If the Churchman be right,
the Dissenter is altogether in the wrong : but then the Dissenter
has one holy person at least to stand by him, while the Churdimau
i« deserted by that very apostle from whom he borrows his text.
St. Paul, who speaks of having " kept the fiaith," (Mr. Bush's
text, 2 Tim. iv, 7, ) renounces the idea of uniformity of fMtth ^s
chimerical ; and in Romans xiv. ^., (Mr. Aspland's text) he affords
the corapletest sanction to the fullest religious liberty, by laying
down this general rule, " Let every man be fully persuaded in bsi
own mind." Now with Mr* Bush's position this apostolic direction
cannot be reconciled ; and unluckily for him, as he belongs to a
protesting church, which in reference to an older one has violated the
principle of uniformity both m faith and forms ^ the very title of his
sermon, as the vulgar say, hits him a slap on the face* The Church
of England is too firmly established to be shaken by the efforts of
sectaries: but, if she sincerely wished to unite diEsentients to her
communion, it must be done by a httle accommodation, and not by a
stiff and rigid adherence to every word and every custom that are
manctioned by the present system, which Mr, Bush recommendt*
That a connection subsists between keeping the faith and the reading
of a precomposed sermon in preference to an address delivered witliout
notes, it would be difficult for tliis preacher to shew : but abundant
evidence exista to prove that an extempore preacher is more likely to
fill our churches than the best possible reader of sermons. Yet
preaching without notes, and any latitude in the short prayer Intro-
duced by the clergyman before the sermon, being contrary to custom,
though
L
214
CoRKESPOlld^lf CE*
though not to rtile, are censured by Mr. Bush as if mjtiHotll to the
faith : but what a phantom must our faith bp« if such ahmdom* of
ihadrt could affect it ? So very timid a bdievef doet more harm to
ChnRttanity than the boldest infidel.
Mr. Aeplaiidi convinced that the Go«pel it founded on a rocky li«i
no gloomy apprrhcniioUB from the most enlarged e&ercite of religkra
liberty. He wisHce not for *• unity of opinion in the bond of ig-
Dorancet nor unity of profeRsion in the bond of hypocriiy, htit
inen-ly for unity of the tpiril in the bond of peace," With a mtfid
fully satififitd, after palicnt inquiry, of the Iruth of Cbristtaatty,
Mr. A. would allow to the infidel that liberty ^hicH he clainit br
btmself. Speaking in the name of the sect to which he beloitf^^A
cayf^, * We blame no one for blaming u«,* * As the apostle to dl|^^|
hai renounced both for himself and every one eJtc autliority ta f^
gulate the faitli of another^ he hat afforded a« deciatve a proof as
could be adduced of hit admission of the inviolable ripht of the
human mind to its own religious determinations/ Under the Gospei»
the mind it certainly left free, and however desirable it may be to
prevent d^«sention, we have no reason for supposing that the faili
cannot be kept unlest the Chnsiian world be brought into one pak.
Art. 43. On the Ptlt/wtti and Civil Education af Poor Childrtw ;
preached at the Visitation of the Rev- Phincas Pett, 1>,D., Arch-
deacon of Oxford, held at Woodstock, June i. 1812. By Vaughia
Thomas, B.D. Vicar of Yarnton. Svo. is. 6d, Rtvingtocift.
• Reading ( says Mr. T.) is a key to the treasures of Holy Writ, ajtd
therefore should be put in the hands of all* But writing and arithmetic,
being qualifications for particular places, terviccs, and sorts of business*
•hould be reserved for specific purposes, and particular children.*
We confess that Mr.Thomaa has not, tn our judgment, made out oor
atom of hti positioD. He thinks that the agricultural poor need not
be instructed in writing and arithmetic : but are not the agricultunl
poor liable to serve in tfie militia, and often sent into the navy • umI
•hall he object to qoalify the common soldier and sailor for writing to
his wife and family, or for receiving that promotion w^hich kis good
conduct deserves ? As writing and accounts are now taught on the
Lancasterian plan with great ease, we see no objection to the estrrt'
•ion of these humble branches of learning to the poor ; and no one
who has enjoyed the advantages of an University -education should
object to throwing this pittance of science into the lap of poverty.
Correspondence*
Mr. Galt'n polite letter is received, and shall have consideration.
B* G* C. is entirely wrong in his conjecture.
Various other letters have reached us^ which we have not teii
to specify, but to which we shall attend as occasion requires.
• ,• The Appendix to our last Volume was published on the
of June, with the Number for May.
THE
^lONTHLY REVIEW,
For JUL Y, 1813.
AjlT. I» Estphratary Travels through ihi If^eitem TtrritorUt of
y^ Art A America ; camprisiog a Voyage from St. Louis, on the
issinsippi, to the Source of that River ; and a Journey through
e Interior of Louisiana, and the North-eastern Provinces of New
)aTn. Performed in the Years 1805, l^o^» 1807, by Order of
e Government of the United States. By Zcbulori Montgomerr
kCf Major 6th Regt. United States Infantry* 4(0.. pp. 436*
* iftn Boards, Longman and Co.
UONG the recent travels connected m point of subject with
■^^^ the present volume, are Michaux's journey to the westward
of the Alleghany mountains, * and tJie more extensive peregrl-
nations of Captains Lewis and Clarke across the American con-*
tincnt f. The former undertaking, though valuable on the
ground of information, was limited in its object to the dominions
of the United States : but the latter opened an unknown
country to the geographical investigator, and shewed the Ame-
ricafi government how far their newly acquired terrltory^^
Louisiana, was likely to be benefited by channels of commu-
nication with the western ocean. Major Pike performed two
expeditions, from a similar motive of ascertaining the situation
and properties of particular districts of Louisiana. His first
joamey was directed northward to tlie sources of the Missis-
sippi ; and while it enabled him to make a report on the mode
of navigating that river, it afforded also an opportunity of ap-
prizing the Indian tribes, along its banks, of the extended juris-
diction of the United States- — In his second journey, his steps
were bent to the west ; and after having ascended the Missouri for
leveral hundred miles, and taken steps to attach the savages to the
American government, he proceeded to examine the navigation
of the grcAt rivers to the south of the Missouri. These mis-
lions were altogether of a public nature ; the author being an
officer in the American army, and receiving his instructions
fro« General Wilkinson, the commander of the troops in Loui-
siana: while the substance of these instructions, moreover, wa$
• M. R. Vol. li.
Vol. lxxz*
p. aji* f M« R. Vol. Uiii. p. 328.
Q communicated
PikeV EKphraiofj Travib in N&rih ArmruA.
communicated to the President, and obtained his approbation
— In point of spirit and perseverancci a fitter person thaa
Major Pike could not have been easily found : but his expe-
rience and iudgmeot were not proportioned to his zeal v and tlifi
relation of his adventures contains several proofs of the unfor*
tuBate consequences of a want of previous combination. — We
apprehend that he is the ^ame officer who, with the rank of
Brigadier, !ately fell in action with the British at the taking of
York Towr . In Canada.
The authi r, then only Llmttnant Pike, set sail on the first
rxpediuon from St. Louis, a station situated near lat. 38., a short
^urey below the confluence of the Mississippi with the still larger
ftream of the Mi>6curi, The time of his departure was ^tb
August J a period of the year which, as we shall see presently*
was too late by several months ; the fit season imt undertaking
a voyage to t lie source of the Mississippi being the beginning ol
summer, when the ice is melted, and before the decre2se of
water, which renders it difficult to pass the shallows, has takcfl
pbcc- The party consisted of himself, a serjeant, two corpo*
rals, and seventeen privates, all embarked in a keel-boat of
seventy feet in length, with provisions for four months,
Listructions were in substance as follow ;
* You will please to take \X\t course of the river, and caki
distances hj timr^, noting rivers, creeks, highlands, prairies, jtk
rapids, shoals, mines, quarries, timbcri water, soil, Indian villages,
and settlcmentSj in a diary to comprehend reflections on the winds
and weather* It is interesting to government to be informed of the
population and residence of the several Indian nations, of the quao*
tity and species of skins and furi they barter per annum, and tbdr
relative price lo goods ; of the tracts of country on which they ge»
nerally make their hunts, and the people with whoni they trade, —
You are to spare no paini to conciliate the Indians, ajid to attac&^J
them to the United Slates \ and you may iovite the great chiefii <4^|
such distant nations as liave not been at this place, to pay me a Tisit**^l
It would be tedious to follow Mr. P. through his long list of
observations on the channel and banks of the Mississippi, and oa
the appearance of the copious streams which <3ow from east
west to augment its waters. The scenery, though frequeni
grand, was ;>cen by him to advantage only on a few occasion
^ivhen the state of the imyage allowed him to step on shore
ascend a commanding elevation ; and, while he kept to the rivcri
his intercourse was generally confined to small parties of
Indians passing along in their canoes. The savages in
quarter are no strangers to the benefit of traffic with Europcaiii,
• 19/A August* — Whilst we were at work at our boat on the
lirach, threr jfano€», with indians, paised on the oppQfite ihor?.
tea
ndJH
anJH
ver, '
TfcqU
b
^
I
I
Pile'/ Esipkratory Trawls in North Amitita*
Tfciey cried " How do you do?" wisKingus to givelhcman inTttation
to come over ; but receiving" no answer they passed on*' — * Wc after-
wirdx met four Indians and two Squaws \ having landed with thetn,
we gave them one quart of maiL^ or diluted whiakey, a few bi$cuitt,
and 8on»e salt, I requested some venison of them, they pretended
ihey could not understand me ; but after we had left them, they
held up two hams, and hallooed and laughed at us in deri&ion/ —
* I// Siptemhcr. — Dined with Mr. Dubuque, who informed me that
the Sioux and Sauteurs were as warmly engaged in opposition at
ever \ that not long since the former had killed fifteen of the latter,
who* in return, kuled ten Sioux, at the extrance of the St. Peter's ;
and that a war party, composed of the Saca, Reynards, PuantSi to
the number of two Hundred warriors, had embarked on an expedition
against the Sauteurs^ but that they had heard, that the chief having
had an unfavourable dream, persuaded the partv to return, and that
I ihould meet them on my voyage. At this place I was introduced
to a chief, called the Raven of the Reynards. He made a very
flowery speech on the occasion, which I answered in a few wordi,
accoropanjed by a small present/ —
* 12th September* — Opposite to Root river we passed a prairie
called La Crosse, from a game of ball played frequently on it by the
Sioux Indians. On this prairie Mr. Frazer shewed me some holet
d»>g by the Sioux, when in expectation of an attack j into which
they first put their women and children, and then crawl in themselves ;
they were generally round, about ten feet in diameter, but some
were half moons, and fonned quite a breast -work. This, I under-
stand, was the chief's work, which was the principal redoubt. Their
mode of constructing them is as follows : the moment they apprehend,
or di»cover, an enemy on a prairie, they commence digging with their
knives, tomahawks, and a wooden ladle, and in an mcredibly short
space of time sink a hole sufEciently capacious to secure themsclvei
aiid their families from tht balls or arrows of the enemy. They have
no idea of taking tltese subterranean redoubts by storm, as thej
would probably lose a great number of men in the attack ; and al-
though they miffht be successful in the event, it would be considered
ai a very imprudent action.'
That French names are stUl used for the Indian tribes is owing
to the circumstance of French continuing to be the prevalent lan-
guage tliroughout Lower Canada. In Mr. Pike's report of the
difierent nations of savages, (if the word nation may be applied
lo such insignificant numbers,) we have not found much that
diners from former descriptions. Oqe tribe, he tells us^
(p.i28.)h^9 acquiied the use of (ire-arm:^, but i» not yet
considered .-s superior to those who have only bows and
arrows* In an open plain, the advantage of the former indeed
is les$ apparent : but it aifmits of no question in bush-fighting,
where a bullet holds its course through obstacles which are
fttiBtcient to turn the featliered shaft from its direction. Two
oilj^f tribes of Indiansi called Tanctongs and Teton*, possessing
Q 2 an
528 Pike*/ Exphrat^y Trtweh in Kofih AHttricS^
tn ample stock of horsesi are accustomed to move from pbet
to place with a rapidity scarcely to be conceive<l by the
bit^nts of the civilized world. The following is a populati
tabic cf the Indians residing on the banks of the Mississippi,!
of its confluent streatnsj between St. Louia in Lomsiana an<|^
source of the river :
g
=
5
•
"3
Nameiof Nationi.
^
^
1
■8
"3
>
J"
i
i
i
^
I
Sacs - - ^
700
750
1,400
5
2,8jO
Foxeg - - •
400
500
850
3
U750
Jowas - - .
300
400
700
2
IMOO
Winebagoes .
450
SCO
1,000
7
1,950
Mcnomcnes
300
3JO
700
7
'»3JO
Sioux - - -
3*835
7.030
11,800
5
11,675 •
Chippeway* -
2,049
3,184
5.944
* *
11,177 ■
Total - - ,
8>034
11,714
»s.39+
25
41.15a
Of the state of morals among these untutored beings, the
following anecdote may aflbrd some idea :
« We marched, determined to find the lodges. Met an Indiaiif
whose track we pursued through almost impenetrable woodsp ^t
about two miles and a half to the camp. Here there was one of the
finest sugar camps I almost ever saw ; the whole of the timber being
sugar maples. We were conducted to the chiefs lodge, who re«
ceived ui in the patriarchal style. He presented us with syrups of
the maple lo driuki and a^ked whether I preferred eating beiirer«
twan, elk, or deer ? upon my giving the preference to the lint, •
large kettle wai filled with it by his wife, of which soup was mide.
This being thickened with flour, we had what 1 then thought a deli-
cious repast. After we had refreshed ourselves, he asked whether
we would visit his people at the other lodges ? having complied^ we
were prcseated in each with somellxing to eat ; by some with a I
©f sugar, by others beavers* tails, and other estetfmcd delica
After making this tour, we returned to the chief's lodge, and ftl
% berth provided for each of u«, of good soft bear ikina nicely ipro2|
and 00 mine there was a large feather pillow. In the course of j "
day, observing a ring on one of my fingers, he enquired if it j
gold ? he was told it was the gift of one, with whom I should _,
fiappy to be mt that time. He seemed to think seriously t un^ »t
night told my interpreter, *• that perhaps his father (as they < "
jne) felt much grieved for the want of a woman : if so, be <
furnish htm with one." He waa answered that with ui each
kad but one wife, oud that I coasidered it strictly my duty to rcmisii
jutk&l
^m
^
^
PikcV EpfpUratciy Trmftli in North America* 119
UliJul to her. This he tliought strange (he bimielf having thret ),
snd replied, '• that he knew tome Americana at his nation who had
hilf-a dozen wivca during the winter." The interpreter observed,
llkat they were men without character ; but that all of our great men
bad each but one wife. The chief acquiesced, but said he hked better
to have as many as he pleased.'
The frontier-settlers, to whom the Indian chief referredi rank
mmong the rudest of civilized traders. Many of them are of
too restless a turn to remain in tlieir native country, whether it
be Europe or tlie United States; and they are not ashamed, in
these remote quarters, to do things in the prosecution of their
mercantile concernsj which they would be the first to condemn
in a country of regular business. Amid all their improprietiesi
bowcver, they possess in perfection the virtue of hospitality ;
and their assistance to a countryman in distress is not limited
by the rules of cold calculation.
About two months after Mr. P.'s departure from St. Louis,
the weatlier became cold, and the unfortunate error of setting
out in autumn proved productive of very unpleasant effects.
The keel-boat having been damaged and left behintl, the party
experienced much difficulty in pushing over the shallows the
smaller boats in which they now attempted to make their way.
Atlasiy about lat. 45., they relinquished the farther prosecution
of the voyage, and determined to proceed by land. It became
necessary, therefore, to form an encampment of log-houses as a
station for those of the party who were to remain behind, while
the others went forwards to the source of the Mississippi. In
this stage of the expedition, Mr. P. occasionally hunted in the
woods, and was soon convinced of the precarious and uncom-
fortable plan of depending on such a source for the subsistence
of his party :
* SaiurJayt td November ^*^hth the camp with the full detcf
minatioo of killing an eUt if possible before my return. I had never
yet killed one of these animals* Took with me Miller, whose ob«
Hging disposition made him agreeable in tlie woods. I was deter-
mined that if we came on the trail of elk, to follow them a day or
two in order to kill one. This to a pturson acqutiinted with the na-
ture of those animals, and the extent of the prairies in this country,
would appear, what it really was, a very foolish resolution. We soon
•truck where a herd of one IvundiTd and llfty had passed, pursued
and came in sight about eight o'clock, when they appeared, at a dis*
tance, like any army of Indians, moving along in single file ; a
lar^ buck of at least four ft:t»t between the horns leading the van,
alio ooe of equal magnitude bringing up the rear. We followed till
near eight, without beint^ once able to get within point blank shot-
Shortly after we saw thr:c elk by themselves, near a copse of wood 1
ipprosdKcd mar ibein and broke the shoulder of one, but he ran off
Q 3 wiih_
ijo Pike'/ E^phraiorj Travels in North America*
with Ms eompanions, ju«t as 1 was about to follow. I ohter^ l
fjuck deer lying in the graw, whicli I shot behind the eyes when he
fell over. I walked up to him, put my foot on hi* horns and ex-
amined the shot, upon which he snortedt bounced up, and fell &hoot
five steps from me. This I considered his last effort, but soon after,
to our utter astonishment, he jumped up and ran off : he stoppei
frequently ; we pursued Mm, expecting him to fall every minute. If
which we were led firom the pursuit of the wounded elk. AilM
having wearied ourielvea out in this unsuccessful chase, we irtumeil
to pursue the tvounded clk» and when we came up to the party, fottnl
him miBsing from the flock. Shot another in the body, but my bdO
being small he likewise escaped ; wounded another deer. • Heingnow
hungry, cold, and fatigued, after having wounded three d^cr and titO
elk, we were obhged to encamp, in a point of hemlock woods, <il
the head of Clear river- The large herd of elk lay about one nde
from us, in the prairie. Our want of success I ascribe to the toiall-
ness of our balls, and to our inexperience in following the track«
after wounding them, for it is very seldom a deer drops on the ^Cft
where he is shot,
• SuftJdjf ^d Novemher. — Rose pretty early and went in t>urfmt
of the elk ; wounded one buck deer on the way j paasea m^
droves of elk and bufHilo, but being in the middle of an immeme
prairie, knew it was folly to attempt to shoot them. Wo undid
several deer, but got none ; in fact, 1 knew I could shoot as maay
deer as any body, but neither myself nor companion could find o©e
in ten, where an experienced hunter would have got all he shot
About sun down we saw a herd crossing the prairie towards ui,
which induced us to sit down j two bucks more cunout than the
others, came pretty close. I struck one of them behind the ftff
•houldcr ; he did not go more than twenty yards, before he fell ^
died. This ivas the cause of much exultation, because it fulflkd
my determination, and as we had been two days and nights without
▼ictualst it was a very acceptable priue. — After having proceeded
about a mile farther, we made a Hre, and with much labour and paiot
got our meat to it j tlve wolvcfi feasting upon one half while we weft
carrying away the other. We were now provisioned, but were still ia
want of Nvater ; the snow being all melted ; finding my thirst very
excessive in the night, I went in search of water, and was much sur-
frised after having gone about a mile, to strike the Mississippi : h«t
filled my hat, and returned to my companion,'
The farther progress of the party was much impeded by tbe
necessity of dragging their ammunition and baggage on sledges,
and by unfortunate alternations in the weather fronx frost to
thaw* They passed several weeks in this dreary and tardy
journey, being fretjuently unable to advance above a few miles
in a day ; and they found the Missisaippi now diminished to the
width of one hundred yards, and holding generally a slow coune
through a level country. At last, in the beginning of Februarr*
they rerxhed Leech-lake, the principal source of the river, and
1 1
Pike'j Efcphralsrf TravJj in North Antirka. 23 f
re hospiubly received at the house of one of the agents of
the association of Canada fur-traderti incorporated under the
. name of the North-west Company. Adventurous as Mr.
Pike was, he could not help being surprized that any induce-
ments should be sufficient to prevail on men to withdraw from
civilized society, and pass season after season in $0 inhospitable
a soHtude. This is, however, only one of the many ramifica-
tions of the North-west Company :
' The fur trade in Canada has alwayt been considered at an object
Df the first importance to that colony, and hat been cherished by the
rctpective governors of that province, by every regidation in their
power, under both the French and Engbsh administrations. The
great and ahnost unlimited influence the traders of that country had
acquired over the savages, was severely feh, and will long be remem-
bered by the citizens on our frontiers.
* In the year 1766, the trade was first extended from Michilhmao^
kinac to the north-west, by a few adventurerg, whose mode of Ufe on
the voyage, and abort residence in civil society, obtained for them the
appellation of Coureura des Bois. From this trifling beginning .arose
the preient North West Company, who, notwithitanding the repeated
attacks made on their trade, have withitood every ihock, and are now,
by the coalition of the late X Y Company, established on so firm a basis,
«p that river on both sides to the lakei, from thence to Lake Su-
perior, at which place the North Weit Company have their head
quarters* This year they have dispatched a Mr. Mackenzie on a
iroyage of trade and discovery down Mackenzie's river to the North
Sea, and also a Mr. M*Kay to cross the Rocky mountainsj and pro-
ceed to the western ocean with the same objects. They have had a
gentleman by the name of Thomson, making a geographical survey
©f the north-west part of the continent : who for three years, with an
attoaishing spirit of enterprise and perseverance, passed over aU that
extensive and unknown country. His establishment, although not
tplendid, (the mode of travelling not admitting it,) was auch a« to
aUow of the most unlimited expcnces in every thing necessary to faci-
litate Ids inquiries, and he is now engaged in digesting the important
results of his undertaking,'
The recent occurrences in our contest with the Americans,
cm tlie side of Canada, exhibit in a Btriling light the continued
influence of our Government and traders over their savage
neighbours. At Leech-lake, the agent of the North-west Com-
pany lived in a house sufficiently fortified to withstand any
attack from the Indians m a moment of discontent, and the
British flag was hoisted on occasion of any public transaction.
The latter practice, howcftr, on tlie territory of a different
power, was wholly contrary to national usage ■, and Mr, Pike
Q 4 foun4
27% KkcV E^plorsii^j Trsvdf itt Ncrih AmefiiS^
founi! no difficulty in obtaining from the agent a pnxnut t»
4estst in future from this and odaer poliiical trregixlirifkiL
Hiring as^mbled tlie chiefs of the neighbouring sa:Tages» ht
explained to them the transfer, from Spain and Fiance, of dl"
•Of creignty of the surrounding country, to the United Staifl
and made them promise to conclude peace with the adjo' *"
tribes. Afterward taking with him two of the young va
as dcputiet to the American head-quarters, he proceeded onliii
return to the south. In tliis part, as in the Toyage op ^
river, his journal is composed with a minuteness which, hoi^
ever valuable in an oiBclal report, has little imerett for tk
fublic at large. On passing the small tribe of Indians callij,
y French travellers, Fols-Avoin, he was struck "witk tluft
superiority over their neighbours in personal appearances
When drawing nearer home, about laL 39-, he had an oppoi-
tunity of observing an instance of the vast multitudes cf
pigeonsj which are to be found in ceruin favourable scma-
* ATx)ut ten miles above Salt river we stopped at lome i&laiuk
where there were pigeon rootla, and in about fifteen minutes my sea
had knocked on the head» and brought on boards about three liua*
drcd. I had frequently heard of the fecundity of this bird, but nef«r
gave credit to what I then thought to approach the marTelloui ; bm
really the most fervid imaginition cannot conceive their uuQibert.
Their noise in the woods was like the continued roaring of the wiad*
and the ground may be said to have been absolutely covered with their
excrement. The young ones which we killed were nearly as large at
the old; they could fly about ten steps, and were one mass of iat;
their crawB were filled with acorns and the wild pea- They were itil
reposing on their nests, which were merely small bunches of slickl
joined, with which all the email trees were covered/
We now come to the second part of the book, the jounnl
6f an expedition to the westward, towards that portion of tht
immense territory of Louisiana which borders on New Mexico.
The object of this enterpise was twofold ; — to lay the basis of I
good understanding between the Americans and the Indians rf
this quarter |— -and to ascertain the direction, extent,, and navigi*
tion of the two great rivers known by the names of Arkansaw
and Red-river, In this, as in the former expedition, the seasoQt
was too far advanced, and the adventurers were again dooowri
to suffer the inclemency of winter. Having visited the saraf^
tribes of the Osagcs and Pawnees, whose manners are rather full?
described, the party held a southern course to the Arkansaw \
and, on reaching its banks, one division set out on a voyage
down the river, while Mn Pike and the other division marched
in a western direction towards its source* Their support was
derifcd
PikeV Ettplendory Travc/s in North AnuHca* 23 j
derived from the buffaloes and other beasts of game which they
succeeded in sliooting. They obsenred in their progress manj
burrowing places, or, as he terms them, * towns' of the squirrels,
or prairie-dogs, called by the savages "wish- ton-wish j'* and he
gives rather a minute account of the occonomy of these
animals:
* The sites of their towns are generally on the brow of a hill,
Oiear tome small creek or pond, in order to be convenient for water,
and that the hi^h g^oiHid which they inhabit may not be lubject to
inundation. Their residence, being under ground, is burrowedj and
the earth brought out is made to answer the double purpose of keep-
ing out the water, and affording an elevated place in wet seasoni to
repose on, and to give them a further and more distinct view of the
oouiitiy. Their holes descend in a spiral form, on which account I
cxmld never ascertain their depth j but 1 once had a hundred and forty
kettles of water poured into one of them, in order to drive out theoc-
cttpant, but witliout effect. In the circuit of the villages they clear
off all the grass, and leave the earth bare of vegetation j but whether
this be from an instinct they possess inclining them to keep the ground
thus cleared, or whether they make use of the herbage as food, I
cannot pretend to determine. The latter opinion I think is entitled
to a preference, as their teeth designate them to be of the granivorous
ip^ctes, and I know of no other substance which is produced in the
vicinity of their stations, on which they could subsist ; for they never
extend their excursions more than half a mile from the burrows.
They are of a dark brown colour, except their belliee, which arc
white ; their tails arc not so long as those of our grey sqnirreU, but
arc shaped precisely the same. Their teeth, head, nails* and body are
those of the perfect squirrel, except that they are generally tatter
tlian that animal. Their villages sometimes extend over two and
three miles square, in which there must be innumerable hosts of thrm,
M there is generally a burrow every ten steps, containinj^ two or more
inhabitants, and you see new ones partly excavated on all the border*
of the town. We killed great numbers of these animals with our
nflcf, and found them excellent meat after they were exposed a night
Of two to the frost, by which means tlic rankncss acquuvd by Uieir
SMbterraneous dwelling U corrected. As you approach their townd,
you are saluted on all sides by the cry of wish-ton-wish, from which
they derive their name with the Indians, uttered in a shrill and piercing
manner. You then observe them all retreatinir to the entrance of
their burrows, where they post themselves, and watch even the
|lite«t movement that you make. It requires a very nice shut with
) to kill them, as they muiit be shot dead, for as long as life existi
continue to work into their cells. It was extremely dangerous
to pasa through their towns, as they abounded with rattle-snakes^
botn of the yeUow and black tpcciea, and, titrange as it may apfn^ar, I
have »ccn the wish- ton- wish, the rattle-snake, the horu-frog, with
which t^ abounds, (termed by the Spaniards the Canu'hon,
from th , no visible sustenance,) and a land tortoiie, ail take
refuge ia tl^e 4^aic hole. I do not pretend to assert, that it was tlieir
CooimoQ^
M4 PikcV Exploratory Travels in North America^
common place of resort, but I hawrc witnctsed the feet m more t^
one instance/ ^
The length of the march in search of the head of the ^
saw greatly exceeded calculation j and the weather having hS-
come very severe, the travellers were deprived of the use of
their horses, Mr. Pike, however, was determined to perscyetei
although the clothing of his men was not calculati
winter-cr^mpaign. In the course of his march, he had
the safe return of Captains Lewis and Clarke from their
percgrinationt, and their success tended to encourage his
to proceed* They advanced accordingly, day after day, at
to the west, and afterward to the south, agreeably to the di
tion of a river which they conceived to be the main branch of
the Arkansaw. The most itriking object in this dreary nip.
gress was an immense mountain, (p. 21$*) the height of whkb
they calculated at 18,000 feet above the level of the sea} an
elevation inferior to few mountains except Chimborazo. It was
known to the savages for several hundred miles around, and
formed the north-western boundary to the excursions of the
Spaniards of New Mexico, In vain the adventurous party at-
tempted to ascend its sides ; since, before they were halfway upi
they marched in snow which reached to their middles j and
had reason to apprehend that a perseverance in the attempt at
a season would lead to fatal consequences. Even in lower
Jess exposed quarters, the inclemency of tlie weather, and^^
effects of snow-storms in driving tlic beasts of game to pla'
of shelter, had nearly been productive of melancholy results.
• ijtif January* — When we halted at the woods at eight o^docjk
for encampment, after getting fires made, we discoTered that the*
of nine of our men were frozen, and to add to the misfortune, of ^^
of those whom we called hunters among the number. This night
had no provision,
• Nexi day. — We started out two of the men least injured
doctor and my self » (who fortunately were untouched by the f
also went out to hunt for something to preaervc existence* N<
erening we wounded a buffalo with three balls, but had the morlifi*
cation to tee him run off notwithstanding. We coacluded it wai
useless to go home to add to the general gloom » and went
•ome rocks where wc encamped, and sat up all night \ as ,
intense cold it was imposBible to sleep : also, hungry and
cover-
• I ^tit January. — Wc again took the field, and after cni
about one mile in the tnow got to shoot eight times among a g
buffaloes, and could plainly perceive two or three to be I
wounded, but by accident they took the wind of us, and to our
mortification were all able to run off. By this time I was "
extremely weak and faint, being the fourth day since we bad
euste
yupi
i
is.
eloek
Pike*/ E^^fMtGfj Trmveh in Ifofth America. tjj
iQStemmce» the whole df which time we were marching hard, and the
la4t night had scarcely closed our eyes to sleep. We were then in-
clining our course to- a point of wood, determined to remain absent
and dje by ourselvei rather than return to our camp and l?ehold the
misery of our poor companions ; when we diicovered a gang of buf-
faloes coming along at some distance. With great ejcerUon I made
out to run and place myself behind some cedars, and by the greatest
good luck tiie inv^t &hot stopped one, which we killed m three more
allots, and by the dusk had cut each of u» a heavy loady with which
we determined immediately to proceed to the camp in order to relicTC
tlic anxiety of our men, and carry them some relief. We arrived
there about twelve o'clock, and when 1 threw my load down, it was
frith difficulty I prevented myself from falling : I was attacked with
a giddiness which lasted for some mirjutea. On the countenances of
the men was not a frown, nor was there a desponding eye ; all seemed
Itappy to hail their o&cer and companions ; yet not a mouthful had
they eaten for four days. On demanding what wTre their thoughts^
the Serjeant replied, the most robust had determined to set out on the
Biorrow in search of ut ; and not return unless they found us, or killed
iomething to preserve the lives of their starving companions**
Proceeding in a southern direction, the travellers discovered,
by the aid of a glass, a large river flowing to the south-east,
which they believed to be the Red-river, and consequently
witliin the limits of Louisiana* They had now exchanged the
inhospitable mountain-track, covered widi perpetual snow, for
a more kindly region, and had begun to recover their fatigue ;
when the arrival of a Spanish hunting party apprized them that
they had gone beyond the frontier, and were on the banks of
the Rio del Norte in New Mexico. Mr. Pike, finding his mis-
take, consented to accompany the Spaniards to Santa Fe, the
residence of the governor, and to render an account of the object
of his expedition. Santa Fe Is a town of 4000 inhabitants, built
in the wretched style whidi may naturally be expected in so
remote a region* Poor, however, as were its inhabitants, the
appearance of the American travellers was not such as to
excite their respect. Mr, P. observes \
* Wlien we presented ourselves at Santa F^, I was dressed in m
pair of blue trowsers, mockinsoni, blanket coat, and a red cap, made
of scarlet cloth, lined with fox skins ; and my poor fellows in leggins,
breech cloths, and leather coats ; and not a hat in the whole party.
Tins appearance was extremely mortifying to us all, especially as
soldiers ; and although some of the officers used frequently to observe
to me, *' that worth made the man," with a variety of adages to
the lame amount, yet the first impression made on the ignorant is hard
to eradicate ; and a greater proof cannot be given of the ignorance of
the common people, than their asking if we liv<?d in houses, or itt
camps like the Indians ; or if we wore hats in our country- These
observations are aufficient to shew the impression our savage appear-
ance made among them/
X^a Pike'j Exploratory Travels in Korti AmtrUa*
The governor of Santa Fe^ decliniag to pass a decision oq
Mr, Pike's conduct, sent him and his attendants forward to tlie
General of the province, whose station was at the town of
Chihuahua, situated a great way to the south. T^e General
chose to retain the chief part of Mr* Pike's papers, tinder dit
impression of their containing information rektiTc to tfce
Spanish territory ; but Mr, P. was enabled to preserre a pro-
portion of them by secreting them about the persons and evoi
in the guns of his soldiers* His journey through the Spanisb
territory was of extraordinary length : but the season had now
become more favourable, and he met with tolerable accommo*
dation at the houses of the Spanish priests* On one occasicMii
he had a remarkable Instance of the zeal of these ecclesiastki
in making converts t
* 7/A March* — Marched at nine o'clock, through a coantrT
better cultivated and inhabited than any I had jet seen* ArriTeo
at Albuquerque, a village on the eastern side of the Rio del Norte,
We were received by Father Ambrosio Guerra in a %*cry^ flattemj
manner, and led into his hall, from thence, after taking some refiresh.
inentf into an inner apartment, where he ordered Lis adopted chO*
dren of the fcnialc sex to appear, when they came in by tunxf- They
were Indiana of various nations — Spanish, French, and finally two
young girls who, from their conripleidon, I conceived to be Eng*
lish : on perceiving I noticed them, he ordered the re*t to retire^
many of whom were beautiful, and directed these two to sit down on
the sofa beside me. Thus situated, he told me that they h^d beoi
taken to the east by the letans, passed from one nation to the oths
until he purchased them, (at that time infants,) but they could !••
collect neither names nor language* Concluding they were wj
country-women, he ordered them to embrace me as a mark of theif
friendship, to which they appeared nothing loth. We then sat dows
to dinner, which consisted of various dishes, ercellent wines, and »
crown all we were waked upon by half a do2en of thcac beautifiBi
girls, who like Hebe at the feast of the gods, converted our wine
roto nectar, and with ihe'ur ambrosi:il breath ahed incense on our cupt.
AfU'r the cloth was removed, the priest beckoned to me to follow
Lim, and led nue into his sanctum sanctorum, where he bad the rich
and mnjcsiic images of various saints, and in the midst the crucified
Jesus, crowned with thorns, but with rich rays of golden glory tur^
rounding his head* The room being hung with black silk curtaiDiy
icrved to augment the gloom and majesty of the scene. When h^
conceived my imagination sufficiently wrought up, he put on a black
gown aad mitre, kneeled before the cro»s, took hold 01 my hand, and
endeavoured gently to pull me down beside him: on my t^^T'^}.
he prayed fervently for a few minutes, and then rose, laid his h
on my shoulders, and as I conceived blessed me ; he then said \^
me, " You will not be a Christian, Oh, what a pily ! oh, what a
pity !" He then threw off his robes, took me by the hand, led mi
out to the company, smiling ; but the tccne I had goat througb,
inidc
PlkeV Exptorniory Travels in North America* 237
made to© scnouf an impresiion on my mind to be eradicated, until
we toolc our departure an hour after, having received great marks of
favour from the Father.'
In our reports of M. Huinboldt's work*, we entered so fully
into the general features of the Spanish territory in Mexico, as to
render it unnecessary to dwell on the more limited details of
Mr. Pike* Notwitlistanding a prohibition from the Spaniards,
he found means to note, every evening, the observations of the
day : but his remarks, when they are not founded on subse-
quent reading, are necessarily confined to the result of personal
obsen'ation. We pats over accordingly his local descriptions,
(pp* 265. 3^4, &c.) and even his more explicit report (p. 377.)
of the military force of Mexico, since recent events must have
greatly altered the nature of its composition. It may, however,
be instructive to our readers to learn some particulars of the
method of deriving advantage from the immense herds of horses
which run wild in the Mexican empire, particularly in the
province of Texas :
♦ I observed on the prairie a herd of horges ; when within about m
quarter of a mile, they discovered us, and immediately approached,
making the earth tremble under them ; they brought to roy recollection
a charge of cavalry. They stopped and gave us an opportunity to
vaew them. Amongtt them there were some very beautiful bays*
blacks, and greys, and indeed of all colours. We £red at a black
horse with an idea of creasing him, but did not succeed ; they Nou-
rished round and returned aga i n to view us. We then returned to camp.
In the morning, for the purpose of trying the experlmeat, we equip-
ped fix of our Hecte&t coursers with riders, and ropes to noose the
wild horses, if in our power to come amongst the herd. They stood
until we approached within forty yards, neighing and whinnying,
when the chace began, which we continued two miles without suc-
cess. Two of cur horses ran up with them, but we could not take
them. Returned lo camp. I have since laughed at our folly fof
endeavouring to take the wild horses in that manner, which is scarcely
ever attempted even with the fleetest animals and most expert
ropers. — -
* The method pursued by the Spaniards in taking them is as fol*
lows : they take a fev^ fleet horses and proceed into the country
where the wild animals are numerous ; they build a large inclosure,
with a door which enters into a smaller inclosure ; from the en-
trance oF the large pen they project ivings out into the prairie to
ft great distance, and then set up bushes, &c. to ir^iuce the horses
when pursued to enter within these wings. After these prepara-
tions are made, they keep a look out for a small drove ; for if they
unfortunately should start too large a one, they either burst open the
pen or fill it up with the dead bodies, and the remainder run over
them and escape; in which case the party is obliged to leave the
of QIC
le hid
aw 9
m
PikeV Eptphraicry Travels in Wirf A Amirkm.
place* as the stench arising from the putrid carcaties would be i
portable, and m additioa to this, the pen would not receive ol
But should they succeed in driving in a few* &ay two ar \
hundred, they select the handsomest and youngestt noose thejn«
take them into the small inclosurc, then turn out the others, i
which» by starving* preventing ihem from taking any repoiC>
continually keeping them in motion, they subdue them by dcgl
and iiually break them to submit to the saddle and bridle*'
The author is of opinion that the inhospitable ridge of mc
tainSf which bounded his journey to the west, is the hij
ground of this part of the continent. The Arkansaw
navigable by proper boats till within two hundred mil
source, the extent of land carriage, on merchandise desi
the waters flowing westward across the continent to the GxA
California, would not (p, 223.) much exceed thai dtstai
Naturalists have been at a great loss to account for the wan
timber along vast tracks of country lying between the Mil
sippi and the western ocean : but it seems highly probiblel
these regions never were wooded, the soil being in l i
sandy to retain moisture. ' Nor are Ae rivers of c^ x
mi^'gnituJe, except in winter, the ground in many parts bc
dried and parched during the warm season, and presentin
surface of sand rolling like an African desert in all the fand
forms of the waves of the sea. One good consequence, \i{
ever, may arise from the barren nature of these solitudes ; — ,
mean, a stoppage to the endless wanderings of the frontier-l
tiers of the United States. Hitherto, one new province a
another has been traversed, with as much impatience as if
part of the settled country afforded the means of acquirinj
comfortable livelihood. If this rage for rambling cannot
relinquished, let its votaries at least pay attention
cautions which are necessary in taking up their abode
uncleared country*
• In a country covered with timber, the new cmigranta are ^
lickly, which may very justly be attributed to the putrescent ve
table matter which they put into ftrmcntation in clearing, and by
inaining on the ground, inhaling all the air which arises from
effluvia, intcrmittents liupervenc, and bilious attacks, and in some
•tances malignant fcvars. These remarks arc proved by the obm
tion of all the first settlers of our western frontiers, that those pla
which in the course of ten or fifteen years become perf-r^:
healthy, are for the first two or three years quite the r t
rncrmly cost them the loss of two or thi'ce members of tht i
presume that this dreadful effect might be remedied if the ^\
would go with the working hands and fell the timber and dc«i
the regetation in the spring, and in the fall whea dry burn it,
ijot reside on the place for at least the first two years, m the ccr
of which time the aLtaospbcre would by the»e locaua fiot be afleci
Bli
^tmdi
Jifa
•^^ ^ , never to m.T.eAemT^^^^,^^
. TVrf «"* ''C ^ th=^^ '^^f flUde did they t"^'* f'*?!^
homw. »^d ^ * perseverance of th»» en ^ ,pptobatiotv(*
T^c zeal and pe»e U- ■'fi.) *e c ^i^^euteoMiq
fse?p«fatotY P^P;^5n,;,«dM^^^^^^ next totb*«
\he W^"" ^;t to *e .^^t,lry, h«* ^ook Vs highly «rfj
those readers u^us. _■
thetic and the « ^ g
^ *;; "-^-'J' :i i ^e ^r AL°ds CUU and 13.v«..
Premium* oB«^* 6d. cac*'- ^ .„
i,rtft/-'-6- ^ircred lo VI- - boards. ^-"^
^^ f t^cse volumes I* >" ^ ^y.^ uttet
T»- t°^.'"^^ Henry Duke of ^oy^f^Wving been Vi«
1 WilUam J^'!jtitefoord,E*q-' °°;'^^ His Gn
portraitof Calg^J.fy. No other nottce^;^ conmbatmg
Portland than that ^_^^ ^^ ^^ goae^^ ^ o^.^Vet 30,
^r of five S^!"f*V March >J94' *"^^ facetious Whttef*
I'^'^ru ..signed, on account ^^ ^^^ ^^^
of the g«'^^ »«\"tt memoir precedes tl^.^^^^^^,i„^
%,. Society. A th^\^, fi„t P^^« ^troTcolonel Whit
'^°"«""' " ^e6idthatCakb,the »n ^^^^ ^
education, tve vw ^^ ■
aniaciienj rffhi S&^U^Jir ArtSf VqIs. a8. and 29, ^41
[^ the church : but that, having objections to the sAcred
on, he was sent to London and pbced in the counting-
if a celebrated wine^merchant \ whence after four years
t to France» returned to London when he became of age,
nmenc<^d business* with a partner, in Craven-streefj in
nd. Fond of the society of learned and ingenious men ^
.ed a friendly intimacy with the celebrated Dr, B. Frank-
o happened to be his neighbour \ and this intimacy
ed through life* In consequence of that connection^
iord Shelburne, in the year 1782, resolved to put an
the unfortunnte American war, Mr. W* was chosen as
r person to meet Dr* Franklin at Paris to negotiate tlie
lary treaty of peace, and, having succeeded, his services
warded by a pension. Whether Mr. W. returned to
ier he had been employed as a negoriatorj the memoir
t inform us : but we believe tkat he was stil! connected
though his pension m^^^t him in a great measure in-
ent of the world He now ** maintained a poet's dignity
e/* and was courted for the lively talents witli which he
lowed ;
^sied of a considerable share of wit, humour, and learninga.
dlefoord lived m habit i of intimacy w'th the greatest geniuses
ge. He was a Member of the Royal Societies of London
Uftburgh ; the Society of Antiquaries ; the Philosophical
of Philadelpliia ; and the Arcadian Society of Rome ; and
be Vice-presidents of the Society for the Encouragement of
lauu fact lire s, and CommtTce, of which he had been a Member
lis younger years Mr* Whitefoord wrote many essays, poems,
jrams, moat of widch he sent to the printer of the Publit
scr, Mr, H, S. Woodfall, for whom be had a great esteem,
ch Improved, if he was not the original inTentor of CroM-
i—Ship News Extraordinary — ^Etrors of the Presi — ^Femide
stratioijj &c. &c. under the iignature of Papyritis Curi§r^
al of which pieces are collected in Debrett*i Foundling
J for Wit.
political bias never interfered with his literary firicndahipfi
raa truly observed by Dr, Adam Smithy that ^tliough the
wits and authors hated on^ another heartily, they had all a
regard for Mr, Whitefoord, who, by his conciliatory manners
»py adaptation of circumstances, kept hii circle together ia
nd good humour.
y Whitefoord died, after a ihort lUneas, in February 1 8 10, in
!i year of Hs age/
this sketch of Mr- W/s iife, is subjoined the cliarac-
epitaph designed for hira by Dr. Goldsmith, in tiie sup-
itary lines to the 4th edition of his poem intitled ** Reta-
:" but this we need not transcribe, ^^--^ \ t
. JuLT, 18 13. R Having
"^tsftitmi efihe Smetyfir Aris^ Pols. 28- amd
ing paid a tribute of respect to the memory of these
It deceased members, the Secretary proceeds us ususJ "ri
of the contents of each — ' * ■ ^^
Havi;
eminent <
present an outline ot tne contents ot each volume, which is
executed in a judicious and pleasing manner. The cultivatioo
of the earth being of the highest importance, the papers 00 1
ACRICULTtTRE J^^H
Occupy the first place, and several are to be found J^lff
volume. At the head of this class, is an article ciescTiptir''
of an improved Thrajhing Machine^ by H. P. Le^ ^^ I
Maidenhead Thicket ; which is said, in the certificates annexed*
to be calculated to thrash more corn, in proportion to the poin^
applied, than an v yet invented It is worked with only two hars€S-
and yet in one hour and 55 minutes it thrashed eight *
qtunea
oaaTi
edto I
>,ooo
seren^Hi
and 3i bushels of barley, leaving the straw clean and uxibrokoL
This must be a valuable implement, and Mr. Lee was preseni
with the gold medal for his invention, or rather improvemei
That eminent instructor and benefactor of his country Thou
Johnes, Esq., of Hafod, in Cardiganshire, has not only added^
his former extensive plantations 300,000 LarcHf trels^ oq 000
Befch^ and 10,000 Spruce firs^ but has taught the Cambrians b-
his practice, that their prejudice against the growth of wheat '
that part of tlie country was unfounded, A report is given
girths, taken six feet from the groynd, of Larch trees in s^,
of his planUtions- Some planted in 1782 were in November
18 10 twenty one inches in girth, or about seven inches db»
meter, at six feet from the ground. Gentlemen who have made
plantations are requested to offer similar communications on the
growth of timber- trees within stated periods.
John Christian Curwen, Esq., of Working ton-hal J, Cumber-
land* well known as a spirited and enlightened agriculturist'
offers the result of some Experiments on halUfefding of CatilL
with the view of ascertaining the early maturity and propensitr
to fatten among the various breeds. ' Though,' says Mr C
^ the experiment fails in deciding the superiority of one stock
over anotlier, it furnishes the most incontestable proof in
favour of soiling or stall-feeding, and removet} every doubt which
may have been entertained of its being injurious to the health of
the cattle/ Distinct tables are subjoined, exhibiting an accoun "
of the kinds of food consumed, and of the gain and 1q< V
weight, from feeding the experimental cattle at the Scboose
farm J on different green food, from October 1^
September 30, 1809, with the profits on each. *
* The Secretary, in the preface, bear* this testimony to Mj- P 'i
f atnotic exertions : ^ / »-o mr. U I
It of some Chamomile phntations, belonging to this
man J and of the method whvch he employs in extracting
ed of the Pinaster from the cone.
epon h made of an addition to the prodnctivc surf^ice of
and through the e^tertions of L Stockdalc, Esq*, of Cark,
1 cash ire, and R. Towers, Esq*, of Duddon Grove in Cum-
i\ I wlio at Windermoori in Lancashire, rettaimedfrsm the
Ff than 564 &era by means of an embankment, which was
4714 yards in length, and in some places 14 feet p^Tpen-
f iieight, the slope to the sea 90 feet, and the base 130 feet*
?hole cost was 5,500!. This embankment was begun in the*
; 1S07 ; and in the spring of 1 809 about %qq acres of the
?red land were fenced in, ploughed^ and sown with oats^
. produced 45 Winchester bushels per acre. Consider-
fro fit is likely to accrue from this undertaking, and the
ir of the gold medal was superadded-
ir improved farming implements are described in four sue-
e papers, tik- A screnu adjusting Pkugh^ by Mr, T, Balls,
.iingham, Norfolk ; A Dock and Thistir Extirpator f by Mr* J*
^ 134 West-Coker, in Somersetshire \ A Pair of exf tending
jurif by Mr* W< Jeffery, of Cotton-End, Northampton |
Ne^ Meafimg He^kfir Corn, by Mr. Jos. Hutton, Jon., of
pray, near Sheffield. Mr. Baker receives, for so insigni-
in msltrumcDt as a dock-drawer, or extirpator, (as it ts
,) th« gold medal \ while only a silver medal is adjudged
'h of the other three candidates. Mr, B:iker has made ;i
rifiing addition to the dock-drawer in common use, which
link did not intitle him to such a remuneration,
g first paper under the head of Agricwliure in the ^Tcixth
144 Tran/acttans ofthi Society Jir Aris^ VaJs. l8. ^nd 29*
this line have been extensive* Between the 25th of SeflOB
1807 and the 30th of April 1808 he planted on 125 acrciofp
soil, of the Scotch fir, 249,700 *, of the Pinaster, 5,410 ; of I
X.arch, 2, 1 50 *, of the Spruce, lj255^ ; in all 25 8^5 \ 9 trees. '
Mr Pctre's remarki on the Pinaster, those of Dr. Bain ought
be subjoined. His report concerning tliis species of the fa-
ts that *it grows most rapidly, is quite regardless of the sea-wii
and is, when ripe, a tree of considerable value.' — • It is
tained, I believe, (says Dn B,) that the wood of Larch ii
favourable situation comes to perfection at forty years old, thai
Pinaster at siity, and that of Scotch fir at eighty years* gtw
A subsequent paper states that Henry Andrews, Esq.|
Wakefield, had planted in February 1809, and in February
March 1 8 1 Oj on his estate at Kirby cum Osgodby, near Rasen^
Lincolnshire, 123,000 differ tnt kinds of F&rat trta^ ^f vi\
22,000 are Oakst between four and five years old, on about
acres of sandy soil unfit for tillage. To this gentleman also
gold medal was voted; but, by a letter from his widow, j
learn that he did not live to be gratified by tliis hon^jttM
ward. ^^1
William Congreve, Esq., of Aldermaston-house, l^H
perseveres in his exertions to create a forest on his el
Besides his 73 acres of land which, according to a fonni
port, he had planted with acorns, he has since Januaty 1
ippropriated 190 acres of a poor flinty heath to a plantai
LarchtSy in ivhich ivtre set 684,560 plants. Mr. C- doij
purpose to stop here, but has it in contemplation to extei
plantation of the Larch to five or six hundred acres. j
Mr. Cowlibliaw, of Mansfield, presents himself as a pla<
Larches on a smaller scale ; having in April 1 808 approprii
acres and three rods to 2. plantation containifjg 75,600 Ia
The whole expcncc, including tlie purchase of the land.
was 260I. 1 6s., and posts and rails for the fence 3
356I. I2S. 6d. _
An useful invention, calculated to save trouble and
brick- work, is stated in a communication by John Sti
Esq., of Reading, in Berkshire ; who eatplains A Alettodi
ing Bricks for Closures and under-ground Drains^ by cuttini
three-fourths through in die middle, and the whole of t|
through at e:»ch end, by means of a small wire. This opi
is performed two or three days after the bricks are nui
when they are taken from the stack, and put on a bO
Jtool for the wire to be pressed into them ; they are t|
turned to the stuck, and afterward burnt. Bricks thus;
cut through with a wire will divide, by one smart blovr^
trowfel, into two complete king-closures, which will agaS
land,
and ij|
Tmnfcttkni ofthi Smityfor Artt^ V^s* a8- and ^- 545
Mpmmon closures. Bricklayers must be aware of the utility of
Hnple invention: but brick»making does not properly belong
^'f'iculturei any more tlian pitcher-making, or pottery. A
lis given, explanatory of Mr. S.'s method of dividing bricks,
&t unfrequently happens in our uncertain climate that, at
bment when the husbandman expects to obtain the fruits
abourSi his hopes are blasted, or, lo speak moie properly,
away by a series of showers, with h'ttle intervening dry
ther, at the time of harvest. To obviate this misfortune,
ous expedients have been tried : but the only judicious
hod seems to be by forming temporary hollow stacks in the
.. William Jones, Esq-, of Foxdown-hill, near Wellington,
lersetshire, gives an account of his Invrnimt of a tempomrf
\ to secure Corn in Sheaves in the Field ii/i quite dry ; also Cio^
Peas J snd Beans* The mode recommemled seems to be very
I calculated to answer the intended purpose ; and Mr. Jones
so fully explained it, (subjoining, moreover, an illustrative
e,) that any farmer who attentively peruses the account may be
)lcd to construct a similar temporary rick. For want of the
e^ we cannot afford a full idea of the process : but it may be
while for the cultivators of arable land to consult the
p, since Mr. Jones bears the most ample testimony to its
Four gate-hurdles are used to keep the bottom of
l*s temporary rick from touching the ground. On these
S| and some cross stakes, a rick containing 8 1 2 sheaves i'^
account of An Improvement en the Dibble cr Tool for plant*
prns in Bushes^ which are the natural protectors of the
ht oak from the brousing of cattle, is given by Mr. Charles
istell, High Holbom.
rom H, B. Way* Esq,, of Bridport Harbour, a double com-
jication was received \ m which he first offers some remarks
the Culture and Freparafion of Hemp in Dorsetshire^ and next
Growth cf that excellent esculent vegetable, Sea Gale*
ting a farmer, Mr. Way's statement respecting the cul-
*" hemp must be regarded as the result of hints which he
[lected ; and when he tells us that the growers of hemp are
I communicating information, we cannot attach much im-
ce to his letter : but, on the subject of Sea Cale, he
J the results of long experience ; and though we do not
im consider tiiis vegetable as equal to Asparagus, yet, as
tursor, being ready for the table in February and March,
high in our list of esculent plants. Mr. W. assures us
It will succeed as well, if not bL'tter, in poor ground than
provided the soil be dry, and care taken in the manage-
he tells us also tliat he * prefers that v^hich is bleached
R 3 with
»eai^j
Tramactkns ofU^ Society for Arts^ ^c//,
with round sea gravel, about the size of large peas or besi^
any other mode.'
CHEMISTRT.
Premiums having been offered by the Society for the purpc
of bringing to light, and of introducing to use, the produce,
our own quarries, a communicadon has been made on the i
teresting Subject of Searching and workwg Quarriis ef Brih
Marble^ by Mr. Isiac Jopling of Gateshead, Durham « lie
tenant-General Vallancey also sent Specimens of Irish Mark
intended to decorate the Great Room of the Soci ■ i
Alexander Mitchell, Esq., of St. A lban*s Street, gave v.. ,
cimens of Granite and other Minerals ^ to be placed in the Society
Repository. In exploring marble quarries, Mr. Jopli
been very indefatigable,
* I spent,' says he, * seven summers and two winter* in Ai
parish situated in the north-west comer of Sutherlandshirc,
than fifty miles from a market-town, where there had never
road, a cart, or a smith who could ^hoe a horsc» during whicU
opened many quarries of marble, and made, at least, fourteen mifct
road, through heretofore impassable mosses, bogs and Tx>ckft, to tl
sea. The difficulties and disadvantages I have laboured under wd
innumerable ; meat, coals, iron, and every article were to fetch frol
such a great distance ; and the people, <* torpid with idlenew,'' I
Mr* Pennant expre«RP3 it in his Tour, and to which I refer for a d(
«cription of this place, would do nothing for me without an exorbttaji
price, and never till it suited their own convenience ; and from havii^
no markets, and not being in the habit of selhiig, they could ocv<
be persuaded to part with any article at less than nearly double ic
worth,* '
Notwithstanding these discouragements, Mr, J. persevered 0
a certain extent in obtaining some specimens from the Assyn
quarries, which he forwarded to the Society : but he compliia
bitterly of his hardships^ vexations, and losses, in a * seven year!
personal attendance upon a search for marble, in such a country
where, from bad houses and a wet climate, 1 was seldom liry
day or night, except in fine weather, of which there is but littla
and for the loss my own business has sustained here in m
absence- To this account of expense, hardship, and loss, I toigh
add a little of vexation in having my tools broken, and fre
quently thrown into bogs; corn sown in my road; my ozei
hunted before my face, for miles, with their dogs, and my grai
eaten by their cattle, for whole summers together/ Mr. J
visited other quarries ; and in a subjoined table he notices 3d diC
ferent kinds of marble, stating their colour, situation, and quai
lity*^ — General V. gives a list of 29 sorts <r '" * * j
Mitchell's present consists of seven $pecinu
Tramnctkns tfthe Society for Arts, FtJs. 28* and 29. 247
wo of porphyry. John Ewren, Esq»> of Aberdeen, from
Mr. M« received the granites, Sec, adds that, « in the
fistrkt of the county, beautiful specimens of the Ami-
L the asbestos of PUny, are in great variety; and that the
bruntf as it is improperly called, from that species of
having been first noticed in the neighbourhood of that
linj near the source of the Spey» ts also found in Aber«
fire.*
Iter from Mr. B. Cook of Birmingham contains an ac-
"of bij Method $f producing Heaty Lights and various useful
ties from Pit'coal, U Mr. Cook's products of Petroleum,
laltumi 8c c*, be of the importance here represented, he
a higher gratuity than the silver roedaL « I dare ven-
I say/ he observes, * that from the various coal-works in
Sgdom, more tar might be produced than would supply
' dock-yards, boat-builders, and other trades, with tar
itch, besides furnishing a substitute for all the oil of
line and asphakum used in the kingdom, and improving
E}ke to as to make iron with less charcoal.'
[r. Cook*s apparatus cannot be explained without the help
le plate which accompanies his communication : but it
t satisfactory to that class of manufacturers who are in-
in his discoveries, to learn that he intends to establish
5rk of magnitude sufficient to supply that part of the
in which he is situated, with oil, or spirit, extracted
^t-coal, so as to supersede the use of turpentine, &c., in
[ig. Mr. C. recommends the preservation of the tar by
of properly constructed coke-furnaces; adding, < it
be a great saving to the nation, as in every one hundred
twelve pounds of coal coked, there is lost by the present
s about four pounds of tar, and the cokes are not hal/ so
^ if they were coked in close vessels, to the exclusion of
Btospheric air.'
Bced by the enormously high price of turpentine, tar, and
Ph. B. Way, Esq., of Bridport-harbour, repeated some
riments which he had seen practised in America ; and the
l^are communicated in a paper which exhibits his Method
^fnng Turpentine and other Products from the Scotch Fir,
WSyivistriff Linn.) The triid was made under unfa-
pble circumstances on three trees, w^hich yielded only
Kl lbs. of turpentine. The process, which is very simple,
in making an excavation near the bottom of the Fir,
itripping oflF the bark above the hollow. Only trees in-
"'to be cut down can prudently be subjected to this ex-
According to Mr. W.'s memoranda, in America
es produce from 100 to 1 10 barrels of turpentine. An
R 4 ^ account
accounr is sobjoineJ of the process of making tar and piidi m
the United States.
By the same gentleman, wc ate presented with a fioooai
communication, which details hisAffihod &f prtpmring 0 thwpMwi
durMt Stucay^ cr Plaster j pr outside or innde Wt^Us^ wboi «-
]losed to aei-breezes or bad weather. The recipe is as fotto«s:
* Three parts Bridport Harbour^sand to one of Itnte, botli fiady
sifted, and mixed with lime-water; if used as stticco, the fint
coat to be laid on half the thickness of a crown-piece \ kt it
remain two days, then with a paimer^s brush wa^h u oTerwiii
strong lime-water, and by on the second coat of the sanae
tintkncss.' A certificate is annexed* signed by Thomas ETerrtl,
stone-mason, bricklayer, and platsterer % who, after having ex«*
cuted 19S5 square yards of this stucco* vouches for its durabiF
lity, and oilers his opinion that it ts the cheapest stucco knovi^
Only two papers on Polite Arts appear, and both areia
the xxviiitii Vol. It must suiFice for us to transcribe the titles.
An Imprf}%*emctit in the Aiquotinta Prottsi^ ^y v!>hi€h P^
Pencil f and Chalk Drawngs can he imtvited* By Mr, J* I i
No, 1 1. Clement's Inn. (Sec Rev VoL Ixviii. N S, p.y :
A Aifthod of preparing Ox*Gall in a csncettiraitd S/.
Painters^ and ft^r othir Uses* By Mr. Richard C-ithery, Ni^.i^*
Mcad'ii Row, Westminster-road, n^ar the Asylum, Lainbctlt-
We come now to the class intitled MANUFAcrruRHi. int.
Edward Smith, of Brentwood, Essex, details his success m
manufaciursngi from the Fibres of the com men Nettle ^ Jhreadf mti
Articles reiemhling Flax^ Hemp^ To%L*y and Cotton ; and in a scCOIld
letter he offers the results of farther cxpeiiments* He haft
produced specimens of Cloth and Cordage made from the Ntitlt^
^vhich appear to possess great strength and durahliif, Wc alt
informed by the Secretary that the fibres of the Nettle sent by
Mr- Smith * are not inferior in quality, in any respect, to fho«e
of the best hemp and flax/ Howfar tlie manufacture of K
Flax would succeed on a large scale, however, is a matter of li,,-^,
— The editor should have referred the reader to VoL vii. p. 1 la.,
of tlie Society's Transactions, where an account is given by
Mr. Greaves of paper made from the bark of Withen and rfMS
nettles z but, in the conclusion of his letter, Mr. G. reciMA-
mends the omission of the nettles*
In Mr, Alexander DuiTs Draw-Boy^ a Machine fi^ ^tftmttg
figured Silk G^^^ (an account of which occurs in Vol. xiv*
P- S^'9^^ ^^^ Society's Transactions,) an improvement has bc«i
made by John Sholl, No, 11. Elder-street, Norton- frJgalc ; In
which, according to the certificates of siJk-maaufacturers, .: >
now
i
Tramactwu offhi Smetyfir Artif Vols, 28- and 29. 249
now rendered very complete* An explanatory plate accom-
panies the communiciition.
Mr, John Locket, of Donningtoni near Newbury, presented the
Society with a napkin of his manufacture, in order to prove
that he has attained the art of weaving Damask Linen Napkins
equal to Foreign, If the napkin was un evidence of success^ he
merited the silver medal which he obtained.
As a Suhtitvti^ for Leghorn Plait for Hats^ l^c, Mr, W* Cor*
ston, of Ludgate-hill, gave in Vol. xxiii, of the Society's Trans-
actions an account of his British Plait^ made of Split-straw ;
and in a subsequent communication he now enLrges on the
success of tliis manufacture in England.
I Numerous are the papers in Mechanics j and we lament,
while we admire the genius directed to matters of utility and
comfort which display:^ itself so commendably in this depart-
ment, that our space will allow us to offer little more than a dry
report of tliem.
When it is considered how large a proportion of his Ma-
jesty's subjects " go down to the sea in ships, and do busincst
in great waters/' and to what unavoidable perils and sufferings
mariners ;^re exposed, any judicious hint on the preservation of
lives in cases of shipwreck is ot importance. The Rev* James
BremniT, Minister of Walls and Flota, in the Orkney-Islands,
therefore deserves gratrful mention for a Method w^hich he has
devised I ^nd here detailed » of making any Ship*s Boat <» Lr/e'toat, tt
save the Lives cf a Cmv in imminent Danger, Though his
stipend is less than seventy pounds a year, he has incurred consi-
der.ible expencc in making experiments; yet he seeks no public
remuneration for his efforts, satisfied with the reward which
arises from the consciousness that many fellow-creatures may
be saved by the scheme which he has devised. After a most
aiRfCting description of the poor sailor struggling with the
storm, and about to be wrecked, (a scene which this humane
clergyman had himself witnessed,) Mr. Bremner proceeds to a
ull exphnatioR of his invention \ which consists in effectually
securing empty casks in boats, and filling up the sides with cork>
by which they will become buoyant, making augur holes
tiirotigh them, adding ring-bolts to the keel, and furnishing them
with well secured slings and seizing ropes. The particular
process of prtfparing ships' boats for life-boats is too long for
insertion: but the practicability and utility of the plan are
amply attested* Substitutes and expedients which may be
u$cd in cases of actual or threatened shipwreck, in carrying
t into effect Mr. Bremner s plans, are also suggested, for which
yre must refer to ttus interesting paper. It is stated that
* Mr. Brcmucr't
^5o TrmumtimM ^Ae Smiiyfir Artt^ Vdi. ^S* mmd tp.
Mr* BftflUKT^i piM kof
iebcmes far the ci»is£nicti««i oi
m uplc ami ezpedxdous method of coorertrng cygry boat wl»£r>cr»
life^KnUy
that at the am
ma J be also adf
in dl iu sknaokm of dangcT^ mlo a lifr-boai^ so
timt that a boat urtaiDs aU itt cominofi otilitj* it i
lesoited to ai a safeguard agaiost danger, and ia maBj cases, as d^
CKilf pos^lc means of escaping from death, athcrwne iocriiaUr ;
where Tife-boaU, proper! j' to c^kdt ai wdl as errrj father maai if
cMiape^ arc waottng/
The silver medal and 20 gtitneas were adjodged to Mr.B.%
vrho cUlms also the invcntton oi Gun- Lech j for Cattmm^ mm
adopted in all British ships of war.
The security of the navy has been cxmsulted by Mr. Sanad
Heinni:)n» of Ills M;ijesty^$ Dock-yard, Chathaoi^ by imffwvtJ
AIccring-Blocki of CaiS Iron fit Ships ^ which, owing to their
great weight and peculiar construction, are certified to answer
extremely welli and to be superior to any anchors whatettr^
AU the line of battle ships ^^hich have been moored urith thsm
were found to "ride with perfect safety,
Man is subject to perils not only in the oce;in but in the
crowded city ; and in the latter, families and their property
are often destroyed by devouring flames, when spectators looi
on without the power of affording any effectual asstscaacc
Various means have been contrived to obviate the evlU atteildr
ant on this calatnity ^ and Mr. Davis of John-street, Spttal-
fields, has been properly remunerated for his Method ofajsisi^
thi Escape of Persons^ and the Removal (ff Prf>perty^ fi^m Hmatt
§ff Fire. The apparatus seems to be well contrived ; and one
of his machines should be in every parish, and accompany the
engine on all alarms of fire. It consists of three ladders,
sliding into each other, which are placed perpendicularly in
the middle of a framed carrbge, m.ounted on four wbeeUt
which may be drawn by one horse or six men. By a wind-
lass, the ladders wind out so as to reach to the third starr
of a building. Provision is also made for elevating and lower-
ing a box for the removal of property from the upper stories of
a iiouse, when the lower pans are on fire. The plan is good
and practicable, — Some years ago, we saw a model of a 6rt*
escape made by a foreigner, the principle of which was ^tn
similar to that of Mr. Davis : but it is probable that Mf*D.
never saw nor heard of it, because this foreigner shewed it oqIt
to a few friends, and was not long in England.
All who are acquainted with the sciences of astronomVi
navigation, and land-surveying, are aware of the impor*
tance of obtaining instruments for taking observations whicfc
are accurately divided. Mn Ramsden, in 1775> received 1
rev^ard from the Board of Longitude for his dividing engine,
2 and
rV TramUiUn of Ovid*t Mitamorphcia, 2 j I
1, of Dlewit'iBuUdittgs, Fetter-lane, has now been
ith the gold medal for his Impr&vrmenti in a Ma^
Hmdtng Engine, It is impossible, without the plate
1 references, to convey to the reader an idea of these
Its : but Mr. A.'s mode of racking the te^th is no-
ertificates, as an important discovery, productive
ee of accuracy in dividing circles of a small radius*
Mr» Allan offers a communication describing
ifrf //■, m ^vhich the Scrtens can he rtadtly shifted in
This instrument will be of great service to
t is La Borda's circle improved. With a thedolite
rill be useful also to surveyors,
m Donkin, of Fort Place, Bermondsey, has pre-
'uirumenti called a Tachometer ^ for arartaining the Vc^
Qckinery, The nature of this contrivance, and its
eratlon, cannot be briefly detailed : but its abject is
he velocity of machines -, so that, by attaching this
to any machine, it detects every deviation from the
Ugeous movement,
larness-makers, and others, will know how to appre-
Wigatlon to Mr. Lewis Aubrey, of Fort Place, Ber-
r his Implements for equalizing the Width and Thickness
traps : but a description of them would not be very
k readers at large. It may be remarked also of the
Mention, that it can only interest those who are in
Bline of business to which it refers : we shall there-
Inem to thank Mr. Charles Williams, of No. 3,
Gravel-lane, Southwark, for a Meth&d of baring the
"^ Brass Cocks,
[To be continued*'}
^ New Translation of Ovid's Metamorphoses * By
fcrr. With the Original Latin Text. To be
Quarterly, and completed in Fifteen Number!.
-VIIL 8ro. is. 6d, each. Sherwood and Co,
or of Ovid has no sinecure. He must not only
[guilt and the suspicion of plagiarism, but, to
Vess, he must command the most varied powers
1, have every poetical synonym in the Engliah
\ ready disposal, and, above all, must be proof
nptation which overcame Rowc in his Version of
[of amplifying an author who is already too
have given some general sketch of Mr. Orger's
•janslator in our brief review of his first Number,
(M, R.
^fo
Transactions (fthe tmefyfir A^s^
< Mr. Brenincr*» plan I» of more pf «J^^ »PK=
nary schemes for the coii.tf ucticin of life-boats^
a fiiinple and expeditious method of cunverUnr- ^
in all its situationa of danger, into a hfr-bc ^^^
time that a boat retains all its common i
resorted to as a safeguard against diii---
only powlblc means of escaping fn
where llfe-boats, properly so called,
escape, are wanting.*
The silver medal and 20 {y^^
who claims also the liiventio
adopted in :dl British ships '
The security of the n:ir
Heminan, of his Majcsr .vrithgoldi
Moaring-Bloch of Cast ^ij[ay>
gredt weight and peci
extremely well, and
All the line of bat r'^
were found toVi** •
Matt is subj'
crowded city •
m
-r ray:
,ory impart
''1' tor's art —
1 ion birthj
. » iiiMULii;;; iiumic cafth ;
, > pictur*d, and th' ethereal plain^
. - ^-jTocia floundered in the grassy main,
are oUcn de' ^ , j Proteus of ambiguous form^
on vnthou* j huge Egeon, ^iant of the storm.
Various ' \^j oVr the deep in scaly triumph ndes»
r.: tlie rude billows, and a whale bestridei,
f^ Durib hen- her blooming daughters led,
the J $0^^^ itoWiZ in old Ocean's azure bed,
-- Some ride 011 iishcs, others on the rocks
Seem to reclinf , and dry their humid locks ;
Not wholly ditPrent, yrt not quite the same.
Their features their affinity proclaim.
Here sculptured earth bort' over-arching wood*,
And meuj and cities, beasts of prey, and floods.
Nymphs of the chacc, and Demigods were there
And Hcav*n refulgent glowM in upper air*
Six Zodiac signs the deitter portals grac'd.
And six were o'er the Itft in order placM/
These lines do not flow inharmoniouslyj but they
fcveral fauhs, according to our judgment. For eram
' Gorgeous palace/ line i* If the palace of the Sui
* shining* and ^majestically bright/ where was the necess
call big it « gorgeous ?'— * Se^-gods JlcuTjdcr^di' hne 1 2* — • *
"Egoanj giitfjf ^ ttf storm^* line 14,, is gratuitous bombastj
much more in the manner of the inflated nonsense whii
casionally tlisfigurcd that most promising of poems
Pleasures of Hope," than in the playful and perspicuous
Ovid, — * Parts the rude billowSj and a whaie kit rides,* lij
J
ICl OtgtrV Tramlatkn ef Ovitfi Mdamarph^tu
(M.R. Vol. Ixv'u p* 433.) and in continuing to accompany
on his classical journey, we tntcrtain hopes that he -""
prove on acquaintance.
The second book of the Metamorphoses commences .
the wclUknown description of tlie Palace, Chariot^ and Hoi,
of the Sun. We i^hall present our readers with the passage,
newly rendered by Mr, Orgcr : but we shall neither contrasl
with a quotation of the original, nor with extracts from 1
older translators. The Latin and the Engtish are in the hai
of almost every scholar.
* The gorgeous palace of the God of light
ShoDc in the East majestically bright^
The lofty column I, glurious to bdbold,
Were Starr' d with jewels and embossM with gold j '
Fair Iv'ry beams the spotless roof inlay ^
The folding portalt cast a silver ray:
Yet gold, nor gems, nor ivory impart
A wonder equal to the sculptor's art—
H**rc Vulcan gave a new creation birth.
With mimic leas embracing mimic earth |
Here lajid was pictur'd, and th* ethereal plain.
And Sea-gods flounder'd in the grassy main,
Triton and Proteus of ambiguous fonn>
And huge Egeon, giant of the storm.
High o*cr t!»e deep in scaly trimnph rides.
Parts tlie rude billows, and a whale bcstridei.
Fair Doris here her blooming daughters led.
Some frolic in old Ocean's azure bed,
Some ride on fishes, others on the rocks
Seem to recline^ and dry their humid locks |
* Not wholly different, yet not quite the samr,
Their features their affinity proclaim.
Here sculptured earth bore over-arching woodf.
And men, and cities, beasts of prey, and 6ood9*
Nymphs of the chace, and Demigods were there
And Heav'n refulgent glow*d in upper air.
Six Zodiac signi tlie dexter portals grac'd,
And six were o'er the left in order plac'd.*
These lines do not flow inharmotiiously, but they bel
jcverai faults, according to our judgment. For example
' Gorgeous palace/ line i. If the palace of the Sun \
* shilling* and ^majestically bright,* where was the necessity'
calling it « gorgeous ?* — •Sea-gods^cwWrr^^/ Jine 1 2»— * Hi
Egcon, gitinf of the ,^turm^* line 14., is gratuitous bombast \ 1
much more In the manner of the inflated nonsense w^hicb
casionally disfiguied that most promising of pocm» ■*'
PIcasurcsof Hope,** thin in the playful and — '1
Ovid, — ^* Parts the rude billowg, and a xvL..
ififlk
J
Orger'/ Trans lathn of Ovid^i Mdamorphoscs* a53
r
Hiiiay be quoted as a capital instance of the i^lt^OM 7rpoIfp«v ;
while * S€aly triumph ^^ line i J., must be recorded as « a fine
indistinct expression.'* — * Not wholly different,* &c., 21* ami
22. is a very tolerable couplet : but ** quaUm decet tssi sororunP^
is not adequately translated by * their features their offinitj
» proclaim.' — ^^^ Cetera riumina rurii" are ill represented by
f Dfrnigc^ds,' (Line 25.) Indeed it seems clear that Pan, Syl-
vanus, the Satyrs, Fauns, &c- &c., were the beings intended.—
< The dexter portals/ line 27., sound aukwardly. Why not
< right-hand ?* Whenever we can substitute an expression less
lathiizcd for one that is more so, are we not obeying the dic-
H tales of good taste in the composition of English verse or prose ?
■ The description of the days, moDthS| and years, and especially
of the seasons, is well translated ;
K • There blooming rosea iafant Spring adorn,
^t^^ Tiierc Summer glows arniy'd in wreaths of corn ;
^^^^ And Autumn, red with trodden grapes, is there,
^^^P And hoary Winter shakes his frozen hair,' —
mlthough •< nuda aita/* should have bec^n ^^arrafS^ in nothing*
These are the passages which induce us to augur favourably of
I the continuation of Mr. Orger*s labours : but let him not he
m^isled by the facility of trauslation, which we think he possesses;
let him not be satisfied with giving the first shadow of his au-
thor's me.ming which occurs to his imagination ; let him not
be tired with touching and retouching his picture of Ovid, till
the resemblance has A\ the exactness of 2 miniature with all
tlie spirit of a portrait- Excellent as many of the versions of
detached passages in the Metamorphoses certainly arc, the whole
I has never been pioperly clothed in an Engltsli dress ; and the
translator, who shouhl perform this service for his country-
tnen> would undoubtedly merit and meet with very general
approbation,-— To proceed with our critical advice, which we
shall offer at large, in the real hope that it will claim the
writer's attention.
The opposition between " difsuadtr/* and ** mgan^ lines 5 a.
and 53. of the original, is lost In the translation; and thii
tomisbion is peculiarly faulty, because antithesis is the per-
vading characteristic of Ovid's manner. — We advance to
line 199. of the translation without any strik ce, and
i witli much easy and natural poerr>*; but is fare-
B well acknowlegements to his father, when mounted on the
p Chariot,
• Surely a norf hMutifu) simile was never formed, than theappli-
ration k)^ this co^iplei to il»r dif^crrnt modes of Chrittian worship, tJee
like Pirctacc to Hall'* Sermon on luHdclity.
{Invito grates agit tnJi parents,)
appear to us vulgarly rendered by
« Thanking Phoebus with exulting tiodt
Bids glad fiuTwell to the reluctant God/
not to roeotlon the amplification.
* Dismay 'd, he knows not ^Bere to bend his coume,* (L*
is prosaic and inaccurate ; although the pun in tlie origi:
still worse :
** Nee scit qua sit iter.**
* Thou tooi Booteia' &c. * eiiafd to %»' f Line« 2l7f
is not to be overlooked ; and the first of the two fol
lines {16^^ 270-) concludes most execrably ;
* The clouds are lost in smoke, earth's summit t niri
Yawn in the blaze, and mourn their fountains £y.
We should have noticed, as we passedj line 202.1
* Fleet Pyrbeis, and Eous breathing fire,*
which Hvouldhe a verse if the copulative conjunction w<
out I for we trust, from even the partial correctness
quantities, that Mr* Orger does not pronounce Eoij s as a
syllable. —Ismaros (line 315.) is printed by mistake
Ismenos.
We now turn with pleasure to the only welcome part of
criticism, and select the speech of the Earth from this stoi
Phaeton \ in whicli we think our readers will agree wii
that the translation is elegant and poetical.
* If for my crimes I now am doom'd to diet
Where sleeps thy thunder, monarch of the sky I
If thus to Hink, overcome by fires, be mine,
Let lightnings blast me» and the fires be tfaioe ;
At once annihilate thy forfeit Earth,
And give a death where once thou gav'st a birth*
Scarce will my tongue articulate my tows j
( For now dense vapours gather'd routid her brows)
View my burnt tresses, see tlie cinders hk",
Choak my spent breath, and scorch my face and eyeiz
Are these due honors to my fertile soil I
Are these the fruits of all my annual toil.
That still from day to day I patient bow,
Tom by the harrow, tartur'd by the plough,
That &!iade and food to cattle 1 supply,
Support to man, rrnd !Tic?n~c to tht? sky ?
Yet, grant it fit
Why mourns th; ^1 ?
The seas, his portion d lot, sul
A deeper dislnnci- from th» Hcj
OtffO^i Translatkn of OnnSi Meiam^rphMiSm 3|5
If Kim and me tliou spum'tti and careless grown^
O'erlook'at our goodt at least consult thioe own.
Sec pitchy cloudi the plains of glory cloak,
And Heaven's two pojei involved in curling imoke i
If but one spark to upper ether etrayit
Jove's gilded courts shall perish in the blaase*
£.0 ! Atlas nods, and bending seenii to dread
Th' incumbent aide glowing o'er hk headi
If all things perish, sky, and earth and main
To ancient Chaofi must return again.
Save what remains, while aught remains to safe^
And rescue Nature from her final grtTc*'
! could point out some blemishes in this passage i such as
Dgle of vowels in the first couplet^ and some other pec-
aes : but w€ forbear. Line 364.1
• And give a death wliere once thou gav^at a birth,'
truly OviiliaUj that we were surprized to find that it did
doog to OvicL It i^i howcfer, one of those happy trans-
Dns which extort itidulgcnce. We give Mn Orger (he it
red) fail credit for the originality of ]iis best thoughts,
Id not pursue him to Dry den or Addison^ to Garth or
1, or 10 any of his predecessors ; and we trust th^t we shall
lave reason to repent this confidence^ on any future
nces.
B best passage in the remainder of the second book is the
^f Minerva to the cave of Envy* It is indeed very hap-
ranslated ; and we shall extract it for the edification if
rr the amusement of our readers :
< Thro' low brow'd roclcs descends the heavenly maidf
To seek the fury in th' infected shade.
Deep in a cave the sad retreat she finds.
Hid from the sun, impcrrious to the winds |
Btemal night and ceaseless winter dwell
With kindred horror in the dreary qelL
The wivlike maid, not daring to advance,
Now strikes the portal with ner pointed lance |
The gates nnbarrM, confess^ the fury stood,
Vice her support, and vtpers' fleah her food*
Palbs scarce d^res to cast her eyes around.
When Envy, slowly rising from the ground,
Heaves her vile food, in writhing heaps display *d)
And feebly totters towards the martial laaid,
But when she saw a Goddeti in her channs.
Blooming in beauty, and renown' d in artnf.
She groan'd ; her bosom heav'd with galling sighs j
Lean was her form ; obliquely cast her eyea ;
Wan was her cheek % imbu'd with rust her teeth i
^nd bloatei poison sweU'd her breast! beneath ;
Ten«iii
Venom and gall her tmintcd tonp
And nought but human woe pro\ r unilt 5
By ^ainag^ caret opprcit'd, the never fikepe ;
She laughs ait misrry — at joy she weepa ;
To torture others, rears her hifsing snakes.
And self torroeniing, fceU the hell she makei/
« Vice her support/ line loio., falsifies the original, {ftfe-
nas carries vUhrum alimfftia suorumt) which conveys a very dif-
ferent idea ^ * galling* is a bad epithet for * sighs ;* and * rro-
iufd wih rust" is a confusion of metaphor: but, on the whole,
justice is done to a very animated description.
* PaUas rccoilij, tlie dame repugnant haln/
(where the verb * hates' is used for the immediate operation of
h.Ltred,) is a line very unfit to follow the foregoing. The
second book concludes with the rape of Europa j which t- wrl^
rendered.
In the third book, we were sorry to find several of Aclxc^h *
hounds miscalled 5 or ratlier to hear tlieir names wrongly pro*
nounced :
** L'hfwhatesque lagax *>"
* with Cretan Ichnobates,' line 243^ : but, in the original, only
Une 207, Mr. Orger will do well often to make these com*
parisons, and thus to avoid the *f easily l>esettlng sin** of dilFu*
sion< We are well aware how necessary an evil this is, to 4
certain degree, in rendering Latin verse into English : but stiB,
as an evil, and exactly that evil most hkely to be incurred, it it
the point of all others against which we should be most oQ our
guard.
The story of Narcissus has often exercised the poetical talents
of the ablest Euglish translators* Among them all, however,
we do not hesitate to prefer the version of the Rev, Robert
Bland, published witJi the minor poems in the second edition
of his " Edwy .ami Elgiva/* As tliis is the principal novelty
of the work in question, we have not broken through our
general rule of omitting liew impressions : but the present oc-
casion las induced us to turn to Mr, B/s pages; and for the
benefit of Mr. Orger, as well as for the entertainment of our
chibikal readers, we cannot avoid referring to so excellent
a trui*slation of one of the most picturesque descriptions in
Ovid. The mode of version adopted by Mr. Bland is more free
than tiiat of Mr. Orger ; and some slight altersiions also are in-
troduced into the story by the former translator, in order to
* The other instances are OnbiRUf, and Agriodos; the penultiiai
in both cases being short. 4 *
*•** adapt
Orgeft Tr^nslatUrt of Ovi^s Meiamorphojef. 557
pt it more perfectly to modern feeling and taste* We, how-
r, give Mr. Orger credit for overcoming some difficulties in
original vrith much atlrojtiicss \ and we subjoin some pas-
E« of his version :
* NarciMus now> in sixteen circling yeart,
Nof yet a man, nor yet a boy appears ;
Him youths in iriendsbip, maids in love. beHbldi
But haughty pride, a hirart reserved and coldp
Uiurp his bosom* and conspiring blend
To freeze the lover, and repel the fneod,
Hcho, the nymph amid the mountains Qurs'4»
Repeating last, and never speaking first|
Beheld Narcissus with a hunter's spear
Drive to his nets the nimble footed deer ;
Not then, as now, a disembodied thade»
Yet then, as now, restricted rooke the maid ;
When to her hps her words lor utterance past*
Drown 'd were the first, and only heard the last.'
We omit the lines which relate the cause of Echo's punish*
t, and proceed with the story of Narcissus: who
• — Now the hunter's sport pursues 5
Echo beholds, and kindles while she views ;
Hcrnelf unseen, pursues with fond desire.
And feels at each approach a brighter fire.
So, tipp'd with sulphur, torches dart their rayf,
Touch'd by a spark so kindle in a bla/e*
Oft would she strive his pity to beseech
With mild entreaties and persuasive speech*
But nature checks each sentence in its course ;
Thus foird, the nymph prepares her sole resource.
To trace the rover o'er the sylvan plain.
Wait till he speaks, and then respond the strain.
By chance Narcissus in a lonely place
Had distanc*d all his followers in the chacc
Who'* there ? cxclaim'd the youth, the am'rous fair
Caught his last accent, and repeated, There,
Amax'd, he casts his eyes the hills around.
And cries, come hither — she fttums the sound.
Again he stopp'd, again he thought to find #
Some fellow sportsman in the vale behind. ,
Whither so fast ? be cried — she caught the strain.
And every word sent back to him again.
Once more he listens to the vocal cheat.
And cries, again deluded. Here we meet :
Th' inviting note her soul with transport BJlltt
And here we meet, resounded from the hills* 1
Swift from the copse enamour'd Echo sprung,
Embraced his neck, and on his bosom hung ;
He struggling said. Thy rude embrace remove,
Death he my portiou cs^l yield to love —
££V. JutYf 1813. 6 I ptU
I yi«Id ti» lo«^e, rejfctet! £cbo criety
Aod to her grreo rece&t indignant Biei \
Where, bid in cavc^ the loliury maid
CoficeaYa her cnmsoa bluihea io the ihade*
Yet love remains, his dart* her bosom goid*
And gnawing cares the ileeplesi fair corrode*
Her waning bodf «ickeiYf in despair,
TiU aD iti jifice« dissipate in air :
Her voice alone eurTive« ; her BetUeii boocf
Chng to the rock$| and harden into ttooei ;
The phantom flit* the hills and mounlaifl* round.
Heard, but not aeen^ a disembodied found.'
We find nothing half so successfully told a$ the aboTe story
in the remaining part of the third book; and we turn to thefovtth,
where the simple talc of Pyramus and Thisbe gives tfie trans-
lator another opportunity of displaying the force and eiegince
of the English couplet : which he occasionally does, although
in a much inferior At^tt to some of his contemporanes. Wc
are sorry to observe in the invocation to Bacchus, at theopdunj
of this book, the gross defect of ear which could lead Mr. Oipl
to pronounce licchiis, ^& it must b^ pronounced intbefoUowifl{
▼erse \
* And lacchuft and every other name.'
We truftt that the examples of carelessness, which we han
here pointed out, will warn the author in his future numbea
We would not attach undue consequence to matters of meitt;
biit the correct admeasurement of proper names is indispensable,
and a Gnidus is at every body's command.
Mr. Orger has been unfortunate in the commencement cf
Fyramus and Thtsbe ;
' In Babylon, whose lofty sides around
Semiramis had lolid ramtartj hound f
Young Pyramns and Thisbe, peerless pair»
Contiguous dwelt, &nd drt*m eongental air**
It pioceeds with equal dksimilariiy to the original^ if not wilfc
equal duloess \
* Sol t from Hi imiern turret^ ne'er stirvey'd
So fair a youth, to beautiful a maid.
The verdant wreath their infant friendship woye.
Grew as they grew* and blas5oni*d into love,*
Why add this prettiness to Ovid, who already abounds in
4ecorations even to excess i
** Nctitiam^ pnmcique gradus vicifmjfdtf
Timpere crroit amor**
i
1
4
Stfo Orgcr*/ Translation of OvliTs Metamorphetetm
To love's last pray V both heaven snd earth conscnf,
Th* immortaU pity, and their sires relent.
Sable, wheo ripe, the pouting berry grows :
Their faithful ashes in one urn repose/
The descent of Juao to the infernal regions, aninuted and
impressive as It is in the originali loses but little in the trjins-
lation : though we must except &uch lines as
« Whtrt ipcctrcB wander, reckless ^a/here to go,* '
The <* muta Hleutia^ of the shades should also have been pre^JH
terved. Yet the following four tersea do some credit lo iheir '
author :
* A downward path, by baleful yew» o^erspreat]^
Winds to the dreary mansions of the dead j
Thither descend departed shades, to mix
In sad communion on the shores of Styx**
Let us, however, again admonish Mn Orger not to be contentei;
with a general expression of the meaning of his original, bi
to endeavour to preserve every peculiarity in the descriptions ol
to picturesque a poet as Ovid,
The adventure of Perseus and Andromeda is rendered hai
pily enough ; and we have little to object to the subsequei
narrations of Perseus, except the manner in which he ccl<
Wates the former beauties of Medusa :
• Men ha^e I hcard^ who once admir*d the fair.
Dwell vfiih peculiar raptnrt on ker hair J
This is exactly the style of a very feeble female novelist*
into doggrel of ten feet by her only reader. Indeed we must
insist on the dismissal of all such couplets from Orger^s Ovid.
Who can endure tlie following ?
< Hift boyish mien^
And rash demeanour, tpoit hit a^t tl^teen*
which is to be found in the description of Atys, book the f t1
The original only says — *'^i/ adhuc ocUnls intrgir anni/**^
without a word about « boyish mien,' or * rash demeanour/
We therefore conceive the version to be a libel on Atys, ai
well as on Ovid, The dread necessity of rhyming has alio
produced such a line as
* The welUaimM arrow failed his heart to /ra J/»
But hung entangled in the hero's roh*'
< In Hood imh/df in the same imfortunate passage fespectifig
Atys, is, we concludey a mistake for the stronger eaprcisioa
<« imbrued t^* but the succeeding vulgar familianiy caitfM b«
excused :
J
Mk
AUBiHM
OrgerV TranHaiim of OvtiTs Metamorphoses* atf i
♦ Pcrscua the sword that bIcw Medusa iry^d
*€)n Lycabas J atid plwog'd it in his side ;'
ind perhaps we ought in strictness to condemn the expression
of a heathen bard • singing his own sad requiem* Mn Orger,
however, must be convinced that we are not unnecessarily se-
' irere^ and we have great hopes that he will so profit hj our
advice, or rather by his own improved judgment, as finally to
E resent the literary world with a classical version of Ovid. — We
ave dwelt so long on the 2d, 3d, and 4th numbers of this
translation, that we must be comparatively brief in our survey
^ of the 5th, 6th, 7th, and 8th.
The story of Perseus proceeds with the 5 th book of the Me*
lamorphoscs ; and we have not much to commend or to cen-
sure in Mr; Orger's versjion. When he describes, indeed, the
followers of Phineus as converted by Medusa*s head into * a
regiment of stone,' he forgets that he is writing a translation^
not an imitatian^ and is, tlierefore, or ought to be, restrained
^ from the use of words that are expressive of modem ideas,
'^ From ojf kis roof/ in the relation of tlic Muse which succeeds,
is a vulgarism ; and in her account of the grief of Ceres for the
loss of rroserpine, several pcrsmijications (j^uch as * Murder'
and • Famine') are introduced into the version, which find no
^ place in the original* Let us warn Mr. Orger against this pro-
pensity ; especially when exercised in giving a •' local habita-
tion and a name'* to some particular species of mental quality.
This is a sort of metaphysical poetry very Uttle known to the
antients, Mr. Orger has personified « Caution/ for instance.
To personify Prudence might be classical enough : but we
do not recollect \\\\^ part of Prudence being made a Divinity by
either the Greeks or the Romans,
♦ Devoid of eddf is a vile translation of ** sine vortice/* in
the description of the Sty mpli alia n stream \ and we should have
"noticed before, in the Rape of Proserpine, the unmeaning phrase
of the island of Sicily being * ri'oen aside by Pluto's descent*
In our slight sketch of the contents of the sixth book, we
'can only bestow sotne general praise on the story of Niobe, -in^
remark a blemish or two in the wanderings of Latona and the
-fate of Philomela. — The discourteous rustics, afterward trans-
formed into frogs, are described as disturbing the water at
which Latona was eager to allay her diirst ;
" Hue illuc limum salttt movere maiigno /*
which line adroitly overcomes the difficulty of making so coarse
an Image poetical, by the ^^-w^r*?/ expression movere* Mr.Orger>
by becoming particular^ becomes ridiculous :
* And, in mere malice^ Hel up clouds oj'mud**
a 3 « SaVmni
162 Orger*/ Trartslathn of OvkTs Mttamarfimis*
** Saliuftt timaso in gurgh^* is also absordlj retidtred bf
* gamhol iff thi hgs*
* Another of the ideot Satyr (Satyrt) ti^
For contrsl on the vrax-united pipe-'
Mr. Orger is either fond of GfitI Darwimart rhymes, or
an occasional difficulty in finding others, very unlike the //<
facility with which he generally composes.
* They capp'd with ivory the vacant /f^n^
jind thenceforth Pelofs ttfaiPd a fcrfeet man ;*
Xhu couplet has a flatness nbout it that is not easily defirted^ but
is very easily felt. Span is obviously improper.
• L^tft gUds his speech ^ and when bii accents hu
DUcreiions garl^^ &c.
This is very gratuitou^j and wholly unlike the origina] :
** Facundum faciebat am*>r — CupidufUi revertitur &rw^ ttc*
How often do the modern translators fancy that it is necei
tary to be extravagant in their expreflsions, and to outrage
simple force and dignity of the antient writers ! What can
worse than the following translation of so plain a phrase at
^* InUndtm palmas ?^^
' • Holding forth her hands in frantic jirHeh^*
unless it be the total misconception of the original, at line 51
of the text, and line 734. of the translation. Ovid, to exprei
the hardened cruelty of Tereusj after the mutilation of Phili
mela, says,
*' Susiinet ad Pr§gnen p^t talia facta revifii z**^-
* To Progn^ fooB rciumi, wtlh do^neati mitn^
The King* Say» where*! my si»ter ? crici the Quten /*
ind we know not which to admire most in this couplet ) the
total loss of the forcible meaning of susitnei^ or the pirvirsim
(for it is not tlie vrrjion) of *^ Conjuge qu£ visogirman&m qu^rk^
into ^* Say, where's my sister? cries the Queen/ or ibt
ftntithesis of * thi King* at the beginning of the verse, to •//
Queertf' at the end. Nor is Mr. Orger happier in his
ing of the mptamorphose, when the said King is cr -
M Lapwing* Ovid gives him an ** immodUum r^i'r
the translator burlesques into an * endless beak/ pmi
these minor errors for the present, and only cautioning^
muthor, (however familiar Shiikspeare may be to his cars,)
in classical poetry Hi^ate should be a trisyllable, we shall
Icct MedeaS incimt^rion from tlie 7th book, aiul cte&e
remaiksf. The following passage^ in utif op inioo, dues much
rredit to Mr Orger;
•Ncrw
I
:esifl
mmmk
g
[*/ TramUtion ef Ovi^s Metamorph^nn iff J
* Now whta diastc Cynthia, with roaje ftic glovr*
pi>urM her full radiance on the earth beloW|
Cheerless, alone forth tta]k*d the royal fair,
l,oo«e her attire* her feet^ her ihoulderi banc s
X»ight on her neck her unbound locks were cait»
And broodinj^ night frown'd o'er her as ilie past*
Now balmy sleep had every eye-Jid closed,
Man^ bird, and beatt tn mimic death repos'd»
No murmuring sound diiiturb'd the tranquil vale|
Still hung the leaves, and mute the humid gale»
Bright shone the stars ; to these her hands she spread*
Witii water from the stream thrice bath'd her Iiead»
Thrice lurn'd her round, and with three direful ycllst
Thus, on bent knee, pour'd forth her mystic spells r
Night, faithful Goddess, solemn awl serene !
Ye golden stars, who with vour silver queen
Supplant the Sun! Great Hecate, three-form' d maid|
Who shin*6t propitiotis to thy votary's aid \
Ye spells, and magic arts ! and thou, O Earth,
Whose verdant plants first gave that magic birth I
Ye winds» lakes, rivers, rocks that seek the skies,
Gods of the groves, and Gods of night, arise 1
Oft, by your aid^ my voice terrific chides
Back thro' their wandering banks returning tides;
Where'er I chaunt my dirge, the deadly strain
RufHes the smooth, and smoothes the ruffled main |
Clouds, at my potent biddings rise and fallf
And Qow I banish winds, and now recall ;
With speech and song I alter Nature's laws.
Tear up the oak, and rend the serpent's jaws ;
Heav'd from their base, impending rocks I break.
Upturn whole woods, and bid whole mountains shake |
While iioddiag Earth lays bare her lurid caves«
And buried ghosts start shuddering from their gravei4
Thee, Luna, too, my midnight spells draw down ;
Tho' tinkling cymbals strive my song tg diown \
My incantations tinge with pale dismay
Morn's purple roses, and the car of day.
Ye tam'd for me the fiery bulls, and broke
Their brawny necks subservient to the yoke \
Ye slew the dragon's sons by martial blowg|
Ye hush'd the scaly serpent in repose,
I>eceivM the guardian of the golden fleece,
And safe consign'd the precious charge to Greece^
Herbs I demand, of potent juice, to bring
Back to cold Winter's cheek the rose of spring :
And ye will grant them ; yonder glittering star
Shines not in vainj yon dra go n -harness' d car
JTloats on no idle embassy on high :
^d as she spokei a chariot graa'd the iky.'
84
The
Miss Spence'/ Sketc^t ef Matwert^ i^e* m Sceiknd*
The 7tli n amber conulns, among other talcs, the ttory
Baucis and Philemon. Some lines in Mr, Orger's version aie
most unnecessarily added to the original, and, although mucti
is good, too large a part is indifferent-
In the 8th number we discover nearly the sjime faults, and
a similar degree of merit. Many passages are very well exe»
cuted, and others are excessively feeble and unpoetical.
Quantity is again occasionally violated, and meaning sought
in vain. For instance, we have Dejanira instead of JOeianira,
repeatedly; Callirhoe must be pronounced as a txisyUable for
the sake of tlte verse, line 537. •, CyanSe is turned intoCyanei
and, as to unintelligibllity, vre scarcely recollect a couplef
that will vie with the subjoined : — Alcmena,
^ * viewing lolc mjUh procreatii yohe^
Concifient lahoai-j thus foreboding spoke ;*
while, with regard to oddity and aukwardiiess of rhyme^ the
following distich is singular indeed :
< No thought of kindred your alliance atopa,
Jove weds with Juno, Saturn weds with Ops.*
All these are blemishes easily removed by care and attcntioo 1
9ind on the whot^ we are disposed to part witli Mr. Orgcr in
very good humour.
Art. IV. Sketcbet of the priseni Manner t^ Cmtoms^ and Seeniry ^|
Seotlandt with incidental Remarks on the Scotish Character.
By Ehxabeth Isabella Spence, Author of Summer Excuraioni, Th
Nobility of the Heart, The Wedding Day, &c. ^Second EJ
tamo. 2 Vols. ]2s. Boards. Longman and Co.
" A "^^^^ *" Scotland*' is a tale so often told as to tequiret
-^ in any new book on the subject, the possession of some-
thing striking and unequal, in order to intitte it to a share cf^
the public attention. Yet we are induced, without ascribingB
merit of this kind to Miss Spence's work, to insert a rather
copious account of it in our pages, with the expectation that it
will amuse those whom it does not instruct, and that
tinaffected diction will gratify those who look for
statistics nor philosophy at the hand of a lady. Our readeri*
on ruming to the short notice which we gave (Vol. lix, p. 311 -J
of a juvenile production by this writer, will observe that our
chief censure was directed to inaccuracies of language, A
similar charge, as will be seen presently, is applicable to rhi*
Caledonian excursion : Hut, as the fair author is no^v more
matured in her views, and the subject is of a graver cast than
•* the Wedding Day," it is our iatentlon to pay hef| on the p«?:
I
^IQlll^penceV SkeUhii of Mannerjfistc. in Scotland* 26^
occasion^ the compliment of a longer examination! She
eludes her hook hy a conditional promise of 2, sticond tour
into the north, to be followed by a second publication: a
project which makes it of more consequence to give the reader
.^me idea of what he is to expect, as well as to convey to
her any animadversions which the reading of the present per-
formance may suggest to n%.
. After a preface expressed in a style of rather higher preten*
Bion than the rest of the volumes, MissS* proceeds with her
narrative, conveyed in the old form of letters to a friend. Her
route was from London to the western borderj by the way of
Northampton, Leicester, Preston, Lancaster, Kendal, Penrith,
and Carlisle, When she had passed Leicester, she turned aside
to visit the rocks of Dovedale ; and though tlie views there
are very coiitracted in extent, she was greatly struck with th^*
romantic beauty of the dale, and of the crystal stream which
Ijubbles at the foot of the rocks* Some of tliese rocks are of
gtey stone, and naked to tlieir summits 5 while others are
covered with lichens, ash, yew, and wild pear-trees. Many of
them are of pyramidal and spiral shapes, bearing names cha-
racteristic of tlieir whimsical figures. Proceeding northward,
. she was gratified by the beauty of the approach to Presion,
and still more by the prospect of Lancaster, Having entered
the castle of Lancaster, of which the spacious inclosure 15 the
receptacle for botli the debtors and the culprits of one of our
most populous counties, she observed witli satisfaction the
purity of the air, the clearness of the cells, and tln^ ^alut^ry
habits of industry which are imposed on the prisoners* She
saw tlie apartments allotted for weaving, and was assured that
many of the prisoners confined for petty offences became after-
ward useful members of society. Leaving Lancaster, and
approaching Kendal, she entered on a scenery of a bolder
Io^t \ the gentle hills of the south being now exchanged for
lofty and picturesque mountains. To forego a visit to Win^
dermere, though it was somewhat out of her way, would havt
been a self-denial which she could not impose on herself.
The route which she took was by Bowneas, and she recom-«^
mends the same course to those who wish to view the lake
along its whole extent. The day was calm \ and, on being
lowed over this transparent water. Miss Spence could see dis-^t
linctly the pebbly bottom at a depth of fifty feet. Here, as
■ on the lake of Keswick, it is on landing at the islands that
■ the enraptured stranger becomes most sensible of the beauty
rf the surrounding scene. The lake, in either case, spreads
jts waters around, clear as a mirror*, while the euL^
rilli^ on the borders^ and tlie magnificent amphith
niouiit
^66 Miss SpcnceV Sietehei §f Mannerf^ fe'r. «f Si^tUmd*
mountains^ form a picture which surpasses tlie most sangui
inticipations of fancy.
On crossing the border, Miss Spence takes some notice of
the immediate change in the habits of the people and tl
of their dwellings, but is by no means sufficiently e>
this curious point. Two hundred years of pacific intercoi
have done much less towards assimilacing the respective
tiers, than would be supposed by persons who had not actu
Yisited the border-line. On the well-built town of Dutnfi
situated near the banks of the " winding Nith/* Miss S;
bestows the same encomiums that were passed on it forty
ago by Dr. Smollett. Her partiality to the poetry of
leads her to makc^ an elaborate effort to exculpate nis mcro*
from the heavy charge of intemperate and profligate habits, h
the testimony of his townsmen of Dumfries supplied no cor-
roboration to this well meant effort.
Having crossed the dreary hills on the Sanquhar road» the
bustling streets of Glasgow afforded Miss Spence a welcome
contrast, and revived the recollection of the British metropol
The recency of her observations gives here, as in other pai
considerable interest to her detaih She admired the elcgani
of the Glasgow theatre, the magnificence of the infirmai
and the venerable aspect of the cathedral, one of the few
llgious edifices in Scotland which escaped destruction at
Reformation, From Glasgow^ she made several excursions to
the neighbouring towns.
* July 1 y. t8io. — This day was spent at PaiJiIey, with ari intcnl
to view its matiufactoriei. Paisley was formerly celebrated for COJ
chequered linen cloth, afterward* for thote of a Hghtcr fabi
^uiofuUy ornamented. Its thread has long been famous ; and
introduction of the manufactory of tilk gau/e is an imitation
Spitalficld« t every mean-looking habitation was filled with looi
In some houses youne women were seated at frames, tambour
Pkuslin, and the ingenuity of clipping the woven mu&lin into floweff%
ty groups of children engaged in this branch, and the rapiditj wisll
which they used the fciesars, surprised me extremely/ —
* The ride from Glasgow to Paisley is on a very cheerful as w<
as interesting road/ —
* Numerous are the spots in Scotland which have some conne!
with tlie life of Qui-en Mary, Cntickitone Castle, to
betutiful retreat she withdrew vfith Darnley, it situated about
Billet from Paisley/ — ' The yew*tree is shewn, beneath whidl
spent mi^y hours with him** — • Two miles beyond Glasgow, on
eminence, is Langside, wliere she was defeated after her escape fnxn
X*oclileveii. It was here she stood to view, in painful agii
wrouglit alflioit to agxjny between I fie suipension of hope a«<
the unhappy termination .>f a battle so fiital to her interests ai
p«f«rtt, ami fled thence in wild detpitr, m fughive and defeated
mtmf ffom her country for ever/-—
' Hi
^^^
Miss Spencc*/ ihuha $f Manner/^ bfe^ in Scstknd. i6y
A * Not far dUuot from Pjiiley it Elletiliep remarkable for bein^
tl&e birth place of the renowaed aiid heroic Sir William Wallace^' -^^
* Ham'tUont July 18,
^ From X*anark I walked by a steep deicent into the dale, where
amidst the wildcat 8ccnery» commerce leemed to have sprung up, and
industry to bav^ fixed her thousand wheelt, to enrich with her
ttseful band the poor and indigent- The magiiiricent stone buildingi*
three in number, of Mr. Owen'i cotton mills, must inspire all
ttnyigers wiih a sensation of pleaiure and turprize, when they fir»t
perceire them. The orjcr, tlie regularity, the clean, the he^dthful
jarance of the children, the rapidity of their little finger* in thdr
rent employrneutt, and the very ingenioug mechanism of these
ii, present a scene so novel and &o pleasing, that when ita great
utility is considered, it ii impossible not to attach the highest praise
to the first projector of so important a concern j and although
manufactories have sometimes been thought deftructive to the health
and momls of womim and children, yet in this instance it ts by no
tneans the case. The children here have clean and wholesome apart-
ments allotted to them. They are washed, combed, neatly drest,
aod after the employment of the day is over, a portion of the
evening i« devoted to instruction in reading and writing* The Tcry
liilli which surround them breathe health ; and the valleys are
watered by to ^n^ a river, that sickness with its withering hand
•eems bamnhed from this industrious little territory/ —
• July 19* — ^From the busy din of Mr. Owen*i cotton mills, I
proceeded above the deep and woody glen which ovcrhings them ;
and directed my steps by the edge of a precipice overshaaowed by
dark and luxuriant w'oods, noble and varied, which led me to th^
Corra Linn, — All here was perfectly serene, except the tremendou*
roar of the cataract pouring down the perpendicular rock, which if
fighty-four feet in height ; it is broken in its progress by three dif*
ftnrnt falls, which drirest it of the terrific grandeur it would otherwise
MsccM* — The Corra Lino smokes like a caldron, in coniequence
of the precipitate fall of water. On the opposite rock the ruin of
Corra Castle appears, proudly seated 00 iti summit* — Leaving
the grand scenery of Corra Linn, I next viewed that of Bonniton ;
laore wblinnely awful, in my opinion, from the water-fall prefentiog
one precipitate, tremendous, and unbroken volume of water,
thundering amidst the rocki over which it hurriet in a foaming
torrent.
• Taking leave of these falls I returned to Lanark, and visited
Cartland Craigs, a place I was very anxious to see, having been the
retreat of Wallace in pt-rilous timet. This ftcenery far surpatsei in
wild magnificence that of Corra and Bonniton Lmn. Here nature
hai done every thing to form the awful and sublime ; as far as the
most savage grandeur can extend, Cartbnd Craigs posaesft it. It wat
terrific as I passed along this gloomy sohtudc to look down on the
fearful chasm below, which is four hundred and thirty feet in depth,
from where I stood. This craig, or hjige precipitous rock, richly
fringed with coppice wood* extends at least three mile* in length, ftr
^roca any hunaao retreat^ and frownt apoa tke wmderery who boldly
dmt
C flO-
il ex*
a68 Miss SpenceV Sketches of Manners ^ ^^c^ in Scpilandm
daiTs to invade its solitude. "^ — * Every feathered fonn-^trrt* t^^m^d fledi
m if affrighted by those birds of prey which n^ jc •!«-
pendous craigs. The only sound I heard was uvy v.^,, ^.^^vv w
berated from rock to rock, for there is a distinct echo, which
be rendered as beautiful as the sound of music,*—
* July 21. — The country people of Scotland are tn general
tremely inquisitive; and though they seldom give a very direct or f
nic answer ; the presence of strangers excites in them an eager curi
to know whence they came, what is their pursuit, and whither
are going. The manners too of the common people, thougli
•nd marked with good nature, are sometimes less ceremooioot
in parts of England ; their children, when a stranger ia
through the villages, seldom drop a curtesy^ The want of _
before the cottages deprives them of that social aspect which i
the habitations of the industrious.' —
• Jufy 24. — Yesterday I went into some of the cottag^i'
Craigbarnet; they were built of mud, with thatched roofs ; before
door were a dirty puddle for ducks, a httered entry, and no path-i
to approach ^jf . It is with too much truth, Mrs* Hamilton descnl
the %vant of neatness in the Scotch peasantry. These 1
"wcrQ constituted of what are called a ^ui and 2. hen — a k
«lecping»ruom, which forms parlour, chamber, place for coo king,
short, for erery thing ; and another compartment, which is gene
used as a cow-house, stable, flee. The chief light admitted
from the door ; for the window was so small and choaked up,
was nut possible to tee out of it, and a wide hole in the roof fori
the chimnev, which drew down a sufficient quantity of smoke
air — the latter highly n^quisite to prevent suffocation* !
miserable dwelling was neither lathed nor plastered, and had no 01
roof than the sticks, which supported the straw, perfectly bla
from being smoke-dried. The floor was earthen, with sett
puddles in it, where the chickens and ducks were picking up wl
they could find. The beds in Scotland are a sort of wooden
fixed in a hole in the hall j this sort of bed is universal in
pottages, nay often in the better sort of farm-houses,*
* Miss Spence also made a short tour into tlic West Highland
proceeding in the first place to Dumbarton and the new witc
nig place of Helensburgh, situated towards the 1 '
Cly<le, and which joins to the advantage of r^
f- s to the » scenery of Lochlomond, SI"
f : sm;ill I 11 at are kept at Helensburgh J
*' -1 of the visitors of theHighlandsi and directed I
li the wild mountains which lea4 to the jtalit
'.ar. Truly may she observe^ (Vol. L p, 167,) 1
t ., mouutainrscr
t! I jurneyed* U
ifl'*c^ is ot these stupendous masses seem to [
^ ^^ traveller, aait to threaten to shut bin
that!
"fii
Ipence*j Bkitcha of Manners^ isfc. in Scotland. z6<j
the
the
le reit of the world. On one sidi
beautiful water of Loch Long, transparent, like Windermere,
^to the bottom 5 on the other, are deep and melancholy woodi.
From Aroquhar, Miss Spence proceeded to Lochlomoiid, and
"stopped at the small sequestered town of Luss, a spot particu-
*larly calculated for pensive contemplation^ From an adjoining
iiilli she had an extensive view of Lochlomond^ and counted
.sixteen islands on its broad expanse. In grandeur^ she admits
•that it surpasses Windermere, but in beauty, and particularly in
.chectfuiness of aspect, the English lake is greatly superior. The
ireather in which she visited each seemed to be in correspondence
•-with their respective characteristics : when on the water of
Windermere, all was still and tranquil, bur, while traversing
Lochlomond, the atmosphere was illuminated by lightning, and
distant peals of thunder roiled from mountain to mountain, —
Turning her course to the southward, she liad an opportunity
of admiring the perpendicular rock of Dumbarton, consisting
of basaltic columns ranged one above another, and rising ap-
parently out of the waters of the Clyde- In this neighbour-
hood, at the village of Renton, she was gratified with a sigKt
of the column erected to Dr. Smollett near his native place*
She pays a tribute to many characters of note as she passes the
scene of their birth : but Wallace is her favourite, and no oppor*
tunity is omitted of introducing his daring exploits, whether
performed hi a desultory warfare in Lanarkshire or in scaling
the seemingly impregnable walls of Dumbarton. Her attention
was particularly awakened by the spot, about three miles distant
from Glasgow, at which he was treacherous^ly apprehended, and
hurried off in chains to the English border.
Being a native of Scotland, and having relations in various
parts of the country, Miss Spence was induced to prolong her
at several retired places,' which escape the notice of those
Hers who dfrect their chief attention to the towns along
e high road. It is to this circumstance that we owe her aj;-
count of Dunkeld and Taymouch*
^ DunieUf /fuguH tU
^ I had long entertained a wish to visit Dunkeld, and find m my
fiative place a melancholy pleasure in viewing scenes hitherto un-
known to me. There is a romantic air attached to every Highland
ipot, different from any other, and this one is singularly beautiful/— >
* Dunkeld liea fo beautifully scattered on the banks of the rinr,
with its fine bridge, lofty mountains, luxuriant and sombre looking
woods, as to render it most attractive from its romantic situation and
picturesque scenery.
' The gloom of Dunkeld seems to be suited to the pensive character
of the Alliol Highlanders, who are a people very distinct, both hum
ihe more remote Highlanders, and from the uativei of the low
country/
f of ■H
170 MUs Spencers ihtcha &f Manmri^ tstc* m 9i^ta»i*
country/ — * Though ihf ir y^Wcyn abound ia all sylvan am) pmonl
beauty, thfir moutitamt arr barft 9nd devoid of patcunif^ 1
their count 1-)' is walled in by distinct and aJmoil 1
Hence they are fori:ed to be more stationary U.
landers, who range during the summer orer a wtde cjcltiU o! moi
taini, and removing to different habitations, at different arasoiii
the Year, are enabkd to Indulge more of the wild pccalbrities ^
tnarted the maifiicrs of their ancestors/ — * The scenery of Dun]
18 greatly embellished by the Duke of Athol*s mag^nificent gr<
which embrace a rotnanttc cwnbination of the Bubltmc and briul
InYiting walks are formed on the border* of the Tay» whiel
overshadowed by high trees ; and on the opposite side of tint r
the naked and rocky liillf, which almost touch the he* vent, givt i
grandeur to ihcis polished lawns and walks, whidi really cached ia
beauty all description. The hermitage, gr what is called OasQD^i
Hall, is buried in trees, on an elevated situationi whence U seen
river Bran impetuously precipitating Ttsclf through the dcclivitii
the rocks, and forming a natural cascade* This fall is not so
as those on the Clyde ; yet when reflected by the vtrioua mim?r|
which are placed in the hall, the effect is almost magicah ^
* The hall of Oisjan displays the Celtic bard singing some
heroic talcs to a group of females* who arc listening to hi^ f
This picture, on being drawn aaide, presents not a rustic temple, tht
residence, one would suppo&e, of the wood nymphsi who haual
tliesc shades; but an elegant saloon, more appropriate to the faihii
able females of a midnight city ball, than to such a rural place/
* It is necessary to make the Lowlands the first part of a tour '
Scotland, if they arc to be viewed to any advantage. To deie
the enthusiastic delight which fills and elevates the mind, as the mag*
nificent scenery of rocks, mountums, woods, and rivers, spread ' "
tl)c finest landscapes,^ one after anotlier, to meet the eye, is tmj
ble ; and Scotland as far exceeds Walea, as Switaerland, no
exceeds Scotland, I yesterday thought nothing could surps
romantic wildnesa and picturesque scenery of the Duke of Athol'i
l>unkeld ^ but to day, as tfie grandeur of Taymouth unfolded iti
2 waa undeceived* To behold woods of the most tuxuriaut groi
llmoit toudiing the heavens, and spriuging from huge and pel
dicular heights, with the beautiful Tay meandering at their
astonishes even the traveller who goes in quest of such scenes/ —
* jiuiust 24. — Embosomed in this wild solitude, stands the
castle of Lord Braidalbane, now almost completed. Tlie pi
grounds arc embdlifhed la the first style of^ elegant taste,
walks are formed on the bauki of the rapid Tay, which
joitly remarks, from its pellucjdness, and yet dark colour, looki
** bniwa crystal'* ' — * At a short distance frnm \m Lordship's laift
•cailcfed on the ereeDSward, are the few \ md pictit*
reM|ue diurch, which form tlie peaceful villa' ; standiog
Ofi a promontory, boldly jutiing into the lake, wah an ample bars
mud an elegant atone bndge tKrown over the Tay» wliosc jgeocle
WBiert ffitet and iidite tbemsdv ea with the lake. A smaQ itUndt
tuftc^
1H$$ spencers Zhuhts of M^njurt^ i^g, in Scstland, ayi
tufted vnih iteetf thadet the ruins of what was once a priory ; ai&d
the mountaiQ-scenrry it bere ai magnificent as it h wild and inacces*
■tble* The caitlc Lord Braidalbane is buildimj will br» when
finished, ciitremely ma^ificent. The style is of the old Gothic
architect urc» and the form rcscmblei that of Inverary.*
Miss Spence*s relations having come original ly frotn Abef-
ileen* a vidt to that city kads to an account of them, which
would have been too long for a printed worlc, had not the per-
sons described been, in some measure, public characters. The
family name was Fordyce ; and David, the professor of moral
philosophy in Marischal College, Aberdeen, and author of the
♦* Dialogues on Education," was her uncle. Another uncle^
James, was well known in London, having been many yean
jninister of MonkwelUstreet chapel, and remaikable for attracting
the attention of his hearers by impressive elocution* Of his cele-
brated " Discourses to Young Women," a brief Outline is given
ill Miss Spencers second volume. (P. 84.) It was observed of
him thai his pronunciation in the pulpit ws such as to afFord
an example of the practicability of a native of North Britain
entirely overcoming the peculiarity of original accent-
From Aberdeen, the most northern of our seats of learningi
we may soon, it appears, expect a new version of Ossian's
poems,
' jihirdeeny Septemter 4«
• In Old Aberdeen, Mr. Maclachlan, assistant schoolniaster, «
ylVufig man of great genius and learning, has translated the Iliad of
Homer itiio Gaelic heroic verse. Many parts of this translation liave
been circulated in Badenoch, through the dreary wilds of which
country he has caused the strains of the Grecian bard to resound, as
tliose of O^&ian did in days of yore, Mr, Maclachlan is now em-
ployed in making a new translation of Ossian's poems ; which, it if
to oe hoped, will furnish an additional proof of their au then licit y,
and exhibit them in a less florid dress than Macphcrson has done.
The investigations now conducting under the Highland Society of
Scotland will probably terminate in bringing to v»ew new and tlrik-
iog proofs of their authenticity* They seem to have been collected
from an old tradition, and put together by Mr. Macpherson accord-
ing to his own judgment and taste j and he has supplied from his
own snagiiiation what h« supposed necessary to connect them into a
whole/
In the course of her travels, Miss Spence twice visited
Stirling, and was delighted with the rich and extensive prospect
from iii antient castle- When so near the scene of memorable
combats, she availed herself of the opportunity of visiting
tbeixi} having twice crossed the plain of Bannockbum, and
even ventured to repair to Graham* s Mocrj near Falkirk,
#a wliich her imprudent countrymen^ flushed with the success
of
4
i
4
country
beauty,
tbefrcc
Hcncf
taint
tht
ountenng, 1
i.. ward I. A
170 Mi^SpC" ^' ^MX^^ &kmS^LtfT/.
^f^^ mote fresh in the rccoUectk*
^< ^^^ 0 aeicriheA to have taken pUce at af
jr' "^ ^^^^S^lf T ^^ mean the single combat rf
^^^^^^Li the encounter between " Clanalpiai
^^l^" in the celebrated glen of the Tl
- 4^^'r,.^^^« jIso were visited by Miss Spenee :
^^ fli^ CaUander^ jimgusi 1 Jf
■*^ ^^ StirSllff ,to Callander may s^a^Iy be consic
•■^ ^^ ^0<luid J tot t\tTY object U gay, pastoral
^fygff is not one scene to excite gloom, but CTcry thiof
S«en and delight with its smiling and p leasing^ aspect.'^-*
tiftle of Dovrne, shaded by woods amid which dtt
^rth hurriei its rapid waters in mournful music, xs m fo
^#^^^ ^ a huge square building, and siaods on a gentle elmiM
•^Jrfueuce of the Tcath and the Ardoch.' — * The ▼iUageof
m '^ pot far removed^ consists of one principal street which ditida
*^/^lt«iider* buried in hills, secretly reposes at the foot of fieiikdii
_j aqcWthstanding the melancholy green of the fir trees whidb
*JJ^ the suramtt of the crai^ of Callander to the north, fw«f
y^ its base, and overtop the village, yet it has a cheerful a*pcct/—
^ ||f re again the beautiful Teath presents itself: I never beheld 1
^^^ft rapid, lively, and fine river | it winds in a thousand picturesque
Ibntts,' —
• I am just, dear Madam, setting out to tisit the Trossacht, bill
I would advise every stranger either to engage a chaise at StirliD|
for the time they intend to be absent, or write prcrtoudy !b
Mr* McGregor, at the inn at Callander, or they may be dtisappointH
in being conveyed thither. So many persons arc now attracted to
ihn far-famed spot, in consequence of Mr. Walter Scott's beautiAil
poem of •* The Lady of the Lake," as to exceed all calculaUotr j
the number of carriages which have stopped at this pbce during tk
present season, already exceeds fi'ft hundred/ —
* Avgust 1 6, — Verbal descriptions of places, however ammatei
'and copious^ rarely or never enable the mind to form adcouate con*
ccptions of tlie originals. This remark ia particularly applicable t«
'the Trossachs ; and even Mr. Walter Scott, who, in his rich de^
•criptions, paints with poetical imagery like a Salvator Rosa, ora
Claude Lorraine, falls infinitely short in depicting the sublinaaty tf
ithiB scenery. No painter, no poet can ever bring before the eyes or
JmagiiiatioD of those who have not been themselves spectators^ wfai£
^e the diversity and grandeur of these astonishing scenes. —
^ * Proceeding from Callander, the mountains range tliemtelTe* Is
jiuch wild magnificence, and rise in such abrupt and rugged fonsit
Vith dark woods spreading over their rammita, and sweeping into til
broad glittering rivers and lakes, which rapidly succeed one anottet
It is impossible to pourtray their grandeur and beauty. The ^mH
of these mauntaijia are so variedi grote$<|ue» wild, inaccessibk^
pojndnf
Miss SpenceV Shtcia of Manturs^ ^c. in SiCtfsfi^* 273
point iTij^ their topg to tlie heavens when? not slirouded in cloutls, su
to create a re^non of th<^ir own, bi'vond wliicli there 5<:enis no
pousibility ofpasjing- Tlie disposition of the woody scpncry Is prc-
cmhuriitly beautiful ; the birch trees hang their elegant and wfuying
branchrtt in pensile lovehness over the rocks, pcepmg in rude frag-
ment* fram au-iijst the various trees, vhich soften and adorn their
native wildnegs. Such an* the Trossachs for ten miles. ' —
* Thf tirit hkc which presented itself between Callander and iht
Trt>55ach»» was the transparent ^^ratcr gf Loch Vcnachcr, the Lai: of
iht Fair Failey^ at whose verge the carnage wound between it and
10 rtarroMT a pa&s of mountainous rocks to the rights as often to
endanger being plunged into its watery bed. Towentig above tliis
beautiful lake, the high gummit of Bcnlcdi appears* — PWmg the
- "' • ^k- bridge of Turk, the ecenery becomes more sylvan, and
into woody banki on the edge of Loch jfchray$ beyond
^ iiJL ;i lij the JSM af ilevotion* On the right there ia a distant view of
the forest of GlenliJilas, filled with the deer which in ancient limei
belonged to the Kings of Scotland ; and adjiicent was a field for liU»
ind loumamcnts.' —
* Loch Catherine, when first !ieen in fidl expanse, assume* iht? form
of a bay. The rocks, ranging themselves in an amphitheatre covered
with w^aods, and island beyond island emerging from the lake, v*itJ»
mountains more wild in their appearai.ce than it ii possible to
describe.' —
* The den of the Ghosts is directly opposite to Rough hland^
and 19 an abyss of rocks and woods, most awfully grand, on the south
aide of the lakt^. In Cache it is called Coir-tian^ulrislitu Coir U
expressive of a cauldron laid on its side, being a deep valley closed at
! end- These dark hideous shelving nxks, of an immense breadth^
one above another^ afford an abode to foxes, wildcat^ aiid
* Tlie lochs Catherine and Ness are never frozen beyond a few
r.f?.,,.«^ from the margin, where the water is shallow. This fact was
counted w onderful, and attributc4 to some peculiar qnaltty of
iiic naLf-r ; but the water of Loch Catherine differs in no reBp<rct from
other fresh water ; and the water of both Likes freezes as quickly as
any other watpr when exposed in separate vessels- The pheitojnenon
of the lakes themselves never being frozen over, is easily and com-
pletely accounted for, by the discoveries of modern chemistry*
* Water, like most other bodies, is expanded by heat, and con-
densed, or contracted in volume by cold j but there is this peculiarity
in the effects of heat or cold on water, that water is gradually con-
densed bv cold, until it arrives wiihsn a few degretf ot the freezing
itnt, when it begins to be again gradually dilated ; and when it
ches the freezing point, it expands with violence. TJiis being the
e, water in very deep lakes can never be frozen in such climates as
Olirs. When the upper stratum is condensed in its progress towafdi
freezing, it becomes, of course, specitically heavier than the strata
bdow it, and sinks down towards the bottom. What was the second
stratum, now becomes the uppermost, is condensed in its tuni,
becomes specifically hearicr, and sinks down as the first sunk. AH
Rev. Jutv, 1813. T ^*
174 Miss SpeticeV Sieichs ff Afanft^i^ fe'r. in Scotland-
the ttrati in the lake mutt necessarily go through the lame |irocai»
linking and rising akeraately before congelation can take place ; but
whtre the water, as in Loch Catherine, is one hundred and thfrt]
fathomi deep, the uppermost strata receive their original temporal
long before the^- reach the bottom, rise again in their turn, and _
such climntes a* ours, the process goes on for eTcr* and prtfetjtl
actual congelation,
* The torn-nts of rain, which descended in going to the TrostacH
certainly added to the awful grardciir of the scenery ; for the cloudl
sometimes swept over the mountains, then encircled them io all ihcf
majestic wildness, and the sun beams every now and then gleainid{
on iheir sides, and playing on the surface, of the gUttcfing Uteii
with hundreds of silver streams pouring in tremendous ooise doiWi
them, only exceeded by the hear)* peals of thunder echoing from
mountain to mountain, were so BubUmely fine, as scarcely to make
travellers wish for a more tranquil day ; for the variableness of tk
wealhtr did not deter several others from visiting the Troasachs ; and
it was pleasant, in so sequestered and wild a plaee, to be bailed bf
those, who, like myself, had journeyed from their country and thar
home, to gaze upon the magical wonders of the now celebrated Loch
Catherine'
It noM^ remains for ws to pronounce an opinion on the ni<
of this tour as a composition ; and having premised that
extracts which we have given are calculated to exhtbi
favourable specimen of Miss Spence*s authorship, we mav be
allowed, without the charge of harshness, to be rather free in
our concluding animadversions. Small as these volumes are,
either the author or the printer has contrived to introduce into
them an extraordinary proportion of blunders. Even in the few
letters which occur before the fair writer leaves English grouod,
the number of trespasses is considerable. What traveller hn
heard of the Seine at Lancaster, or of the distance from Kendal
to Penrith being only a stage of ten miles ? We have hert alio
Bolton for Burton, and Dr* Paisley for Dr. Paley ; inaccunckt
the more remarkable because the present is a second edition.
From Dumfries, Miss Spence writes that the Nith derivct in
name from '* nitidusy crookfd" a signification for which it wotlM
puzzle our dcepest-read-scholars to produce an authority. In
the progress northward, we find a recurrence of similar aberrv
ratlons : * Finglen^ is WTitten for Finhaaln, and Brecl^ic
Castle is termed the property of the Hon. Mr. M., as if there
were an impropriety in openly affixing Mr, Maule's name !•
his wcU If now n residence. We scarcely expected a literan
lady to say (VoL ii. p. 56,) that < Aberdeen was the first citf
King Charles IL arrived at on hh restoration i and we cannot
lubscribe to her Accuracy in asserting (Vol. i. p. 67,) thiti
* from the temperature of the -dim ate j vegetation at Dumfrin
was two or three wrecks more forward thin in LaiicasJiirr/
j6 Ta
Cheyiie*/ Cases of ApcpUpcy and Lffhargy.
27s
Lo this list of anlxnadverstons we must add the charge of
transgressions against grammar, arising generally (as VoL u
p,2io.) from the sentences miming into length and intricacy*
If Miss Spence perseveres in her promised plan of favouring
I Its with a second tour into Caledonia, we hope to meet with no
such composition as the following, Vol, i. p. 48., < The source
of the Nith is in the parish of Cummuch, and duihargts itself^
&c*; or (p. 193.) * The churcli of St. Niuians wan employed as
a powder magazine by the Pretender in if 4$* It is an oti
\i9wn^* Sec. But we suspend our comments; — enough has
been said to satisfy our readers that, while this ** Caledonia^;!
Excursion'* may justly be termed a pleasant little sketch, i^
stands in no small need of revision and correction.
. V* Cases of ApGphscy and Lethargy : with Observations upon
\ut Comalow? Diieajies. By J. Cheyne, M.D,, Sic. &c. «vo. Zu
Boards. Underwood. 1812.
TITe are already so well acquainted witli Dr. Cheync's merits
' ^ as a candid and faithful historian of the phsenomena of
disease, that wc take up any new production of his pen with
much interest ; and the subject chosen for his present work re-
quired farther illustration, the physiology of it being obscure,
and tlie practice in it wavering and uncertain. Under the
head of Apoplexy, we are in the habit of placing a number of
diseases that differ considerably in their symptoms, and probably
m their nature and tendency; and respecting those cases which
are more decidedly apoplectic, opposite modes of treatment
have been adopted by the most eminent practitioners. On
each of tliese points, both the nosology and the cure of the
class of diseases to which Dr. Cheyne has directed his attention,
we tliink that he has afforded us some valuable additions to our
Stock of knowlege.
The work may be viewed as consisting of three parts* In
the first, tJie symptoms and history of the disease are detailed ;
llie morbid state of the brain is examined ; the propriety of the
division of apoplexy into the two species, the sanguineous and
the serous, is considered \ and the whole is illustrated by com-
paring the previous history of the symptonw with the derange-
ment of the parts actually existing aiftcr death. The second
part is devoted to the treatment of apoplexy \ the diFerent
remedies which have been proposed being successively brought
into view, and the arguments employed by their advocates or
their opponents being candidly examined. The next and
most bulky j^art is composed of tlve history of individual cases,
T a with
'^1
276 Cheyne*/ Casa of Apcptexy and Lnhargy.
with the appearances on dissection ; and to this is subjotned
ample commentary.
The description of the apoplectic attack, at its comment
ment and during its continuance, until it terminates in deal
or in a kind of partial and Imperfect recovery, is dmwnup vitE
much characteristic accuracy ; and the varieties of die diseaie,
as affecting different constitutions, are happily pourtrayed.
Wc observe, however, less of novelty in this part tnan in ' the
anatomy of apoplexy/ in which the appearances of the bnia
are minutely described in all its parts, as they succes*
sively present themselves to the dissector. The DoctOf
concludes his examination by the following ' summary of the
most important of these appearances,' in what he conceiTet 10
be the order of their importance :
• I mention first, the remains of an excited state of the minutf
arteries of tlie brain and its membranes, this probably being the matL
iniportanl, as it is the most unvarying app^^arance ; then the extra*
vasation of blood, probably the consequence of the excited state of the
vessels ; the turgescence of the venous system : the enlargemeot of
the ventricles, partial or general \ and, lastly, the serous effuiioi
which is generally found in various parts of the brain, and whki
would seem to imply previous abiorption of the brain*'
It is remarked that the liver of apoplectic* is often unscyiUKli
exhibiting that kind of disorganization which arises from exoen
in the use of spirit;*. The brain and the liver are the only pam
of the body which appear to have any necessary cotinectioo
with the apoplectic state.
In a section intitled « Observations on the diseased Appetf«
ances,' Dr. Cheyne enters into a consideration of the different
hypotheses that have been formed to account for apoplexy; or
rather to connect the diseased appearances, as exhibited 00
dissection, w^ith the preconceived physiological opinions of the
several writers* He presents us with a brief review of all
the leading doctrines, from Galen to Cullen ; and we mif
fairly characterize them all as being founded on false principleSi
and inadequate to explain the phenomena. The opinions of
Morgagni and Dr. Bail lie, on account of the respect which
attaches to their names, are combated more at length, Tl«
only conclusion xhat we can draw, — which is, howc\*er, a coo-
elusion of great importance, — is that all cases of apopleity TSt
preceded by excitement of the vessels of the brain j and pro*
bably to this excitement the leading features of the disease anf
be referred.
The remarks on the treatment of apoplexy, which forms de
subject of the next section, are confined to the three heads of
blood-letting, emetics and purge?, and external appUcaticifB>
Fof
ClicyneV Cdsts of Ap&phxy and Lrthargy. 277
fie practice of bleeding, Dr, Cheyne is a most strenuoui
cate ; and he takes great pains to consider all the objections
which have been urged against it, and to repel their force. He
observes ;
* Blood-letting ia objected to, first by those who consider apoplexy
iimply a dicease of indirect debility ; secondly, hy those who consider
paralysis the consequence^ not to much of any diseased conditioa con^
■ected with or allied to apoplexy > as of the evacuations which are used
to remove the fit ; and, thirdly, by those who consider that the attack
may be symptomatic of serous, rather than of sanguineous apoplexy/
The sum of the answer to these objections may be comprized
in a few words, that dissections exhibit in all cases a state of in-
creased activity of the vessels 5 that this increase takes place ia
the serous as well as \n the sanguineous species ; tliat the symp-
toms of disease, if not too far advanced, are frequetitly removed
by bleeding i and that, when this remedy has not been employed,
the attack commonly runs on to a fatal termination. On the
whole, we conceive that the use of evacuations in apoplexy if
sufficiently established^ although it must be evident diat, when
the injury of the brain has actually been effected, even the most
powerful remedies can be of little avail. We agree with Dr.
Cheyne in his reprobation of emetics, as a general remedy in
apoplexy. Of the effects of blisters and other external applica-
tions, he entertains no very favorable opinion ; and probably,
without evacuations, they would be of little use.
The cases, which are given m the last part of the work, are %2
in number. They contain an account of the nature of the attack,
the practice which was adopted, and the appearances after death;
which last are afterward made the subject of a commentary,
forming altogether an extremely valuable body of Information^
both theoretical and practical. One important point is incul-
cated in this commtntary, which must not be passed over without
some notice. The author dissents from the opinion proposed by
CuUen, and of late generally adopted, that all the comatose dis-
eases are referable to one class ; and that lethagy, catalepsy, &c.,
are only degrees or modifications of epilepsy. We think that
many of his remarks are founded on just observations, and we
agree with him tliat, in extreme cases, these two kinds of dis-
eases are sufficiently distinct from each otlier : yet at the same
time they are so much connected, that it would be, in many in-
stances, very difficult to draw the line of discrimination between
them ; and it not unfrequently happens that the same case may
in one stage appear to be apoplexy and in another to be lethargy.
We ai'c, however, glad that the subject is brought under dis-
cQssion from so respectable a quarter, ;isnd we hope that It will
be farther examined.
T $ Akt*
{ a?* )
Ajtt. VL Memoir/ of the fCat^i of Sfiatn of tit Houtt ^f BmtAmf
from the Accewion of Philip V* to the Death of Charf-t III,
1700 to I7?JS» Drawn from original aod unpubli^l»<?d l>ooimmii.
By William Coxc,M.A.,F.R.S., F.S- A., A^
Slid Rector of Bcmerton, 3 VoU. 410* Si
LfOngman and Co* I Si 2*
P the high w^gcs of Ubour and
have eict'edingly enhanced the
ot wai%
IP the high w^gcs ot laoour ana tne ri: . i rn s on paper
have eict'edingly enhanced the price oi I oks, l-nated di
diffusion of knowtege, and tended 10 confine it within the
circle of the j^^rcac ar.d opulent, the evil is farther aggravated
by the c jpidity of authors and booksellers ; who, tfi the jmcff
which they charge for their work a, in some inst;inced| not oah
lose sight of the natnre of their callmg but violate die rules«f
just dealing. With regret we observe that the veteran wtiIct
before us, who to the profession of an author adds the rank <rf
t church digtiitaty, h;i5 on the present occasion submitted to
this reprehensible course. A hireling trafiicker in hterat
could not have set a more extravagant price tlian that which!
dematided for these slender quartos; one of vrhich \% eked out I
an appendix, con.sisttng of public documents that are noitlier 1
fior of great value. Printed on common paper, the cost of I
work is six guineasj (the six stupendous volumes of Gibh
fetched no more!) and on imperial paper, twelve gutneaii
Surely authors forget that the consideration which they enjij
is not owing to the lucrative nature of their calHog, but to di
importance and digjtity of their functions as the depositaries'
and guardians of letters ; on whom rests the high oWigatioo 10
maintain our proudest claim to pre-eminence. How coo^^
temptible would they appear, if they were solely actuated 1
the spirit and maxims of mere traders ? If such be the or
ciples on which an author is resolved to act, let him not pro-*
fane this noble occupation, but have recourse to a pursuit motf
congenial with his feelings. Men of such a stamp will nevft
reach excellence, nor even attain mediocrity. Without a higfaefj
passion than the mere desire of gain, an or/or cannot rise to \'
height of his profession \ and a more noble feeling is indit
pensable to the aTiist who aspires to the first distinction in hil
line : but the author in whom the love of fame is not pan-
mount belies his vocation, and prostitutes the rare and choice
favours of nature with which he has been blessed.
Turning from this consideration, in which a fair and resp
able name is thus implicated, let us proceed to the Meimm|l
where we shall see it associated with qualities and serrkef
which impress the mind in a very difl'erent manner. In the worit
itself, his readers will find Mr. Coxe to be the same traveller,
biographer, and historian, who engaged a large share of dieir
fjtTOor
Coxe^s Mvmoirs cfftt Kings cfSfiam* 27j>
favaur on former occasions \ and tliey ^ill Jisceru the same unva-
Tying energy, the same unremitting diligence^ the same perspi-
cuityi and the same sound judgment, which then recommeDded
him* Indeed, one advant:ige places this performance above
those which have preceded it ; the author i^ more master of his
subject, and in con&cqucnce not only is his arrangement more
happy, but his nanative is more lucid and pointed. If Mr.
Coxe cannot lay claim to the higher excellences of historical
compowtion, he is not a person who can bestow labour on a
subject without deriving benefit from his exertions i — he is not
a student whom the greater Gonsidcration of a topic bcwiKlers,
and who, the longer he ponders over it, becomes more con-
fused. In his history of the House of Austria, he had occa-
sion to travel over the ground which the work before us again
occupies J and the effect of his second survey has been, as
we have stated above, that the former production must yield to
the present in arrangement and neatness of transition* Thefe
Memoirs, indeed, are perspicuous without being tedious, and
concise without being obscure ; the incidents related in them
iitig out of each other, as in a well framed drama. Even ihat
ler w^ho is no critic will perceive the justnee:^ of this obsetv-
^Hon in the facility with which he acconjpanies the writer, and
enters into the subject ; and he will find no want of more in-
formation tlian Mr.Coxe's pages supply, in order to obviate any
difficulties which the events in detail may seem to create.
Amid the display with which, according to his usual man-
ner, the author relates the favours done to him by the great,
his sober readers will behold with surprize* and no tniail satis-
faction, the Jong and interesting list of original materials
lyhich his industry has procured for his present work j and
which, in hands like his, cannot fail to render it, in a great
degree, an original performance, Mr. Coxe thus speaks of
them :
• With respect to man uscript^authori ties, I trust, without incur-
ring the imputation of vanity, I may boast, that for number, au-
thenticity, und interest, they yield to none evfr committed to the
inspection of any individual writer- They comprise the diplomatic
correapondencc of the British government with tbe courts of Europe
in general, during the greater part of the last century, of which I
aTailed myself in composing the Memoirs of Sir Robert and Lord
Walpole, and the History of the House of Austria ; the corres-
pondence and pap<?r!i of our ministers and agents m Spain ; and a
gient variety of plans, reports and communications, from numerous
individuals, ether directly or indirectly connected with the British
^overomeni.
* I ^h;ill proceed to specify the collections which I have principally
T 4 -The
^So
CoxeV Memoirs of the Kings ofSpnin*
* The letters from Torcy and Harco«rt, relating to the Tau
ment of Ch^irlcs tlic Second, in the Hardwiclcc Papers, to wlod)
t)btain4!^d access by the permission of my noble fnend the £«rl4
Httrdwicke, whose kindiici^a I can never tuiBcitntly acknowledge
* I am indebted to my venemble friend H* P. WyndbiWr B^
late member for the county of Wilts, for the cor i
correspondence of Mr. Bubb Doddirirton, aflcr\
combe. Envoy in Spain from 1714 lo 1716. Tim hua ian !
ainl voJuiiblc inform^ition on the character, conduct, and ■ 1
Albcroni ; and has enabled me to pkce in a new and diatinct poM oj
view the short but brilliant period of his administnilion, 1
' Letters from Sir Luke Schaub and Earl Sianl \
whom^vcre deputed to Madrid in 1717 and 1718, to j^i. ,. . , ^
pcnd a rupuire wiili Spain* — In the Hardwickc PspM^t.
* Thr dipl«»matic correspondence of Mr. William Stanhope* &ftei
wardri Earl of Harrinfjtoii, during his missionc in Spain^ from tjt
to 1727- l^his furnishes many interesting particulars rcLitive to ti
negotiation for tlie cession of Gibmltar ; the abdication of Phili
the Fifth; the short reign **nd death of his son Lonia ; tb^ -. --^
tion of the crown by Philip ; and the adminiatratiun of I
Also his correspondence during his tempornry niis^ion ii J
conclude the treaty of Seville. — Principally in the Harrinptt .,
for the commitntcution of which T again beg leave to re]
ful acknowledgments to his grandson, the Earl of Harr
* P;tpers and diKruments relative to the rise, admii \
dis^acc of Ripperda. Of these I may particularly ^pO' 3
and communicatlonB of Platania and Caraccioli, two i>; 1
in high fn^vour with Philip. Also the Papers and Rep
phonn, British agent at Vienna during the celebrated nussioo
Ripperda. — In the Walpole and Hardwicke Papers*
* Dispatches and communications from the French embasMclort
Madrid, during the intimate intercourse between the Brttiih in
French govenmients in 1727 and 1728, among which I may distifl
gniah tho^c of Cotmt Rottembourg. Abo the letters of J '^m«^ ttJ
Fifteenth ; ilic official instructioni of the French govemii
correspondence of Cardinal Fleur)% with the King and
Spain ; and various notices relative to the court and cabi]
dridi communicated by him to Horatio, afterwards Lord
then British minister at Paris. — In the Walpole Papers*'
The import^iiice of the next document induces us to i
die author^^ account of it, although it be nither diiFiifey.]
exhibits an example of diplomatic exceUence in the
of a British subject, which is not perhaps of very fr
occurrence :
* From this period commences the interesting corrcspcmdc
Mr. after ward» Sir Benjamin KccnCt who first nfle'^ ^1^"' r'f^*^tc
•ol al Madrid, and subsequently of envoy pin ry,
j*»^* .,. . , ,. ...^ £^^ j^ till his death m 1757. >>
te^ uaractcr of embassador. It frouM '-
cuki-e Oil uir ail vantage 1 have drawn from ihas OttHvaiit:; ^^a
JO
CoxeV Memoirs of the Kitigs of Spain. 28 1 [J'*
in rewd to the administrations of La Paz and Patino ; the causes wi?i.
of the war in 1742 ; and above all in narrating the life and reign if';
of Ferdinand the Sixth, which are comparatively little known even to ^ .«.
the Spaniards themselves. Lastly, this collection has furnished th? t
interesting correspondence with Mr. Pitt, on the attempt to implicate f "
Spain in the war against France, by the cession of Gibraltar. It has k i
seldom been the lot of a public minister to fill so important a post ab > *
Sir Benjamin Keene, for so lons^ a period of time, and with such
general success ; or to enjoy the honour of so intimate an intercourse
with the sovereigns at whose court he resided.
* The late Earl of Hardwicke, who i^ as an accurate judge of
diplomatic merit, once purposed to publish an analysis of so valuable \
a portion of our diplomatic treasures ; and thus spoke of Sir Benja-
inm Keene and his correspondence, in his intended Preface :
* ** Sir Benjamin Keene was remarkable for a thorough knowledge
of the secret springs of the Spanish cabinet. The portraits he has "
drawn are singularly striking and descriptive ; and the sketch he has
left of Ferdinand the Sixth and his Queen Barbara ; of the discordant
characters of Carvajal and Ensenada ; of the means which he em- i
ployed to procure the disgrace of Ensenada, and the appointment \
of Wall, is the most interesting narrative of secret history that ever
was given in the dispatches of any embassador. Ho was a perfixt
master of the forms of business in Spain, and always negotiated with
temper, firmness, and address. He never miscarried for want of
laying his stress on the proper argument, or misapplying the mode of
enforcing it.
* " His skill in the Spanish language contributed greatly to the
success of his negotiations. He knew how to accommodate him self to
the circumstances of the times, and to adapt his conduct to the temper
of the court in which he resided, and of the ministers with whom he
negotiated. Such justice is now done to the memory of Sir Benja-
min Keene, that a comparison with him carries with it the culogium »
of any foreign minister.'' ' i ■
* To the Kindness of my friend Benjamin Keene, Esq., nephew of ; .
the embassador, I owe the advantage of being able to present to the
public the information contained in this interesting correspondence. i
Indeed it was this advantage which first encouraged me to under- !
take the composition of these Memoirs.'
Mr. Coxe then goes on to observe :
* To Frederic Nassau, Esq., I am indebted for the use of the
diplomatic correspondence of the Earl of Rochford, who went to
Madrid as embassador in 1763, and continued till 1767. It contains
many notices relative to the administrations of Squillaci and Grimaldi,
to the memorable tumult at Madrid, to the insurrections in America,
to the expulsion of the Jesuits, and to the negotiations with Gri-
maldi, on the American settlements, on the Manilla ransom, and on
other matters of considerable interest.
* My grateful thanks are due to the Earl of Malmesbury, for the
kind communication of his interesting papers, when charge d'affaires
at Madrid in 1770 and 1 771, at the outset of his diplomatic career. '
These
281
CoitV Memoirs &fthi Kings of Spain*
Thete document! shew the origui and arrangement of ike datmitt
relative to Falkland's I«lajida, which was succes»fullv termiiiatiea bf
his agency, and comprise many valuable hints, on tfic cbanicter «
Charlei the Third, on that of the prime minister GrimaMi, aodcA
the itate of the Spaniih court and nation. From the same source, I
derived various communications relative to the transactions of Spiii
with RuBsia, es|>ecialiy the armed neutrality, and the offer of m^
chasing the co-operation of Catherine the Second in the Amenca
war, by the ct'ssion of Minorca-
* To the kindness of Loi'd Grantham, I owe the obi" rjiwa
fiicatiofi of the dispatches of his nobk father I-ord Gras iiim^
his embassy at Madrid from 1771 to 1779, a period fji wiach tke
■ecret history is little known. From this valuable correspondence:* I
have drawn the most important information. It throws much hgit
on the administration and retreat of D*Aranda, and on the Cdtiet
which led to the reaignatioii of Grimaldi, and the appointment of Flo*
rida Blanca* Lastly, it developcs the motives wliich induced Chartet
the Third to join France in the American war, a measure ao opposite
to the real interests of Spain, as well as to his own professions aod
those of liis minister. Tlie collateral correspondence of Lord Roch*
ford when Secretary of Stiite, as well as of his successor Lord Wey-
mouth, and of Lord isttirmont, during his embassy at Paris, w\mk
19 also prr served in the Grantham Collection, contributed gmiiy
to trace the connections and policy of the two Bourbon courts a£
that eventful period.
* I obtained various documents from the Papers of Sir Staiifcr
Porten, who was consul at Madrid during the embassy of hoti
Bristol, afterwards secretary to Lord Rochford, and Under ik
rretary of State. Among these papers I found many notices om dif
commerce and finances of Spain, aiid the interesting account wiittes
by Mr, Cumberland, of his mission to Madrid, printed in the se«>eiity*
second chapter. These papers were in the possession of bis lUf
widow,
* The Marquis of Lansdownc obligingly and liberally comnittd
to my inspection, the various communications between his noble father
then Earl of Shdbnrne, and the British agents at Paris, as well n
with M. de Vergennes, Dc Grasse, and Rayncval, on the negotiabof
for the peace of 1782.
* My warmest acknowledgments are due to Lord Auckland, wl»
after concluding the commercial treaty with France, fUIed the office
of British embassador at Madrid, with equal honour to himself sod
advantage to his country. Hid Lordship kindly favoured me with tk
use of his Manuscript Collections, as well for the composition of tin
work, as for that of my history of the House of Austria* These
papers have fiirn!3l\ed much valuable information, relative to thr
period between the peace of Paris and the death of Charles the Thinl,
to the administration and principles of Florida Blanca, and to thr
financial, commercial, militarv, and naval system of Spain.
* By the favour of Lord riolland, 1 obtained also the inspection of
BcveraJ manuscript documcnti collected during his lordship's jouni^
in Spain, ^
CoxcV Mevmrt rftht Kings if Spain.
2&i
I
I
I
The Waipole papers and other sources ate then indicated ; and
Mr*C. ends with a tribute to a more humble name, to which, we
itusp^ct, he is not less (though differently) indebted than to those
her personagL^s who have precedence in this euumerutiou :
I cannot close thi« Preface without announcing my obligation to
faithful and intelligent secretar)^, Mr. Hatcher, fiw the very great
adhranugea which I h&vp derived frtim his assistance in preparing this
work for the press; and in particular from his knowledge of the
Spaxitth aiid Portuguese languages. His modesty prevented mc from
making this aclcnowkclgmrnt id my former publications ; but i cma
CO longer with-liold t!iis tribute of esteem and gratitude for his hter*ry
iprvicc* during a period of sixteen years,*
The work commences with an historical introduction, or a
ikeii:h of the Spanish history from tlie union of Castile and
Arragon to the extinction of the Austrian line ; a part which
haui little to recommend it till we reach the unhappy reign of
Qrarles 11 L, wliich closes the Austrian dynasty. Here we con*
template ir. giowing and strong colours, the evils attendant on an
icibectlr goveniment: but in the case of Spain, during this reign,
' V ly aggrav^itcd by the prospect of a disputed
a traits of the adventurers Nitard and Valcn-
zueb ujti weii ui*mn ; and that of the monarch is a complete
picture of a mind labouring under the extreme of weakness.
Jt lias been the autJior's aim to dcvelope the policy by which
dk court of France secured the succession of Spain to a Bourbon
prince J a plan which is ablyconceived, incessantly and dextrously
pursued, and in no instance overlooked. From the stipulated
marriage of the Infanta, until the accession of Philip, it consti-
tutes as it were a principal business of the French ministry ; or
rather of Louis XIV., who> during the greater part of tliat
period, himself included tlic ministry j and nothing can be ima-
gined more consummate, or tliat displays more deep contr»»
vanee, more exquisite address, and a more happy combination of
means* In this affair, indeed, the skill of the statesman
was eminently befriended by fortune. -* The first part of the
preSifnt volume contains a complete exposure of this grand
reault ; and in no work, perliaps, does Louis XIV, appear so
much to advantage as an able monarch. The great objecti
wliich he atchicved are made to stand forwards in all their im-
portance : but the silly parade with which they were executed,
and which gave so much offence, are passed over ; and it is
here seen that, if motives of vanity had too great a sway over his
mitid, lie still was fully aware of the importance of the measures
wl ' reciated their utility.
ui this volume that bear us out
in the character which we give to this transaction, and intended
ioiig
Cox^i Mtmcrrj f^f thi Kirfgi tfSpam*
them in our pages: but we &re aware thtti
rove to those who are food of
n, they are less imerestiTtE to
r readers than many otlier parts of the
pass them over* History scarc-'v
irist^*ce of an enterprize of equal ir
.hich, fortune, and human address .11 ^'
..:lI d share. Ii would seem to have u^jli . d
sutce»!»ion of dextrous manocuvTes, which were adopted by the
French court, — the fit of jealousy on the part of Don John of
Austria} to which the French match was owing,*— all the addreu
of Harcourt, — the forbidding deportment of Count Harrach,—
the ascendancy and later bias of Portocarrero,^-the antipathy of
the Pope to the house of Austria, — and the feeble context
of Charles's mind, to insure the fortunes of the liourbon prino
After all, probably, he would not have fixed himself on the th
of Spain, had not a Princess Orsini fonned a part of his court
had not Briuin been ruled by a weak Queen, and by treachercitu
counsellors i and had not the Archduke loseph died, and LcopoM
auccecded to the imperial throne: — but for these seeming
casualties, the exertions, the exquisite management, and the »*
crifices of Louis, might have been in vain, — The elaborate cl
of the audior's note, referring to the share which Louis
took in accomplishing tlie accession of his grandson to
Spanish tiirone, might, wc tliink, have been spared. The
actions speak for themselves, and, together with die nature
man and the character of the French monarch, exclude ev
slightest degree of doubt on the subject.
A circumstance occurred on the occasion of armouni
contents of King Charles*j5 will, which is so singular and rcvoJri!
as to induce us to submit to our readers the account beregi'
«f it:
* On the third of November, 1700, died Charles the Second,
last male of the Austrian dynasty, which had governed Spain
the death of Ferdinand and Iiabella to the period at woicli 1
Memoirs commence.
* The King had scarcely expired, before the ministers and oficcct
of state assembled, according to antient custom, to examine and pub*
H«h the royal testament. As thi« was a new xra in the hiitory <rf
Spain, and as general anxiety prevailed to know the new soverein
the pabce vi^s crowded with people of all ranks, and the antsc^anioer
filled with the foreign ministers and principal courtiers, all eager to
receive the earliest intelligence. At length the folding doors ^i|r«
thrown open, the Duke of Abnintes appeared, and a general I^^^H
ensued to hear the nomination. Near the door stood the two hB^^
I of France and Austria, Blecourt and Harrach* Blecourt si
with the confidence of a man who expecud a dcclatatioo i
■eM his ovm satisfiction and pmrni'i'? tli^ future favour of Fii»
gn, was thunderstruck with ihtr malicious finf] ynlook^-'d for in*
uid it requirt^d all hiy firmness tiv tiP^main ^nd iic:ir the content*
will, which overthrew the hopes arjd ha^Hed the pi ins of fat
li master.* —
lis celebrated testament consisted of fifty -ni tie nrticks. The
nren relatrd to matters of reli^itjn imd interrtal govemmciit j
dhh to the Kuccesflbn of tlie bttie of Cbjirli!Si sliould Ive hn^c^
Tbi» served aa an its trod iictory chiiir la th*? tHtrtcfiith a«d
nth iirticksj wtucli contaJned the diipowtions for tlic Cratisler
laonarchy to a new sov^dgn.
le will tkckrfd Philip Duke of Arijo% scrond son of the Dau*
\mr of the wliolc Spanish monnrchy ; in case of his di^afh
.t bsuCf or accession to the French crown, entailed it on his
r Ae Diike of Berrj-, on the aame condition ; next on the Arch-
Charles, second son of the Emperor, with m similar provision
1 lift union with the Auitrian dominions ; and finally on the
of Savoy and his heirs. The teatametit recommended the im-
z iuccessor to espouse one of the Archduchesses- Should the
ing be ^ minor or absent, the administration was vented in si
or council of regency, consisting, as web customary t of tlie
ai preaidentt and the principal members of the church and
ttamely, the Primate Archbishop of Toledo, Cardinal Forlo*
I ; the inquisitor-general, Don Balt!mzar de Mcndosia ; the
nt« of Castile and Arragon, Don Manuel Arias, and the Dukr
italto J- and the representatives of the grandt^s and cound! of
be Counts of Benevente and Frigiliana*
■e object of the will was evidently threefold i first, to prevent
metnberment of the Spanish moijarchy j «econdIyt to obviaH
iger of uniting the two crowns of Fr4ncc ^nd Spain on the
cad ; and lastly, to preserve the natural grder of tucc<;ssioii.
lotce of a French prince was inpportcd on the principk, that
w^
%%6
CoxeV Afimolrs of thi Kings dfSpdiU
wa« of ^ sedate or so docUe a charactf ri as to justify the ranad ^
hu govrrnor the Duke of BeauviUicrni tkat his royal [ * ^-^^
fiven him a moitient of uneasiness or coiitraJtctioD* \
iipofttion^ bred up in a bigottedandmonoionoui cour.t w»ut
thing bore the stamp of submissions and bent before the ood
great monarch, Philip had learnt to regard the ptTwa ^ndirill
gratnifather with a respect almost bordw^nng on adoration* He
imbibed al«o a deep and awful sense of religloti* :7Lid to h)i
conduct and deportment displayed a moral puritv arui icriipuloiu
cor uro, which are rarely found in courts, A r' ofpenoi
was compensated by his prepotiessin^ cauni c wai itiff
in his manneri ; and his good qualities wet a by eitrrfftf
timidity, and ignorance of the world. The r :ind daogrri of
his situation were too mighty even for a prince of superior capacity
and maturer age ; and therefore, as the defects of his cliaractor w«ii
known, every precaution was necessary to watch over aftd direct fail
conducts'
Although the royal dynasty of Spain had been changed,
a new king had been seated on her throne, it was not her lot
•xperience any amelioration in the administration of her govei
ment •, nor in the frame of it had any change been ever
templated, or even desired.
The state of things under the new government caniKvtbt
more correctly depicted than it appears in this short pasiigt
of the present author :
* Philip literally obeyed the instructions which he had received
hit grandfather, Louis XIV. He placed his full coniidcnce ta
tocarrero ; he suffered him to assume the power of forming the
ministry, of gratifying his personal or pohtical antipathici, and fi.
at his pleasure all offices and appointments of state j and from
commencement of his reign Philip was the king of a party and tkl
vassal of France, to whom he principally owed his crown.'
By both Louis and Philip, it was considered that the httn
owed his crown to Portocarrero-
In the whole of this affair, making due allowance for some
acting, — which statesmen so much ailcct, but i!\l - men
are so weak au not to penetrate, — the vit:w8 of the , - atwl
magnificent Louis appear to be more enbrged, cquii^biily and
bene¢ than the representations giyen of him by the majority
of English writers would indicate or warrant. It is ftiij tf«e,
as Mr. Coxe observes, ihat iJic Fcench monarch ^ :I
there should be an ascend.: ticy m favour of r ii,,
counsels of Madrid, and tlut hi^ grand$on*s ^
not be Spanish; on which point.he was fully , .i.,w \
accomplishment of which he exerted all the efforts of his
In proof of tbis fact, :s from the present w
might be produced ^ h :
* Althougii
Wm^i
mm
J
litncils or boarSs of Castile, War, Finance, the Indies, aiul
r, and Grace, aod Justice ; and the chiefs of theie boards
I a apecies of cabinet council, called the Universai Dfsp^i&.
ody however was not assembled m the presence of the Iving ;
* real organ of the sovereign will, and consequently the pnme
r of Spain, if we may use the term, wai the principal secretary
Deipftcho, whDse office was to register die rciult of its deliber-
iiibmit it to the Kia^, and announce the royal pleaiure. The
who now Mled thi« aiice waa UbiUa, who acted so import^t
in the arrangement of tlie late will.
native Spaiiiard^ who possessed ail the adfantagei attached to
ice, under a young and inexperienced aovercign, could not fkil
Dtning the real spring of the government. To obviate the
, Poriocarrero and the president of Caistilc were admitted into
a] presence^ whea the tecretary of the Despacho made hia re-
lho soon afterwards it was proposed to extend the same pnvi-
Hartjourt, the French embassador, Louis, either confidiiag in
lebfnent of the Cardinal, or willing to shew the appearance of
ettedaeis, affected to decline the proposal ; but his prudery
ercomc by the repeated instances of PortocarrertJ, and tlw
ion, that without th>« expcdientj no human contrivance could
thffi goYernment fmm beeocning purely Spanish/
I French coutroul, and Portocirrero's gross mUtise of hii
esa auchonty^ revived aiid added atrengdi to the cippo^
rhtcli the weakness of tlie late reign had called forthy
it were embodied. The natural qasdidea of the youthful
■h now &hiwed themselves ; while the sombre state of the
and the opposition which he experienced from the
»s, increased his dislike to business, Mr. Code's picture
itmtQ of the Spanish government, at the commencement
new reign, is not less able and Instructive tliaii just andi
Its
Coxe'-r Afemati cf (hi Kings ^f Sfamm
UTTt i)m£ late monarch hem the most mortifying iiiBaItt botb 1
person and luthority*
* Similar disorder rrigncd in the finances. The fojBl re»
were half absorbed by the servant!i of govcmment, r ' '
ajjciiT* on whom its nccestiuea reduced it to depend
at tlir N*-ime time, the people, both in the capital and th^r ^
were vfx^d and loidH with ev^ery species of mormy^olv and i
The vast r»?vrnue8 of the new world were fttil^
lainistcTcd; the viceroys and j^overncMTi, after
asid oppressing the subject, were suffered to reiuiii irum
-ferflincats, and enjoy with impunity the fruit» of their pccuL
venality*
* The crown was thu§ not only robbed of its Rplendonr* bii|
diic«d to inconceivable penury. The same <'
nistng ten pistoles as ten thousand ; the salari'
liold were impaid ; the pay of the troops wa» in constant
the royal guards were often reduced to share with tncndlcajiul
charitable donations of convents and hospitals, 1 1
■ Wretched as was the internal situation of Spaini it* oafal iftdfJ
military establishments were equally deplorable*
* The two treaties contracted with Portugal and Savoji
were intended to secure the throne and maintain tranquillity, we
principal causes of her ruin, from the imprudent security wV
inspired. Hence both the frontiers of Spain and die distj
Tiflces were neglected. No care had been employed to foi
frontiers of Andalusia, Valencia, and Catalonia, justly consid
the keys of the Peninsula. As if there had been no propped
these provincet were without garrisons and ma^n^ine^f ; thf j
tions dilapidated* even the breaches which Ver
former aiege of Barcelona were not repaired, ai:
scarcely a single fort or castle was garrisoned or i
tillery. The same negligence prevailed in the port
Biscay ; the magazines were without ammunition ; the arx
work-shops empty ; the art of constructing ships was lost ;
navy consisted only of those armed reasela which were erot
the trade to South America, and a few galloons ; eix gatlittf \
from age> were anchored in the bay of Carthagena, and seven
kept in U»c ports of the Genoese territory.. The distant p
were equally defenceless. In Naples were only six comp^J
?anies, m Sicily 5C50 men j scarcely joo tn Sardinia and the ]
slcs J and in the NethrrLmds and Milan j d)e countries the b
tided againtt an attack » there were only 8»ooo troops in this ]
and <S|Ooo in the ktter.
>nly on the muitcr roll.
, and the p^tautry w
lih mu%ktlM^ The wLole ^nny omI
• The mihtia r.
perienced and ud>
to provide themselves
eecd SOyOPQ men,* —
* The soldiery, far
hf the ujttal gracetf -
fotem^Qs, but saw
iHipenaeiL Socii : ,
rrgitlar payment ol dior scanty watt
j>ajiiimony damped tLe taoguifie oop
; but it sliesrs the predominance of vanity in tJie mind of
ench monarch :
* pritle and dignity of the Spanisli natioTi were deeply wounded
itiet which imparted to die pea"S of France the same rank
at>iir» Bf were eiijoyed by the grandE^es of Castile ; and it re^
all the infttience ^nd even the threats of Philip to extort die
cetice of hi a high spirited Eiobles ia this odious meaitire..'
^athof then proceeds :
e dijsausfactioii of the nalttes was agrfftnTated by the petulance
leh ridicule, and by the eagerness of the French to domineer
ririal coiKems of eut stomal inannerii and faahioDi | by the re*
' the nif'Al kitcheni ai^d the iiitroduction of French cookery |
^oio^iil uic of the Frencli costtimcj and the abrogation of
»irti of the antient etiquette. The impression which these iip.
f ififling innovations made on a people bigotted to ibeir owa
Mitl appcT^r from an incident which occurred during the prf-^
poor tbc m^irriiige, Philip ordered the Marqms of Viila-
to whow? department the direction of auch matters belonged,
er to a French upholsters the tapestry i hangings, and other
Ul which wrri* to be nsed on thia occasion. The rigJd Spa-
4 iK>t tnWcT hn devotion to France to outweigh his national
»ei» He rcfLr«ed compliance, and, to the remonitrances of
cilft^i'r* replirdi *' We mutt live m Spain>a8 they do in Sptin j'*
bing^ but a new and poaiti^-c order from the King could induce
obey,
t cimngf of sovereigTis kd vthh it other mischJeft, which hH
hflce of the French court was in vain exerted to prevent, Oa
'Miiin of a Fretich prince, Madrid was crowdird with iwnrmt
ch^^n, of the most despicable and ab:indoned chamcttfra, whQ
per to guthcr ihe fruits of the pmmiacd land. Whole tribei
Hi awindiers, gam? stent, pickpockets^ and projectCPn, ti-ere
mi
$50 Goxe'/ Memchs tf the Kihgt ef Spatm
' All \heie ^ftus«8 c^ntnbuted to excite dieeonteitt is i'
wedded to its ftntterit establrsbmeBtB» and proud of the magizil
of ite court. But the general odmm uvas stiU further agg^
hy tl)<? appoJntmeni of a Frenchman to the manageoiesit
^ This person was the favourite child of Fortune, Oiri 5
W^^^fever niiglit be his skill in his department, afteTward gai
sucii convincing proofs of his deficiency in every qualify whifl
fits a man for a high station and a new scene.
The two grand pillars, on which the commencing monarc
reposed, were Portocarrcro and Arias, ^r. Coxe*s portraits]!
these personages will dissipate from our minds all wander at 1
scenes of which we have given sketches, and will abate the ad*
miration which we may have had the courtesy to bc&towontk^
imposing offices of ministers of state :
* Portocarrcro, proud of his important services to the house
Bourbon, grjispcd at all the power of the 3tate, and deemed no tewi
too great for his merits. Though an adroit intriguer, and vertedl
all the arts of petty cunning, he was slow in the transsiction of!
ness, and inexperienced in ^he great duties of government ;
9rsLS presumptuous and opiniative, etern and sup^ercilious, when J
no personal interest to consult ; supple and fawning when he f
feared* Jealous of his ascendancy he secluded the King in the inS
of the palace, inepired him with distrust of the nobles, whom he re*
presented as enemies of the royal authority ; and filled him wtiht
constant dread of being treated as a dignified slave, like Charles 1
Second, He at the same time employed his artifices witheoual f
cefl« among the nobles ; and widened the distance between them i
the court, by inspiring them with a similar jealousy of the perwm 1
power of the sovereign. His iiattery of the King of France
the highest degree extravagant ; and he eagerly proposed Of ^
every measure which appeared agreeable to the court of V«
however contrary to the intereats or prejudices of his country,
with the same selfish spirit which directed his actions in other tast
he no sooner perceived the revival of the national antipathy to I
Feigners, than he began to complain of being overruled by orden fm
VersailleSi and threw on the French counsels and nation the odiuB
which he had excited by his own rigor and servility*
* Don Manuel Arias, presidt-nt of the council of Castile, poMtwd
niore intelligence and capacity for business than Portocarrero, bat
was equally stern and unconcihating. He was originally • knight of
Malta ; and at the age of fifty was prompted by lucre, or arobidOBt
to assume the clerical habit. He had been recently appointed Aid**
biiihop of Seville ; but the proud fame of Ximeties had not cei*(*
to present a temptation to Spanish prelates ; and Arifi* looked Till
ward to tht- time when he hoped to unite the Re r le with I
j^rfmacy of 8p;*m and thr hi^h*office of Grand r.
J' surpassed even Fort ocajrrcro in I
i ^ J for advaocefuent. HiiUdgua|*«oalft^
v~ • pitHMJilPV
live of a Spanish monarch assumed the flond colouring of
^iidiiUtioi), " God," he said, «* had plact?d Philip at the head
iie«t not only monarchical but more despotic th-an any
i kingdom ; even the right of remonstrance not belongs
p% without his permission. The Cardinal-archbishop
idded, " had but one guardian angel to direct himt
to tvtry king two tutelary angels were asaigned* one for their
XiS conduct, and one more able for the government of their
tBy the illumination derived from this guardian spirit* he
** that any King, though of the most moderate capacity^
mote capable of governing than the ablest minister." *
carrero held the same language respecting the royal
ive. May we not ascribe to these degrading princlple«>
led by these base men and traitors to tlictr natioa> thtt
f' QMS fate of Philip*s desceiiJants, and tlie present abject
' the Spanish people !
account which Mr. Coxc gives of the young monarch at
period is deserving of attention :
■|he midst of these embarrassments the temper and comtitutToii
Bp began to change, and he suiik under the weight of ditli^
lloo great for the sircngtii tif an ordinary capacity at so early
p. He, who at h\:. ' ival In Spain had been lauded for
idustry, capacity, an uce, now fell into the extreme. o£
:ntion and mdok'nce. tic no jonger observed regular and early
, but indulged himself in midnight suppers, and on the ensuing
■^pt the members of the council in waiting w^jole hours for hit
nee, at a time when the most urgent busmess was depending,
iuntiy said of him, ** He goes to council because he must go ;
ttming out, forgets what has passed there ; he keeps letters of
whole days unopened, and never speaks of them." The
» of tile monarch produced a similar effect on his councilors ;
I grandee who had presented a memorial In Kuccession to the
i the leading ministers, and the French embassador, said, with as
lit aa justice, *' What a government is ours ! a King who
ot ; a Cardinal who listens not | a President of Castile who
and a French embassador who will not**'
this habitual indolence, no means could be found of
pt potency to rou&e him. Even the remonstrances of
ndfatlier availed only while they ^ere yet freah in )Tt9
y •
Itbough Philip had not long been seated on the throne b^
he married, yet that event may be considered as forming an
h in his reign, since it introduced on tlie scene those per-
ges who had a paramount influence over its subsequent pro-
^S. The French King had fixed on a Princess of Savoy to
pew Queen, but had at the same time diacovcred extreme
le&t this measure should disturb the ascendancy in the
U 2 Spanish
»>*
Cose*/ Mifmiri tfih Kings &f Spain,
Spanish coundis which he had taken such pains to est
»nd which he was above all things desirous of maint
Hence it was that the Princess Otbini, wh© was devoted to tl
court of France, was appointed to aitcnd the Queen on
journey; and that the latter had no sooner entered the donidJ*
of her future husband, than her Piedmonte^c attendant
dismissed without a single exception. Orders were z\%o\
that no Picdmontese should on any account appr
person ^ and that she was only to give audience to ambas
m the presence of the Princess Orsini. These precaoric
seem to have been for the most part unnecessaiy, because she <
covered no inclination, until she received grievous provocatio
to thwart her grandfatber*in-law, but shewed herself on all
etsions obsequiotis to his wishes. Her absolute ascentlati
dver her husband was soon manifest : btrt that circumsta
Caused no interruption to Loyis*s favourite object of gove
his grandson's kingdoniv The author thus briefly descriB
young Queen at the time of her arrival in Spain ;
* Maria Louisa had icarcely entered her fourteenth year,
peared atill more youthful from the smallncss of her stature j but I
spirit and understanding partook of the eirly maturity of her nit
climate, and to exqui&tte beauty of person and countenance she Ufiitfd
the moat captivating manner* and graceful deportment/
In order to guard against her decided influence over the*
and indolent young King, it became a matter of anxious deltbe
tion to determine who should be her CameTara-mayor, orstJpeiy^
intendant of her household; and the Princess Orsint, who
had attended her on her journey, was chosen: than whom, fior
all purposes, no person better adapted could be found. Mffi
Coxe thus describes that high office, and the hdy who had beefi
appointed to flii h :
* The Camerara- mayor enjoyed a constant and intimate accesi 19
the royal presence, and was to be a species of guardian to her yoiitlk
ful mistress. From these circuBi stances the Cameraras-mayora ii.
former times had not unfrequently governed both the court mi
nation.
< To £11 this delicate poit at the present periodt many nrtliil
rren contradictory requisites were to unite. It waa Qecessaryls
chu&e a lady of the highest rank and character» to give dig^oity to tiki
ofEce ; yet it was equally necessary that with a predominant inflc-
ence over the Queen, she should submit to be guided by the French
minister. She could not be a Spaniard, because Portocarrero and
Arias were jealous lest a native should labour for the ad\^ccemejit of
her own family and friends ; and bccaute the French monarch vrts M
less apprrheneire that a native would not be sufficiently ohedieat to
his controuh She could not, hovi^ever, be sent directly from tl«
Freich court j fbr besides the want of aii acquaintance with the lio-
»M
£nsor on N^mal Edu^atim.
Bracci2t)0» was desirous to appropriate the title. An '
in a atiil higher sphere than m the cpuct of Rome, lii
of advancenient could not escape her vigilant aitcntioD ; and the ex*
©ccted marriage bctweeu JPhilip and a Piedmontese priuceas, preiciited
gax opportunity of which abc adroitly availed herficlf.*
* This extraordinary female had excited attention in othir
iituations : but the reign of Philip is the scene in which ihc
gippears with all her lustre. In the assemblage of august and
elevated characters, consisting of monarchs and princes, states-
jnen and warriors, ministers and negotiators, grandees and cour-
tiers, which these volumes present to our view, — even in this
imposing group, — the Princess appears a prominent figure, and
attracts no small share of our notice by her singular adventmq^
her capacity for business, the part which she acts, the stoiiai
^'hich she weathers, and her interesting and winning qualitieSi
as well as by her ultimate reverse of fate. She is the heroine
of this portion of Spanish history; and the highly- coloured por-
trait given of her by St, Simon is by no means over-charged.
Our readers perhaps have not yet recognized in her the cele-
prated Madame des Ursins, a name which occurs so frequent^
in the French histories and memoirs of this xra. — For tt^
Hvely and humorous accounts w^hich she gives of some prepos-
lerous instances of Spanish etiquette, we must refer our readeii
to the pages of Mr* Coxe, and to the French Memaiis of
Koailles. During a short period, few females, who have not
swayed sceptres, have acted a more important political part
than this Camerara-mayor : to whose farther fortunes we muU
attend in a subsequent article.
[Tff be continued.'}
Abt. VI L Om Naiional Mdu£afwn9 by George Ensor. Ekj.
Author of National Government, IndepeEdetit Man, and Pnn-
ciples of Morality, 8vo. pp. 538. 9s. Boards* LoQgmin
9nd Co. iSii.
Tl^E are sometimes inclined to hope, as we grow older,
'^' that our disposition to extract only the good from each
of the contending parties around us, whether in art or science,
rather increases than diminishes : but, if in this fancy •• we
lay a flattering unction to our souls,'* and if we are «tiM
Hmded, on too many occasions, to the partial merits cf
tho^e whom we generally disapprove, we feel well assured
that such is not the case in the present instance* To deny
that Mr. Ensor possesses very considerable learning j — ampia
acquaintance, we mean, with the thoughts of antient autfaorSi
if not a critical knowlege of their languages ; -^ or to deny that
he often thinks powerfully and practically himself ; ^ would
Ensor on Nathnal SJmMllf ifff
W an indication of prepidicc which we should be very sorry
to exhibit : but at the same time to contend thnt Mn Ensor's
learning is in^ many parts of this volume needlessly intro-
d viced, and to mam lain that his freedom of inquiry often
degenerates into querulous scepticism, and into uuquiilified
abuse of his adversaries, — these attempts, we conceive, are
demanded from us by truth and justice. We shall calmly
and briefly report on the various contents of his present work.
May we not, ere we begin, lay it down as a rule, by which
we ought to judge of the wisdom and good intentions of re-
formers, that they should proceed as gently as the case can admit;
Aat they should make allowance for existing prejudices; and that
fliev should endeavour, at fir^t, ratKer to lup anil prune the un<
healthy branches, than to tear up the whole tree by the roots? If
tiiis rule be admitted, and we apply it to Mr* Ensor*s mode of
Teforming, we fear that he will not be acquitted of precipi**
tancy and want of jud'^^ment, even though no heavier charge
ehould be brought agai^ijit him ♦, We may mention, for in-
stance, (and it is an instance most favourable to thi? author,)
p, 76., the manner in which he speaks of the violation of the
statute of celibacy by the Fellows of Trinity College, Dublin*
The whole attack, for fifty pages, on the studies pursued at
that place, and at Oxford and Cambridge, is equally violent
and injudicious. Surely Mr* E. cajinot be well acquainted
with the literary discipline of those Universities, or he would
not represent it as nt holly unwise and mischievous- Som^
faults, nay many, are confessedly observable in our acade*
mical systems of education: but to condemn the entire in-
stitutions, indrscrimioately, is to talk at random; and if the
talker has had au opportunity of knowing belter, it is to he
worse than inconsiderate. Besides, for the sake of argument,
let us suppose that the management of these en<lowed esta-
blishments of learning // completely erroneous, — what chance is
there of practical good being done, of salutary change being
accelerated, by a condemnation, cerialniy as warm as it may be
ju«t, of ail the regulations, and of all who maintain them, or
whom they maintain ? It is woeful ignorance or perverse
defiance of the general disposition of mankind, to attempt the
correction of their folly by its grossest exposure; or to imagine
that tliey may be made good by telling them that they are good
for nothing. At all events, such wholesale censurers should
be most scrupulously accurate in detailing the grounds of their
advice; or all that is truly correot in tiiat advice will be rejected,
'' •* See also the account, in our last Number, of Mr. Ensor'i
Natknal Govcrmnentt of which the prcteiit work is a continuation.
U 4 frojn
?9<?
Susor 911 Nalicnal EducaiwfU
from the natural suspicion /that those who^ in one fns(
complain without a cause may in all attack without a reason*
We should have premised that the sections of this vol
preceding that to which we have referred, are emplo
some strictures on Spartan, Athenian, Persian, and C
education, and in 3^ general defence of national education ;
which the author means, * primipally^ the insirucUon cf yeuth
literature and science* (Page 4.) — How far this blessing ougl
^o he diffused, in its perfection, through the several ranks
society, is a reasonable and useful question \ and, thank G
this is the only statement of the question which can betolera'
m our times. The advocates for the total ignorance of
poor, the defenders of the doctrine of Arcadian simplicity,
rather of mere animal existence, as most conducive not o;
to the welfare of the governed but to the security of th
govenjors, seem daily passing away. They have given up t
dispute as to the matter of right, and make a feeble stand U
expediency; but we entertain confident hopes that it will soon
deemed as shamefui to contend for withholding a certain p
tion of natianal educattQu from any part of the community,
to revive the exploded arguments in favour of the slave-trade^
We have* certainly, lived to witness a great and glorious im»
provement iu our fellow-feeling for our fellow-creatures, on
inany important points j and events are passing under our eyes,
and especially in the council of our own nation, which refresh
us with this cheering consciousness. Agreeing then entirely
{as it is almoat unnecessary to remark) with the principle of
Mr. Ensor*s first section, we shall not stop to censure some
minor extravagancies in his defence of national education *♦
In the account of the several antient and foreign systems which
follows, we have much curious information, and worthy mat*
ter of inquiry. That the mode of introducing some of the '
references is pedantic will be obvious, we think, to every
reader J and that some of the conclusions are not warranted by 1
the premises, an examination of the context of the cited pas?
^agcs will occasionally shew : but it would be equally foolish
and fastidious to refuse the instruction which the largest por-
tion of this comprehensive though rapid sketch is calculated to
convey, because the remainder may be open to the censure
which we have implied. ^H
We now come to the section * Concerning endowed Schoo^H
pf various Descriptions in England and Ireland/ We patt
• We must, however, ask him, tn pajsanif why he stepped out of
his way to shew hla disrei^pect for the Bible, by tellitig us in a mM^
page t4*j that he takes the account of Eve's sid from MdtOD \
8 over
•Ensot^/f Natknal EduesHmm
297
^overthe author's remarks on the mismanagement of the Pro-
testant schools in tlie latter country ; thinking, even accord*
ting to his own stAtement, that much good is mixed with much
1 evil in their constitution \ and hoping thatf in the present «r3j
rhcn so much more attention is likely to be bestowed on the
iternal state of Ireland than it ever before has claimed from
th^ legislature, the best means for amending every system of
r education in that ncglceted land will at length be adopted*
'With regard to endowed English schools, after some just but
perhaps too severe strictures on parts of the management of
the Blue-coat HospitA), previously to a late inquiry, the author
procei^d^ to the public seminaries of education^ and remarks
that he shall virtually speak of them when < he discusses some
I cWef points of discipline honoured and practi«ied at the Univer-
sities/ He ushers in this discussion (to which we Imve already
Preferred) with rather an ilUomened remark : page 68. * Was
^not Wakefield at King^s College, Cambridge ?' he triumphantly
Jcs, in answer to an observation from Dr. Parr that the errors
that critic are attributable, principally, to his want of a
F public eduj.^non* Without entering into the main question
here proposed, or indeed considering any collateral branches
-oi itf we have simply to observe that tlie author's own query
concerning Wukc field's education at the Charter-house should
^ve prevc ued what he has betrayed above, namely, his igno-
nince of the fact whether Wakefield was at King's College/
No member of that society was ever educated at any place
but Eton ; and this remark leads us to another error, of no great
importance, indeed, excepting in the proof that it atfords (were
such proof wanting) that the most dogmatical assertions may
proceed from the mouth of profesied scepticism^ At page 217,
Mr. Ensor observes, with his usual sarcasm on such a subject ;
« Bovs among us are generally taught to read in the Bible ;
and the lower class in Eton is expressly called the Bible-class.'
Eton is a gr.immar-!>chool, into which boys are not admitted
who are unable to read their native language* The name of
tiie Bible-class is given to the first form of that seminary
inerety because portions of the Bible are occasionally read in
ic \ and because the Catechism, and some other elementary
compendia of religious instruction, (doubtless extracted from
the Scriptures,) are frequently taught. A great part of the
business is comprized in the Latin grammar and vocabulary,
Surely, Mr, E, should have informed himself better on such
easily ascertained matters as these, before he grounded ob-
jections on unwarranted assumpUons» and combated his own
He
M0 Zoior M National Eiucatim*
He x\Jt%i dilates on * the baci Effects of incorporatird
mit^i <^f Bmrds^ and of the Pensions and Patronage of Km
Miinsiers, anti Legislatures, to Learning, Liberty, and TruthJ
"is a mote common charge Against the governors of kiu^ck
that they neglect ilie patronage of learning: hut Mr.E. t«
directly die opposite side of the question 5 mamtaining thai,|
fond, or foolish, or drowsy nurses, they overlay and smotl
the child of their protection. We shall not pursue his wild I
ramWing remarks on this subject \ nor shall we follow his :
more daring flights of fancy against the est;«blishment of italic
education by law l cimsing rather to observe what sort of I
edi6ce of his own he erects, in the room of those many aDti|
buddings wdiich he vehemently labours to destroy. X.et us I
whether this ** John Knax of Edurathn*^ having levelled
the ground the fair monuments of time-honoured liberality
sseal for learnirig, has been prepared to build a anug li^
private school-room or two in their place; and what are
laws, by which his ** pdajn brown brick'* academies are to be
regulated. We beg hi^s pardon, however* We must do
the just ice to say that he strenuously and sensibly contends i
the cause of public education, against Locke and other
fenders of private instruction ; ami that all which he w.^ntl
to have every thing managed according to his own c
ef utility and cheapness. Let us now examine v.
(ioncepUons are.
First, tlien, in spite of his objection to Boards in general '
would have a particular Board uf hu own, for the managemc
of National Education. 6V</ €X quovis ligno mnjit Atfrcurln
and we think that Mr. Ensor's hard would be of the unf
ductive description- * it should be popularly elected ; %vA\
clTice bhould be to collect and comnimiicatc informalloa.
should advise, not command j criticise, not punish. Ic&
ihority and its proposals should depend solely on the
bility of its members; and on the acknowleged wisdom of
their proceedings.' (Page 174} This is all very plausibte» sad
inoffensive, atid unobjectionable : but of what class of persq
ia this board to consist i Not of gentUmtn^ ()^9-) for they 1
too extravagant. Not of clergymen ; for ihey are of all Impoi^t^
(&c. ^c, passim,) tJie most dangerous and detestable,
Sr^mm, then, we presume, this board should consist : go
onest, industrious, homely^ ** plain, brown," yeomen :
i/orfhrif the nobility are to be excluded ; and the lad" "
we ahiH see presently) are the most frivolous and fanta
idl tlie friends of education^ The poor, we pt€suinc, are noti
educate themselves -, and it is really a pity thai tllii plail*.
tpiploying die ycoitiaiiry, as a National Boaid of " '
5
Ensor an National Educatkn*
299
did not occur to the committee of yeomen lately engaged in
an unsuccessful contest wiib the noble and gentle governors of
Harrow schooL As ** emnf majits" 5cc- might have beea
suggested to them by some of their legal friends, it would in*
stantJy have occurred that, Mr, Easor's larger plan being
sidoptedj their own minor object, as a pan of that plan, would
have been immediately and perfectly obtaiticd.
The Board being formed, and schools also sufltctentlj
large» and at convenient distances, vo/uniarUy established
tlurougbout the country *, the ingenious projector now lays
down, in defall, his plan of education. It is very ample,
and we must therefore be contented with a mere abstract of
this portion of the work \ excepting where the interest of the
subject, or the manner of treating it, demands a quotation. —
Our readers will smile at the sdcmnity of some of the following
truisms, and stare at the audacity of some of the assumptions •
Boys and girls should learn though not Udge together, when
children f and afterward be classed according to sexes. (178*)
SchooU, as above intimated, should be large; and education
useful and cheap. (192.) Every cfje that pleases should be pttm
mUt€d to teoch^ but should first of^ei* a proof of his abilities^
^Wigly, or in competition, if another candidate oilers for the
post, (200.) \ and the masters should be supported hy the stMarip
(205*) dut iii, the poor are to pay for what they learn, for it
amounts to this. We must here msert an unbroken passage
from the volume of Mr. Ensor :
* Though,' he says, * I honour knowledge. End though I think
even the acquisition of its elements adds distioctioa to oian, I would
not encourage its advancement among the community except by
honest and independent means. None but these should promote
learning in any situation ; not in the primary schools, and still less
in the superior where the higher branches of knowledge are princi-
pally taught. To teach hy the intervention of bounties, no matter
to what schools or colleges bounties arc attached, is to force pro^i
petty out of its lawful coarse, and to force men out of their le-
gitimate calUngt No matter from wfcat specious reasons, or from
what benevolent intention, such seminaries are founded ; they are
often pernicious, and frequeutly absurd both in tlteir order and oh*
jectt. In what do they essentially differ, except in the perpetuity
and enormity of their expences, from those ostentatious schools of
idle ladies, who have fancy-work taught to so many girls clad in
fency-dresses, and lodged in houses built in the last cottage *ta8te }
Are the youths in our great schools taught aa much ? Are ilie youthi
in our colleges taught much more ? Are not the dcesses of the latter
^veo more tantastic i la what do these established seminaries, eu-
• Mr.Ensor, page 203,, advuei all • territorial possessors' tobuild
idiogUhouses on their estates, and to atiiit in supporting the ro3sters«
^f^ very unassumingly iutimates that he has done so himself.
dowc4
|eA Ensor on Katmal Eiu6
dowed with lands and rents, differ from those schools patronised 1
pious dames, who employ sermons on Sundays and raffles on wed
diiys ; OT who, like sturdy beggars, obtain alms by importimity
or who» like impostors, raise contributions on the charitable
humane by selling toys at great prices ? — In no way, I repeat«
cept in the perpetuity and enormity of their appropriations. T1
have a strong coincidence, whether they date their origin from bcj
ging ladies, or mendicant friars, or holy monks, or sainted knigt''
or jobbing ministers, or martyred kings. And what is the coo
queucc ? They have drawn thousands from their destination, an
prepared them for situations which society does not afford, Thu« i
these means, to teach God knows what, have, beside their _
expense to the people, operated as killing kindnesses to thoae wb
they seemed to distinguish. And this spirit and its evil concofl ''
have gone abroad to Uie utmost extent of the empire/
We need not offer any remarks on this extract. Those
our readers who have seen any thing of the state of count ^
villages and especially of parishes in which the great hcsvk
proprietors are resident, will be able to judge of the justic
of tne utility* and of the wisdom, of such representations.-
Waiving the case of the Universities, (which, in relation to
author's attack, we have sufficiently considered,) surely it
most injudicious, and most deficient in proper feeling, to ched
the current of female charity, and to make the protection '
the poor unfashionable* No moralist, however stern or catl
tious, would reject the assistance of pleading beauty, x>r disar
virtue of one of her chief attractions. As to the author's r*
gulaiions for his national schools, many of them are very sen-
sible, and by no means obvious : but others are as stale as thej
are true, and some as false as they are novel. Let our reade
distinguish, (P.210,) Constitution should be considered as
the age at which children are sent to school : but they are capafa
of domestic instruction before they are five years old* (Th
IS a very beneficial piece of advice to the poor ; as useful
home, as their /^^y//^ for their education abroad.) *Thc tie
and the ' poor should be educated together.' (2II*) Tl
should be no disiinction of ranks —
<f Crassisquc c^rwiniant iiquidis H Itquida crassU^*
We must here recur to the text ; which is too concise,
oracular, and too pregnant with wisdom, to be abbreviated :
* In educating children, two objects present themselves : first,
the object to be attained ; and secondly, the means of attaining it^^^
and the latter is twofold : for example, suppose the means of atfaid^H
ing knowledge be reading and writing, there is subordinate to tlici^^n
the mode of learning to read and write/
The various modes of teaching these elementary arts, adopted
by Lancaster, (* who teaches Christianity as our Saviour taught
Ensor on National EducatimB
1^1
t/ acecfdmg to Mr» Ensor,) by Bell, (* who Is 2 weak man,*
iccordlng to the same authoilty,) and by various other antient
l^nd modern instructors, are now discussed : but none are po*^
If tdvely approved. A violent tirade follows, against the clergy
]©f every denomination. The reader is alternately led to de«
fpair of heaven by Mr- Ensot*s doubts of man'3 immorulity %
I tind encouraged 10 laugh at hell by that gentleman*s aniipatliy
to the said « device,* as he quaintly terms it. (P* 242*) All this
j may be very wise : but we may be allowed modestly to remind
the author not only of the reply to Anacharsis Clootz, (re*
corded in Moore*s Travels in France,) but of this simple^rf,
I that his opponents are objects of compassion, not of insulr,
according to his own account.
The reader will now be curious to learn what are the prin-
ciples which are proper to be instilled into the youthful mind^
rUst, then, on the authority of the Chinese, the Siamese,
the Athenians, the Lacedxmonians, the Romans, Sec, Chit*
dnn ihould be taught to hyfwur their parents : and this feeling
sliould be mutu.d \ being a tie rather of love than respect %
tlie lait (p. 252,) * denoting something cold and distant.' Se^
condly, they should be taught to love one another. *< Behold
I give you a m%v commandment !" &c- Thirdly, they should
be taught what is variously called politeness, civility, courtesy,
I (p. 256,) that is, not to make bows, to be obsequious, Sec, &c.
&c. but to defer to wisdom, and to give priadtnce where
bmour is due : — not to be censorious, p. 260. (« Judge not that
yc be not judged,*' ike.) — to think decorously of themselves ;>
(261,) and to tell truth, according to the examples of Epa-
mifiondas and Philopiaemen, and the ideas of the Magi, » who
said that the body of their god Oromasdes was light, and fiis
soul Truth** (262.) Economy of time and of monty should
Palso be inculcated. The mean? for attaining these excellent
ends come next under consideration ; and the firit is Poetry,
Music, which in its first state implied poetry, is not now ne-*
ces8ary- * Evv*ry ancient philosopher was a poet down to Ma-
^uxius, who, Athenxus says, equally cultiv^ited music and
wUdom.' (265.) * Poetry should be preserved, were it only
employed as by Evenus the Parian f , to assist the memory,i
• WKtch, he lay*, (p, 261.) he could as soon believe as manV
pcffrctibdily. Does he only mean to ridicule the quackery of an
elixir viu f If ao, why not be more explicit ? Why prc&tjrve a
dtfid silence on future hopes i
\ Mr. Ensor sometimes reminds us of Burton, in his Anatomy of
Melancholy, znd sometimes of Montaigne, m \\h Essays, by the fid-
ocsB and frequency, and we must add the pedantry, of his quotations.
The origiaals, indeed, are quite above the copy.
which
joa
Ensor m Ndfhntfl EdiMfUld
Vhich we may conjerture was its primarf pnrpoJ^> %t
to the philosophizing mythology of the Greeks ; who
the Muses the daughters of Jupiier and Memory/ Tfoth| I
is very fine. -^ Plato, Aristotle, Arist'idesj theft
recommended and employed poetry as the veh'u.
A moral institute, proceeds the author, ought to be ^eleci^
the writings of our own poets. Here, we think, he sp
words of truth and soberness 5 and with the criticism
follows, (except in its indiscrtminating application to
powerful writer,) we cordially agree : nay, we most eamestlf
wish, for the sake of oar national taste, that such sentunenlf
were more generally diffused and adopted. If they be 1
poetry will soon be driven back into barbarism.
• A got^d selection would also seem to be in so ample a stc
^»y performance, unlcM we conaidt-r the calamity of Greece m J
fnilar circumstances, according to the lamentation of Isocrai
•• that while the poets Hesiod, Thcogiiis, and Phoeylidca,
liver gage advice, are known only to few, many waste tlf<
in hearing and reciting paltry talcs, and paltrier pocmu ;" aiii
we also consider the general conduct of men of our own ti\
cvrn of the present day, when the great masteri of our poel
rehearse the most elaborate themes, the noblest and moit
teijUment&, with melody itself, shall be little read, or wb<
glected, for undigested romances of ladies, knights, and
and ftecond-sighted dotards lu doggrel — poems to which C
furnished the tale, and Butler the measure. As tlie clow*n eayi
Shakespeare, ** 1*11 rhyme you thus eight years together : it h
right butter- woman's rate to market/* The rage for Bwch
ductiont resembles the iiiry that seized all t '
aee the boy actor $ and had nature still con*
lieve the world would still have continued to Ldnuic : buu uni
to cure this present fanaiJcism nature affords no remody ; fi
poems can be repeated at pleasure one after the other, racli
nearly the same tale in the same tone, and wonder phall fucc
admiration ; or, if none succeed, the same poem shall revise]
another fashion ; its costume of ancient days shall h** rxchnn "
existing foppery j and the romance, like the tapv
Bess, turned into a slrowman's coat, shall be mci — ii
pantomime, or a melodratnet or into a novel — the consnmmatidH
modem madness.
* This is monstrous depravity of taste ; to neglect or discard tl
poetry of a classical age tor minstrelsy, the vagabond extnvi
it lawless times.
'fy
• Look here upon 0
The counterfeit u-
? and on this;
^* of two brothers,
^ Sense sure you have,
Illse wctdd you not liavc motion : but sure lliat ami
Is apoplca^d, for madness would not err|
l09Or en NmiiQnaf Edu^aikm
lor leniclo ccstacy was e'er fto thr^irdt
11 It it reserved ^ome quantity of cboice.
To serve in such a ditfcrence.*
JOJ
Bcsideji these precepts of morality, tKe lives of eminent titcnn
condensetl and written in prosie, (although occasionally in vcr&e
ulso,) should be studied by the young; and to them should
^cceed the fundamental hws of the state, according to the
practice of the Spartans^ Atf^niani^ JefvSf Quahrs^ Romnns^ and
a fit lent Britons* (275, 276.) Some strictures on modern inter-
pretations of the laws of England follow j and we are not in-*
disposed to join the author tn his eulogy on certain members of
botli Houses who, on a late occasion, contested the justice of
applying a p-^ssnge in the Bill of Rights to the seizure and im*
prtsonment of the conductor of a spouting club. The aBsertiottt
(p. 279.) that the English laws make no part of University*
education, is a Httle hasty ; when it is confessed that Black*
stone and Sullivan have published their lectures on those laws,
as given at Oxford and Dublin j and when it should have been
known that lectures on the common as well as on the civiMa^
are to be obt. lined ;it Cambridge,
Clemens Ales^andrinus, Strabo, and Sir William Jones, are
bifHJw quoted to shew that the Spartan 8^ Spaniards, and Hindus,
turned their laws into verse : but these attempts are censured |
and thoufrh its due influence is allowed to poetry, and the story
is cited of the rhymer who affirmed ** that he cared not who
made all the laws of a country if he might make all the bal-
lade •,*' with tacit approbation of the opinion, yet Mr. Ensor
candidly confissfs that he does not recommend even Magna
Charta as a fit subject for versification. The passage which
follows is very sensible, in our estimation of it. Our readers
thall judge :
* Let me here observe, that in communicating knowledge masteri
ihould endeavour to teach a few things well* This, howeverj is di-
rectly contrary to the modern practice, which at tempt j* to give a
•mattering of many, or rather of all things. The bad efTect^ of this
litistaketi endeavour are not merely that it tends to educate sciolists %
but that for ever it destroys the power of fixing the attention. Con*
dilUc, and after him Dugald Stewart, aifirmed that attention was a
£icuky of the human mind. No doubt it is one of the first conse-
quence, and, like all facnlties, it may be greatly impaired or greatly
improved. Boys tlicrefore should he taught to observe every thing
that occurs ; — this U a principal part of attention — but that part
of attention to which I now refert is continued persevering attention*
• This mjy be talceo, in its hteral and simple meaning, as a very na-
t^ittl (lOdiciJ jprefercnc^* Mr* £« quotes from Flctcln r q/ Salton.
la
So4
EnooT m Naflm^ E^tcaim*
— it 111
In thii respect onlv N&«^on, it is s^dt discovered a pecnl
himself; and in thi» respect I have observed most men e.vtrciivelv
deficient. Attention is unknown to children and savages^^'
even rarely found among tlie civilized. This is in some measu]
tributable to modern education, which promotes an incoherentt
bling, unreflecting curiosity/
These remarks appear to us most important, and worth ikf^
attention of all the instructors of youth.
Having finished his observations on the reading part of educ^,
tion» Mr* £. proceeds with some strictures on writiog* He
considers the various modes of teaching the art, and seems dii^i
posed to reject any substitute for paper^ as occasioning a loss
time, and therefore counteracting the design of economy,
remarks in page 245., concerning the/rj/^jx/^j/iof a letter-
as unknown in England, are not accurate; since, amoni
various modes of living in London, this is one* The P<
inscription of "here are written all forts of letter^s" is
deed to be found in our metropolis ; at least, vjf hriUvt t
is not -, and, certainly, we have not the Neapolitan table, at
which letters are written, for those who catmot write ihem*^
selves, in the open air : but we have our scribes ; and man^
the schemes of avarice, and many are the bighs of love, whic
planned and breathed by the cockney trader or lover with
assistance of a hired pen. Credit, too, of a superior kind, is ohi
gained by foreign penmanship, and the barren tree becomes fi
f ul i Mimiurque mvosjrondes^ iff non suapomn^ As to instru*
10 arithmetic, Mr- E. remarks * that it would be a good exc'
to require boys to answer numeral questions by performing
operation in their minds : in general, this mode of calcul
is more useful than by applying to paper. It teaches readi
and promotes di^atch/ Cleanliness, involving decency and
order, is next inculcated. With respect to dre&s, it is simply
but well observed that « it is indifferent how a child is clothed^
if he be not so scantily as to be chilled, ot so excessively as to,
be oppressed/ Some plain and practical reflections succeed o&
diet, exercise, and medicine. The author now recommends tht
practice (Iat«'ly made general in some schools, but in particulir
inntanccs as old as any recorded system of education,] of the
older boys teaching the younger j and he condemns, very pro-
perly, tlie practice of Lancaster in making mischievotis bop
the monitors or superintendants of the others. 'Method and
regularity,' says Mr. E., * should bring the prder of a nuj
rous school almost to the precision of a military machi
This regularity has also, beside the presentj a prospecthre
nefit. It begins a habit which tends, exceedingly, to adva
every interest in every depaitinent of life.*— Wc ^uld I>ope*
^^
Ensor on National Edueotian,
y>%
i
that die ccnfiocmcnt of boys to their desks, and tlic not permit-
ting amy to leave school tilJ all have said their lessons, (thus
comounding slowness witli quickness of intellect,) arc in moat
schooIS) at this period, diimerical objects of Mr, E.'s s.itire :
but we cannot agree with him in all that he says as to the in-
expediency of teaching the elements of grammar, &c* at an
early age* How is this to be avoided, to a certain degree ?
We cannot be accused of advising a premature attention to
• tie crahhei and dhgusttng parts of hinguage/ * as Mr, E. ex-
ptesses himSL'lf : yet the memory must be e3forci»ed, and some
stares laid in, even before their value can be duly appreciated,
StUi le^s can we accord with Iiis objections to what he calls
* the dogmatical mode of instruction.* His own story (p. 297*)
of Baldus, the pupil of Bartolus, puzzling his tutor with ques«*
tions, should have taught him the impracticablhty of any such
permission in a public lecture j yet he contends that either the
use of lectures should be superseded by publicationj (supposing
that this could be done,) or that the scholars should be allowed to
question their instructors : in the first instance, forgetting that
ikX cannot be made to read who can be made to hear | and in
die second instance, neglecting tlie warning which his own most
generally applicable story above mentioned plainly gave him, that,
in thus pitting tutor and pupil against each other before a tn-
bitial of youth, he was wandering into Utopian regions of
wisdom and benevolence.
The maimer in which Mr, E. talks of alt corporeal punish-
ment in schools will excuse us from following him into that ar-
gument- We will only hint that, excepting perhaps in the case
of very young pupils, we readily subscribe to the propriety of
aboHshine fiagtllation i but how can we be expected to reason,
on the whole case, with a writer who is so outrageous as to
declare, (p- 301.) that, < when masters beat their scholars, it
is to wreak a despot's vengeance on the weak and often on the
innocent V Ditlerence of tempers will undoubtedly prevail
among school^masters, as well as among other classes of men :
but b this libel| this Stigma, to be made gener.U ? Mr. Ensor's
plan concludes with suggesting the expediency of every
honourable eucouragement and stimulus being applied, in order
CO excite and keep up the love of learning in the young ; with
asserting diat they should be so gently treated as almost to be
seduced into their dutyj with advising ilieir attendance at
quarter-se^iions, &c., that they may early learn the duties of
jurymen. See. j with inculcatingi in short, practical instruction
•f erery kind; and without a word, **good, bad, or indif-
• See our Ute Review of Mui£ Edintf^a, Rev. for February.
Rct. JOLY, X813* X fcfent/*
3««
EfansV Ponderer*
fcrenti" on the subject of religion. We leare Mr. E- to sti
this account with himself ^ and our readers to make their i
reflections on it.
t/kUT* VIII. TJIfi Ponderer f a Series of £«8afs, Biographiesilt
' rary, Moral, and Critical. By the Rf v, John Evaot, Master i
the Academy, Lower Park Row| BristoL
LoDgman and Co., 5cc,
12 mo.
TH E Pondfttfr is neither a ponderw/ nor a pondenTw/ Wi
8tiil it is ponderai/^ in the scales of criticism \ and, if
balance oscillates occasionally in passing from paper to papi
on the whole it will be indicative of sufficient weight- Theie-
essays were •riginaUy published singly in ihe Bristol Mercury,
and are now collected into a neat pocket-volume : they ar^
thirty-five in number, and to the more interesting of them wt
shall allot a few remarks.
No. i. includes a biographical sketch of the Spanish poet
Villegas, He was born in 1595, says Bouterweck *, but m
15961 says Mr. Evans, at Nagera in Castile. He .was sent t*
study at Salamanca, and was admired as the best poet of th*
University : but it was college-poetry that he wrote, Ubidini
imitations of Anacreon, Catullus, and Horace. Young men
high rank took an interest in his productions ; which, at twetii
three years #f a^e, he w^as encouraged to collect, and permitted
to dedicate to Philip III. Like Catullus, he has recorded ex-
perimental observations on human nature, which a man may
cam a halter by making for himself; so that it is surprixinif
that the Int|uisition Bhould have tolerated tlie publication of
these poems. Of their licentious character, the author of the
Ponderer, though he hazards a criticism at p. 3,, says nothing |
io that we much suspect he had read only the life, or only a
castrated edition, of the poet of his predilection. YiDegas wu
brought up to the law, wrote on the Theodosian code, and
obtained a sort of town-clerkship in his native place, which
maintained him rather narrowly until 1669, when he died.
Some classical dissertations, and a translation of Boethius^ attest
his habits of composition and labour.
No, iv. treats of the influence of poverty m pit>disdiig
capital crimes- We think that the author overlooks th^ vast
influence of organic tendencies \ some persons exhibiting in
their Tcry infancy an obvious predisposition to anger, to cruelt|^
or even to lewdness, which last might be suspected to be an ia*
•tinct of later growth and origin. He seems also to orerlook
I
♦ See our but Appnidw^ Art- I-
llbe
KyAi^/ P^nWe^.
307
*ed from ' ' * ^ "
, robben^
and brutality, are all habits common to entire i^unilics, to entire
geueration&« to entire nations of men, and areljut $rowly lestrned
or tinleamed by any individual. The military habits^ lately
sopertndnced on the peo|>le of this country, have augmented tlie
COttiagei die idleness, and the sensuality of the poor, and have
probably been a great cause of increased criminalify, — On the
whok, thU paper, especially the earlier half, has merit : but, as
orgsLnic tendencies, and vital habits, are*both formed indepen*
^^"^'^" of precept, reformers mu&tj alas! re^t content with an
ct and a slow control.
\V e are directed in No.viii. to the law of libel, and Its pernicious
Infiucnce over the freedom of the press. In our judgmeTit, the
juries are more to blame than the Jaws. Since Mr. Fox's de-
claratory bill, no doubt can remain respecting the right of juries
to determine whether, under all the circumstances of the case,
a ^ise nation would chuse to consider the offensive words as
CTimtnal. They are free' to give, as the verdict of the countnr,
their own opinion \ and if ever it becomes really expedient to
correct the abuses of power by the interposition of the popular
Voice, juries will be found to acquit those whom now they
check In the career of premature jcalousici and antipathi'?s.
No, xvi. contains a description of Brockley-coombe in Sonticr-
Ljyn^hirc, part of which w^e will extract :
. ^ i *'
^xcuraioD to this little scene of rural attraction, my friend
,1 ■ ' *, who, to an enthusiastic fondjiess for whate^Tr is great
LjutHui in nature, adds the enviable talent of transfcmni^ the
;es of I bat grcatnrss and beauty to canvas, was so obliging as to
icoiiipany mt\ The morning vva* foefgy, but brightened as it ad-
Tan ced. Thr road to the village of flrockify, which is about nine
TcH ■ ' ads through Long-Ashton, and access to the
C* >' obtained From the main road, through a large
: 0|>paiitc the mansion of its wealthy proprietor I do
lovv to give a better general idea of the place than by
tayuig, it is an immense chasm m the mountain, winding for a mile
TiTid a Ivalf, or somewhat more, and terminating on a range of fine
downs. But what constitutes the principal charm of this
tul glen, is Uie prcumalance of its bfing so abuad int!v
lied with wood. It is a kind of paradise, which the<;yl\a
d be pleaied to call their own. Trees of all shapes ^ ^
ncteri, are here scattered in the most interesting confuston. The
y»ung aspiring ash mixes its elegant fohage with that of the 6alt j
whibt the ivy, and the more gay and flowering shrubs, by wreath-
bj^ *iv-:-^ .....^,.1,. round the trunks and branches of the more naked
trc additional grace on the whole* One side of the
Cj ^^ stone*rock ; yet this rock is so pro-
SkLt' ion, as to resemble a garden faiitasti*
jeS
Evans'/ Pmitrer.
call^ ittipended in the ut* Somt of the rocks on the imiiinii af i^
cUffi were finely illumtnated, reiembling, in detached poniont,
fortifications of a dty in the distance. The rays of the sun broke in
through several optningi amongst the trees, and cast upon the Tirir-
gated foliage, on the ground, on the broken masses of stone, and oa
whatever object they chanced to fall^ a beautifully transparesit goUen
tight » which the painter knows how to appreciate in naturet oerllipSi
better than other men, and to appropriate to the purposes olart-*
No.xvii* examines the merits of three female writers on edu-
cation. Miss More is represented 35 excessive^ and Miss Edge*
worth as defectivet in religious zeal; and Miss Hamilton it
applauded for that semi-cteduHty, or semi-liberality, whick
coincides with the personal persuasions of tlie present aiabor.
Instead, however, of adopting this method of valuing books bj
the writer's creed, it might have been better for Mr. Eirans Ift
consider that a higher force of intellect has been displaycdj^
Mies Edgeworth than by Jliss More, and by Miss More than]
Miss Hamilton ; and that hence should have been conatitu
the principal staiidard of appreciation.
No* XX. includes an interesting Memoir of W.I« Roberts of
Bristol, of whose poems and letters we gave an ample
in our Number for January t8i2, p.6o,, and who unfortu
died of pulmonary consumption at the age of twenty*one*
In No. xxiv. wc have a history, tinder feigned nsunesy wUdb
is valuable from its entire fidelity. The narrative is also rommtiCi
and will interest :
• To a mind richly furnished with the discoveries of sciea€% SbJ
highly polished by literature, my friend Donvilie has added j
for conversation^ as varied as inexhaustible. Donville» mor
any nian I have ever known, possesses the happy art of ^ ^
instruction without the kast appearance of formality, of pTtBg j
Spicuity to the most difficult subjects, and interest to the mOiC l
liar I and as he is in an eminent degree in origiaal, as well as a 1
found tliinker, he seldom fails to give some degree of novelty^, fvtiil
topics which arc the subjects of every day^s discustionf sjmI m' '
bom familiarity, have lost their claim to attention* Wttii
qualities to please and to instruct, DonviUe seems to pottets \
love for converEation ; but 1 have frequently heard hun deelatVi
this faculty has been acquired, principally from a tenae of dy
because he has always considered it an ooligation upon ercry 1
being, to bring his proportion of amusem^t or iotUmetsati U»
social circle.
* OfDonvillc's ancestors lie knows nothing, and eves of his fai
but little, as he never remembers having seen hmi but onoe^tud ibeal
was scarcely more than four years of age. His mother Ji llic aatUl
daughter of a nobleman, by whom she was eirly caiuiflied to m i
ipectabie seminar^' for instruction; but beyond tbis iMftr kstV
fathcr^s eare^ aao cvnsrqaentlv never exp«nen4zed tW tfiipalh^ 1
EvansV Pondinr*
309
^ectioti. Thus tturrotinded by tuangers, to whom her
f% and fiorrowi were equally uninterettiog, the wai compelled
tliinki and act for herself — to derive her pleasures from her
sources, and to rely entirely upon the exertion of her own
_ tn all cases of emergency. From an education in these
Bar circumstances, she acquired at a very early period a degree
JKIslon of character, and force of intellect, which in circiun-
K apparently more propitiouS| are seldom acquired even during
Hftria Donville, however, (for that is the name of my worthy
W% mother) exquisitely fekthe vacuity of heart, which is always
bitter portion of those who are attached to life by no domcsUc
»dal ties. Often hat she thrilled my soul with exquisite, but in-
ribable sensations, when in the glowing language of feeling she
Eted the wretchedness of existencei with a consciousness that
ures aiid pains excite no iuterest, beyond the ordin:iry round
aning compliment or a^eciation ; and that if to-roorruw should
it to oblivion, no congenial or feeling mind would drop a
genuine s)'tnpathy upon its grave. With these feelings, it can
io surprise that sne hstened to the dictates of passion, rathrr
idence, and bestowed her hand with such apparent precipita*
t she pronounced the irrevocable vow of matrimony at fifteen £
'ore she was sixteen, became the mother of my friend George;
I says the, «« for the first time, I felt that life has endearmeutSp
^oc only render it tolerable, but attach us to existence ; and
the love of life, Uke every other affection, generated by the
jon of pleasure in possession, or in promise."
le tittle I have ever heard of my friend's father is, that at the
of his marriage, he was scarcely more than twenty-one, and
91 a student in the Temple — that his fortune, even with mo-
wan ts, and regulated wishes, was no more than a cumpetencyt
, notwithstanding hit expectations had been considerable^ his
t having been deemed imprudent by tlie wealthy children of
f calculation, they were never realized. His mind was
with every elegant, as well as useful, accomplishment; hti
ie seat of benevolence ; and his conduct, as a husband and a
unifonnly regulated by affectionate sympathy. Hit healthy
r, wat delicate in the extreme, and immoderate application to
studies, without which it is impossible for a barrister to
distinction, deprived hit family and the world, at the age of
* » of those ulentt, which would iafalUbly have raised him
emioencei which his virtue^ peculiarty qua]ifit.*d him ta
ides my friend George, a daughter was also the offspring of
erfiage. With these two children, and with an iocomet at best,
mited, Mrs. DouvtUe had to contend with the cares and anxieties
kiirorld, a widow at the age of tweaty. Her first care was to
la her income with the nice&t precision, and then to assume a
dependence, by making it more than su£Ecient for her wauls,
po maxim it so indisputably certain, as that independence does
|0ie from enttot of income, but from proportion of expenditure s
■ X 3 &nd
|10
Evan&V Pon^inn
and that Uxe mao wlio calls himself the master of thouMtids, it bd
pogr dependeiil, if ihe&er proportions are vioLited.
* In the contemplation at Mrs . DonviUc, iIac bitlercat ingi«die
in tht* cup of poverty wa» ignorance ; and to sate her cliildrcn frc
thi« real evil, conitituted her greatest ftolUcitude. To accommoda
herself to the narrow' neas of her circumstances^ &Ue deter rained ,
undt rtake their entire education, and had already resolved that, |
far as the mind was concerned^ no diftiuction should exist ia the ]
quisitions cither of her son or daughter* Having thus detcrmiii
it b*v*caint» immediately necessary to acquire the requisite knowled
of the classics, mathematical science, and the setirral branches o^
liberal education. These she studied with all that enthusiasm, wh
is an indubitable characteristic of genius ; with unabating ardour, s
indefatigable industry. Her own progress, and that of her pupil
excrt'ded even her ir.ost sanguine expectations ; and as she had heni
so recently experienced the difficulties of acquisition, she was pe(^
liarly quahried to remove ihem ; for in this cjttraordinary couriej
education, it fn quently occurred that the preceptress acquired d
moniing's lesson by an apphcation protracted from the precedill
evening till midnight. These exertions were extraordinary ;
ampk" have been tlieir remuneration, since ihcy have been the meao$i
procuring every member of this amkble famdy, virtue, wisdom, aj
putation, and competency ; and thcbf, it must be acknowledj
constitute ingredients in die highest felicity which humanity ia cap
of enjoying.'
No. xxix. contains a bio^aphical sketch of the learned Jc
Henderson, who was born at Limerick in 1756, but settled J
Bristol, and died at Oxford in 1788. From what we \i^%
heard related in conversation, we conceive this to be but an ilj
perfect and deficient account. We quote some passages ;
* It appears that Henderson's father kept a boarding-school ]
Bristol, and that Henderfton assisted him in teaching the cla&
How long he continued thjs occupatioii is not mentioned ; but i
is certain that he was afterwards a member of Pembrokc-collcgl
Oxford, where he took the degree of bachelor of arts, and tn which J
it probable he long discharged the important duties of a tutor.^ —
* The favourite studies of Henderson were mathematics, ast rone
theology, chemistry, and metapliysics ; but it does not appear 1
he studied this last science in the luminoua writings of Locke,
hii illustrious disciple Hartley, but amidst the reveries of the scho
t&en, and the subtilities of Thomas A'Quinas, That these labono
trifles should have been confounded with the science of mind, durtQ
tlic ages of darkness I is by no means extraordinary ; but we su
have a right to expect, that these should no longer receive the dc
minaiion of metaphysics, from any who make the least pretensions [
accuracy of disc rim mation*
' But among the favourite studies of Henderson, his attach
to the occuk sciences of Magic and Astrology, must not be omitte
nor his fondness for Physiognomy, the deductions of which he c<
tended were indubitably acientiiicj and to which he adhered with J
EvQXiftV P^nchnr.
J»
lilip^MrtiflliCJty ^ Latter. If the love of dngulanty prompted him
to tte pursmt of th<?!ie chimcraa, it exhibits a lamentable iuitance of
1^ weakncii of a great mind ; but if the motive were to exhaust cvciy
"^ject, which hai obtained the appellation of science* it ejititlcfi hita
idmiraijon-
* His knowledge of languajjes extended to the Persian, Anbid,
Hebrew, Greek, Latin, and Srixon, together wtth the French,
Spanish, Italiaii, and German. Of the majority of these languages,
he is described as not only being acquainted with the grammatical
oon»iTuction, in such a desfree m to read them with facility, but alio
Id have known them with an intimacy, that qualified him to conYertr
>a them with fluency.*
Whether his profesied belief in the occult sciences, in Plato
msm, ajul in vajio4i«^4>^tt« of magic, was the weakness of incipient
in^anhy, or the bigotry of exclusive study, or the exoteric affec-
jf" a mind prone to paradox, is here left undecided* His
^^..,; w.iation was so splendid as to have merited the record of a
Bos well i and Ht'ttdtrsomana^ of some value, might yet be col-
lected among his old companions. Perhaps he wore a coarse
cloak of superstition, in order to conceal a philosophy which
was too bold for the tolerance of his associates.
In No. acxxii. is given a Memoir of Dn Caleb E^ans, (a re-
lativej we believe, if not the father, of the present author,)
^nown by some tracts in controtersy with Dr. Priestley, con-
cerning the Atonement.
No* xxxlii. agreeably defends the doctrine of the ptrfidu
kility of the human race : but this term is too strong, since it
allows hope to sow beyond the ken of reason. The perpetually
progres.sive character of the social man is here said to have been
first advanced by Priestley, embraced by Franklin and Price, and
exaggerated to incredibility by Condorcet and Godwin. Indi-
vidual reformation is admitted to be the most promising basis
of general amendment.
Tliese essays, without any distinguishing quality of matter or
Style, are collectively agreeable, since they are well composed,
and arranged with an attention to variety. After having
adorned a provincial newspaper, they may justly contend for a
more ejttensive circulation ; and the volume is adapted to fomi
one of those light parlour-table companions which are taken up
daring the shorter intervals of application j which it is w^elcome
to open, and not painful to close -, which have a convenient
disunion of topic, and a meritorious morality of sentiment. To
the young author, we might apjly the lines of Pope ;
" DIstniRtfiil sense with modtffti caution epeakfl ;
It ititl loului liome, and sliuTt excunions maket/^
3«»
Lcttfti m ihe Ki^ar liUnii.
In one of the papers^ (No. ixxii*) Mr. Eirsins annouficcs 3i \m
next literary task, " Memoirs of eminent Persons connected [
Blnli or Residence with Bristol.'* This enterprize appears to j
well adapted to the character of his skill, and to be of
example to the country. Each of our great provincial toi
shouiii undertake a local Bkgraphicen ; since many lives oo^
which deserve preservation, though not adapted for a natioi
dictronary by the local character of their utility, or ibe
condary importance of their efforts ; and which, in such i
cial libti, would find their proper place, and thence lend ai
▼enient illustration to the researches of the antiquary or At
genealogist.
AftT. IX. Lctieri urn thi Nicohar Islands^ their Natural
tiona, and the Manners, Customs, and Superstitions of the NatiT
witli an Account of an Attempt made hy the Church of the Uma
Brethren > to convert them to Christianity. Addressed by l'
Rev. John Gottfried HaenicI (the only surviving Missionary }
the Rev. C. I, Latrobe. Svo. 3s* Hatchard, 5cc*
As far as the mission is concerned, this account is alSicting j
the extreme. During the short period of its existence, elet
worthy missionaries fella sacrifice to the unhealthinesit of the dw
mate, on the spot ; and, shortly after the return of the othen I
Tranquebar, when the object of conversion was abandoned |
these islands, thirteen more perished « and the only &urvr *
missionary, the author of these letters, scill feels the efi«€ts (
the Nicobir ague, wliich he will probably carry to his grate,
TTic Nicobar islands, which are situated at the entrance of "
Bay of Bengal in 8*^ N. lat*, and 94' 20' E. long, north rf Sii
tra, were first visited by the mission in 1758, and finally relil
quished in 17H9, the endeavours of the brethren having * f^
hiiUd* When the particulars here stated are considered,
amiable perseverance of the missionaries will be more a mat
of surprize than their want of success : since the inhabitants of
these islands have not yet readied that state of civilization whi<
must precede the successful preaching of the Gospel \ and 1 '
facts here recorded shcw^ the good sense of the Quaker»^|^
in their plans for the conversion of savages, aim ifi
place at leading them to adopt the pursuits and habit* of
lizcd man. To proclaim tlie truth* of Christianitv to su***
humanized beings as the inhabitants of the Nicooar is
indeed *< tQ thm» penrU htfon s^nnt** Mr. Haensefs
of their character wil! conlirm thb opinion. He not me
represents them as * addicted to the vilest lusts vritliout anjr
sense of shame,' but as so destitute of every religious stnti-
If Bifrjt
LdUfS m thi Nictbar Ltandi*
313
iftent Ihtt * thej hvrt not eifen a word m their language to ex*
prett their idea of God/ It is added » moreover^ that these
islanders do not deiire to know any thing about their Creator.
* When we told them,' (continuei tliis missionary,) < that we were
come hither fgr-oo Other purpose but to make them acquainted with
their Creator. abd'RjEdeemer, and to bring them the glad tidiagi of
falration ; and begged them only to take it to hearty aad reflect on
what we thnu made jcnown to them in the name of God, they laughed
ct tM. They ohier?ed| that they could not believe that the sufferingt
of ooe man could atone for thfr tin« of another ; and therefore^ if they
wtftt wkked, what we told ihem of a crucified Sariour would not help
them : but they uBiited that they were good by nature, and never did
any thing wrong, as we well knew/ (P. 50.)
Speaking of those who found their graves in these isbndst the
aarriving mlisIoDary represents them as sowing seed in a barren
soil \ and his own attempts to preach the Gospel in the three
year^ of hia stay are described as < fruitless \* yet at p, 69. he
Tettttires to think that the Inhabitants of the Nicobar islands are
< not the most hopeless subjects.* In stating the obstacles to
the success of the mission, he enumerates the difficulty of learn-
ing the Nicobar language, the unhealthiness of the climate^ and
the mode of life of the missionaries \ who were forced, in
clearing and planting ground, to submit to great exertions:
but the chief obstacle was the difficulty of making themselves
understood ; for • I must add,* says Mr, H*, ' that not one of
as ever learnt the Nicobar language so perfectly as to be able
dearly lo explain the will of God concerning our salvation to
the natives.' It appears, however, by a former extract, that they
$0 far succeeded as to give the natives some idea oi aimeminit
hvktf if they learnt the language spoken in these islands so im-
perfectly as we are here told, Mr, H. may be mistaken in that
resentation. Be thiJ, however, as it may, we cannot help
iienting that so many amiable men should have sacrificed
their lives to 10 little purpose ; and we trust that no indiscreet
iteal will send others on the same errand to this unhealthy re-
j^ion, till a fairer prospect opens than was presented to the
Danish missionaries.
When the impressbn made by the melancholy details of the
mission subsides, tlie reader will obtain much pleasure from
Mr. H/s instructive accounts of the scenery, productions, &c.
of these islands. The appearance of the country it thus
described :
* The moat of these islands are hilly, and some of the mountaint
of conttderible height : but Tricut, Tafonin, and Kar Nicobar, are
lilf lad covered with foretts of cocoa trees* The other islands have
Ibfwiif a largt pfoportioa of cocoa and areca palms, nod aa ioimeost
quantity
y^
LetUrj m thi Nfcdatr JjlmdK
qiM^lity of timber trt^ of vanous kinil^^ some of them of «Qe
siaCi • A^ tbr valliea and sides of tb<r hilb, to a conftiderAhle *
are thickly covered with thcfn> insomuch, that the h^rht of ihr su
not to penetrate through th % The^
m : L ly mterwotrn with imm-
M , iliitt thejr appear as it wcr
tir- dirk in the woods, ^j
btrar frutt, u ! down and rot$. Ail tli ->Btaoc€»'
tributTp to rti, hmate very unhealthy, t current 61
Mn^ \^ holly »mpfd*d ; even the nativee experience their b;
^flect!^! but, to a European constitution, they are of the m<5«
gf!^i»Xis natore/
Among the reptilei, serpents pbtam particular notice,
of them are enumentirtl by Mr. H., but one in particular si
hiiB at^ lingular species ;
•• < It i« of a green colour, has a broad head and mouth li]
ttry red ryre^ and its bite is so venomous, that I saw a
witluQ hitif ^u hour After receiving the wound. She bad
high tree in search of fruity and not observing the animal aniovr tfe
branches, was suddenly bitten in the arm. Being well aware oTUie
danger, she immediately descended* bat, on r<;achttig the gnav&dt'
reeled to an<l fro like one in a state of iatositcation. Tbe Doople
brought !ier immediately to me ; and while I wat applying UiMMi
and other means for extracting the poiton, the died undtf
hands.'
irenB
Not only has Mr. H. described those swallows' nests
arc so highly prized by Indian epicures, but he has ventun
suggest an opinion respecting the material of which tliey >re
composed ; and in this view his observations aj^ wonhy cf
being transcribed :
« Of birds, 1 shall only notice one, called by Mime the Ni<
twallow, but I will not venture to determine its generic
It is the builder of those eatable nests, which constitute
luxuHes of an Indian banquet. These birds are called HinUi
Natives and build in Assures and cavities of rocks, especially iu
as open to the south. In the latter, the finest an^i
found, and 1 have somciimci gathered fifty pounds v-
bne excursion for ih^t purpose. They are small, and i.I;ap«d
swallntT-/ (n'flts. If they are perfect, 71 of them go to a cai$j% «t
best talc for I hem is in Chios. After tbe mum
on, I was never able fully to discover x\i wb«i vi^
idt , nor do any of the opinions ct ts wifth
im': acquaint<;d« appear satjiifa<;to] ^ neither
have the authors alhidtd to ever iiccn the birds. They hav« reotxr^
sbly short legs, and jrc unable to rise, if they once faU or M'tlle^a
the grt»und. I caught many in thii state, sttd after
diiii.
itanco t
which J
^cxti^ threw tb-rm up into the air, whefi they iirunediately ftew iwsri
they cannot tbervfore, as some suppote, oIksa their flMteriiif oa tl»
or firolm rocki in ikc mi* My opiwoD ii>» dm the ecsu im
m^/mk
dfc
MoHTHLf CiT4L0€U&» Law.
the gum of a peculiar tree, called 1 V *" Uar
cedar, and growing ia great abuiulaacc in al' ds.
Its wood itTiard, black» and very heavy* Fruiu iJccciabvr to J!4ay,
it i« covered with bloBiom, and bears a fruit sonjcwhat roicinbling a
cedar or pine-apple, but more Lke a largr berry full of eyes or
jaufttulei, discharging a gum or resinous fluid* About tho^r inres,
when iti bloom or bearing fruit, I have seen innumerable !]
Oicsc Uttk birdi, flyiug ai^d fluttering like bees round a
%hrub in fuU fiovver, and am of opinion^ that they there gatiicr Uie
materials for tlicir nests* I relate the lact, having often watclKd thf m
with great attention, but will iiol venture to affirmi that I Im^vc
made a full discovery/
Other curious particulars occur in these letters, wMck afc;
written with great simpUcify, and with e?ery iippea ranee of
truth : but we jntist not farilier purloin from Mr, H.'s pages*
Before^ however, we part company, we shall beg him to accept
our thanks for the entcrtaimnent which he has afforded as i and
we can sincerely assure him that we wish, in return for his
clear account of the Nicobar islands, that we could free him
from the effects of the Nicobar feyer.
I
MONTHLY CATALOGUE,
For JUL Y, 1813.
L A W, ^
Art. 10- A Treatise on the Prlnci^let and Practice nf the AdUn of
Ejectments and the resulting Action for Mesne Profits, By John
Adams, of the Middle Temple, 8vo. pp. 378. los. 6d. Boards.
^ongman and Co. 1 8 1 2»
_!f we have not here a complete treatise, the deficiency is more
owing to the singular nature of the subject than to a want of exertion
and abilities on the part of the author. Too many remains of an
obiolele system, and too many rules which are derived from other
times, still adhere to this important head of law, to allow of its
being exhibited with neatness and compactness ; and llie common law
Btill savouri too much of its origin, to furnisli subjects for finished
disqyititions. When we overlook the uncouthncss of the topic
before us, and only seek information that is of practical use, we are
lurpri^ed to find so much within so small a compass. The author
observe* that the class of cases in this action, in which titles are
discussed* is unprecedented in magnitude. Although he declines to
enter fully into tbem, he treats these nice points by no means spar-
bgly ; and although he is studiously concise, he is never obscure.
T^t student will therefore find this work a valuable guide ; and the
young lawyer will rarely be disappointed in his search for those
poiati which occur in his practice,
ArU
3t6
MONTiaT CATALO<ltrt| Lavr.
Alt* 1 U An Hiiimed Mipwmi tf ike La^t ntsctti ^fsmuf ik
C^Mti* h^th in Engiond and Inland ; of the Amelionlloo whicb
tlicy bave undergone daring the prctcnt Reipt, «nd of tlieir «-
iiteot State* To which ii added, A short Account of the Liwt fftr
the Punifthxnent of Heresy in general ; a brief Reficw of Jhm
Merits of the Catholic Question ^ and copioui Notes, tcndi^
principally to illustrate the Views and Conduct of the Church i
England, the Fre«byterians» and SectananSt with regard to Ti"
ration I when in the Enjoyment of Power* By John Balili
Brown, Etq^* of the Inner Temple • Syo. pp, i66* and Kotcit
pp. 180* 14s. Boards. Underwood and Blacks. 1815.
We regret that we were unable to introduce this well digested and di^
pmk^nate pubUcaUoQ to the notice of our readers, while the bte mcaime
for extending religious liberty was in agitation. When the bigoU were
making every effort to perpetuate the infancy of that liberty, asd
the thraldom of the sects, numeroua advocates were not wanting who
readered abundant justice to the cause of society, and who Tiiidicsitid
the fighta of conscience ; and-among these honourable and virtiiMi
chaaipions, the writer before us claims no mean rank, noce lecm-
^f , judgment, temper, and industry, equally unite in recommeodt^g
this respectable volume. No party is kere apared, but each lect
receives tke censure which it has incurred, and praiie is bestowtd
only on the advocates of truth and liberty. In the author's masacr
of treating hit subject, justice appears clearly to be the foundation of
the meaiure ; while union, strength, and harmony are its obrioui and
iovaluable fruits*
When the matter comes again to be agitated, we shall hope that
this volume may have a wide circulation. He who will carefully pe<
ruse it will make himself master of the subject, and have no diS*
•ulty in determining how to act in thii very important concern*
Jastiee to individuals, the itrena^ of the nation, and the peace of
iociety, point the same way, Fcrsccution extinguishci the lore '
country, produces heart-burnings and diri^ions, obliges the op^
to look to foreign aid, and has frequently occaaioned the disiolutioA
•tates. Whv should we expect to be more fortunate than thoie wl
follies and delinquenciet we copy t
AeU I a. Th Dihaiei u^m ihe Biilt for iAolubmg iAi Pumiimint
9f D^i$ for itealiag to the Amount of Forty ShiUioiga ie a
JDireUisg House \ for stealing to the Amount ot Five Shilfiai|^
fdvately la a Shop ; and for iteaUng on navigable Rivera* Bf
Bafil MonUgue^ Esq. 8vo. PP* 179* 5>* Loogmaii aad
Co. iStt*
We have already paid our tribute to the efforta made by Sir
Samuel RomiUy to purify our criminal code* and fix it oa jaU lod
true principles;* Hit iaolated acts for this purpote are re
aa part of a plan for new-modeHing the whole ei^, and we
hope that the charge ii well founded, for it it so far from
III a subiect of alarm that it gives ut the most genuine pkiatire.
debaiea here detailed contain all the leading ideal rrlautc to thi ruk^
ject, though they present thcmselveg in a deiuttary and uiiC<lD«ected
flwioaar i but »c value thit tract leii for iu actual flftatttr t^ far hi
I
I
I
MoHTHLY CAT4W0OU1, Lavf.
.tfudeacy to keep alive the recollection of a lubject which wc truit will
aeiiCf be tuflcred to rest» till the criminal code it at lait placed on a
|>ar with the other branches of our legiiUuon.
Art, 13. The Offimons of different Avihort upon the Punhhmtnt of
Death. Selected by Basil Montague, Esq., of Lincoln's Inn.
Vol. 11. 8vo. pp»4or. 121* Bdip Long:man and Co. 181 J.
How highly we approve these labours of Mr* Montague, we hate
■tore than once taken occasion to state •, On the subject which is
ccmsidered in the volume before us, our initincts speak a decttivc
lacngungc ; while our reason, if we calmly and dispassionately consult
it, presents us with conclusions altogctner different. If we obey
authonty» or listen to argument, we shall find nothin? to bear Ui out
in the sentiment which is generally regarded a5 the dictate of natitrt
on this subject, but which is, in reality, the suggestion of resentment
from which men do not allow themselves sufficiently to cool.
At present, we only invite the reader to exercise his mind on this
topic; which, at all events, can do no harm. As on all other
questions of criminal jurisprudeace, so we would say on this^ that
ti^^mij is not the most effectual mod^ of deterring i but, were wt
to allow that Death is in itself a proportionate and fit punishment, it
would be incumbent on us to examine whether wc are competent to
inflict it ; whether the Almighty has not reserved to himself such
visitations ; and whether the security of society may not be ai wcU
and even better maintained without such revolting expedients. From
these investigations, it is true, we look for fruits, but we indulge
not the hope of gathering them at an early day. It is well known
that a neighbour, far behind us i^ culture, has beheld this doctrine
reduced into practice : but that neighbnurj it must be remembered^
lived under an arbitrary sovereign j while in this country we must
awa^t the progress of conviction. It is as promoting and accelerate
tng this high object, that we applaud the efforts before us : but|
while we cheerfully do this, we can bestow no commendation on
the doleful preface which introduces the present volume. When the
object is to discuss the great subject which is treated in these pages,
to us it appears ill-judged to attempt to work on our feelings, and
to unman us. When wc sit down to this important inquiry, our
faculties should be in the utmost vigour, reason should have fair
play, and be permitted fiiirly to draw its conclusions. If we are
told dismal tales, we suspect that they are designed to impose on
ua ; and we commence the discussion with minds atfected by sus«
^icion. If we take not away the life of the murderer and traitor,
wc are influenced not by pity and humanity, but bv the dry calcu-
lations and the strict inferences of reason. Irtto the consideration
mi this topic, therefore, we see no occasion to press sentiment : if
refioii will not effect what we desire, we may be assured that we
ought not to succeed.
All the selections in this volume are appropriate, while some of
them arc derived from the 5rst pens, and are consummate displayt
Ste our iccouftt of his former volumei Ice.
3'^
Monthly Catalogue, PqOtx*
of in^nutty and reuoning. The following i« a list 6^ tfae atithcft
from wV^om thty are takrt* : Roscoe, Paitoret, Monlesquicu, Rous-
seau, BtTcaria, Mably, Filangicri, Bentliam, Coke, Burjrii, Pino*
ritt$, Ralttgli* Brown, Howard, Hume, Currie, Wrattgham,
MotJir» lb* Tuacan Law, Dr. Forde, Meredith, PhiiofntrU Farvi-
Cifijlf (Parr),
From thi' monopoly of praise bestowed by tlie editor on JLord
BacoM» we might think that he had never heard of Galileo and Ga*-
#pndi ; and that lie was a stranger to the admirable preface to the
Sncychpedht which, for practical use, ha<* superseded thxt De Aug-
mintu Schfiiiarum and the Novum Or^anum* — Vol. Ill- of ihii
Opinions Uai just been adTcrtiscd.
> POETRY,
'Art, 14* Joltehy^ a Burlesque on Rokcby ; a Poem in Six Caiitoti
By an Amateur of Fasljiou. To which are added occasiorLal Notei
by our most popiUar Characters* Crown ivo. 51. Bvirdit
Tegg. 1813. _ .
All that is stupid in conceit^ vulgar m expretst^n, and dirty b
sentiment, combines to degrade this little volume. The ootorioui
truism of the poet, tliat
" Gentle dullness ever loves a joke,'*
only half accounts for the origin of such a burlesque* The jokr
inufit be perfect in obscenity, and excessive in worthlessness, that can
••tisfy the writer of • Jokeby,* We shall not disgust our readeci
with any quotations : but we assure them that almost evcty page
would j u stif y o ur reproof.
Art. 15. Jiutumnai Rtfieclhns^ a Pocmfn blank Verse, with afd
other Pieces, 8vo* is. 6d. Gale and Curtis. 1813.
This picture of the declining year is pijctically and impressively »,,,__
lineated ; but the subject has been so hackneyed, both by the poetl
and the moralist, that it is difficult to introduce any new object inlpf
the landscape, or to draw fron> it any new reflection. In tlic follow*
ing passage, which is no unfair specimt;i, the author sketches the dit*
criminating features of the four seasons :
* Swift Hy the Seasons round ! scarce liad tlie Spring
Danced on the plain, in virgin garb arrayed
Of teodcrest green, and bound witli ^ovverets pale
Her beauteous brow» or round the welkin fiung
Her first faint purple flush — like that sweet hour
When first the virgin's check the vermeil blush
Of youth assumes, and hovering graces play
Around her lovely form, — when Summt?r came*
Mature in finish' d gmce ; of darker stain
The flowers that gem*d her crown; ber ample robe
Luxuriant floated m the spicy gale.
She bade the gro^e a deeper dye assume.; —^
The full-blown rose expand ; — the juicy com
Raise bTgh its dark-grccn blade ; ^ with arid bue
Imbrown'd the mead j — and tin^«d the Hpeiuog car
Y#' With golden glow, or shade of silky browo.
The*
MOMTKLT ClT4iI.OG0£, Nevtli.
^IJ
TKen Auttimn mild, with tnatron-fitep, advanced
isiow o*er the bearded plain ; a purple bough,
With Avs'ellin^ clustcrn hung, her kft liand graced ;
Her right, the ^thtrr^ d aheaf ; low^lfooping, svuved
I^He npc and yellow cars \ September's moon
Shed iu soft radiance on her Bun-burnt cheeky
wlule at distance rose the reaper's sotigj
* flowM her auburii locki, her dark eye smiled.
'But* while I gazed, a mcbucboly charm
Ot^^ her features stole ; tht:* golden grain,
Tke nectar* d branch, she droppM ; I o ! now she rofei^
A widowM mourner, through the slubble-fieldl,
And culls a garland »ad, of ytllow i»?ave8,
And berricft red, her tljoughtful brow to bind>
Weeping her honours lost, her children slain i
And s^oon shall Winter, with unspanng handy
The last sad relics of her race destroy.
And reign, the tynot of the iranquish'd year**
In the old ttylc of moralising, the life of man is compared to thi*
L filccuie of the year ; and the motto from Isaiah^ *< we all do fade at a
ftf,*' belpn to give effect to the whole.
The subjoint-d compoBitioaf arc inferior ti\ poetical merit to the
AutttiiiD?d Reflectiont*
If OYtf t 6*
Art. 1 6* ji Stquil to Calehii or ike Stanley Letters: containing
Objiervatjons on Religma and Morals j with Anecdotes founded
on Fact. i2mo. 8§. Boardi, Jones. i8l2,
Mrrc religious courtship, and more otrfr/ tlian even the erotieo*
H mrtr -ork to which it professes to be a sequel \ Here Cupid
y wit i md arrow is made to take the field against infidelity and
tmpieiy j a<id he being known to be a very powerful young persoa,
it may be deemed by the evangelical party a great poUtical
stroke \o gain over so alUtubdumg an ally : but it does not Aeem to
^ hive occurred to the contrivers of this new scheme of making short
H wot^k with the D^ista, that Love is full of wiles, and tliat he will pro-
^^b^ly teach hia votaries, when it it necessary as a counter rtue dt
^HBfrf« to m^rrr^/i^foA ike mereitalking-hone to matrimony, A good }n«
^^Bltion pervades the mind of the author of these letters ; and hu desire
to promoic the cause of genuine piety and gospel-holiness is much ta
be ' !► d ; but we feel it to be a duty to hint to him our
opi ?iis scheme is calculated to disgust gome young people,
and to iTiike hypocntL^sof otliers. Let yoimg ladies be trained up with
a most sacTt*d reverence for religion, but let them be natural. Who
wotild ':^ Her teens, if, after having been intro-
■ i^iiced ^' ^^ne youn;sr man of fortune, she were to
IS addresses to Dr, Barlow
_r admirer f
i am pmvciked with myself for being so much pleased
lit/i ^^ ^^y der>end on my faithful adherence to your rule
lo^gife )Up my afiectious to aoy maa waating ^^ iBt gooMj ptarl
SW
MdNTHLT CATitLOCtJt, Ifofiiil.
rf ^r#fl* priced* to purchise which the wiie mercKanlmie frcut and
toW all that hi had.''*
Edward Sedley, Ending from Dr. Barlow what it the tort of
card which he has to playi iif without lo9i of time, traniformcd from
•n infidel libertine into the very lenous character which Celia withcd
to find ID a husband. He is ictit ioto the country by Dr, B, to rod
Btitler'i Analogy and I.ardner's Credibility ; and these heavy boolu»
»ot very well calculated for the perofai of a gay young maa, effxt
hii complete coQversion, though in what way we are not told : for
Sedley ofTers no remarks on the metaphysics of Butler^ oor on ^ht
critical rescarcbei of Gardner. Several infidel^haracters arc intro-
ducedf who (like Scdiey ) are all converted ; but their conversiao k
accomphehed with too much ease and rapidity to be credible. B7
courage^ and the uae of proper weapon s^ Satan may no doubt be
vanquished : but he rarely surrenders a fortress of which he has gotten
pouettion^ at the first summoas» without firing a gun. — We ha^c
classed this publication among novels : but it is entirely oi a reKgioos
cait ; and the letters are strewed with more texts of Scnpturt than »e
to be fouod in lome Tolumes of modern serm on i*
Art. 17. Tufts 9f FaihtonahU Llje^ B7 Mill £dgc#octk
Vols* IV. V* and VI* ad Edition. i2mo. iL xa* Boar^
Johnson and Co. iSlf.
These Tolumei have already obtained great popularity^ for though
Miss Edgeworth nerer allovi her readers to lose sight of the letaoo
which she gives themp she employs so much wit in its illustration that
tbey are always amuied as well as admonished* If» indeed. Miss E.
fails any where, we think that she faili chiefly in plot. Her descrtp*
tionsand characters are full of nanire, and insure sympathy : but the
itorjy on which ehe grafts these admirable delineations, is often ini<
probable* and seems to be an after-thought; so that we .are inclined
to appeal from it to Mils Edgeworth herself in her happier vein of
writing; like the condemned Macedonian who relerred his cause
« to PttilTp m^hin faiiing*^
The latter part of the tale called • The Absentees* may prove the
truth of this rem ark » since the ditcoveries and events, which con*
elude Lord Colimbre's residence in England, are such as may he
fouod more easiiy in ordinary novels than m real life ; and it does not
well accord with his character to abandon ttie propoied match with
Mill Nugent, merely because he hears that a stigma attaches on her
birth. Wheaever tne scene lies in Ireland, this tale is delight ftil i it
excites great interest for the poorer Irish i and it represents thdr
situation ai so deplorable when their landlord is an ahmtte^ that we
hope they may obtain tome relief from this eahibition of their
fufferingf.
The itory of Fiman affords an eicellent lesson to those yielding
•piriti who dare not be faithful to their «wn convictions ; and that S
Emilie de Coulanges contaifis a French female character inimitably
sketched, and has alto the merit of esposing a fault *' to which iht
good and generoui are liable/'
To correct thoie errors which are compatible with good ioteaboM
is 1 taik tngre vteful thin thit af displaying the effects or puatahnicoita
of
MoNTMLT Catalogue, Cathoric^Qftesiwn, 311
of vice ; And it affbrdi great tcope for the acumen and obscn*Jitioa
whicli eminently distinguish Miss Edgeworth'^ writings* We there-
fore he;»f with pleasure that another •* Tale of FasJaoiiable Life," on
th^ subject of Patronage^ may shortly be expected firom her pen.
CATHOLIC QUESTION.
Art. 18. Ji full Fiemf of thf Roman CathalU Question^ shewing
first, by an Inquiry into the Principles on which exchisioni in
General are justifiable ; secondly, by their application to the Cas?
before us ; and, as well from general Experience as the particular
History and Circumstances of Ireland, that the Claims of the
Roman Cathohcs rest on no Foundation of Right or Justice ; nor
would their Gratification in any Degree allay the Discontents of
Ireland. By a Country Gentleman. 8yo. 23. Stockdaki
Jun, 18 1 3,
According to this country-gentleman, too much has already been
conceded to the Cathohcs 5 and in course, rather than grant them
farther privileges, he would curtail those which the liberal spirit of
the legislature has extended to them. We cannot think, however, that
hi» pamphlet is calculated to impress cool and dispassionate reasoncra
with this sentiment. The sketch here given of the history and circum-
stances of Ireland shews, that the iuhabitants of that country have
been neglected ; and this neglect, though it may account for their
imperfect civilization and irritated feelings, cannot be stated in fair
argument to prove that a large proportion of them ought to be ex*
eluded from the blessings of the constitution. A nation is rarely ua-
gmtcful to the government which treats it with justice, and fosters it
with kindness. Yet tiais writer pretends to be full of apprehension*
from the desired adoption uf a mild and comprehensive system ; rt-
pre«cnis those disqualifying statutes of which the Calholics complaiat
as * barriers planted against civil discord j* and urges * their total ex-
clusioD from puliiical power, ivhhout intolerance and penecutkn^ a9
our truest policy/ How they can be totally excluded from political
power, or how they can be thus proscribed, without intolerance, it
may be difficult to shew. It is certain that every description of sub-
jects, so proscribed, must regard their case as insufferably hard. Let
us attend to the curious argument by which their exclusion is jus-
tified; * because no one can reasonably talk of a right to political
power,' therefore no man or body of men can justly complain of being
cut off from the very possibility of ever enjoying it : but this ^^-
taun is not within a league of the question at issue. The King has a
flight to the services of all liis people; and all his people, in a general
Yjcw of the case, are eligible by hjm to political power. One has not
any mone rt^ht llian another ; all, however, are eligible to the blcs-
laatJ-B of the constitution, provided tliat they are good subjects. The
1 here is» Ought a religious belief, which diS*i*rs from theesta-
iaith, to cause a man to be regarded as a bad subject ^ la
fof religious faith necessar)^ to perfect civil union ? The
the most enlightened statesmen at home and abroad asserts
tKat it is not ; iliat Protestants and Catholics can be safely included
in one civil though not ia one cccle?ia§iical fold ; and that the tohd
&KV. JlXV, l.Sij. Y advaiiUg'-i
322 JIoSTiitTf Catalogue, CaihoUc^Questi&n^
*dvanl«fjes of a natron will he best conftuktd by making it the intern
of all drnomination^ of Christians to support the guvcrnmcnt und
which the)* htc.
Art, 19* Roman Cufholtcs frove/f to he^ upon Pnnethh^irrtconcUiati
hostile to alt Ptfttcstant Eitahlishments, Intended to serve a»
Supplement to «' The Claim^of the Ryman Catholics consjderedr*^
&:c, Bvo, IS* Cadcll and Davie*,
Our opinion of "The Claims considered*' was given In VoJ- \%\\
N. S- p. 435* The author pursut's in the Suppletnent the same k
tjf argument which he displayed in his farmer pamphlet* and cooter^
that t[»c C.itholics must he incited on principle to attempt the sitbv
liion of all Protestant Est»ibli&hmeuis, since it is a fuadamemal
trine with them that the Church cj Rome is the only true churchy aut
ivhkh there Is no ja/vuthn* It is fair, however, to ank. him whethi
the claim of cxclnsive salvation be not set up by many trotestai
charchrs ; arid whether the arrogant pretenders tu a power over if
k.*ys of heaven are to be excluded from the privilecres of the con«1
tution ? One party tif ChrisUans wdl tell ii8 that, if we do not bclon,
to ;hom, we cannot he in the Tinmber of the elect; auoth^'r, if we 1'
not rtceivc tht^ir crtitd, '* without doubt we must periah cvetbil
ingly ;" and if they chuee this mode of beating up for converts 1
thtrm try it. They do us no harm by believing that their churcj
is the only true church, and by usini? fair argument to make u» of i
•aine opinion. A CaLhohc and a Calviiiist, animated by a Mmilar zk
wish to rcndtr all the world Catholics and Calvinists; and if the S
quietly looks on, extending equal civil protection to both, no hafl
will be done. A Protestant knows that he h not one inch neai
to the b*ittomlcbs pit becuube the Catholic church tells him that li
thall be damned* Such arrogant assumptiouii meet now withgrnerdll
contempt*
Art. 20. TTiou^hts on the Caihoru-Questhn. By R. TofTcnn, Esq.
Major in the Royal Marines, Second Kdition« Svo, Gil^i
Curtis, and Co.
The iir&t edition of this pamphlet was printed without a name* isid
noticed in M. R. Vol. Iv. N» S. p. iziS, This second edmou it
double the size of the first ; ;indj frum p, 47. to p. 99., the matter is
entirely new. It is contended that the 4orenes<i of the Catholics ariici
from the lon^ irritation which they have suffered j and that the di*-
content and aversion of which we complain, and which have been en*
fj;endercd by political exclusion, would decline, affection be coiicT*
iated, and error left without an ally, by a generous mode of treatoicuti
Major T* is persuaded that the spiritu^u authority of the RomwH
clergy is approaching to its close, and therefore endeavours to alhy
our fears on account of the iuftuence which the Pope may have ia the
nomination of Catholic bishops in Ireland j for he arp^ues that, wbc**
yuce the Catholics are interested in preservinjr the blessings of the
constitution, their priests will never be able to induce them *•*
espouse the interest of a foreign power.
• Unconditional emancipation/ he observes, * and granting 0^^
Catholic fellow-subjects a full participation in all privileges ****^
0 pov^c^
MONTHLT CATALPCtTE, CaiMu-Q^e^^^ StJ
sf the conetittition, would furnish the most effectual means of
[counteracting the effects uf any foreign iii6ueoce wliich mi^ht licre-
aftcr be CAcrletl io tLc nomijiation t>f Catholic bishupfi. If CathoJic*
wcrr ^Ilowfd a participation in political power, they would he more
I under the influence of public spirit. Tldi obiervation it coniiruird hj
the history of all ages.' —
• Emanctpatiofl would produce the happiest effects ; it would give
expansian to intellect, and hbfraliiy of feehng ; "would rouse the
ad would mend the heart.*' Ignorance would be gradually
!« and superstition vanquislied. On the d^y that the iuil im^
^luaities of the constitution are granted to the Catholici, fpreiga in-*
iuencc will receive a mortal wuund/
M vjor T, is 50 thoroughly convinced of the sound policy of ^aot*
I ing all the claims of tli^ Caiholics, that he cooaider^ the question of
foreign influence and of the Veto as of httle moment. We, however^
Lcmiinot regard the^e matters as trifling. British legiilators must not
»wlegc nor wink at foreig«> influence exerted even in spirituali m
empire; and Calliolica who are aware of the di&ulty sliould
■ aiwrst ill removing it. If they chuse, CathoUcs may employ the tri-
ditioHA of the cluirch and the decisions of general councils^ as well at
the Holy Scriptures, in the formation of their rchgious system : but
British subjects ought not, on any pretext whatevvr,to m:tke defuiitive
appcaU cither to P^ris or Rome j »ince» if ftuch an anomaly be al-
io wed» the empire cannot be complete in itself*
Art. 21. Corr^fj>0rtti/ftce on the Formation^ Ohjteti^ and Plant of the
Roman Cnthofic Bible Society ; including Letters from the Earl of
Shrewsbury, Lord Clifford, Right Rev. Bishop Poyntcr, Ret.
Peter Gandolphy, Ant. Richard Blake and Charles Butler, Esqr*.
W*Ui Notei and Observations exhibiting" the genuine Principles of
Roman CathoHcs, 8voi pp. 92. 23. 6d. S^eley, 1H13.
This pamphlet is calculated to throw more Hglit on the secret
f fedingi of the Catholics towards Protestants, than any publication
vhich has lately issued from the press ; and we therefore class it under
ihe head of the Catholic-Question, though it doea not immediatdy
refer to that discussion. Since our duty requires us to state factt
St wc find them, we must not conceal a truth which we are sorry
^iliicoTer on the present occasion; a truth which is more likely t4»
^fate against the cause of the Catholics, than all the arguments that
^ been urged against them. It is to be regretted that so much
acrimony towards Protestants, and so little of the true spirit of con-
ciliation, have been discovered by Catholics in the prt-sent Corre*
ipondence; especially after all their modern professions of liberality.
They do not appear to have forgiven, nnr indeed to be incHned to
forgive, our rejection of the spiritual dominion of the Church of
Rome I and, con'iid^ring u* still in the light of heretTCS, nut of the
pale of salvation, they will not concur with us in any religious ftcheme.
This is no more than the remains of ihc old leaven : but we hoped that
•o much had mt remained ; and we trust that, by our forbearance
and charity, we shall shame them into a b<*tter temper. Perhaps it
will be alleged that we eitpect too much from them ; that al! B:pa-
fitxiti 9Xt viewed with " eyes askance" by the body it6m whorn
Y 2 tL=y
3 H Monthly Catalogue, CathUc^Qiicsthfu
they sepamte ; and that similar supercilioufness and hcart-burmii
occasionally display tLemselveft in Protestant churches^ towards th
tvbo take the liberty of dissenting from them. A certain ka
Profifssor hafs indeed shewn as much reluctance to act with Pr
DiHSfiUcrs in the distribution of the Bible, as the Roman
Board 111 the case before us have mamfcsted against acting wit*
Protestant Bible-Society for the distribution of the Catholic vt-rtid
of the Scriptures among the poor member* of the Cathohc church:
but»totbc eternal honour of our Established Church, a great majority
of ita members rejected the narrow sentiments of the Professor, and
cheerfully united with all those in the distribution of the Bible, wht>>
though differing in some points, alike receii^ed it a* the only rule of life
^liA doctrine. Unfortunately, the Catholics attach not that high and
exclusive importance to the documents of the Old and New Testamect
which Protestants, on principle, arc led to assign to them ; and being
in the habit of quoting oihcr authorities, they are unwilling to rett
their cause on the sole evidence of ih * Bible : but, considering the
liberal sentiments lately professed by the Catholics ; coupling theit
with a proposal made by the Catholic Board to edit for gratuitoui
distribution a version of the Bible in the common tongue, f^r the ge-
neral use of their own body ; and considering also that the Bible, if
it did not contain the whole maj^s of authorities to which they wert
in the habit of appealing, could not be supposed to be boitile to the
true Christian faith j it v/as fair to suppose that they would not be
adverse to joining with Protestants in a plan for the circulation of
their own translation of the Holy Scriptures, What, however, wu
the fact ? The Protestant Society for the Distribution of Catljolic
Bibles apply to the Catholic Board, and to Catliollc Bishops, iat
their concurrence in this generous project : the proposition \% rt*
ceived with coldness, and fmally ejected ; and it was perceived at
last that * the CathohcB were indisposed to approximate one hiiir'ii
breadth towards the Protestants/ It was found that * the advertin
ment from the Catholic Board, relative to a gratuitous distributio
of the Holy Scriptures, operated as a complete deception upon th
ProtcstaBt public ;' for it was concluded that, as only the Half
Scriptures were mentioned in the advertisement, they were to be
given without notes ; especially without notes which mu^t be higiil/
irritating to Protestants : but it came out, in consequence of tli
correspondence and conferences of the Protestant friends of the plaa
with 8om^^ members of the Catholic Board and clergy, that * it mx
pot a Catholic principle to recommend llie Scriptures without sui^ii
£c3LCcptionable] explanations -f* — that * the English Cathohc B<?wd
did not now intend to disperse gratuiiously even their own itereotypc
edition rn^lih notes ; for they could not go about and desire people !•
receive Testaments, *• hteausc the Catholics titd not in anywiie comiitf
ihe Scriptures neeesssry ;" ^ for they learnt and taught tiidr religion
by means of catechisms and elementary tracts.'
This declaration fully justifies an ojiinion which we have given (ic€
our last No. p, 179, note) on tli£ improbability of effecting ao unioti
between the Catholic and our established Prutestant church. It also
thewi Uiat tjic advertigemcnt of the Caihulk B<}drd^ w ibe ivibf ci
■5. ' ^
I
•fa diitnbution of Bible^t was rather a ruse Jr^arrre to aiDUse tlie
Protestant Bible- Society* tlian an indication of n wish to adopt its
liberal plan. Wc are not suq>riscd thai Mr. Blair, (iUn siirgt'un,)
who had written leiters to aevL^ral eminent Calliolic^ to know the iii*
tention of that body respecting the circulation okih^/r e^tvn approved
-translation of the Scnpturts, was hurt by the repuUivc trcainient
which he received, and at finding that his * wishes were frustratL^d by
difficulties which he could neither remove or comprehend.* In a
letter to the Rev. Mr. Gandolphy, he expresses his regret at the me-
lancholy discovery which he had made ; and we are induced to copy
the conclusion of his letter, for the sake of laying before our readers
Mr. Gandolphy's very curious reply :
* It is a painful and humiliating reflection to me, that Roman Ca-
tholic principles, even in this enlightened age and country, do not
allow the clergy to circulate God's unerring word, with freedom and
sincere confidence ; as if that which Divine wisdom has mercifully
condescended to dictate, were not sufficiently intelligible, nor free
from mischievous obscurity, and not efficacious to save souls, without
our conceited interpretations ! I well know the argumcnis by which
ou defend yourselves, in restraining the use of the Bible, unfettered
y notes ; but they appear to me lighter than vanity, and totally fail
in producing conviction !'
Mr. Gaudolphy's reply :
* I do not s^e that I can begin my letter more properly than as
you have coiicluded yours : " It is a painful and humiliating reflec-
tion, that the principles of a surgeon, even in this cnligliteneJ ap:c and
country, do not allow surgeons to put the knife into every body's
Iiands, with freedom and sincere confidence ; as if tlrat which Divine
■wisdom has mercifully conderccnded to provide for the benefit of
man, were not sufficiently manageable, and safe from mischievous
accidents, and not efficacious to cure, without the conceited direc-
tions of experience." — "I well kn;)w," exclaims the impudent
mountebank, <« the arguments by which you surgeons and pliysicians
defend yourselves in restraining the use of the kmfe, from those who
have not had a surgical education. But they appear to us lighter
jhan vanity, and totally fail in producing conviction." '
This was meant as an argumentiim ad homltcm for the surgeon :
but Mr. Blair saw its weakness, and thus rejoined :
* We Protestants certainly cannot agree to the moral fitness and
propriety of your similitude, when you compare tlie Bible to the
cutting instruments employed in surgery. The latter, it is true, are
obviously and inevitably dangerous in rude or unpractised hands; but,
I have not learnt, th;it the Bible is necessarily a dangerous book in any
well meaning and honest person's hands.'
To the modern Douay and Rhemish translations of tlie Holy Scrip-
tures, which were those that were intended for diiti'ibution among
Catholics, a body of notes was added \ which contained, as Mr,
Butler admits, < many expressions of pokmic asperity* The sam*
learned gentleman tells us that the potes accompanying tlie modern-
ized, copy of the Rhemish version have been weeded of this asperity,
7^0 shew, however, that many of these weeds remain, a srfection of
Jiotes^ copied from the above-mentioned ti*anslatious^ is given in an
y 3 Appendix,
/ We ^hall cf>pv only one of these notes,* for tW sake of
<■ the error which it contains, and which we woiidcr that the
editor ot this pamphlet had not noticed ;
* *• Hebrewf , xu t u ** IVorsh'tppcd the top ofhti nw/.** The Apcntk
here follows the ancient Greek Bible of the seventy interpreters, (which
tran^latea in tliia manner, Cen. xlvii. 31.) and acknow^iedget thii fart
of Jacob, in paying a relative honour and veneration to the top of the
rod or sceptre of Joseph, aa to a figure of Christ's sceptfe and king-
dom^ as an instance and argument of his faith. But Prateitanl«» who
are no friends to this relative honovir, have corrupted the text, bf
translating it, *^ he ^vonfjtjfped leaning upon the top 0/ Lis tt^Jfi^ a* »f
thia circumstance of leaning upon his staff w^cre any argument of
Jacob'e faith, or worthy the bcung thus particularly taktn notice af
by the Holy Ghost/' '
It is not true that the Greek Bible of the Seventy \% followed in
the Catholic version. The words of'the LXX» are, ** And Israel
worshipped on the top of his staff," titX to ax^e>» t»)V pC^^ avt^, that 1%
(as we understand it,] resting or supporting himself on the top of
his staff.
in the notes to the earlier editions of the Rheims Testament*, tlf
Protestants are very grossly attacked. As a specimen, we needody
extnsct the conclusion of the note to i Cor. x. 21. : ** The hef«#
tics' communion is the very table and cup of devils/'
Justice requires us to observei in favour of the Catholics, tfaatt
though all reflections on Protestants, as heretics, are not removed
from the modern notes, the rancorous violence (or, to use Mr* Bat-
ler's words, thc/io/ww:^ asperity t) is abated j and it would hare gifti
us the most sincere pleasure, had the Catholics enabled us, on xh&
present occasion, to have reported their growing liberality and kind-
ness towards those who are not members of their communion.
The public must perceive, from the whole tenor of this corres-
pondence, that the doctrines of the Romish Church are as unaheflihle
a* the laws of the Medcs and Persians : but this pertinacity of syntrra
is no objection to the granting of the petition tor Catholic-eroanO'
pation, provided that the system itself be not hostile to the constitti*
tion. Cathohcs and Protestants may never agree on religious snbjfdik
pnd yet the state may safely protect both in the enjoyment ottlien'
rights as memberi t)f the British empire* Enemies to our Prorei*
iant Efitab1it^hed Church, all Catholic priests must necessarily he;
but their hostility is merely the enmity of bigotry and prejudice |
»nd if they can assail her only by spiritual aoathemas, let her remeo*
bcr that church* thunder is cow mere hruium fvlmtn*
ED0CATION.
Art. 22- Remimscintta Numentlb ; or, The Memory** Assistant,
in Numbers and Dates ; in llirce Parts. To which is prcfiicd 1
regular System of the Art, founded on Dr. Grey's Metnorit
Technica, &c. By S, I^eedham, Master of Homer Hou*^
Seminary. Parti, i^mo. 73* 6d. Boards. Law. l8l|»
Whatever may have been the success of Mr. Needham in initiatiof
Ids pupik in the rudiments of the <* Memoria Technica/' at h« Im»
AIoNTHLT CiTALOcrai Educatl&n, |t7
vltercd It, we do not think that tlie rcadrra of his work will be miicK
bmrrtt?d by \i\^ in it ructions, or that tlic system it self h^s received
any improvement und^r hia hands. A queiUon may ariae as to the
probable advantage of introducing ii3to seminaries iuiy technical
assistant to ih*^ n^emory ; a^id many persons witl dispulo t\\^ propriety
of loadinjif the brains of youth with memorial \vord«, before th-.* mii:d
i.i capable of comprehendiiij^ the subjects to which they are applied.
Hiich ai) art should be used with p^reat cau^ion. It is not meant to
supply the pupil with the information in which it is necessary that
he should be skilled, but to fix and methodize the knowlego which
he has already acquired : it is not intended to supersede tl»e neces-
sity of fctudy, but merely as an auxiliary in niakinij that stiidy effcc-
tualy and as a prompter to recall it at the will of the student. -In
the present work, by not pirtting the Memorial lines into tlic meti-e
of Latin verse, the author has deprived him3e)f of one of the principal
recommendations, and of the greatest faciHty, of Dr. Grey'* system,
without introducing any improvement to compensate for the loss.
The study is here communicated by means of question and answer :
but the author has not been sufiiciently careful to give the gradual
information which is necessary for explaining the tables. For in-
stance ; we are not informed in the answer to any preceding questioa
by what letter or letters two, three, or more cyphers occurring to-
gether are to be represented, instead of repeating the letter w hich^
"we are before told, denotes tiie single cypher ; and much confijsion
must accordingly arise when an unlearned pupil finds that th'.- cyphers
are designated in tlii; tables by letters that have not been liainod to hi in
in his previous lessons.
Th\s^rstpart h a^^in divided into two parts ; in the y7r//, tlie
system is explained, and applied to chronological occurreriC;?, iVc.
according to Mr. Necdham's rules ; and tlie second crmsi^ts of
* Annotations, illustrative ?.r.d explanatory of tlie several Qurstior^*
contained in the iirst volume. Those are * designed as reading exer-
cises, particularly for the days on w'lich the art is studi'.'d ;* ai^d
whatsoever may become of the system, they will form very instructive
and entertaining leison.i, since they contain much us^'ful informntion
selected from the English histories and Cyclopaidiris. These two
volumes form the /frj/ //!;•/ of the work, which is designed to ext^ntl
to three parts ; the second and tliird treating of Biography, Geo-
graphy, and Astronomy, in the same manner as the :^ystem is here
eiiemplified in the study of chronology. We would recommend a
greater degree of precision and neatnesj ; and, as to cv)rrectness of
style, we would ask whether oucli an expression as 'it is n\o.-!t natund
for to inquire' becomes the iubtructor of youth ; The language of
the writer, when he speaks in his own person, i^ g'^ierally puerile
and inelegant.
Art. 23. Advice to Christiiv: Parents y relative to the training and
governing of their Childn-n, in a I^etter to a I'Vi.'nd. By K.
Elliot, A. IJ., formerly of Bennet College, Cambridge. Svo
IS. Conder.
Good advice is not the worse for being brief ; and, in the cour-,*?
afa ff w page*, Mr^ liUiot offers Isints on rducation which irav br
V 4 ' rf
foNTsiT CiiTjilOGra, RgSgtm^f
^IM botli to parrnu and their offspring. Thtt he hat a pmpw to8*
MImt of the subject wiU be erident from the following remark ;
•A fpod education is of much greater importancet and more to be
Miredj than a large furtunc ; and the ben education it that which
§^% a per&on for the greatest usefulness in the world.*
RELIGIOUS.
Art. 24, Sacred MeditaUons^ and dt^totidnai ffymns% with tome
Esiays in Prow, composed on various Occasiont of Life, arid
published for the Use of the intelligent Mind in its serious Mo-
ments. By a Layman. Crown 8vo. pp« 501. ju 6d. Boards.
Murray.
Person t may postess good sense without enjoying the graces of
poetry ; piety and taste are not always united ; and hence it ofteti
happens that hymns and sacred meditations in verse, however re-
plete with devotional and improving sentiments, are destitute of those
elegancies of diction which captivate the lovers of the Muse. We
irc mrry to be forced to declare that this observation applies to the
present volume ; for though we have been induced to respect the
author for the pains which he has taken to cultivate his mind, to
cherish the principles of religion, to counteract the seductions of
the world, and to promote in himyjlf and others a serious regard
to a future state of being \ though we find in his prose-essays tnany
practical obteryations winch manifest a heart 6Ued with love to
God and man 5 yet, when we read his poetical effusions, he seems to
loie the respect to which be had become intitled, and the Christian
philosopher sinks into the tame rhymer. Some good thoughts occur,
in prose, on the Vu of the Bahhath \ and we shall transcribe a part of
the essay :
• To impress our minds with a proper sense of religion, we must
take the *iamc course which wc should pursue to imbibt a knowledge
of botany, chemistry, painting, or any other art or science^ We
must study it, pmctise it, and occasionally let our rt' flections be oc*
Giipied by It. Religion will no more come gratuitously into the mind
than electricity, or Hebrew, or Greek* Nature supplies the capa-
bility to receive it j the soil in which it may be planted ; the feehng
which will improve it, and often the desire of possessing it. But
nature must he educated to it; and due means must be used for in
cultivation, or the natural sensibility for it will be in time absorbed
and lost amid the more impetuous impressions which arise from the
passion? and employments of hfe.*^ —
* Sunday isa day expressly consecrated to the Deity and his ado-
ration. AH the business of life is then suspended by law and custom.
Wc are invited to attend public prayer ; and we have the leisure of '^
whole day to apply as our judgment thinks most fit. Now every ii**
dividual, who really desires to cultivate his devotional feeing, will ^^'
well to make use of his Sunday for that purpose. Such an appr^*
p rial ion of this day will be no intrusion on the forms and occupation''
of life. It is but using the day for its natural and appointed purpo^'
It is employing it as reason dictates, if religion be of Divine descend
and as some of the b^&t and wisest m^ haye practiced aJiJ
recommended.'
MoirrttLT Catalogue^ Rdigim$$. 329
- Hbe poem on the same subject thus concludes :
* Each Sabbath is a little pause
Between the world and mtf.
My selBsh troubles it suspends ;
It makes my soul more free,
* That wise seclusion it provides.
Which human passion needs ;
That rest from care» from pleasure too^
Which our best purpose feeds.
* Each Sabbath, then, I turn aside.
Oh World ! from thy pursuits :
'Tis sacred to th* Eternal C&ute j
And sacred be its fruits !'
A poem intitled Good Friday has these stanzas ;
* For faithful Memory points to man
That dismal hour of gloom.
When mad Judaea's leaders ran
To crucify — Ah ! whom ?
* The Lord of Life ! who meekly came
To purify the heart ;
To kindle virtue's brightest flame.
And future heaven impart.'
In volumes of devotional poetry, when the pieces are numerous^
nothing is more common tlian the same thouglit worked over and over
again till it becomes quite fatiguing. We could have wished that
the present * Layman' had not fallen into this fault. He strums too
often on the same string ; but the carelessness and tameness of his
▼ersc constitute a fault less tolerable than the repetition of the same
thoughts. He thus begins a poem which is called « A Parent* m
* Thy goodness. Lord ! ipy little nest
Has with these four sweet cherubs blest.
Teach me to form their tender hearts
Nobly to act Life's changing parts ;
Their moveable desires to guide,
And rouse their minds to Virtue's pride.
Until the bhssful habit grow.
Thy love to seek, thy precepts know.'
The ^ Layman' is no doubt a good parent, but surely not a goo4
poet.
Alt. 25. ^ ^election from Bt^hof Horne*s Commentary on the Psaimsx
]E|y Lindley Murray, Author of an English Grammar, ^c. i2mo^
58^ Boards. > Longman and Co.
This selection has been made for the very commendable purpose of
leading young persons to admire and study those beautiful and devout
fompoi|itions, (be Psalms of David. ^^• Murray has chosen por-
tions
\
33«
MdKTRLT CaTALOGIJE, MhttUarte9US.
lions of a piuiis and practical nature, witicli an* calculated to ckiatt
the mind to God» and to impress it with ihankfulnesa and holy ube-
dieoce. His compilation niay therefore be recomniendcd a.s an UKfyl
manual.
MISCELLANEOUS.
Art- 26. Tht Literary Diary / or Improved common-place Bool : to
which are prciixcd. An explanatory Treatise ; An Abndgrmetjt
of the Aiirlfodina of Drcxelius, by Bishop Hornc j aud an I '
formed with some Variiitians, 011 tlic celebrated Plan of Mr- L
4to, t6s. Taylor and Hesse y. 18 ri*
Our long cxpericiice in literary htbotir ha* ifln pressed tis so stror;^]
with the impttrtance of attentive notation, as to lead us lo record tu
our pages even the humbler attempts which are made to aid the In*
duslry of the student. Of the different diaries or common-pbc^
bo^ikfl rfcommendcd to scholars, none possess more the ment of
timplicity than that of Mr. Locke. His plan wa« to consider, in \hs
first place, to what word or title the memorajidum to be entered
most naturally referred : this word or title he wrote in a large cha-
racter at the beginning of the paragraph in Jiis common-place book ;
and he inserted a reference to it in his index, under the same ivord
or title. *« Suppose," he say«, " vou wish to note down a passage
which refers to the head Bcautj : it there is as yet no place aUotttd
in your book for words beginning with Be^ turn to the first blatak
page in your book,, and write a paragraph under the head Beaut j*
Allot two pages or more for each initial syllable, such as Ba^ Be^
and, on commencing a new page, never fail to enter it in the index.''
To this method, Mr. Locke adhered in his collections for a long
series of years, without experiencing any inconvenience from what
would appear to many persons a course too simple to answer for the ^h
almost endless variety of subjects %vhich occur to a man of reading. ^|
The present Diary is intended as an improvement on thnt of Mr, ™
Locke, and begins with the following table of general subjccU:
Religion, Natural*
, Revealed*
Language.
Criticism.
Poetry.
Logic and Metaphysic8.
History, Anclcntf
m , Modern*
*— ', English,
. Natural*
Biography-
Geography and Chronology.
Philofophy, Moral.
' -) PollttcaL
-, Experimental
Mathematics.
Fine Arts,
The memoranda, or prticulars for notation, will in cotiH^
vary according to the studies of the individual ; and no difficulty ^iU
occur in hisj introducing farther divisions, or subdivisions, of wy
subject which may particularly interest him. The advantage 0*
classing together the notes or remarks on any particular departrn«*
of study is sufficiently obvious. In Mr. Lodve*s plan, the in^*
notices are too concise, and there is a want of connection betw«<n
the different paragraphs in the same page ; objections which *"•
ducc us to look to the admirable perspicuity of his mind z%.^
Monthly Catalogue, Mhref^arredtis.
33»
ihkT source of that satisfaction which he is conleiltcd to ascribe to
^^hc method wMch he adujitcd.
Among t!ie niitior directions for keeping a common -place boolc,
the editor of i\m Diary r«'cr?mnipnds it to the student to inRrft
a nitmbcr (i, 2, 3» &c.) in the margin of Mfery original paragraph.
Thrfte number* are useful both for connection and refcn^nce* * If,
far init.mcc^ & passage in p*4.t be commented upon in page 39.,
paragraph 4S., the fi^^ure* 1/ placed in tlic marj^n af page 4,1 op-
posite to that pup^agf*, will be a sulHcltnt indtcatwn where such com-
mtnt maybe found,* ^ — The time hi?»towed on making, in a note-
book, an analysis of a didactic work, will in general be found
to be well employed ; since in this, as in other things, the divUfon of
labour proves equally conducive to exp'-'dition <^nd to fucltity of eice-
cutiou. The drudgery of penmanship muy be lessened by taking
brief notes on a first perusal, and by dictating them in an extended
thape fur tiie common-place book to an amunucnais. The late Lord
Kaimea waa accustomed to eay that he never understood a subject
tll^iroughly until he had written on it.
The present Diary ts merely u paper-book, neatly ruled and
boiitidi with an index prefixed on a plan similar to that of Mr,
Locke, It contains likewiae an abridgment, by the late Dr. Home,
of a tract known by tlie high*soundin» name of the '* Aurifodtna of
Drexelius/* an essay on the utility of taking notes. Though we
cannot help thinking that the materials in this little ess^y might
hai*e been better arranged, it contains several useful hints and
sidmonitiofifi.
Art. 17. Tie Perpdual Balanee; or Book-k'^ing by Double Entry*
upon an improved Principle ; exhibiting the general Balance, pro-
fresaivcly and coir,tantly, in the Journal, without the Aid of the
.ed^cr. By John Lambert. 8vo. pp. 104, Richardson,
In mercantdc counting-houses, books are kept, in the first instance,
by daily entries, and afterward by collective monthly statements. A
particular transaction, in money or bills, is entered on the day of its
occurrence in the book to which it belongs j and, at the end of the
inonih, all transactions of the same description are embodied in one
enumeration in the journal* The ledger is or ought to be notliing
more than an index to the journal, cotitaining merely a brief reference
to the monthly entries detailed in the latter : but, as the ledger,
however concise in its explanations, must unavoidably comprise a
tfTcat niunber of accounts, it *eldum happens that a general balance or
iUt of the sums at Dr. and Cr. is made out more than once in a*year.
It has, in consequence, frequently occurred that frauds have been com-
mitted by clerks, and have remained undetected until the close of lite
year, Mr, I^ambert specifics several unfortunate examples of ihit
description, and then proceeds to rccommef^d a method which is cal-
culated in his opinion to afford a steady click on all such irregularis
ties. Nothing, he adds, could be more conducive to the promotion
of habits of fidelity ; since he has not (p. 7.) the least doubt that
♦ nine out of ten, who have made free with the money of their ^em-
ployers, intended to replace the sums abstracted, before they supposed
tt Do«sible for them to be ditcovered*'
^ Commoidable
I
33?
Monthly CATALOGUSf Miuellanmir*
Camtnendablc, however, as i» Mr. Lambcrt'a object, ncilhfr fc"*
propo»ed alterations nor liis manner of explaining them will be found
to discover a thorough acquaintance with hia subject. A practised
book-keeper will be mortified, on opening hia tract* to find (p. 43.)
an adherence to the old plan of a day-book ; a plan now geuerAlly re-
linquished for the far superior method of monthly entries from the
iiibsidiary books. Next comes (p. 5.^^) his journal, which, though
less objectionable in it* form, has no particular feature of novelty or
utility. The opposite sides of the JournaUpagc are made to balance;
but it it comewhat unusual to find the credit*entriea on the left, and
the debits on the right. The ledger is exhibited (p* 72.) in tlic
common form, and is followed (p* 85.) by what the author calU the
* Perpetual Balance ;* in other words, a method of keeping the
journal in such a way as to enable the principal clerk, or a partner in
the house, to make out a general e*iumeration of balances vf'ixh les*
trouble than is experienced on the present plan. The basis of Mr,
Lambert' a system consists in classing, in the ledger, all personal ac-
counts under two gt-ncral heads, 'accounts payable, and accounts tt*
ceivabk ;' referring the enumeration of each»dcBcription of accounts
to a subsidiary ledger* — Without discouraging an attempt of thii
nature, we must rem.Trk that the idea is by no means new ; and thai
his journal-page {p< 84. el leq^) is unnecessarily complicated- Wc
view with more indulgence his attempts (p. 30. and 99,) to explain
to retail-dealert the practicability of apply ia^r the method of double
entry in their transactions. Much remains to be done in this respect ;
for we believe that retailers have seldom a direct check over their
terTanta, and must often draw their conchisioiis respecting tiie safety
«f their goods from no more definite preniiscs than the general pro*
priety ofa young man's behayionr* — The chief fault of Mr. Lambert*!
essay consists in its difTuseness and want of perspicuity. In so dry
and uninviting a subject as book-keeping, a writer should spare no
pains to make every thing inteEigihlc \ and the true way to do this is
to attend to the often repeated but still neglected maxim of rendering
ourselves famihar with a subject, by continued reflection, before wo
profess to instruct others,
^n, a 8* jIn jit tempt to explain y dejinff and appriiiate the Li Bert jm
tf the P res J 9 with a View to its Importance, as connected vrith thi
Rights and Welfare of the People. Dedicated, by PermisMon, t(
the Right Honourable Lord Erskine, 8vo, pp> 77. Wilk'
3nd Robinson* 18 j 2.
At the commencement of this pamphlet, the author attemptt
definition of libel, and ijisists that, notwithstanding all the difficukie
alleged in tliis respect, the nature of libel is as susceptible of expJic'
etatement as that of any other offence. He explains it to consist i.
* publiaiiing impropfr things of luch a nature as to call for the dec^a
lion of a jury/ The liberty of the press is, according to bim, ^
fomew^hat older date than is commonly imagined ; although pothiiri^
decisive was legislated on this subject till after the Revolution, Fro -«i:
that date, the presa continued on a footing of considerable but und£:^
fined freedom, till the year 1792, when the right of juries to " giv*^
gcDcnl verdict of guilty or cot guiltyi on the whole cutter at iisut^
A
MoKTffLY ClTALOGO*, MucellanesttS.
T33
was definitively recognized- This, n% many of our readeri are aware»
wai a great point or discuaiion afier the trial of Woodf^ll for th«
pubHcation of Junius** Letter to the King ; Lord Mansfield maintain-
ing that the province of the jury wat confined to deciding on the
" fact of the publication." — The practical result of the statute of
1792 is thus to render a writer amenable, not to the opinion of a
[ judge> but to the decision of a jurjr ; who are considered as less Hable
to be actuated by a political bias t!iaii a lawyer, however respectable,
who has probably owed his situation, more or lest, to party-farour.
The present writer dv%"clls with great satisfaction on the importance
of the step gained by the act of 1 792. An appeal to * twelve honest
men affords,' he says, * a hope ^here we may safely cast anchor ;'
and which, he trusts, will never prove visionary : but he is by na
mtm^ iatisfied with the arbitrary power of the Attorney-general in
iH'iJtdo informations ; • by virtue of which that officer may proceed
to measures of severity without the preliminary inquest of a grand
jury, and without being responsible for the consequences,* * No
officer of government ought (p. 52pJ to have the power of putting ati
individual to the expence and ignommy of a public trial, merely be*
caii^ he tbtnki him in the wrong,* The contest is altogether un-
equal, the writer or publisher being left, even in the case of succeisful
resistance, in a situation of great hardship •.—The third and last part
of this tract consists of some general observations on the importance
of the freedom of the press to ever)*- enlightened society. Here the
points of discussion being leas defined, tlie author gives a loose to that
lone of exaggeration which forms a considerable drawback on the
merit of his remarks. * The situation of an animal fattened and led
lo the slaugTiter is (he says, p» 63. J far treferahle to that of a ra-
tional creature, who is endowed with the faculty of thought and re-
flection, but can only reflect for the purpose of feeling hit own
tlebasement and slavish situation.* This tone of amplification, and
%zv habitual inaccuracy of style, constitute deductions from the mecit
* of a tract which in its spirit and tendency has a title to considerable
approbation. — A character somewhat similar belongs to another
pamphlft publiihcd under the quaint title of " KtUtng n9 Murder ;*'
which proceeds, we understand, from the same pen. It Ues at pre-
jral on our table, and shall be noticed in connection with some other
publications on the topic of parliamentary reform*
Art. 29. jin Account of mjhat appeared on opmtng the Coffin of
^ing Charles the FlrH^ in the Vault of Henry the Eighth ia
St* George's Chaptl at Windsor, ou the ist of April 1813. By
S^r H^nry Halford, Bart,, F, R.S. and F.A,S., Physician to
the King, 5cc. 4tOr as. 6d. White and Cochrane.
A discrt'pancy has been observed in the two accounts of the inter-
ment and burial-place of King Charles L, at given by Lord Clarcn-
dyo in his narrative of the Rebellion, and by Mr. Herbert, a groom
oiF the bedchamber to Charles, in Wood's *• Atheme Oxonienset ;**
and an opportvntity of clearing up a doubtful point in our history
^ See rcmarki 00 U^tf lubjcctj m our \mX Vol. p. 179. Number
for February.
pretftDted
334
MoKTHLT Catalogue, MUnUdfrnus.
present '^d jtsdf» wlicn an aperture was a ' '
X\xr *v;^]U of the vrjnit of H'^nry VIII* .
X^l ' uudcr i\>r
Ati v;4uU of Heury VIIL
hfti :it at the iiivcsiijralion ; accurjipai*jcd by ibe
Cui . Cuufll Munster, Dr* L»*g^e, Dranof Wind*
StcvcnsoD, Efq., and Sir Henry Halfurd. Tht* result \\m% tlw
covery of tl*t? leaden coffin of the unfortimale Chiirlr$, bcaricig
ihon inicnpUiw, •' King Charle*» 1648/' on a acrull in large It
dian-'ctrrs. The coffin liaving been fou^d exnctiy in the pi
whidi Mr- rkrbcrt reports llidt it was interred, a »c|U3rc op
was made in the upptT part of the lid» of finch dimcnak>ns ;u I
TOJt a clear insfght uita its contents j and Sir Henry Halford^
cceds to deucribc the uppcaraiicf of them:
* ThcAe were an inttrnal wooden coffin, very much deraycdtanji
body, carefully -ivrapped up in cere -cloth, into tho^ fold^ of wl
quantity of unctuous or gnrasy mattrrj mixed with r^sin, n» it i
)iad becu rn*rk«d» so as to exclude, aa effcctuaUy as possiblr^
Icroal air. Thccofiin was completely fidl ; and, froai t!«* it
the cerecloth, great difticully was experienced in detach in j^^
cesafully from the parts which it enveloped* \Yhen?ver the unctJ
matter had iiisitnuiled itself, the separation of the cere -cloth j
easy ; and when it came dIT, a correct iniprc»^ion of the fealur
whfch it had been applied wai ob&crvcd u\ the unctuous subg
At length, the whole Aicc was disengaged from its covering,
complexion of the ekin of it was dark and didcolonrcd, TI<c for
and temples had lost little or nothing of their muscular suhrta
the cartilage of th<? nose was gon^ ; but the left eye, in the fir
incnt of exposure, was open and full, though it vaninhcd alji
mediately ; and the pointed beard, so characteristic of the pcria
the reijjn t^f King Ciiarles, was perfect- The shape of the facel
a long oval ; many of the teeth rtinained ; and the left ear,. in «
qucnce of the interposition of the unctAjous matter between it \
cere-cloth, was found entire.
* It was difficult, at this moment, to withhold a dcclamtton^
notwithstanding its disiiguremtnt, the countenance did bear a st|
rcjtembhnce to tlie coins, the busts, and especially to the pictur
Charhn L by Vandyke, by which it had hwn made familiar to u^
* W lien the head had btvii entirely diseugpgcd from the at
Ht^nts which confined it, it was found to be loose, and, without!
Jiflieulty, wnf* taken up and held to view. It was quite wrt^l
jravc a greenish red tiuge to paper and to linen, which tou
Tl ' " ^t of the fcalp was entirely perfect, and lad a re
firi nee j the porr» of the skin being more distinct^
usu.di) ^rc ^vhtn Buak^ '. urc ; and the tendon* and lifi
of the neck wrre uf i jc substance and firTTTttr*'^i. l^^
\i;as thicket the bu*:k p^rt ui the head, and, in i;
bUck. A purl ion of it, which has isince been deai .
ft iMMltifiJ dMk browit (olour. That of \hc beard wa4 •
MoNTHLT Catalogui, Siffgli Sermoffi, 335
brown. On ihe back part of the head, it vraa more tTian an inch m
lengthy and had probably been cut ao fihort for the convi^nlecicc of the
executionor, ur perhaps by th« piety of friends Eooii iifter death, in
tirdcr to furnish memarialtt of the unhappy King*
'• On holding up the head, to examine the place of separation from
the body* tlie muscles of the neck had evidently rctrnctcd themselves
considerably ; and the fourth cervical vertebra waa found to be cut
through its substance, transversely, leaving the surfaces of the divided
portioni perfectly smooth and even, an appearance which could have
been produced only by a heavy blow, inflicted with a very sharp in-
strument, and which furnished the last proof wanting to identify
King Charles the First.
' After this examination of the head, which served every purpose in
view, and without examining the body below the neck, it was imme-
diately restored to its situation, the coffin was soldered up again, and
the vault closed.' 1
Sir Henry endeavours to explain the motive which induced Lord
Clarendon to express himself with some uncertainty concerning the
«xact spot in wliich the corpsi? of Charles I. was deposited : but it
appears, on the face of the narrative, that the noble historian himself
must have been misinformed.
SINGLE SERMONS.
Art. 30. Preached at the Anniversary Meeting of the Stewards of
the Sons of the Clergy, in the Calhcdral Church of St. Paul,
May 14. 1 81 2. By the Rev. Charles Burney, D. D., Rector
of Deptford, &c. 410. Rivingtons. 18 13.
With eloquence dignified, appropriate, and impressive, the nature
and eiTectft of Christian charity are defined and illustrated in this dis-
course. Dr. Barney reminds his audience of a fact wliich reflects
the highest honour on the Gospel ; namely, that, before the Christian
. a:ra, charity was not recommended as a virtue of transcendant excel-
lence i and that, consequently, antient history docs not furnisli us
with an account of any edifices which were appropriated to charitable
purposes before the advent of the Messiah. * It was suggested,' he
adds in a note, « by a great scholar, as I have been informed, that the
building mentioned by Thucydides, book iii., under tlie name of
KaTayuT/tov, was a public asylum for the indigent. With all defe-
rence, this structure wis merely an inn, or caravanserai, v.Jiich the
Lacedemonians erected on the site of the ruined city,Platca. Ka7*A"/x*,
the corresponding Hellenistic word, is the term used by St. Luke
to designate the inn at Betldehem.* This KrtTuyvy^otf which was^
erected, as Thucydides tells us, near Juno's temple, after the whole
city of Platea had been rooted up from its very foundation, is called
by Smith, in his translation of the Greek historian, " a spacioMs inn ;"
and though Dr. B. ofiers his opinion on this point with defereiice,
notwithstanding his very extensive learning, no doubt can h2 enter-
tained ot the pcrfect^correctness of his representation. — The pc cuhar
circumstances, in wliich the children of the poorer clergy are placed,
are forcibly urged as a motive for the support of the charity in behalf
df which the preacher exerts his superior talents ; and his arguments,
we take it for granted, produced a desirable effect.
Art.
2j6 CoRRESPONDBNCt.
Art, jir. ji Plea for the Caibolic Clmms : pr^zched at iTie CHapel
in Eaacx-streft, March lo, 1812. being the Day ippainlrd for a
General Fast, B7 Thomas BeUham, Bvo, is* Johusofi and €<>•
This preacher is not one of those clouily divines who, in8icad»f
elucidating, throw a mist over every subject whieh tliey imdertilte
to discuss : but he belongs to the privileged few whose mental at-
mosphere Is clear, and who present luminous views of every topic
which falls under their consideration. " A sketch, from tudi a luuiii
as tlmt of Mr. Belsham, is a finished picture.'* In the compass of a
ehort single discourse, he has given the whole merits of the question
on the Catholic claims ; and, ihoiigh a Protestant of the most pr»-
icrtbed sect, he has pL-aded the cause of the Catholics with &\ich 1
force of sound argument, at must ottttvince all those who are cot the
slaves of system and prejudice. S jme writeri of eminent talents, wKo
ought to have been better acquainted with tlie wbject, have ventuitd
to a.^BL-rt that religious liberty in this country is complete, and that die
Catholics and other Dissenters are not persecuted : but Mr. B* fuUf
exposes the inaccura^^ of this assertion. He regards persecutioQ as
c*f two kinds, positive and negative ; the former consisting in the mflic-
tion of pains and penalties, and the latter in the withholding of rigliti;
and the operation of this negative persecution he paints in «tfoag
colours.
Correspondence.
To A*B* — Wc arc alway sready to listen to explanation from
others, or to correct any actual error of our own pens: but we cannot
enter into protracted controversy ; and still less can we condescend to
notice the ehulhtions of those who, instead of openly appealing to uf,
Tllify us behind our backs in other publications.
The private letter from Dublin was not received till after the ia-
sertion of our opinion of the book to which it refers. The polite-
ncifi of that letter, and die circumBtances stated in it, make \is regret
that this opinion could not be more favourable,
T. W- is informed that the object of his inquiry is tuBjudice*
The political refjections of Q. in a Corf0r are appropriate to %
magazine, not to oiu- page.^. We suspect that Mr. y. is a ity-in^(kim\
somewhat like the arch belUman, whose last Christmas verses ur^^l^
•ublimely closed with these lines on
" The KiKG.
** Who as a Briton but bewails the day,
That robb*d the nation of her George's sway?
Wh« but can see Misfortune's awful low'r
Has mark*d the country, and assumed a pow'Cf
Still threatening ? — Who can see the mischiefs done?
iVho can expect thtm mended by his sQn .^"
*' O villain 1 thou wilt be condemned into CTerlastin^ rcde»pi
fcr this i'*
THI
H.ONTHLY REVIEW,
For AUGUST, 1813.
Abt* L Voyafiii andTravfhf in the Tean 1 809, 18 lO, und iSltj
containing Suttstical, Commercial, and Mi^ellaneoui Obserrationi
on GibraJtary Sardinia, Sicily, Malta^ Serigo^ TCcrigo,) and
Turkey. By Jolm Gait. 410, pp. 45^. aU 3 a* Boardi.
Cadell aod Davics. 1812*
AFTER all the tours m Greece and the Grecian islands that
have been published and reviewed, we are induced to
notice at some length Mr. Galt^s report of those districts^ for
two reasons \ first, on account of the recency of his journey,
znA next from the circumstance of his hairing several timci
ventured on ground seldom visited by the traf^Uer. Of that
description is the southern part of the Peloponnesus, par-
ticularly Laconia ; which, till of late years, was too much
infested with robbers to be traversed without a powerful escort.
It frequently happened that travellers found it necessary to
stop short at Tripolizza, near the site of the antient Mega*
lopolis ; or, if they ventured farther to the southward, they
judged it advisable to take a western direction towards Mes*
tenia. — Another part of Mr. Gait's peregrinations, little fami-
liar to the readers of travels, is the road from Adrianople to
Widdin on the Danube, which includes the extensive and
lofty range known by the name of Mount Haemus.— {A third
quarter, n6t unvislted indeed, but hitherto very imperfectly
described, is the island of Sardinia, the interior of which it
much less benefited by the example of European civilization
than persons commonly imagine. A report of these diflferent
countries appeared to promise a considerable addition to ouf
present stock of information : but, in proceeding with the pe-
rusal of the book, we frequently found reason to regret that
Mr. Galt*s attention and accuracy were not equal to his activity
and enterprize.
Having made some observations on Gibraltar, and on the im-
portance of a tour to the far-famed shores of the Mediterranean^
Mr. G. conducts his reader to Sardinia. He seldom takes the
trouble of mentioning dates, but his complaints of the heat render
It evident that this part of K* voyage was performed in summer.
Vol. i.xm. Z Tbt
33»
G^ihV V^pges and Travtli*
The town of Cagliari has few pretensions to the
capital : its $trccts are miserably paved, and scared
twenty feet wide; and while the appeanince of iK
court indicjjtcs a Ttll from a better condition, the manners
the lower orders present no doubtful tokens of an apprp:
lion to biirbark rudeness. Will it b^ believed that in ~
and in the ninetecMith century, a people could be found w]
in the habit of wearing an upper garment of shaggy goat-:
or that tanned Icather-conts (hould be accounted a d
niorc than common coT^vvHiicnce ? In some parts of the i;
the mountains are infested with banditti, and the vilbg,
i^t untrequently at >vat with each oilier ; while in tin- 1
vilizeddiiitrkta, the administration of justice is si
ducted, the Judges deriving their chief income h^
paid on each award ; which is, in other words* n
mium for multlplynig revisions* With an e
good governnicnt, restrictions are iinposcd f'\
of wine and grain, ^^he pe^^santry are in a state of yx
the lauiUiolders (or, as they are termed, the nobili
numerous anc[ igiK>raJit j and the unproductive member*
church possess no iir!e to more charitable appi-^Uations*
popalalani of the island is computed ai half a million, ^htri
venue at only 80,000!* %>terling ^ and ihe Sardinian)* bet:
of the Picdmontese, the kin>; *m% not judged ir adr
encourage emigration from his 1-ite continental domintoi
The best qualities of thc«e rudo ifel.niders are *^
courage ; and the possession^ in a high degree, ol
virtue of hotipitalitj.
Mr. Gait v^ not un enihuilastic venerator of tlie gran I cur
antiquity. He does not scruple^ when speaking of /
its antiert stale, to quote fp^By.J the observation of 1 .. * -.
that the " streets were narrow, oostrutted with stairs, and tl
Air dwrlcened and confined by ' : * ' *'
4oes he liesttate (p. 368*) to pre 1
to have been *« a wooden town, ^urrouiulcd by ^ w*a
twelve feet high, and probably not more than two ftL
— On reach) ngSicily* he was landed from the packet at '
the untient A^rigenium, That t^wn, standing on thi' j>i^i
of a lofry mountain^ lias fjron) a distance a fine appearance :
on entering it, the * vilest lanes in Edinburgli art^ '
paths of plea&autness compared to its streets/ C '
ruins, Mr. G. saw the celebrated temple of ^
temple of JuuO| both in good condition : but
the temple of Jupiter Olympus, u now 3
niin. After all that the n- - ' ^
^pulation %cd atent of Agi
"i
i
^
IVinn k._
339
i"g^ 't, he ^ P^'^^pect of r^ c,. '''^^f^on. 3^ 1 ^"^^ to find
,2°°.ooo,) is ''"*^' 'f '3 saicf. ro ,V^'°"ff ^'f London ? '" '^'^
^°°'0<>o,) u'^l^' 'f '3 saicf. ro ,V^'°"ff ^'f London ? '" '^'^
'<»«'• mile, ^l^i'^'-^ecl yviSj°?,'°°o, (but i?* "I^ P«pu.
**Wraf«^ , ^''^^ f'-.'d«m«. " '''*' "afro J ^^ ".?'"''■' blv fo
F^« seizin., tf^ ''"''J and wfioT » "^ ^ ^"^n of 1 °"^^
'"' « C?:;- ^- T''.- Let !"°^ ^'^^'"^ o ' rh'"^ J'^="'^
k.
iu
I4<>
OtWf FtfjagiJ and Traviti,
hi the httcr \ but attempts arc now making to tiisc the fonDd
from this comparative degradation^ and to change it from a pro
ttncial to a national tongue. A Sicilian dictionary of large nsi
has been printed, and several poets have set the example of pubj
lishing in their native language.
Mr. Gait was unfortunately not able to prosecute his joume;
to the top of Mount Etna, the season being too far advanced^ an<
die snow having fallen in large quantities* He consoled him
self, accordingly, with the idea that the summit wouJd presea
little worth his labour, since the aspect of the mouatain ffOfl
1>elow fell greatly short of his sanguine anticipations* Had he
however, proceeded to the top, and enjoyed the wonderful es
tent of prospect which it commands, he would have adopted I
▼cry different opinion, and would not have hesitated to confcsi
the error of his first impression. His mistake was just such at
one as would be made by a person in our own countryt ^^
familiar with the appearance of a hiJI of ijoo feet in '
should expect the mountains of Westmoreland and Ci
to strike the eye at once as being of twice that elevation,
size of a mountain, as is well known, varies in appearance
cording to the distance, to the nature of t)ie intervening objects,
snd to the height of the ground occupied by the spectator. H(
who sees it only from below, or from one of the sides, can form
but a very imperfect idea of the grandeur of the scene which i<
in reserve for the more persevering investigator. It is a curiotil
fact that Mont Blanc, when viewed from the bottom, does no
appear much higher than other mountains in the neighboorboot
which want 5000 feet of its height. •
Though the author did not ascend Etna, he visited tbi
neighbouring city of Catania, and was highly gratified with m
appearance. Containing nearly 70>ooo inhabitants, it is almod
as populous as Messina, and in architectural elegance it vm
passes both Messina and Palermo. Here, as in other CaUic£(
cities, tlie ecclesiastical buildings take the lead. The Beocdte*
tine monastery is the grandest struaure in the isiand, mnd ttl
organ is said to be the finest in the wofW. In Syracuse, tb|
ruins of ancient buildings consist only of scattered fnigiii€Dls
but the theatre and amphitheatre, having been excavated in
rock, are still tolerably entire. The former appears to havi
contained benches for 20,000 spectators \ a number sufficii
to puzzle the ablest antiquaries with regard to the essi
point of accounting for the conveyance of the sound of an
voice. •^Syracuse, even in its prc«>cnt decayed state, is )gf
tii>n a very strong fortress. It was garrisoned, at the lii
• PcunmglOri'l EECUTROtTf, VqLL p*34;-
Ur. Cab
Gait*/ Voyagis and Travels*
J4I
Mr. Galt^s ^isit, by a British regiment of 600 men* — Fron^
Sicily^ he proceeded to Malta j and thence, after some staj, to
the island of Cerigo, the antient Cythera. Here he found him-
•elf in the neighbourhood of the PeloponnesuSi and lost no
time in passiiig over to Mainaf (the 8o^the^^ part of the antient
Laconia^) in company with another gentlemani who had agreed
to perform with him the journey through Greece*
Maina is a mountainous district | and the inhabitants, living
in a state of wild independence, deem it no crime to assail the
property of their neighbours cither by sea or lani. They have^
10 fact, never been thoroughly subjugated ^ and they might
succeed in driving the Turks to a considerable distance, were
not their efforts enfeebled by miserable feuds among themselves*
They have the vanity to retain the name and several of the
customs of the antient Spartans ;* among athers, that of wearing
their hair long and flowing : a peculiarity which, our readers may
recollect, was observed in the chosen band of Leonidas on the
eve of their memorable conflict. They are not, however, more
gallant than their ancestors in their treatment of the fair sex j
me labour in the fields appearing to devolve chiefly on the
women* The most remarkable feeling discovered by our travel*
lers in the disposition of the Mainots was a wish for the arrival
of a Christian power, no matter whether French or Engli&h, to
relieve them from the detested neighbourhood of the Turks. -^
Mr. Gait and his companion having, in consequence of indro*
ductions to the chiefs, procured a guard, set out on horsebick,
in a northern direction, towards the site of Sparta.* The
country was finely diversified by hill and dale^ and the oaks, as
well as other stately trees, appeared in many places in an
abundance that reminded them of the parks and pleasure-grounds
of England. On reaching the frontier of the Mainot territory^
and approaching Daphnis, one of the first border-villages of the
Turks, the travellers entered a spacious valley j bounded on
the left by the chain of high mountains stretching northwards
to the centre of the Peloponnesus, and on tne right by the in»
ferior parallel chain which separates the level part of Laconia
from the gulf of Argos. In advancing to Mistra, near the an-
tient Sparta, the valley narrowed ; and the country, without
losing its beauty of scenery, exhibited marks of tolerable
cultivation:
• At sunset we had a view of Miitra picturesquely scattered dowo
file side of a iteep bill, and crowned with a castle so aerially liigh, that
it seemed father 10 have been intended to attack the Goda tlian to
remt the inTaflions of men. — A ft;w niiles before reaching the towof
our guards left their mtiequets and niiUiU in t|ie cottage of an Al-
banian, the Christian subjects not being allowed to carry armi in the
I'ufkisb domipioAS* It wai dark before ws arrived^
Z 3 • Mislrs;
L
^^ ^-
341
Gait / yoyngis and Travifr*
• • Mifitra, thaugh generally <Jc»cnbcd n% the $ncc^%aof q£ tht iSldaiS
Sparf ;i, sunda at the dialiincr of two or tJ*r*« mil'** from eat
Of ran»fti which arc projicrly conindcr:d as tlic mn^ili v[
famous city. The modern town il5'*lf i» also fast bct^
ofcurioaity for the wnnd-rin^T ^^'"l^i^ncs* Not al
part of it is inhabifcJ J and churcliefi, moscht, and private ho
are tunibling to pieces- TKr church , which the Grcrk» call !
lepto^, and wliich, with thrir innate propcmity to ex3|rge7at
lay was one of the most beautiful iu th" woHd, h hr ^o?}^ hi
4;avj siml neifcr could have been ;»ii obi '
vcllcr from the westward- Before the i
Morca waf attacked, the population of Mistra wa»iTckai*cdait
thousand ^ouU ; azid^ from the apparent extent of the towu^ 1 1
think this estimate not greatly beyond the truth. At prctei
number of two thouwnd iii sufHctent to include c^ery one in tl
and Buburbi. Among the ruinous buildings of Mtittra, %t\
ments of Bculpturr, the work^ of the classic aucienttj ire tcciwl
were fthewn a magnificent aattropha^s, adorned with figuret»
the fruit and fohage of the vine. It serves as the irougk to A f
Cain» and has been much defaced by the pitcliers of tbe
carriers.
' We called on the goTerno|-» a venerable looking old mant i
whom wc had letters from Antonbcy. He received us with mu
courtesy, and entertained us, according to the cuttom of the Ta
with pipos and coffee. He ai»o gave orders to the postimwtCf (
furnish us witli horses, and ordered u guard to attend us aa ftr I
TripolJzza, The nparlment in which he was liltifv »me
wi^ several other Turks, was a fair specimen of tt*e c
town. The windows were falling from the sashes; and the ^
|»art of the panes being broken, the vacancies were supplied urU^
paper, "
• In retumincf from the govcniment-housc» wc pasted the Ar
bishop of Lacedemon coming from church* He »t^
vited us to his rcsidcJice, where he also entertained ns
coffee. We dined with him n^stt day^ and rv»ceivcd ;t
cJeaiastical dinner. Hf h a respectable old mnn, m
for the vigour with which he maintains his authni
of the palace is singularly fine. It st?ind« high, . Jjirl
on which the town is built^ aodeomnmndsa vie. dk'hoU*loDg
hollow valley of Sparta, the most fertile juid L^..»v..». .racl of T
Morea/ —
• After dimieri which waa serircd about mid-<?^^ ■ ' -*— • •*
the ruins of i^parla. The imagination, without
veyjngthc cnviroris, may form an idea of an tiLic
the remains arc covered vvith grass The city i
b'ke Spartans, has become a wall *
which wc examined have been*
with the fiagiuCTUs of more ancient nu
sticking in one of the w-^llfi^ s<^\Tral >•
column*, and part of
thati probably, one
G-mWi Voyages and Travfir* 34 j
f^Jcki there ts a dtfa^d inscriptioni which* hftd it been suff^9rrd to
f^matrtt might have tolj U3 what they werc*^
* Od returr^rDg to our Jodginga, w* were vi»ited by two physicians,
Oneofth*fin a Scptmiularian^ iguaraut and impertinei^t ; the other,
# liFcly German. The Scptrnauhir doctor informed my companioiv
that he had the miifortuac to be married to a devil ; and the German^
3it the same time, luld me, that hit wife was little inferior to an angc!^
and invited ui to *ee her. In the evening we gave a ball and supper
to the Ephori and their families. Our Spartan aupper would have
merited the approbation of I^ycurgus htmtelf. It consisted of a pig
and a leg of mutton, with other stmilar delicaciei. Both the dflvit
and th^ tngei made their .ippcarance at our banquet* The former
had nothing infernal in her looks; and I think the Germain wasrieht
to saybg, that ihe was m^de savage by her brute of a husband* His
own wife merited some of the praistri tliat he so lavi»hiy Iwrstowed on
her. He excus«?d her &low mov<rment3 in the dance, by whiaperin^
la mc» that fihe was a month adviaiced in pregnancy* Hi* rival* the
$ept insular ian, soon after, took an oppprtimity of informing tncv thai
•he had beea married from the baram of Vilhi Faiihaw, We fonnd
ouitetves tpeedily acquiring a knowledge of all the scandal of the
town.^
Proceeding northwnrd from Mistra, the travellers crossed the
clear and rapid stream of the EurotriSp and rode to Tripolizza,
They found it a misetible pi ice •, and afrcr h.iving passed i
night ther:', they turned to the right, in the direction of Argos,
In cbeir way, they visited the Lernean lake \ which, except iti
one small spot of great depth, is nothing but an cxtensire and
unhealthy morass. The labour of Hercults in cutting off the
beads of the monster, which regularly aro^^c again, is easily exw
plained by the growth of the rushes clTt down or burned for the
purpose of opening a free pa&?;;ig? to the water. — The author
next viewed the great spring of Eracinos; whicli rushes:, at
diice a river, from a grotto at the fqot of a rocky mountait^.
In Argos, he found little to gratify curiosity. T^e ruins are
Inconsiderable, and their forms almost obliterated. Mycenae h
still less calculated to reward the troi^ble of a journey; and the
subterranean hollow cone, generally l^elieved to be the tomb of
Agamemnon, has lost much of its attraction since another cone
of the game description has been discovered in the neighbour-
hood. Mr, Gait remarks, in conciirrence with other travellers,
particularly M, Bartoldy, (M. R. Vol. Ixii. p. 453) that, with
the exception of Athens, very little is to be seen in the ruins
of the antient Greek towns. This he found to be the case at
Corinth and Megara, and the chief sntisfaction ia this part of the
journey was derived from the deli^^htful scenery between Megara
anti Athens. Here Mr, G, and his friend passed the antient Eleu-
sis, and saw, ahiiost below them, the streii^htof Sal;imi*i, whicli
Tec;ilied their early impressions of the skilful tactics of Themis^
^ 4 tocks*
344
Galt^i Vo^ges and Trmfok*
secies. On leiLving Eleusis, the lerel country ti found gr^
dually to expand, and an extensive prospect opens in front.
First is seen the top of Mount Hymettus ; next, the AcropcUf
of Athens ; and soon afterward the traveller's eye is fixed on the
temple of Theseus, The road in approaching Athens still passes
tmid groves of olives. The houses have a straggling appeir-
ance ; and the town-wall, which incloses a number otgardens,
is computed to be more than three miles in circumference.
* The common estimate of the population of Athens is ten thoo*
■and souh ; and it appears not to be far from the truth s and yet the
city contains no lets than thirty*nine parochial churchet, btjdei thi
metropolitan, and upwards of eighty chapels.* —
' The famous University of Athens has dwindled into two pitiful
schools, where classic Greek is professedly taught. The students
are few, and their proficiency is stnalU Dtgrees arc not conferrtd,
tnd no literary honours are now known in Athens. There air
several private schools } and the Athenians cai)» generally* read in4
write.' —
* In Athens, there are eleven places of Mahomedan worship. The
Turks have also three public schools, where their youth recdbt a^
slender species of education. '—
* The only trade at the Piraeus, is the exportation of the tirodiM*
tions of the Athenian territory ; of which about thirty-iivc thounod
barrels of oil are annually shipped by the French merchants settled
here, and from forty to fifty tons of madder roots. The oil is good; but
the madder is inferior to that of Smyrna. A small quantity of nitie
ts also prepared at Athens. Considering the improvement which has
taken place in the neighbouring ii^lands^ and particularly in E^na, it
is probable that the Piraeus may again become a frequented port*
There is a little cotton raised in Attica ; but the g^round is so caie*
kssly tilled, that the grain harvest rarely affords much for exportation.
* The temple of Jupiter Olympus, which was the largest fabric itt
Athens, presents now onW a few columns ; but they are of snch
majestic proportions, that they form a very impressive sjpectJicle* No
jtist notion of the figure or extent of the building can be eoncaved
from them j but this obscurity, especially as they are seen standing
in an open field, unobstructed with rubbish, enhances the interest i&d
the solemnity of their effect. The Turks, and the baser Gre<ekSf i»e
in the practice of breaking down and burning the marbles of the «a-
cients, in order to make mortar. Owing to this, all the rest of the
hundred and twenty pillars of which this gorgeous edifice consistrdf
have entirely vanished away.
* The temple of Minerva, with the other buildings in the Acro-
polis, are the most celebrated of all the Athenian edifices. In point
of influence on the imagination, all the elaborate sculptures of the
Farthcnon, the Erectheum, the Pandroscum, and the Propylia, fiD
Infinitely short of the ivied cloisters of a monastery, or the ruder
masses of a feudal castle- Artists niay here find models j but the
cursory traveller, who expects to be awed by the venerable aspect of
ry]ii| wiU wonder at the apathy of his own feelings. He must be-
cogie
I
Gall*/ Feyagtf &nJ Travel/*
S45
come « studenty ia order to sppreciste the rxcelleoce of tkc Grectis
•CtJpturc,* —
• The temple of Theveut it the neitt object of admiration^ It it
an elegant Doric oblong columnar building, witli a pediment of lis
piUart at eadi end. It hat suffered leM from time« or antiquaries,
more dcstniiCtive than time, thsm any other edi£ce in Athens, From
the ornament*, it appears to have been dedicated to Herculet a» well
*5 to TKcfleua* The workmanship and architecture afford a fa?our-
able ipecimen of the atate of the arts in the time of Pericles, by whoia
ordera, I believe, this temple was raised/—
* Next tn raTik) perhaps superior in beauty, it the monument of
Lyiicratesy adjoining to the monastery in which we lodged^ It it
generally known by the ridiculoui name of the Lantern of Democ»
thencs, given to it by some ignorant Greek Cicerone, who, pro-
bably, heard of Diogenes and his lantern, and confounded the orator
with the cynic. Diogene* had, certainly, a very correct opinion of
the Athenians, of whom it may be said, that, by their ostracism,
they punished virtue aj other nations do vice. The monument of
L»ystcrate8 is a circular building, of the Corinthian order, about sii
feet in diameter. The frize is ornamented with bas reliefs, repre.
tenting the story of Bacchus and the Tyrrhenian pirates. It was
built about three hundred and thirty years before the Christian sera, —
* Oar ideas of the splendour of the antient nations are, fog the
most part, exceedingly erroneous, chiefly owing, I conceive, to
their being derived from descriptions of temples and palaces ; words
which, orthemselvea, always charm up a aumber or gorgeous and
unreal fancies, A painter, iu giving a view of anv occurrence which
took place in the streets of ancient Athens, would be regarded as a
man of a niggardly imagination, if he attempted to delineate the
aopearance ot the town with historical fidelity. De Pauw, in hit
pUlosophical researches, iiiforms us, on the authority of Aristotle,
that the streets were narrow, obstructed with stairs, and the air
darkened and confined by overhanging balconies. The houses were
constructed with timber j and, from the general poverty of the com*
mmiity, we have no reason to imagine that they exhibited any extra*
Jinary elegance of interior arrangement. Were we to judge of the
iftestic man^ons of the English by the cathedrals and the remains
OT Popish grandeur, we Bhoufd conclude that the country has greatlj
declined in magnificence,'
1 Notwithstanding the customary haste of Mr. Gait and his
fellow-traveller, they found inducements to pass a week at
Athena. On leaving it, they proceeded to Marathon ; where,
if they fail to describe the military advantages of the position
of Miitiades, they do not omit to notice the favourable nature of
the beach for a disembarking army. The shore is flat for many
miles I and the water has> all along, sufficient depth to admit
the close approach of boats. Continuing their ride, on ihe next
■ day, they had a good view of the opposite shore of Eoboca,
wtikh seened to be well planted with olives^ and tolerably cul*
1 tivated.
34^
GaICi Voyagei afid TfaveL.
|ivatc<l. At tlie town of Negr
the
igJu
ulation
ic^wrn stfcms to be about 5^00 : but the plaice is wrctclkcdly
built, and the climate is unwholesome* Ac Thebes, the
next object of examination, the travellers could discover 00,
traces of antuiuity. As their journey took place in a dry seanoOw
they found that the channel of llic Ismemis, hke that of
other Grecian rivers, contained Only a feeble stream, Tf
ritory of Thebes is fertile, and affords a supply of com f<
portation. The two ports for the shipment ot Boeotian pro<
are Negropont and Megara : but die modern capital of ilie
part of this province is Livadia :
* Livadia stands on the steep slope of a rocky hill« divided h^
a rugged cliasiti, through which, In winter, a violent occasioi,
rent rages ; and, all the year, from the cave of Trcpbonius, s
jaccut springs, a plentiful stream of delightful water cotitii
flows* Before the town lies a beautiful verdant valley» watci
ibis stream i and behind, on a lofty, predpitous, and
corner of the mountain» stand the towers and pinnacles of a
in ruins.
* The ancient Livadia stood at a considerable distance (i
site of the modem* The existing town contains about five thai
inhabitants, who have grievously felt the oppretsivc sway o
Pasha w, of which tlie decaying aspects of their bouses bear
fytable testimony* —
* Ch^rofifn, — Being detained, by the want of horjcs &ufH
enable us to proceed on our journey, we made an excursion to
ronca, rendered famous by the battle which Philip, the
Alexander, fought near it* The village consists of about
dozen scattered cottages, and almo!»t as many churches, V
mains of a Grecian lortress, seen, on the top of a hillt which
mands the plain, and the form of a theatre, excavated, at the '
with sevei-al broken marbles > on one of which we saw the
Philip and a wreath of victory, are the monumental memoriali
eily-
* Having looked at the tittle tha^ is to be seen at Chxropea»
went to Ocomenos, (Orchomenos,) now called Scr»pou/ Bist t«
many-peoplf d town of Homer exists no more. Theie ari% howt-voTi
a few relics of its ancient spkndofir scfll visible i particularly the
of a great circular maunoleum, similar to those to the neigul
of Mycsene,—
* ParH4tuut~ — We left Livadia after %Tcakf4ist ; and*
course of the afternoon, arrived at Castri, the ancient Delphi*
ride, for nearly half the way» was through a vallrr, wrhK n^m;
and magnifjccfiT, till we reached Rakova, and jt5 '
rottnn M6% and vincjards. From Rakova to C
eei iV^tendingt afFordtp at every tn niievi vi
iui f RTivagfj scenery* Considering 1 ^ ^mias
the appearance of nature ctmLo here, we oouM not but
GallV Voyages and Travels. ' T47
propriety of the ancients in regarding Parnassus as tlie peculiar region
9f toe Mms?s«
' The ruins of Delphi consist of mutilat *d inscriptions, extensive
terraces, and a few fra^jments of pillars. It seems no longt^r possible,
-without scafier!:, to discover the site of the j^reat Temple of Apollo.
It was, probably, where there is now a small monaster)'^, in the midst
of an olive grrove. In that neighbourhood the niches in the rocks, for
votive offerings, are most numerous. It was, also, generally, the
custom, after the establishment of Cliriitianity, to appropriate the
old contecratLvl grouud to tlic siTvice of the new religion.
' The CasttV.ian sprhig still flows ; and we enjoyed a draught, but
witlv)ut any effectual inspiration. A square bason, txcavated in the
rock from which it issues, is still almost entire. Two wild fig-trees
overhang the source, and a drapery of ivy falls over a niche, and partly
conceals a small chapel constructed in a holloW of the precipice. — In
a chaum above the spring, the traces of the stairs remain, by which
the priests performed their pantomimes, to overawe the pilgrim as he
knelt at the fountain to drink.
• The scenery round Castri is solenm and grand. The village is
overhung by lofty grey pn:cipict's ; a recluse valley is seen, verdant
and rurJ, far in the hollow below ; and the western prospect, diver-
sified by the gulph of Silona, coinprchcuds a long remote range of
the mountains of the Moroa* —
* Keeping Parnassus on our Irft, and gradually ascending a
rising ground l-.i-low the monastery of Jerusalem, which overlooks,
towards the east, a great extent of country, we halted to water our
horses at a small pool, which had been formed by the resort of cattle
and travellers to the spring. Throughout Turkey, fountains arc so
common on the sids-^s of the roads, that it was remarkable none should
have been erected at this place. But the country is cliicliy inhabited
by Greeks, and the road is not often frequented by Turks. The
Christians prefer building useless ciiapcls, in the hope of future re-
ward ; and sneer at the Mahomedans, who, from the same motive,
are induced to provide the refreshment of cool water for the dumb
animal and the thirsty stranger.
* From the pool to the village of Marianna the puth is steep and
rapid. When we had reached. the bottom of the valley, the sun was
on the edge of the horizon ; and t!ie effect of hfs slanting light on the
alpine features of Parnassus produced an awful and stupendous effect.
The mountain, towards Turco Cori, appears like a cairn, composed
of hills instead of stones. The detached form of the ten principal
peaks probably gave rise to the fdblc of the Muses and Apollo
having made it their seat : and the solemnity produced on the mind,
by the impression of th^ surrounding scenery, tended, no doubt, to
sanction the fiction.'
The next poiiir of attraction was the pass of Thermopylae '
but the traveller*, whetlier fioro impatience or defective know-
lege of the country, were not successful in ascertaining the
spot that was immortalized by Leonidas. . After an ineffectual
search for the ruins of Ileraclea^ they rode north^cards by the
pas«
348
Salt*/ Vo'flga and Travdi*
pua of Thitimacos, and had a di&tant view of die extenim but
thinly peopled plain of Pharsalia. Finding it impowhle CO
reach Larissa with daylight, and the weather being very threat*
ening, they were under the necessity of making an urgent ao-
plication for a nightV lodging to the Ttiiiti&h magiitrate of int
village of Bacratsi* Thi« magistrate was a Moor« and acceded
to their request. T^^^y passed some time in a room with htm
tnd two Albanian soldiers, and then betook themselves to rdl
in an adjoining apartment :
* All night the rain poured cooiously* and the lirequent bbtt
Uved it agaip8t the windows with b ucn violence, that it often disturbed
our repose. Before day-light, I heard a cautious kind of noi«e tiir*
ring at the outside of the chamber door. I li&tened*-* mv heart beat
audibly — my companion was aileep* The noise subctded, and I
heard the sound of feet soft retreating. The Turks are early risen;
and the people of the houae, engaged with their domestic aJFatn, had,
in the neighbourhood of our room, proceeded quietly, that they might
not awaken ui too early >*
On entering Larissa, Mr, G, and his friend were in a dispo-
sition to prefer the smoky comforts of a town to all the beauties
of rural scenery, when clogged with the drawbacks of * stinted
meals, sloughy roads, and sluggish horses.' Larissa is plea*
santly situated on the river Peneus, but the air is insalubrious |
tnd it has suffered severely from the general system of extortion
which has been practised, of late years, by Ali Pacha. In tra^
versing the vale of Tempe, Mr. Gait found for once that the
praises of the poets had not been lavished on an unworthy
object :
* The scenery of this beautiful valley fully gratified our expecti"
tione* In some places it is sylvan, calm, and harmonious, and the
iound of the waters of the Peneus accords with the graciousnesi of
the surrounding landscape ; in others it ia savage, terrific, and ab-
rupt, and the river roars with violence* darkened by the frown trf
stupendous precipices, in whose gloomy recessesi the timveller expects
to see the gleam of the robber's eye, and passes on, overawed and
silent. At a short distance below the viUage of Ambelaki, the
motion of the river it almost imperceptible ; not an air stirred a leaf
of the trees which bent over it, dropping, in irregular festoons, tht
wild hop, the honeysucUc, and other woodbines. All was so pet^
fectly sereueand delightful, that it seemed just such a place as a poei
would describe as the elysium of the innocent deaf and dumb. Near
this enchanting spot, the sides of the vale begin to contract, the bills
issume a tremendous appearance, and the road lies in the bottom of i
dreadful chasrn^ The mind is excited, and tills with images of earth*
quakes and convulsions that rend the mountains asunder. The wrart
of the giants, with the huge array of the assault of heaven, agitat*
the imaginatioo^ The eye look^ towards Olympus ; douds iavolvf
Colt*/ Vejagit ani Travdi.
34f
its heidi ; and the mUt on Pelioo becomes the duit riimg, ai if Otsa
ted been newly broken from iu tumroit.
•• Turn Pater Omnipotens misao perfregit Olymptlm
Flaroinet ^t excussit subjecto Pelio Obtain,*' *
From this romantic spot, the travellers proceeded northwards
to the populous and commercial city of Salonika. Constanti-
nople was the next place of consequence in their survey, and it
is described (p* 253. ft leq.) at considerable length. After a
H rrsidence of some time in this metropolis, Mr. Gait determined
^«m visiting the tract of country lying to the north*west, in tht
■ direction of Adrianople, Sophia, and Widdin on the Danube.
P To travel this road, going and returning, was a joumev of not
less than 700 miles, a bold undertaking in the midst 01 winter:
but Mr, Gait was too vigorous an equestrian to be deterred by
the frost and snow of the Thracian mountains. In traversing
th€ forbidding regions of Mount Haemus^ he observed hi*
Tartar guides tie their handkerchiefs firmly over their ears ; and
he found that * this method of confining the insensible respiration
by the ears has the eflFect of diffusing a degree of warmth over
the face/ He met, in his progress, with wretched accommoda^
tion, and still more wretched roads \ and, by way of finish to the
vexations of this singular journey, he had the mortification to
be taken at Widdin for a Russian spy. — The Servians, tliough
unanimous against their common enemy the Turks, are fac*
B tious, and divided among themselves. Notwithstanding th«
W l^te aggrandizement of Russia, it is by no means clear that
Turkey will fall under her dominion so soon as some sanguine
L calculators prognosticate. Mr. Gait remarks (p* 360.) that
f * much of t))e raw material of a great nation exists in Turkey *,'
and to those who anticipate the easy defeat of its armies, we
would recommend a reference to the facts mentioned in our
notice (M. R. Vol. Ixi. p. 491.) of the life of Suwarrow,
In returning from Widdin, Mr. Gait experienced as much
difficulty from t^e thaw as he had previously encountered from
die frost. His description of the country is not calculated to
t attract to it the attention of future travellers ;
■ •In reflecting on the circumstances of theextensi?e tract of country
■ lbft>ugh which I have patsed, with my imperfect knowledge of its
ht8tory» I am inclined to consider Bulgaria as a region wnich hat
ftever ytt emerged from barbarism. Though, from the earliest times,
the icjit of wnrs, it exbibita none of those traces of permanent posts
of defence, which are so common in other contested lands. The
tre of the traveller searches in vain for the tower on the steep, and
ine beacon on the hill. It has nothing even similar 10 the little
canlet, of the chieftains, which are so numerous in Miina ; nor ar«
llierc to be lecnf entire or in r^nsi my structures resembling th<
buronial
^t^'HE nrr<
3 JO Gall*/ Voyages atsd Travets*
baronial resitknccs in the we«t of Europf, T^c to^'
BJovcnly spectacle of hovels, the hereditary ahodes <
ignorance. Tht charches are ivniFormly mean and i.c^,. v..,^ ^^
the inhabitants have none of those Utile domestic imJtatTons of stifl
degance, which, in countries where society is found \n a
vtnety of forms and conditions* serve to emtcllibh tlic fcutivsilil
peasantry/
Of the succeeding part of the nairativp, tlie most inif
pas&agc rekues to the city and island of Idm^ of whtcJi the pre*^
pl^jvulation is understood to Have n: ' ^ in ^ colony
Creek refugees from thi? Morea. "J ts .irr cr'i^iiJf^r*^
as tlic most intrepid navigators in the Arc! 1
mercantile men amonj; them huve a cliaracicr .. , !
morality than their Greek neighbours* Their shippi; 1
(P*377*) ^ amount to cigJity sail, each of two hur. 1
fifty ton<3| or upwards; exclusive of a proporiion c ::
vessels. Among them, as well as the AmericnnSt ii is \
to p;iy the shipmasiev and his crew by shares in thr : i
the cargo \ and hence much more gravity and i -^
observable in Idriot sailors, than among tlicir ataiii** -j, u*v
iu other countries :
« The town is, certainly, a very extraordmnry phc?* Tf*r
rise from the border of the [lorl, which ia in the f<urm v^ -. T> --
in fucccsiive tiers, to a great height, imd many of thrn.
pinnacles of chfls which would mrtlce a Bath or an F
retcer giddy to look from* *rhe buildings arc all f
waehed J and a number of wiiidmills being, almosl cui,
motion on the height 9# the clTect of the scene, with the ::
the bu&Ue on the wharfs below, is, at onccp surpri&ing, aud tuiCi
clieerfuU
■ There are upwards of forty parochial churcWs in the tjow0
two of them are adorned with handtome steeplrft* *Idra fo
of the diocese of Epua and Paros, one of the li '
Greece. — The population of the town is said to c.
9«nd souU ; and I think it ia not exaggerated.
« There were, when I was there, no pubhc «chon?f but t!:
the parochial priests* Eight of the principal ir'
cured aa Italian mast'L^'• for their children, to who
ievcnty-five pounds r nnnnm.
* Though the po« > > rousi there ti nO^ubHc pK»vi^|
them ; but the charity of individuals i§ liberal; and i
profit* of a share oi their vessdsi and even ©omctinv .i. /,
rcguhrly di^tr buied amon^ the needful.' —
* It can hardly be i .i^^ r;at di:^ ]\iiV^ -tat-r. fa
be considered, ai it
nlhcr ynder theprotL^„_ ._
authoritv, hac any lav*i ; but it Las man
force of lav^f. Litigated questioni aiv ^,
3Jt Gait'/ ypyagei and Ttaveb*
kindness/ Her SicilizLn Majesty is described (p* 53.] i» 1
woman of great acttvityi but sne * sees none of her desceodinti
capable of contending with the staunch destruction tlut has '
let loose on the race of Austria and the Bourbons/
Of the author's political observation?, the principad U
▼ice to our government to make a diligent use of the infloencv
of the press among the nations of the Mediterranean :-*-9othiog}
he saySi would more effectually^ second the general dispost^
of the inhabitants of these quarters to adhere to Englai
preference to France, He presents us with a variety oi
marks on the aggrandizing projects of the French govemmi
projects on which we say little, both bcciuse we ci
Bon2parte*s ambition as rather cooled by the rough
which he has experienced in Spain and Russia \ and bea
were he actually to gain ground in the Turkish empire|1
would find the accession of territory a mere chimera in point of
additional power.
Mr. Gait seems to have almost as strong \n antipathy to ecc^
siastics as his philosophic countryman Hume ; and whr"^*"
from an affectation of singularity or of superior in form a tioj
loses no opportunity of aiming a sarcasm at the church*
Greek ;md Catholic establishments are, in consequence ol
direction of liis travels, the chief objects of his animad^
in the present work : but we perceive symptoms nowise
vocal of a similar feeling towards the more enlightened men**
bers of the Protestant community. It would be a lo«s of time
to enter on a refutation of such attacks; and it wocdd be 1
matter of no little labour to correct the multiplied inacciiricief
of this book in other respects : which consist partly in
views of national policy \ partly in less excusable mis
sions of history. The radical cause of these errors is ati
dinate haste both in travelling and writing. At Mr. Galt*s
of riding through a country, a traveller goes along the wl
length of Greece in the course of a week- We fitid
(p. 174.} leaving Argos at three in the afternoon, and reai
Corinth that night j taking, moreover, by the way, a gli
the ruins of Mycenae* This is a distance of fifty miles at h^i^
and is nearly such a mode of proceeding as tf a
to describe England from stage-coach observation, Tl
tourists passed Mantinea, and were at no great distance^ ffOil
Letictra and Platsea, they made no attempt to ascertam tbe
locality of these celebrated battles. — Mr. Gait promises a Mcond
work on the f^ubject of Greece, and a separate report of th«
loonuments of Athens. In these maturer labours, we shall
hope to trace the benefit which may be ' -red by a reeon-
tideratbn of his present book, and an .1
tioni which will have been made on it«
( 3J3 )
^H| of Baurlion,
^^^ ^Ari* continutJ from our last N umber f p^ 2 94- J
nPRiuMPHANT as had hitherto been the career of die Princess
-* Orsini, it was destined at length to experienr e the fate with
ivhich superior merit is too often visited in courts In her
c:x&t^ merit and services did not want the aid of active vigi-
lance and consummate address: but the individual who ruled was
out of the reach of personal communtcationj his penetration,
besides, was by no means always to be trusted 5 and, above
all, the distance at which he was placed rendered it Impossible
to guard against imposition. The Princess became an object
of jealousy to the Cardinal D'Estrees; who, notwithstanding
his abilities, erudition, and experience in diplomacy, made
but a ridiculous and sorry figure in the embassy to Spain, from
vhich his admirinj; master was obliged to recall him. The
Cardinal in his dispatches incessantly inveighed against the
Princess, represented her stay at Madrid as prejiuficinl to public
affairs, and urged her removal* She then presented a memorial
to the King of France in answer to the charges brought against
her, and requested permission to retire. Louis haughtily ac-
cepted her offer, and accused her of rutning his affairs by want
of cordiality with his minister : but 80 firmly did Philip and his
Queen support her cause, that tht French King, laying aside
his usual hauteur, signified his willwigiiess that she should
not be displaced : "
* These half apologies were not however BufRcient to soothe the
resentment of this high-spirited woman, who felt her power, and
drtermiticd to assert it. She retorted the censures of Torci (which
he had passed on her in a late commnnication ) by complaiiitg uf the
harshness with which he had treacled her ♦ and in demanding satisfac-
tion for the recent insuItB which she h?id aulFered, declared that, as
ihc had received the command of the French King to retire, she would
not remain at her post without an or^er equally positive. She proudly
affected to overlook her past mortiticatioas, while she displayed her
own ascendancy, and the misconduct of her antagonists, by diaitating
to the court of Versailles a plan of conduct equally calculattd lo
forward their view* and save the honour of Philip.'
She acted, says the author, with the same spirit with which
•he wrote :
* A reluctant and ungracious homage on the part of tlie Cardinal,
rendered to her in consequence of the orders of the French King* was
Xiot sufficient lo satisfy the Frincrss. She maintained the same spi-
>Tted and dignified language, and refused to recede from her demand
«Df tatiafaction, till, at length, the hackneyed politicians and proud
%oTereign of France, were compelled to bead before a woman, who
&BT* A VQ, i8tj* A a bad
3S4
Coxe*i Mffmiri $/ the Kings 9/Spmn.
had Foiled and scbooled tbexn in tbe Tcry ntoment of her tmu
' Louifl himsrif condescended to eoHdt ber good wsU^ la a I
written with hh own band, " If I bad doubled of your ««al
fidelity, I would nf ver have advised tbe King and Queen of Spaii^^
retain you at M;Klrid. But being assured of your att;w:hmeot, I biWt
reason to believe that your continuance will be for the good of :
service, as well as fur that of ihe King, my grandson* Y uti '
belter confirm my good opinion than by a perfect union with 1
Cardmal D'Estreea, who is honoured with my confidence, andcbiq^
with my orders in iSpain ; and be assured that I shall be h]ppT||
acknowledge my satisfaction with your conduct, by ocw mark
my cRleem, and affection "
* By this honouraUle restoration to power and confidence,
pride and vanity of the Princess were equally stimulaiet^ ; ond I
exerted all hrr zeal and resources to convince the French
the value of her ascendancy.*
The arrogant and consequential Cardinal was soon recall
and continued his ill offices after he reached Versailles; gindl
successor, while he pretended abject devotion to tlie Priiw
•ecretly employed every art to set the French monarch agaii
her. An act which she committed , in order to expose
treachery of this base minister, was construed by Louis id
an oiTence against his dignity: this was not to b^:
a peremptory mand;ite was issued to the Spar
Queen to dismiss her. Sht was then ordered 10 leave Spa
and to pass by way of Thoulouse to Rome. To this op
the Queen submitted with coolness, but in the sequel sbeii
a determination which it was found impossible to overcon
to have .her Camerara* mayor restored to her:
* She cAalled with the ministers of the cabinet who wm orrtr
disinclined to oppose the exercise of foreign influence, and witbtfc
nobles who were dissatisfied with their exclusion from power,
htr secret instigation, Montellano gave private orders m Lis ei(tefi|
department* contrary to the decisions of the cabinrt ; atid with f
connivance, if not suggestion, all lite members of ad ministrai ion uu'
in df^uiandiog the re*c»tablishment of the anUent forms, and; —
atnting agaihst the increase of the militarj' force*
* In conseqaence of this violent strug^^lr, a total suspeoston of b^is-
ness prtvailtd, at the moment when prompt and *Il ..-rtiaas
were ncc«\^aary to resist the increasing force of the . rmA
the cal>als of the Austrian pariizaiis. The most trifimg^ us well J
the mnsi import.int measures, wero eqnally thwarted ; and a sceor 1
*^ 'and confuiiion ensued, which scarcely Ettds its parallel i
v of 8p?^*Ti.* —
* h wanjujiT' %byTesse, t^
throw thr kt! ' r ik ?hr r-r
ruluijt p^t
I
CoxeV M^mairj ^ftht Kings cf Spain *, 355
) mosmnctA by bitter experience of the vaat a&cencJancy of ttie PrinccBs;
I and that no other rCBource was left but her inter vetition.*
In vain did Louis meet her intreitics wltli answers dictited
by his natural loftiness \ the proud monarch at length saw
that he must again yield. The Queen was not slow in per-
celring this change, and, availing herself of it for the advan-
tage of the Princess,
• She boldly requested, not that her favourite might he restored^
but as an act of justice heard in her own defence. This artful ajipll-
cation was successful, and drew from the King a gracious pcnnissioa
for the Princess to repair to Versailles, wliich was the signal of her
triumph.* —
• Tlie reception of the Princess at the court of Versailles fnr sur-
passed her most sanguine expectations. Persons of the highest dis-
tinction, as well as the Dake of Alva, cmbansador of Spain, went
out to meet and escort her to Paris ; the members of the royal family
Koiioured her with their visits ; her residence was crowded like the
roy;il levpes» ind by the express command of Louis, Torci, the most
vehement opponent of her return, was constrained to testify his re-
fpects. Hrr appearance at Versailles was no less marked with
honours and distinctions. She was received not as a suppliant, but
as an injured person called into notice to render the disgrace and dis-
ippointment of her calumniators more public- She wa» admitted to
frequent aitdconiidential interviews with the King and Mademe de
MamteooD, and experienceii from Louis such unusual marks of favour
aind condescension, as shewed his aniuety to efface the recollection of
his past resentment.
* To tl»e honour of this extraordinary woman, she bore this tide of
returning favour with the same outward marks of serenity and lirm-
ness, as she had shewn in her disgrace. She was, however, too much
gratified with such flattering and lavish distinctions to hasten from
the scene of her triumph. Whether she hoped to exercise the same
tule at Versailles as at Madrid, or whether she felt a real reluctance
to encounter the difficulties of her former situation, is doubtful ; but
•he suflfered many months to elapse, equally disregarding the soUci-
latioiis of her royal mistress, and the hints of the French cabinet that
her presence was necessary in Spain*
* The visible ascendancy, which her captivating manners gained
over the mind of Louis himself, at length awakened the jealousy of
Madame de Maintenon, who omitted no effort to remove so dangerous
a rival. In such circumstances no diiEculties were permitted to pro*
long her stay ; and she was allowed to new model at pleasure the
government and administration of Spain, Orri was restored to his
K former poKt, At her recommendation a new embassador was ap*
H, pointed to fill* the place of Grammcat ; and her choice was better
H adapted to the situation of Spain, than any which had been made
^Kiince the ministry of Harcourt ; for Amelot, whom she selected, was
V not Ukelv to embroil the court of Madrid wilh pretensions derived
H from high birth or station. He was president St the parliament of
" Pkris, a amo of great capacity and information, and had already dis-
A a 2 tinguish«4
3S<5
CoxeV Memoirs of the IChgr of Spain^
em
lingurslicd hh abilities and address, in eir-bawics to Vcntce, Swiff
land, imd Portugal, But ihe qualities T/liich had recoirmeniLltd I
fur his oi^Tice, were tried pni deuce, circumspeclion» itisinuating- 8U
plene^^ of character, and above all, an unbounded devotion to
patroness.' —
* After long delays the Princess Orsmi departed fronri a court of
which she appeared as rhc reignuig divinity j and her entrance into
the Cripital of Spain rcstnjbled ihe triumphal entry of a sovereign in
his own domiuiouF. At ilie distance of two leagues, jhe was met I
the King and Qviccn^ and after an afrixtioi);itc embrace, waa invited I
take a place in ihc royal carriage. But she was now become too d
creet to violate the ri^id rules of Spanifih etiquette, by accepibg i
honour to which a subject was not entitled. She resumed her of
of Ca me r:*ra -mayor, bv the resignation of the Duchess of B'jttr*
the Queen seemed as if unable to testify the warmth of her aiFrciio
to tilt' Princess, or the extent of lier gratitude la the King of Fr?nc«i
Her return was hailed by both courts, as the panacea to close the
wounds which her recall had inflicted. Louis himself, with a degfte
of humility to which he had long been a stranger, acknowledged
own error in recalling her from Madrid ; and in his letters to I
Queen, he observed, " The coniidence you will please to place in b6
together with her understanding and zeaU will restore the affairs of tl
monarchy, and efiectually promote the interests of the two crowns*"
The expectation tliut the Princess's return would put an end
to the existinjT anarchy was puerile, and the event soon proved
its fallacy. Had she not been called to France, in all probability
things would have gone on smoothly, and the new throne hava
been established ; but, in her absence, habits had been formed,
a spirit of opposition had been fostered, and aflairs had taken a
new course, which the was found unable to controul. This
inability doubtless aggravated the calamities under which the
country, shortly afterward, was so near sinking. If, however, I
she could not remove tlie evils which her departure ocOhjU
sioned, she appears more than once by her councils znd metl^M
»ures to have saved the state from falling. ^^
Our notice of tliis extraordinary female, thougTi yet by no
means closed, has carried us farther in the present narratiiT than
was warranted by the course of events. In a passage whicl^^
occurs earlier in the work than the part at present before u5|tli^H
jauthor, alluding to the matters at which we have been hinting^*
Tery justly observes j
* The crifiia was now arrived which proved the folly of the «y^tcflJ^H
pursued by Louis with regard to Spain, To imagine that he coul^H
direct wdlh absolute sway the court of Madrid ; that the King wouM
quietly submit to be governed by the Queen \ the Queen by the Prin*
cess Orsini j the Princess herself be perfectly subservient to theFrtncb
embassador ; and that the embassador would act with the Princess l^J
confidence and concert ; finally, to suppose that the Spaniards, ^H
people zealously attached to their awn cu*tom» and bws, and *ingti^^
Urly
CoxeV Memeh-s of the Kings of Spain.
357
|;loiift of foreign interference, would, without a murmur, see
ovcniment moJfllcd and remodelled, their llnances admini-
tbeir customs violated, their Livvs chaiigcdi by a nation for
Ihey fostered a deep-rooted antipathy, wai» the height of
IS and absurdity. Yet such were the expectations of a rao-
rf no ordinary sagacity, whose judgment w.i3 perverted by
Wperity, and the habits of absolute sway, no less thau by tlie
nnation of his agents.'
lal, however, and of no signification, are the errors which
kich monarch committed with reg.ird to the interior go-
jnt of Spain* compared with those which mark his foreign
' It was not .sufficient for his insatiable ambition to have
tent times made important and extensive additions to bit
les at tlie ex pence of Spain and of the empire, to have
|lis grand-^on on the throne of the former kingdom, and
it her counsels according "to his pleasure, but he must
hy obnoxious acquij^itions from its dependencies, — he
ts his ambassador to demand the Netherlands from his
pn, and the governor is cajoled to deliver its frontier-
jes into his hands. The maritime powers, who had be-
Ifimoved his former aggressions, are now roused, the
illiance is formed, the war of the succession commences,
ins of our future great deliverer are about to be real-
he edifice which It had cost Louts his whole life to rear
It to totter, and his house and his kingdom are only
rom destruction by almont miraculous events*
observations which the ambassador Marsin expresses, on
JtistTUCted to make a demand of tlie NethcrLiuds, form
iction of circumstances which afterward happened, and
|he degree in which Louis was blinded by his wayward
^; . .
(lip, far from being able of his own authority to decide ob so
fit a matter* has not even ihe power to fwiil any thing ; for,
liimself and his French attendants, t/j^re h not ptrhaps a single
\n Spain iv/jQ ivili he CQnvmced that such a proposai it founded
m and justice^ The disaffected will accuse France of having'
f view than to profit by the dismemberment of Spain ; nationS
^will be awakened into animosity ; the enemy will have a spe*
%text for invective ; and a war must be expected, into vvluch
lowers, who have not already taken part, will enter.'*
^revolting design was for a time laid adde, but was agaia
taad in part carried into execution,
oxe thus relates the conduct and arts which led to the
able war of the succession :
Wn Louis accepted the testament of Charles the Second, and
lis grandfton on the throne of Spain \ h became his interest by
Ipt iwd moderate conduct to obviate the jealouty of other
i^
l^ii
3S8
Coxc'/ M^molri sf the Kings ef Zpaitu
slates, and to lessen tliosc apprehensions which his paet aggrtfti'^
had excited* and which were now aggravated by the union of t
powerful crowns in the same family. But fortunately for the
dependence of Europe he haughtily despised this obvious policy j
disdained to regard the feelings of other nations, and hurried fun
to the accomi^ljshment of his project of universal dominion, eqi
inattentive to the maxims of prudencQ, and the respect due io
most solemn en;;:agement9,
* Before the departure of Philip to take possession of the Spanrdi
throne, Louis issued a formal act reservinjjj all the rights of hit
grandson to the crown of France, in default of issue male to hii
brother, without adverting to past renunciations, or indicating the
•lightest precaution to prevent the union of the two crowns oo the
fame head.
* Louis was aware that nothing could more alarm the Dutch
the prospect, however distant, ihat the Spanish Netherlands
fall under the domination of FraJice. Yet instead of soothing
alarm, he had not only taken forcible possession of the NelKcrl
and obtained an injunction from the court of Madrid pliftring
important provinces at his disposition ; but he constructed new works
even within sight of their fortresses, collectrd magazine;*, increistd
his army, and displayed proofs of a resolution to resume his former
hostile designs against tlie republic.
* Above all, it was his interest to avoid irritating England, from
whose uiutrality under the venal rdgn^of Charles, he had derived
mth essential advantages, in his wars against the bouse of Austria ;
and from whose comjnicated government and contending parties, He
had little to fear, while he disguised his ambitious designg, or avoided
trenching on her commercial interests. So far indeed had this maxim
been successful, that he had seen a powerfiil and high-minded nation
waste its strength and resources in internal struggles ; and all the
abilities and spirit of his able and inveterate enemy, Willianaj obliged
to bend to tlie rule of a predominant party.
* Instead, however, of pursuing this judicious system, he displayed
his controul over the Spanish counsels by appropriating thoie tourcei
of commercial wealth, which the two maritime powers bad hitbefto
exclusively enjoyed or shared; by etitablishing French companies trad^
ing to Peru and Mexico ; by wresting from the Dutch the Asietito
for the supply of negroes to the Spanish colonies ; and by excluding
the ships of both the maritime powers from the Spanish ports.
< Interest and apprehension roused that feeling wluch had sIuiB-
bered at the calls of lionour and policy. The Enghsh began to
tremble for the loss of their commercial profits ; the forcible occupi*
tton of the Netherlands at once cuUed forth a scniimeni of alarm and
indignation ; antj the people, as if awakened from a disep lethargy,
bf^gan to appreciate the danger, arising from the union of the two
great and powerful motmrchies, formerly rivals, but now directed bf
the same head* and actuated by the aame spirit.
« William profited by this change in the public sentimentt and
though shackled by a Tory parHament, and thwarted by peri-erie fsc*
tionS) found means to obtain supplies, and to mature tlie prepantio"*
I for
Coxe*/ Menwlrr of tht Kings of Spain.
JSP
for a contest wliich be foresaw was inevitable. By his lnflueoce»
iubsidbry treaties were concluded with Deiiinark, HoUaud, and
Braiidraburg, and eiS'intKil aid given to Leopold m combating the
Frvoch rnfluence in the empire/ —
* A few days after the ai^jnature of thii treaty, Louis gate a oew
and public insnlt to the people of England, by acknowledging the
prclendcd Prince of Walei as King of England, on the death of hit
falhefi James the Secondf in breach of his solemn promise at the
peicc of Rytiwick.'
The events of this war, and the negotiations which occurred
xXi the course of it, are related with the author's usual clear-
ness, but with too much conciseness ; especially if we be.ir in
mind ih^t Britain wys a leading power in the contest, and to
what a heiL;lvt it raised her military fame. We fully concur in his
just pnd temperate reflections on the conduct and intentions
af the parties in these negotiations. Success is on the side of
the allies, and they shew it oiTensively in their proposals |
LoGis's overtures are more plau4>Iblc ; and though the sincerity
of both is equal, his addresi is very superior : the repeated
ooiifercnccs, therefore, which had peace for their object, enij-
nentiy serve him, antt only prejudice the allies,
Tavicc in the course of this eventful war, was the throne of
Philip on the point of falling. Its first danger was occasioned
by tlie capture of Barcelona, in consequence of the well-known
daring enierprize of the Earl of Peterborough ; the second, by
the victory of Sarragossa^ Each time, the King was obliged
to fly from hi<i capital, and the allies made their entry into it.
The passages of this work which describe those successive entries
deserve our attention, especially at this moment :
* Before the departure of Philip from the capital, the light troops
of the enemy already hovered on the neighbouring heights ; and in a
lew days, a column of cavalry, the vanguard of the Portuguese army,
uoder the Miirquis of Villaverde, took possession of the capital, and
proclaimed Charles the Tliird* Two days afterwards the Earl of
GalAfay and the Marquis de las Minas made their tnumpbal entry at
the head of the main body, which consisted of 30,000 Portuguesei
Englisli, and Dutch,
* But to their extreme disappointment, no crowds nor acclamation!
' omed their arrival. The nnhlcs who had writt'.'n to invite their
*ach, instead of joining them, did not tiiake ihcir appfararice,
md were principally those fluctuating charjcters, who, in every poli-
tical frtorm, Are anxious only tti St'cure their own safety, or persons
who had experienced the displeasure of tije court. Among these
last, we f!i!5tirit^ui?ih the Count of L^mos, the Patriarch of the Indiesy
aoii ~ r Mcndoza, Bishop of Segovia. Oropesa, without
op L he cause II f the Archduke, suffered himself to be
, Uy iht: iiUicd troops, at Guudalaxara, wilh the Coiiiit dc
. . 1 : *3 6«in-iii*law« Scarcely, thtrefore, cuuld the allies obtain re*
A a 4 spcctable
rs ofthi Kings of Spat rr.
actable members to fill the difftTCnt departments of ihcir epheoietal
veramLHt. At Madrid, ihevr orders were obeyed oiily from ap>
elicnsion, aod beyond the reacb of their military force were tet at
fiance' —
* With a view either to conciliate or a\vc the people, Charles made
%s public entry into Madrid, preceded by an escort of 2,000 hor^
^-td followed by his body guard, officers of the household, and pnn.
i pal adh'i^rents. To evince his xeal for the Catholic faith, he vi<uted
\\e shrine of our Lady of Alocha, the most venerable 10 all Spain.
3 lit nothing could soften the antipathy of the inhabitants* Not even
lie pomp of the procession could attract any spectators except a few
^.irag^Ung childreii ; and an ominous and mournful solitude, far more
^mpri'^sivc than the most public opposition, reigned in the deserted
streets and squares. Chagrin and diaappointment overwhelmed llie
-pageant monarch : on reaching the gate of Guadalaxara, he refu!»cd
t:o continue his mock cavalcade to the palace of the Retiro, ai wii
the usual custom, and made a hasty retreat through the gate of
yilcala, t-xclaiming, ** Madrid n a desert !*'
* The expression of Manccra was tlic uniTcrsal sentiment. Wlien
presW with menaces to acknowledge Charles, the aged noble, with
SI spirit which the weight of an hundred years could not suppresif
replied, " I have but one God, one faith, and one king, lo whom I
have sworn all-giunce. I am on the brink of the grave, and will not
sully my honour for the few moments I have yet to live,**
• Under these inauspicious cu-cumstances, the Archduke was pro*
claimed King in the capital,*
It hence clearly appears that Philip had the hearts of tb«
people with htm, while the Archduke leaned solely on fo*
reign aid. This is a circumstance which, we think, merited
more altt?ntiDn, and demanded a farther investigation, than it
here receives; and to it, we apprehend, may principally be
ascribed the decided bias in favour of tlie Bourbon prince,
wnder which the pre^nt history was penned, and which it im*.
parts to its readers, — On the subjects of the desertion of the
allies by England, her preposterous complaisance to the house
of Bourbon, and her disgraceful abandonment of the brave
Catalansi Mr, Coxe speaks the sentiments of an enlightened
and Impartial Briton, and expresses them in a manner worthy
of his former self. Alluding to the fatal change in the royd
counsels which immediately preceded these ignominious mea-
sures, to the grand exploits atchieved under the auspices of the
Queen's first ministry, and to the disgraceful course followed by
their successors, he introduces the well-known passage from
Bishop Fleetwootl which, although somewhat too much in the
style of a churchman, exhibits in a striking view the glory of
the one and the infamy of tlie other epoch. With all the synw
paihie> of a pattioti the author commiserates the fate of tlie
brave Catalans, fondly dvifclU on their dauntless struggles, and
reluctantly states tkcir f^ul caustxwhew
5 Neil
I
I
CoxeV Alrmotrj of the Kings of Spain ^
Next to Louis XIV., nre have seen that the Princess Orsini
w:is tlie person who at this time had the most influence over the
affairs of Sp;un \ tliat not only men of the first coiisiderfttion for
their rank and s^erviccs, but even princes, had in vain caballed
against her \ that the mighty French monjiichhad been obliged
to leave his designs unexecuted against her; ;md tbat even he had
been forced, after he hiui made ber feel his powt^r* to submit to
lier recall, and to humble hims*^lf before Her. In continuing her
eventful history, we nre now to lay before cur readers the
singular stratagem of Alberonij then the humblest of her
creatures, to which sbe became a dupe, and which led to her
irretrievable downfall, Philip had lost his Queen \ and his
grandfather, being sensible that by meims of a wife he could
be best mannged, had des-tined several piincesi^eii for his bed :
but this was a matter which the Princess Orsini would tru&t to
ti0 Other hands thuin her own. Mr. Coxi"" remaiks that
* Slie, therefore, adroitly thwtirtpd the recommendations of the
King of Francci wliilc she tumtd licr attention to discover a princesi
of a petty court, who, to an amiable dispo&itioTi, and moderate taknits*
united graces of person, and whom she: might govern by the tics of
gratitude and respect. In this search, a casual suggestion of Albe»
roni, the subtle ageut of the Duke of Parma, induced her to ii^ her
choice on a princess of the hoiifie of Farnesc,
* Being engaged in conversation with Alheroni, while the funeral
procession of the late Queen was passing, she ri^markrd, ** We must
provide a new wife for the King/' and added the names of different
princesses. The wily Italian miscd objections to each, and p'*nctra*
ting her dcsJr;n, observed, " You mnst find ntu- quiet and docile, and
not likely to inttrierc in state alFairs," The PrihoedS asking, •* Where
we dif^covcr such a person ?" he rapidly rpCopindated the
families of Europe ; and then, as if by accident recollecting
carelessly mentioned Elizabeth Frtrncse, dan gl iter of Edward,
I Duke of Parma, adding, with tlic same tone of simplicity
Indifference, " She is a good girl, plump, healthy, and well fca,
brought up in the petty court of her uncle, Duke Francf*, and accus-
tomed to hear of nothing but needle-work and embroidery. *' He
dexterously adverted also to her reversionary claims on the duchie*
of Parma and Tuscany, which might afford the means of regaining
the Spanish power iu Italy.'
The Pfincess, having in due lime persuaded Philip to demand
Elizabeth, secured a dispensation from the Pope, and the con-
sent of the court of Parma* While all was proceeding according
to her utmost wishes, and her scheme was on the eve of bcii|
realized.
g
* She discovered, with indignation and alarm, that she had been
gXQu\j deceived in the character of the future Quten ; who, instead
* ' *ch
controul j
©f a simple and pliant girl, wati of a temper and genius which
3^1
Coxe'/ Memelrs of fit Kings cf Spain*
controul ; and though apparertlv obedient to the mandates of t le*
verc mother and rigorous stepfather, posiefiied a spirit and und<T^
etanding far above her age and sex. The information was not lou |
for the jtalous favourite instantly d'spuciird the most prewing ordcn
to suspend the conclusion of the mitcli, Htr messenger arrircd at
Parma -on the very morning of the ceremony ; but as the object of hti
commission was suspected, he was stopprj ai the entrance of the cilyt
lod by bribes and threats induced to delay his appearace till the en*
tuing day*
* On the t6th of September the nuptials were celebrated at Birm%
by Ulysses Joseph GozzaUni, Bishop of Imola, as papal legate (
the Duke» as proxy for the Catholic King, receiving the hand of hit
niece, A messenger instantly conveyed thtjoyful tidings to Madrid t
and the Princf^ss, concealing her chagrin and disappointment, affected
no less satisfaction than Philip himself,
* In a few days the new Queen took her rl(*parture with a splendii
retinue, and embarking on board a galley at Sestri, re tched Gcii
after a troubWsome passage. From thence >he continued h^r joiim*
by laud* She was received with regal honours in her journey ihroo;^
France, and at St. Jean Pied de Port pasted two days with her auni
the Queen -dowager of Spain. On reaching the frontier she disrois»ir
all her attendants^ except the Marchioness of Piombino» and tfast
places were supplied by the officers and servants of her new I oasc«
hold. At Panipc luna she was met by Alberoni, who for his import*
ant services was created a count, and received the appointment of
envoy from Uie court of Parma to that of Madrid.
* On the news of her approach the King quitted the capital ti
meet his bride at Guadalaxai*a, where the nuptials were to be coi
summatcd. He was accompanied by the Princess Orsbi and h
nephew Chalais, and surrounded with ulficers and domestics of her a
pointracnt. * On the evening of the first day he reached Alcala j ai
here the Princess, who had resumed her office of Camcrara*mayori
quitted him to meet her new mistress. She pas^d on to Xadraca»
Small village four leagues beyond Guadalaxara, where the Queen ar*
rived while she was taking sume refreshment. She instantly quilt<
the table, met the Queen at the foot of the suirs, and. kneelingi
kissed her hand. She was received with apparent complacency, and
in virtue of her office conducted her royal mistress to her apartmcnt-
* She began to express the usual compltmeniSy and to hint at tbt
ipipatiLiice of the royal bridegroom. But she was thunderstruck
when the Queen interrupted her %vith bitter reproaches, and affecti
to consickr her dress and deportment as equally disrespectful. A'
mild apology served only to rouse new fury ; tlie Queen haughal|"<
silenced her remonstrances, and exclaimed to 'the guard, ** Tuni oui
that mad woman, who has dared to insult me." She cren assist
in pushing her out of the apartment.
* She called the officer in waiting, and commanded him to anrst
the Princess, and convey her to the frontier. The officer, hesitatiu)(
and astonished, represented that the King alone had power to gttie
such an order. ** Have you not," she indignantly exclaimed, *• bit
Majesty's order to obey me without reserve ?" On his reply in tl
amrmatiftt
^
CoxcV Memoirs of the Kings of Spaitu
3*3
tISrmadve, she impatiently rrjotaeil, ^ Then obey me." As be atiU
pertUtcd in requiring a written authority t she called for a pen and ink,
and wrote the order on her knee.
The Princess was inulantly placed in a coacli, with only one female
attendant, and two officers, without being permitted to change her
dresfl. In thu manner, and under an escort of fifty dragoonsi she
I was conveyed during the whole night, which was so severe, that the
I hand of the coachman was frost bitten and mortified ; and «o dark,
that they were guided by the light of the snow, Afitonishment and
consternation at first benumbed her senses, and suspended her faculties.
But this state of suUenness gave place to indignation and despair, and
these passions were succeeded by deep and bitter rciloctions on such
unexpected, such violent, and unjustifiable treatment. Gradually
she began to imagine that the King^ whom she supposed to be igno-
rant kA wfiat had passed, would resent such an abuse of his authority,
and that some of her numerous ;idhL*rents in the court would interest
themselves in her behalf. Absorbed in these reflrctions, she passed
the rest of this long and dreadful night without breaking silence, till
tnornirr^ arrived, and it was necessary to stop and bait the horses at
a ssnall IiotcL She had now time to compose her countenance and
weig^h her expressions. To her companions she testified her extreme
turprjoe at what h;id happened, and related the circumstances of her
interview with the Queen. The two oflicers, accustomed, as all
Spain Iiad been, to fc^r and respect }\tt more than even the sovereign,
•Ugg^^sted sttch motives of consolation as occurred under the astonish*
ment with wbicli \.hs:j were tliemselves overwhelmed.
* As she proceeded on the journey, and no news arrived from the
King, her hopes became fninter and fainter, and at length gradually
vanished* Circumstances which in the first emotion had not touched,
now began to affect her. No beds, no provisions, no change of dress,
nor even of linen ; no dt^f^^^i*^^ against the severity of the weather, wai
to be expected till she arrived at St. John de Luz. These multiplied
iflconvcnicncies excited the most violent transports of rage in a woman
to imperious and ambitions, so long accustomed to unbounded power
and public consideration, so long habituated to the servility of a
court, and the luxuries and indulgencies of authority and affluence.
* On the third day she was jomed, at a small village, by her two
nephews, the Count of Chalais and the Prince of Lanti, with a letter
from the King.*
This letter was cold and formal \ it permitted her to remain
at the place where Chahiis might oveitake her, and promised
that her pensions should be duly discharged. — She at length
n'ached Paris : but the interference of the Duke of Orleans
obliged her, after a short residence, to quit the court of
Versailles :
* Of the remaining life of the Princess few notices are preserved.
All ihat we know with certainty is^ that her attempts to regain the
favour of Louis, and the confidence of Madame dc Maintcnoii, were
fruitier*. During the height of her power, she had employed her
i^vouritey D'Aubi^ne, to build a magnificent palace at Chaateloupe,
which
5*4
CoTftf^ Memoiri &fthi Kingi ^Spam*
which she dcitiDed as her future residence, purposinj;^ to rxcli
her principahtj in the Netherlands, for the proviace of Touraine,
the Pays d'Araboise, to nrvert to the crown ou her deatli. Bxit tn
her diitgrace^ she never acknowledged thU pompous edffsce ai her
own, and left it to be occupied hy D'Aubign^. She hoviTtd about
pATis and Versaii]<:8 till the bst illness of Louis ; but drrAding^ tik
rcicntment of the Duke of Orledus, in the event of his death, she
quitted Paris ; and, after being refused an asyhim in iiolliindf re*
sided a short lime at Avignun : she next estabhshed herself at Genoat
In vain she sohcitcd permission to resume her residence at Romct
during the life of Pope Clement ; but obtained her request under hti
tucccssar, and attached herself to the estabh&hmeni of the Preteiidtfi
doing the honours of his house, and as Duc!os observes, •* consoljug
herself with the shadow, in default of the Bubstance, of royalty,"
She died in 1722 at an advanced age*
* The intrigues which occasiont^d the sudden disgrace of this celc^
brated woman in the very meridian of her power, and the singular
manner in which it was effected, have long exercised curiosity and
ciinjecture. The most probable opinion seems to be that Louis tli«
Fi»urteenth was offended with her conduct in retarding the pefice^
anci concluding the nr.rriagc of Philip ; that the pride ot Madame dt
Maintenon was wounded by the ostentation aiid ingratitude of ■
woman who in the height of favour forgot her past obligatJDOS;
Philip himself was shocked with her attempts to raise herself to Hi
bed and throne ; and indignant at the bondage in which she had long
held him j lastly, the young Queen was offended by the attempt to
break oEt the marriage, and was anxious to free herself from the super*
iiitcndaice of a woman whose abilities she knew, and whose controul
the dreaded.
* The interests of all parties uniting in her disgrace, little difficulty
occurred in arranging the means, though the particulars are on*
certain. It appears, however, that Philip, not having the courage
to dismiss her in person, sent a private order to the Queen, and Mt
the execution to her spirit and discretion, A part of the letter
containing the order has been preserved. After requesting the
Queen to dismiss the Princess, he added, ** at L^ast take good caie
not to delay it ; for if she converses with you only two hours, ibe
will captivate you."
Although Philip has alrc^ady been so much under our notice,
it m^y be proper to offer to our readers a striking sketch which
the author gives of him at this time :
* Melancholy, indolent, and reBerved, the slave of habit, uxorious
without delicate attachment, fond of splendid enterprixes without
the talent to plan or resources to pursue them, he was formed to be
governed by his Queens, to become the iuBtrument of those design!
to which they were prompted by tlu'ir own interests and passions, op
the suggestions of their adviserf?. The death of his first consort, and
the dismission of the Princess Orsiaii produced |io change in his soUt
lary and monotonous life,'
Coxc*i Memoirs of the Kings of Spain*
3«5
|flie domineering influence over the afl airs of Spain and
ifopc, which the Princess Orsini had so long enjoyed,
jed Philip's new Oueen : but she had been cast in a lesa
jmoulJ ; she had not the enlarged views, nor the quick
kment, nor the command over others, which distinguished
fivalled Princess \ nor was her sway over her morbid
I more uniform or more absolute. It is true that the
I at this time had no Louis XIV, to consult, or to thwart
Emd that,
iDugh educated in a retired comer of the palace of Parma, and
kd Irom the world by a severe and vigrilant mother, she had asiti-
t cultivated her mind, and was better acquainted with hi&tory*
pticfi than the generality of her sex. She also spoke several
krs, and possessed an elegant taste for the polite arts. She
|ID, but not interesting in countenance, graceful in person, obhV-
ker address when she wished to conciliate, and gifted with the
jwcinating powers of conversation. Imperious and aspiring by
^«he was habituated to constraint and self-command by the mode
h education ; a perfect mistress of dissimulation ; artful and
flt in her designs, and animated with a spirit which neither tfme,
Ity, nor opposition, could subdue.
P' these qudities she called into action to govern her doting
id* Aware that he wa^ jealous of bia authority, she ruled
it appearing to rule, by practising all the refineiMents of
try, praiting him for the beauty of his person, granting or
jjding her caresses to serve her political purposes, and affecting
|no8t zeal for his glory. She was indefatigable in her attcn-
liever contradicting him, approving what he approved, or dis»
• what he disliked ; yet adroitly and vigilantly u^tching all the
'pR% of his mind, and leading him to adopt her wishes, however
pry to his own. She strengthened his aversion to society ; she
I his only and favourite amusement of the chace ; she passed a
jtual tete k t^te, with a hypochondriac and unsocial husband,
Icring neither disgust nor fatigue ; and enlivening the tedium of
pint* solitude, and etiquette, with an inexhaustible fund of
f and good humour. She thus acquired and consolidated a
if which neither time nor accident could shake, and to the last
jof his reign was the real sovereign of Spain.'
I the origin and rise of Alberoni, who was the first guide
|b Princess, and her master in the science of politics, we
\ here the following account :
Giulio Alberoni was the son of a labouring gardener in a suburb
dacetitia, and was bom May 21* 1664, He was brought up
ftrmably to his humble station, without instruction, even in the
it rudiments of learning j and for a time assisted in the daily
l|rs of his father. He shewed httle aptitude for this toilsome
pat ion ; but like the celebrated Six t us the Fifth displayed strik-
Eoofs of premature talents, and an ardent desire of instruction,
t the age of twelve he became in sugcession servant to the
k leictons
$66
Coxe*/ Memoirs of the Kings of Spain*
*^ See Rev. Vol. Ivii. R S. p. 28a*
AitT*
iexton» or clerks of two pamcHial churches. In thi» situation he at'* '
traded the notice of a priest, who taught him to read ; afterwardl
he acquired the rudiments of the Latin tongue ; and finally became
a pupil in the school of the Jesuits. Under these able masters he
displayed equal ability and industry, and left several volumes in bit
own hand-writing, which were preserved in the time of hts biographer
Poggiali, and shew an intimate and extensive acquaintance with sacrtd
and profane literature* To a lively, bold, and enterprising gcniiUi
he joined a supple and insinuating behaviour and a watchful attentiati
to seize every opportunity of improving his knowledge, which bil
lagacious mind had discovered to be the surest instrument of
fortune,'
Chance placed him in the way of the Duke of Vendome.
* The vivacity and insinuating address of the young priest had
already captivated all to whom he became known, had gained him
numerous patrons, had converted those patrons into friends, and had
inspired them with the same solicitude for his interests as for thar
own* He was no less successful in acquiring the favour of the roagii
and soldier-like Vendome^ than in pleasing his more refined and po*
lished countrymen. During the course of the negotiation, he en-
livened the tediousness of diacuasion with sallies of wit and buffoonery j
he gratified the gross taste of the French commander by the most
extravagant flattery, and hbertine conversation, and by preparing
with hts own hand such poignant Italian dishes as were calculated to
provoke a jaded appetite/
At this time, he was intrusted by the Duke of Parma to cany
on a negotiation with the Duke of Vendomei and was appointed
to a canoory of Parma :
* As he Ti^as also the guide and interpreter of many French offieen
«f high distinction, who repaired to the court, a salary was added
to the donation, with a house in the city to receive hit military guests*
In this situation he is described by a contempt^rary \mter ; ** The
French officerfi are pleased with his jocose humour j they amuse the
Duke of Vendome with repeating the jests, repartees, and witty con-
ceits of Alberoni, whose person is as comical as his conversation;
for he has a monstrous large head, a swarthy complexion, a very short
neck, broad shoulders, a very low stature* In a word, he is a pigmy*
©f whom fortune has made a Colossus.*' *
As we have not long since taken notice of a lively and ahl*
tccount of the administration of Alberoni| and of his molt
offensive brother-adventurer Ripperda *, we must now pa**'
over the interesting portion of Philip's reign in which thcift'
persons made so conspicuous a figure.
[Zb he canduded in cur next Numlfen']
( 3«7 )
til. Junius i including Letter! by the same Writer, under
IT Signatures, (now first collected.) To which are added hit
Idendal Correspondence with Mr, Wilkes, and his private
Brs addreMed to Mr, H. S. WoodfalL With a preliminary
Wt Notes, Fa c similes, Sec, Svo. 3 Vobs. 2L 2S. Boards.
RgtonSy &c. 18 12.
fneweditionof the writings of the celebrated Junius come«
pre the public with considerable cbims to attention. The
pf Mr, Woodf^ll, and the lapse of more than forty years,
t length authorized the publication of the private letters
jin that gentleman and his unknown correspondent : since
f the persons mentioned ir\ them have paid the debt of na-
ind in the case of the few who survive, the length of time
|s intervened has completely blunted the asperity of the
res contained in them. The reader, however, must not
pimself that these private communications are conclusive
Bng the long disputed question of the identity of this ex-
mary writer : in fact, the present volumes are, in some
Pi rather calculated to excite than to satisfy curiosity i
[editor (the son of Mr. H. S- Wood fall) does not under-
communicate the real name of Junius; and he intro-
Ithe late Mr. Woodfall (Vol. i. p. ijo*) as admitting that
B •* not absolutely certain of It himself," Several cir-
Inces, however, are now brought together, to enable
tecertain more completely the residence, the hfibits, and
btngs of the real Junius 5 so that, from the variety of
p ascertained to be indispensable in the case of a candi-
PT this distinction, the public has it in its power, with
(ttlc difficulty, to judge at least negatively, and to discard
^tensions of many persons whose friends or admirers have
^ously declared them to be the authors of these much
^uished addresses.
Ihe additions now made to the letters of Junius, the bulk
fwork is expanded to double its former size : they may be
fumeraied :
i. contains an ess.\y of considerable length, on the
W of conducting the correspondence between Junius and *
ifall ; and on the claims of various persons to the honour
Sng \vnrirten these papers, Tliis essay is followed by the
t letters of Junius to Mr. Woodfail, which extend from
bar 1769 to 1773. Though they consist, in general, of
llotes, the length of the edttor's explanations gives const*
1^ extension to this part of the book* — Nejit comes the
fe correspondence between Junius and Wilkes in 1771 j
liginals of which are not, as in the other cases, in the
^^ possession
3<S8
WoodfallV Edithn efthe Letter j ofjuniufm
possession of the editor, but of a gentleman who deemed thlai
suitable channel for their publication,
VoL ii. is occupied chieily by the public letters of JuniuSt
accompanied by nctes, Tind fr^ed from many typographical crrori
of former editions. Then begin whcit the editor terms rhe
* Miscellaneous Letters oi Janiu^ j* which consist of a \*ariety of
political essays transmitted by that mysterious writer to tlie late
Mr* Woodfall, for insertion in the paper of the latter, called
the Public Advertiser. They are in general* possessed of con-
siderable interest, but arc finished, in point of style, with much
less care than the select compo^iitions under the signature of
Junius. t
Vol. lii. is altogether composed uf these miscellaneous letterSf
and of papers connected with them. Tliey embrace a period of
five years, from the midille of J 767 to the middle of 1772, are
subscribed with different names, as Poplicola, Mnemou, AttU
cus, Lucius, Brutus, Domltian, Vindex, iscc; and they have beeti
selected by the present editor from the columns of the Public
Advertiser, throughout an extent of * six solid folios/ In as*
signing all these compositions to the pen of Junius, the editor
has been guided by similitude of style and sentiment, as well
as by acknowlegements ;md references in the private cor-
respondence between Junius and Woodfall. No mention is
made of the MS. of these* essays Iiaviog escaped the fate which
generally attends the writings that pass through the hands of
printing-house compositors : but nothing, we are assured, ' thn
was at any time disavowed by Junius has been introduced into
this collection.' Those writers, who may find in themselves
examples of the labour with which elegance of composition is
acquired, will be gratified in observing a correspondent slowness
on the part of even the celebrated Junius, Though he had
arrived probably at the age of fifty before he began to contribute
to the columns of the Public Advertiser, two years of almost
continued political discubsion elapsed before tlie appearance of
his finished pieces.
We proceed to extract from the new materials some circuin*
stances connected with the leading features in the character of
Junius. Of his disinterestedness with regard to pecuniary
matters, the following particulars afford sulficient evidence :
« When the first genuine edition of his letters was on the point of
publication, Mr- Woodfali again urged hJm either to accept half iti
profits or to point out some p^ibiic chanty or other institution to
which an equal sum might br presented. His reply to this reque^
is contained in a paragraph of one of his Private Letters, No. ^^'
and confers credit on both the parlies, ** Wliat you say about the
proEii if very handiome. I like to deal with such men. As for
mfKlf
I
I
Woodfair/ EdUtm ^fthe Letter t of Junius*
rayseir be assured tliat / am far a&ovf alt fefufiiary vrVty/, and no
other peraan I think has any cblm to share with you. Make the
most of it therefore ; and let your views in life be directed to *"i sohd,
however modLTatc independence : without it no man can be happp
nor even houest*" Not long after the commencement of hia corres-
pondence wilh the printer of the Public Advertiseft he wrote to him
as follows ; " For the matter of aasistancej be assured ihatt if a
question should arise upon any writings of mine, you shall not
wajit )t ; — In point of money be assured you shall never suffer/*
In perfect and honourable consonance with which, when the printer
Wis at length involved in a prosecution in conaequcuce of Junius*!
letter to the King, he wrote to him as follows : *• If your affair
fhould come to a trial, and you should be found guilty, you will
^ then let me know what expence falls particularly ou yourself: for 1
H understand you are engaged with otlier proprietors. Some way or
^L^her j^<)i/ shall be reimbursed." —
^^B' That Junius moved in the immediate circle of the court, and
^^^W» intimately and confidentially connected, either directly or indi-
rectly, with all the pubhc offices of government, is, if posfiible, still
clearer than that he was a man of independent property ; for the
feature that peculiarly characterized him, at the time of his writings
and that cautJot even now be contemplated without surpiiae, was the
facility with which he became acquainted with every ministerial
iD^noeuvre, wht^tlier public or private^ from ahiiost the very in&taDt
of its conception/ —
* Hit secret intelUgcnce respecting public transactions is as extra-
f ordinary, " You may assure tiie public,*' says he, in a private letter^
H Jjn. 17. 1771, '* th^ a squadron of four ships of the line is ordered
H to l>e got ready with all poss'tbU txpedhion for the East IiKiies* It ii
UJ be commanded by Commodore Spry. Without regarding the
laJivruaiTe tjf ignorant or interested people, depend upon the assurance
/ . that every man in administration looks upon war as
♦ In (naoy cases he was able to indicate even to the printer of the
iblic Advertiser himself the real names of those who corresponded
with him under fictitious signatures. •* Your Veridicus," says he, in
ooe letter, *' is Mr. Whitworth *. I assure you I have not confided
tn him/* " Your Lycurgua,** he observes in another letter, ♦* is a
Mr. Kent, a young man of good parts lipon town/' '
A man who took p^ins to collect so much information, and
who applied it with an unsparing hand to the exposure of so
many persons, could not fail to excite a host of enemies. Hence
the extraordinary precaution which he adopted to avoid disco-
very* and the vehemence with which he resented every effort
to detect him* Garrick having made himself busy ;n an endea»
votir of this kind, and having hinted at Court that he might pm-
bably write no more, Junius sent Woodfall a note of severe
ca^tigation, to be copied by the printer, and transmitted to the
inquisitive actor. It was as follows :
I
* • Richard Whitworth, Esq., M. P- for SlafFord/
JllV, AUQ. 1813. Bb
Tq
J70 WoodfallV MJition of tie Ldters efjunht*
• To Mr. David Garkkk.
• I «m tfty exactly inforraed of your impertinent inquiries, Viii
#f the information you so busily sent to Richmcnd^ and witb wfaaf
triumph and cxulration it was received* I ktiew every particular <if
k the next d»y, — Now mark me, vagabond, — Keep to your {lat^to*
mimes, or be assured yoTi shall hear of it. Meddle no more, thou
fcu«y informer ! — It ia in mjr power to make you cune the houf lit
which you dared to interfere with
Mr. WooHfalli being on terms of cordiality witli Canick^
considered this addrcbS as too acrimonious, and infc^med hit
inTisible correspondent that he had taken the liberty of postpon-
ing the transmission of cl^e letter* Junius then made the foU
lowing answer ;
• I hare no doubt of what you say about David Gamck — m
drop the note. The truth is, that in order to curry favouft he madfr
Jujnself a greater rascal than he was. Depend upon wtnt I uS
you ; — the King understood that he had found out the secret by bit
own cunning and activity. — As it is important to deter him mm
meddling, 1 desire you will trll him that I am aware of his practice^
and will certainly be revenged, if lie does not delist* An appeal tfr
tlie public from Juuius would destroy him/
At the end of this letter, however, he says, * upon' feffectioflt
I think it absolutely necessary to send that note to D. G/
The age of Junius is a consideration of some consequence^
as a test of the validity of the arguments on the probability of
f ertain persons having written the letters in question. We find
luuius taking occasion, in his private letters tO'Woodfall, lOt
alkide to his * long cxperiejice of the world ;' from which, and
from the more indubitabW evidence afforded by the maturity of
bis reflections, we are justified in concluding that he had amved
at the period of Fife already mentioned* From the frequency
of his commmiications with Woodfall, it is evident that he le-
lided almost constantly in London, or the vicinity, during the
years 1769, 177©, and 1771 \ and the extent of labour bestowed
fey him on his various addresses to the public much exceeded
any idea which a reader can form, from that selection of his
letters which constitutes the book currently known by his name.
He was untler the necessity of composing, during the three 4
years in question, a multitude of other letters for insertion in the ^
Public Advertiser, in defence of the arguments adv?nced with 4
the signature of Junius : smce the latter were attacked by >— ^
tribe o( writers on the side of ministry, of whom he chose to ^
take no notice la his ipote elaborate compositionSi When Im 4
Lrnt aisumec^tlie office of poliucal ccusQr» he could hav« o^^
conceptioft^
Wood/allV Edition <f tie LetUn gf Juntmt. 171
conception of the magnitude of the hbour urith which he was
about to encumber himself;
* Sucb fimshed forma of composition bear in themselves the moit
evident marks of elaborate forecast and revisal, and tlie author rather
boasted of the pains he had bestowed upon them than attempted to
conceal hit labour. In recommending to Woodfall to introduce into
his purposed edition >'ariou6 letters of his own writing' under other
tlenatures, he adds, ** If you adopt this plan I shall point out those
which I would recommend 5 for you Jcnow, I do not nor have I
time to give equaT care to them all* —At to Junius I must wait for
fresh matter, as thu is a character which must be kt pt up wiih credit/*
The private note accompanying his iirst letter to Lord Mansfield com*
Qiencct thus : " The inclosed, though begun within these few day*>
hiu heen^naily lahourcd ; it it very correctly copied ; and I beg that
jou will take care that it be literally printed as it stands/* The note
accompanying his Ust and most celebrated letter observes as followi;
*< At la3t I have concluded my great work^ and assure you with no
StnAll labour." On sending the additional papers for the genuine
[ edkion he asserts, ** I have no view but to serve you, andconse*
i|aently have only to desire that the Dedication and Preface may be
correct* Look to it — if you take it upon yourself, I will not for*,
give your suffering it to be spoiled* / nvejgh every *9/erdi &nd tvtfy
iUifraiion^ in my eyes at leastf is a hiemish/' —
* Hit most ebburatc letters are that to the King, and that to Lord
Mansfield upon the law of bailments : one of his most sarcastic is
that to the Duke of Grafton, of the date of May 30. 1769 ; and
one of his best and most truly valuable, that to the printer of the
Public Advertiser, dated Oct, 5. 177 J, upon the best means of
tmitiDg the jarring sectaries of the popular party into one commoa
cause/
The private letters of Junius concur with his public compo-
fitions in bearing testimony to the violehce of his temper. In
hU effusions against those whom he considered as political
delini^uents, he knows no medium in his estimate of criminality,
Of the Duke of Grafton he says in his public letters, *' Every
Ttllaiti in the kingdom is your friend j'* while Lord Mansfield
is declared to be ** the worst and most dangerous man in tlie
kingdom/' In writing to Woodfall privately about Lord Bar-
rington, he says, '^ The proceedings of this wretch are unac-
countable. Next to the Duke of Grafton, I verily believe the
blackest heart in the kingdom belongs to Lord Banrington."
The following specimens of his private correspondence con-
lain several curious particulars^ some of which are abundantly
Ulustrative of the temper of the writer :
I « SlHt *" Wednesday nighty Aug* r6* 1759-
* I have been some days in the country, and could not cotiveniently
•end for your letter until this night. Your correction was perfectly
^ght| the leate required it| ai^d I am much obliged le you. When
jBb a
I spoke
37? WoodftllV Ediiion ^fthi LtiUn ^ Jumui*
1 ipoke of inKumerahle blunder i« t nmnt Ne«rbeny'a
for I muft confess that upon the whole your papers are very <
printed,
• * Do wifh my letters exactly what yoa please, I l^
lh;it to make a betttr figure than Newbcrf)', someothera t:
may be added, and to throw out a hint, tliat you liavc tzg
suspect they arc by t!i'* pnine author. If you adopt this pU'^ij
point out those which 1 would recomnaetid ; for you know» I doi
Uor indeed have I time to give equal care to thenr\ all*
* I know Mr* Onslow perfectly. He is a false iill
pend upon it he will get ooibing but shan:ie by contend'
* I believe I need not assure you, that I have never vrntteti in ;
other paper since I began with your*. Ab to Junius, I must wait 1
frcfh matter, as this is a character which must be kept up with crcJ
Avoid prosecutions if you can ; but, above all things, avoid
Houses of Parliament, — there is no contending with them. At J
sent you are safe, for this House of Commons has loft all dig
and dares not do any thing. Adieu^
* Thuriday nighi^ Oct. 5. I7^|
* I shall be glad to see the pacquet you speak of. It canoot c
from the Cavendifihes, though there be no cud of the family, Thff
would not be so silly as tp put their arms on the cover* At lo mr,
be assured that it Is not in the nature of things that tbey^ or joOt
or any body else should ever know me, unlciis 1 make myself kuowiu
All artsi or enquiries, or rewards, would be equally ine^ctuaL
* As to yoi#, it is clearly my opinion, that you hi^i^ notbitig^ to fcif
from the I>uke of Bedford. I reserve some thi; Ay to awe
Tdra, in case he should think of bringbg you b^ . .^ .--^ Hottir of
Lords. — I am sure I can threaten him pnvately with suck a stoorog
as would make him tremble even in his grave- Y01' ' -^^ '^"t d to*
morrow to the same place without farther notice j ar luve
any thing of your own to Qommunicate, I shall be gUu K\t n^^jt \
* Sir, * Monday evening f AVv* 12.1 770* ^
< The enclosed*, though begun within these few d.<s ?. has '
greatly laboured. It rs very correctly copied, and f « wS
take care tliat it lie literally printed as it stands. I ^
run the least risque. We have got the rascal down, let ut 1
him if it be possible. This paper should properl' ^'^i*-'- •'ppe
morrow, but I coidd not compass it, so lei it be an >«
and printed Wednesday. It you sIiouM have any *^-.., *. cot
•e»d it early enough to Miller, to appear to*mormir nsffht m "
London Iv ■• - Post* In that case, you will oblige me oy 1*
ing tUe r i^oiTOw, in your o^m fap<rt iliat a iral Jimia»>
wiQ appciir ai uv^iit in the London* — Mitkxt I aia fur^ inU halt
110 ecruplcs*
• L ' * ' r y.^ ^ > confusion, by tsdieslf
re«gr of Lofdt-'
Lttttx %&* Junius t^tU Right lign^ Lc
>
f
WcoJfallV Edlthn of the Letters of Junius, 373
* Wednesday nighty Nov, 21 • 1770.
• * I shall be very glad to hear from your friend at Guildhall. — You
thityy if you ihink proper, give my compliments to him, and teU him,
ff it be possible, 1 will make ufc of any materials lie will give me, I
vriW never rest till I have deitroyedor expt-lled that wretch, ^ — I wisk
you joy of yesterday. — The fella w truckles already.' *
It is in the vehemence of his personal feelings that we arc to
seek for several of the remarkable characteristics of his style.
Indignant invective, confident interrogation, and proud disdain
of an adversary, are as conspicuous in the letters of Junius as
tlie more attractive qualities of perspicuity and cl^issical accu«
racy*^ — The occurrence of grammatical errors in his letrer^j has
been much noriced, wnthout acknowleging that they must have
been owing to the impossibility of a correction of the press bjr
a concealed aullior. The first partial collection of these letter^
was published by Newberry, and produced an admonition from
Junius, which was conveyed, as usual, through the medium of
Woodfall :
* (Private*)
* Sir, * July 17/i, 1759*
* Mr, Newberry having thought proper to reprint my Letters, I
wish at least he had done it correctly. You will oblige me much by
giving him the following hint to-morrow.
*• Mr. Newberry having thought proper to reprint Juniui't
Letters, might at least have corrected the crnitai sls we did constantly.
'* Page I. Line 13. for naiimal rcjid rathnai,
— 3' "^ 4* — '""^^ — ^ivere.
-^ r, — f^, — indisputable -^- tudlspetisahfe*
Jjetter 7* — 4* ^^ '" ^" rriases — in all the ma-zei*
— 15. — 24. '^- righUst '-~ hrighteit*
^48. — 2. — indiscreet — indirect*'*
* I did not ejcpcct more than the HFe of a newspaper, but if tliil
man will keep me alive, let me live without being offejaaive.
* Speciosa quaro pas cere tig res J
It IS now time to advert to the editor's investigations of tlie
Eretetsiions of several persons to whom the letters of Junius
ave been ascribed. Eiirke, it Is clear, cotild not have produced
a succession of cumposltipns in a style precisely the reverse of
his own I nor could he have consented to have disparageii his
own talentd in the manner adopted by Junius in his letter of
cth October 1771* Moreover, the politics of Burke and of
* ^ la allusion to the unanimous judgment of the Court of King's
Bench, on the verdict for printing the ^Letter to the King, given
Novt 20tb, 1770 ; by which Lord Mansfield loU hi& object, and the
pritttci' was granted a new trial •'
B b 3 Jttmus
374 WoodfallV Ediikn nfihs Litterj rfjunlmm
Junius were in direct opposition j the former being i dectcled .
panizan of Lord Rockingham, and the latter of Mr. GrenriU^H
Junius was an eager advocace for triennial par] laments \ Burt^^
was an inveterate enemy to them. The late Mr, Wood fa 11 re^
peaiedly denied that Mr. Burke was the author of these letters^
and Burke himself nii^de a solemn declaration to the ^ame effect
to Sir William Draper, Still more conclusive than personal
la^evcration is the fact th:it Burke carried on a prosecution foi
i libel in 1783 against Mr. Woodfall, and could not be per-
suaded by any in treaty to drop it* The cause was tried in
July 1784, and a verdict of icoh was given against the printer^
and rigorou'^ly exacted by the prosecutor; which was morally im^
possible h*id Burke been the writer of the letters of Junius^ j»nd
consequently in sume measure in the power of the printer. The
manner in wlitch Burke expressed himself in the House of
Commons, with regard to the boldness of Junius, deserves also
to be recorded ;
* How comes this Junius to have broke through the cobwebi of
the law, and to range uncontroiiledi unpunishcdi ihrouj^h the land?
The myrmidors of the court have been loxi^, and are stdh pursuir^g
him in vain. They will not speud iheir time upon me, or yoit, or
you. No : they disdain such vermin, when the mighty boar of the
forest, that has broke through all iheir toil?, is before them. But
what will ail their efforts aval! I No sooner has he wounded one thaa
he lays down another de»d fkt hja fcrt. For my part, v^hen I saw hif
attack upon the King-, J own my blood ran cold. I thought he bad
ventured too far, ar.d there was an end of his triumphs, not that he
bad not asserted maj*y truths, YeS| Sir, there are m that compost*,
tion many bold truth g, by which a wise prince might profit,
was the ranccjur and venom, with which I was struck. In the
Spectfi the North Briton is as much inferior to him, as in Ftren^
wit, and judgment. But while I expected in this daring flight
final ruin and fall, behold him rising still higher, and coming do
louse upon both Hoi;r>es of Parliament. Yes, he did make you
quarry, and you still bleed from the wounds of his talona. Yoil
crouched, and still crouch, beneath his mge. Nor has he dreadeil
the terrors of your brow, Sir j he haft attacked even you — he has —
^d I believe yon have no reason to triiimph tn the encounter. la
ihort, after carrying away our Royal Eagle in his pounces, anddath^
jng him against a rock, he has laid you prostrate. King, I^ords.
and Commons are but the sport of hia fury. Were he a Tnember of
this hoTise, what might not be expected from his knowledge, hit
Brmness, and integrity I He would be easily known by his contempt
of all drrnger, by his penetration, by his vigour. Nothing would
escape his vigilance and activity. Bad ministers could conceal nothing
from bb sagacity ; nor coidd promises nor threats induce him to con*
eeal any thing from the public.*' *
Mr. Williism Gerard Hamilton, usually designated by the name
of " Sipgle-Speech Hamilton,'' has been suspected of being th#
author
I
I
I
I
Woodfalfj Edittcfs ofiht LetUrs cf Junius,
yi of these letters ; but his characteristic equanimity is alto*
ier opposite to the keen and fiometimes coarse acrimony of
i^ius. He had none of that minute commissarial knowlege
of military matters which is conspicuous in the earlier papers of
Junius J and he filled Jikewise the office of Chancellor of the
Exchequer in Ireland at the time of and long after the compo-
sition of these addresses. Tlie fact is that he had neither
energy nor personal boldness enough for such an undertaking.
— Dr. Butler> Bishop of Hereford, has been likewise mentioned
in the same manner : but he was no more of a hero in political
conflicts than Himilton, and was likewise remarkable for mild-
ness of temper* — Gerviral Lee, well known in the American
war, is reported to have declared that he was Junius ; but, in
confutation of this improbable rumour, it is sufficleut to notice
the fact that, in 1767, when Junius was busily engaged in
transmitting, under various signatures, political essays to Wood-
fall's paper, General Lee was travelling in Polanti In 1 764^,
one of the most active years of Junius in contributions to the
Public Advertiser, the General was in like manner rambling
over the Continent, — As to the suspicion of Mr* Wilkes being
the than, we need only remark that the author of tlie North
Briton would never have abused himself in tlxe manner exhU
bited in the letters of Junius.
We come next to the pretensions of Mr. Hugh Macauley
Boyd} which have been brought forwai*ds, of late y«ars, with
great confidence. Boyd was an Irishman of respectable family,
and educated for the barj which he neglected, and passed an
unsettled life in party-writing and other political discussions*
He W1XS the author of the " Freeholder,** published at Belfast in
1 776; of the ** Whig/* a series bf revolutionary papers written
four years afterward in London \ and of the ** Indian Observer/*
a periodical miscelbny, printed at Madras in 1793* In con-
venation he was an entliusiastic admirer of Junius ; and in his
composition he was an imitator, or rather a copier, of that
writer's style. The allegations of his having been the author of
the much-disputed letters rest on individual opinion and casual
coincidences : but the friends of Mr, Boyd well knew that he
was !oo young to possess cither the experience or the talents
which are dispbyed in tlic letters of Junius, and that his ac-
knowleged compositions are altogether inferior to them. Mr.
Woodfall denied the pretensions of Boyd as peremptorily aa
those of Burke or Hamilton \ and that gentleman's character
for veracity was unimpeachable. Junius was evidently in
affluent circumstances, and refused to take any share of the
profits atteiidant on the publication of his works ; Boyd, on the
other hand, laboured under great pecuniary diificultieS| and was
leady to accept whatever was offered to hunt
B b 4 Tke
37 6 WoodfallV Editim of the Litters (f Junim^
The ekiims of Dunning, Lord Ashburton, deserve mtxcli
more attention than iliose of ihe preceding writers. His age
and station in societyj his sarcastic habits, his political av
ments, and his ordinary residence during the period In que
all seem to favour the supposition of hij> being Junius r but two
things are conclusive on the opposite side. Dunning had been
through life too much of a lawyer to write in the style of Junius ;
and at the time of the appearance of these letters, he occupied
the appointment of Sollicitor General, a situation whlcli, to his
feelings, would have been totally incompalibk witli the puK'
cation of attacks on the King.
The other persons, who have been honoured with a simii
accusation, will not detain us long. Mr. Flood, the Irish oratorj
was in his own country during the summer of 1768 ; the time
when Junius was corresponding with Wood fall, with a rapidity
which could not have been maintained at more than a day's
journey from London, — ^Mr, John Roberts, private secretary to
Mr* Pelhnm, and Mr, Srtmuel Dyer, a man of note In the literary
world, both charged with these letters, were both in their graves
before the date of the last private letters of Junius to Woodfall,
the originals of which remain in the possession of the editor of
this work. — Mr. Charles Lloyd, a deputy-teller of the Exclie»
quer, was lying on his death-bed at the date of the last letter of
Junius : a com portion which was decidedly indicative of the
possession of full health and spirits, — To this long list of namet
has been a^dded, within these few months, and subsequently to
the appearance of the book under review, the late Marquis of
Lansdowne. Without entering into any discussion, we may,
from our own sources of information^ take on ourselves to give,
in this respect, that denial which tlie editor would probably have
piade if the supposition had appeared antecedently to his publi-
cation,— After alt these negative arguments, we come at last to
a candidate of a very dilTerent character — we mean Lord
George Sackvilie, His Lordship's talents were well known,
and his political principles were the same with those which
were so warmly espoused by Junius, It was on him that the
suspicions of Sir Wilham Draper, after the denial of Burke,
were wholly fixed. The assertions of a verbal disavowal hariog
been given by his Lordship were too general to merit much at*
temloii ; and an objection introduced (p* i6i*) by the present
editor ought, perhaps, to be regarded as tlie qualification ^^'\~
which a cautious man is disposed to treat a communication m
yet ripe for absolute disclosure. The familiarity with mil it;
details, that is discovered by Junius, is in correspondence wi
his Lordship's professional habits. A comparison of the han^
Wilting of Junius and Lord George, could hardly fail to be deci-
sive
?I>6t-
Woodfall'/ Fditkn 9/ thi Litters g/ Junius*
common places of address ^ve^c the bar of i)>e Sofnersrf ColFee-hotw^
as staled above, of the New Exchange, or Mumhy's in Mai«i«i Li«ii
the waiter* of which were occasionally feed for their ; 'v,
, But these too were varied for other names and places of a. - r •
[ cumsiances might dictate.
I < By wlmt conveyance Junius obtaiucd hii lettrri and parcch from
the places at vdiich they were left for him is not very cWrly aactr-
^ tained, Jn his Private Letter of January iSth, 177a, he obterKt*
*« the gentleman who transacts the conveyancing^ part *>f oar coffti*
[ j^ondence tclU me iIktc was nriuch difHculty last night.'*^-Hc ionie-
> times, z% wc learn from his own testimony, employed a common chair*
I maa as his messenger, and perhaps this, after alL was thr aiethod
usually resorted to**
The miscclbneoiis letters of Junius term so large a pro^
tion of the new matter in thi,s edition, as to call for some
expl-inaiion of their contents. They began in April i 767 ^ and
the fir^t topic of discu'sslon regards a question ot much public
interest in those Jays, we mean tlie claim of the crown to a
right of transferring the Duke of Portland's estate of 1 -^ - ckI
to Sir James Ijowthcr, son-in-law of the favourite ^ %
The plea wa.*; that thc^^e lands had not bei?n duly , n
the royal grant to the family of Portland, anJ that, tl ^ , >
messed by that family nearly seventy years, the right of property
• f emained in the crown,— -The grooving disputes with our
>lmcricaji colonies formed the subject of many succeeding
letters.— The dismission of Sir JcflVry Amherst from the gover-
norship of Virginia was a farther object of discussion, aftd if*
forded 10 Junius (what he was always eager ro ^ %
I favourable opportuiiity for assailing ministers. After ^ v»,
in the beginning of 1769J the select compositions given to tht
fjublic under the signature of Junius solely ; and from that time
orwards the subordinate contributions of this indefatigable conw
barant were devoted to the vindication and stippon of ht$ moff
polished compositions.
To return to the editor of the present work. The preli*
jBtnary cssay» as it is termed, comprehends almost the whole
of his original observations ; and though deficient in paint
of arrangement and unnecessarily eicpanded by qu-" ' . it
contains no small stock of curious remaiks* AVe e\ 1%
it, as a concluding specimen, the summary o' z%
of Juniu*t ^ leaving it to future inquirers to ^^ na-
tion in their Tcscarchcs after this mysterious antagonist of miAi-
tterial swuy :
Trf^m fh*" ^b*'*rrationfl contt^rnH h\ thi* essay it jhcuKI trem 10
-a
g«ii^C| im Uw9| IOC €on»tUuUQp and ii}«t«^ ot iiu aaufc comrtry I
ihit
^
MackinnonV Journal of ihi Campaign In P^riugaL
hf 1 of caiy if not of affluent circumstances, of UTisulUcd
;>ar . ■ : ujiity, whu had it equally in hJH heart and in hit
power to contribute to the occesaitics of other persons, and especially
of ibuie who were exposed to troubles of any kind on his own account ;
that he was in habits of confidential intercourse, if not with differrent
members of the cabinet, with pnliiicians who were most intimately
familinr with the court, and entrusted with all its secrets ; that he had
attained an age which would allow htm, without vanityi to boaat of ao
mmph: knowledge and experience of the world i that during the years
1767, 1768, I76g, 1770, 1771, and part of 1772, he resided almo&t
coftttantly in London or ita vicinity, devoting a very larj^e portion of
hifi time to political cnncernn and publiBhiug ttis political lucubration«i
under different signatures, in the Public Advertiser \ that in fiis natural
temper, he was quick, irritable, and impetuous • subject tg political
prejudices aad strong persona! animosities ; but possessed ot a high
indepL'ndent spirit ; honestly attached to the principles of the consti-
tution^ and fearless and indefatigable in maintaining them ; that he
was strict in htn mornl conduct, and i«r his attention to public deco-
rum ; an avowf^d member of the catabliBlicd church, and, though ac-
qi^aiDted with English judicature, not a lawyer by profession,
• What other characteristics* he may have possessed we know not %
but ihfsc are sufficient ; and the claimant who cannot produce
them conjointly is in ?aia brought forwards as the author of the
Letter* of Juoius/
We shall shortly have occasion to police the recent attempts
to ascribe the letters of Junius to Dr. Wilmotj to Dr, Francis
and his son the present Sir Philip, again to Mr. Burke, and ^ome
others.. H.ive our readers heard of the risible contempt whick
seems 10 h.ive been purposely thrown on the con] ect ares cx^^r-
cised on this subject, by assigning these compositions to the
farcical comedian, Mr. Suett ?
Art. IV. ji Journal of the Campaign in Portugal nn^ Spain^ con-
I taining Remarks on the Inlnbitantft, Cnatoms, Trade, and Culti*
fe Yatton, of those Countries^ from the Year 180910 1812, By the
^^^^bte Major-General Henry Mackinnon, 8vo. pp. 103. 6b. 6^
^^^H^04 rds, Lo ng m an and Co. 1 6 1 2 •
TT is a point admitted among critics, that the lively interest
* excited in every country by the dialogues of Plato and Xe-
nophon should he, in a great measure, ascribed to the circum-
I stance of their being copies of real conversations j and that z\\
the richness of the imagination of the former, and all the sua*
yiiy of the latter, would have been unequal to the composition
of works of such attraction, had the writers attempted to found
tKem exclusively on the suggestions of fancy- A similar re-
mark was made by Dr. Johnson, on the composition of a lite.
rary essay of a mttch humbler char^tcter. After having read
380 Mackiiinon*/ Journal ofth Campaign in P^rimgtK
his friend Bosweirs account of Corsica, he thus wrote to hiait
«« Your history, my dear Sir, is like other hUtones, butjroiir
journal is in a very high degree curious and delightful. Tnof
IB between the history and the journal that diiTercnce vfKisk
there will always be found between notions borrowed fioo
without* and notions generated wltlun. Your hi&tory was co*
pied from books i your journal rose out of your own expcrieocc
and observation/' A character of a simibr kit>d may be a^
cribed to the journal of the bte Generiil Mackinnon, wkidi
has been recently committed to the press by the friends of ifcit
officer. Its leng^th is not considerable, and the style is fre»
quently hasty and unpolished, as the writer appears to haft
had no thoughts of coming before the bar of the public : bat
it deserves a larger share of attention than woik> of nauck
greater parade, becau^ the General introduce j; tJui
did not fill under his personal knowledge. It - i April
J 809, and is continued without much interruption duriiijt
eighteen monihs \ after which a journey to England lijirmg ntl*
pended the writer's observations, we have only a sliort notice
of the proceedings of the corps under his c^^ ^ — ■ '- !?ie
I winter of 181 1. We have put totrcthcr his dr U
on several topics of interest, ^ud have Httle doubt i[i.u liiey will
be found to convey muchtlearer impressions than the more eb-
borate narratives of those w^ho, witii superior pretentions as m
.composition, have not been equally scrupulous in con&;iii>g tbdf
reports to the scenes of which they were spectators.
The tirst marches of General (at that time Colonel) mactui-
fion were with the Guards (to the 2d regiment of which he he*
longed) from Lisbon to the northern part o( V< -^
Jie had an opportunity of seeing the best ciiltiv f
this otherwise neglected kingdom :
* Afdy 1. 1S09* — Condusea is placed in an csjl' '<§
fuins of the ancient Coimhi ic3, which are still ver y re
a three hours* march carried ii» to Coimbra* TIic ii*U\ ; y
presents all the undulations of Wales j the pfre ttrst f^ l^.
yards crown the summit* of the hrlls, arid ir: ^ , r 1 nl veii
orangcSf apricots, and almo3t CTcry vainety
to the euchantrotnt, you huvt occasionally
of limpid water — nothing b \ranted to m^'
4ego, one of the most dcsifahle spots iu nature*
fnhci'nt view of t^-
tnandi a cont
many miles^
lect seeing.
11 very ^
on the road before yoi
:t of the river above ih
Youi:
in to the
The unifCf».t;,
>^ulv.a ><» l.JL-
UacldixnonV Jmrnal ofihi Campa:gn in BetiugaL 381
gal, contains sevtn cljain of droit canonique, ten of droit civile,
of mcdicinft one of matheinaUcs, and one of music : it baa
leg^«, but the students reside in the town ; the buildings iherc-
fe allotted to the different professions and cUwcb/—
^ay 15. — March to Braga, 6 hours j country still incloied, and
y picturesque and beautiful, more like England would be, had
Kf olives, and oranges. Braga \% a considerable town, I am
B with a grocer, wiio has given me a good dinner, coffee, and a
Reception* The French army, which we are now pursuing, it
aguet off, on tlie road to Chaves.
lay 16. — Pursue the French for 1 2 hours ; come up with them
jtmonde, in the mountains, on the road to Chaves — drive them
; the town, which ihcy had destroyed. I will here pay a tri-
10 Sir Arthur : I was near him, by his orders, when the attack
pout to commence; and I can confidently say, that he gate hii
■ for the arrangements preceding the attack, in the coolest and
(determined manner. If I had never seen him but at that mo-
k I could decide upon bis being a man of a great mind/
Way 1 7.-*. Continue our pursuit to Freoscas, near Montalegre,
prs. The rear -guard was stationed this night two leagues to
llthward of Montalegre, in Spain* Here we hand the enemy^
p Gen. Bcresfard; as they have destroyed tlie whole of their
ry, the Portuguese may be able to finiBh the business — we are
'elsewhere. — There is a bridge and fall near Rcuvannes, equal
thing in Switzerland for beauty : upon the whole, themoua-
pnery is not surpassed in any part of the world ; tlie industrious
Lants have cultivated every spot where soil is to be found. Tlie
ains, to a certain heiglit, are covered with wild chesnut : these
ai^e constitute the food of tlie inhabitants, who are a fine race
|)lc, at least the men ; we saw little of the women*'
rery different picture is exhibited by General Maclin-
journal, when he was stationed in the centtiil part of
L On one occasion he marched fifteen miles without
\g hiore than a single habitation j and even where the po-
'\ti was considerable, the deficient industry of the inhtjbit-
rmed an unpleasant contrast with the habits of the quar-
,ch he had recently visited ;
II. i8o9i — March tJiia day at five o'clock ; \\\ 6 hours get
ihete. The first part of the road Itad* through a beautiful and
vale : pass hills covered with myrtles, gii nicest us, wild lavea*
id other odoriferous plants, which embalm the air to an incon-
Se degree. On one of the hills we have a fine view of the Tagus
Lbrantes to Santarem, the distance of 40 miles. At Panhcte
pi the Zezere on a bridge of boats* The situation of Punhete
^of the h?ppiest in nature : it is placed at the conflux of the
^ and Zezere, both of which rivers are navigable. The navi-
i the Tagus, it must be observed, in common with most other
Portutfali is frequently interrupted in summer ; and as the
adyi toe s^nd'batiks, of which there arc grtat numbers, are
ape
qiiantitiei^ and w^tcr, of which they drink abtmdar.tU,
wants : this accounts for their numbers. One third of ti
3S1 Mactlttittm's jQurnal of the Campaign in P^rittgaK
apt to «Vift, to the detriment of navigation/ — * T' -i»*
Jinres in the towns of Portugal has justly Ween cotu; r^
only sa/t that the ttreets are universally used fur rvrry pur^«r.
Oporto, and the towns to the norths are an exception ; f tie inh]^*
ants of those countries have a decided advzntg^ oter thmr bTethm
of the 5outh,'^ —
< The distance between Abrantes and the Spanith frof>tirr ii it-out
loo miles, during which space you have to crosi 6 r'.v rv ^^'*ao|^
bridges, wliich are only fordablc in dry weather. Tf ^^^^1
of this extensive tract cannot exceed 4000 soulji, inch..... ^^ ^jI^P
Branco 5 and I may say that we passed over 5 intlcs of ctillivatiou,
the remainder left to the wide range of w^olvea, hawks, and esgki T
— The e}C ^^'as tired in viewing so much of neglected nature, ittd
makes one recollect that a long and dark night covers the htimsx
race, giving to few the bniJiance of day. The popubtioa of hit*
ttigal is immense, compare J (0 Us rultivathn* I have now inrvdW
700 miles in this couiilry, and have had some opportunity of calculst-
ing the quantity of land submitted to the industry of its
the proportion is inconceivably small, and in genrri]
round its towns and villagrs in proportion to thtir t
inhabitants live on very httle; brrad, oil, omoris, u
r,z
of
Britons would starve on such slender racaas of support.' — * The
Alcntejo is rendered almost uninhabitable and barren, owing to the
deficiency of water and to the badness of its quality ; ihc brdi rf
the river being so unequal as to size and depth, that in ttiAiYf pliett
you see large pools of water, and over the same rirerp ait * oiler
places, jQU can pass without the inconvenience of wetrifitr voi
the Guadiana, for instance, near Badajoa and Merida»
broad, in other places it is not much more than a tenth y
much current: consequently, in the broadest parts the water, or a
^eat part of it, must b« in a state of stagnation.'
In adverting to former accounts of PortogaJ, we have the
satisfaction of finding a decided preference givcii (p. 60, 61.)
to our countryman Murphy over General Dumouriez* 'ITk
work of the latter is emphatically said to be * full of mine*
presentaiioni/ while that of Mr, Murphy is pronounced to be
accurate with regard to all that came under his personal obter^
vatlon. This f*»vourable testimony appli^ to hxb ' Jafi
of manners and customs i the historical part of hh f\t^
nothing but a translation from the Portuguese.— On tise
of Portuguese manners. General Mack innoa makes a j,^,,,.,.
distinctiofi between the simplicity of the country and the victt
of the metropolis*. An Englishman will ju^ - neonilf
of orh**r states, if he imagines that the : iwdBaf
ions, and tb- disscm
il, arc in any ,: r to tho r he
lu France, and stitt more Ln tbc backward re{
S
cor-
of:
at home.
b
I
I
Ik
I
I
I
MackliinonV Jmrnat of (hi Campaign in Pi^riugaL 383
of die contlnenti 2 diiferencc of several ^ges appears iti the
Comparative progress of the metropolis and tlie provinces :
* The country houses (called quintas) of the gentry, of whJcH
iberc are but few at a distance from Lishun, are generally furnished
in the worst »tyle ; what few pictures lliey have» whicji are alwayt
on reh^louf subjects^ are painted in a ?iyle infinitely inferior to the
•jgns of our Urge towns ; their tables and chairs are of common deal,
or the first wood that falls under thetr hands ; the chairs are usually
backed and seated with leather, and ornamented with large brast
9ailft such as you sometimes 9ce in Engkiid, of the manufactory ia
the reign of Henry V/ — * I must add, that at a distance from the
capital, 1 know not any nation where there appears to be more purity
of morals than in Portugal. In many of the houses of the principal
iiobiUty the farnili^* constantly reside in the country. — They have a
peculiar virtue^ from the kindness with which they treat servants ;
miinY of whom, attacijed to the same family from one generation t^
ftnother^ acquire, by tlieir savings, small properties, wliich in time
enables them to rise and become mdependent. The occupation of %
iervant is here by no n\eans so degrading as in England, and most
pthcr parts of Europe/—*
* The general character of the Portuguese ia sadly disfigured b^
fordgn writers of travels; and I thhik 1 can account for it, by their
residence in Lisbon alone. From the great intercourse with fo-
Fcigners in this large city, and the very great proportion of Brarilians^
the real Portuguese character is quite different in the capital and itt
provinces, — ^^Wlien the inhabitants of Portugal are described by tra-
Tellerst you have therefore little more than the account of these fo-
reigners corrupted by trade, wealth, misery* and the vices of s
€ourt ; that they an; prone to murder, and every species of crime*
One would naturally be led to suppose, that iiie manners of the
capital would inftueiice the provinces ; particularly of this kingdom^
who6e chief city is greater in proportioo to the extent of the coun*
try, than any other capital iu Europe : but this is not the cause i
f©r the badness of the roaJs, and of accommodation, renders the
intercourse very diihctdt, and very few of the provincial families
ever lemvc their homes. When they ti-avel they arc either carried in
icdao chairs, with two mules for their chairmen, or they ride oa
muleit On roads where a carriage is seen, they are obliged to carry
with them their bedding of every sort, and provisions, with cookings
mteniils, as tl^eir t;>Wiii otily afford the bare walls* Five leagues is
reckoned a good day's journey. The gentry lead, at their homes, a
K;>st harmless and iiioflFcnsive life ;. they have few or no luxuries, and
are very willing that strangers should partake of dieir fare. — The
greatest crime you ever hear committed, is pilfering — robberies and
murders are scarcely known ; and as to assassinations, I never heard
i>f one in the country. — The people are certainly not industrious^
but Uiat may be attributed to a bad government, where there is littl^
security 10 property, and uo encouragement to industry, — They are
perfectly unacquainted %vith any agricultural improvement, such at
•nimng^ or giving their lauds a proper lucctsiion of crops*'
Yet
384 MactinnonV Journal cfthi Campaign in P^riugaf*
Yet the district i^'htcS is tUu? bickward has a
comparably superior to that of England ; *tiid in mar^ .^
month of January, (p* 45 ) the vcrdaiit appearance ol ihc
ground reminded our troops of an umoa of sprin;; and autvtain
in their mother-country. In many places, the old leaves cott*
tinned on the vines and oaWs, while the fiel<k ani! " -u
hibited a rising vegetation. Indeed, the weather :i jok
of surrounding nature were such us to make the nien almost for-
get the fatigues of service. * Much,' says General M, (p. ^X
« mi^ht be done in this country if they once got rid of their
monks and government, both of which we are come to sup-
port.' This express! op is the more remarkable, bcc^usfe our
gfScer^ fch grateful, as far as personal attention wa^^ -4,
to the monks; who had always the Mill, and frti^ ^ tie
power, to contribute to their comforts : ^^M
* I caanot help giving some details of the-conrent of tti
w Coimbra; it is the second in point of wealth in the k :\U
cobaca b<?ing the richest- The rents of the convent mre eftmuted
at Bo^ooo crueadast equal to j£i2|O0o at 5s. tlic crutada i in iliii »C'
count is not reckoned gardens, quintaa, vineyards for their owa mtt
and many other advantage!. They posses* one estate ne*r Fignenst
which may contain 12 square miles of good grotind; and hzve tW
titlies of twelve parishes. The monks seem to me to lead a life of
the greatest iudolence, having nothing to do but to pmy, eat, drnk,
and sleep. They get up at five in the morninfi:* dine at Jialf«ntt:
eleven, go to bed at half-past twelve, get up at half-past two, acd p
to bed again at half-past ten. They arc only allowed to go fio i
country-seat thirty ^days in the^year^ and on particular occatioiiii ti
pay visit* in the town ; but they must go in their r— ■ , a* lltfj
are not permitted to walk the streets. If a tnonk t, le it
only allowed to sec her once in the year. This ' . .,. .^ oi the or*
dcr of St. Augustine; the monks arc called <j r r 'ruLiri tbfif
ought to be eighty monks agreeable to the institution, but thtf fasve
only fifty : they have forty servants in the convent, besides wj^dot*
door servanta, and four carriages for the urvc of the monki : thry ve
occupied on ordinary occasion* three hours of tlie day m prayers, the
rest of the time is their own,'
In Portugal, as in other stateS| the ppispect of n ^— ^
the sure sign of a fertile neighbourhood Each af t b*
blishments has a library attached to it, an ' '
collection of books in that kingdom is in ti
to the magnificent palace of Mafra. A point of grc. oil
to many of our countrymen in Portugal was the qi;^...j ^, liji
la-ine j iti which respect, also, General Mackiniioo giTe« leaaoi
to hope that great future improvements may take pi
• The wine in some parts of Portugal, from the pc^* '• lA
wluch it b made, a^id the still greater negligence in the < .4
385 MactmnonV J^tirnat of the Campaign m ,
tifully limpid : the town it on an cminencej at the brgiaiiiiig
range of mountainsi which branch off towards SfgoTim, mnd 1
thif moment in many places crowned with tnow. — The rcvctnaiSoF
the bishop exceed 30,ocx>l. a*year. The train of ckrg^y bdcRigviff
to this church it immense ; I do not reckon in their eodevimicii
guide less than forty priests attaclied to it. The service ie*3Bf to lie
administered with much more dignity and decortim than in Por^
tugal* The houses of the gentry are large and ill fumiihed«
as in England would not be considered habitable. I ex*
bishop'« palace/—
* Jttfy 19. — HaTing marched 13 hours, we got to Oropeca* Wf
are deposited in an olive grove for this night, and the faEowiag ifayt
but as we are not allowed to cut the olive trees, our men rciDauaca*
posed to the scorcliing sun. The greatest part of Oropeaa is oocch
pied by the palace of the Duke of AWa, whose vasl possesdocis CS*
tend over a great proportion of this part of Spain* — At Oropf«
we form our junction with Cuesta's army ; they file by us on tlje
21 St, and are said to be composed of the following numbers, under
Cupsta's immediate command : in this armyt 310^000 infantry and
6,000 cavalry; and under Venegas, on the right of ntt a*
20,000; this is much under tlie generalrate, and 1 believe to be
effective force. Our army consists of upwards of 22,500 effect!^
2,500 of which are cavalry. The whole of this united army dosi
not fall much short of 80,000 men. With this force the French wn
to be expelled the Peninaula, Cuesta's character doet not glMod
high as a General ; nor is his army well ofEcered. I see oo defect
in the composition of his troops, and the cavmlry are certaiidy
mounted than the French/ —
• Truxillo and Merida, which are large towns, are m
devoid of interests The former was the birth-place of Pti»iTO } tbe
Marquis dr la Conquesta, in whose house I slept i is his desceodaatt
and resides in the house Fizarro was bom in. — At Merida there arf
the remains of some Roman intiquities, a very fine arcli^ an ^mot^
theatre^ and a temple ; but as tlie stone decomposes, ttiey 9ft m »
very degradt-d slate, I'he Moorish eitadel, which is very larg|B| ia
ejitirely built of Roman materials. The bridge over the Goimn
is remarkable for having ^6 arches ; part of it b evidently RooT^
This river, you would suppose, coidd not require such a Hhd^f
■t this moment it does not carry more water than iht Thaosei iC
Staines j but in winter tlie rivers in the Potitttula incftase to M pm-
digious size. The next town that comet^uuder notice is Badijoif
and it bears infinitely more the appearance of ^ capital ihin my df
the tovMis I have seen in Spain* — Badajoz is remarkable fer aro*
ducing a newspaper ; I went to the house where it was p^tblopejy
and naw the editor, expecting he would give mc some polkkml »•
furm^ition $ but I found he knew as ti^^l-' '^ ihf^ tt*L of hutswaa^*
men«'-»' The town of Badajoz is c^ , not ccnuaioiiiff Ina
than 12,000 touls s it is Mtuated on li.. v>v*ai * --** -^"dtttat
ts ft fine bridge of 26 arches* Thr town is for; jntfitt*
lions are coaiinandcd, mii fi^in one pUce tiic ranip^^ i| acaa ta
MackinnonV Journal of the Campaign in Portugal, 387
The antipathy of the Spaniards to the French exists with a
degree of violence of which few persons in England have an
adequate conception. Had Bonaparte been thoroughly aware
of it, he might have saved himself the trouble of attempting
the conquest of a people who cannot for many ages, nor perhaps
at any time, be incorporated with the French. Favourable as
the Spanish feelings are to the maintenance of their indepen-
dence, they are sometimes productive of conduct towards the
unfortunate Frenchmen in their power, at which humanity
revolts. In the polished city of Valencia, several Frencli
merchants were murdered, on Bonaparte's invasion, in open
day ; and the few who escaped owed their safety to the intre-
pidity of the British consul. We have understood from our
officers that, on following a track along which French pri-
soners had been conducted by Spanish escorts, it was not un-
frequent to find by the road-side the bodies of those of the
miserable prisoners who, being prevented by lameness from
keeping up with the column, or tempted by thirst to turn aside
from it, had been summarily shot by their unmerciful guides.
These accounts we are sorry to find confirmed by General
Mackinnon :
* I went from Almeida to the fort of the Conce^aon, which is
about six miles from hence, in the kingdom of Leon ; it is a regular
quadrangle, beautifully constructed. The place was j^rrisoned by
a company of Spaniards, who were entrusted with the charge of
some French prisoners, upon whom they were exercising great in-
humanity. Governor Cox and myself attempted to prevail on them
to allow these unfortunate men some exercise during the day ; but the
Captain said, it was of no consequence whether they lived or died.
Upon all occasions, I have observed the Spaniards treat the French
with the greatest inhumanity ; and if not prevented, would put those
to death who fell into their hands/
If to this disposition be added that national pride which
rejects instruction from foreigners, our countrymen will have
reason to be thankful when this obstinate contest shall draw to
a close. The Portuguese, at least those of the north, are very
unlike their Castilian neighbours, being extremely tractable,
patient, and sober.n— Wliile in the neighbourhood of Almeida,
General M. had an opportunity of remarking that transparency
of air which has so forcibly struck our countrymen in their
foreign travels, particularly in Greece and Asia Minor :
' I have heard it remarked by Humboldt, I think, that the air in
parts of South America is so very transparent, that you can distin*
fuish the white garment of i man at (I think) 15 miles' distance ; I
ave made the same remark in tills country ; I could, from the top
of a mountain, distinguish, with the naked eye, a white house
C c 2 lyherc
3S8 MackinnonV Jpuntat rf^he Campmgn in Portage i,
v(here I Wppened to Icd^e at Ca9lell6 Roden^o, and the Sf^uuux
could not be less than ^6 miles in a direct litir; thi« woatd not ti^
credited by a person only acquainted with the English atmotphi-rr,
where in tht* finest day, with somr diflfic*ilty, .you discern St. F«iul*t
from the hill between Egham and Engle fie Id- Green. — ^A ' -^••' '^iK
I again visited my li^ll, and to corroborate whjit I Kav'- ;<!•
I could disttntly see tlie Vrcnch batteries firing upon rxm^^t'^M dUd
the garrison returning the lire; the sound was not hcard« Th* iSi*
tance froQ:i Almeida is not less than 32 miles, in a dinect lii^e.*
In the early pjrt of the revolutionary war, the Freoch «!•
diets were remarkable for their regular and inoffensire habitl
PichegTu was a commander of exemplify conduct ; &uti|
which was much more to the point, the levies were inketi horn
a class too young and too remote from great cities to be con-
taminated with disorderly propensities. On the conqtsese of
HolI;uid, accordingly, the deportment of the French ^otdien
was found altogether different from the previous rumours of
their violence and rapacity. That the character of acquiescent
and inoffensive manners continues (o belong to the new* levin
can scarcely he doubted : but the disposition of those who
have been long in service is very dlffci^cnt ; and, unhappilfi
various occasions have occurred, on which the violence oi
mutual exasperation has been productive of excesses altoglJliMr
unwortliy of civilized nations. In Portugal, there: ^or
Til til er the aversion) of the people to the French w^ ^^
-or the pretext, of shameful outrages. In Souk's re::
and villages were completely plundered ; and tlie
destruction comprized even objects, such as Iiousehold for-
jiiture, w^hlch could aiford no advantage to a dcprcditor. In
the city of Oporto, the plundering is said to have Usted darbg
throe days, and to have co.st the lives of several hu' * * * ha-
bitants. The remembrance of these horrors aw^ ilie
most dismal apprthen>ion$ at the time of the seconti iurasiou
of Portugal by Massena in the autumn of 18 10:
< Never did any unfortunate country feel, with greater errfntTi
tlic mt series of war than this country, thrmigh which *
and Portuguese jirmicfi are ilowly retreating, and arc p-
still more d^fjtructive armica of France, All tbe u ad dir
cipliotr of ih^ b^st regulated troops^ can m-vt-r pn i'r.-|J«*
larities of ttrag^lifj^ soldiers, folluwen# of th** army, at a^
ticularly those cmploy*-'d in the traniport of $tort*» aod j
< Septrmlfcrn* — I ^%vnt thia d:iy to A Idea da* Diaa, n » 1 bf
olher side of the Alv t, ituatej in a kind of basin, «!' rt
I abrivr the river, in th^ ni»dtl of garden a uiid vitieyardu* — ^
lwa» filled by f migrant f 4m ilicij, whu <it fir*t difi no* * ft
[%ve were fneiids or »*nrro'-»t b\** uh»u they foO' ^
tome of their good alUc», they immvdutdy began » \unrv •
Mackinnon*/ Jmrrml of tie Campatgn in Pariugal* 389
against the FreticK, and offered us water*mclanSt and other fruits,
for which we could get thcni to take nolhinij in return • The grouped
consisted chiefly of women atid chtklrcn ; they hope that we shotiM
reuin the country : and the fear of falling into the hands of tlic
French, was tjtrongly marked in every thing they said to its. To
fiee these poor pi'ople crowded tog'ether, not knowing what is lo be
their fate, deprived of the comforts their homes afford, and not
knowing whether those homes have been allowed to exist by the
French soldiery » miide thj^a mclaiicholy interview; and which, how-
ever often one may have occasion to see repeated, must always bring
raelauclioly reflections to the mind. Such is the fate of a soldier,
whenever he is employed on active service j the misery of the human
TSLCc^ in one sliape or other, ii what he has always to cohtcmplate**
Our own armies, brave and generous as are their component
inembers, have not yet acquired the art of making a retreat
without committing great wastt; and disorder* Lord Welling-
ton's address to his troops^ on occasion of the retreat from Bur-
gos, contains but too strong evidonce of the existL^nce of such
if regularities j and tlie testimony of General Mackiiinon is ex-
plicit witli regard to the m.iJineT \\\ whicli they occur :
* When a part of the army arrives at a cantonment, immediately
horse JH, mules, and asses are turnid loose into tlu^ inclosure^* This
mav be avoided by a well < corj^s ; but it generally liappcns,
iSfn^ the mischief is often ii; j- -» before the unfortunate inhiibit-
have had time to make their representations, supp^jsing them
\ to have fietL It is, however, far worse when the commissariat
mules approach ; tlien nothing is respected ; and as they often keep
out of the reach of officers of rank, tliey are allowed to create havoc
with impunity- When a dismul story reaches the ear of a superior
officer, before he can put a stop to deitructton, the swarm of mule*
arc committing a repetition of outrage in another devoted spot. The
extent of mischief may be measured by the number of brigade mules:
in the third division only they iimount to six hundred. Another fittal
instrument of destruction are small detachments, J^ing from, and
coming to join the army, principally consisting of the sick : these
parties are left to the command of subaltern officers ; and too often,
I am sorry to say* they neglect their duty, often leaving their parties
to march by themselves, and when arrived at tlie end of their day's
inarch, giving no directions to enforce regularity* This is felt like
a bhght along the whole hne of communication, from Lisbon to the
army. Lord Wellington's repeated orders to enforce regularity, aU
though tliey may liave checked, have not cured the evil. When a
soldier is sick or wounded, he fancies himself above law, but the
unlbitunate inhabitant finds that he has still force left to plunder, and
commit devastation. Want of subordination and proper regulations
m an army, has a stronger tendency to cause its own destruction,
than can be supposed by :i common observer \ nor have I ever met
^*ith any military author, that has sufficiejitly discussed this part of
tbe subject, It tb^ troops in a country, which has long beeu the
C c 3 scat
MacIcinnonV Journal of tie Campaign in PcriugaL
, iieat of war, wKose resouraes are exhausted, wliose maeistral^ Ui
fled, or whoRC power is becoine despicable — if in ru^T- -> rMmitrti
parties to supply the soldiers* wants arc not properly or _ 4
Invariably under the orders of o5iccrsi, the doors, winco v, „ ^ .v.ri,
^and ultimately tlic roofs of houses, will be burnt for fuel, the green
iields will be consumed for forage, and the soldierS| parti culirly
those attending officers, will have an excuse for going to a diitaocey
and laying their fiands upon every thing without distinction. Whit
will be the consequence ? The resources of months will be confumed
in a few days | the soldiers, in the ruins of those very housej which
they themtielves have rendered uninhabitable, will contnwrt di$e«ieit
which will cau?L' the death of many, and disable many more j the
forage having been wantonly consumed, those animals declined to
carry provisions or baggage will be starved; and the aiDif, ulti-
mately, from disease occasioned by privations, be obliged to abaadot
its object, and to retire into a new country^ which will in it5 mni
have to suffer. Had the French adopted ^uiRcient precautioc^
Majscna would not have been obliged to retire at so early a period
from our lines before Lisbon, But in regard to interior economyi
, tiowever imperfect we may be, yet in this we fiir excel our enemy-*
We shall next see the effect of such inconsiderate waW
On the comfoTt of the soldier;
. * October 19*. ifJio* — Thifi day I learn that Trant has taken 5^00^
t*retich at Coitnbra, principally Sck ; and that Mortier lut bfO
obliged to ajiajidon his intention of joining Massena^ on 5»»^coii«t of
-insurrections in Andnluiia. JJescrlions arc \*ery U' ht
60. MasscnaV, «ituation seems to be more critical t > Jl
the deserters and prisoners, whom I fiavt spoken to, ynivcr^all) i^M
dare that they get no bread : meat ho far they have rcceired. QHh
*this supply cannot b*t, unless they open a communicution with tbdf '
rear, or across tiic Tagus, which latter they are supposed to lie
[ attempting J probably at Santarcm, or Salvaterrai when their bndgr
is made 1 liopc we may be forttmate enough to destroy it — therivrr
I Js rapid aj»d wiH favour any operation of that kind. It would ap*
•pear, from the intercepted letters from Berthier to Mafr»rnat thit
the latter Iiiid been almost forced into his present situation, Buona*
parte sttming to have an equal contempt for our numbers ;ind the
quality of the troops with whom we are acting : this accou^nt itatd
. the army that was to enter Portugal, to consist of 60,000 meoi ap4
6,000 csrvalry to keep up his communication with the rc%r/
At^other example of the same kind was u- \U
fordedby the sufferings of OUT own soldiers, on u... ..„..^, ...u4
from Talavera in August 1809;
* After the battle of Talavera, which w^as fought on the 1
of the 27th, and the whole of the aS^h of July, (i^^"^ •» '
.|o suppose that the wounded should require otlicr
|)Iive trees allotted to the army. T was ordered by tii-
iri phicfj tlic last day of the months to take the oomn
di
■MUM
in
Mack'nnonV Jeurnal of the Campaign in Pfirii/gaL 391
♦own, and make arrangementi with the assistance of Dr. F * ♦ *,
Inspector of Hospitals. The ist of August I went into the to\^'n>
and took up my quarters with Lord M'Duff, General Whittingliam,
who was wounded, and Col. Roach, officers serving with llic Spanish
army. The sick were principally placed in the large convents of tljc
town, some in deserted houses. The confusion and scenes of death
can scarcely be described : many men till this day never having had
their wounds dressed. — At eleven o'clock on the 3d, I waited on
General Cuesta, and saw General O'Donoghoe, who received me io a
manner that I could easily perceive something extraordinary had
happened. He told me that he was at that moment occupied on
business of the greatest importance, which was not communicated to
me till one o'clock ; and Gen. Cuesta then informed me that Soult,
with 35,000 men, was at Pla^encia, and Victor onlv six leagues in
Cuesta 's front : this had been discovered by a monk, the bearer of
a letter from King Joseph to Soult, who at that moment was in the
room : he should retire at dusk with his arm.y, and I had better get
off with the hospital before that time. My instructions ordered me,
in contemplation of such an event, to go to Merida, by Por.te de
Archibespo. — With difficulty I procured seven waggons from Gen.
Cuesta. to carry off a few wounded men and oflicers ; and at five
o'clock the rear-guard left the town. I left it myself at eight,
passing through some thousand Spaniards who were making oiF.
The first night we got to Calera, which town had been coraplttely
tlestroyed by the French. Next day at Ponte de Arciiibespo, where
I purposed passing tlic night, we were overtaken by tlie British
army. I was ordered by the Adjutant-General to proceed with
my party to Valdecasa that night ; but finding the bridge over the
Tagus occupied by our retreatinjj army and their baggage, it was
dark before I could get in motion. — The distance from Talavera
to Elvas is 184 miles ; over which space I have had to conduct this
disorderly crew, witliout magazines. In many places the magistrates
shewing evident marks of a hostile inchnation, and no where inclined
to serve us — the people of the country have every where treated the
unfortunate men, who have sacrificed themselves to save Spain, with
inhumanity and neglect — and 1 was often obhged to use violent
means to prevent the men from starving. Such has been our recep-
tion in Spain!'
General Mackinnon was not long destined to share the fa-
tigues and the honour of a military life. Having been ap-
pointed to command a brigade in the siege of Ciudad Roiirigo
in January 181 2, he fell in taking a lead in the gallant assault
which delivered that fortress into our hands. After having
secured the possession of the breach, he maiched with the 74th
regiment to a parapet on the left ; and, on ascending it to con-
duct his troops to victory, he was unhappily destroyed by the
sudden explosion of an enemy's magazine near the breach.
He was supposed by his soldiers, during the whole of the
Bight, to be living j and it was not till next morning that his
C c 4 body
U
39^ Transact'mni af the Sccletyf&r Aris^ V&lu 28. tfnJ 29.
bocl^ WIS discoircred, wounded, and scorched on tlie
of the head* It was removed to Espeja, and btrncil
officers of the Coldstream Guards with military
2nd with the highest marks of attachment to a
friend.
Art. V. Tnituacttofu of the Society for ihi Encattrtzgrm^nt of Arti
Manufactiirtit and Commerce^ Vols. XXVIII. and XXIX*
\^^rtkle concluded from pa^e 25 j .J
MECltAXlCS, continued^
TVTewspapehs afford many accounts of accidents from fire
^^ which are attributed to carelessness in the br nr<»r, hut
would not have happened if safety in the use of ^
consulted in rheir construction, Sportsmrn in
cveji military men, are sometimes wounded by t
explosion of their own pieces. To remedy dicv*. -
lizekiel Baker (No. 24. Whitechapel-roud,) ha^occupl ;- h:ir.sc]
in contriving A Method of rendering FtrcArmt m(*rf uJ(
ike Bmrer^ and more cffcdunl in Lhe* The first cbii^ct '•» a^
complisheii by a lock which holu itself on ;;oing mtv
and by haying the hii mer cf^ihe lock so tAited to. . ._
cock tnat the top cannot catch the holster whr?n f uiting in
pistol. The second object is obtained by a touch-hole so mai
that the piece primes itself, by a fence v-^hich carries tl
fire into the pan, and by a swivelled r.tmmer> which cannot
lost. Owing to the efFt^ct of winri and uotion in dissipatii
the powder, our cavalry will find tlie advantage of pistols with
a large touch-hole^ which prime tlipmselves.
Workers in metal may be tlianktul to Mr. J. D»R<
(PrinceVstreet, Soho,) for his Jnveniion of a Afachine for
parathig Iron Fiiings frcm their mixture noith other Mei
The usual mod'?, ^J' the use of a single magnet, was tedious |
and Mr. Ross's in*ichine, by employing several magnets
once, must expedite the process.
The next communication is humane in its object. As wo:
men and servants are li^ible to the most serious accidents
ic pairing and cleaning the outside of windows in lofty hou^es^
Mr. G.Marshall (No. 15. Cecil-court, St, Martln's-lane,) has
presented a plan for const rue tit/g Saih JVindotus, jv as i9 6c
i leaned cr repaired without the Necessity of any Persons geittg on
ii)0 Outside of the House, As wc have passed the streets of the
metropolis we have often seen a painter or ghzier suspended
on the out aide of a third or fourth story-window, like the man
gathering samphire half-way down Dover-cliff, as described
IS I
I
1
Transactions of the Society for ArtSy Vols. 28. and 29. 393
hy Shakspeare, and have trembled for him in his perilous situ*
ation. Affected by the death of a man who was precipitated
from a board on which he stood while he was cleaning the
outside of a window, and was impaled on the iron spikes sur-
rounding the area below, Mr. M. was humanely induced to
invent a sash-frame, which in appearance resembles those in
common use, but with which, by making the fillets of the sash
■which enter the grooves separate from the sash-frame, and by
fastening these fillets with pivots about the middle of the sash,
it is possible to get at the outside of the sash by moving it on
its pivots inwards into the room. The contrivance is simple :
but the sash will be liable to rattle, and to admit a beating rain.
Mr. Wm. Moult, (No. 37. Bedford-square,) having noticed the
defects in the use of common filtering-stones, has suggested
an easy and more effectual Method of applying these Stones for
the Purification of Water.
Shaft-horses often fall in the streets under a cart heavily
laden, and are with difiiculty extricated from their painful
situation. Mr. Benjamin Smith (No. 11. Turnham-placc, Cur-
tain-road, Shored itch,) therefore describes A Method rf raising
a loaded Cart nvheti the Horse in the Shafts has fallen* A chain
is employed, which passes from the fore-part of the cart oxer
strong uprights at the back, and which acts as a lever ; and the
two fore-horses being unhooked and fastened to the end of the
chain, bv their drawing the load is raised, and the fallen horse
is enabled to recover bis feet.
At some length, Mr. John Taylor (of Holwell, near Tavi-
stock,) describes his Method of ventilating Mines or Hospitals^ by
extracting the foul Air from them. Without the plate, it would
be impossible to give an accurate idea of Mr. T.*s exhausting
engine : but it is proper to observe that experience has ascer-
tained its utility, that it is not likely to get out of repair, and
that it merits nttention in all cases in which labour is inter-
rupted or health injured by foul or deleterious air.
A Compensation-Pendulum for a Clocky made of steel and
zinc, has been presented to the Society by Mr. Adam Rcid, of
Green's End, Woolwich. This pendulum is simple in its
construction, cheap, and, preserving an uniform length, vibrates
equably.
Connected with Horology is an invention of great simplicity
and cheapness, by Mr. G. Spark, (of Elgin, Murrayshirc, Scot-
land,) who has suggested A Method cf ascertaining the Hour
in the Nighty by an Apparatus connected ivith a common Watch,
Mr. S's Noctuary is not liable to be out of order; an J the
m^ks which designate the hours being made to project oa tl^e
§calc^ the knowlege required is obtained bv feeling.
We
194 Transadiam rfthe Sedetyfir Afis^ Fch. l8. and ip.
We shall leave it to mrgeons to report from experience oil
tlie merit of Ehstic Trusses for Ruptures^ by Mr. /• \^Tiitforf,
iurgeon's instrument maker, St, Bartholomew's Hospital ; on
Crutchts ivi'th Springs, hy Mr. G. Prisley, No, 3. Church*stTtft,
Soho ; and on the Varifty of ImpUments^ invented ^y Mr* John
Mori.'inn, No. 391. Strand j for (he Ust of Pirs<ms mih9 Jkaw M
ihe Misforttifie to lose their H^nds.
I White fightinji; is in fashion, every improvement in the en»
ginefi of desiruction will be considered as importnnt, b«can*e tlie
sooner an enemy who is attempting to knock out our bnrixu
h;is his brains knocked out, the better r how grateful, then,
must our navy ieel to Capt. T. M. BagnoKU of the Royal
Marines^ (High Row, Knight's-bridge,) for his [nventim rfa G%m
etnd Carriage to clear the Tops of the Enemy* s Ships from Maris*
Men in close Action* A plate representing the Gun and Carnage
is subjoined, and the mode of firing is explainecL
Our attention is drawn to an object of a different Innii tf
Mr, Wm. Brunton, (of Buiterlcy Iron Work^, D ' -•,)
vho has invented ji« Improved Pumpf for raistng :rr^
%ukile Wells are sinking or making. The cofjsirtjction and
advantages of this improved pump are fully detailed : but sho
account is too long for extraction, and cannot be abridged.
Mr. John Hodgson, of Charles-street, St^ JamesVsqutrfi
' has stated a Method of correcting the Variations of the Afanmer^s
CompnsSf nnd *f the Compass used with the Theodolitf* He thm
I explains his improvement;
* The frequent rccurrenc* to the variation of the compasf^ wliic&
\ ii necessary in the use of the Thcodohte, is always attended with
f trouble, and ni>t unfrequcntly productive of erron
• It appears to me, that by a very gimple expedient, theit iacot*
[ venipnccs may in a great measure be removed. To the magngtie
[needle of ibc instrument, let one of brass be affixed moveable npcn
[the center of the former; the brass needle may be trrrried the c<*f-
f rector. Nothing more is necessary than to phce the : :k
[and the corrector at the angle of the variiAtion, in su^ :
I tlie former being in the magnetic meridian, the latter .;
I true meridian* The south end of the corrector will p uf
ibcaring of an ohject, seen throngh the sights of the I
I • I aho beg to lay before the committee a ship's co , , ; whkh
twill be found a different apphcation of the same principtc. Jo thin
instrument, the needle is made moveable undtr the compass card, to
IS to be placed by the officer oi the watch, or any other proper
person, undrr the varratian Ime, as often as an ajr.imuth or aji lun*
pHtude shall have been taken* The pointi of the compans will, by
^lljese means, be diri^cted to their corresponding points tu the hemiTs%
and the mariner will know that he is really sailmg upon the thitah
Indicated by the cord/
Reflecti
mmM
i
Transactions of the Society fir Arts^ Vols, 28. and 2p. 395
Reflecting on the impossibility of moving persons with
limbs dreadfully broken, so as to allow them to obey even the ! j
calls of nature, Henry Earle, Esq. of Hanover-square, has in- j i
vented a Bed, or rather a Frame to be attached to a Bedstead^ fir ! \
Persons ivhose Limbs are fractured, or ivho are sick and infirm. ' -
This contrivance seems to be well calculated for affording ac-
commodation to patfents ; and the recommendation of several
hcMipital-surgeons is a sufficient proof of its merit.
The instrument commonly used in cupping for making the
incisions being regarded as imperfect, Mr. John Fuller (No. 14.
Hatton-gardcn,) presented to the Society his Improved Scarify
cator; in which the lancets diverge when they are discharged,
and which, from the neatness of its operation, has obtained the
sanction of medical men.
Mr. George Prior, jun. (of Otley, in Yorkshire,) was re-
munerated in 1809 (seeM. R. Vol.lxv. N. S. p. 73.) for a
clock-escapement, which worked with so little friction as not
to require any oil ; and he here offers an improved Remontoire
Escapement fir Pendulums-Clocks, which promises to effect great
accuracy in keeping time. As Mr. Prior has paid great atten-
tion to the subject, his observations on this new escapement
merit notice :
* I St. That the renovating and detent springs must spring from one
centre, and as similarly as possible.
* 2d. Tliat the force applied to the train must be so much more
than what will wind up the renovating spring, as will overcome the
influence of oil and friction on the pivots of the machine.
* 3d. That the renovating spring, when unwound, must rest against
the point of the tooth of the wheel, which will he an advantage, as
it thereby takes as much force off the tooth of the wheel resting
against the detent spring, as is equal to the pressure of the renovat-
ing spring against the face of the tooth of the wheel.
* 4th. The detent springs must be made as slender and light as
possible, thougli whatever force they take from the pendulum, by
their elasticity in removing them to unlock the wheel, so. much
force they return to the pendulum in following it, to where it re-
pioved them from, therefore action and re-action will be equal in con*
trary directions.
* 5th. That it is unnecessary for the pendulum to remove the de-
tent or renovating springs, much farther than is necessary to free
the teeth of the wheel, as it' will always vibrate up to the same arc ;
in table-clocks it ought to remove them further, so that it can go
when not placed exactly level, or what is generally termed, out of
the beat.*
To this paper we shall add one of a similar nature, from
Mr. John Prior, (father of Mr. G. Prior,) of Nessfield, near
Shipton in Craven, detailing Improvements in the striking Part of
39<5 Tramacthns afthe Society fir Arts^ Vdi^ 38* 9niz<^*
* My new invented method of striking (sayiMr, P.) ii cistiy
«ind expeditiously made» at it lays aside the train of vrhceU and pv
iiionst which is much better substituted by ;i small part of a ctrdf^
at the end of a lever toothed, wliich is elevated ^M\\ the h:LtT\i»cf|
and may be put out of the frame of the clock r
wards and backwards. The first modon it to re- .
with vhich the hammer would strike, and the latter has notiti
do with the power that struck the hammtT, but is acted ^
gravity, which will regulate the intcrvaU between the? Rtrokri mors
accurately than any trtxin of wheels and pinions can do with a iU ;
at the end of whicJi motion it unlocks a detent, which stops agaitsU
the pins that strike the hammer in the wheel without t'^'tf, . ^n^^
the elevation of the lever puts forwards tfie count wl
till one of the twelve pint for the use of counting the ^.u^.,., of
proper number to be struck, comes into the \7ay of thfl lenrert l»i
then prevents it from uiiloirking the detent, then the dock ^vetover
strikiug till the next hour.'
The elegancies of modern life are often obtained by operation
dangerous to workmen, but of which our gentry Ii^ve mi iilea.
In the business of water-gilding, the men urc Ikble to ie
most serious injuries from the deleterious fumes of metctilji
which they inhale when taking the gilded metal out of the ftu-
nacc, and in the subsequent operation of rubbing. Mr. Ricfc-
ard Bridgen (No»6i. Broad-street, Bloomsbury,) has lI«fN
fore invented a Sort of Case far the Head, to prevatt the hhAl^m
of noiious Vapours in gtUtng Metnls $ which keeps the oQkk-
sih^er, when in a volatile state, from entering xiio. moutli aal
nostrils, 'iA\\ injuring the bowels, nerves, and speech of tbe
operator. This is surely a praiseworthy invention, — Conncctd
with tiiis article, we have to notice another humane attcntm
Our bdies arc not^iwnre that the operation of pointing needtes
IS pernicious to tlie health of tlie work-man ; but that fact ini
wn to Mr. Thomas Wood, of Great Bcrkhamp&tead, Haii,
he has endeavoured, by his invention of r.n inclosed grind*
«tone, with a l^ood, to prevent prejudicial FJfc^st to Penm
employed in pointing Needles. Water-gilders and needlc-gtioikfl
will attend to these communications.
The last p^per, which we have to mention undr-
of mechanical inventions, is from Mn George \
Ijccds, who has explained hts Mode
Itfi?/Ar/, which will be peculiarly accept,
bw-chandlcrs, &c., in whose business the eifiuvta ar
^The contrivance is judicious: but we qucLiCiuti wL>,
entirely new, A sicuii-chimney q|er the b*>iler has,
^licve, been often adopted : but the boards, f" ' .
rgcr half of tiic cirtle of the top of the pan,
ent, by helping to carry the steam itp the sic^)«ilii«.
Ccuwm
wt
Uransactlotit of the Society for ArtSj Vols* 28. and 29. 397
Colonies and Trade.
Here the first communication that presents itself is from the
Society's old and valuable correspondent Dr. Wm. Roxburgh,
of Calcutta, and is ihtitkd An Account of a new Species of Ne-
riuuiy the Leaves of which yield Imligo, with an Engraving of the
Plant i and Descriptions and Engravings of the necessary Apparatus
for manufacturing the Indigo. To which is added, a brief Account
of the Result of various Experiments made 'with a View to throw
some additional Light on the Theory of that artificial Production.
Also Descriptions of two other Plants which yield Indigo, and of
one from Pegu, said to yield a Green Dye. This is an instruc-
tive and interesting paper ; and in order to invite the attention
of the public to ir, we find it introduced by the following
notice :
* In the present state of the comn:ercc of this country, wilen our
enemies arc endeavouring to close every foreign port against us, it is
the Society's wish and endeavour to sljow the great advantages and
resources which may be derived from our colonies, and to give everv
encouragement in facilitating their efTorts to furnish articles wliieli
will answer the purpose of those usually derived from foreign king-
doms. Supplies from such being generally precarious, and procured
at a great expence to this country.
* In the year 1786 Great Britain was almost wholly dependent
upon Spain and France for the indigo made use of in our manufac-
tures J the imports of this article from the East Indies at that period
being only 57,0021. in value. By subsequent encouragements giver*
to its product and manufacture in our colonies in the East Indiec, the
quantity of indigo sent to London from thence has annually increased
to an immense extent^ being in the year 1809, 49740*92 6Ibs. weight,
and in value 1,105,678!. sterling ; and this country is now rendered
wholly independent of any foreign power for the article.*
Dr.R. informs us that he discovered this species of Nerium in
1790, in the lower regions of the mountainous track forming
the Rajah-mundry frontier, and then proceeds to give the bo-
tanical characters and description of this useful plant :
< KERIUM.
« Linn. Gen. PI. Ed. Scireh, No. 420.
* Gen. Char. Contorted. Corol tumiel-*haped ; mouth of the
tube with a lacerated crown. Follicles two, Seed crowned with a
coma.
* Nerium tinctorimn, RoxL
« Arboreous, leaves opposite, short-petioled, oblong, entire,
smooth. Panicles terminah, Follicles pendulous, long, slender,
united at the apex. — Anthers naked.
« Thsil-ankaloo, of the Tclingas.
* Nerium indicum, siliquis angustis, $cc» Burm. ZeyL p. 167.
t- 77-
'An
* An elc^nt middle^ized tree, a^rednff perfectly m iti
character with the Genus Nerium of the Ltnnean s»-*xiial system, to!
from the quality oF its leaves may very properly be called Nerhm
ihjciortumy which may be rendered dyers* ro5kc-bay, for to tne it s^
pears a new species : it come* nearest to Nerium antidysentericnnk,
Limt* S/f. PL Ed, Willd. I. p. 1236., the tre^ which yields the Co-
iieasi bark of our Materia Medica, Codag^^pala of the Horlus Malf •
baric us, ^. 85. #.47. Pala-cadija of the Telingss. They are both
nattves of the lower region of those mountains which bound the Rajili*
mundry Circar on the north side, and are so niuch alike tu most re-
spects, the Ncctarium excepted, that without a tolerable knowledee
of both, the one may be mistaken for the other ; and it it probsthk
the bark of this new Nerium may ha^e been gathered and «ol<' *
Concssi bark, to which may be attributed the disrepute tf
fallen upon Conessi bark in Europe ; for with the natives in
parts of India, it is deemed a specific in most complaints of tar
boweK and I am inclined to think that it descrvet a better luniie
it has hitherto acquired among Europeans.'
The M'^ood of this tree is thus described : * w)vite»
grained, very beautiful, approaching the colour and
of ivory. I'he natives employ it for a variety uf u
a beautifuli light, close-grained wood is wanted. It is strong,
and would answer well for furnittirc, was it not apt to acqQtie
a blueish tinge towards the cetitr€. They (the Telingas) say,
that if the bark of the tree is burnt off, by lighting a fiie routtd
it when first felled, the wood will ever retain its whiteness aii4
beauty/
Next follows an account of the apparatus and process fiv
manufacturing the Nerium Indigo : but it is much too kif
for us to extract the whole. ITie difficulty attpp*^"*" •fi
operation results from the peculiar quality of the !c lie
plant % which, unlike the common indigOi will not communi*
iiicate their colour to cold water: but in warm water ther
readily yield their colouring matter; and Dr* R* has
ample directions for construcdng the vats, cistern, ^c.^ ti .,; -
requisite in tliis operarion, as well as a view of the Neriofli
I Indigo Works in Hindostiin* The following passages isjay br
I sufficient to afford a general idea of the process :
* The leaves of the Nmum tree, in these parts of I u
> be fit for making indigo in the month of Aprils u,.„ ,,. , -j;
lasd June *f 1 have found tuem to yield a better cobur th;in in laay
• The hottest time of the year. In the ih.idc the thcnnonwter^
ing the heat of the day, is generally mbove one hundred, often ktm
lone hundred and ten to one hundred and fifteen, and raipoied Co the
jsun (nearly perpendicular). On the rocky barren •oiU where HbfSH
lushe* grow, it Hues between one liundred and forty and ooe faimdnii
id £fty« aa astoolfthing heat for vegetable! 10 flourish in V
ttkr
I
k
Transacikm of the Smety fgr AriSp /V/»a8» and 29.
otKer month. About the end of August the growth of the pUnt
begins to draw to a close for the seaaon ; the leaves acquiring a yel-
lowish rusty colour, soon fall off, witliout being succeeded by otlicrs,
or in a tnfling degree, till next season, so that here with tlic plants
in a wild state (which is the state I always allude to tn these obser-
vatiorm) 1 can only reckon the length of the season for making the
indigo at four or at most live months in the year,* —
* The leaves being collected, for instance, on the preceding dayi
are put into the coppers, or other vessels, in sufficient quantity*
(full) but not pressed down, and then the vessels are filled with cold
water, lu witliin two or three inches of the top, and so much must
be left because here the bulk enlarges by the heat, fully as much a«
the common indigo vat does by fermentation. The fire is then lighted*
which must be maintained rather briskly till the liquor acquires a deep
green colour when viewed in the vessel; but if taken up, and
poured from one vessel into another, it will appear of a pale, but
bright greenish- yellow ; the leaves will then begin to assume a yel-
lowish colour, and the heat of the liquor will be of about one hun-
dred and Hftr, or one hundred and sixty degrees of Fahrenheit's scale.
Little dependence can be placed on the copper, or violet scumi as the
leaves must be constantly agitated, and turned upside down, to pro-
duce, as nearly as possible, an equal degree of scalding ; if not, those at
the bottom would be much overdone before those at the surface were
ready- The motion answers another purpose, it serves to expel the
iixed air, which greatly forwards the operation. The fires must be with-
drawn, or suffered to die away, some little time before the liquor has
acquired the above-mentioned appearance ; and it is necessary to have
all the different vessels, that are to be let into the same agitation-vat,
rouly at the same time : a little practice will soon render this easy of
performance. When they arc ready, the whole is drawn off at once,
A contrivance must be made to let the liquor pass through a hair-
cloth fa coarse Comly, such as the poorer classes of the natives wear
in cold weather, answers remarkably well) to prevent any of the
leafes* Sec. getting into the agitation-vat with it. As soon as the
whole is run off, it must be, while hot, agitated in the common way
for a few minutes ; from five to twenty will generally be found suffi-
cient to produce the necessary degree of granulation. About from
one -seven tie th to one hundredth part of strong, pure hme*water, is
then let in (the liquor being still hot) from the lime-water cistern,
which requires only to be sufficiently mixed with the liquor, to pro-
duce, quickly, a very large grain, which soon precipitates. The
•upernatant liquor is then let off, and the rest of the process is exactly
as in tnaking the common fermented indigo,
* If the process has been properly conducted, the supernatant
liquor will run off of a clear Madeira wine colour, which i^a sign that
it retains none of the indigo ; and the produce of indigo, when dry,
will average about one 'pound from every two hundred and fifty
pounds 01 the green leaves ; but varies according to the season and
•t*te of the weather when gathered/
It is farther observed that, a6 the Neriura tree or bush is
fotindi
great plenty, any quantity
indigo may be
made 1
,400 Tramactions tfthe Smetyfir Afiif Vclu 28- and ^9.
.made 5 that the quality IS good; and that the ' W
rcgubr, because the tree is not li.iWe to any of iti
to which the 'common Iiidigo-pbnt is exposed, Gtc^t pabii
seem to have been taken by Dr. R* to iisccrtaiii the theory of
this artificial production : but, as his apparatus was rade^ usA
as he owns that his knowlege of the late improvements iii che-
mistry is very limited, it may not be necessary to attend to
the reiiutts which he details, since prob;ibly more accunfie
experiments will be made to determine the points in question.
To this paper are subjoined descriptions of two other newly
'discovered Indtgo-plants : the first of which is the Carneeli oijf
die Telingas, called here Irtdigoftra Ccrru/ra^ jRox^.^ and said
to yield a most beautiful light Indigo ; and the seconil is the
Taroom-akkar, a stately, useful creeper, a native of tlie Island
of Sumatra, and here denominated jisclcpias tirtrtoria, R^sck
Tlie New Species cf Asil^pms^ here termed Asdcpms imgmJi
Rcxh,3 said to produce a green dye, was in 1795 brought ffttm
Pegu by Dr. Buchanan, and now flourishes in the Botanic Gir-
<len at, Calcutta: but Dr. B. was not told by the Burrnin
people how this green dye was obtained, and ev -til
made by Dr. R, to gain it from the leaves of the - mr
has been without effect. The physician is inclined to iliiiA
that the Burman people played a little on the divine's crediitityi
jand dcsigmdly * forgot to inform the Doctor lliat it wis oc*
ccssary to dye tlie cloth yellow or blue either before or afttf
the application of the colour prepared from the leaves of Ar
plant-*
Four short letters from Dr» R* arc added. In Ae i$t, ht
strongly recommends his East-India fever bark, called SwittAm
^ jlhrifuga^ as containing a much larger proportion of acWti
but?r, and astringent powers, than the Peruvian bark. Id the
id, lie mentions a very cheap resin, the produce of .' -e,
by the natives of Bengal called Saulj and by hims<j in-
nated Chorea rolmsta. In the 3d, he announces a packet of
bUck myrabolans, {M^rabolamu Indica^) which he considers at
the unripe fruit of the sanie tree that produces the ChfhBc
myroholnns^ and wdiich he reco'm mends as c< muck
taftmn tn little bulk : he also corrects a mist - rorrocr
letter, in which it v/ai^ stat»-d that hurra u-as the; fruit of Urm^
nalla rr/riW, whereas he finds that it is the fruit of the trrmnaSi
ihehula. Li^stly, he expresses a wish tliat our tanners woulil
make experiments cm some extracts from the gaub fruii, whidi
he had forwarded to England, The iiocicty^ with the pacriotic
spirit with which it is uniformly actu M th»
notice to Dr. R/s communication : < {^vcral
tftidcs above mentioned wiU be delivered ior cnal 10 sudi f€f*
Transactwis of the Society for Arts, Vols, 18. attd Ip. 401
-sons as will engine to favour the Society with the result of
their experiments thereon.'
In the botanical department. Dr. Alexander Anderson, of the
Royal Botanical Garden at St. Vincent's, greatly resembles Dn
Roxburgh in his assiduity to advance our knowlege and pos-
session of useful plants ; and a letter from him is here printed,
containing Interesting Communications. Being unable to avail
himself of an oflFer made by Admiral Sir Alexander Cochrane,
to send a ship with him to Cayenne to procure such plants as
^were wanted for the Botanical Garden, he deputed his friend
and fellow-labourer Mr.Lockhead, who seems to have executed
his commission in a very satisfactory manner :
* My great desideratum from that quarter was to obtain the nut-
meg-tree, as the one I have in this garden is a male, and of no use
alone. I had no doubt but an ampk supply would be readily got
£roin the present possessor of that colony, and the captain of the
vessel earned a very politv letter from the Admiral to the Governor
there: but such was his illiberal and ungenerous conduct, that
be gave neither aid nor countenance towards our obtaining an indi-
vidual plant of any kind. Fortunately Mr. I^ockhead met with
a French botanist, from whom he procured three young nutmeg
trees ; and fmm his perseverance, combined with that or Captain Dix,
of the Cygnet, they brought with them four large boxes full of
plants, several of the?h valuable, amongst which were the Hevengui^
aneniii of Aublet, (the Caoutchouc^ or gum-elastic tree,) several
clove plants, black pepper, couma, and bagossa, (Aublet,) some
palms, fruits, esculents, &c» To counterbalance the disappointment
at Cayenne, Mr.Lockhead generously made me a present of two very
fine young nutmeg trees, which he had nursed in Trinidad for three
years. Immediately after his return from Cayenne, Captain Dix
'went to Tnnidad and brought them here in a flourishingr state, so
that if no accident happens to them, they will produce fruit about
two years hence.*
Dr. A, longs to possess the true Ipecacuanha plant, and
to know whether the Col umbo plant has been brought to
England.
A letter from Mr. Andrew Wilson, of the Stereotype Office,
ticar the Veterinary College, St. Paucras, terminates the 28th
volume. Hf» details the advantages which Stereotypy Printing
possesses over the common mode by moveable types ; and for
his skill and exertions in the art he has been rewarded with
the Society's gold medal.
The 29th vol. contains only two short articles in this class \
the first respecting a System of curing British iVhite Herrings in
the Dutch Method, by Francis Fortune, Esq. of Lower Thames*
Street ; and the second a Method of curing British if^hite Herrings ,
(equal to the Dutch, or better,) by Mr. Peter Sleavin, No. 7.,
Kzr. Aug. 1813. D d Little
SeetzenV Account ofthi Lali of Tiherias^ t5*c.
Little Brook-strcct, Hampstcad-road. — The Soctety, haYtog
had the advantage of us in being enabled to taste these herringSi
can better decide on their goodness ; and we most suppose,
from the adjudication of the gold medal to Mr. F.^and the sihcr
medal to Mr. S., that tlieir methods were approved*
Thus have we endeavoured to notice the numeroitt papeii
contained in these publications ; and wlien we advert to the va»
riety of benevolent, useful, and patriotic inventions which tKb
Society encourages and rewards, we must regard it a$ highly
intitled to patronage, and are happy to find that it is io evcfy
respect in a flourishing state. By stimulating inventive genius
in every department of life, it tends to increase the benefits
of civilization, and to abridge the labour and enlarge the com*
forts of man : it endeavours to extend blessings to the poor as
well as to the rich ; and, while it strives to advance the arts and
manufactures of the country, to secure workmen from those
miseries to which they are exposed by the dangerous nature of
their calling.
The remainder of these volumes includes the Rules and
Orders of the Society, the enumeration of Presents, Lists of
the Members, &c* &c. ; and the Premiums offered in the
years 1810 and l8ri are placed immediately after the preface.
From the Society's foreign correspondents, much valuabtl
information has from time to time been obtained ; and we
assured that it is in possession of recent communications
several of our colonies abroad, whidi will liereaftcr be giveif
the public. *
Art. VI. ji hr'uf Account of tht Count rics adjetning ike /.«if rf
Tl&eriait the J or dan ^ and the Dead Sea, By M. Scctzcfi, Cm*
teitUr d* Amhasiade de S, M. V Empercur di Rusiie, Ptiblii bed far
the Palestine Association of London* 410. pp. 52* ^u 6L
Hat chard.
THE principal object of the Society in Londotr, which tf C^Ski
the Palestine Associaiioni is to remove or at Jcagt to tUai*
niuh the ignorance which «till prevails respecting the easlen
part of the Holy Land. Adopting the word Palestine nolia
the confined sense of Judaea, but as comprehending all cbf
) country on either side of the Jordan which was inlubif ed to
i former ages by the tribes of Israel, the Society ib ->
jceive from any quarter information respecting 1-
{ known country to the cast of that river. The p^ r»
ilivhich has been generally visited by the Europea:;,. , -^ ;&•
Ipaired to it from motives either of curiosity or devotion, i* the
[beaten track from Jafla or Acre to J * " ' .1
the country, tlie maps hitherto pu I : e
~~ c^trrtncijf
SeetzenV Account of the Lah of Ttberlas^ fefr* 403
axtrcmely defective ; and even the latitude and longitude of the
towns along the coast have not been accurately ascertameJ.
The journal of Mt Seetzen, who fills a subordinate station m
the Russian diplomatic corps, was not transmitted in the first
instance to the above-mentioned Association, but tu one of his
personal friends in Saxony ; and a copy of it having fallen into
the hands of some members of the National Institute at Paris,
it was sent over to Sir Joseph Banks^ who lost no lime in pre-
senting it to the Palestine Association. The members of that
body, putting full confidence in M, Seetzen's veracity, and con-
sidering that his report, though too brief to extinguish curiosity,
comprehended several very interesting topics, have now offered
1 a translation of it to the public.
M. Seet2en begins by remarking that he was aware, from the
records botli of the Jews and the Romans, that the tract of
country comprehending the provinces of the Moabites, Ammo-
nites, Amcrites, &c., had in former ages been very populous ;
and it was in this region, known in the time of the emperors
by the name of Perxa, that the celebrated Decapolis, or district
including ten allied cities, was situated* Here, as in the other
countries subjugated by the Romans, were still remaining sub-
stantial specimens of their architecture ; and even the lapse of
fifteen centuries has not eflaced entirely these vestiges of their
characteristic perseverance. The ardour excited in M. Seetzen,
however, by the knowlege of the former condition of this
country, was not seconded by a concurrent feeling on the part
of his friends at Damascus, who all agreed in representing a
journey to this neglected quarter as replete with difficulty and
danger : but he was inilexible ; and having, after several fruit-
less attempts, prevailed on an Arminian to accompany him as a
guide, he proceeded, in December 1 805, to the country lying
north-east of the sea of Galilee, and known by the name of
Al-Lahja. He found it occupied by Bedouin Arabs; and its soil
presented, in many parts, notliing but basalt, %vhich was often
very porous, atsd formed a succession of stony deserts. The vil-
Lrges, for the most part in ruins, are situated on the sides of the.
rocks i and from the blackness of the stone, as well as the total
absence of trees and verdure, they present a sombre and me-
I lanehoty aspect. Yet almost every village exhibits Greek in-
scriptions, columns, or otJier monument of antiquity.
After having experienced some danger of being plundered by
the Arabs, M. Seetzen left Al-Lahja, and visited the country
situated at tlie foot of Mount Hennon ; the summit of which
rose, covered with snow, above those of all the surrounding
mountains* Here he saw the antient city of Csesarea Philippi
reduced to a miserable hamlet of twenty hulSj inhabited by
D d 2 Moham-
SeetzenV Account of the Lake of TihtriaSf toV*
Mohammedans. Proceeding southward, he came to the district
cast of the sea of Galilee; travelling in the character of a phy^U
cian, but unaccompanied by a guide, because the terror of the
wild inhabitants of the spot deterred all who were animated b?
less powerful feelings than M, Seetzen from treading on swell
forbidden ground. The country, like Al-Lahja, was in general
wild, mountainous, and composed of basalt ; the most pleasant
feature in the prospect being the Lake of Galilee, which met the
eye from elevated positions. At the southern point of this bke,
begins the beautiful plain of El-Ghor, surrounded by two chaim
of mountains, but Httle cultivated by the wandering tenants d
its fields* In prosecuting his farther researches, M* Seetxen,
»nd a guide whom he procured at Edrei, were obliged to resort
to the odd expedient of throwing off their ordinary clothes
covering themselves with rags ; in fact, of assuming the
guise of common beggars. That nothing about him might
tempt the rapacity of the Arabs, he * put over his shirt an old
4ressing gown, and above tliat an old blue and ragged thrft,
covering his head with shreds, his feet with old slippers, and
using a branch of a tree for a walking stick/ In this uncouth
garb, he traversed the country for ten days, frequently u*ctted
to the skin by the rain, and obliged to trudge for many miles
through the mud. The fruits of this painful excurMon coo*
listed in an accurate survey of the ruins of Edrei, Gadani
Abila, and Gerasa, the last of which was found to retain ttaiu
of great magnificence. He was enabled to count -m
hundred columns, which yet partly support their ei ics,
and the number thrown down is much more considerable, iircn
at Amman, a city which existed before the arrival of the Jews from
^gypt, several vestiges of antient buildings are still perceptible.
It was called by the Romans, from its position on both sides d
a river, Civitas aquarum ; and the ruins now in existence ut
probably erections of the time of the Lower Empire* —
antient Amathusa appears to have stood on tlie site of the
dern town of Assalt, a few miles east of the Jordan.
The river Jordan rises to the northward of FaleittQc^
lount Hermon* Milton assigns to it two sources :
*« Here the double-founted stream
Jordan, true limit eastward,**
Pau. Lost, b. xii.
^he double founts, is meant the little lake of Phiala on the
I ime side, and, on the other, the copious spring of the rivulet
Panaass or Baniass, two leagues east of Phiala. The b«auty of
the spring of the Panaass gave it a fair title to the name of
«* source of the Jordan :" but, if we are guided bjf size of CBI^
rentj a preference will be assigned to the spnitg cf ' er
\
SeetsenV Accoufti of the Lake of Tiherlas^ fsfc.
Ha^beriai which brings tht largest contribution of zny of tli«
early subsidiary streams to the Jordan. The united waters,
flowing southwards, acquire a breadth of about one hundred
feet before they fall into the Lake of Galilee^ with a depth
which, though very different according to season and situation,
may in general be called ten or twelve feet. On issuing from
the Lake of Galilee, the body of w*ater is much increased, and
continues holding a southerly course, receiving smaller streams
from east and west, until it is absorbed in the Dead Sea. To
visit the shores of the latter was one of the principal objects of
M- Seetzen^s peregrinations. In his former excursion, he had
found the inhabitants living in caves : but, in this dreary quarter,
large tracts were seen to be wholly desolate. The only consi-
derable river to the east of the Dead Sea is the Anion, the antient
limit between the Amorites and Moabttes. The ruins of Robba,
(Rabbath-Moab,) the residence of the kings of Moab, are still
visible. Karrak, the first inhabited spot dijcovered by a tra«
veller arriving from the north, is a village on the top of a
mountain, and commanding an extensive prospect of the Dead
Sea, In this elevated region, in the month of April, the travel-
lers sometimes found it necessary to walk fast to keep them-
selves warm ; while, on the next day, when descending into a
plain, ^they experienced the heat of a tropical climate. They
now arrived at the southern point of the Dead Sea, and pass-
ed a mountain of chrystallized salt, which extends ten miles
in length, and impregnates the water with a bitter taste. No
marine plants were discernible along the shore of this singular
lake J and if the traveller has not provided a supply of fresh
water, he will experience great sufferings from thirst.
M. Seetzen observed in it an island of considerable extent.
The waters of this inland sea have been analyzed since
M*Sect2en's journey ; and 500 grainSi evaporated to dryness,
gave as a rseidue 213 grains of ^alt. In the farther process of
I analysis, it appeared that 100 parts of the water contained
Muriate of magnesia
Muriate of lime
Muriate of soda
I
24. 20
10 60
42.60
Sea-water in the latitude of the Canary islands has been found
to contain, in the quantity of too cubic inches.
Muriate of soda - - 1393 grains.
Muriate of magnesia - - 380
Sulphate of lime - - 45
* Bergman's Opusc. Vol, i. p. 181.
Dd 3
The
CarlUlcV Topographical Dictionary of Walts
The specific grayity of the water of the ocean was t»oi8i
jtliat of the water of the Dead Seai K245 * ^^^ the most remark-
[abU diiFerence consisted in the circumstance thatp in the latteTf
[the earthy muriates, which give to the water its great sfaarpaesi
I and bitterness, exceed the proportion of common salt 121 tbt
atio of 9 to 2 » while, in the former, the common salt cxc
^ others in nearly the same degree* The water of the ^
I Sea is limpid, and the salt extracted from it is said to be of
excellent quality. Nothing can be more absurd than tht tales
of iron swimming on its surface, of birds falling dead in ifceir
passage over the water, or even of the peculiar unhcalthioefs of
its vapours. The asphaltum, or solid bituminous substanCTi
I collected from the surface of the water by the Arabs, and told
I in large lumps in Jerusalem, is said to ooze out of the rocl^,
and to be formed gradually into a thick crust. Much, howeT«!f,
remains to be ascertained respecting the Dead Sea. Its cbcum-
ference is equal to six days' journey; and M. Seetzen acknow*
leges (p.43») that it had been in his power to visit only a small
part of this extent. Yet, limited as were his obicrvacionson
Palestine, they bear* every appearance of accuracy, and form a
very usefid addition to our topographical knowlege.
Art. Vn. A Topographical Dictionary of the Dominion ^f fFaSat
exhibiting the Names of the several Cities, Towns, Psir 1 ^m
ihips, and Hamlets, with the County and Division of r ly,
to which they respectivtly belong. — The Valuation and Patrontof
Ecclesiastical Benelices, and the Tut':li»ry Saint of ^ach Church,—
The resident Population, according to the Rettirns made to Partiik
ment in 180 1 ; and the Amount of the Parochial AssesKmciJti *c*
cording to tlie Returns made to Parliament in 1803* — ^The Di»»
lance and Bearing of every Place from the nearest Post-Oificetiod
of the PoBt-Olfices from the Metropolis. — Markets and Fairf.—
Members of Parliament and Corporations* — Free S - ' - * - — Pett|
Sessionst and Assizes. — To which is added, ^ as I»>
formation respecting Monastic Foundations, aini nuicr Maittn
of Local History. Compiled from actual Inquiry, and Mmmp^
in alphabetical Order ; being a Continuation of the Topognpliy
of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Irehiad. By
Nicholas Carlisle, Fellow and Secretarj' of the Society of Anto*
2uaries of London* 4to. Price eh 5s. Boarda. Lotij^aii »4
!o„ Nicol, &c. tSiu
IN reviewing the former voluni's ui uie work of whicn uu^ pro-
fesses to be a continuation, (M. R- Vol.lvi. N- S. p, 415.) »C
spoke in terms of commendation hot It of thr •>
tion i and in delivering our sentiments on .re
ti^ since the accounts which it cont;Aijia are mare extendrd^
h
I
I
Carlisle*/ Tofographual Dictionary €f WaJa,
ind consequently more useful and interesting, we feel it our
duty to speak of it still more favourably.
The reason assigned by the author for not incorporating tile
dominion of Wales in his topographical dictionary of England
was that, * the orthography of the names and appellatives in that
part of the kingdom appearing irregular, he could not prevail
upon himself to throw them into aJphabetical form without
having attained some knowledge of the language and of the
country/ The publication of the account of that district being
for this cause deferred, the delay which wai created by accident
proved the means of rendering the details much more ample ;
for the author, as he expresses liimself, being sensible of his
incompetence to the undertaking, determined to sollicit the
aid of intelligent persons throughout the principality. With
this view, in March 1808, he circulated a letter, with fifteen
specific questions subjoined to it, directed to the officiating
mhiistcr of every parish in the dominion of Wales \ of which
one thousand, seven hundred, and fifty copies were printed and
distributed. In the month of November following, an advertise-
ment was inserted in all the newspapers, which are in use
throughout Wales, respectfully thanking those clergymen who
had warrhly and liberally promoted his inquiries by their very
satisfactory and copious answers ; repeating the questions to
tliose who might not have received tlie circular letter, or who
might not have had leisure to comply with his request ; and
at the same time inviting the laity to co-operate in tlie com*
pletion of his object. He thus states the success which he
experienced :
* He can only by a pure and simple expression endeavour to con-
vey hiA gratitude and rcipect* when he records that concerning tvery
^riib in the domtnUn of Wales he hat received not only information,
but from many of their worthy ministers kind and encouraging offers
of additional aid*
* In several of the parochi^ detcriptions, the author has availed
himself of the opportunity to montion with becoming respect the
names of the clerg)'men who contributed to them, thereby also g^iving
•anction to the information now communicated. Moreover, lest
any thing of consequence might have been omitted, as soon as the
descriptions of each county were compiled, the manuscripts were
then sent for revisiou to the following gentlemen, who are well skilled
iti the WoUh language, and conversant with their respective counties*.
* ♦ It is proper to mention here, in justice to the worthy ministers
of the counties of Carnarvon, Denbigh, Flint, and Merioneth, that
lliose counties have not been revised by rcaaou of the extraordinary
behaviour of a gentleman in Merionethshire ; who having voluntarily
pledged htmsclt to perform that office, not only broke bit promut,
l>m las kept the mcnuseripu which were confided to his care.
D d 4 j1n^kua%
4o8 CarlisleV Top^gr.nphkal Dkimwrj of Wales*
Anghteaf ta the Rev, Samuel Rowlands, of AberFfraw. Bftti
to the Rev, Henry Thomas Payne, of Llan Bedr. Caermarthtmi^
the Rev, Thomas Beynon, of Llan Dcflo Fawn Car^^mtf to tbc
Rtrv. Thomas Thomas, of Abcr Forth. GUmor^an^ to tbe Rc»,
L John Collins, M. A. of llston, for the hundreds of lAan Gdelach
[:aiid Gwyr ; and to the Rev» William Berkin Mcacham Lislet LL.D-
kof St. Fagan's, for tlie remainder of that county* Mpnt^vmtryt to thr
-Hev. Walter Davies, of Manafon. Pfmbroktf to the Ke\\ Edwapd
Hughes, of Tenby, Radnor^ to the Rev. Henry Williams, %£
lihayader.
* The author is ignorant of any better method by whscK accttucj
couJd have been obtained ; and he dares not trust the fullnes* of bl
•heart to express the esteem and gratitude which he feeb, and W9$r
shall feel^ for such^ honourable y unprecedented, and zealous suppQit.*
, On examining the work, we find that it contains all wUdi
its ample title-page professes to supply, together witli ttiitch _
other interesting information ; among which are the rctuniiyMH
livings under I5<dI, per annum, made to the governors of ^1
bounty of Queen Ann for the augmentation and maintenance of
the poor clergy, by the archbishops and bishops of their respcctm
dioceses, in the year i8lo. At the end of the preface is like*
wise subjoined a list of the most important topographical asd
historical works which have been consulted \ and to make the
whole as complete as the author could render ir, he has addd
directions to such of his readers as may be strangers to tlie
Welbh language, shewing the right pronunciation of all thd
letters that differ from the English orthography : with a copious
glossary, or explanation of the descriptive Welsh words wllicll
most frequently occur in the names and appellatives of pf
In order to give our readers a more particular idea of the
we shall make one or two extracts | selecting accotrnts cif i
parish and of a town :
* Aber CwiLi, in the Cwmwd of Elfed, Cantref MawTt (ooir
called the hundred of Elfed, county of Carmarthen, South Wales,)
a discharged V., valued in the King's books at jK 68. 8d. Patron,
the Bishop of St. David's : church ded, to 8t. David. Tbc twi-
dent population of this parish in iHoi (consisting of the hamkuoT
Crtlg Glus, Fyneu, Glann Tywi, Hengil, and Ystym Gwili) vit
1 617* The money raised by the parish rates in 1^05, was 450L 6s*
at 7B. 9d. in the pound* It is 2 m. E*b*N. from Ctrmarthea. The
fairs are holden on the zd and 27th of October. The preteal
worthy vicar, the Rev. William Morgan, very obligiagly ^ddl,
Aber Gwili is situate in the lordship or manor of Wydigada^ of
which Lord Cawdor is lord of the utanor. Tr^ditiotn luiyi tbor
Efv formerly several chapels in this pari»h, of %vhich only ooe ooir
LJtmaini, called Llanfihangel Uwch Gwili ; I have setn lome nani
^ mother called Cappel Bach. It is governed by a portrint
i who if diofCfl aimually about Micliaclmas, at a court Icct, hoUri
for
CarlisleV T&pegraphical Dhthrrary of fFaUi, 409
for Fyncu (or the Village Hamlet), a small lordship of which the
Bishop of St. David's is Wd of the manor- Here is an endowed
free school for 12 poor children of the parish. Its extent from
toutb-east to north-west is about eight miles^ and its breadth in the
middle^ about five miles. It is mostly enclosed aiid cultiyated, ex-
cept between 4 and 500 acres of common^ which are not enclosed.
It is plcsantly situate near the confluence of the river GwUi with the
Tywi. *' Thomas Beck, Bishop of St* David's, (perhaps upon his
college at Langadoc's not taking effect) made the church here col*
legiate A-D* 1287, for 22 prebendaries* 4 priests, 4 choristers, and
Z clerks, to the honour likewise of St, Maurice* Henry Gowerp
Bishop of St. David's, ordained A-D. 1334, that there should be
in this college a precentor, chancellor, and treasurer, and made some
orders relatmg to it. But King Henry VIIL, thinking it an mk*
proper place for hospitality, and that some of the revenues of it
might be much better employed, anncited it A.D. 1541 to his new
erected college at Brecknock. It was valued 36 Hen. VIII- at
42L per ann. as Dugdale, Speed, and M. S. Valor.'' Tanner'i
Not* Mon. — According to the Diocesan Report, in 1809J the
yearly value of this benefice arising from augmentation, tythcs of
iiay, rent of glebe, fixed stipend, and surplice fees, was 1 10I. 178. lod.*
• Aber Ystwitii, in the cwmwd of Crciddyn, cantref of Pen-
wedic (now called the hundred of GenauV Glynn), county of Car-
^gan. South Wales ; in the parish of Llan Badarn Fawr : a perpetual
curracy, not in charge : patron, the Vicar of Llan Badarn Fawr,
Church ded, to St. MichaeL The resident population of this township,
in 1801, was 175B. The money raised by the parish rates, in 1803,
was 329I. 3s. 7d. at 3s. in the pound. It is 202^ m. W.N.W.
irom London. The markets are on Mowday and Saturday. The
lint Monday in November, and that in May, are called Htreing
Mondaji ; when a great number of persons m^et here to hire ser-
vants, by ancient custom. It is one of the contribuiary borough*
to Cardigan* It was incorporated by Edward I. and is governed
by a mayor, recorder, and common council. The petty sessions
arc holden here. It is situate on the b^y of Cardigan; and ac-
cording to Mr. Meyrick, is a very pleasant summer*rctreat, and is
improving yearly. The roads are excellent : the iiccommodationi
are good : and tney have the several amusements of plays and assem*
blies. The herring fishery flo\irished here about thirty years ago ;
and that fish, as well as cod, is frequently caught a: present. The
harbour is not sufficiently large or commodiuu^t for the utmost ex-
tent of trade, of which the place, from its srnatiuii. Is capt'ble ; the
bar, at its entrance, preventing ships of a»»y considerable burdea
from entering, exce{)t in spring tides, wtien thcrL- is about fourteen
feet of water. The trade, which it carries on at present, it in the
exportation of lad, calamine, oak-bark, and com, ai*d a fr'w manu-
factured goods to Bristol aiid Liverptiol. The coa^t is £;riud, and
marine prospect particularly fine. I'be bathing here is well con-
ducted ; and, in ^co^ral, there is a good Mindy bottom at ill hours
of tije tide, notwilh&t*:nding tho b»facli is wholly composed of pebbles.
Duke of Leeds, as lord of the manor of Faenur, has a duty of
Carlisle'/ Topographical Dictionary of Wnits*
five ghillingf per ton on coals carried coastwise, which wis fim
f ranted by King Charlca the Second- It deriTci it« name from btbg
uilt exactly opposite the Ahtr or Mouth of the river Tftwilh^ u t*
' where it falls into the river RhtidioL The history of the castle ti
interesting : it is said to have been the residence of CadwaladyT* the
Jast king of the Britons: in 1109, when Cadwgan ap BlcddpH
dominions vrere bestowed on Gilbert Strongbow» Earl of Stngfl,
* this fortress fell of course to his possession : in 1116, Grufjpddap
' -Rhys laid siege to it, but was dreadfully handled by Ralph Steward:
' in 11^5, Owaln Gwynedd and Cadwaladyr, his brother, in revenge
.for their sister's murder by Maurice de Londres, destroyed thn
xastle; which was very strong and well garrisoned* It s^mSy how«^
ever, to have been sooa repaired or rebuilt by CadwaladyTf wiio it
-ityled Lord of Cardigan, and had his usual residence in this castle,
^ ^ntil the unnatural reacontre between him and his son-tn-law, Amrod
ap Grufydd :
** Animofus Anara^wd a Soccro c£jut ;^^ Pentarchii*.
when it was burnt down by his brother, Owain Gwvnedd-
J 208 Maelgon ap Rhys, being apprehensive of an hostile visit CnMB
Xilywelyn ap Jorwerth^ and despairing of making anj slind
against him, demolished this his castle ; it was rebuilt by Llywelyii.
Jn 1211, King John, having subdued all Wales, on his dcpartitn^
charged Foulht Viscount Caerdiff, warden of the marches, to ohligt
Rhys and Owain ap Grufydd \ip Rhys to surrender this castle* wttk
which they complied ; and it was fori i tied by the warden, but SOOS
xetaken and demolished by Maelgon and Rhys Fychan. In ttMh
Rhys ap Grufydd, having differed with Llywelyn ap Jorwcrth f**
tpecting a division of property, united his forces to those of the Eafl
of Pembroke ; which so irritated Llywelyn, that he took his caitk
of Abcr Yfetwith and all its dependencies : from this period
is silent, until the year 1277, when Rhys ap Meredydd of tie
house of South Wales, surrendered the strong fortress of Tjn
T^wy to Edward the First, who, for the better defener of hi« nrwj
acquired possessions, erected a castle at Aber Ysl^r ch '
taken, in 1282, by Rhys ap Maelgon and Grufydd .> \y\
Owain, with other noblemen of South Wales ; it was taken by ttf
prince of Wales, during the insurrection of Owain Glandowr ; b«t
fQon retaken by Owain, who garrisoned it strongly with his bfSfVt
f hough deluded, countrymen. ^ — A gentleman of the name of Buthtt^
Droprietor of the lead mines in this neigh honrhood» oiiixbed of
King Charlrs the First the privilege of setting up a mtsit tn ihd
r^astle, for the payment of Ins miners. Mr. Bushel, out of gratitude
I fur the favour, when the civil war broke out, cloatiied I he Ktt»K't
whole army, and furnished his Majesty a lotm (which was €Oikaiilcrcd
as a gift) of forty thousand pounds; and when t* * - -te
I Prince was [jrce4»ed by the Parliament, he raii.ed him i. 4
: hi>j miners, at his own charge: it was finally g.- ^.
J-Vsurpcr Cromwell. This cwtle is situate on a rocTk \^
Ijtlic sea, mid has a most romantic appeunuice. It gi iii
Ipolond Johncsi M« P*> of Haf6d, who having gran j Iggu*
of
^aaim
Bd
Carlisle'/ Topographical Dictionary of Wales. 411
©f it to Mr. Probart, of Shrcwabury, steward to Earl Powys, this
grentleroan haa converted it to a delightful purpose, having made
walks in it in the most judicious places ; and it is now the promenade
of the fashionables, who retire to Aber Ystwith during the summer
season. — The castle of Aher RhctdtoU on the confluence of the Rhei-
dial and Tstwith, was taken by Rhys ap Grufydd, in 1 1 64 from
Roger de Clare, and demolished ; this was but a retaliative piece of
justice, for the Earl, a little while before, had instigated Walter ap
Llywarch, servant of Einion, Rh^s's nephew, to murder Einion in
his bed.
** Impiger Einion^
P rob dolor ! a famulo jugulatus fraudt JLomarchi.** Pentarchia.
* Castell Strad Pytbylly not far from Aher Rheidioly was taken,
in 1 1 1 6, by Grufydd ap Rh^s, and the garrison slain ; it then
belonged to Ralph, steward to Gilbert Earl of Strigil ; this is called
in Mr. Owen's map, Aher PeitbylL — Aber Ystwith is at present the
largest town in the county of Cardigan. The old church stood to
the west of the town ; the present church was erected by subscrip-
tion. According to the diocesan report, in 1 809, the yearly value
of this benefice, arising from augmentation, rent of land, nxed stipend,
and surplice fees, was 861. 28. At the Wug^ on the north side of the
town, a capital harbour, according to Mr. Morris, might be made,
by running a pier out ou the ridge of the rocks, which may be effected
at the expence of about 20,oool ; this would then be the best situa-
tion on the coast of Wales, for the station of packets between Eng-
land and Ireland.'
With respect to the orthography of the names of the placi|^ ' A
great pains have been taken to render it correct ; indeed, it maV
for the most part be considered as a standard for future writers
to follow. That which is adopted by the author is, however, in
many cases different from that which is commonly used ; and
in fixing on it, he endeavoured from various sources to ascertain
the most proper mode.
In deciding on the general merit of this compilation, we
cannot help expressing our opinion that, had it afforded a
general history and description of each county under separate
heads, detailing their respective hundreds and divisions ; and
also had the several hundreds been described as distinct arti-
cles, specifying the several parishes which they severally con-
tain ; it would have been more satisfactory. At present, the
places seem to be quite disjointed ; and no reference occurs for
any person who is desirous of reading all that is related of any
particular county, to procure the desired information. Had tlie
volume also contained a general map of the principality, and
particularly maps for each county, its value would have been
much enhanced ; and we think that the price, at which it is
sold, might have afforded such useful appendages. However,
while we state these matters as defects, which may be easily re-
medied
Chateaubriand'/ Beauties cf Chriitianiip
medied in a second edition, we feel disposed to rc]
favourable opinion of its merits. The general reader
it both useful and enter taining, and will meet with much I8*
formation which he may seek in vain in other publications^
and all lovers of topography and antiquities, especially those
who arc connected with the principality, will consider them*
selves as under great obligations to tlie autlior, for the pains
. which he has taken in collecting so many particulars of tiiit
interesting district.
Mr, Carlisle's Topographical Dictionary of Scotlaiid« b
- pursuance of his general design, has recently appeared, in tiro
volumes, 4(0. We shall take iarther notice of it, and of tbe
Tolume relative to Ireland, when opportunity serves.
Art. VIII, The Beautlei of Christianity, By F* A. Be Chilemi*
briand. Author of Travels in Grerce and Palestine, Aiabt kt*
Translated from the French by Frederic SboberL With a Frt&ot ,
and Notes, by the Rev. Henry Kctt, B, B., Fellow of Tril
College, 03£ ford. 8vo. 3 VoU. il. iis. 6d. Boards. C
1813,
TIThat a title for such a book, and what a book for sttch I
^^ title! As a h^ax it is abundantly too long, and too
laboured j we therefore cannot doubt that the author seriously
raeans to advocate the cause of Christianity ; but wc are not a
Jktle surprised that a Protestant divine should be so highly
pleased with M. Chateaubriand^s present effusions, as to rccoow
mend them by a preface, and to honour tiicm by subjoinitig
notes. In our estimation, a wilder effusion was never offered
to the public j and though it displays brilliancy of genius, and
an extent of reading, we conceive that it contains t\v\-* iuic
I view nor a proper defence of the religion of the K ::*
ment, Mr, Kett*9 judgment must have been reposin
Orlando's wits, in the valley of the moon, when he g^.. .—
I sanction to this display of Beauties^ which are rather tliose of
the Catholic church than of Christianity. It is not tiiat Cbristi*
smity which was taught by Christ and his apostles, but I
Christianity of a subsequent manufacture, that is the object uf
M- Chateaubriand's delineation and profuse eulogy \ and so rcry
extravagant are many of his assertions, that, instead of our ptr*
' using them with any satisfaction as affording either an illustration
I or a defence of our holy religion, they often give us concem as
calculated only to excite the jeer of the infidel, Wc ai ly
. angry with Mr. Kett for the miserable compliment :,«
I has indirectly paid to the religion of Jesus, by suppo^ns tka
it could be honoured and promoted by such rhapsodies as
[those that are contained in M. ChateaubriandU pages* A Kvoik
sntitlcd the Beauties rf Christianitj might be supposed to inclodt
extracts
Chateaubriand^ Beauties of Chriitianitp 413
I extracts from the discourses of Christ and the writings of his
apostles ; but, instead of such spetlmens, we are danced about
from Dan to Beersheba to be shewn what is not Christianity ;
and then, as if to make sport for the Philistines (though cer-
tainly not with this evil design), the author attaches so much
irrationality to religion, that unbelievers, against whom he pro*
fessedly writes, must be rather gratified than confounded. He
requires us to prefer Jec/ing to understanditig^ to place poetry
above science^ and in short to give reason and philosophy to the
dogs. He tells us that * the ages of science have always bordered
on die ages of destruction^ that *tho irreligious ages necessarily
lead to the sciences, and the sciences necessarily produce the
irreligious age,' On this principle, the Catholic writer before
us would recommend the writings of the fathers in preference
10 those of the philosophers, and the poems of Dante and Tasso
to lectures on chemistry and natural history : but when a pro-
fessed defender of the Christian religion covertly attempts to
discourage rational inquiry, he ought to be told that St* Paul in
his time did not think that such paltry management was re-
quired from the Christian advocate j for his words are, ** /
ipealt as unto ivise men^ judge ye what J say*** 1 Cor. x. 15,
Under the pretext of displaying to advantage the beauties of
Christianity, we are presented with a rich medley of topicftf
which tend to make a large book, but have no immediate rela-
tion to lessons contained in the New Testament, The organi-
zation of animals and plants; — thehabtts of amphibious animals
and reptiles 5 — poetry and the fine arts 5 — music ^ — the
Gregorian chant ; — sculpture i — Gothic churches *, — the ruins
of Palmyra-, — the picturesque effects of ruins; — church bells
and clerical ornaments; — tombs and country church-yards j —
monasteries and monastic institutions ; — missions; — military
orders; — Benedictines, and Jesuits ; — ^with a hundred other ei
c^ttray are dr;igged into M, Chateaubriand's Christianity : but
the Christianity of the Gospel is a divinity of a very different
character, and requires to be exhibited with more brevity and
rimplicity. In Vol. ii. p, 69., this writer asks, * As to external
pomp, what religion was ever accompanied with ceremonies so
magnificent as ours ? — with 3 thousand ceremonies which fur-
nish a vast subject for splendid descriptions. The modern Muses
who complain of Christianity cannot certainly be acquainted
with all its riches,* Unfortunately for M, Chateaubriand, these
tkousand ceremonies^ with which he would set up the modern
Muses as with a rich stock in trade^ are as much parts of the
religion of Christ as of the religion of Confucius. The same
remark may be applied to the account of chivalry, and of a
hundred other irrelevant topics.
13 Supposini;
4*4
ChateaubriandV Beautiei of Christmniiy,
Supposing the observation to be correct, which is by noiiieAin
Uhe case, how is Christianity hortourcd by our being told Uttt
K the ancients had no descriptive poetry or landscape paioloit
that no sooner had the apostles began to preach than it^
serif live poetry made its apptarafice,* Why did not M* Chateui-
" riand attribute the discovery of electricity and galvmnism to
[Christianity ? Perhaps he would, if his dread of phiIo90Dlt]f
Uiad not discouraged him. It is somewhat ludicrous to mi
fjAi// placed among the Beauties <f Christianity ; and the ioMovtvsg
I recommendation of Dante's Inferno, as illustrative of %ht f^dfj
\tf torments^ (what an enchanting tpecies of poetry ! and horn
[appropriate to the spirit of the Gospel !) will make the Proteftant
I heretic grin 9n ^gth sides of his face ; though, by the way, be
[ought not to grin at a book which Mr. Kett has recommendeA
I * Would you become acquainted vni\\ the poetry of torcnc&tl, aoi
[the hymns of fleah and blood ; descend into the hell of Dante. f{ot
\ fpirits are tossed about by the whirlwinds of a ttmpe«t ; thrre bcfi-
ring sepulchres indole the followers of heresy. The tynnift se
I plunged into a river of warm blood ; the suicides, who have 4't^iari
Ithe noble nature of man, and iunk towards that of the plant, cf
I transformed into stunted tree&, which grow in a burning t^nd, md
whose branchea the harpiei are iuceaaantly breaking oH*. Thex
•pirits will not be united to their bodies on the day of the grneial
[iesurrection ; they will drag them into a dre^^ry forest, and tlirrt no-
I pend them to the boughs of the trees to which thej arc attaclied.*
What business, we may be allowed to ask, luis a laboured
['Comparison of the book of Genesis with the epics of Homeri in
[ a work professing to give a picture of the Gospel ? — bat, if
\ M. Chateaubriand undertakes to compare, he surely o- * io
l.ample justice to both parties. In commenting on t a-
' parably beautiful history of Joseph, it is very justly remarked,
on that part of Joseph*s speech to his brethren in which he
says, " // ^uas not ye that sent mc hither hf4t G^," that * the Scm*
ture never fails to introduce Providence in the perspective of its
I pictures** Scripture does uniformly lead our thouj^htu to the
' Great First Cause: but the writer should have if.' ^ n
I readers that a passage exactly parallel io th.Tt which 1 t-
[ tracted from Genesis, and applauded so highly, n to be ibaad
L in the Iliad. When Helen comes to Priam, instead of upbraid-
ing her as being the sole cause of the miseries of Troy, he rcfcTI
[those suiferings not to her but to the gods :
"Own ftol atT#ii fff'ffj, ^ id hit ilriQl i*^**/'
[ which Mr. Pope tJius renders :
*• No crime cif thine our ] ~
Not thou, but Heav'n^
I On
IJ, n te
Chatetttbriand*/ Beaulies $f Christianity. 415
On the subject of the Fine Arts, M. Chateaubriand observes
that, < following the steps of the Christian religion, they ac-
knowledge her for their mother 5' — that < Christianity has in-
Tented the organ, and given sighs to brass;' — and that < in ar-
chitecture Christianity has re-established the genuine propor-
tions :* — but does he not here attribute to Christianity that
which it never attempted to accomplish ?
The following sentence may be admired for its prettiness,
but as a JHng at science it is childish : « When Newton and
Bossuet respectfully uncovered their august heads while pro-
nouncing the name of God, they were perhaps more worthy
of admiration at that moment than when the former weighed
those worlds, the dust of which the other taught mankind to
despise.'
So extravagant is this writer in his representations, that he
declares that < even the art of writing historv must have ex-
pired, if Christianity had not revivified it/ Tne antients, says
he, < have exhausted all its colours, and if Christianity had not
furnished a new order of reflections and ideas, the doors of
history would have been for ever closed against t\\Q moderns.'
Under the head of modem history, we have a picture of the
English and French nations ; and though it does not belong to
the subject of his book, it may amuse the reader, and for a
moment relieve him from the absurcjities which we have been-
detailing. We shall therefore insert it, especially as the
passage is short :
• The Enrish have public spirit, and we have national honour ;
our good qualities are rather the gifts of Divine favour than the effects
of a political education : like the demi-gods, we are more nearly
allied to heaven than to earth.
* The French, the eldest sons of antiquity, are Romans in genius,
and Greeks in character. Restless and fickle in prosperity, constant
and invincible in adversity ; formed for all the arts ; polished even to
excess during the tranquillity of the state ; rude and savage in poli-
rical commotions : tossed like ships without ballast, by the vehemence
of all the passions ; one moment in the skies, the next in the abyss,
enthusiasts alike in good and in evil, doing the former without expect-
ing thanks, and the latter without feeling remorse ; remembering
neither their crimes nor their virtues ; pubillanimously attached to
life in time of peace, prodigal of their blood in battle ; vain, satirical,
ambitious, fond at once of old fashions and of innovations, despising
all mankind except themselves ; individually, the most amiuble ; col-
lectively, the most disagreeable of men ; charming in their own
country, insupportable abroad ; alternately more gentle, more inno-
cent than the lamb submitting to the knife, and more merciltss, more
ferocious than the tiger springing upon his prey — such were the
Athenian! of old, and such^re the French of the present day.'
4l6
Chateaubriand*/ Bimmej of Chrutuifmj
In his chapter intitled 'Infidelity the prbcipal C
Decline of Taste, and tJie Degeneracy of Genius/ I i«*
briand places the true religion on a footing witli false rtl
* When the national religion ceased to obtain bchef at AlhcJi* -ud
at Roine» talents disappeared with the gods, and the Mtuet cos^
signed to barbarism those who no longer placed any faith in thcfiu***
* Infidelity introduces a spirit of cavilling and dif(putat3Cifi» mbltnct
definitions, the scientific style, and with it the practice of COtnilf
new words, aU deadly foes to taste and eloquence,'
If coining new words be a sin, isnotM, Chsi J*f
Christianity chargeable with this crime ? In his c;^.*.^.^^;^ of
doctrines, we certainly meet with terms which arc not to be
found in the New Testament,
Convents figure largely among thrse beauties of the Cltriitim
religion ■, and the author avails himself of his tovellcd knawicje
to afford us a delineation of some of these ccncjbite retreats:
* In the chain of Lebanon are seen here and there Maromte dt^
vents erected on the brink of precipices. Into some of lhc»e v«ii
penetrate through long caverns, the entrance to wliich is closed bf
masses of rock : into others you cannot gain access but by mean* of
1 basket let down from the edifice- The sacred river gushes fioom
the foot «f the mountain ; the forest of black cedars overlooks thf
picture, and is itself surmounted by rounded peaks, clothed with «
nmntle of snow. The miracle is not complete till tlie moment )poo
reach the monastery : within are vineyards, streams, g^ret j wrtli-
out, a dreary nature, and the earth, with its rivers, and pljdnt, wai
seas, sunk and lost in the azure abyss. Nourished by religiois upon
these precipitous rocks, between earth and sky, the pious redoset
soar aloft to heaven, like tlie eagles of the mountain,'
Since religion, according to M* Chateaubriand| shotild be IV
ther poetical than rational, and since * the vulgar arc wiser i
philosophers,' he has a high respect for popular devotions j
the hymn to the Virgin Mary, as the Maris SiMa^ or Star of
the Sea, makes a figure among his -Sc^^jf/Z/V/ of Christian! ty. Asa
composition it is beautiful j and a translation, by the late Dr.Ley»
den, is inserted in the last note of the second volume : butougnt
such an effusion to appear, with the sanction of one of ot)rl<?aTne«l
clergy, in a work on the nature of the religion of th ' ?
The third volume opens w^ith some singular reu. . _^ on
Church Belh. They are new, and in character with the wbok
of this unique publication :
« To us it seems not a little surprixing that a rrethoc! -hnii!r! hiff
been found by a single stroke of a hammer, to ti-
, tnent at one and the same instant in thousands oi ^c
^ the winds and clouds the bearers of the then l;^ i <»? m ;u —
* With what transport would Pythagot-ts, nh'j lutriicU ._ ,--.
hamincr of the smith, have hearkcaed to the »Qund of otir bells oo
Mr
r
Chateaubriand^ Biauiiei §f ChrisUaniiy. 4 1 7
talemn or joyful occasion I The loul may be moved by tlie tonei
tyrfibut it will not be rapt tnt# enthusiasm as when rouzed by the
def»of the combat, or when a powerful peal proclaims in the
tti of the clouds the triumphs of the God of battles.
rhe sound of bells hat a thousand lecret relations with man. How
mid the profound tranquillity of night has the heavy tolling of
Irath-bell, like the slow pulsations of an expiring hearty itartled
idultcreBs in her guilty pleasures ! How often has it caught the
f ihc Atheist, wh«in his impious vigils, had periiaps the preiump-
to write that there is no God ! The pen drops from hia iiugers ;
}unta with consternation the strokes of death, which seem to say
m: And h ihtrc then indeed tt§ Cedf O how such sounds mutt
rb the slumbers of a Robespierre ! Extraordiuary rehgion,
b by the mere percussion of the magic metal can change plea-
into torments, appal the Atheist, and wrest the dagg-er nrom the
of the assassin \
But more pleasing sentimenti also attached us 10 the sound of
^Vhen, about the time for cutting the corn, the tinkling of
ttle bells of our hamlets was heard intermingled with the sprightly
11 of the lark, you would have thought that the angel of harvest
)r©claiming the story of Sephora or of Naomi.*
D the dress of the clergy, this writer 15 equally poetic :
Fix your eyes on the Christian priest, and you are instantly
ported into the country of Numa, Lycurgus^ or Zoroaster.
tmra shews us the Med- roving among the ruins of Sura ai^d
,tau ; the M% whose Latin name reminds us of the dawu of day,
rirgin whiteness, affords charming conformities with religious
the third book of the third vol u me, we have a chapter on
06 Christ and his Life ;' and here indeed we meet with
fthing which is appropriate to the subject undertaken to be
issed. The * Beauties of Christianity' do appear in the
wing passages ;
Tesus Christ appears among men full of grace and truth ; the au-
ly and the mildness of his precepts are irresistible. He comes
the most unhappy of mortals, and all his wonders are for the
;hed. ** His miracles," says Bossuet, ** have a much stronger
cter of beneficence than of power.** In order to inculcate his
ines, he chooses the apologue or parable, which is easily im-i
td on the minds of the people. While walking in the fields he
his divine lessons. When surveying the flowers that adorn the
, he exhorts his disciples to put their trust in Providence, who
>rts the feeble plants and feeds the birds of the air ; when he be*
the fruits of the earth he teaches them to judge of men by their
I : an infant is brought to him and he recommends innocence :
among shepherds, he gives himself the appellation of the Good
trdt and represents himself as bringing back the lost sheep
I fold. In spring he takes his seat upon a mountain, and draws
the surrounding objects instruction for the multitude sitting at
W* Aw« l3l3* £ e hii
4tS
Chiteaubriand'; Beauties cf Chrirtiemty*
^
• hi* feet. From the very light of this inultitud*?, cof^poicd otHx
• poor and the unfortunate, he deduces his btalitudet ; BitJt^ tn
they thai *wecp — hhistd are they thai hu^gtr and fHrit* 59cli U
observe hia pwcepts, and those who shght them, arc compared to
two men who buili houses, the one upon a rock, the otkcr tipoe
'■and: according to wame commentatar§ he dcsii^ned in t> —
parison to descnbe a flourifihtng village upon a hilTt and hv
^- loot of it destroyed by ?n ifiundation. When he atl: '
of Samaria for driiik» he e> pounds to her his heavenly v.
the beautiful image of a well of living^ water.'^ —
' His character was amiable, open, and tender, and hit dttrity
unbounded* The Evangelist gives us a complete acid adroinblr tiira
ofjt in these ft- w word^ : he ^ucnt about doing good, Hts r^^itioil
to the lA ill of God is conspicuous in every moment of be
loved and felt the sentiment of friendship : the man v.' mA
from the tomb, Lazarus, was hit friend ; it was for ii t t^
grandest sentiment of life that he performed the greats . i»*
raclet. In him the love of country may find a model i *• O Jrmsafcttt
Jerusalem,** ho exclaimed, at the idea of the judgments which tbreifi*
ened that guilty city, <* how often would I have gathered iby cU-
dren together, even as a hen gnthcreth her chickens under her vrinfV
and ye would not 1** Casting his sorrowful eyes from the top of »
hill over this city doomed for her crimes to a signal dc^tructioPf tf
was unable to restrain his tears : he beheld the ctijf says tbe £fzj^
gclist, and weM ever it. His tolerance was not les? r-^'-'-Mf:
when hi^ disciples begged him to command fire to con. "»
heaven on a village of Samaria which hud denied him huipu^uTT, hi
replied with indignation: 7'e know not <u,'hai maoner 9/ ifirk jt m
From the divine character and lessons of Chrtstf M. Chateso-
l^briand rapidly passes to the hierarchy^ and like a z^aicm
Catholic asserts that St. Peter, in the capital of the Rotmn
world, Lud the foundation of ecclcaiastical power : ^ — we Jfr
pleased to find, however, that Mr. Kelt has fluci .
enough to enter his protest against an assertioui for . ,
of which no clear evidence exists. It ts extremely improiu^
that St. Peter ever visited Rome j it h still more tmprotMUe
that he was constituted bishop of that cjty ; and as la thettJfe*
nent of 'an lUustrioas chain of pontllft, heirs of r'
'authority, which has been unbroken for more tl
hundred yearSj^ it is too hypothetic to be ailmiucd as ^ ;^^
Who but this exccntric writer would place i...
, orders, which sprang up in the dark ages, to the aicc
Christianity ? He seems to think that he T - -- -^
by allying it with chivalry; *The only pt
history/ says he, * the age of
anityl : the true religion posse
r d^tcd atnong u» the age ot fiction and cs^antQacnt/
S
\
iAA
-^- ^^
Ganilh and Boifeau on P^Irtiral Economy, -419
well might he liaye ascribed to Christianity all the persecu-
tioTiSj massacres, and bloocif %v3rs which have difjgraced Chris-
tendom, The reltgion of Josus <lisclaims the use of the sword
on ;^ny pretext: " tbe weapons of its nvarfare are not carnal ^^^
its spirit and power center in its benevolence: it may be fair,
therefore, to attribute hospitaJsi and all provisions for the educa-
tion ^nA comfort of the poor and afflicted, to tliis source^ ^^
as WtU as some improvement in civil and criminal laws-
This miscellaneous production takes a very wide range, and
contains many amusing details ; it affords also a very ample
view of the institutions of the Roman Catholic church : but we
'IProtestants cannot aUow thtit Catholicism and Christianity are
in all cases the same. M. Chateaubriand has furnished a learned
smd splendid reverie : but his work will never be classed among
the judicious apologies for the Christian religion, even on the
score of displaying its internal evidences \ a merit which Mr,
Kett seems to diink it possesses.
Art. IX. jin Enquiry into tie variotis Systems 0/ Political
Mconomy ; their Advantages and Disadvantages ; and the Theory
ino»t favourable to the Increase of National Wealth. By Charles
Ganilh, Advocate, Translated from the French by D.Boileaii,
Author of *' An Introduction to the Study of Political Eco-
nomy," &C. 8vo. pp. 4^2* 14s* Boardi. Colbum.
-Art. X. jIh Tntroduct'wn to the Study of Political Economy s or
an elementary View of the Manner in which the Wealth of Ra-
tions 18 produced, increased, distributed, and consumed. By D,
Bollcau. Bvo. pp. 406. 98* Boards. Cadell and Davies.
•CiR Francis D*Ivernois, amid all die faults which he is
^ disposed to attribute to France and her government, has
acknowleged, in a work which we lately noticed *, that there
are two men, in conspicuous occupations in Paris, who un-
derstand the true principles of civil administration* These
persons are M. De Guer, author of a well-known tract intitlcd
** Considerations on Finance," and the author of the first-
nained book in this article. The reader, who is acquainted
With the knowlege and judgment of these writers, cannot
fail to lament that their sound and enlightened principles
have had so little influence on the measures of the French
government- Had their advice been followed in the cabinet,
they would have taught Bonaparte the loUy of wasting, in
unprofitable warfare, that part of his population which was
most likely to become useful in the capacity of productive
• M* R. Vol. btix. p. 514. Appendix.
£ c 2 labour*
labourers *, and in that case the independence of Spain wauM
tiot have been assaiiedi nor would the swamps of Poliod
have formed a subject of sanguinary contest between Fnoce
and Russia. Even Hoitand would have been respected \ ^
the French would have been taught the useful lesaon thai
they could derive more wealth from her commerce whik aa
independent state, than from the most rigorous :itteixipts to
compress her resources m ithin their exclusive grasp \ or to
exempt themselves from the payment of her public debt by
violating the faith of the state towards its creditors*
M. Ganilh begins by exhibiting the discrepanciei of op-
nionj among the writers of all countries, with regard to tht
nature of wealth. Some make a distincuoa between public
and private wealth \ others c!cclare wealth to coasisi in tic
possession of whatever " ministers to our wants and cnjoj*
nicnts i" while a third party, not satisfied with this compre-
hensive explanation, insist x^-M wealih is msde up of ** whit*
ever is superfluous.'* Eijual difference exists respecting the
sources of wealtli j some systems agreeing in a few points, b&t
being in others so much at variance^ diat it is impossible to
combine them in a general theory,
* Hence,' adds M. GaniUi, * that variety of tyiteinf wom^
authors, of methods araong govcrnroents, of oninioni smong tie
learned } heoce the discouragement of those wrici arc deiiroui of
itudyiDg the science, and the indifference of thoie whom a •coi*
of duty ihould prompt to acquire the knowledge of it ; bence alia
the little respect which Political Economy enjoyi in the vorldy iflj
its total exclusion from the official routme of practical itittmna*
Some, in other respecti, wcU informed men, doubt the emieace ^
the icience $ others are even tempted to consider tt as an oocik
one, the mysteries of which are revealed ooly to a few initiated id*
4ividuals/
One of the chief points, in which M. Ganilh Tcntufcf la
differ from Dr. Smith, relates to the propriety of gOTenuncfi^
interference in matters of trade. Our distlngtits&d ooitlitry-
man appears to give an absolute negative to the question i
while M. Ganilh is of opinion that government may, at tixneii
depart from the strict rule of non*interposition, and may
laws wliich will give a salutary direction to individual
dustry. — He divides his work into two general heads
investigation, I, Of the various Systems concerning ibi
Sources of Wealth j and, IL Of the Systems rdaT" - •- thor
different Ramifications, such as Labour, Capital, ois,
Revenue, &c-
M. GjnUh introduces a forcible contrast between the tSeGM
%t the pucauia of wealth is a rwde and in a civiHatd ife In
~ - »- m^-
Ganith and Boileau t/i Potttkat Economf* 4a I I
the former, it leads to war and domestic servitude; while in
the latter it seeks the surer cour^se of steady labour »nd indus-
try. How much is it to be regretted that nations have not ' I
yet become aware tliat they have nothing to fear from the •!
rivalsliip of each other, »nd that the manufacturer and the
trader in any country will find a source of additional acquisition
in the prosperity ot their neighbours ! Among other points
which demonstrate the liberality of M. Ganilh's views, we
may reckon his opinion (p*i4>*) that the labour of the slave is
eventually dearer than that of the free workman* First im-
pressions appear to suggest a contrary conclusion : but, when
die subject is probed to the bottom, we shall find that nothing .
can counterpoise the advantages of the care, the skill, and the
frugality, which are generated in that state in which the highest
and the lowest reap in proportion to the measure of their
cjicTtions,
In comparing the different descriptions of labour, M. Ga-
nilh is less partial to agriculture than Dr. Smith. He dwells
(p. 103*) on the manifold advantages which are attendant on
commercial labour, and which arise chiefly from its suscep-
tibility of subdivision. In another pasiage, (p. 139.) he
makes ample allowance for the improvement of labour pro-
duced by the application of machinery. He has the judg-
ment to discard the common notion that small farms are
conducive to population; and he points out (p. 139.)! though
not with sufficient energy, the advantage of concentrating
capital and exertion in the cultivation of an extensive occu-
pancy,— Occasionally, when his subject permits, he finds
means to introduce a tone of animation to which Political
Economy has seldom been deemed favourable :
* In vain do nations eiert, fatigue, and exhaust themsclvea in mi-
litary, diplomatic, and commercial combinations, to obtain» by cun-
ning or force, a larger or amaller share of the general wealth.
Their efforts are abortive ; the distribution of wealth follows the
ratio of labour, manufacturfs and commerce ; and a« these obey
neither force nor cunning, and only yield to equiralents, blind am-
bition will, neceuarily, at last be obliged to lubmit to tlieir peace-
able rule.'—** Wealth, produced by industry, maintains, in eighteen*
t %r en tiethi of the people, the strength, energy, aad dexterity, with
which man is endowed by nature, and developes, in the two remain-
ing twenticthsp those faculties of the mind vrhich teem beyond the
iphere of humanity, and bring man, as it were, nearer to the diving
nature. Produced by industry, wealth banishes idleness and the
Ttces unaToidably connected with idleness ; it readers man laborious,
Satient, sober, economical, and adonis him with those precious qua-
li«t, the iourctt of iadividual, domestic, a&4 fecial Tirtuei.*
Ee
Our
4aa
Canilh &nd Boiteau on Poiiilcal Ecmomy,
Our limita not permitting a full exhibition of M* Gaoilk*!
[tenets, mucH less any diicussloa of their .v st
[conclude with a notice of ihe contents of tli^ . us
[cf his book. They treat,
L Of Systems respecting the Origin of Wealth.
I H. Labour*
I III. Capital.
IV, — the Circulation of the Produce (
Labour by Commerce,
V. Of N.itioual Income and Consumption*
The whole is followed by a clear Index^ on an analytiol
I plan.
M^Bollcauhad published his Introduction to Pt v ' ' >t
nomy before he translated M. Ganilh*s work. l\<^ < U
) mits that his Introduction pos^esses no claim to or g
[ chiefly a compilation from Professor Jacob's texi _ _ tr*
inan universities, and from notes committed to paper in the
[ course of his own reading. In a treatise of thi'i deicripticuj
the chief merit must consist in perspicuity and arrangrnwiU:
' of these qualities, a favourable presumption is afforded by ib«
methodical plan of the present volume \ and the reader who per*
teveres in the perusal of it will be repaid by useful, if not suiko
ing information. Those, for example, who are doubtful of
the impolicy of long apprenticeships, will find a number of
arguments against them condensed into the compass of a
couple of pages, (pp. 2 1 {, 2 1 3.) In an earlier part, the oaiure
of the profits of stock is explained with sufficient clearoefli
and in limits of very moderate extent. The praise of btevi^
and perspicuity is due aho to other parts of the work % iJQca
as the attempt to elucidate the ^indecided question respectifig
productive and unproductive labour; as well as the less bitri-
cate principles which regulate the employment of capital in
trade. Like M. Ganilh, this author divides his essay ttsio
books, which trea^ respectively,
I. Of the Nature and Origin of Public Wealth*
H. — ^- Increase of Public Wealth.
m. — its Distributfon.
IVi — its Consumption.
M. Boilpau regrets that a prr^judicc previ ' -si
of Political Economy, in consequence of rh* / i^kpx
in too extensive a sense. He wishes it to \^ scp m
all consideration of politics, and 10 be restricted : tbe
Germans have recently begun to call it, ** National ^,**
or the laws which regulate the operation of produc^
He appears from his preface to have in view a pr^jev:
ttwy
puiisic
riiiMi^^iH
iHi
Historical Sketches of Politics and Public Men* 423
public lectures on this department of science ; and this elemen-
tary treatise may perhaps have been put together with a view
to promote such a purpose : but the author speaks of it with n
great modesty, and declares that he shall be amply satisfied if
^ his compilation be accounted aa useful introduction to the
standard work of Dr. Smith.'
— ii
Art. XI. Hiitorical Sketches of Politics and Public Men, for the ;, ■
Year 1 81 2. To be continued annually. 8vo. pp. 212. 71. j
Boards. Longman and Co. 1813. '^ ■
Tmpartiality is so rare a feature in publications relative to * r-"-
-■' the current politics of the day, that reviewers, in common 'j.j
with other readers, have almost ceased to expect it. Above all, 'h\ ]
they have learned to distrust che pretensions of those who -^r'
usher in their works with reiterated declarations of their ex- /(,
emption from prejudice or party-attachment. The modesty of .1 .
the notice prefixed to the volume before us was calculated to i '
excite a different expectation, and a perusal of it has fully
confirmed the favourable impression : since the writer, who-
ever he be, brings to his task a much larger share of informa-
tion, reflection, and calm temper, than jrenerally belongs to
the authors of temporary productions. His plan will be best t
understood from his table of contents. i ^
1. General Viow of the Character of the different Parties ; — \
the Ministerial Party ; — the Opposition ; — the Popular Party.
2. Ministerial and Party Changes during the Year.
3. The Foreign Policy of Great Britain. .;^"
. 4. Bonaparte and the French Empire. *
5. The Campaign in the Peninsula. f"
6- Russian Politics; — Campaign in the North, f
7. America and the Orders in Council. I
8. Ireland and the Catholic Question. V
9. The East India Company. ■
10. The Question of Peace,
A spirit of deliberate inquiry and a cool judgment are con.
spicuous, not on some merely, but on all the topics discussed.
Whether we turn to the character of Bonaparte and the ques-
tion of our foreign policy ; to the conduct of the war in
Spain i to the domestic questions of the India Company and
of Cadiolic-emancipation ; or to the still more delicate ground '
of the respective merits of our political parties, v^e trace a
writer always devoid of intentional misrepresentation, and not
often liable to inaccurate conclusions. Much, however, as
xye approve this volume, we shall not offer to our readers any
spi^gimen^ of iU composition *, since the leading topics of dis«
£ e 4 ussion
424 Historical flitches ef Politics and Public Mi^*
cussion are fresh in the public recollection, and, in a work
which is to be continued annually, the exposition of any defects
which it may contain is a task of more utility than a diffuse
exhibition of iti merits.
In treating of the depressed strite of our trade during the last
three years, this writer appears (p* 173.) to lay too much stress
on Bonaparte's prohibitory edicts* He docs not seem to be aware
that the obstructions prescribed by the letter of the French
law were very frequently not enforced j and that the interral
of sixteen months, from autumn 1810 to the end of 18 [f»
was almost the only time of rigorous exclusion. The clamour
raised by Bonaparte in support of the continental system was
excited more with the view of extending his military occu-
pancy, and in course the subjugation of his neighbours, than
with the hope of overthrowing the trade of Great Britain. —
In another point, too, the origin of conspiracies under the
French government, this author does not appear to have fa-
thomed the depths of revolutionary artifice. He believes
(p. 151.) that Bonaparte was more strongly affected by the plot
at Paris in October, than by the loss of his grand army. That
plot, however, we considered, like the more recent conspi-
racies at Amsterdam and Genoa, as in a great measure pro-
moted by die arrangements of government. With a people
so much guided by appearances as the French, the display
of a defeated project of insurrection is greatly calculated to
strengthen the hands of the ruling power. We remember to
have heard it remarked by Parisian politicians in the year 1 7961
that the exposure of the conspiracy of Brotier and La Villc-
heumois produced to the Directory as much good, and to the
Royalists as much harm, as all the Italian victories of that eventful
campaign. In i4fo4, also, we saw with what rapidity Bonaparte
turned to his own account the popular impression excited by
failure of Pichegru's enterprize. It had long been a part
the Jacobin creed to have a resource of this nature in rese
for the hour of emergency. Persona against whom might
te brought proofs of delinquency to a certain extent were
confined, but were kept from rrial until a season ^hen it be-
came expedient to strike terror by their punishment into their
disaffected neighbours. Such, we have no doubt, was the
case very recently in Holland and Italy, and if the previous
disturbance at Paris was less directly the contrivance of govern-
ment, it is evident that Bonaparte, ou his return from Poland,
expatiated on it more loudly and more fre<]uent[y than the
fact required. His objt-ct evidently was to draw away the at-
tention of the French nation from the dreadful catastrophe
which had befallen his rarlitary force.
16 With
n*e
k
I
I
Hhtorksl Siftchn^f PpJUicf and PuUk Mtn^
With regard to domestic affairs, the chief misapprehensioii
cf this writer consists in overrating the political importance of
Marquis Weilesley and Mr. Canning, In enlarging (p. 8,) on
the eloquence of the latter, we are surprised that it should
escape him that proficiency in public speaking is seldom ac-
companied by those solid acquirements which constitute real
statesmen -, and he who analyzes the gradual progress of the
mind, and who ascertains the ungracious truth that a length of
time, much beyond ordinary calculation, is necessary for the
attainment of the knowlege which is indispensable to a public
man, will be disposed to regret that our ministers should be
obliged to pass so mucli time within the walls of parliament*
To this cause he will trace the principal failures of Mr, Pitt,
and the striking contrast between his eloquence in the senate
and his powers of judging in the cabinet. — With respect to
Marquis Weilesley, we should have supposed that the declara-
tion on the part of this author, of his Lordship's repeated erroTi
in home-transactions, (pp.46. 53.S5O would have produced
xnore caution lh his encomiuwis (p. 15.) on this nobleit^an's
mmazing talents as a war-minister. Those who are fotid of
representing a public man as foolish in one way, and wise in
anotlier, remind us of the eulogists of General Mack ; who '
maintained, even after the overthrow at Ulm, that there was
not in Europe an abler officer, for the ** Plan of a Campaign.**
We would advise this writer to read Lord Welle^jley's speech
in March last, on his favourite subject, the conduct of tht
war in Spain ; and to examine how far his Lordship's character ,
for close inquiry, attentive comparison, or deliberate con-
elusion, will be raised by that elaborate harangue. At the
same lime we discover an equal desire of impartiality on this
as on other topics j the author speaking (p. 53.) without reserve
ajid without compliment on the motives which he conceived to
actuate his favourite statesman.
We proceed to notice a few mistakes of subordinate im-
portance. The Milan decree is represented (p» 161.) as pre-
ceding instead of following our Orders in Council. Prussia is
said Jp. 130-) to have been compelled to bring her ivh§U mdi-
tary force (instead of 30,000 mtn) into the field against Russia*
The portion of French troops withdrawn last year from Spain
was greatly short of the 50,000 mentioned in p. 130. s and
the junction of Marshal Victor to Bonaparte, after the battle
of Borodino, took place only in our newspapers. Wittgen-
stein's offtnsive operatiotis ui October were directed, not as it
is said (p. 142 ) oa Moscow, but to the obstruction, by all
possible means, of the retreat of Bonaparte's army* -^ We
cannot coincide with tliis author in giving our late ministers
credit
Ai6
Sugdeii ennptating iht Annuk^-Acim
credit for a concilbt^^ y disposlttoiii as to the impressmeist of
Beamen from American ships \ since they were perfectly aware
that OUT naval officers were in the habit of impressing American
citizens, but never chose to attach any penalty to the conv
mission of this dangerous irregularity. The recall of Admiral
Berkeley and the mission of Mr. Rose, after the afTair of the
Chesapeake frigate, were caused much less by the moderation
attributed (p. i6%.) to our cabinet, than by a desire to pre*
vent the American nation from rising up, as one man, against
our Orders in Council.
After these ani mail versions, we return to the more welcome
task of expressing our approbation of the merits of this
writer; whose style ii clear, correct, and frequently elegant.
Were the majority of new publications composed with the
perspicuity and method which are exhibited in this work, the
task of reviewing would be incomparably more attractive* la
the conclusion, the question of peace is treated very briefly,
but with the same good sense which is m;mifestcd in discussing
the claims of the India Company, and of the Irish Catholic?.
The familiarity of most of the subjects, and the calm tone of
the composition, may convey to some readers the impression
of want of novelty or energy : but they who take time to
weigh the autlioi's arguments, atid appreciate his reasoning,
will be inclined to form a very dillercnt coiiclusion.
Aft T. X 1 1 • ji cursory Inqu try into the Expediency of rcf- r-^— ' ^ •
jinnuiiyActt and raising the leva I Rate of Inicrai ; in ^
Lictters. By Edward Burtcnshaw Sugdcn, Esq,, of Ln^oiu s-
Idh, Barrister at Law. 8vo, pp. 6o, 2s. 6d- M array,
THOSE fortunate individunls among his Ma]e5ty*s subjects^
who conduct their money-matters with such prudence as
to stand in no need of borrowing, may be at a loss to know
what is meant by the Annuity- Act, cited &o familiarly in Mr,
Sugden's title page : to such persons, then, be it known tliat
this kingdom includes a great number of men who, being ua*
able tu borrow money at the legal rate of interest, are willmg
to go for a time considerably beyond it. They are partly in and
partly out of trade; engaged generally in the pursuit of ob-
jects which they expect will return them the money laid out witll
a large profit ; and sometimes desirous, without any such cxpccta*
tion, of buying the means of present accommodation by mort-
gaging a part of tlieir income. As the law imposes no limit
on the rate of interest in the case of a perishable security, th«
ordinary expedient of needy people has been to accomplish a
loan by engaging to pay ajife-annuity at a high rate. The life
in
Sugden on reptaling the AnnuitywAcU
4*7
»
I
I
in;<Iuestion rtviy b^ either th:it of the lender or tlic borrower,
or of any ihird person named by the lender ; or, a plurality of
IWo being scldi^m objectionable, the annuity may be made pay-
duriug tiie lite of any two ur three persons named by the
cr. The addltioa of one or two lives makes very little dif-
ference in the ytMrly rate, because these contracts generally
give the borrower a power of redemption 5 and few men incur
such disadvanta\;eous tlebts w-rhout the intention of speedily
getting out of them by rcpayinent of tlie principal.
The members of our Houses of Lords and CommonSi fenow-
ing i'cry Ivttte more of the ditHcult quos*tious involved in the
limitation of interest th;in that a definite point ItaJ been fixed
by law, thought that the best plan was to make individuals act
up as closely as possible to the statute. It never occurred to our
legislators forty years ago (and we apprehend that it hardly
does now) to regard the compulsory limitation of the rate of
interest as fundamentally impolitic, anil as tlie work of an age
very little acquainted with the principles of trade. We can
trace, therefore, no attempts on the part of parliament to open
the rate of interest generally, but very decisive efforts to mo-
dify the practice of borrowing on annuity* The most re-
markable of thc^e was the act of 1777, commonly called the
Annuity- Act ; tlie chief provisions of which are; i. That a
memorial of every annuity-transaction shall be enrolled in the
High Court of Chancery, containing the date, the names of
the parties, and the conditions of the contract* 2. If from
any cause the full sum has not been paid up by the lender^
the deed may be cancelled by the Court. 3* No contract is
valid with a person under twenty-one years of age. 4. Annai-
ties of several kinds are excepted from the operation of this
act| such as annuities or rent-charges given by will or mar-
fiage-settlement, or granted by corporate boi.iieS| or under any
trust created by act of parliament, or below the sum of tol.
Such is the substance of the Annuity-Act* At the time of
Its passing into a bill, a parliamentary committee w^s ap-
pointed to take into consideration the important question of
giving the borrower, in aM cases, the power of putting an end
to his unprofitable contract, by repaying the principal. Though
it was not judged fit to incorporate a resolution to tliat effect
into a law, tlie right appeared so clear that the courts of justice
have made a rule to support it on almost every occasion; and
it has now become a common clause in such contracts that the
borrower shall be at liberty to redeem. One of the chief ob*
jccts of the Act was to discourage these annuities by the pub-^
llclty attendant on an official enrolment ; an intention which
Itas very soon defeated by the great number of transactions
which
4»«
Sogiien en repealing the Annuitj^Act^
which continued to take place* In teaWry, the enroloient u
far as it had any effect, was conducitre to the increase of 'an.
fiuity-business, by aflfbrding the lender an authenticated list of
previous incumbrances*
The Annuity.Act may therefore be called an acknowWe- «
inent that annuity-contracts, however high the terms, are 1
obligatory in the eye of the law : but it accompanies this ac* J
knowlegement with a general stigma on the principle of such 1
transactions. The latter consideration weighing greatly with
our courts of law, contracts were often set aside on rnetely
Terbal objections, the proof of fraud being by no means re-
quisite ; and the consequences were an extraordinary number
of Jiiigations, no act in the gtatute-book having been more
productive in that way* Among such a multitude, it has often
happened that the courts, though inclined on general groundt
towards the borrower, have decided, in consequence of par*
ticulai circumstances, in favour of the lender. When the case
is otherwise, and the securities are declared void, it must not
be inferred that the lender has lost his money; he has lost
only the benefit of his contract, and he may sue the borrower
for the original loan minus the annual payments received. The
horrors of litigation, however, are such as to deter respectable
men from embarking much of their property in these loans •
so that the unfortunate borrower is circumscribed in his re-
sources, and must pay a higher rate to those who are willing
to come forwards. The intended kindness of the courts of
justice is thus productive of serious injury to him ; much in
the same way as the law^s delay in the West Indies, which
was meant as a protection to the borrower, proves eventually
a disadvantage to him by operating to the discouragement of
loans. It is clear, therefore, says Mr. Sugden, that the inten-
tion of the Act has been defeated, and that the public would bt
better without it. He proceeds to recommend (pp. 31, 52,) the
adoption of several correcting clauses ; on which, without en-
tering into detail, we shall merely remark that we agree with
him that the jnain object of all laws on the subject should be
to extend protection to the borrower, without encouraging him
to litigation.
Mr. Sugden has made an attempt to calculate the number of
annuities enrolled in pursuance of the Act. Those who found
their estimates of national wealth on our Custom-house returns,
and who believe with Messrs. George Rose and George Chal-
mers that we have been for many years on the high road to
prosperity, will be rather surprised to learn that there are on
record, since 1777, 80,000 cases of money borronved on Hfe-annuu
ties ai b tmsi diS4idvaniageous rmt§ of inUnsf, This is another
reaioi
Sugdca on repi^ng thi Annutij-A^^
429t
l^suoti and a moet cogent one for correcting each proTtsions in
6tir acts of parliamenti or such rules in the practice of our courts,
ft$ are found to operate to the disadvantage of so numerous a
class of persons. One of the consequences of the ill-judged
leaning in the law towards the borrower is to make the lender
fortify himself with almost erery security that can be obuined^
-^a warrant of attorney, with a judgment entered on it, (do-
cuments never desired in the case of a regular loan,) being com-
monly required with an annuity, and all is at the charge of
the distressed borrower* — We have used, for the sake of
clearness, the words borrower and lender, the transaction being
virtually a loan, though in form it is the purchase of an an-
nuity 01 which the borrower of the money is styled the grantor^
and the lender the grantee. It is proper to add that the
power, or, to use the law-term, the equity of redemption,
which is now formally vested in the borrower, was always vir-
tually at his option, m consideration of a small hnus to the
lender. This, as well as a variety of circumstances connected
with the subject, is mentioned in the Report of the Committee
of the House of Commons in 1777 ; (Vol. xxxvi, of the Journals
of the House, p* 489*) an able document, and fully explana-
tory of the heavy ex pence attending the system of borrowing
^ on annuity.
From the subject of annuitiet, Mr.Sugden proceeds to one
of still greater importance,-* the legal rate of interest. It was
first fixed in this country (37^Henry VIII,) at ten per cent.,
which was probably below the current rate. In the preceding
reign of Edward VI*, it was declared, in a fit of legislative
liberality, illegal to take any interest whatever: but the absurdity
of this law becoming apparent, the legality of taking interest
was again established in the time of Elizabeth, and ten per
cent, was the rate fixed* Under James L, in 1628, interest
was reduced to 8 per cent. ; under Charles II., in 1672, it was
farther reduced to (J per cent. ; and, finally, in 17 14, after the
conclusion of the peace of Utrecht, it was brought down to
its present standard of 5 per cent. That it has not been
brought lower is to be attributed to the operation of the fund*
ing system, and the eagerness for prolonged warfare which
tliis system has engendered* To limit the rate of interest by
law has been a favourite object with most governmentf, under
the impression, sufficiently natural to superficial inquirers, that
this limitation would tend to lower the customary rate, and
conduce to the advantage of trade. It was also accounted a
tafeguard against improvident borrowing. To those who wish
to ascertain the futility of these arguments, and to see the
whole subject most amply discussed, we would recommend a
perusal
Stig^en m rfpealiHg the Annrnff^Acf*
[^perusal of Mr* Bertham'^ mr^terty trottse, pubHshctJ tii
[• the unfortunate titJe of a '* I) -fence of Us^ury* • As we hift
^not space for cnteriiij^ itito the queindn at Ur^e, we shall mike
P* only two general rL-'marts! ist, \\vai the i' ^ * ^ * rm
Mby the legtsfature should not he formed cj m»
* ary rate, or it will put an end to all open r%'
'cept on first-rate security; and, 2d, that, us , -be
borrowed, al! the burden of the risk and expencc incurred m
r'evading the law must eventually fall on t!ie borrovrer, wA
therefore the law which was intended for his protection !»•
'comes ati instrument of oppression to him.
It is not so generally known as it ought to be, tbat the ftst
of customary interest in this country is higher than it wisltttf
""a century ago* We hear no more now of offers on the ptft
of government to pay off our national debt, unless the stock-
^'holders consent to a reduction of the interest. When DnScalth
r wrote, it was customary to lend money to government at w
■'Iowa rate as three or four per cent/, and to individuals at four
or four and a half. To say, therefore, that the legal lUe
'should not exceed five was no great hardship : but^ in the prt*
' sent day, the case is widely different, * It is,' says Mr.Siigdei),
* an undeniable fact, that money is not now to be bad on un*
exceptionable security at five per cent*' When it' to
be so lent, it proceeds from one of the follow i. m-
'stances, — personal friendship to the borrower, or a directioD
'to executors to invest on mortgage ; or, finally, from the idc
I of an estate with an agreement 10 let part of the money remtia
'for a given time on it. How can we expect the c^se to be
"'"Otherwise, when government offers five per ei>nt., and wiA x
* security not only uf high estrntution as tt- -iv
'vertiblc into money at an hour's notice? i , * u
^that a large commission is usually paid by land-holders to my
^agcnt who is able to accomplish a loan for him at five ptf
^ccnt. Mr. Sugden adverts to an instance in which toooL wtre
'offered to .m agent to procure a loan of 17,000!- \ and aootket
in which tool, were oOen?d to procure a loan of 200oL| tU
' security in both cases being nnexceptionable. It baa alio W-
^come custom.iry to stipulate privately that the propeity-tas
*&hain be paid by the borrowtrr, notwithstanding the law to Ae
■comiarj \ and, * though it may Ltanle some,* says Mr* Sugdeni
^* to hear it, instances are not wanting of money being niited
'at an annuity of ten prr cent, on thra liveXi m unimt^mitrfdjii-
* ilmpfe tstaict of great annua! thiluc,^
* See M« R. VoL bcjtviii. p. 36]*
— ^
Sugden en r/epealing the Annuity^Act. 4 j %
All these circumstances shew that things are materially al-
tered within the last sixty years ; and that the interest of five
per cent, is no longer that limit which corresponds with the
intention of the legislature. Now let us add a few words at
to the remedy. * 1 shall not,' says Mr. StJgden, « contend,
because I know it would be useless, in behalf of the liberty of i
making one's own terms in money bargains, nor indeed could J|
I hope to add any thing to Mr. Bentham's able and ingenious **
arguments. What I suggest is only that the rate of interest
be altered. This the legislature has frequently done, and if
circumstances required it formerly to be lowered, they now
require it to be raised. To place borrowers on the same foot-
ing as a century or half a century ago, the legislative limit
should now be seven per cent.' Such a proposition, the author
is aware, is calculated to wound our national pride, and to
alarm some well-intentioned persons among us : but its adoption
would in fact make little alteration with regard to existing con-
tracts at five per cent. An Act to this effect would have very
little influence on the price of stocks ; and, if that vast body
of securities remains unaffecte^l, we may safely calculate that f-
others will do the same. To say that interest may be raised to f ;
seven per cent, does not imply that it ivtll be so raised. In '.
former years, when money was abundant, though five per \
cent, might lawfully be taken, it was not actually obtained.
On the contrary, the power of taking it was exercised only ajs j '
a spur to prompt p.iyrntnr, it bcinj^; usual to provide that four \ •
per cent., if rejiularly puu!, shou'ul be accepted in lieu of the \
five reserved. They^? are f.icts, sjys Mr. Sugden, perfectly ^i
known to persons who are in the habit of looking over titles. jf'
A man may lawfully take any rent for his house, yet he can j
get no more tlian the markt-t-rarc : neither could he get seven i '
per cent, for his money if live and a half were the current • *
interest. [■'
What, then, it may be asked, would be the practical effect of il
augmenting the limited rate of interest ? It would have no in-
fluence on the stocks, and very little on landed securities of the
first character, but it would aiford great fiicilities to those who
borrow on inferior security. By making it lawful and respect-
able for capitalists to take a higlier interest, it would widely
extend the circle of accommodation to the man who can offer
the pledge of only a life-tenure, a reversion, or a leasehold
estate. It would also put an ei:d to the circuitous and expensive
plan of annuity-contracts, and enable the borrower to get for
seven per cent, that for which he must now pay nine or ten.
Aware of the host of prejudice in favour of the present limit- ■ '
atioa of inteirest, Mr. Sudden fug^'Ctts, as a moie qualified
measure.
43^
MONTBLT CATlLOCUm, EduCiUkn.
measure, that a dbtmctton should be made between diff^renF
kinds of securities ; and that, while the interest on the first da«
remains unaltered, it be rendered legal to give seven or eight per
cent, on the second-rate-securities mentioned above. A pro-
Ti&ion of this nature is so equitable in principle! and so strong]^
required hj present circumstances, that we are disposed to
conclude that it will engage the attention of government ^%
$oon as a season of leisure arrives. It would accomplish the
relief of a very numerous class of persons, and would form aii
approximation to the ultimate measure, 'i-^ an abolition of re-
straint on the rate of interest generally. Years roust elapse
before the British public will be prepared for the adoption of
ft proposition so much at variance witli their favourite notions;
tnd this change, like others, should be made by degrees t but,
come when it may, we have little doubt of its proving highly
beneficial, and productive of advantage in various ways of^
which those who regard it as a mere abstract question have no
idea.
Mr. Sugden's style partakes considerably of the f^ros and
#aw's of his profession ; and the reader is sometimes puzzled
with a string of arguments, when he would have preferred
that the author had restricted to his own mind the review of the
particulars, and had recorded only the conclusion* The value
of the matter, however, comptnfiates for the want of care in
the composition, and gives this little tract a claim to the atten-
tion both of government and the public. It has been divided,
as all such essays ought to be, into sections \ each having its
specific object, agreeably to the indication in the prefixed table
of contents- We have already had occasion to mention Mr-
Sugden with encomium, (Vol. lx< p. 203-, and Vol, Ixii- p. 2 14.)
and the present pamphlet will be found fully as interesting as
his former performances.
MONTHLY CATALOGUE,
For AUGUST, 1813.
EDUCATION.
Art. 13. Elements of Umversal Geography, ancient and moJirtt
contaiuinc a Description of the Boundary, Chief Citiet^ Set
Ports, Rivers, Mountains, Religiorii Population, Climate^ I^'
torical Events, &c, &c>, of the several Couatries, States, IcCy ifl
the known World : to which are added, Historicalt Cksiicalp and
Mythological Notes, by A* Picquot* 13 mo. pp-Jia* ^%, 6L
Lackington and Co. iBia.
M. Picquot apologize! for verbal inacciiraciei, by stating that bt
^ wiittt lot tbe fiftt tii»e in m language fiot hit omu ; and hM thus oot
o«ly
»
I
I
Monthly CATALOCtrE, Poetry.
only accounts for Bome quaint expressions, but excites our surpiJze
at the general propriety of his style. His book offer« conrdirab!©
information ; iind the Synopais of Anticnt Geography is ingenious,
though it! course somewhat conjectural* Too much is perhaps at*
teniipted at once ; and the mixture of history and mythology with
the geographical lessons may confuse those who attempt to commit
thie whole to memory.
Art- 14. The Srhrto! Cyphering Booky for Beginners ; containing
all the Variety of Sums and Quctttions usually proposed in the
first fiv^ Rti^cs of Arithmetic ; vit. Nocatiou, Addition, Suhtrac*
lion, Multiphcxttion, and Divisiou. With a complete Set of
Arithm>:'iical TabK'*. By Joseph Guy, Author of a ** Pocket
Cyclopedia," " School Geography,*' 3cc. &c. 4to, 3s. 6d.
Boards. Cradock and Joy. . Bi U
This seems to be a plain useful cyphering book ; and the quci-
tions to be resolved at tht? end of each rule are well selected. Mr,
Guy's method of furnishing printed sums to beginners will cer."
tainly save trouble, A Key to this book is published, and may be
purchased separately.
Art. 1 5. The Geographical Primer I designed for the younger
Cbwes of Learners, and calculated to advance them by natural
and easy Gradations to a perfect Acquaintance with the Elements
of the Science ; with an Appendix, containing 14CO Question!
on the principal Map3. l^y J, H.Wiffen. iimo* pp* 2l6«
Darton, junior. 18 12.
These lessons, being concise, are advisable for young beginners %
and it may be considered ajs an improvement that, in naming the
principal cities and towns in England, the rivers are also menUoned^
on which leveral of those places are situated ; as ' Chester on th©
Dee,* ' Reading on the Thames,' (and Ker,n?t,) 5cc. : but we were
lurprized to see that the Liffty is omitted among the rivers of Ireland.
Art. 16. The Neikf T^un^ Man* J Companion; or the Youth*!
Guide to gen.^ral Knowledge, designed chiefly for the Benefit •£
private Persons of both Sexes, and adapted to the Capacities of
Beginners, By John Hornsey, Author of " A short Granamar
of the English Language," &c. &c* lamo. ^s. Boards* Long-
man and Co. 181 1.
' An useful compendium of information on varioua subjects, of which
apart is original, and the rest is judiciously chosen from other works*
The student, however, would be led into a slight breach of etiquette
if he addressed a letter to * The Hunourahh Sir A. B., Bart.,' or to
^ The Honour able Sir A. B., Knight,' in compliance with Mr. Homsey'f
«iirection8 in page 79., Barouets and Knights not being consequently
Honorable.
POETRY.
Alt. 17. The Rusiwn Chiefs^ zn O Ac. 4to. j^s* Booth. 1813,
The hand of genius, and the tncurt^e of genius, are alike discover*
sble in this Ode ; which is said to be the production of a gentleman
who stands high in the profession of the law, and who is equally
4i<tinguifihed by his dcTotioa 10 polite littraturr. It has been ob-
Rsv. Aua. 1813.
Ff
•erTc4
MONTMLT CATALOGUf » Ppttrf*
434
terved that an efitaph is dcfcctiTe, if it contain not the same of Af
person whose death it comtnenioratea ; and bj the same rule that i^
may be dfrmed wanting, which no where designates the wairkir*
chiffa whom its title professes lo celebrate. A few passages arc aljp
marked by an obscurity which we cannot penetrate ; and which ilia
part owing to a redundancy and impropriety of punctuation tbtt
prevails throughout. The ingenious writer probably left this office
of the pen to his printer, agreeing wnth too many in erroneouily «•
garding it as insignilicant * ; and the consequence is that he is nudr
to commit a fault in print, with which we understand he islcasioriU
men ch^rg<^able in conversation ; viz, to itulter in almost evrry line:
for such 13 the effect of the punctuation, if it be foUovred in tfMli^
this Od*?. f The numerous annotations afford ample proof of Iw
author's reading and classical recollections ; and the whole pn^m a
an evidence of those high-spirited and patriotic feeline< Vi4
every true Briton to euTogi/-e the great and successful c ^m
northern alli.s in repdling the invader of their native soil. Tiie
of the late Russian campaign were indeed so uncommon, tlie c!<
of nature combining with all the powers of war to hurl dcvtnictioff
on the foe, that they must ** harrow up the soul'* evep when it*
lated in plain prose ; and the Pindaric boldness of the poet before n
i$ so far not necessary to " freeze the young blood,'* thoagh iht
theme be worthy of the highest flights of the Muse,
Wc copy a few lines : — first, from the opening :
* Oh, for the animatfd vein.
That strung the arm, and broke the chaio^
Of Liberty opprcit.
When from the voice, and from the lyre*
Tyrtacus, with electric fire,
InflamM the warrior's breast \
Were mine, the bard'i prophetic view*.
Who sttng to Thebes, — no flati*ring rouse^-**
The Persian Hight, and shame>
Like him, lo mercenary fear,
To the cold heart, and servile ear,
rd swell the heroc's fame.
Avengers of the arm enslav'd,
Of rights opprest, of iud^cnts brav'd*
Put on your glowing wreath I
When co^d in earth, your hand, shall re«t,
Your spirit* shall in visions bit* st,
From death's pale ashes, breathe*
• It is not by negligencies of this kmd that celebritj if rither
gained or supported ; nor is it thus
■ - '"** Great wits may ^lorhuify oETend*
And rue to faults true critics dare oot (Head/'
f Some pec* nli.iri ties in ian^uaj^e also are dficcmibW, For ex-
ample, p.i 4., the nrsctcrite marht and p, 15., the participle tvorj&^
are not sanciiotied by ti«e«
11 fa
^rtk
Monthly Catalocub, Poetry. 435
In other daySi the North, could light.
With savage, and barbarian might,
A desolating flame ;
But now, the champion of the just.
She lifts the injurM from the dust.
And brands a tyrant's name.'
In proceeding, the author aptly compares the irruption of Bona*
parte into Russia to the invasion of Greece by Xerxes :
* Time, has again of Xerxes heard.
What impious piles the madman rear'd.
Anticipating Fate ;
Has markt the fear, that wing'd his flight.
And left in Freedom's awful sight
His throne's imperial state —
I see the tyrant, foil'd, and stung.
From all his tow'ring summits flung,
The maniac of despair.
Gnash his fell teeth, when sword, and spear.
Threw all his battle into fear^
Nor chief, nor king, would spare.
The despot fled, — a coward slave, —
Breath, of dishonour'd life, to save.
And lost in abject flight ;
But Conscience, on a rersian throne.
Could mark the victim, as her own.
With scorpions of the night 5 —
For ages, that sublime event,
The doubt* of tyrants underwent.
By them, a fable deem'd ;
But you, have made Platsca known ;
The field of Marathon's your own,
And Fame has been redeemed.'
The propriety of calling Bonaparte a cotuard\ in this passage, '
and elsewhere, may well be questioned : though he fled, flight i^
not always cowardly ; nor was his the flight of an ordinary com-
mander, who might justly choose to share the fate of his army. We
should have expected that, in this comparison to Xerxes, the
learned author would not have overlooked the parallel of the Per«» ,i»|j
sian monarch's retreat over the Hellespont in a fishing vessel, with j» I
that of the French Emperor over deserts of Snow in a solitary t
•ledge. :, ,
* ♦ What is meant here is, that a tyrant would of course wish to
disbelieve a fact, so hostile to him in his influence upon the tenure of
his claim to aggrandizement by invasions ; and that he \yould find,
in the detail of these events, a colour for incredulity ; as they baflle
«very modem conception of political arithmetic. The oiain fact, is
rngquestioned*'
Iff 2 Art.
\
I
43<
Monthly Catalogue, P^rj.
Art. 1 8, Tht DiVtveranee Qf ihe North, or the Rotffxn C*
a Poem. Published by the Author for the Benetit of the
Sufferer*. 8vo. pp. 24. Baldwin.
Twelve months ago, it was not expected that Don-Co^iacki and
Russian Generals would be sung in British verse, and that ihr flight
of Bonaparte would be the subject of caricatures in our pnnt»«rllrn*
shop-windows. Yet much is now hoped from the euccess of the
Russians, combined with the briilismt victaries obtained by our
mrtny in the Peninsula ; and the present year is evidently big witk
great events. The poem before us, however, is not so much prnp^rtit
MS retrospective. It describes the vast preparations of Ji
Ruier for the invasion of Russiat his march and bloody c« a ith
the Russians, his ditappointed hopes by the burning of Moscow, the
mortal effects of • bivouacinj midst driving snow,* the disasten sod
precipitate retreat of his troops, the hovermg of clouds of Cos-
tacks on his rear, the loss of his horses and cannon, and last of iB
his own ftight horn the scene of carnage » desolationt and pctii^fim
«old :
* So toils the furious Corsican ; enrag'd
To find his host surrounded, and himself
In danger of captivity ; but fear
Succeeds to frenzy, flight succeeds to fear;
Swift from the field he rushes, and deserts
His hapless followers, suffering for his pride
Extreme of woe ; basely abandons those
Who fought and bled his triumphs to advance^
To glut the vengeance of an injurM foe. — '
The final address to the nations of Europe, on the result of tie
Russian campaign, may be quoted as a fair sample of the bLmk 1
which is exhibited on the present occasion :
' Hear» all ye nations, fnark the grand result
Of such vast preparations to o'erlurn
A mighty empire : — vaoish'd as a dream^
Of allthat numerous army, but remains
The shadow and the name ; the trembling dtiel
Takes for his trophies and triumphal car
A servile habit and a paltry sledge :
In mean disguise he flees t his fate becomet
A warning to the proud ones of the earth.
That dire ambition is accursed of God ;
And that her giddy cloud-capp'd pinnacle
Nodi o'er the gulphs of ruin and disgrace/
From the popularity of the subject, some little defeclt of cociii)
tion will be overlooked ; since readers will not catch at faults
ihey arc previously resolved to be plea&cd.
Art. 19. A Metrical Hutory of England; or, Rec tfi
Rhyme, of some of the most prominent Fcatutrs in ^ jI
€hrouoIogyi from the Landixig of Juliui CsUkTi ta the C&mmmc^
Monthly CATiLOctri, Paifj.
ment of the Regency io i8i2. By Thomas Dibdin, Author of
*» The Jew and the Doctor/' &c. J Voia. 8vo. i8s. Boards,
Longman and Co. 1813.
This IS neither an useless nor an unpleafing compilation ; and we
recommend it to the notice of those guardians and ruatructors of
children who deem it expedient to add artificial allurements to the
natural charm of history. Indeed, it must be confessed that a taste
for historical knowlegc is not so general as it should be among the
younger students of the day. They have beun sickened with novel*
before they have fed on aouuder food ; and, whether from this or
from more general causes, it has become necessary in numerous cascsi
for the teacher to adopt factitious means of exciting an inch nation,
which we have called naiural from feeling that it ought to be so.
Since, then, we are of opinion that, in the instruction of boys and
girls at an early age, it may be our duty to tempt many pupils in the
present times to the study of history, (all attractive as it should be
of itS'lf, and without any such temptation^) we cannot but approve
of Mr. Dibdin's endeavours to facilitate the attainment of so desirable
an end*
Having bestowed this praise on the design of versifying an
abridged htfitory of our country, we must, however, find fault with
the execution of thai design in a great number of passages. Man^
proper names are pronounced improperly ; and a low buffoonery and
m dull species of punning pervade the two volumes* Yet we will not
dwell on this defect. Those who allow that we may ** laugh and be
wise" must not be captious in their censure of that mode of informa-
tion which prefers not only wit to judgment, but humour to wit-
Mr. Dibdin' s ' Metrical History of Bngland,* in a word, is an am*
phiication of the well-known " Chapter of Kings :'* but it is some-
thing more. From Andrews, and from other collectors of anecdotes*
he has compiled a very amusing miscellany of hiKtorical uarratifc ;
and if he sometimes indulges in too broad a grim and on other occa*
sions writes neither sense nor English, yet on the whole he conveyt
much instruction to the boyish reader in a very lively manner.
Art. 20. Noidrj of Loyally; or Allegorical Political Delineationi
in Rhyme By William Harvey. 8vo, 2s. 6d. Ebers* iBiJ*
* It is the imperative duty of every man,' says Mr. Harvey* * to
dedicate a portion of his time to his country. It's demand supers
•edes even the apologetical subterfuge of domestic anxiety,* &c.-^
in illustration of this already luminous remark, Mr. H. proceeds^
through several pages of prose and verse, (differing only in the man*
ncr of their printing,) to dedicate ills hours of loyalty to Old
, England ;
■ * *• Zounds ! what's the news*** cries Johnny Bull*
^^^B *' Dear me, the paper seems quite full :
^^^^ Give me my glasses, wife, let's see^
^^B Pray, what the Devil can it be >
^^H Lord Wellington has beat the French 1*^ * ^c*
^a truiim with which we arc very happy to condudc*
I
^ OVELS.
An. 21 . Tiff Siiiiri^ a Domej^tic Tale. By the Author of ** The
Officer's Widow and Family,** &c. ramo, 58 Boards* Lmg-
man and Co. 1815.
In thii narrative, the principal female is rendered inter'
moral qualities, bat she is described as being precluded
and deformity from becoming an object of the tender fmtm*
Tbouj^h such a subject may not be popular, because huixvin luiritire
revolts from those representations which militate againit its gcmnl
rulce, yet the story affords an useful lesson ; it encourages ui 10 ict
well from the best motives ; and it bhews the good wUich tnjif be
accomplished notwittstanding personal defects and debility « wi4 tfcf
happiness which attends on disintereited benevolence.
Art. 22* i7^w^/r/j//, a Russian Romance. t2mo. 2 Vols. JoCi6d.
Boards. Longman and Co. 1^13-
A tolerably intereiting tale, founded on the story of Demetrim
Ivanovitch, as related in Coxe's Travels, Tl;e leading character
is well drawn : but the females in the groupe are not very plestisgi
aod the tender scenes are exaggerated and unnatural. The wort,
however, contains much good w*ri ting and ingenious disqui$it ton ; and
the author's strict adherence to the narrative which be h^i chom
for hia subject should be imitated by all wntera of hbioricil
romance*
POLITICS.
Art. 23. A clcitrt faWi and candid In^veitigalhn ef ihe R^pul^um^
Commrrcct and jigrkulture of this Kingdom ^ with a full RrftitatiOir
of all Mr»Malthus*s Principles ; proving from infallible Documeaft
that our Population is rapidK'' decreasing, from the high Price J^^
Grain and the long and unfortunate War ; and if not remedi|^^|
England may fall. Also shewing tlie Impolicy of the late ColH
Billj and that the high Pnce of Grain has been the Cause of tW
hte Blights. 8vo. pp.168. 3s* 6d. Mawman.
Veteran reviewers are apt to draw unfavourable conclutiont of a
book from a long and dilfuse title-page j and in the prcsr' '^ >-■■- \ tKe
apprehension is confirmed to a great extent, as far as it
l.*8S and inaccurate composition : without, however, laki
claim of the author to attention on the ground of fact and
The leading fcuturcs of the publication ;ire in opposition
and conclusions of Mr. MalUuis, and to the principle
laws ; and the reader who perseveres in a pcruaul of l'
of bad grammar, and sometimes even bad spelling, \v
of pithy arguments in both departments of the f.tibj« ct.
mentions (p. 6y) that the rise of rcnt*rolli, in conftri^ 4fi
augmented price of com, is merely nominal, since the expoukturc of
the farmer and the landholder must increase in a correipcuulnit ntlo«
In the days of King Wrtliajn, he says, sonittliing like a sprcioof pla
might be urged for discouraging the imptrrtntic^n of forcig* cora:
but at present, when our improvements i !.avegooeiO
^r, and our prices continue so high, an inc- x dh tbmtfi
protisioas would prove a great natigual miiiortune. While we ftiSf
!■
.rt.
Jll,
ifif
l.cl .w_
L-.T'.rflt.
I :
w%
*-:'
ntm
itf
'1
•Jf
Jl
Monthly Citilogus, ReHpous.
4jy
agrree with him as to the impolicy of the principle of our cornJaws,
it is due to impartial reasoning to admit that, of late years, these laws
had but little practical effect ; and to state that, as prices, in conse-
Kjuence of the war, have been constantly above the standard limited
in these obnoxious acts, their provisions have operated very little in
discouraging arrivals from abroad. The war has equally answered
the purpose of the landholder, and has raised our markets as high as
these enhancing edicts would have carried them, or indeed higher.
Had we been blessed with peace, the result, we confess, would nave
been very different. Under these impressions, we cannot congratu-
late the country too warmly on the defeat of the late attempt in par-
liament to create a most pernicious addition to tlie difficulties attend-
ant on the supply of foreign com.
The objections of this writer to Mr. Malthus are various, and are
urged in a long succession of particular statements and calculations.
He accuses him (p. 24.) of taking an unjustifiable latitude in his con-
clusions, and in a subsequent passage (p* 59.) he asserts that ' Mr.
M. has so often changed his principles since he first wrote that it is
hard to collect what he really does or means to say.' Such accusa-
tions, whether well or ill founded, would come with a better grace, if
delivered in grammatical laftiguage. We have in p. 62. the expression,
•reports which ivaj not drawn up by government;*" in p. 128.
* observations which sayi;* and in p. 126. et seqq. Mr, Spence, of
pamphleteering memory, is regularly introduced under the more
illustrious name of Spencer. A great part of the tract is made up of
Quotations from Qther works, sucn as (p-i50.) the long statement of
)utch taxation, and (p. 69.) the extract from Pin kney's Travels, ex-
planatory of the condition ot the French peasantry.
RELIGIOUS.
Art. 24. Sermons on various Subjects^ and Letters to an Under'
graduate at the University ; by the late Rev. William Alphonsus
Gunn. To which are prefixed Memoirs of his Life. By Isaac
Saunders, A.M. 8vo. los. 6d. Boards. Mathews and Leigh.
1812.
The press is gorged with biography, and all bounds of discretion
arc transgressed in this department of literature. Every good man
who dies is not intitled to have his life written ; and it is a waste of
paper to awell out an octavo volume with long letters of no particular
uiterest, which passed between obscurt? individuals. Mr. Gunn was
certainly a well-meaning and pious clergyman : but the incidents of
his life were too few, and of too ordinar)' a nature, lo jnstify a memoir
extending through 245 pages. From his youth he had a serious
turn, and his education was of a nature which fitted him for the
ministry. After having been an usher at Farnham, he took orders,
and preached as a curate there : but, not being acceptable to the
congregation, lie was superseded, on which circumstance his biogra-
pher remarks, * He ceased to blow the Gospel trumpet in Farnham
tor ever.' Being invited to the lectureship of St. Mary Somersets,
in London, he removed to that parish, and preached with success, as
what it called an evaogdical minister : but, being of a weak con.
F f 4 stitution,
k44Q
Monthly CATALOGtre,. RetJgkffs.
he
* ititutioni and living loo abstemioutjly on account of Hfi CmaU tnco{il%
, tis health gave way, and be fell into a premature grave, Drcm-
ber 5- 1806, in the 47th year of his age. The let: ' ' r^
stitute the bulk of the memoir are in a highly M ui,
and, as we should say, are not in good taste ; in some itaikr^
lowever, they may be very savory. They contain auch passagtt if
these ; • 1 can do nothing, and hope for nothing but from the rlood
an d Tight eousnea» of Christ : if I have any holtne»s 1 git it by dam^
jng out of bis fullness ♦ : 1 trust that you are a loyal subject tu Kiitg
Jesus, and then you will be one to King George.* Speaking of la
old sermon, he says, * you may rummage for it when the Lord
brings you to my abode j' and in another place he talk* of • our
Jesus,' as if his sect had monopolized the Saviour of the world.
« Imputed righteousness was my refuge: — 1 found that 1 had fioue of
my own ;* and be thus concludes one of the letters, • I comtnttd
you to the everlasting protection of the Lord the Trinity,*
As Mr. Gunn was a zealous Calvinisti the Efteeo sermons %hiA
constitute the remainder of tins volume are of a similar '
The subjects are, Failh, as an operative Principle ; — Ch-
vercr from Condemnation ; — the True Worshiper; — 8
Scriptures ; — Holiness ; — the Christian's Life ; — C t
Lusts of the Flesh j — Christ, the true hhepherd ; —
Consequences of Christ's Asceniion ; — the Danger of S^lf-dcctp*
tion in Religion ;^ Growth in Grace ; — Dev4»tedufm& to God j^—
the blessed Eifects of true Religion ; — Joshua*s FarewclL
Aft. 25. Dlisertaiions on ihe regenerate Life ; \% Hamiotry wtk
the theological Views of Baron Swedenborg, the tuidotibtfd
Messenger of Our Lord's second Advent* timo* jt. M
Boards. Hodson. 18 f 2.
To the initiated, the language of Swede nbor^ and his diKipkl
may be ver)* luminous : but we honestly confess that to us it iji n
dark as Erebus. To avoid the possibility of misrepresenting the author
of these dissertations, w*e shall let him speak for himself ; and if our
readers can understand him, they have an advantage over us ;
* The pride of self-inteUigcnce nurtured by the self-love of min, fiB^
into degrees of life mofff and more remote, or into dense and dfii^H
ahades ; the recipiency of the human mind can only be ' ilP
its state, those commandments which were engraved on ♦ of
the men of the celestial church, and which were rv ».
derstanding and affectionate minds of the men of the ■.\
were delivered by the hand of Jehovah himself on Ublcs ui *iane
to the Israelitish church, that they might re mat a in iodrlihlf
characters on the memory, might at once confirm ih^ir divifie tttttb%»
* It is common with persons of Mr.Gunn's sect ts- -ly
to disclaim all /ow^r, as if they were so many stocks or yfi
it almost always happens tliat, in the very sentence in whj^h Uicjr
deny the possibihty of their being agents, they assert it^mty. T!i«i|
while Mr. G. declares he can dQ nothrngt ht* talk^j - If
drttwin^ ouf 0/ ihe Divine fuUness^Qing (ioMngf 'I at
power, exhortationst whether delivered in Icttcfi or icnDC»i% m
truly ridiculous*
k
I
Monthly Catalogue, Rriigkus.
rity» amd diacovcr the very low state of recipiency to wHch man had
foUen/- •
* Manifeatalion must ever be according to recipiency, the divine
ixiBuK therefofxf to the devout recipient since the incarnation must
differ from the divine influst through the heavens prior to the incar-
nation ; it is ever from highest to lowest principles in successive
ord-T, but that order having^ been broken by the posterity of the
celestial church, the efficacy of the divine influx at this diy, from
the divine human, is with restorative power, from highest to the
lowest fallen degrees in man, ev^n to the most ultimate, that a rege-
nerated man miy be no more liable as at finjt to recede from love#*
A section on the State of Marriage in the Spiritual and Celestial
Church contains this passage ;
* In the Hpiriiual church or state, the. husband represents, and is,
truth progressively advancing to goodness ; the wife represents, and
is, the love of Hjs truth or progressive wisdom, and heightens the
affection of her partner towards her, in the degree that she loves the
wisdom which he pursnes and uufotds. In the celestial state, when
truth has reached its destination in goodness, or the supreme love of
the Lord, the wife, elevated to the same love, no longer represents
the love of man'* wisdom ; but becomes the more beautiful forra^
manifestation, or truth of his love. In the prior state, the husband
loved the representative form of the affection of the wisdom which he
sought ; in the latter state, he is more strongly attractetl to the more
beautiful representation of the form of his love. Thus is the affec-
tion of each cebstial partner exalted by an organization out of itself,
through which there is a more delightful sensation of the supreme love,
from which true conjugal love is an emanation,*
He who wishes for more of this instruction, which unfortimatcly
fails to instruct us, may turn to the Diiisertations.
Art* 26. The Errors of Univtrsallsm ; or the Doctrine of the Non-
Eternity of Future Punishmejits, coiurary to Scripture and dao^
gerous to Socif*ty. ^to. is. 6d. Rivingtons*
Fie on It ! Fie on it ! Must the rectitude and mercy of the
Divine Being be destroyed to keep mankind in order I Dt tested be
the thought that it is dangerous to society to exliibit a correct view
of God's moral attribute*. After having' recognized the Deity as a
God o( love, can we tolerate the behef that he punishes frail man io
ail tttrmty ? We may assure ourselves that we are errortex>u8 inter*
preters of Scripture, when we employ it for the blaspht^mous purpose
of proving that the God and Father of our L»ord Jesus Christ is un*
just. This radical and unanswerable objection lies against the doc*
trine of eternal punishments, that, if punishments b* made eternal,
the Divine Government must choose them as an end and not at
mean J / not as remedies ^ but for iheir own saie. Now, as this is
absolutely impossible, it is as absurd to quote the word eternal • when
* How w >uld this writer laugh at the man who was to adduce
** the everlasting hills'' of G<^»* xhx, 26. in proof of the eternal du-
latioQ of Lbt world.
joined
^
^1^
i'
441 MoKTHLT CataLOCOE, Religious.
Joined to tbe word punislim*nt*, in some passaget of Scripture,
m order to prove their absolute eternal duration, as it it to adduce
the phrase, •* this is my body/' to establiih the tenet of transub*
ctantiation. When an imposBibllity presents itself in the literal mean*
ing, sound reason requires ut to adopt a qualified sense. Let thii
tu&ce for a reply to the present wnter*3 argument deduced from
passages of Scripture* He contend* for an impossibility* He nrgei
the word of God to tub vert the pt^rfections nf God. — ^Now for hi*
position that a denial of the eternity of hell torments * is produc-
tive of the most dangerous effects.' How is this made oat ? It i»
effected by proving, or rather by labouring to prove, that * Univer*
ftalism deprives its disciples of the use of the Bible* as a ctrtain rule
gf fakhy and that by weakening the grand distinctions between
right and wrong, it saps the foundations of maraiiiy.^ The writer
will probably call this argument : but in our estimation it is down-
right nonsense. Must the foundations of moraUty be sapped, unless
the Deity be represented as less amiable and more unjust than Hs
creatures ?
Art. 17- Comphtf ReUgious Liberty vimft^ifd, A Letter to a
Friend in the Country, respecting the Petition for the Abolition
of all Penal Statutes in Matters of Religion, unanimously voted
by the Dtstenting Ministers of London and Westminster, at Red-
Cross-strect Library, Feb* 2, 1813 ; with Remarks o« the extra-
ordinary Correspondence between the Rev, Joseph Ivimcy and J,
Butterworth, Esq., M.P- fur Coventry. With a parting Word
to Mr. Ivimey ; and a Postscript relative to the* Propagation of
the Gospel in India. By John Evans, A.M. 8vo. is. Sher*
wood and Co.
We have heard of country-farmers who have been very alert in
tsserting their own right of common, and not less active in contriving
to exclude their bretliren from the same privilege. These ttrrMfiu
may in some measure be excused such narrowness of mind» but we
must reprobate this temper when it ferments in the bosom of any pro-
fessed friends of religious hbcrty. Among the sancta {ohon £omham
who met at the Dissenting Library in Rcd-Cross-strect, to petition
the Legislature for perfect religious Uherty, Mr. Ivimey makes a
miserable figure; and Mr. Evans, in this pamphlet, has not been sereref
on him than he seems to have deserved. Could any thing be more
mean and despicable than tu object to the presentation of a petition
to ParliameDt for the abolition of all penal statutes in matters of re-
ligion, because possibly such a petition, if presented by Protestant
Dissenters at this juncture, might be of use to the Catholics, who
are addressing the Legislature on the same grounds ? Mr. Butterwx>rth
appears ta have been led into an error by the mis-statement of bit
correspondent Mr. Ivimey ; but, had he been leas eager in steppbg
forwards to throw cold water on the generous efforts of the friends of
religious liberty, he would have acted more in character as m
Dissenter. Even supposing that perfect unanimity had not pre-
Tailed at Rcd-CroiS-street, (but this was not the case,) we can-
mot think that Mr. Butterworth was juctitied in bis eifort to invaLdate
I
Monthly CATALoctfEi Religious.
the object of the petition ; for a measure may be excellentj though
not carried luianimouily* Indeed the bett and wisest schemes will be
opposed by the bigoted, wrong-headed, and malignant. Mr.
£Tan9 arguci well oa the subject of religious lib<rrty : but it is
umiecessary to follow him over this bcatea ground; and we conclude
that Mr* Ivimcy will be taught by thi« wholesome admonition not
to lin a second time.
Art* a8. A Reformed CommitnUn Office for the jfdminiiiratkn of the
Christ tan Eucharist t commonly called The Lord*Ji Supper : cx«
traded and altered from a Liturgy printed at Sahsbury in 1777 ;
to which ia prefixed an Introductory Diacourse ei plaining the
true Nature and Design of the Lord's Suppcfi By Eucharistea-
l2mo. 2s* Johnson and Co.
More bubbles float on the theological 8tn?am than on any other
' •urrent, but many of them are too ahort-Uved to obtain notice. Eu*
charistea's bubble is of this nature : it is the antipodes of transub&tanip
tiation* The CathoHc Church interprets the phrase *« This is mj
body** to signify the real presence of Christ, excluding the idea of a
memorial or remembrance ; Eucharistes, on the other hand, teUs ut
that the cicpresston is < nothing but a metaphor, and a metaphor can-
not be commemorated.' Several heavy pages are blotted in fain to
induce us to think that * it is extremely irrutional to plead for a pro-
leptic construction of the eucharistJc law;* that * a personal com»
mcmoration of Christ was never intended ;' and that the word* ** Do
this in remembrance of me" mean nothing more than *• Do this ac-
cording to my Gospel." It would be a waste of time and paper to
employ arguments for the refutation of an hypothesii which cannot
live an hour.
Art. 29, On the Object cf Religittui Wership i and the Pre-euittenct
of the Son of God: and the Cause, Necessity, Nature, Reality and
Importance of the Union of the Pre-existent Son of God with
Human Nature ; to which is added an Historical Account of two
notable Corruptions of Scripture, in a Letter to a Friend, by Sir
Isaac Newton. By George Clarke^ Surrey. Second Editioa,
with Additions, i2mo.
Mr. Clarke, of Surrey, (he might almost as well have said, of
England,) neither sides with the T riuitarians in having three distmct
ot>jccti oi worship, nor with tlie Unitarians in addressing their devo*
tions to one undivided Deity ; but he pursues a middle course, M?em-
ing to favour a kind of Binity, if we may be pardoned the term ; for
though lie represents the Father to be the sole underivcd G jd, be
associates the Son with him in the government, and talks of paymg
divine honours to fwo (p. 25.); and he does not allow the Holy
Spirit to be a distinct person. The two corruptions of Scripture,
noticed in the letter of Sir Isaac Newton, (stated to be in the poises-
•ion of Dr, Ekens, Dean of Carlisle, and quoted from the ad vol, of
Mr. Matthews's Recorder ^) are the interpolation of the three heavenly
witnesses, t John v. 7., and the alteration of u or o. into 0»o-i 1 Tim.
iii. 16. This letter manifests the accurate and profound research of
its triily great writer i but, afl«r the report of subdcqucnl Scripture*
critics.
444 Monthly CataloguIi Reli^ima*
critici, Mr, Clarke might have spared himself the trouWe of ft
I ing this loQg discussion ; especially as it had previously been gricA %»
the public.
Art, 30. A SktUb of the Denomi nations of the Chrlitiam Wt»rU$
with a Persuasive to religious Moderation. To v ' ' ' *?d
an Introductory Outline of Atheism, Deism, Thtt- t;,
Judaism, Mahomelanism and Christianity, With 4ii J^i^&ay on
Enthusiasm and Superstition, a Plan of the Divine Attributei^
a Schedule of the Sects, and a Chronological Table of the leaiiing
Events of Ecclciiastical History, from the Birth nf CJrr^t V^
the present Time. By Joljn Evans, A.M. The
containing, beside many- other Additions and In^
original Account of the Shakers, vtho neither many nor j
h* marriage ; but profess to ht as the Angeh in /iesiftn* MlWtU
pp. 328. 5s. Boards. Crosby and Co,
Fubiications now issue in such numbers from the press* tliii we 119
'under the necessity of making it a general rule not to notice new edi-
tions : but the work before us being of a peculiarly interesting^ 4aJ
instructive nature, we have deemed it expedient to depart Itobi our
prescribed plan, by announcing to our readcw this H^elflh editioa of
Mr, Evans's Sketch: which, though still not without errursp oertstnly
appears with improvements. The principal addition, as specified n
the title, will be found to consist in the account of a .tngukr Amt-
rican sect called Shakers ; and, as this subject is not a lii ' ^s
we shall give, from ihe preface, Mr. E.*s comparative rjc
opinions and practice of these enthuMasts,
• The Shaker unites with the Quakers in an entire iirfjmis^ion to ibe
ipirit, and in the rejection of baptism and the Lord*8 sti ; ith
the Calvinists and Methodists in laying great stress on ti ^
with the Arminians in rejecting election and reprobation, ai» wrU «
the imputation of Adam's guilt to liis posterity — with the Uxnta»
rians in exploding a Trinity of three persons in one God, togrlhcr
nvith the satisfaction of Christ — with the Roman Catholics tii coor
tending for the continuation of miracles in the church — with the >wam
demanians in practising a sort of community of goods &nd baviii^
no persons regularly educated for the ministry— with the follovtn
of Joanna Southcott, in believing that a woman is the \x\%trmr\tu* to
bring on the glory of the latter day — ^with the Moravii !>•
thodists in encouraging missionary undertakings — with il-^ 0"vuvS^
borgians in denying the resurrection of the body, and as^etiing lh«l
the day of judgment is past — with the Jumpers in t!-^ " noi
abouting during divine worship ; and lastly, with the I ts
in renouncing tne eternity of hell torments ! Such ai myi-ef it>oi
compound the skill of the moral chemist cannot easily anadyie. Bixl
to this heterogeneous mass they have added n 'nUicrto u»»
thought of, unacknowledgjed by any body of i Tlie Ci^
tboUcs indeed led the way m enjoining tht cehbifuy o\ lt\c dcT]^, sad
in the institution of monachism, It wa« left to the Shakcr§ to pet*
feet this abominable scheme *, and thus expose it to the deriootn al
._.^ — — *
• A acheiiie which ftbolialicf marriage and tepanCci die mius^
\
MoNTHLT Catalocot, Agriculiun.
ft€ WorU 1 The account I have given of this moat jjingutar of all
tecti is replete with instruction ; for it teaches the professori of
Christianity this most important lesson — that in no instance they
•hauld give up the use of reason in mattcri of religion, and on no
occasion^ concetviri)^ themselvrt to be the favourites of heaven,
should they be found deficient in the exercise of an universal Gospel
charity/
At P*aC4. Mr. E* lamentt that this jtct should have taken up iti
abode m the Umted States : but, as its members are not angels, wc
may assure ourselves that, if they do not marry, they will do what is
worse ; for Nature will take care that the Shakers shall not retard
American population. Such publications as that before us are a
convincing evidence of the follies and absurdities into which th^
common people may be seduced under the notion of religion*
Our first account of Mn Evans's Sketch will be found in M. R.
Vol xjt*, N S., p, !05* It then contained only 155 pages. Mr, Evans
speaks of having sold 50,000 copies of this work ; the object of which^
he says in the prefatory dedication, is * to inspire religious denomi*
cations with respectful sentiments of each other, and to lead them to
study the benign ends for which ihe Gospel of Jesus Chr'ut was pro-
mulgated,* The whole is certainly penned in an excellent spiritt
fioce Mr, E* endeavours to instruct ail without offending any.
AGRICULTURE.
Att. Jl« An Essay on Draining Landf hy ihe Si earn Engine s shew*
log the number of Acres that may be drained by each of Si)t dif*
ferent sized Engines ; with prime Cost and annual Outgoings,
Bv W. Walker. 8vo, is, 6d. Crosby and Co.
The vast power of the steam engine (that pride and glory of
philosophy ! ) is now very generally known, and its use in raising
water is demonstrated in every part of the kingdom. That it may be
rery profitably applied in draining land, no doubt can be entertained |
and Mr, Walker, in this short essay, points out the kind of land for the
draining of which he would employ the steam-engine in preference to
any other mode. It is remarked in the preface, ' that considerable
tracts of low grounds and svvampa are frequently found to lie at s
great distance irom the nearest outfall, and at the same time the land
which lies between the low grounds and the outfall is often many
feet higher ; so that in some instances drains are obliged to be cut
16, J 8, or 20 feet deep, and that for many miles in length, which
occasions such a vast expence, that, when the land is drained, it will
not sell for the money that it coat in draining,' Land, under these
circumstances, cannot be cleared of its pernicious waters in any way
so expeditiously find cheaply as by the powers of the steam-engine |
and the useful tables contained in tliis little essay will assist country-
fentlemen in calculating what harse^ponuer (to use the vulgar and li^*
cfinite expression) will be requisite in any given case, witlithe prict
of erecting the engine, and the annual consumption of coals.
• A six*hor8e power will drain 8178 acres, and raise the water six
foct high, the cost of erection being not more than 700L cr there*
^ouu, the aAQu^l outgoiogi only 166I. i6i*|<^thii ia leere than ten
wind
44<S
MOKT»Lt CatalogctIi Muci/Janimti.
wind enginci can perform ; for a wind engine wQ] nuiC the ^
little more than ihrcc feet/
MISCELLANEOUS-
. Art.32* ^ Discovery 0/ the Author nf th Letiifi ef Jttmtu^^ fouDded
on euch Evidence and lUtistration* as rxplnin all the myitenooi
Circumstauces and Contradictiona which hare cutitributod to Obf
Concealment of this most important Secret of our Times* flto,
pp. 1^9, 5«. Boards. Taylor and Hessfy, 1813.
The recent appearance of Mr. Woodfali** private correspondence
with Junius (tec p, 367. of lliis Review,) having drawn «i portion
of the public attention to the history of that mystcnous cKairarlttv
it was scarcely to be expected thnt the book-makers wot " " ibe
interest thus excited to die away^ without endcatouri; . »ie
tome lax on public credulity. Few persons, however, could hiTe
•U«pected that an attempt would have been made to fix the com*
position of those keen and Karcaitic epistles on two characters whotre^
ai far at we can judge, from their writings and speeclies, by im
means likely to participate in such serious and vehement produc*
tions. Thes^ personages are Dr. Francis, the well-known transticor
cf Horace^ and hi* son, Sir Philip; who, after having^ instructed
and amused the House of Commons for a life-time nf no incojr-
. iiderable length, has now descended into the vale of yean, lliose
of our readers who have listened in that House to his humoroui
effusions, or who merely know him from his late pamphlet as the
• <»oly writer in a hundred who i^ave an amusing cast to Ac endtrH
I discussions of the Bullion-qucst:on, must be itartlcd at an attempt
, to identify him with the foru»idabIe# and, wc mast sidd, ant 00*
frequcDtly malignant Juniuf, The-^writer, however, of tltia fraa
seems 10 have known perfectly what he was doing ; his object
was to fiyi on persona of siiflficicnt notoriety to excuc attenttooi
without concerning himself with the rerJIry of the imputed, cir-
cumstances. We have seen, in a late monihly miacellanyt an ei-
plicit denial of the charge bv Sir PliiUp Francis : lut, without any
declaration of this nature, the eye of a person accu«ftom**d to bcth*
liniic tlw motives of pamphlet t'ers would readily • rJ
the drift of tlie present publication. It is in fact ^m
vehicle for a reprint of the more striking parts in t nf
t Juniui, or rather of tlie addiliona contained in Mr. Wf \u
edition ; and these are strung together with m mu< ' lir
^di SCO VI! red in selecting the beautivs of Ossian» in h , ofl
the authenticity of those poem:?. Varioin> circumitn "oa^lft
forwards in succession | and every where a resem^ . irJor4»
or affected to be traced, between the situation of Juniui ipid tkH
of the Rev, Doctor and his son, who was at tiiat iii^t' -^ •-Irrk ib
the war-office. In charging the latter with a pai ia tit
t9«kt the writer never chooses to doubt the abil *,^t*j
I man, at the aj^c of twenty-four, to perform that i^
I dent marks of msturc thought and rxpericnce. ^ ^c*
[ presenting these celebrated letters to have been llit . n-
[fiership connection, the author of the present Discavn-^ irrg^-i* iio#
^ftta w« have beea waraed to put do faith in ibe d&atmcj ^
literary
MonTBlt CATALOGUBf MUceUafii&uf. 447
literary coalitions. The circumstantial manner in which the rescue
of Major General Gansel is related by Junius is gravely adduced at
m confirmation of that erent huiing been described by an eye witness ;
whoy of course, can be no other than Mr. Francis, contemplating the
scene from the windows of the war-office ! In addition to these
wonderful proofs, a list is added (p. 67. et seq.) of peculiarities of
expression that are common to Dr. Francis and Junius. The words
foncludif pronouneCf orai9riali unresponsible^ with the humbler ac-
companiments ** wild, simple, &c.'' are exhibited in opposite columns,
with as much gravity as if they had been never used in the sense
in question by any other than the above-mentioiied writers. A
string of falr.e concords is pressed into the same service ; and even
Sir Philip's late facetious tract on our paper-currency is adduced
to bear witness that his style was the same at the mature age of
sixty-five as in his days of juvenile ebullitions. On the whole, this
may be called a very ingenious effort to tax an inquisitive public
at the rate of five shuliogs per head.
Art. 33. The Pamthleteer^ respectfully dedicated to both Houses
of Parliament; No. I. for March, No. II. for June ; to be conti-
nued occasionally; or at an Average of four or five Numbers
annually. 8vo. pp. 185. eadl. 6s. 6d. Gale and Curtis.
We have here an attempt to carry into efiFect an idea which has,
we believe, been repeate<Dy suggested, viz. of selecting the most
interesting among the almost innumerable mass of pamphlets which
issue from the British press in the course of the year, and reprinting '
them collectively in the size and shape of permanent volumes. The
first of the two numbers before us consists chiefly of ecclesiastical
tracts. The Catholic-question, the Bible-society, and the evils of
irregular marriages, are all treated in succession. Towards the close
of the number, we find a pamphlet on the question of the East-India
Company's charter, and the demi-official Outlines of Finance ; reviewed
in our Journal for May. — No. 2. is somewhat more miscellaneous,
and contains a tract by Mr, Hawkins ** against a Reform in Parlia- ; il
mcnt," a republication of the " Anticipation of Marginal Notes by . jj
the Americans on our Declaration of War,*' and three pamphlets
on the " East-India Question." These are accompanied by Mr. J}
Butler's address to the Protestants in behalf of their Cathohc bre- \ v
thren, and by two short but very interesting essays on the means of f j
increasing the supply of fish in the metropolis and its neighbourhood. '" ? '
The former of these is the pamphlet of Sir Thomas Bernard ; the ■'■*?.
latter is the draft of a report frcm a society having in vi;;w the exten-- ' i
•ion of the supply in question. The rest of the Number is made up \
•f three publications on ecclesiastical subjects. — The two Numbers : ■
comprize 22 essays, or pamphlets, at a price certainly much lower
than when they are sold separately. How far this project is likely,
in these days of war and expence, to indemnify the publishers, wc ' \
do not pretend to conjecture : but, if judiciously conducted, a work "[
of this nature might answer the useful purpose of faciHtatiug a refe-
rence to publications of merit, at a time when the lapse of years and "^
the occurrence of intervening events had put the detached copies of
the pamphlets themselves out of the reach of the inquirer. No. III.
has just been advertized.
SINGLS
: r
CoRltesrONDENCE*
SIKCLE SERMOHS*
Art. 54* Preached n I^eat^ieringsett Church, oo the Occasion of i
Peraun's ret urn tag Thanki to Almighty Cod for her Resto#
ration to Health after a Concussion of the Brain. By the Rev,
J. BurrelL 8vo, pp. 19. Printed at HoJt. iHii,
Mr. Burrell is probably a very serious preacher^ and may have ler*
tnonizcd on * all the similes of Scripture in rcf*'rence to the sahjrct of
death :* hut he is not an accurate writer, and in this fastidious age he
ihould have kept clear of the press.
Art, 3f. Imposition ihe Support of Religious Imposiure% and Heresy}
and the Enemy of revealed Truth. Preached before the Cniigrega-
tion of Protestant Dissenters at Harlow^ Essex* By Benjamiii
Penn Severn. 8vo. !§• Jones,
Without crilicizin;r the title of this discourse, we shall observe that
the preacher is a spirited advocate for Christian liberty. The posi-
tions which he defends art?, i st, that neither civil power nor ecclesiai*
tical authority has any right to interfere with a man's religion j adly,
that the service and worship of God are entirely matters of private
conscience ; jdly, that Christianity cannot be established by human
Laws, that no church or sect has a fight to legislate for anotheri and
that true religion can flourish only when it is free. • Liberty of
thought/ says he, * is essential to religion : liberty of conscience if
essential to religion : liberty of choice is essential to religioD/
These positions must be admitted, and the preacher'a infereoce frosi
them is legitinaate and irresistible.
Correspondence.
Of the article Kant, in the Encyclopedia Londinensist some copiei
have been stitched up for the friends of the author, one of which
has been handed to us for our examination. It would, however, be
irregular in us to select for individual analysis the portions and frag-
ments of the different j>eriodical works which appear in this metro-
polis ; especially when, as in this case, no separate pubticatjua haa
really taken place. We can only refer our readers to what we have
laid already of this foreign philosopher, in Vol. xxii. p. 15. Vol. %%f*
p.534. xxvi. p*559. and xxviii. p. 62, — Owr critique of pure reatm
must be reserved for the distinct publication of the work itself, or of
this epitome.
Mr. Cove must again excuse us. The object of his aiumadvcftiot
ii not in any way cognizable before a literary tribunal.
Our friend at Lclxlip is Informed that the first of the two wotki
which he mentions never reached our hands, and is now oui of datei
and that the ktter is at present under examination.
•»* The Appikdix to this Volume of the Review will be pub-
lidnd with the Niunber for 3eptember» on the irst of October.
THE
'APPENDIX
TO THE
SEVENTY-FIRST VOLUME
OF THE
ONTHLY REVIEW
^^ ENLARGED.
FOREIGN LITERATURE.
:, J, Lettres de Jean De Muller, &c. ; j* e. The Letters of
}WSi MrftLEB to his Friends BonsteUen and Gieim ; preceded by
ic Life and Will of the Author. 8vo, pp. 359. Zurich •
Sio. Imported by De Boffe*
(general readers, and particularly to student* of history,
the name of MuLL£R caimot be a stranger; and hit
t)ry of Swisserland has gaioed for him a celebrity which
render the more interesting the present memoirs of his life
social effusions of his pen. His letters to M. Bonstetierti which
jared in Germany some years since under the title of « The
iers of a Young Scholar," were edited by Madame Brun^ in
anguage of that country, as they w^ere originally written; and
Germans felt themselves greatly obliged by the publication,
e it made them better acquainted with the life and cha-
er of one of the most celebrated of their historians. The
ich editors of the present translation of these letters have
•d to them some few epistles addressed to M. Gieim^ and
; prefixed a version of the Life of Muller written by
self, End inserted in a German work intitled «* The Bio-
shy of learned Men now living at Berlin," printed in that
in 1 806* — From this Life, we shall present our readers
I a few abridged extracts, as introductory to and connective
»ur remarks on the whole production,
r* Rev. Vol . lxxi. G g Joh h
4P
MuJIer'/ Litters t9 his Frimis*
John Muller was bom at ScKafbausen, lanuarj 3. 1751,
The settlement of his family in that city takes its date from
the Reform at ion > ind they were of respectable rank : but tl«
first of his ancestors who interests the reader of his life ia ba
maternal grandfather /, Scho<^^ an ecclesiastic of nnuch (earaiogi
and who had himself collected very ample documetics for 1
history of Swisserland. This cjircumstance led to an early b-
clinatioa in the mind of Mtil-LEli towards his favourite stw^f^
and in his ninth year he attempted the history of hi& native cilT*
He afterward read • the luminous and agreeably ^rritten wgfi*
of Hubmr on the Four Monarchies, and indeed got it by henl
In his twelfth year^ he made hi« first attempt in historical criii-
ci5m> "by iftnposing on himself flie laborious task of recot>dlii|
the different chronological systems of Calvisius^ Usher, aii2
Petavius : but it was Hot %mtii his ihirteenth year that he becaae
more thoroughly acquainted with the Latin classics* He eft*
tered into the spirit of them rapidly i and this study^ to wbkk
he gave himself up with intense ardour, was the kindJinfr %jaA
of that sacred enthusiasm which he felt throughout hU life far
great characters, and for liberty*
From this department of his college-education, he pu$tA
onwards into the " School of Humanity ^** wliere he was em-
ployed in studies preparatory to his entrance at the Unffersirf,
and where a lucky chance gave him the opportunity of beiisg
the single pupil ^ of seven or eigllt .pirof^ssars duriug the coiane
of two years. He mentions the names of four of his la^tmc-
%ors^ viz. Mekkii&r Habik / Jotm Xjtorge Deggefer f J^n Cmm
tifhwart-z; and Thrnnas Splfiss : he records, with all m
warmth of youthful gratitude, their open, liberal, and •»!*
served communicatim of their several stores of knowlcge ce dieir
attentive pupil ; and he observes how much more was 10 bt
ined from such familiar intercourse thin from format lectuxci*
Ins remark (so ob%4ous, yet so offensive !) would, if g«
maintained, tend to the greatest improvement in all $yf
education. If pupils were allowed a more unrijrr%}eJ i
cation with their public instructors, in hour^ wot 3^
lectured, (during which, as we lately observed In o|),rvi^*niL»ii fc^
Mr. Elisor, (Question on the part of die instructed, and iltit«<r
on the part of the instructor, would lead to t^i
Jl surely would be o^ mutual benelit to both \\
tional stimulus would be applied to each *, and gross tgnoraaot
• For a yovith of MuLLEft't peculmr powef* snd indcf
«pp}$cation, this may have been an advain ^r^
waj^x of rival* to i:xcite emulation, and tlir
4a likely to perplex the itudoitf would h^i^ u^u cc^c:ui j
t
^
iiectont-
genenb,
liAttlieT^/ Littiri to hit Friends. 451
on eidicr side must be eflFectually checked. Besides, in point
of mannerSy important advantage might be expected: the
young would mitigate the severity of the old ; and the old ^
would reasonably restrain the licence of the youn^. Or if,
contrary to the usual course of nature, years had only added tp '^
indecorum, those who should be the graver party would re- •*
collect I
<« Rideat av puUet lasciva decentius atasJ*
We cannot here dwell on this important subject : but those r
who are acquainted with the constitution of our public seats
of education will allow that no more promising opening for
judicious and useful change is^afibrded than in this point, —
namely, the increased intercourse of the older and the younger
members of the several societies.
The father uf Muller was desirous that he should enter ' '
into the church ; and the youthful student was not, at that
period of his life, averse from such a prospect. On the con- ;
trary, the vast store of erudition which he deemed necessary
for an adequate discharge of the clerical duties was but a colla-
teral excileinc nt to his undertaking the sacred oirice. Another
motive was furnished by the example of the venerable IVilHatn
Meyer^ principal minister of the church at Schafhausen; whose
eloquence attracted the attention and whose character fixed the
respect of his congregation. The illustrious name of Mosheim
(whom he proposed to hims(?lf as a model) added fresh vigour
to his inclination ; and all seemed to conduce to the accom-
plishment of his father's and his own wishes, and to consecrate
young Muller to the altar. With these sentiments lie repaired
eo Gottingen at the age of eighteen, in order to receive the
instruction of Dr. J. P. Millery a divine of an amiable and mo-
dest disposition, the friend 2X\.^ felloiv-commoner (i. e. messmate,
commensal) of Mosheim. Here he attached himself to his new I
master, and sought with eagerness the society of the learned
Walch •, who communicated to him with much courtesy his
knowlege of history : hut he became disgusted with theology.
We are naturally induced to bestow considerable attention
on this turn in the mind of young Muller, because he was
eridently a person of no common character, and because his
bias towards the sacred profession was, for the reasons which
we have enumerated, unusually strong. What, then, effected
this sudden change ? We could wish our readers to attend to
it, as closely as we have done ourselves. — Unfortunately, in
his early boyhood, he had been compelled to study the work of
^— "^ ■ ' ■..■■. » ■ — ■■
* Author of several works on eccleeiastical history.
G g a Baumeister
45*
Mulle^^ Liitirt io tu Friimls.
Bauniiiiter on the definitions of Waif: which nobody took ibt
pains to explain to him, and which in consequence bcoii|^
down on him the censures of his first master, ^t Schi^nuiiJeOi
for a want of application and docility. He met with the •* dfS*
nitions of Wdf^* again at Gottingen v where that wrket^i ar-
gumentative method was in vogue, and a new ndode of con*
sidering and of establishing theological doctrines was adopld*
They then made use of this new manner with some circufl^-
spection : but it is not very encouraging for a young oflicifi
charged with the defence of a place, to see all the breicbei
pointed out to him, and to hear the engineers disputing wbetkf
it would not be well to demolish this or that fortifi^tioo.
We must mention also, say the biographers, the lectorts ct
Micha'elis ; a man of geniuSi and full of learning ; bin wfci^
by his burlesque manner of translating and commenting oo ihf
poems of the wise and inspired men among the Hebrewi| rm*
dered the reading of those compositions for some rimt b*
supportable to his pupil. At last, S Udzer brought him bacl
to the study for which he was particularly fitted ; viz. that d
history. He was employed by this judicious instructor in ^
perusal of northern and eastern annals, of which he had hitheiw
known but little ; and after many preparatory exercises and in-
ducements, (especially an increased acquaictance with Frtnci
literature,) he decided to change hts course, and concluded hii
theological studies with a dissertation in which he mamtaiaeJ
*■ that the church had nothing to fear,** A. D. 1770.
The above incidents arc deserving the attention of dwsr
numerous divines who are advocates f<T a very mtnute xni
Tery learned examination of the sacred records, as a fnpantw)
exercise in divinity : but we are too well aware of the dtA;rR»ct
of opinion on this particular branch of religious educatiodn, to
press our own sentiments any farther at present ^ and indeed
we are already conscious of something like a digresskm from
the subject in hand.
MuLLER had now to'contend with the predetermined fion
of his father *, and although he passes delicately, and as a son
ought, over this part of his life, he yet betrays to the observant
reader the difficulties which he had to encounter* Hr rcTt^cd md
completed some of his juvenile performances, and becaioe li*
active coadjutor of those learned men who were publbbing K
Berlin the Universal German Dictionary. His zeal for liWO'
ture appeared to merit the patronage of the gOYemment of hii
country, and he was appointed in his twentieth year to the sitB>» I
tion of Greek professor. As soon as his pn>ject of publishtff 1
1 new history ol Swisserland was known, all the Ubrariei iot^
different cantona were opened to him i and encouragefDent tfl
liltitfy I
^^
I
MuUer'/ LetUrs t^ his Frimdt*
literary asfiistance were offered on every side. He returns thanks
in the most earnest manner to many of his friends ; to the re-
spectable fi&^/w/r and BrfittNger ; to the learned 5rAi>ix, author
of the History of the Commerce of Zurich; to John Henry
JFlireJi, who imparted to liim the contents of his library and of his
own writings, like a brother; and to ThfOphilut Emartuii Hal-
Urt son of the great HalUr^ who placed at his dispoiial, wtth uti-
exampled kindness, the collection of documents and of authentic
acts which he had himself formed with great expense of labour,
lime, and money; a collection composed of forty- five folio
volumes in MS. and twenty*four quarto MSS,
During eight or nine years, Muller was occupied in these
researches ; of which period he passed only about eighteen
months under his paternal roof. The more know lege he
gained, the more he was impressed with a high idea of the qua-
lities of an historian. At this time he became acquainted with
Chariej Victor Banftttten : a learned and ingenious young native
of Berne, (some years his senior,) witli whom he maintained
the closest intimacy for twelve years ; and whose friendsliip, al-
though difference of employment and of situation rendered it lest
active latterly, he ever remembered with undiminished feeling.
Awakened to new energy by this congenial friend, he more
ardently than ever devoted himself to history and to politics.
The persevering tenderness of his mother, who alone understood
the state of his mind *, and who never despaired of the success of
a laudable project, at last prevailed in obraining for him the
consent of his father that he should devote himself to a literary
life. He obtained also the encouragement of the magistrates of
Schafhausen ; and tJiey gave him a flattering proof of their ap-
probation, by allowing him to hold his place of professor for
several years while the duties of it were performed by another*
We must be comparatively brief in our account of the re-
mainder of this historian's life. He visited Geneva, and became
known to the counsellor James Tronchin^ of whose children he
undertook tlie care; although, as he confesses, he had little
taste and little skill for discharging the duties of a tutor. The
father, however, was an intelligent man ; and in his conversa-
tion MuLL&R was repaid, by a full exercise of his own inteU
lectual powers, for the contraction and studied deterioration of
intellect which are necessary for the performance of the task af a
schoolmaster. Here also he was introduced to the celebrated
Charles Bonnet an<l his lady ; and to a young native of South
Carolina, named Francis Kinloch, with whom he is said to have
H * Poeii have not made sufficient use of this sweetest of natural
■ fediDgSi — the love of a son for his mother. What a field it opens 1
^^^ G g 3 passed
^
4J4
Mailer'/ Ldttrs to his Ftiendi,
passed same of the happiest hours of hb Iif#. TTfW fbct t
house in the country near Chambeisy % and ix\x} it
tation was not very splendid, it commanded a vk>^ . ii*v .-^ipii
of the lake of Genera, and of the richly cultivated tract of liad
on its lofvcly borders* In this sweet n " * p^ai^
nearly a year and a half j enjoying the nol taoai f)i
human genius^ Their mornings were dedicateci to the »oci]i
perusal of Tacitus and of Moittesquieu ; and whtfn, m the ato-
noon, Kinloch employed himself in the study of Blackstoaei or
any other English writer, Muller augmented hk% storei rf
knowlegc concerning the history of his country : thw letSBIt
hours were divided between the pleasures of K>ciety,
perusal of Latin, French, and Engli^ih classics. Mr* '
guardian, Thomas Boone, a man of rare characrer, form^
governor of South Carolina, and afterward one of the compdot
lers of the cu^tomi in England, added to thi;$ plcatant poftyf
which was also occasionally enlivened by the company of Araatf,
of Mr, Fitzherben, (now Lord St. Helen's,) and of V^iakt^
Subsequently to the time passed in this delightfal retreMf
MtTLLER paid a visit to Geneva, and there formed an tntiiBirf
with the Procurer-general Tronchin^ the elder brother of kii
former friend* He seems to have derived considerable jdtan-
tages from this acquaintance ; and he now conceived tKe
of giving public lectures on history at Geneva* — One
araditors, when he carried this plan into execution, w
Charles Abbot, now Speaker of the British House ofjComiDoos*—
After having finished his second course of lectures, he publisM
tt Berne, in the year 1 780, the first part of his history of Swi*
serland. His style was crltized severely \ and he wus reproocW
with affecting the brevity of Tacitus, He denies the x^aolio%
but allows the justice of another objection; namrly, thalhf
had omitted to quote his authorities. For this omtsi^ioo, hfim*
ever, he afterward made ample amends | when, in rcpablilinn[
and continuing his work, he cast it into a form entirely owr,
and greatly added to tlie reputation which it had from the itR
acquired for its author. In fact this history ha^ almon
5ieded every other account of the interesting country of
It records the destinies ; and it has placed M. MtriLtLji iu tfc
very first class of German writers.
About the tunc ju=it mentioned, the author viriied Berlia^
^mtiou^ to see the court of that celebrated ' ' "^ -^
weight in the scale of European power \v^% t
felt. His friend Gleim had the less difficulty on this aci
pcT<iuading him to seek some honourable employment at
tno he was introduced to the great Frederic* Tbc Kln^ ^^
Mted him with that courtesy for which he cwtd be rcmauloUrt
MuUei'/ L*tt*n t$ hit Ftitni/.
455
\
I
^
and gave him strong assurances of his esteem, hut gave him ttofhhg
m&rt. The idea of creating a new place for a stranger oughf
to have been suggested by tlie monarch himself, if suggested at
nil : but MuLLER seems to think that che ill offices of some
je.Tlo us courtiers (among whom the Abbe Duval h mentioned,)
adroitly prevented Frederic from forming such an intention.
The troubles at Geneva, — those first sparks of the fire
wliich, after having covered wiih ruins the fairest portion of
Europe, concluded by destroying the happy liberty of that city
herself •, — now recalled Muller to his country : but on his
vray tliidier he was stopped at Cassel, by the news of the
triumph of the popular party, who were offended with him for
% work which he had lately published in a Collection of Histo-
rical Essays, printed at Berlin ; and by the advice of hie
friends, who did not then encourage him to return to Swisser-
land. Through the interest of the Baron De ^chllfffen^ then
minister, he procured the place of professor at Cassel ; but,
ahonly afterward revisiting his native country, he made a tour
through the cantons, collecting fresh materials for his historyj
and, about this time, he repeated his lectures at Berne*
A mere accident now brought on a correspondence between
Muller and the Elector of Mayence, which ended in his
accepting a place in tlie Elector's court ; and this he did with
the les€ reluctance, as it would certainly have been easy for the
inhabitants of Berne to have detained him in his own country-
In fact, they sent him offers of patronage and support if he would
stay: but the generosity and kindness of the Elector had so won
his regard, that he determined to devote his life to tlie service
of that Prince,
Fretleric Charles Joseph, Elector of Mayence, seems to have
been a man who deserved to flourish in better times. He re-
sisted as well as he could the growth of those seeds of disunion
which now began to increase every day throughout the Ger*
manic body, and to prepare the way for that dismemberment
which followed* At eighty years of aj;e, he met with tran-
quillity the storm which overwhelmed hira, and, retiring to
Eichsfcld, was there joined by his privy counsellor MuiLERt,
By the desire of this Prince, Muller now accorded w*ith the
express wishes of the Emperor, and repaired to Vienna to fill
the office of Aulic Counsellor. After a stay of seven years at
• If the French editors had dared to give us the whole of
M. MtrLLER's remark ft on ihe breaking out and progress of tli«
Revohition, we have no doubt that we should have teen him amof^
the most ardent enemies of the siiuguinary anarchigtft who fiavc d^no*
bted Europe. Indeed, enough appears to prove hi« indignation against
France.
G g 4 Mayence^
456
MtiJlet'j Letttrs h bis Friends.
Mayencci therefore, during which he had analysed one hundred
and twenty historical authorities, be took up bis abode in the
capital of the empire ; where, in the course of twelve years, he
wasenabled to examine seven hundred additional records, lisdeedi
he tound his time completely at his own disposal, and in con-
sequence bestowed it on his literary pursuits. The abuse of
the name of liberty, which the French had made a pretext for
the grossest excesses, rendered any thing like freedom of
opinion dangerous at Vienna ; and the historian of Swisserland
was doubtless not considered as likely to be a political -{.dviser
courtly and servile enough for the feelings of the times.
McLLER, in a word, among the alarmed parasites of Vienna,
must have been regarded as every Whig was in the Tory-reigu
of terror about the same time in England. — Appointed chief
superintendant of the Imperial library, (the most magnificent
and rich perhaps in the world,) he occupied above a year in
correcting the catalogue of this collection ; and it is to be
hoped that in the subsequent scenes of confusion his labours
have not been lose. — The blind alarm of the court was now at
its height ; and, among other absurd measures by which en-
feebled power endeavoured to prop its authority, was an edict
levelled against the liberty of the press ; which forbade the publi-
cation of the second part of Muller's history, with that of many
other works equally innocent He was also refused a place ia
the library, on which he had the greatest claims *, and these re-
peated indignities having at length seemed to dissolve his bonds
of duty to the Emperor, he retired from Vienna. — The re-
mainder of his biography only informs us that he returned to
Berlin, where he continued to prosecute his studies • j and we
learn from the superscription of his Will that he died at Casse),
on the 29th of May 1809, aged 57.
It is impossible to read this simple and sincere document,
the Will of MuLLER, without much emotion. After all his
literary labours, and all the distinguislied offices which he filled,
(the signature to his Will implies that he was Counsellor of
State to the King of Westphalii in tlie year 1808,) he dies so
poor that his possessions, as he anxiously fears, will scarcely
pay his debts ! His library, his letters, and his manuscript^
♦ The editors mention several of Muixer's minor performances, lU
tending to the same object, the illustration of pointa in history or the
establishment of sound principles of govermneiit and political eco-
nomy. His leading maxim was moderate and gradual reform in
the different governmenti of Europe ; for each of which, as bett
adapted to the gcmus of the coimtry in which it wa» established, he
had a wise respect.
are
I
I
I
Muller'/ Letters to hu Friends*
arc all his wealth. These he bequeaths to his executor and
hf o\h^t John George AluUtr^ to be sold and applied to the laud*
able purpose above mentioned ; and, after having directed the
publication of his MSS-, and given some other orders, all for
die same end, (to satisfy his creditors,) he adds, ** I make
all tlicse arrangements out of pure necessity.*' We know not
th.at we could select from the volume a passage that does more
credit to the author's head and*heart, than the concluding pa-
ragraph of this interesting memorial ;
<< How, in th^se last moments of anxiety, has my heart glowed
with the desire of addressing thoae for whom especially I have Hved,
and who have always been my dearest objects l — You, my country*
men ! confederates of the cities and cantons of Swisscrland I How
should J have citLiltcd to chuse you for my heirs ; to rest on the an*
ttent generuaity of your governments, and on the noble character of
the rising generation, my confident hope thai you would accept tlie
inheritance of your historian and your friend, and that you would
listen to his prayers! — but that which could scarcely be expected
from thf wealthy England, — how could I ask that of my exhausted
country ? — Your image, at leasts illustrious Berue \ and youf*s,
Zurich ! good and wise, — and ye, beloved Cantons, Waldstetten of
the Alps, and all ye dwellers of the mountain or the plain, in whom
I have recognized and honoured the true Helvetic virtues 1 your
images shall yet follow me to the region beyond the grave ; — and if
there be a habitation reserved for tliose heroes, the glory of antient
times *, I will go thither, and will communicate to our ancestors that
their memory is yet living among their descendants !**
We may conjecture with what agitated and unhappy feel-
ings the writer of this address must have heard, from time ta
time, the presaging sounds of that tempest which overwhelmed
his country ! While describing the antient struggles of Helvetia
which ended in the establishment of her freedom, he was awe-
fully summoned away from his task, to listen to those unavail-
ing efforts which only for a short time indeed retarded her
downfall. Long before his death, all his hopes of her recovery
must have been extinguished,^ ^
Having devoted so much space to the life of M.MoLLER,
we can present our readers with a very few extracts fron^ his
epistolary correspondence. The letters which relat6 to public
affairs are so much mutilated by the French editors, that we
i;an catch but occasional glimpses of the indignant patriotism
of the writer. * Besides,* (as they urge,) * the opinions of
twenty or even ten years ago may not a^ct the present gene-
* " Si quh piorum manibus locus eitj'* 5c c. &c. Throughout
L the vohjme, we see the influence of his classical studies on the au-
K tbor's mind ; and especially that of his favoured Tacitus*
H ^ ration ;*
4S«
Muller*/ Letttrs H bis Fnindf*
rajdon i* and M. Mullea (as they would infer,) is not pledged
against Imperial France, because Rerclutionary France excited
his strongest dUlike. Be it so:—* he died counsellor of sute
to the King of Westphalia in the year 1S09 ; and no more is
to be said on the subject.
The literary and narrative part of these letters is hy far the
mo^t interesting. Whether we read the account of Muller's
studies, or attend to his relation of the anecdotes of the day, we
are equally struck with surprize at his indefatigable industry,
Und pleased wuth his unaffected openness of disposition. His
acquaintance with the Greek historians, orators, and poets •
seems to have been very extensive j and we particularly admire
the manly and oripnal style of thought which pervades his criti*
cisms on almost every branch of classical literature. Among the
Latins, Czsar contends witli Tacitus for his approbation ; and
among the modems, Machiavel divides his esteem with Motip*
teaquieu. Plutarch is another chosen favourite ; and, in shorti
throughout his observations on the best authors^ we perceive a
practical and useful turn of mind, which is the first and indts*
pensable qualification for an historian. The wisdom of past
ages seems to him thrown away, when applied only to thegra*
tification of a minute and critical curiosity. He applies it to
the instruction and the improvement of those who are called to
govern the modem world ; and, admirably prepared as he is ro
appreciate the excellence of Grecian or Roman eloquence, it 11
to the thought rather than to the expression of the most accom*
plished writer that he directs his attention. This sort of scho-
larship may be, for a while, comparatively discouraged, and may
lament to sse the verbal critic, the grammarian, and the metri-
cian—* nay, the bibliographer himself, — unreasonably pre-
ferred to its own far nobler votaries: but every thing must hti
its level in due season ; and the time cannot be very distant for
their returniBg elevation, who can say with Muller, although
at a modest interval, " Our taste, our character, and the nature
of our studies, make us more readily harmonize with those
who, when they speak or write, seek the substance, and leave
the sign or medium of conveyance to such as Pope called
Word*catcherSf who live on syllables."
We must be contented, we find, with two or three quotations
from the letters. We shall chuse a curious fact in history, and a
fatpi^y-scene which does the highest honour to those who are
concerned in it. The last seems to demand our first attention*
♦ Wc had an opportunity, when we reviewed the first volume of
Butler's ^achylus, of pointing out the sound erudition and judgment
of MuLLia't coutribuiioxis to the notes of tii« learned friend.
On
Mttlkr^i LttUrs to hu FrienJi*
f
I
ijih of April 1776^ MuLLEU thus writes fmm
Genihod (the re^kietice of Monsieur and Madame Bonfuty) to
Ms friend Bonsteittn :
* I have quite a history to relate to you. This evening I found
myself alone at Genthod ; that is, with no other company than my
host and hosteas, when Monsieur Bonnri addr:!«*cd me in a very
•erioii* tone. *' My friend, I am going to ask you a question ;
answer me with unrestrained frankness ; I demand it from your friend-
ship*" He then inquired whether 1 was pleased with himself and wiiJi
iiis wife, and wnethrr their solitary life did not appear too monoto-
nous. You may g"u^ss my reply* ** Well then/* said he, " my friend,
do me the pkasunc to consid-*r my house as your own. — I know that
you are m need of some resources. I wish that you would stay with
me on the same terms on wliich you staid with M. Tronchin ; and
if you desire any thing farther, you have only to speak." Mad.mic
Bonnet added, " our sentiments have been long known to you ; and
we are too old to change them. You also know our wtuaiion. We
have no children ; therefore we are perfectly at liberty to Ao what
pleases us. Bonitettcn is our friend as wiell as your's : go and sec
him as often and for as long a time as you chute : but do not forget
that your home is at Genthod.** *' It is not/* rejoined B^nncif
*• that we ivish to hinder you from changing your residence, if a more
^digible one offers itself. We desire your happiness before every
Irtimg else. For the rest, I forbid all thanks, nay you must not cvcu
teB us what you feel at this moment,"
This interview is to our minds almost heavenly. ^ — The his-
torical fact which we subjoin may perhaps be familiar to some
of our readers : but we confess that our memory does not tell
as in what history it is recorded. At all events it is curious j
and (like the pair of gloves refused by the Dutchess of Marl-
borough to Qut?en Annej and the drop of water thrown 00 the
gowTi of Mr^. Masham,) it shews, in the language of tlie poet,
and according to the reasoning of the historian,
I " What great events from little causes spring."
In a letter dated La Boissiere^ January z6th, 1779, we have the
following passage; which acquires, from the accidental situa-
tion of the North, a new interest at the present moment :
•* You know that about thirty years ago Sweden was occupied in
the choice of a successor to her throne. The Dalecarlians entered
the capital in arms, and endeavoured to force the Diet to decree the
re«union of Denmark and Sweden. The Swedes hate the Danes :
but the Diet feared the Dalecarlians above everv thing. They were
at war with Russia : bnt they communicated thia affair to the court
of Petersburg, The ministers aisemblcd : they all felt the necessity
of preventing this re-union ; and they wrote to the Russian ambaa.
iador at Copenhagen, to tell the King of Denmark tltat Russia
[Would break with hun if tlic hereditary Pnnce was elected in
[Sweden. Meanwhilei the DalecarUans insisted on their point : it
4^0
A Picture &f French Literature »
was neccHaiy to adopt tome decisive meastire ; and all depended oi
[ the moment : but the Emprets Elizabeth virai for fifteen day* and
I fifteen nights in such a state of drunkennesi, that they could not fiod
ft lucid interval long enough to enable her to sign her uame I TWi
I situation was not extraordinary for the Empress. I'he ambamdof*
1 txtremely surprisi^d at the totaJ interruption in the correspondence of
[ liis court, and convinced of the importance of prompt decision^ risked
llus honour and hie life, went lo the court of Copenhagen » and declared
[war in the name of Rusaia if the Prince of Denmark accepted the
rtbrone of Sweden, and by this conduct prevented the junction of thiee
Pkingdoms. Fortunately for him, the order which he had anticipated
[arrived at the end of a few days. Now, only reflect what profousd
apolitical motives historians will discover in these events ! and yet aQ
I this is in the course of nature t At least, it gives us an insight into a
I despotic government/*
, We shall leave our readers to select and penisc an abiuw
I dance of lively anecdotes that may be found in the vrork itself;
iwhich, besides increasing the respect for its author that wc think
j they must already feel, will reward them with ample iDStnictiiA
[ftnd entertainment for their trouble in the perusal of it*
[Aht- 1L TahUau de la Liiteratur^, 8cc. Sec. ; Le. A Picture of
French Literature during the Eighteenth Century* 8vo, PP.19S.
Paris. Reprinted in London for Colburn* 1813.
THE author of this little volume performs much more than he
I professes In his title-page i for he not only gives a complete
[picture of French literature during the eighteenth century, but
I'turveys with a rapid yet penetrating eye the predisposing causes
of the French Revolution v and, finding among them those gene-
ral indications of decline and fall which have worked the gra*
dual overthrow of every mighty empire,
*« puifiica heiii
Semina^ qu^ popuhs semper merure potetites^*
he avoids the unphilosophical mode of reasoning on this subject
which has been adopted by so many of his predecessor^^ It
has been to^ common indeed among our own as well as ibc
French writers on the Revolution, to take for gr.i' '*ii$i-
cnce of a literary conspiracy against social orderj ^ 1, ind
government \ and^ setting out from this theory, to refer all the
minor and, a'v they are pleased to say, the more indirect catsiei
of the troubles in France to this fruitful source* The preioit
author tak^'S a very different method of argument. H« i
historical sketch of the manners of the court and capi c
latter pan of the reign of Louis the Fourteenth *> ar>d b)
these observations on the progressive conruptioa io evci j
4
Ji
^
A Picture ^French Littrafure.
of ike state to a period beyond the middle of the f8th century^
we are prepared to «ee the influence of «ociety on the charac-
ters of men of learning in France, with the rest of their daily
altering counrrymen. Examples of this influence are pointed
out among those, whoae general views have been supposed to
place them at the greatest distance from their contemporaries ;
and thus they are represented as iminrentionally co-operating
with more thoughtless and abandoned m(*n, towards the pro*
duct ion of that great event which has changed the whole face
of Europe. Tlie re -act ion of literature on society is far from
being denied in this view of the quef»tion: but too much is not
attributed even to the Encyclopxdia ; and, in the first instance,
the influence of manners over learning is brought before us in
the clearest light, and set apart, as it were, for the principal
object of our examination in this interesting inquiry.
Brief as this work appears, it in truth opens a most extensive
field for reflection, and accompanies the reader more than mid-
way in many of its tracks of thought. To keep within our
limits, we must be contented to lose the opportunity of detail*
ing the author's remarks concerning the curious action and re-
action of society on literature and literature on society, to which
we have just alluded j and we must confine our own object to
prvsentinfi; the reader with some of those detached sketches of
literary characters in which the volume abounds. We shall
thus have a better chance of rendering justice to the fund of
entertainment which it contains, and shall be secure from in-
juring by curtailment that portion of more refined instruction
which it is so well calculated to convey in an entire perusal of it.
The connection of the reasoning is indeed so close that it cannot
but suflFer from any interruption ; while the judicious and lively
representations of character, which we shall endeavour to pre-
serve, may be regarded as a sort of gallery of portraits, with no
other bond of union between them than the peculiar manner of
their common painter.
Among the eminent persons who flourished in the scr^ im-
mediately previous to that which the author more particularly
describes, he does not fail to notice the celebrated Pfter BayUi
snd with a translation of his remarks on that singular character
we shall begin our selections :
* The Protestants, exiled by the revocation of the edict of Nantx,
reveoged themselves every day for the persecution which they had
unjustly luflered, by calumniating the King and the Catholic religion*
Their writings, entering into France, found there many other mal-
contents, who were irritated by the misfortunes of the war, and thus
tncreaied the public contempt for authority and for the laws,
* Among these refugees, shone forth a man whose composition!
wiU be long remembered | while their obscure libels were almost im^
lof oiediitely
A Pfdure of French Lrterature,
.medmtely forgotten. Tliti was Bayk^ tbe most dKermmed ind <
tic of all tbe philoftophers. In general, writers make ate of thA
pricism to dcf«troy existiog opinlonsi and to find room for tlidr
Doubt 16 b their hands the instrument of victory. With Bs^
is the objectt not the means. He aim* at a perfect equihhriun of
ientlment. Nothing makes the balance incline one w^j or the otlifr*
The spirit of party, the power of eloquence, the allureinenU of mk
igination, all are directed in vain against Bayk^ and in vain endeavour
~ i bring him to a decision. All opinions appear probable in hu judgc-
ent, Wlieo he finds them ill defended, he comes lo their »upportf
pleads their cause. Strange as it is, he «eems to be ple«fcdwTtik
\ uncertainty ; and his intellect is not oppretfied nor harassed by tMs
^ in questions of the greatest consequence to msinkiiicL. He
; them, and rejoices in his inability to rcBoIve tbcsu Thac
« which haj been a dreadful torment to so many great minds, lo muef
cualced spirits, is a kind of sport for Bayh,
* A dangerons influence has been attributed to his pbiloMpby.
At first, indeed, this balancing between opinions may ledjuce wnt
understand ingf ; especially among those who fancy that they see a
•ort of superiority in it ; but the acepticism of Bajtt U a fearaod
ioeptkism ; aud he laughs much more at persons who refute that «-
#e&t carekdsly and without inquiry, than at those vrho «ttlMMUt?elr
believe. Knowlegc, formerly^ conducted fione torn to sctpticioi :
but ignoranoe, Utterly, and a total want of thougbt« bave ^p^xx^ a
wider road to the same point. They are not such works as iham d
JBdjU that mislead the vulgar; neverthcSesst whea ihey \aA 9^
peared, they were sure to serve as a rallying po'utt for those acepcial
opinions which were beginning secretly to undenmoe all the louiid^
tions of beheL*
We must pass over serexal intermttiiaie portraits, ood Mt
again at the picture of Voltmrt. All the traits of this xaoA
etriking likeness we hanre not leisure to examine : we tbdl
therefore give an idea of the general rescmbbncc^ and tfaflo
dwell at long as we can on some particular feature^
« NaCvre had lodubitdbly endowed Vdtmre «ith the
fushing abilities ; and ftich a powerful genius could not be %
tiie fet«ilt of education and circuuntaiico- Yet tt wotdd oat te ^
pcMttible to shew that the employment of hb talenti wa^ coBimially
directed by the opinions of the times in which he lived ; aod thai t^
• necessity of succeeding and pleasing (the firu motive yi\\\\ almost aK
writers) guided him m every season oi his life ; but it muft, mote-
over, be observed that no person waa so liable aft himtelf to yteM f"
such tmiirettioias* His mini pt^sents, as k apMrs to «% the 1 *
gular phsenomrDoii * of a being iik)^ ftiM^nenliy drarmd of ^
power of rcflfcdoa ; and, at the nine tsi!»e« ponesamr tsi tbe h*^
degree the power of feeUng^ and of expeevaittg bimsm with ^
• We very ttTirl
•ksod» though ncrt n
-iutasice. Bje%*
d^iht the ttngidartty of tlyi ^
Jrnc, we co<ild mcntkiA mVrt thifl
fd.
A Picturt &f Fnmh LUirattirt^ ^(j»
fui vifadty. Tkiti asturcdty, it the caute of hi» »ucceti« and di\iJ^
errors. This mauDer of lookiAg ai the whole of a subject under one
point of Yiew, — and of yielding to the actual sensation produced br
tltat inew, without reflecting on what the appearance might be under
oilier circumstances, — has multiplied the contradictions *>f Voltaire *
has often led him aitray from justice and reason ; has injured the
plans of his works* and their perfection considered as entire compo*
sitions : but this absolute abandonment to the impression made on
him, this impetuosity of feeling, this delicate and living irritabilttT
has produced a pathos, an ovnrpowcriog effect, a Tigorous spriTjg of
eloquence or of wit, a perpetual charm of composition which flows oft
witn a facility beyond all limit ; and, when, on any occasion, rea-
son and truth arc arrayed in this brilliant vciture, they assume their
most seductive graces ; ihey lecm to anse without an effort^ all glo^
rious with involuntary and native light ; and he, their advocate-t
kikves far behind him every one of those who establish their claims by
laborious judgment, compansoo, and experience.'
We omit the application of these remarks to the character
of Voltaire as a tragic, epic, and miscellaneous poet ; where k
will be easy to infer that they throw a great lustre of panegyric
round him. At the ^ame time it is discriminating praise j and
even here the unfortunate want of this said power of reflection
is frequently detected. To this cause are justly attributed the
unmeaning levities, and the gTOsser obscenities, in which some
of his minor and fugitive pieces so largely offend.
Fallaire tht historian meets with equally approprLste criticisni.
His history of Charles the Xllth, * where he had no great plant
to appreciate, no secret motives to dev elope,* where all was action^
and bustle, and rapidity, and theatrical efl^ect, deserves therefore
and finds much more commendation than his memoirs of Louw
the XlVth; in which the little depth of his observations, his in*
complete acquaintance with character, and above all his brilliant
apology for unprincipled ambition, incur the grave reproof of
the present writer. It is, however, to V^hairt the pbilosophtr (if
he must bear the tttle» although
--*^ ** cneroja gravisque
Pilias esse palest imheUihtu haita lacert'u^)
that we call the attention of our readers \ or rather we Solicit
ail audience for the author :
' It remains for us to speak of the spirit that animated hii philo-
•ophy ; that is to say, his opinions on religious, moral, and political
lubjects. A formal plan has been attributed to him, for overturning
these ^^ttt^ foundations of the honour and happiness of mankind : but
ihey who attempt to 6nd in Fohmre a system of philosophy, con*
jiected principles, and a central point of opinion, will be very nsuch
perplexed in their researches. Nothing is less conformable to the
grave idea that we form of a philosopher, than the sort of genius and
character
'
tnSt
4*4
A Picture of French Literature.
character wkseh » observable in yoltaire* It u-as tlieeighteentli i
turv only that could have thought of calling such a man a& this a
philosopher. We can readily believe that he had fonned a project of
pleasing his generation, of exerting an influence over It, of revcog-
jng himself on bis enemies, and of collecting a party to praise and
defend him* He lived at an epoch in which morality was lost ; or at
least in which the superior ranks of society, and he himself among
theiDf did not venerate it. Envy and hatred employed against him
the weapons of religion, when religion was no longer reverenced by
her proper defenders. He considered it therefore only as an instru-
ment of pcrsccation ♦. His country had a government without force,
without respect, and which did nothing to obtain either* He had a
spirit of independence and opposition. Behold the true source of his
opinions* We are imagining how he imbibed them, not defending
ibim. He continually promulgated them, without thinking of the
results to which they might lead* At all events, he was far from
manifesting that unchanging obstinacy in his errors, and that levolt-
ing haughtiness, which mark some of his contemporaries.
* In one of his romances, he has himself given us a just idea of his
philosophy. BabouCf employed on an inquiry into the manners and
mstitutions of Persepohs, recognized with sagacity all that was viciouSt
laughed at all that was ridicL0ou8, and attacked every thing with a
most uncourtly hberty : but when at last he perceived that from hit
definitive judgement might follow the ruin of Persepolisj he found ad-
vantages in c\ery exigting institution which he had not at first dis*
covered, and refused to lend his sanction to the destruction of the
city* Such was V^taire* He wbhed to be allowed to judge cai^
lesaly and to indulge his ridicule on every subject : but a Revolutioa
was far from hi^ thoughts. He had too sound a feeling, and a dis-
gust too great for vulgarity and the mob, to form such a project*
Unfortunately, when a nation begins to philosophize hke Babomtt it
does not know how to arrest and weigh its opinions like him ; it is
only by deplorable experience that U perceives, and perceives too
late I that it ought not to have destroyed Persepolis.'
Out next p^nrait should be that of McntejquSeu, but we can
presenre only some detached traits of the resemblance :
* MontesquieUf notwithstanding the gravity of his character and the
regularity of his hfe, wiU also present to our view very striking indi-
cations of the times in which he hved,* —
* It is particularly in the " Persian Letters,** the work of his
youth, that we observe that rashness of inquiry,-^ that parodoxical
biasp — those decisions on manners, laws, and institutionsi — and that
* Drawing general inference b from particular, nay, from insulated
phxnomena, is not even in its highest degree pecuhar to F^oliaire*
Few indeed can examine their own case as if it were that of any
other individual ; and almost as few are warranted by a luficimi
induction in referring what they have obserred to an tmiversal
hbertkisos
Jt Picture of Frmcb LlUrature.
46;
Ubertiiiism of opinion, Tif we may so express ourselves, J which
evince at once the liveliness, the vigour, and the imprudence of
genius.' —
< After this publication, every thing contributed to modifjr the
character of MonifsquUu / to innise more reserve into his opinions,
and especially more caution into his manner of enouncing thenu He
was not a mere author. His whole life was not directed towards
literary success. He held a solemn office. It was necessary for
Lim to respect the example of his ancestors, and to deserve the esteem
of that class of men in which he was ranked, and among whom know-
legc only contributed to the bcrease of virtue. The President had
not that independence which men of learning so eagerly covet, and
which perhaps is of so much detriment to their abilities and their cha-
racter b. He was restrained by ties of family and office, which im-
posed duties on him. He did not live at a distance from reallausiness;
did not inhabit that world of theory, in which authors find nothing
positive and tangible, as it were, to bring them back to reason and
truth, when thetr speculations wander wide of the mark- It was
thus that MonUsquieu attached himself to the laws of his country, to
the character of Ins fellow -citizens, to the forms of tlieir government %
mot so far as to approve them entirely, but at least enough to make
him wish only to modify them anew, and not to overturn them from
the foundation. He introduced into political economy a practical and
useful spirit. He built it on the consideration of facts, amd on the
records of history,
* Nevertheless, Montesquieu always preserved some portion of the
character which he had at first manifested in the ** Persian Letters/*
Much as his reason rests on serious and solid claims, he was still per-
haps more remarkable for the richness of his imagination than for the
depth of his reflections. His works display to us a forcible and
animated genius, which study and thought can scarcely controuK'
The application of these remarks to *' The Spirit of Laws,"
to the ** Grandeur and Decline of Rome,*' and to the minor
compositions of " The Temple of Cnidos" and (if these are not
his happiest efforts) " The Dialogues of Sylla and of Lysima-
chus," is too detailed f<^T our insertion, but is admirably pur*
sued, and wnll lead the attentive reader to the detection of some
of the most curious laws of association in the human mind.
We must advance to D^Alemberti with respect to whom the
power of discrimination, which is manifested by the present
author, appears to our judgment singularly successful :
* D^jilemhtrt^ if we rely on the impartial testimony of mathema-
ticians, was a genius of the first rank, and has left in this field (the
field of science) evident traces of his course. Judges who are Itss
acquainted with the subject will not wonder at this opinion, when
they read that portion of the preliminary discourse to the Encyclo-
pzdia which relates to the exact sciences. Perhaps no author has
ever displayed more ingenuity and simplicity in the examination of
their principles and of their rwults* The analysis that he exhibits of
Apjp. Ri;v. Vol. hiai* H h their
4«6
A Ptdari rf French LiftratufT.
their method of progreesian ; and the minner in ^Wr^ ^* i.-4*^.
truth before ua, acq airing so much thofc cttxmniy .
more abstracted from real existences, and not being pcriictry coia-
plete until it arrives at the identity of two signs e*kp resting t!i^ satat
idea J ^ — all this part c{ his task is executed 07 a writer who rttrwi
^*th a lofty flight over the science ^hich he professes : but we
other portion of the discourse is far from giving ut* so high » notioi
of D*AUmhcrt. When he descends from the former gubject, 5©
inquire iiuo the sources and principles of the different dirtsiont d
human knowlege, he shews himself to be imperfect and tiTprrScy;
and if he had a thorough acquaintance witli the sc: )»«
and compare our perceptiorts, he was far from 12 n • »o*
which consist in describing the impressions of the suuJ. It » tmt
that the metaphysical system which then began to egtabUsh itself, lai
which D^Atembert adopted in this discourse* might lead him bto
error whenever he had to examine any compartment of the hufsi
mind which is not amenable to mathematical reAsoning-
* There are two f ways of studying metaphysics. The one bmiet
itself with the interior of man, with the faculties and operations of hi ,
^ul, with the destiny that may be allotted to it, with Us etsenctt so^
with the nature of its operations. The diflicnlty of this science il
to detach the soul from the workings of the body j and to fim! il J
once the l>oundary and the transition between moral and pisyikil
action. The other species of metaphysical inquiry folio wi a pi A |
completely opposite. It sets out from external objects ; look I fer I
their mechanical action on man \ examine* hi^ ^nsations, and ihas
immediate results ; and marches as far onwards as it can in this trjck,
endeavouring to arrive from without even up to that central pM
which constitutes human individuality. But, when it i^ necestart W
join thc6e operations of the animal to those of the so\»!, the inexp&i-
ble part of the subject appears again ; znA the chain of reaionnD^i
whether begun from without or within, always ends abruptly. Tluw
there are two sciences; that of thought and that ot seii»tkQ|
which seem at first sight to share the same empire, but which yft
never advance near enough to each other to be united. When *^«
out from the internal ali&tions of the soul| wc never arrive «t trM*
tion J and far as ever we may push our knowlege of 1 seiisAiinn, il
never know hoW it becomes a th<iught. As those wlio ci -%*
studiel do not chase to see where they fail, the first Itaw :_.„ ,^- 1«
* See the article *• Algebra" in tte Btteyc^psWia |
** Abstraction."
t Our illustrious countr)^men, ever before-hand with tJie Frsdbli
tntellectnal discoveries, have suggested a third. Not carried too ht
by Det cartes^ PaieaU MaUhranchit or LeibttU ' ttmali if
the original powers of the mind, they have eq . tjit 1
trary error of the followers of Locke ; have allutUii ju ju4£ ^
to external lensationt namely, that of awakening diie world '
and have thus opnicd a path for all who wish to accjutnr a '
nf their own meotal capacity and progress, naoir aaftt aod i
ihia any that was ever pointed out befoft. Rtm*
A Pictkrt rf Frtnch Liitraturt*
4^7
deny ihe real existence of external objects j and Oie «econd have found
ihemrelres reduced to denjr the existence of the soul. In general,
however, they have ircotled from thia consequence ; which, in fictt is
the most absurd of the two abaurditiei.* —
* The exact sciences and natuntl philosophy harmonize be«t with
tbe tecood kind of metaphysical study, namely, with the study ofern-
rations •* These sciences endeavour to discover what nature is in
herself^ independently of the effect which she produces on each indt-
vidual human being. To arrive at this end, they strip tlie impression
produced by an object from all the particular circumstances w^hich
render it different to every percipient ; and they exert themselves to
consider this impression under one only point or view. In this way,
they render it identical in all cases ; so that every man builds the
same edifice on the same foundations* They strive to obtain by thia
abstraction that which, if we may so call it, is the mat produce of the
^nsation, in order to have a solid basis on which they may reason.
Thus, to look at objects and their modifications as aji absolute class
of things is a design conformable to the spirit of these sciences,
* But the most natural tendency of the human mind is not to
bestow pains on its thoughts in order to render them like those of
others : quite the contrary : the miud is incessantly searching for
means to make others take part in its own impression, just as it was
received, without abstracting a single circumstance. A sentiment o^
sympathy makes it feel the desire of exciting in another its own sen-
fttioas. To proceed by tlie way of demonstration, as the exact
sciences do proceed, is assuredly a labour for the human understarid^
iDg : it is an artiiicial method ofarriving at the truth, which is nothing
else but universal consent. To proceed by the way of persuasion is
much more accordant with human rature ; and to communicate our
thoughts to a single being* auch as we have conceived them, is a
much greater satiiitaction Uian to enter into the agreement of all men
on an abstract and unreal notion. Every thing which acts on the
beart of man, affects his irtflividuality, and penetrates into the interior
of Hmielf, is related to this second way of proceeding. The prin-
ciples of religion, of morahty, of political economy, of eloqu^tice,
ot poetry, and of the arts of imagination, cantK>t exist unless they
are xhc ititimate and perfect conception of each individual. To ima*
gine, as some have believed, that by the strength of good reasoning
we can arrange these principles in such a manner as to compose an
f xact science f of them, must arise from want of reflecting on our-
selves.
* la consequence, D*jf/em6erf, pushing the ideas of Locke to theif
last results, considers man as a pcrceptiv<? machine ; submitted en*
iirely to the influence of external objects ; their more or IcisS faidiful
reflecting mirror. All the arts of imagination were therefore viewed
by hun as different kinds of fioinucry, nOt^ as expressiooi of iaternal
feeling. Rfv,
f As Locke fancied that morality was capable of demonstration,
stnctiy so called ; forgetting that die principles of morals have the
evidence of axioms, and are intuitively acknowleged to be true,
H h a but
^68
A Picture of French Literature.
may conclude, that the metaphjsic of seatation agrees more ei
th the exact sciences than with the other provinces of hu
felves. With the least attention to our own nature, we dull perceiw
that abitract and demonstrative truth remains, as it were, a strmngc
to each individual ; that it is external to him ; u^hiJe the truth of sc
timent and of persuasion mukes a part of man himself, and modifi
him, or is mingled in every operation of his mind ; whence it appca
we 1
with
intelkcc/
We may add (althotlgh not partaking in all the indlgnatic
of Mr* Harris on this subject,) that the coldne&s and dryness i
these latter metaphysical inquiries, — the fii hi I magnificum^ nil
gentrcsum, — if not proving them to be erroneous whe
applied to so noble a subject as the mind of man, at lea
make it manifest that their authors are ill-adapted to invade i
provinces of imagination and of taste; or to develope thosi
nniversal principles of feeling and of judgment, an adherence]
to which has rendered some authors and some artists the admif-I
ation of their own age and country, and the imitation of all f
others* We have dwelt too long, perhaps, on these abstnise '
matters : but the account given by this author of the success of
D*AUmhert in his sur\'ey of the exact sciences, and of his failure
in the remainiog portion of the " PreHmin:iry Discourse/'
seemed to us so philosophical, so just, and so well calculated to
throw light on the shades of difference, (or rather in this case
the contrasted powers,) in the same intellect, that we could not
omit it. Wc now recur to lighter subjects.
Passing slightly over DtJerpt^ — * that ardent and disordered
spirit, whose fire was without aliment, and whose frequently
manifested ability had no direct application, and therefore will
inherit no permanent fame,* — and omitting also the milder
HtiviiiuJt — we come to that strangest, tliat mo$t iireconcUeable,
tliat most repulsive, yet most fascinating (in the original sense
of fascination) of all human characters, Rmisseau, We will take
the principal city at once, — we will march to his heart directly
through his Confessi(>ns^ The minor towns will fall all around
us ; for here is a clue to the conquest of the whole man. If we
have but faith enough to believe that he tells the truth, the
shameful truth, when relating his own actions, we see the cause
ef all his errors, of all his conduct, and all his writings : in twa
words, unmixed selfishness.
but that in few cases of particular action we can have more tbtf
probable evidence of what is the best course to pursue* To lioi
however, against probability, as Reid excellently puts the old obser*
vation, is as great a defect of our mQrai nature, as to judge agaiDSl
probability ii a defect of our inuUatuaL^^Rcv,
•It
A Pktun cf French Literature,
Tt h assyredlf a very singular phenomenon, that a man should
endeavour to gain the esteem and even the admiraticm of po*^cnt]r»
by communicating the most petty di^tails of a \i(e which has nothing
grand about it ; which displays no exalted action ; and which on the
contrary is full of ignoble circumstancea and of unpardonable faults.
There i§ something etill more extraordinary in the success of such an
cnterprizc ; namely, in the author's having persuaded men that he
was virtuous while he told them how he was not so. Here, mdeed,
is shewn how powerful over tlie heart of man is the picture of a
living and real impression ; what sympathy it excites in him ; and
how it establishes between the speaker and the hearer such an in-
timate connection that the one very &oon experiences what the other
bas experienced- Thus we may truly say that no man has known
better how to reveal the innermoBt parts of his nature than Rousstau*
Who has not felt himself affected and enchanted, while studying the
animated picture of those vague reveries ; of those hopes incessantly
deceived and incessantly regenerated ; of those enjoyments of the
imaginatiun ; of those romantic visions of virtue and happiness^
always falsified and al^^ays embodied again ; of those storms of
passioflf that agitate the very bottom of the heart ; in short, who
has not sympathized with the author while pursuing the history of a
soul made up of dreams and solitude ? Having thus placed us, by
the magic of truth, in his own situation, Rousjeau forces us to par-
take in all his. thoughts, and^ if we may say it, in all his actions.
Wc fall together with him into his errors, by an irresistible sort of
declension ; we imbibe his unreasonable pride ; we see nothing but
outrage and injustice round about us ; we become the enemies of all
men, and preter ourselves to every body : but, by reflecting better
on such a feehng, we shall be enabled to perceive that this man, wlio
has dragged us into his own vortex, constantly led a life of mere
egotism ; that he referred every thing to himself ; that the very en-
joyments at which he aimed always had something unsocial and in-
communicable about them ; that he never sacrihced his interest,
excepting to his pride j that he envied every thing which he had not
obtained, although he often voluntarily renounced the attainment ;
that his affections themselves bear the broad stamp of selfishness ;
that he even loved for his own individual satisfaction, and not for that
of another, — In fine, we repent of having so grossly calumniated
ourselves as to imagine that we were not better than such a beirtg as
this; we readily conceive all his faults, but we pardon them no
longer ; and we do not confotmd in future an explanation with an
apology/
After this dftection of the latent springs of action in Rmsjmut
we have a clue to all his thoughts, ** Search then the ruling
passion," &c. We can now easily unravel the cause of his
aberrations from established principle in all his writings. The
seductive enthusiasm of the Eloisa \ the impracticable theories
of the Emilius ; the still more absurd and visionary doctrines
of his political writings i and the ungovernable anger of his con-
troversial compositions ; varied as thejr are in theit eflfects^
H b 3 *• mayi
mij*
hel
47d Sartorius ^n tke CmJifwm ^ ihi h^an Naticm*
msyy by patient application of the mtsttr-kcy here offered la
oiir use, be all unlocked at their very source, md dUplayed Ki
out sight, severally deriving themselves from their fountain*
head of selfishness. The lesson is humiUating to tho«e wha
feel it to be in any degree natural ; while to those who
it as a just explanation of an unique phxnomenont it
serviceable as a warning, or consolatory as a contrast.
We must here bid adieu to this instructive and deli
companion. We have not passed through one half of
gallery of portraits (to resume our metaphor) into which
introduced us ; and we are obliged to omit some of the ^
best specimens. The likeneus of Buffon^ for instance, is pef
feet, and the painting richly coloured. The Abbe MMf^
Thomas^ MarmonieU &c. &c. succeed, and arc executed in i
manner of equal felicity, though the subjects themselves ilf
not so higldy attractive-
Throughout the volume, the author pursues hi» l<
idea of the general influence of the state of society oft
mo«t different literary characters % and allowing, nay eafor^
ing, the opinion of their influence in return on the very mm-
ners which first formed them, he yet demonstrates that m
settled or predetermined combination of men of letters against
the established order of things ever existed in France. ITn
incidental effects of their involuntary co-operation in the givat
work of change, for which the times had been so long prrpai*
ing, are accurately ascertained, and most ingeniously trmi
to their causes : but on this topic, for the re;*sons before gmn,
we had no intention to enlarge, and we shall therefore here con-
clude. We have performed what we promised, as copyists flf
a few detached examples of character-painting ; and we trust
that we have done enough to excite the curiosity of our
readers towards the work itself, which we do not hesitate CO
recommend as one of the most useful specimens of arigiiial
and profound thinking that had appeared in our sera.
Art. III. Es^ai tur PEtat Chi/ et FoRtique dn PiP^tt d^ItAf
$ic, i i* f. Aa Essay on the Civil and Political Coooilion of tbr
Italisn Nations under the GovermeDt of the Gotiis* By M*
Ceoage Saetorius, Member of the Royal Society of ScbtpfwW
and Professor of the University of Gottingen. 8vo* pp-ff^
Paris. 1811. Imported by De BofTe. Price lof. leweid*
T K our Ixvith Volume, N,S., p, 467*, we noticed at €om€ It
-^ a French work by M. Nuudtt^ which was more lumincms I
leamedy but which obtained from the Institute of Franc? ai^
u€HSiiU or secondary prise^ for i eplyti^ 10 the ^im^kio pio*
potedt
S^rtorius 0^ tif Cotidition rf th* Italian N^ifottf* 471
■fosed
i: viz. *^ What was the civil and polkic<il CQi^dition pf th«
Italians, under the sway of the Gothic king Theodoric, and hit
successors ?'* The essay now before us is the triumphal disser-
tation itself y whii:h was written, we believe, originally in the
Latin language by Professor Sartori us, and which now appears,
under the author's inspection, both in a German and in a
French dress. The Professor is not unaccustomed to literary
wreaths, a former dissertation by him on political economy
having been crowned by the Haarlem society ; and he is still
more advantageously known by an eitcellent Histoty of thi
Hanseatk League^ which unites pervading research witli concise
exposition. \
The principal authority for illustrating the interior admini*
stratLon of the Gothic dynasty in Lombardy is the Vortm of
Cassiodorus ; who was pretorian prefect, or minister of the
interior, to Theodoric, and who collected the dispatches and
other state-papers which he was employed to compose* Of
several editions of his works which ire extant, that of Father
Garety printed at Rouen in 1679, passes for the best ; but this
author yet awaits an accomplished editor. Literature sighs
especially over tJie want of perseverance of Maffei^ who in
his Verona tUusirata excited hopes that lie would publish
Cassiodorus, and who was qualified for the task by his local
and legal knowlege in a degree which may not happen again
for a qentury, but who left his good intentions imperformed*
In order to unite the chief original sources of information
ooncerping the Goths of Italy, the editor of Cassiodorus
^ould attach some pages of Jomandes, the Gothic war of
Procopius, and the works of Bishop Ennodius, which Sirmonde
published at Paris in idii. 'Phe Theodosian Code, so
admirably commented by Jacques Godefroi^ is also a necessary
study for those who would understand Cassiodorus.
Among the modems, Cochljeus, tlje German author of the
Fita Thcoderici OsfrQg&thorum Regh, which the patriotism of
Peringskiold republished, in 1699, at Stockholm ; Majfe't in his
ViTQiia illustraia ; and FiUasi^ in his Memorie sinriche dei Vtnetn
prim e sicondi^ 1796^ have severally illustrated the original
information which has been preserved.
Of these valuable guides, M* Sartorius has been careful
to avail himself: but he explores with critical independence
many traces which had escaped the notice, or the correct
definition, of former investigators. His work is divided into
twelve chapters: which treat of the state of Italy before the
' fivasion of the Goths \ of the divisions of the country, and
subsist'mg relation between tlie Gotlis and the Italians %
of the foreign policy ©f Theodoric \ of the form of government ;
H h 4 ^
472 Sartorius en thi Coniitkn ef the Italian Nations,
of the military condition of the Goths ; of the civil
Criminal law j of the police, and other branches of adminis-
tration ; of the religion, and the relation of the church to the
state ; of public instruction, the sciences, and the arts ; of the
national wealth, and the application of its resources ; of the
finances and taxes i and of die Romish discontents, which facili-
tated to Justinian the means of reconquering Italy.
These chapters, or disquisitions, for each of them contains
a separate academical investigation rather than a narrative of
facts in historic order, will interest the reader differently
according to his local station in the map of Europe. The
fifth chapter will appear the most valuable in France, where
the art of quartering armies efficaciously in subjected provinces
is an important study of the government. In this country,
where questions of toleration and religious policy interest the
passions and feelings of the people, the eighth chapter will
probably be read with greater curiosity. We will extract
from it the remarks on the condition of die Jews :
* As for the Jews, they also had cause to praise the tolenmce of
the Gothic kings* They received a confirmation of all the lighti,
privileges, and franchises, which they had obtained under former
princes ; and if, which sometimeB happened, differences arose between
the Catholic clergy and the Jews, and they dieputed with one another -
their respective posseasionsj impartial justice was shewn to either,
whatever was the religion of the rightful owner- Thus it happened
to Theodoric to allot a house which was litigated at Rome to the
church claimant, and another which was litigated at Milan to the Jew
claimant. The exhortation, with which this award concludes^ is
probably the exclusive work of Cassiodorus : " Why, O Jew/*
says he, " dost thou seek after wealth so eagerly in this world, lost
as thou art to that which is to come.'*— The orthodox were less
tolerant than the Arian heretics. At Rome, and at Ravenna, the
Catholics repeatedly attacked the Jews, burnt their synagogues, and
gutted their houses, under slight and frivolous pretences. The
authors of these criminal excesses having fled, or been concealed,
Theodoricj just to all bis subjects, ordered the province to assess the
necessary indemnity by a public rale, and to pay it to the gufferen ;
and this rate having been rcQiBtcd by some zealots, they were pub-
licly whipped as defaulters. The firmness of the monarch, however^
injured him in the pnhhc estimation ; and zealots were found to
describe in the pulpit these scourged persons as martyrs, and their
auflc rings as ornaments to their chiiracter/
M. Sartorius is of opinion that Theodoric would have
done well to conform to the trinitarianism of his people j and
that his continuance in the Arian profession of his ancestort
was unfavourable to the entire allegiance of his subjects. The
orthodoac obeyed Theodoric cheerfully, only while the Greek
emperors
I
I
I
r
Sartorius on the ConJition of thi Italian Naiiom-
emperors were heretlcnl : but, as soon as orthodoity sat on the
throne of Constantinople, the church of Rome began to in-
trigue there for the removal of the Goths, and ihe introduction
of the Greeks. The conquests of Belisanus» so mischievous
for Italy, because they could not be maintained, were thus
prepared by the church. In examining the conduct of Boethios,
M. Sartorius declares for the opinion expressed by us on a
former occasion, that, although a martyr for his church, he was
n traitor to his king \ and that his execution was on Theo-
doric's part an act of legitimate JMpeice. The acknowlegement
of Boethius lurks in many pms of his writings. In the
Consolation of Philosophy, {iik I* prosa 4.) he says, it was not
permitted him to speak to the king, for in this case " rtipon^
dissftn Cnnii verh^ qui cum a Cato Casare Germamd JiUo O/Tudus
contra st facia ccnjuratmms futsit dicer ttur^ Si ego, inquti, sdssem^
tu nescissesy
Of the architecture called Gothic^ Theodoric appears to hare
made use in his public buildings : it was perhaps a taste im-
ported from Constantinople, and first domesticated at Ravenna.
Of the institution called chi\mlrotts^ however, Uus prince seems
not to have availed himself in his military legislation. Pro-
bably it was a system still confined to the Cimbric nations, and
was destined to wait Ihe ascendancy of Charles Mattel of
Britanny, before it could be established and generalized in
France,
Instead of merely translating this work, or that of M. Naudct^
it would be better for any of our men of letters to make a
new book out of the two. The historic plan of the French
narrator, illustrated with the profounder learning of the German
professor, would supply a welcome account of the rise and fall
of the Gothic dynasty in Italy ; which is an interesting and
instructive phenomenon, because it exhibits the first example
of a modern nation, of an independent kingdom, reared on the
scite of what was previously a Roman province. It was an
ominous specimen, and displays a confederated clergy over-
awing and coercing a military monarch in a manner prejudicial
to interior tolerance and external independance.
This essay, though learned, is somewhat dry, and will be
read with approbation rather than eagerness. To the praise of
sound sense, of impartial judgment, and of persevering atten-
tion, the author is unquestionably intitled ; yet his estimates
are rather obvious tlian sagacious ; and his labours have been
closely circumscribed witJiin the sphere of his research, not
suifered to wander in quest of instructive and welcome par-
rallelisms. The text is elaborate and comprehensive, without
being very engaging or brilliant \ and the notes contain the re-
quisite
SchoeUV Pktuff ^ Etiropean Nations.
Iqubite referenccsi quotations^ and proofs : but they axe i
Eeniivened, in Gibbon^s manner^ with fla&hes of witf
lalIu$Ion$t or critical reflections.
I Aat. IV. TahUau da PiupUi^ £cc. / u e* K Picture of Etmfot
Nations, classed according to the Languages whicb ^hitf ffCih
and of the Religions which they profess. By FnSDsaic Scuotiti'
Second Edition, entirely new modelled, and greatly augtneotdii
with a Geographical Chart, 8vo. pp. ^50* Parit* f 81J*
Imported by De Boffe, Ptf^it lis.
THE Germans, with that plasticity which dUtinguishes
, character as derived from their education, are be^
I a separate literary order at Paris, and are busily and ably
( mulgattng in the French language a sort of information which'
I long been deposited in their own. We have already noticed
^Koch's Tableau des Rcvohfthns de r Europe ^ (Vol. Ivi*, NJ^
p. 509.1) Bouiifweckh Litieraiure Espagmlt; (Vol, Ixx., p.449.1]
► Sartorius^s work, which is the object of our preceding anidc|
\ we are expecting Dalterg^s MehaUd et Zcdli ; and we ban
Inow to announce from M.Schoell this Tableau des P^nfiadt
\tEurifpe, The seeds of German culture were imported bt
I Frederick IL from Paris : but the ripened crop is carried bu
again to supply an incipient sterility of the parental soiL
This Picture contains a Fr^^nch syllabus of each of two dis*
itinct courses of German professional lectures. The fi^^M
I attempts a genealogical sketch of the inhabitants of EoiopP^
Idieir affinities being inferred from language 5 and the scccm
I undertakes a classification of their religious persuasions.
In the introduction, it is observed that the word natim Buy
[be employed in three different senses. It sometimes * -%
la people comprehended withm certain natural bou^ u
(•when we describe the people beyond the Alps as tiie italixa
[nation } and this may be called the geographical sense of the
I word. In its historical sense, it sometimes designates a people
( comprehended under separate political laws \ as when we caU
J the people of those German circles that are dependent on die
[court of Berlin, the Prussian nation* Thirdly, it lia& a g€oea-
f logical, or rather a gemthliacal sente, tn which it simply detig*
[nates a people of the same race, or of common descent, witb-
lout regard either to the territory which tliey inhabit or to the
[sovereignty which they obey* Thus tlie Engliiili rialioci ina|
said to have overspread North America. In the preicfic
jrork, it is only the genealogical definition of tite Europcm
latiojis which is to be attempted ; and in wl .%
^arc to be calculated, and their genethliacal al+,...,.... ^,...„...-^
Tie
SchoeUV Picturt GfEur^foa Nation fu 471
The great basis for ascertaining these affinities, especially in
remote aget» is language. With a view to the dassi6cati<m
of all the nations of the earth by their hereditary affinities,
Mr. Patrick (see thi^ volume of our Review, p. 164.) lately
collected a comprehensive vocabulary of numerals : but nu-
merals, as we observed on that occasion, are not the fittest
stepping-stones over the flood of oblivion.
* The most proper words, (says M. Schokll^ P'^5*) for cstablrsh-
ing the identity or the diversity of languages, are the pluralizing for-
mulai, auxiliary verbs, pronouns, words deicribing the different
Mils of the bodf, common utensitSt names of relationships of the
heaveoly bodies, and of the phenomena of nature. These are the
words which, down the flow of ages, and amid the whirlpools uf re-
volution, have commonly preserved some traces of tlicir primitive
condilioD \ and of that original character which no friction suffices
to efface. Ne%t to these primitive and fundamental terms, we must
examine that class of words which are grammatically called roots ;
and which exhibit in a shape undisguised by inilection, and undo-
mesticated by analogy, the clementa of expression- These roots often
conceal their identity under varieties of orthography $ and it is in
tryiug to remove what is accidental and peculiar to a particular na-
tion, and thus tracing back the root to its primaeval state, that the
etymologist has frequently and especially to beware of die hallucina-
tions of fancy.'
A well-placed compliment to the French language termin^es
the introduction, in which obligations are acknowleged to tlic
writings of SMofizer and Adeiung :
* The origin of the French language is indeed admitted to be
neither pure nor illustrious ; its birth dates from modern times. If it
descends remotely from the Latin, a corrupt provincial latinity was
the immediate mother, and was impregnated by northern barbarians :
but the advantages, which it wants on the score of descent and an-
ttquityi are amply compensated by the melody and clearness which
form its distinguishing characteristics. If it has not produced
other languages, it has furnished a crowd of writers whose immortal
works, not less powerful than political events, have given to it in
Europe an ascendancy which no one of the antient languages can any
longer contest.'
According to M. Schoell, we have tliirty-four distinct Euro-
pean nations, whom he denominates Portuguese, Spaniards,
Basques, French, Bas-bretons, English, Welsh, Scotch, Irish,
Hollanders, Flemings, Germans, Danes, Icelanders, NorMTglans,
Swedes, Laplanders, Fins, Esthonians, Liflanders, Russians, Let-
tons, Poles, Lusatians, Bohemians, Walachians, Turks^ Greeks^
Albanians, Himgarians, Servians, Croatians,^ Wends, Grisons,
and Italians ; not to mention tliree races of men, who, though
scattered over Europe^ leinaiii iorfiignefss in it, viz. the Jews^
Armi-
476
SchaellV Pictun of Europtan Natimu^
eadJH
AmmianSt und ZingarSy or Gipsies. This list is not oeadf
formed. It consists of thiny-five names, though only tbirtf-foiir
were announced 5 and of these names some are redundant. Tlie
Scotch, for instance, are either Irish or English^ und do tioC coi^
atitute in the genealogical sense a distinct class. In Itke maimin'y
the Bas-bretons and the Welsh, the Portuguese aud tlie Sio^
niards, might have been classed together. Indeed, the aatMr
proceeds to reduce his subdivisions to twelve, which he deooimi^
nates the great families of Europe: viz, Basques | Cdti;
Cimbri \ Goths \ Nations whose language is derived from tbt
I Latin -, Slavonians ; Greeks \ Turks ; Lettons ; Fins \ Hia
I tians ; Albanians, A separate chapter is allotted to e«
[ these families, and some notices are given both of their lac
and their history.
We shall transkce the sixth chapter, which treats of theSBi*
^ vonian nations in general :
I * The Slavonians, one of the most numerous and powerful natia^
► mentioned in history, originally dwelled on the Lower Danube, mA
i occupied the northern coaU of the Black Sea, In the fourth ccoiiffy,
I they were under the dominion of the Goths : but Chazart sind UitM
I attacked them, and drove them toward the Vistula^ into the couutoel
[of the Sarmatic tribes. When the kingdom of the Thuringianj wi»
I overthrown by the sons of Clovis, they seized the northern proTioctS
I'df Germany as far weBt a^ the river Saale. Their denominaiioo b
[derived from the word shvo^ signifjang tame'4ongne^ or tpeakiiigQK
[language.
Now, however, several Slavonian dialects prevail, which diiVrr in
I their character from all other idioms ajiticnt or modem* T . ' A
I more than the Gothic dialects w^th consonants, which Uk 'ft
[accumulate at the beginning of syllable8 j and many of ^ ►•
[ Hants arc accompanied by a soft aspirate {monttUt) whicU or
Ito these languages. They have no article. Their declen»iou u oiaie
^by flexion ; and they have seven case* : the six case* of the Latijsi,
nd an histrumenfa! case. They have, a& in Greeks three nuntbtfV
I The Slavonian distinguishes in dectenaion a living frotn an itsaniisiibe
[being. In conjugation, the persons (as iu Greek and L»auti) iw
[marked by terminations j and it is not necessary to employ the pcr%
iBonal pronottn. The Slavonian languages have four future and fouf
I past tcnscsj but no subjunctive modes and no passive voice* : ibry
l^v rich in participles, which they use in composition like the Greek*
The verb has peculiir forms to indicate a transitive, ati enduringt av^
repeated action. In the application of prepositions, the SUvQaian
Esembles the German ; in the structure of sentences, the f " * '
Most of the Slavonian nations first learned to write r
tduction of Christianity* All that we know about the on i
lalphabet amounts to this« The Slavonians of the south* wh A
^Pflnnonia, Dalmatian and Servia, were ftrst instructed in Ciin%iun«j
l^y two Greek brothers, n^med Cyril and Methodius^ who llvad M
} ninth century. The formeri who waa also called Cooataatiag ttr
pykiojiber,
SchoellV Piciun of Eure^ptan Natignf,
4T7
Fhilofopliert was an able grammarian ; and» bf mcani* of the Greek
alphabet, and of lome additional characters of his own inveution, he
contrived to express all the sounds in use among the Slavonians^ and
to reduce their laiiguagc to writing. His alphabet was long called
the Cyrillic alphabet* and has been adopted with little variation by the
Russian?. These two brothers, in concert with some other Slavonian
*prieits, be^an to translate the Bible and other Kturgric books into Sla-
vonian : but, hiving ventured to celebrate the mass in that language,
this innovation displeased the see of Rome, and the Pope issued fulmina-
tions against the version and against the alphabet of Cyril. Howcvcff
in the eleventh century, a legend was invented, which attributed to
Saint Jerom the alphabet of Cyril ; and, by the help of this pious
fraudi both die letters^nd the liturgy were revived, and approved at
Rome. Tliis alphmbet is now called glagolltlc^ from the Slavonian
gtagoU a letter : it comprizes thrrty-five characters.
* The principal Slavonian nations are the Russians, the Serviansi
the Croatiansy the Wends, the Poles, the Bohemians, and the
Liisatians..'
To each of these subdivisions a separate paragraph is allotted.
All interesting chapter also is the seventh, which treats of the
Greeks. A work of M- Codrika is comnmended, intitled Oherva*
tims sur l* Opinion dr qudques HelUnisia tomhant U Grec rnQdernt;
whence much of the present author's information appears to have
been condensed. Should any islands of the archipelago be al»
lotted permanently to us at the negotiation of the next peace,
this branch of literature will acquire in England apolitical value.
The first appendix treats of the Sanscrit language, and at-
tempts to shew that it is parental to the Iiow-Dutch and other
Gothic dialects of Europe. This curious, instructive, and pro-
found archaeological disquisition is abridged from the German of
M, K SchiegeL — The second appendix ia allotted to the German
accent, which is regularly attached to the radical syllable of a
word. — The third appendix relates to the lax and versatile
application of the word Saxon. — The fourth is an abridgement
of Beck*s Observations on the Origin of the French Language -,
^- and the fifth analyzes the Turkish language, and terminates
the first secrion or tome of the work.
The Picture of European Religion follows. An introduction
treats of the origin of religion among mankind, and divides
into two main classes tlieir forms of opinion i those which have
not and those which have for their basis the worship of a single
God, the creator and preserver of all things;' — that is, into poly-
theism and monotheism. The fetish worship of the African
negroes, and the star- worship of the Sabean Arabs, are classed,
as forms of polytheism, with the anthropolatry of the Greeks and
Romans, and with the religion of Fo and the Lama of Thibet.
The 5un-wori>hip of the Persiansi and the manivhei^m of the
at Zend-
SchoellV Picture §f Eurtpian Ifati^tU*
Zend-Avesta, on the contrary, are classed with the monotheism
ef the Jews, Christians, Mohammedans, and Deists ; and so is,
with more doubtful propnety, the Bramism of the Hindoos,
In remote ages, the fire-worshrppers of Persia carried into
Hindostan that pantheism which formed the fundamental tenet
of their religion ; and they taught the worship of the Great
Whole, of the entire universe of nature, in Its triple alter^
nate capacity of creator [Brama)^ preserver {Fuhfwo)^ and
destroyer {Sheeva)^ of all included beings. This very doctrine,
about the tame period, was promulgated in Egypt ; where the
creator was called Phthas^ the preserver lao^ and the destroyer
Cneph ; while in Persia the creator was called Ormt*%^ the
preserver Miihra, and the destroyer Ahriman, These triads,
however, are allegorical separations of the Great One, and do not
infringe on the monotheism of his adorers.
* AH the inhabitants of Europe* (continues the author, p. tyi*)
* acknowlege, at least in public, tlie existence of an only God, the
creator and preserver of the universe. Some claim to derire this
knowlegc from the light of their own reason, which they deem suffi-
cient to attain this conception : others, fron) a revelation made at
particular thties by the eternal God. The first are called Deists ; and
the »econd may be termed adorers of Jeho^ah^ from the name given
to the supreme Being in the language of the people whole recordt
first mention a revelation.
* If natural reason suffices to intimate the existence of an everlaatiiig
Cod, we cannot however deny that it does not furnish a complete
demonstration of this consolatory trutJi ; and that man acquires only
throughjrevelation a perfect knowlege of it* The doctrines of deiam are
limple and few ; the existence of a God, the creator and preserver of
the universe ; the immortality of the sou! ; the eventual retribution of
moral conduct, and the cunseqnent utihty of virtue ; these constitotc
the entire religious system of the Deist. A a philosophy knows not
^e precise rciation which the creature bears to the Creator, and his
^nly vague ajid uncertain ideas of his providence ; so the Deist knows
only his general duties, founded on the principles pf morality inferred
from human experience. No strong motive directs him to religious
practices. Twice during the last century, once in England, aud once
in France> an attempt was made to found among the Deists an exterior
tud pnblsc worship ; but botli these attempts were unsuccessful.
* We shall divide into three classes the adorers of Jehovah. In the first
to be placed the Jews, who admit only one revebtion. In the second
eks», the Ghriatiaiis, who acknowlege two revelations. In the tliird dalt|
ibe Muslems, who adopt a tliird revelation posterior to the Christiaik'
The author then proceeds to treat of the Jews and their sub-
divisions J of the Christians and their subdivisions ; of the
Mohammedans and their subdivisions, A difficulty occurs as
to the arrangement of the Christians of Sl John ^ whether to
fU^t thtm among the Jewish or the Chtistian sects. Much
curious
Schoell'/ Picture of Eunpean Nathnj.
419
P
curious informatiorr concemiixg them is contained in the
Appendix, No.iii,, of which we shall give the outline.
Some writers have described, under the name of Sibeansi a
reHglous sect which subsists in the neighbourhood of Bi9ikor3|
in several pans of Arabia, Syria, and Persia^ and tn Galilee, but
which is internally denominated Mendaiyt Jahna^ disciples of
John. These people set a great value on baptism, and on some
peculiar sacred books, which they receive in addition to the
Jewish canon, and profess to derive from John the Baptist.
Such a sect already existed in the apostolic times, (Acts, xviU,
15., and xijt* 3, J and may have continued to these days. The
first writer who published in Europe an account of this sect
was Father Ignatius, a Carmelite missionary from the court of
Rome to the Nestorians of the east: who in 1651 dedicated to
the Pope an octavo volume, intitled Nar ratio Origihts Ritmm et
Error um Christhmrum S^incti Jahanrtij, — K^mpfir in 16H3, and
Horhrg in 1 780, communicated some farther ptrticularji.
These Sabeans call themselves GalileanSf and are probably
derived from certain disciples of St. John^ who after the deatn
of their master did not follow Jesus Christ. They profess to
administer baptism as John administered it: conferring it on
infants who are forty days old, and annually oh adults. They
acknowlege that John baptized and ordained Endscb utrot a son
of God, who was manda di chaie^ tlie werd of life, and who
ascended with St, John into Abraham's bosom. They charge
die disciples of this man of God with having corrupted and pro*
faned the form of baptism instituted by John, so as to infringe
the unity of the divine nature. They abstain from wine^
ind eat no flesh but that of the camel. In their annual ei*^
chariH, they distribute to the communicants honey and locusts.
They celebrate four quarterly festivals, consecrated to the wii*
tlviiy of St. John, to the anniversary baptism of the congrega-
tions, to the sainted dead^ and to th^ mount cf miracU ; on
which last festival the people of Galilee make a pilgrimage to a
place beside the lake of Tiberias, where they believe John to
have at one time dwelt, and to have extirpated a monstet for-
midable to the neighbourhood. The Galileans, or Sabeans, are
very hospitable to one another : they do not practise polygamy;
and their women eat with men as in Europe,
Otter brought to Europe those copies of their sacred books
which are deposited in the library of tJie Louvre, They are
entitled Divan^ or the assembly, or ecclestastes, and are four
in number. The first, called SedraUAdam^ professes to have
been given by the angel Raphael to Adam in paradise, and
harrate^ the fall of tiie angels ; It seems to be a first part of
ihat book of Enoch which is preserved in the Abyssmian canon,
12 aad
SchoellV Picture ofEuroptan Naiionu
and perhaps formed a pan of the Jewish caiion In the fLxroit of
the preaching of St. John in the wilderness. The second \xxk
treats of the ecclesiastical history of GaliJee. The third, Sidro^
Jahna^ contains the moral precepts of John, many of which
abo occur in the Ecclesiasticus, and in the Chriman cacroa*
The fourth, called Cholasuh^ or the completion^ details suck
ceremonial laws as John considered to be of perpetual obligi*
tioa,^ — In these books, « king of light*' is an epithet frequeotff
applied to the Supreme Being } and the following prayer ii
ascribed to John ;
*» Hallowed be the name of the Lord ©f glor>-. • We luwe doie
that which we ought not to have done ; forgive us our tres5»aflei.
Thou who art merciful, have pity on us ; thou who art migbtyt fcaic
pity on us ; thou who kuowest all, liavc pity oa us. K ' Kt,
Lear us* O thou, who revealcBt every hidden thing, r. ux
Lord of glory, grant the deliverance of the faithful. O thou raaJtcr of
every good thing, sustain the good^ O thou giver of every UBeftd gift,
vouchsafe unto us fortitude. Guardian of the faithful, deliver uc Son
eviL Saviour of souls, deliver us from sin, Assuager of malicCt up-
root in us every feeling of unkindness- Strengthener of the »oul, give
us courage* ' Lord of glory, let thy light shine on us« O thou trho
tupportest the peaceful, give us thy hand lest we fall ; If thou gutilett
not our path of life, tribulations await us* O thou who art
teach us to speak truth. Enable us to discern between cv<
life and everlasting death, between light and darkness,- between
and evil, between truth and error. Teach us to subdue angir by
kindness. Tho^ who givest Hg;ht to the world, who stretcheit od
the starry firmament by thy ntught, who sendee t down tlic lirinf
waters, preserve us. Tliou from whom the teachers of truth reccife
\ their mission, source of wisdom, withhold not from us thy truth.
\ We are miserable einners ; let not thine anger bear hard on our tnms-
\ gressions. Our eyes have winked at evil ; our ears have hearkcntd
I to foulness ; our hps have uttered guile ; our hands have reached at
that which belongeth to another; our flesh has indulged in the for-
I bidden thing. O our Lord smite us not in thy wrath ; ford
^our trespasses % have pity on us. Lord of worlds and all \
[Hallowed be tliy name.*' •
To Sihestrt de Sacy^ we believe, the present auilior is
[debted for tlie version of tliis fine prayer: it is much to bt
I wished that the entire Divan could in like manner h to
[lurope- Without a minute examination of the tir i-
Idcnce contained in these books, it would be premature and
ash to consider them as containing genuine works of John the
baptist : but, as the natural probability is great^ and the ttadi*
'^tion uninterrupted, that such a sect was formedi and tliai such
books were bequeathed by him among his partisans^ there ii rea-
son to hope that autlKnuic documents exist i^ " ^ n
will throw a new and great light on the bistoi . l^ t-
tianityi
mgunKV
art trtflJ^J
verhni^H
reen gwV
e lor-
1
Le Roy de FligisV Ntw Selecthn cfFrcmh Symyfy97u* 48 j
tianity, and give some fre$h grounds for deciding between tlioie
controversialists who contend ;ibout the priiT»itive unitarianisni
of Lhnt.t:an theology. The manuscrtpts in ihe P^mlan Jlbrary
are not ot very antient date : the oldest W4S written in the year
968 of the Hegira : tht newest in the year 1091.
A map of Europe, in which nations are coloured off by their
lanpuageb, forms a welcome decoration of this neat and m-
srrucuve volume. We feol inclined to recomracnd the perusal
of it to tliose public men wlu> may be engaged in the negotia-
tion ot any ensuing peace. How much purer a principle of
political distributiotj wuuld be the consanguinity of dialect^
tlian the accidents of warfare ! Why not throw into one mass
■U the prpvincc; us^ing the German because they speak the same
^pigue/ It is thii which fits them to study the same writers^
[to listen to the same orators, to imbibe the same prejudices^
■and to vibrate with the same sympathies: it is this which
will eventually consolidate them in one national body* Why
not give to the Italians a government co-extensive with their
idiom» and in Jike manner unite the , hitherto-divided frag-
ments of the Scandinavian and of the Spanish peninsula i It
would be found that the independence of Europe is he&t se*
cured by the insulation of the several distinct langujges,
French parlies have originated in foreign count riejf, in exact
proportion to the prevalence of the French tongue : but if
language were avowedly m.ade the limit of direct dominion,
each country would cultivate its own, not acquire that of the
domineering power. We should then have less literature in
common, but more of variety and rivalry ; and we should
find in the greater competition of authors an additional motive
for elegance of execution, with an additional chance for sound*
ness of instruction.
Art. V. Ncuveau Choix de Sjnoujmes Fran ^ ah ^ &c. ; uc* A new
IJSelcclion of French Synonyms, specifying their different Sigiiifi-
pitions and the Manner of using them with accuracy ; iti Continu-
^tiou of the Works of the Abbe Girard and M, Baustce^ by J. B.
l,m Roy de Flagjs, formerly Deputy to the ConBtituent Assecribly,
and now a Member of the General Council of the Department of
the Lower Seii^c ; of the Royal Academies of Dijon and Arras.
^HB Vols. 8vo. pp, 890. Paris. 1S12. Imported by De Bui^e*
^^ce il. 4^.
ACENTURT nearly has elapsed since the Abb 6 Girard gave
to the republic of letters the first specimen of a valuable
work on the distinction of synotiymous words ^ and few books
kave ever, in the history of literature, been received with mor^
App. REt. Voj-, X.XX1* I i gcactai
^^
4S1 Le Roy de FlagisV N^w SeUction ^French Symftyms*
general approbation. The accurncy of its discriminations oil
twined for it the confidence of scholars ', while its perspicuit
and general utility made it acceptable to the more numeroi^
class, who» without aspiring to the character of authors, we'
desirous of speaking and writing their own language with pt
cision. So successful an example could scarcely fail to ca
forth various imitators* Accordingly, Diderot ^ D^Ahmbert^ an
other writers in the Encyclopaedia, laboured in the same fieil
with considerable success. Next came M* Enu^ct-y who pub
lished a collection of the explanations of synonyms given
his predecessors in this department, with various additions 1
his own. He was followed by a scholar of more extensiv
erudition, perhaps, than most synonymists, — we mean
Abbe RQuhmtd, The plan which the Abbe observed in
researches was to derive the meaning of words, less from cu
rent usage than from etymology ; and he spared no pains
trace the origin of words in Greek, Latin, and Celtic : a cour
which has had the effect of rendering his work more interesiinj
to the philologist than to the public at large- In consequence^
however, of the general conclusions deduclble from his con
prehensive mode of reasoning, the number of synonyms ex-
plained by the Abbe Rouhnud is not short of two thousand.
Lastly, three hundred more words were elucidated b? J
M, GutTQti in a new edition of a dictionary of French syno- I
nyms, which was published a few years ago. '
Such were the previous productions on the subject, when
M. LU Roy de Flagis ventured to think of adding his contri-
bution to the general stock* He had been warned by hU
friends that, in these times of political convulsion, the ptibli
would be little disposed to turn its attention to the qtii^tj
labours of a philologist : but he determined to persevere
satisfied, like M. Bauzci^ that partial additions even
sirable, and would, when followed up by other person s>
eventually to the formation 06 a complete dictionary of syno-
nyms. After he had made some progress in the \rork, he
became sensible of its difficulty, and might have desisted, hai
lie not been apprized that, with a!l the claims of the Abbr
Rouhaud to the approbation of the learned, a plan of greater
simplicity would be more acceptable to the bulk of readers.
Instead of looking for the sources of distinction in etymology,
he was led to direct his attention to existing differences iii
the state of society, and the nature of composition,
* If there be not,* he sayi, in a perspicuous hut somewhat T«r*
bose preface, * If there he not among us as many languagef as dawci
iu KK:ietv, we have as many shades of phraicology as of situation* i
life. Wc do ijt>t uae the aame words in public as in private ; iwr 1
Lc Roy de FlaglsV New Srltctlon tf Fratch Zynmfms* 483
ft flinilinr letter as in a ftuclit?d bantngiie. Nrither 6.^^ wc expresi
otirsrlvef in prose as wr do in vrr»c : but whether we write in the
one or the other, an intellig^ent person will distinguish the language of
the trader from that of the courtier, and that of the agricukurist
from that of the citizen. It foUowf that language is found to
possess few surplus words ; and all t^pt dther have or hare lately' had
currency among a clais superior to the lowest vulgar may with pro-
priety be recorded under some title. On the other hand, there are
•everil extensive classct of words >vith which the lynonj-miit has little
occasion to trouble himself. Almost all technical phrases are of this
description. Each has a distinct meaning, which is frequeutl)* indi-
cated by the derivation ; or which, at all events, is familiar to those
Vfho follow the particular branch or science.'
We proceed to give some abridged examples of the author's
analyzing labours, and shall endeavour to select them among
words similar in sound and etymology to those in our own
language:
' AldtTt seconder; " to aid, to second.'* The latter seems to con-
vey a stronger idea than the former, Wc '^md** by merely lending
the hand; when we ** leeondt** we do something more. He who
** aids'* may confine himself to support ; he who •* seconds'* may be
id» in a manner, to replace, or render himself the counterpart of die
^rson seconded-* • —
* jisiimiiert comparer ; ** to assimilate, to compare/* We *' assi-
ilatc** things which are or seem to be alike 5 we ** compare** those
hich have resemblance or appear to approach to it. The former
conveys the impression of abuolute identity, the latter of partial
identity, or rather conformity/ —
* /^mct citur i ** soul, heart/* A man ivithout feeling, a man of
mean inclinations, has no ** soul ;" a coward has no " heart/' ' ^
* f^ain^ueur, vrctorUux / " conqueror, victor/' The former con.
ipcys the idea of absolute success ; the latter may be limited to one
great advantage. Nothing resists a ** conqueror ;" he subjugates and
gives laws ; the ** victor," after a career of success, may act the part
of a " conqueror," unless he be doomed to encounter obst^les still
more serious than those which he has overcome/ —
* Fortune^ heurcux ; ** fortunate, happy." The former may be
merely a favourite of fortune ; the latter is a sage who knows how to
be contented with what he possesses ; enjoying what he has, and dis-
pensing cheerfully with that which he cannot obtain/ —
* Inforhme^ mafheureux ; "unfortunate, unhappy/* To be «« un-
fortunate" does not, like "uohappy," imply disquietude of conscience.
Children abandoned at their birth are very ** unfortunate ;** but they
do not necessarily become " unhappy/* * —
* FQurni, fyourvu ; ^* furnished, provided/' ** Provided** is always
dcratood to convey a notice of previous care and arrangement.
c seldom find ourselves " furnished" with all that we wmnt if we
ve not " provided" it before-hand/ —
* Ftahhic^ mbirathn ; " breath, respiration.** " Ercaih** is the
fir which we eiOii^e ; *• respiration" is the play of the lungs in exhal.
^ 1 1 2 iflg
4^4 L^ Roy de Flagis'/ j^eto Sekctim oJFnnch Zjmnymi^
** respiratimi*' s» cc»a£
A '* Kg»'' asnsU ut to kfionfl
The " ftign" leavci m dovitei]
ing tlie air after we have taken it in. A fevertitt palMt
liave a strong •* breath," while his
difficult,* —
* Indkcy marque ; « sign, mark."
ft « mark" enables us to recognize,
the " mark" is clear and manifest,* —
* II paraiit if lemhle ; ** it appears, it seems." Kitbrr ta i i
eicpresdioo for the conveyance of a tnodc8t opinion* and the oac i
frequently be used for the other. ** It appeir^" perlmps ^xurvun'
more properly an opinion founded on outward look; whik •* k
seems" is applied to an opinion given as the result of exatutnxtxni cr
reflection. The tun " appears" to rise and to »et d^Hy ; aad tk
illusion is so complete that it " seemed" a reiiity^ tipti) tbe dtyt < '"
Copernicus.' —
* Herlt'ter, iucteucur ; " heir, successor." The latter h the DC
Ijeneral word. We •'succeed" to whomsoever wc replay j todi
may replace a person in his life-time ; but wc can ** iDhcri^^' &01B tk]
dead only,' —
* Contequenctf importance ; ** consequence, importance.*' **!»•]
portance" refers to the actual value of things; «* cortv rTi-nr^^'ipt
the effects which may arise. The words arc used n ^n-
mJoately, because in either case a serious share of atlciii*..*. ., f.^ia-
site. We c^n scarcely be too circumspect in our conduct j iwce
things of small ** importance" may prove of con&idcrablc •• ca»>
sequence," ' —
* Dfiunion, dlitjiion, dhsensioHf discordi ; ** disunion^ dlviikmt dih
sention, discord," all express misunderstand tngi but in diffffct
degrees- " Disunicn" separates those who had br
ted ; ** division" goes farther, and removes them
»• disscntion'* expresses, in addition, an opposition ut \1c\v4 ijiJ -iIt^
wMle «* discord" arms one against another, from hatred or jduoua^i
ahd makes each aim at the other* i^ ruin.' —
' Examen^ discuss ton ^ dis^ultiiion ; *' examination » di$cu^oo» db^
quisition." An " examination" implies, generally, cotuidcntie a-
flection on a subject with which we wish to brcfymi? acqtrsnrtf^;
♦• discussion" means an examination made in d
tide of a question to another j while **di8quisif
ircstigation. " Disquisitions" should be left to tiic le«rM^ m t»
those who have the patience to undertake ■< discussion^ with tk
tpirlt of analysis ; but he must be a fool who embarks o«i «ay j
affair without a previous ♦* examination," * —
* Richcf epuJtnt ; ** rich, opulent," The •• rich" man ^ a bi^J
tune that is abundant for the supply of hts wants, whether we iDcta
the wants of nature or of his station in society. The •* opoicst**
man should have, in addition, the means of procuring the saparfloitki
%ii luxury ; that ifi| of supplying imaginary wants. A mber, \/f
adding tnousanfls to thousands, increases liis ** opoletice** witlfMl
making himself necessarily a *• rich" man, the idea of *■ rirfi'* bcnt I
connected with a correspondence between our means »i4 our 1
La B ray ere dcftnet* tlic *« rich" man to be ** he who cvi2el¥et in
W consumes.^' ' —
4 ^Qngm^\
Lc Roy de FlagisV Nenv Selection of French Synonyms. 485
* Ort^lhei source^ trmcipe ; " origin, source, principle, of begin*
ning.'* Strictly spealcing, there is only one " beginning** in nature, a
•f beginning" above our comprehension. «* Sources" are second
causes, beyond which we seem unable to carry our thoughts ; and an
•* orir^iii" denotes the first appearance of effects produced, and ren-
dered open to the observation of sense by second causes. A geo-
grapher seeks the " origin'* of a river at its " source," but he would
look much higher for the *• source" of sources — the " beginning.**
In ^ moral sense, our weakness is the " beginning" or fundamental
cause of our ignorance; ignorance is the " source ' of our errors ; and
the " origin" of almost all our evils Will be found in some error.* —
* Elimensy principes ; •* elements, principles." These words arc
used by way of title to certain theoretical books of science or art :
but ** elements'* are properly indispensable ideas which must be kept
in mind, while ** principles'* are precepts of which the usage must be
acquired that we may understand their application. Were I to suc-
ceed in making this book a good one, it would contain a part of the
*' elements" of tlie French language, but those who wish to acquire
the ** principles'* of the language must have recourse to a grammar.' —
* Theoricy speculation ; " theory, speculation.'* These words are
synonymous in as far as they convey an idea of that which has exis-
tence in the understanding only, in opposition to practice : but, in
other points of view, " theory" is in fact an art, while ** speculation'*
IS only the act of a mind exercising itself in the abstract. The one
reduces into principles ideas acquired by meditation, and forms from
them rules for observation in practice ; the other calculates, com-
bines, and frames plans or projects. Either may be true or false,
wise or foolish : but ** theory" resting on observation amounts to
certainty as long as that observation or the use made of it is exact ;
while " speculation," resting always on supposition or on facts viewed
through an exaggerated medium, can offer nothing beyond a greater
or less degree of probability. All "theories" are necessanly the
result of long continued study and deep « speculation.'* In trade,
•* speculations" seldom succeed unless they are founded on sound
** theory ;" that is, on rules judiciously drawn from previous experi-
ence and reflection.'
Without undertaking to warrant the accuracy of the author
on all occasions, we have extracted enough to shew that his
book forms an useful addition to the previous labours in this
important dcpartnlent of language. If he does not write with
the grace and vivacity of Girard^ nor with the erudition of
Roubaudi he has the merit of copiousness in his explanations,
and of never desiring his reader to admit a meaning on mere
assertion. We have accordingly no hesitation in stating
our conviction that, agreeably to the hope modestly expressed
in his preface, he has aflbrded a contribution to French philo-
logy which is of some importance in itself, and is calculated to
stimulate others to corresponding exertions. His fault seems
to consist in not unfrequently recording unnecessary distinc-
I i 3 tions.
aB6
DelamctherieV Li^tuns m Min^rahgj*
^ons. Such differences, for example, as that between 'fJA-
[uess* and 'infirmity/ are too obvious to require c i;
[but we canjjot shut the book without expressing cu, _,.,:ic-
flion as well at the utility of its contents 39 at finding it ilmost
\ entirely free from that fulsome adulation of goremincnt whidi
[has of late disgraced the French press.
rAjlT* VL Le^oni de Mirurahgie^ &c. ; T, e, Lecturet on Miae-
ralogy, delivered in the College of Fiuncc» by J. C* DcLAifl-
THERiE* 2 Vols. 8vo. About 6oo page* in each* Pwk
181 1. Imported by De Boffe. Price ih ids. sewed.
THESE lectures may be regarded as a new and much inv
proved edition of the author's first and second volumes tf
the Theory of the Earthy which really constitute a treatise OD
Mineralogy. With no desire of derogating from the merit cf
various recent works of a similar description, M. DclamI'-
THERiE conceives that, in the infantine and fluctuating stiteof
the science which he has undertaken to expound, its elenaen*
tary details would require to be re-published almost every yor.
When we mention that he comprizes las subject in %\%t^*vim
short lectures, it will be readily perceived that he can scaictSf
escape the imputation of brevity and dryness : but enthuASSm
can find charms even in volumes of definitions and descriptift
catalogues J and the adept in mineralogy will admire the quifi*
tity of essential information that has oeen condensed within
such narrow Umtts. Considered merely as a text-book| thft
present performance is intitled to great commendation, becses^
it contains a very ample enumeration of the knov ral fiib»
stances, and statements of their discriminative ti r^.
Though printed in the form of an introduction, the first §il
lectures involve the discussion of the general and fundameflol
doctrines of the science, and are therefore to be regarded ai
not less necessary to the completion of the system than the
various particulars relative to the respective species. The eco-
nomical benefits to be derived from the study of the latnml
kingdom are distinctly noticed, and might have been illtt«traltii
at greater length ; and the same remark applies to the hiftoty
of that study, which is traced wltli too much sliglitnen and
rapidity. We must, moreover, beg leave to demur to th# tiah
qualified assertion that the science of mineralogy is, -r»
as much advanced in its progress as the other 1 oC
natural knowlege j since, if such were the state of the fict, iti
nomenclature would be far less unsettled, and the sutbor
would surely dispense with an annual remoulding of icf int
princtpl
tpies.
Delametlierle*/ Ltctuns m Alimralo^,
The exiimal chatActers on which he chiefly insistij in the
(Course of his descriptions, are colour, aspect, lustre, transpjyr-
eiicy, refraction, touch, savour, otlour, sountt, and adherence to
the tongue j the physical are, hardness, weight, rigidity, or
flexibility, fusibility, nature of the glass, (obtained by fusion,)
' lectricity, magnetism, phosphorescence, streak, powder, malle-
ftbility, tenacity, ductility, solubility in water, fracture, figure,
and molecule ; and the chitnkai are, effervescence in certain
acids, solubility in aeids or alkalis, getatinatiorvin acids, and the
results of analysis. * The mineralogist' (he obsen^es) * is obHged
to have recourse to all these characters, in order to acquire a -
complete knowlege of all minerals, a circumstance which in-
volves him in considerable labour ; but an exercised eye usually
recognizes a mineral merely by its aspect. Every mineral has
i, a physiognomy, which we cannot define : but long habit easily
^^distinguishes it, and in a manner sufhciently certain to be seU
^■dom mistaken.* It is almost unnecessary to add that several of
^Bthe chaxacters in the author's list have not yet been ascertained
^^with respect to many substances, and are in consequence either
left blank or omitted in the descriptions.
Some w^rtters, it is well known, lay great stress on colour as
a discriminating character, while others deem it of scarcely any
significancy. The author inclines to neither eattreme, and
seems more fairly to estimate its real amount ; for it cannot be
denied that, in certain mineral productions, (as in the metals
and their oxyds,) in several varieties of ores, in sulphur, coal,
anthracite, plumbago, the pure earths, &c, it is tolerably stable
and uniform ; whereas in stones it is liable to such diversities
that we can seldom rely on it with any degree of safety,
M. Delametherie likewise very properly states a distinction
between ivhite and cohurlesSi qualities which have been loo often
. confounded* The different degrees of lustre he 'expresses by
^fc*a scale of cyphers i io,ooq, that of a colourless and spotlesi
^K diamond, being the maximum. Complete transparency, in like
manner, as that of the purest diamond, is denoted by io,coc j
semi-transparency by looo, transluccncy by loo, and opake-
Jiess by zero. From the fine experiments instituted by M. Afa*
/«//, it results that all diaphanous mineral substances, and the
various chemical products, winch are susceptible of crystalliza-
tion, are indued with double refraction ; except tliose wHch
L^ crystallize in cubes, or regular octaedrons.
B The author has ol^viously bestowed much attention on the
^ physical characters, several of which he also indicates by num-
bers V tliough, after all, many of them are to be received ©idy
as approximations. Even the crystalline figures arc shewn to
le, in many cases, no infallible tests of species. Among the
I i 4 arguments
4»
Delam^thericV Lteturts en Afimrabgy.
arguments which are advanced in proof of this last position^ we
may notice the ensuing ;
* Rutile and oiranite gire e^natlj- ilj<? sanr*e product! on chrmical
tntdytis ; and yet all their tharnctcrs are %o different thai their separ-
ation into two species is unavoidahle. We may therefore regard
the following proppiitton as a general truth :
* Tht same chcmk/il prtnaphs may^ in eonsemume of diffemU gM*
metncAl positions t form inugral moUcuUt wpteh kavf no common
rfjcmilanee*
* Hence, the name chemicil principles may, in like manner, form
minerals which do not rcM'mble one another, and which will diifer
gufficiently from one another to constitute dininct 6pecje?%* Lttne-
Btone and arragonite afford a very remarkable example. Some other
mineraii, of which the characters are tufficiently different to occa-
iion a difference of species, »ecm nevertheless to bf' composed of the
Sime priiictpk's. VauqtitHn ha» obtained from the garnet and the
yanolite nearly the saibe principles, and yet they are two very diatinct
tniurrals.
* This truthi according:lri %Yhich I was the fir^t to annotincep io
|So6, (Jeurnal de Physique^ torn* Ixtii. page 7c.) ha« been gmerally
admitted, though without any mention of my name. L*a Phce hat
recognized it in the supplement to the trnth hook of his Af^canique
CftrsU, page 70.1 printed in 1807 ; and Hauy% in the introduction to
his TiiMeau ComparaUf^ pa^c 2i», printed in 1809. ♦
* In consequence ot supposing that the molecule of a^y given sub-
stance (as, fur example, gypium,) is a solid of certain dimensions,
and it6 law of decrement Hscertained* the different figjures which the
crystals of gypsum exhibit are assigned. H.rc i*c have, manifestly>
two hypotheses which are not proved :
* J. AVe suppose a particular figure belonging to the molecule of
gypsum.
* 2. We fupposc that the position of this molecule observes a par*
ticulsr law of decrement.
* Now, not erne of these two suppositions is proved \ for we have
seen that the cleavage of a given species of gypsum affords^ appar-
ently, a rectangular instead of a rhomboidal molecule. The lav^ of
decrement, therefore, which arc supposed from the rhomboidal mole-
cule, can no longer accord with the rectangular^
* The calcareous molecide is imagined to be a rhomb of loi^^c'
and 78*^ 50' i whence such and such bws of decrement are supposed,
in order to obtain all the various forms of the carbonate of lime : but
if this mull otilc be a triangular plane, having suck or such angles, or
* In another passage, this sentence ii repeated nearly verbadni.
The author must, therefore, have felt somewhat sore on the subjects
The fact, however, wc suspect, was generally known to mineralogist*
prior to the date here assigned ; nnd we are much dcceiTed if it be
nL*t more? than once mentioned by Patiin^ in the N^unnau Diction*
naire d'Histoin NaturtUtf which was published in 1^05, 1804*
Rtv*
I
J
Delam^trie*/ Lectures on Mineralogy* 48^
toy other fi?ui:ey then the supposed laws of decrement can no longer
give these forms. — This is what Wollaston and Malut have lately
proved.
* The same reasoningr should be applied to all the other crystals^
The supposed molecules, and the assigned laws of decrement^ are
•imple hypotheses which are not proved. The discreet mineralogist,
therefore, until these difficulties are explained, should confine himself
to accurate descriptions of the different figures which crystallized mi-
nerals exhibit : but he will not go beyoiid facts.
* It should seem that the different crystallized minerals, at well at
the other substances, should have molecules of a determinate form ;
and, secondly, that these molecules should observe certain laws in
their respective positions. The figures of the molecules which hare
been conceived, as well as the laws of decrement assigned, according
to these supposed forms of the molecules, should therefore be re-
garded as mere hypotheses.
* Lastly, it is certain that the crystallized form cannot serve as a
specific character for the recognition of mineral species.
* I. Species very distinct have the same form.
* a. The tetraedron occurs in the falilers, copper pyrites,
blend, &c.
* b* The same rhomb occurs in limestone, sparry iron, &c.
* r. The same cube occurs in the sulphurets of cobalt and iron, &c«
* d. The same octaedron occurs in the sulphurets of iron and cobalt.
* 2. The greatest number of mineral species arc not crystallized.*
The crystalline forms which mineral substances affect, and
fifty of which are here part icuLiri zed, are shewn to be traceable
to three principal form^j namely, the triangular, rectangular, and
rhomboidal. Eleven cases of the union or crossing of crystals
{tnarle) arc also stated, with a direct avowal of the difficulty
which attends any attempt to eitplain the phaenomenon.
We are willing to admit that the w^i/wr^ of mineral substances
can be ultimately determined only by chemical analysis : but
the learned Professor, when he justly states the importance of
this criterion, might have safely enlarged on the imperfections
and ambiguities to which it iS still too frequently liable. At
any rate, an evident incongruity is betrayed in broadly asserting,
in one page, th..t chemical analysis can alone determine mineral
species y by assigning to them their constituent principles^ and, in
another, that chemical analysis alone is insufficient to characterize
mineral species. When we note this inconsistency, however,
we perfectly concur with the author in recommending the
union of all the ascertainable characters, whether external, che-
mical, or physical ; and we feel no hesitation in declaring that
the chief excellence of the present publication consists in the
uniformity of attention which it allots to* this primary con-
sideration.
In
Debmethcrie'i Lectures on Mimndog^m
In the fifth lecttrre, the reader will meet with some ;
I yemarks on the abuse of mincralogical nomenclature :
} cannot eaeculpate M. Delamhtherie himself from the charje
I of unaccountable clerical errors which cleform his text, as
Caledonia for CbaUedofh ghecim for glucine^ ajfl^ f ^J,
iJCfly^wj for xf *^^fi Ki3t>JKt'{ for x«^'>*<'«» )i*^vpwf for !> v^,
[&c. Minerdbgy is strangely deduced from Mcra and >.wyH^
I andt to add to the classical accuracy and profundity of the to*
[ notation, it is subjoined that the tnina was a metallic coin used
I smong the Bibylonians, Egyptians, Phoenicians, and Greeks,
I »nd that its signification was afterward extended todll mttersttt
I The Greek term for quick'silver is first inaccurately put downi
> and then, by way of explanation in the note, ud»f (lu the Ro-
dman character) is marked as the Greek for nvaferl
In the section which relates to species, as applied to die ag*
I gregate stones or rocks, the author is too succtncc and dciiu-
^tory, and the definition of porphyry which it involves is so fir
defective, that it limits the term to such sorts as have a ditiferm
paste. — The ten classes, under which the author has arranged
his genera and species, are, Gases, Waters, Simple Combiii*
, tible Bodies, not metalh'c, Metallic Substances, Alkalis, Eartln,
Acids, Neutral Salts, Volcanic Productions, and Fossils, Of
these, the first two arc hastily dispatched in ten pages. — Jth
ff?raciu, among the combustibles, is described, in page t^., as
l.fiever occurring in a crystallized state ; and, in page 19*, it ii
: l-epresented as perhaps held in solution in Uie waters of ik
I great crystallization of the globe, and as having subseqttaxtlf
; erysta/Iized. — Plombagine (graphite) is said to occur W^M^b
\ primitive countries j whereas in Ayrshire and Dumf ' , it
Js intermixed witli the columnar glance-coal of iheW li,
\zi\A may be said 10 occur in what they term die ittdepimdiM
f,f ml formation. In Stating the uses to M'hich this substance b
uppUed, the author should not have omitted tliat of dsmiiii^hiii|
the friction of wheels, &c* in machinery.
The different modes in which the metals occur in iHcSr natm
[estate, and the principal artificial operations to - ' ey art
f subjected, after they have been extracted from nc, arc
Lfieatly and distinctly detaile<!. Under the anicle gridt Ac
I ^uthor mentions that he allowed to remain, for some r ^ ■ . in
[a flask, pure gold in sulphuric acid, with oxyd of i .-,
[and that a portion of the gold was dissolved.
We quote the article Chrottmie of Irm^ not because tt ticme
Lof the most copiously illustrated, but because it coutanu 1
[concise view of the principal information which has yet bcttt
[procured relative to this recently discovered substance. TItt
pnly liberty which we take with the original is to reduce
% . fcinj-
, Delam^therieV Lectures m Minerahgj. 491
fortf-three paragraphs into one ; and we beg leave to suggest
{en passara) that, by a similar economy of space, the size of the
work might have been better adapted in more senses than one
to the pockets of the student.
• Cbr9tnated Iron. Pontier*s Chromated Iron, Etun Chrome^ of
the Germans. Iron mineralized hy the chromic acid. Colour^
blackish. Weight, 40,326. Hardness, iioo. Fusibility.
Glass, green. Fracture, uneven. Molecule, undetermined.
Form, undetermined. First Variety, confused chrystallization.
This ore of iron has been found at la Bastide-de-la-Carrade, near
Cassin, in the department of the Var. The discovery belongs to
Pontier^ Mineral Engineer. Its colour is of a deep brown, almost
blackish. Its weight is 4000. Godon de St. Menin, and Dcs has
Synsf who have devoted much of their attention to this chromate
of iron, have obtained from it pure chromic acid, which they have
crystallized. Its form is the regular octaedron. Vauquelin and
Teaaertj who have analyzed it, have procured from it Oxyd of Chro-
mium 43, Oxyd of Iron 34.7, Alumina 20.3, Silica 2.-;— lid Variety,
Cromate of Iron from Siberia. Meder has found Chromate of Iron
on the banks of the Wiosga, ip the Uralian mountains. Loviiz hat
extracted from it Iron. . . Chromic Acid ^^t Silica . . . Alumina . . .
Laugier has obtained Oxyd of Iron 34, Oxyd of Chromium 53, Alu-
mina 1 1 , Silica 1 , Loss i .. Klaproth has obtained from a chromate
of iron from Styria, Oxyd of Chromium, 55.5, Oxyd of Iron 33,
Alumina 6, Silica 2, Loss 1.5.'
Although thirty-five species of the iron genus are enumerated
and characterized, their respective geological situations are very
imperfectly recorded ; and the same remark may be extended
to the author's mode of treating several metals. — Among the
other particulars connected with the history of nickel, it should
have been observed that it is found in meteor-stones, in the
metallic state. — ^The new metals discovered by Sir H. Davy are
inserted in their proper place ; and the former simple earth«
take their station, as metallic oxyds, in front of the class of
earths.
The author's view of the mineral acids and alkalis accords
with the more recent discoveries in chemistry: but it is in
course summary, and still very remote from perfection. In
conformity with the same discoveries, the stones constitute a
division of the class of neutral salts, and are considered under
the ten orders of Siliceousy Alutninousj Magnesiatiy Calcareous^
BarytiCj Strontiariic, Zirconiatiy Glucinic/ Tttrian^ and Aggre-
gate. The subdivisions of the first nine orders are instituted
from the combination3 of the predominant earth with other
earths, oxyds, acids, alkalis, &c. ; and tlie aggregate sorts are
arranged in three sections, according as their aggregation
is effected by crj'stallization, immersion in a paste, or
agglutination.
The
49^ Ddamethf rieV Lecturer on MmirtJogj.
The cafj-fye is stated as tJic second species of quartz : fcitt
having mentioned the diversitjr of opinions respecting m ttal
nature, the author asserts that Cordier has pmved it to W
quartz, with amianthus ; and, as the first varietv nf ih*^ nrxf
species is defined, * quartz, mixed with very fi^ i*
amianthus,' two species have been obviously insr .t
substances which are reported identical.
In a note on Feld^spathy we are told that it signifies in G^*
man, spar of the fiddsy *an improper term, but which gcnenl
adoption constrains us to respect.* — This etymology may be
traced to Buffon-, who tells us, on his own authority, that " tfct
German chemists have doubtless called \\ feldspar^ because ft
would be first observed in pebbles of granite, scattereil Ofcr
the fields." R^mc de Ulsle^ in Hke manner, informs his readcii
that feldspar, being one of the principal ingredients of the pri-
mitive rocks, should be frequently found on the surface of the
earth, in the neighbourhood of the mountains : hence, wigfaoot
doubt, he adds, •* the reason why the Germans have givtn it
the name ot feld-ipar^ which signifies spar of ttt fields*^ Sab-
sequent writers have converted into positive aifirmation the
hasty conjecture of these two celebrated naturalists, aod hare
taken it for granted that fragments of this sub?t ' w
found dispersed over the soil, among the dehru of \%
juppostion, however, is not confirmed by observation \ and all
who are conversant in the geological appearances of territories
denominated primitwe are perfectly aware that, if iti such ^ia*
tricts nothing is more common than to meet with fragmenis of
quartz, nothing, on the contrary, is more rare than to meet
with those of felspar. The reason is obvious, because every
primitive mountain presents numerous veins of quartz, wherets
it is very uncommon to find a single vein of felspar. Willi
respect to those portions of the latter which enter directly into
the composition of granite, they are disseminated in morscU too
minute to attract attentioit in the state of insulated fragmertti*
When granite undergoes decomposition, no pieces of fcbpar of
any considerable size are detached, because the process affects
the felspar almost exclusively, the quartz forming a coarse taod,
which the Germans call ghurs and, if the granite be m a sotisiJ
state, we may expect to find blocks, and not fr :*-, de-
tached from the heights. The common derivatio -^amc,
therefore, appears to be inadmissible; and the original ortbo*
graphy, felspar or felt-spar^ i. e. the spar of tht fcUt^ or of the
jmck^ hills^ seems to declare the simple and genuine history of
the term, besides that it is less harsh to the ear, and is mofo*
over sanctioned by very respectable authorities,
UnJsr
I
Mlchaud*/ History of the Crusada* ^^
Under PiirosiUx^ a name which has occasioned so much
trouble to modern mineralogists, M* DEtAMrniEaiE obviously
confounds f^rf^r/ zwA cmipact ft-hpar. His illustrations of the
carbonates of lime afford various instances of the fallacy of
HiUdy*% reasonings on the doctrine of crystallography ; and the
impropriety of several of the new appellations proposed by the
same celebrated writer is shortly pointed out in the notes, la
another part of the work, the complex and cumbersome mta*
ticn of the crystalline figures, by means of letters and cypherSj
is very successfully exposed.
Near to the close of the second volumes we are presented
with two or three sketches of the roineralogical excursion*
performed by the Professor and his pupils, in the environs of
Paris. These rehearsals, from tlieir practical and active com*
plexion, somewhat enliven the more monotonous masses of
preceptive instruction : but still they are too hurried and com-
pendious to be generally interesting ; and we make our bow to
die veteran mineralogist mider the impression that his work is
more adapted to useful reference than to continuous study, or
alluring perusal.
I
■
I
Art* VII. ffiiioin det CrohndeSf &c. ; i. c. History of the
Crusades. Part the First, containing the History of the First
Crusade. With a Chart of Asia Minor; and Plans of Ant tt>ch,
Jerusalem, and tlie two Battles of Dorylaeum and Ascalon. By
M* MicHAUD. Volume I. 8vo- pp. 575. Paris. 1812.
Imported by De Boffe- Price 168.
T Tnper the ignorance and superstition which prevailed in the
^ midiUe age, the human intellect seemed paralyzed, and the
social states in Europe fell to the lowest stage of degradAtion,
Some powerful stimulus was necessary to raise the dormant
powers of man j and such was then the internal condition of the
countries of the west, that it would have puzzled a sage philo-
sopher to have devised means of regenerating them, and of
giving such an impulse to the political machine as would have
introduced a new era. Mad, however, as the v/ar of the Cru-
sades must appear in the eye of reason, and disastrous as it was
in its immediate results, it effected considerable changes in the
state of civiliration, and led to consequences of importance.
Nothing but religious fanaticism could have united all the na*
tions of Europe in one general cause. Throughout the age
which we are now contemplating, the people of every commu-
nity regarded themselves as belonging more to the church than
10 the state I and their xeal for what they deemed the honour
MichaudV Hist&ry if the Crusades*
kf the Cross induced them to disregard their cottntry,
personal property, and their lives*
It may not be very interesting to the generality of fw^*^
tie present day to follow such an historian as M*Mi
through the minute details of the Holy War: but to those whc^i in
to obtain a,corrcct knowlege of this period, such det^iils foiistk
of use, since, as he himself remarks, tlie character of the peoplt
who engaged in this wonderful cntcrprize can never be so frrr-
cisely ascertained as by consulting the annalists of that period ;
because their very follies, exaggerations, and mtraculous talcs it
contemplated with a judicious eye, will help to discover dit
low state of knowlege and the credulity which * * ?
passions of ail ranks. It was indeed a singular pi . a
Anna Commena, the daughter of Alexis I-, observes, to heboid
the western world awake as from a sudden lethargy, and r-- ■ *-
lelf from its very foundations for the sake of precipitatir
Asia: but the causes of this mighty explosion ^ve. -
Scult to develop. A fashion, or rathet a pauionj for p; . , r '
the Holy Land had been prevalent in Europe from th
of Constandne the Great j whose mother, by her active zi' i ,
iirected the attention of the Christian world to the spot im
rhich our Saviour had preached and suffered ; — and a vUit to
Ihe Holy Sepulchre, which she had caused to be erected m lh«
" nost sumptuous manner, was considered as the i
of religious duties. When, in the revolutions i
[are subject, the city which contained this sepulchiei v
IJIvholc of Palestine, fell into the hands of Intidels, an^l |'
proclaimed the insults and persecutions which tliey su
Ihe disciples of Mohiimmed, a general wish for ;'
5f this country from Infidels prevailed ihtou^
nations. All hearts were then turned towards J
revensofarbackas the era of Pope Silvester Ih a pt ,
against the Saracens was conceived. This Pope, previously
his elevation to the tiara, and during a pit- •— - —
himself had made to the Holy City, had wiiiv
Llvhich the faithful were forced to endure in urU^j la pit
Wvotions at the sepulchre of their Saviour ; and on \Ct&\
he cndenvourcd to excite the people of the west to lake up'ktt^^
against the Saracens*
• It is impossible,' says WiUIum of Tyre, *to eiake kf?mm ?^
' ' trious persecutions which were at this time inflictrj cjsi
Lmong the truits of barbarity cited by contemnornr.
OK'- occunrd \vhicli gave TailO the ijta t.f his
Ol.ndo and Sophronia. An inveterate efkni
more effectually to iRflAme the rage of theii
ing the night, a dead uog into otir of \\\" :
MichaudV Histftry of the Cruradei.
city of Jerasaleim Those of the Moslems who first pretentcd thetn^
telvfs at the hour of mornfng-praycr were struck with horror at the
iight of such profanation, and proclaimed their iridignatiou. In an
inatantf menacing cries echoed through the city ; a tumultuous crowd
aMcmhled round the mo&tjue ; they accused the Chrtitians, aod swore
* to wQs!i away in their blood this outrage on Mohammed. All the
faithful were on the point of bein^ immolated to Mussulman ven*
geance ; aod just as they were prepanng themselves for death, a young
man, whose very name history has not recorded^ presented himself
before them : "The greatest misfortune," said he, " that can happen
is that the church at Jerusalem should perish : but when a whole
people arc menaced with destruction, it is just to sacrifice an individual
for the salvation of the community : I offer myself at this moment to
die for you ; I leave to you to cherish my memory: I commend
myself to your prayers.'* Pronouncing these words, he burst from
the assembly, wliich wa« overwhelmed with tears, and surrendered
himself to the chief of the Mussulmans, accusing himself of being the
only person guilty of the crime which they imputed to the Christians
in a body, and begging them to inflict on him that death which
tlireatened his brethren. The Mussulmans, without being mored by
to generous a self-devotion, satisfied themselves with the victim
which was offered to their vengeance ; the sword ceased to be sus-
pended over the heads of Christians ; and he who had immolated
himself for them went, according to the expression of William of
Tyre, to receive in heaven the reward reserved for those who bun*
iwith the frre of charily.
' Other misfortunes, however, awaited the Christians of Palestine;
all the ceremonies of their religion were interdicted ; most of their
churches were converted into stables ; that of the Holy Sepulchre was
completely overturned ; and the followers of Christ, driven from
Jerusalem, were dispersed over all the countries of the east. The
old historians tell us that the world partook of the mourning of the
Holy City, and was seixed with trouble and dismay. The winter^
with all its rigour, appeared in regions in which it bad hitherto beea
unknown. The Bosphorus and the Nile wTre covered with ice*
An earthquake was felt in Syria and Asia Minor ; and Its shocks,
which were repeated for two months, overturned many large cities.
We read in the Chronicle of the monk Claber, that Europe has .!
witnessed signs which were forerunnerd of great calamities \ that a
shower of stones had /alien in Burgundy ; that a comet and menac-
ing meteors had appeared in the heavens. Great was 'the agitation
excited through all Christian countries; yet they did not then take
up arms against the infidels, but discharged their vengeance on tlie
Jews, whom all Europe accused of having excited the furor of the
Mussulmans/ — * At this epoch, a prediction which announced that
.the world was coming to an end^ and that Jesus Christ wuuld soou
appear in Palestine, tended to augment Uie veneration of the people
for the holy places. The Christians of the west arrived in crowds
'tt Jerusalem, for the purpose eitlier of Jyicg llicre or of wiiling the
coming of their Sovcrdgn Judge*
Michaud^x History of tht Crus^dei*
In the loth and iith centuries, a paSMon fot pll^rim^c^ t^
be Holy Land invaded ail orders of society. V 1
[)ble3, bishops, jnonki, and hymen, sought to eij^ ..,. c^r
fcrimes and to obtain the peculiar favour of heaven by ^ viiiri®
'the sepulchre of Christ, by p^**y^ng on the Mi> ' OJifffp
or by washing in the r;ver Jordan. The ro?d t ,9 wit
covered with froops of pilgrims. Litbert 1^ ''^
in the year 1054, set out for the Holy L:iti . ^ ny
more than three thousand pilgrims from the provinces of I'icafdy
and IHanders. Ten years after this event, seven thousand frwn
the borders of the Rhine commenced a similar journer; a«d
the conflicts and sutTerings which they end ^jred, h ' n
related by Ingulf, a monk of Normandy, hcJped to ; e
minds of the M'cstcrn nations for the apj lv
Wlien the Turks obtained possession of T.
ings of Christians became intolerable.
• Many who had quitted their familict ^vA Lhcir cjju;;try, id %:t:
the tomb of Jesus Christ, lost their hvcs before th?y Cime in si^bc of
the Holy City ; and those who, after having er.capcd m ihosand
dangers^ arrived at Jerutalem, found themselves exposed to the Ecsolti
of the new masters of Judea* The pilgrims of the I^tif) cHtirc^
UQ their return to Europe, related all which they had fiufFcrr<d id ikfif
journey, and spoke with lamentation of the outrages cominktrd on the
religion of Jesus Christ* They had seen the Holy Srpti'Lhrc rro^
fancd and the ceremonies of the Christian church made ih f
ridicule byiuhdeU; they had seen the patriarch of Jen J
the venerable guardians of tlie holy places, dragged fnot
tuary, and led ignomiuiously to prison. These recitals, «^--^^ - ; d
by common report, were repeated from mouth to cjouthy and dicw
tears from all the faithful.'
Now when it is considered that Europe^ at this period, wai
a kind of religious, community in which the r oft
faith was the point of highest interest^ it i ^
ceivcd what impressions were made on the multitude by
narratives of the pilgrims. When also it is consi4iered
Hiidebrandi afterward Pope Gregory VII., and his successoCi
were induced to encourage the idea of taking up zti^
the Infidels^ we are not surprised 3t the flame which _
about to break forth. It was reserved, liowerer, for a simple
pilgrim to enkindle and 10 spread over Europe that warlike xeJ
in the cause of religion, for which previous circumstances had
prepared the minds both of rulers and their subjects, Pe
the Hermit •, with the fervour of an apostle and the cotJ
of a martyr, gave the signal for the crusade } and vfiti
• Called in the Chronicle ^f the Counti of Anjou Petrig
fortuao
1^
MichaudV History of the CmsadfS*
fortune or fame, b^ the mere power of tears and prayers, he
"^tirred up the nations of the West to precipitate themselves on
' sia for the purpose of delivering Palestine from the dominion
of the Turks, Animated by his interview with the venen»ble
patriarch Simeon, when he visited Jerusalem, he vowed to be
the interpreter of the wishes of the East, and to arm the West
for the ileHverance of the Holy City*
• Persuaded that Heaven had appointed htm to avenge the cause ot
the faithful, his enthusiasm knew no bounds* One day» as he wa»
prostrate before the Holy Sepulchre, he thought that he hcard-the
voice of Jesus Clirist saying to htm, •« Peter! arise, hasten to
announce the tribulations of my people ; it i« time that my servants
thouJd be fiuccoured, and tlic holy places be delivered." Encouraged
by these words, which continued to echo in his ear, and provided with
letters from thi^ patriarch, he quitted Palestine, crossed the sea,
landed on the roast of Italy, and hastened to throw himself at the
feet of the Pope. The chair of St, Peter was then occupied by
Urban IL, who had been the disciple and the confidant of Gregory
and Victor; and who enibrac*fd with ardor a project of which hit
predecessors had conceived the first idea, recti v-ed Peter as a prophet,
applauded his design, and charged him to announce the approacliing
deliverance of Jerusalem.'
Such was the commencement of the Holy War, the preacher
of which was so well qualified for the task which he under-
took. He flew from country to country, and from city to
city, exciting by his appearance and by his powerful eloquence
all Christians to take up arms. Evety where waS he received
as the messenger of God \ the people deemed it a happiness to
touch his garments ; and, moved by his di?icour«e, by the
crucifix which he carried in his hand, and by tire spectacle
which he himself presented, they raised their voices to
Heaven, iiiiploring the Almighty to interpose in behalf of hii
favoured city. Some offered their ricfies» others their prayers,
and all promised to sacrifice their lives for the furtherance of the
Holy War. At the council ot Clermont, ut which Peter assisted^
'resscd in the coarse habit of a hermit^ the speech of Pope
n surpassed in animated eloquence that of the Cenobite.
who were present caught the enthusiasm whidi it wa«
calctilated to inspire; on his holding up the crosS| silF
iwore to follow it as their standard : they assumed it as their
banner and their badge 5 and the title of Crusade was then
given to the war in which they were about to engage. From
this moment, the deliverance of Palestine was the sole object
that animated all the inhabitanU of the West | and every
interest or consideration was absorbed in this mighty project.
Never, perhaps, in the history of man, was fanaticism tt a
lugher pifch, and more universally difllHt^ed. Princes quitted
p. Rev. Vol, lxxi. K Jc thftr
d<i
49^
Blicl^iud*/ Hiii9rj ^ the CrwUaiu^
thetr tlirones^ monks their clobtef $, md n^bbers their retmls in j
fore^tSj in ordtr to engage in this holy wirfaiie % ^ eyesi i
appeared in arm a.
« Europe reieinbUd a pkc« of esUe {rom which all hastcoed to %* I
Artizanst merchaniH and Ubottrer&f ahaadomed the occa|iatsGifii bf I
which they subsisted ; barons aad landed proprictort ga^c
domains of their fathers. Lands, dtiirs, and caitle«» which m^
lUnal eautei of war, lost all tWir irahie ia the eyca iJL \
omiersy and were told for tmall sums to those whon) the
af God had not touched, and were not called to the hap|
minting the holy pbces aud of conquenng the E^su*
Under such impressions, large armies, or rather i
armed pilgrims, were easily assembled. At the rr^ti
Clermont, in November 1096, the departure of x\ ,Br1
warriors of the crusade, was fixed for the fr. : ,. tie
Assumption, in tlie year following. The whole winter wai
appropriated to the preparation j and in the s^- - Pderpal
him self at the head of an arm y which amounteid • a tifiiiy
icOfOOO, and which was greatly augmented by tUc Gc
and people of other nations : but, though a monk
flame the zeal of so vast a multitude, he was wbolljr noUe 10 '
direct it. Disorder, ytolence, and defeat attended thb nhUe
in their march, ar.d soon brought dis^ce on the fiflt €?»*
saders. At Nice, Gauthicr^ the second tn command, who \
better qualified for the o(Bce of condudttng an armjr
Hermit, after having seen his mutinous troops defiealied 1
Turks, fell, pierced by seven arrows. Of 300|00^ mm
three thousand remained, who fled to a castle on the
shore ; leaving the bones of their comrades to m^irk the t^
to the Holy Land. Peter himself beoame disgraced among I
crusaders, and from the rank of ^ \ was ob^ed In IB*
fume his original station as a mere ^ *
Taught by dear experience, the ^cond ex ^. wUcfc
left the West for tlie Holy h^n^t was con.^,. ,.,. of
regular troops, who were conducted by a more able
Godfrey of Bouillon was the leader on thia occasion %
, under him all those traits of heroism and chivalrjr wcnr 4
played, which formed tlie most brilliant era of the Holj Wm
M. MicHAUD, in the remainder of the voliinie, Ibllfl
"Godfrey and his subordinate commanders through the whole
• of their perilous marth, recounts all thetr diifcrcnces and dk-
asters, and gives a minute account of the battle of Doryhuflli
Hof the celebrated siege and battle of Antioch *| of the talaK
• In the battle of Antioch, the Turkish army, over viliich ik
•Tiisadcrs obtaiucd a decisive victory, is mi to Usare been tfoOfOea
Mtchaud'/ Hiftory of tie Crusade/* 499
•r die Holy City, and of the subsequent battle of Ascaloa :
but we shall not copy any of these details, because they may
be found* though not at equal length, in tlie pages of some of
our English writers. We know not whether M.Michaud
will thanic us for the compliment, but we shall recommend
the volume before us as forming a valuable commentary on
Ta$8o'$ fine epic, •* The Jerusalem DeiivereJ"
As a finale to the history of the first criisaJe, wWch employed
an army of 600,000 men, a comparison h instituted between
tills invasion of Asia by the crusaders and that which wai un-
dertaken by Alexander the Great, wlio is said to have con-
quered it with an army of 30,000 mfantry and iO|«oo cavalry*
* It is probable/ obier?es the author, * that the Greeks who have
written the hialor)' of Alexander have diminished his forces, in order
to augmeiit the glory of hit victories : but, however this may be,
we must admit that the expedition of the victorioaa Macedoinati did
t prt^sent the same dangers and stumbling-blocks which opposed tlie
tcrprise of the crusaders- The army which passed from Greece
Asia had less to suffer by change of cHmatc, and by the
length and difficulty of the route, than those who invaded it from the
trcmity of the west ; and the Macedonians, in their invasion of the
St, had scarcely any foes to encounter besides Fersiaas, an cfFpmiuate
lation, often previously conquered by the Greeks : while the cru-
ideri had to traverse through the countriea of various unknovvti
and barbarous people, and on their arrival in Asia found themselvef
opposed by many conquering nations*
* The Greeks under Alexander did not enter Asia in order to
carry there new laws, or to change the customs and religion of the
people ; indeed, they sometime* adopted the usages and habits o£
the Persians, which greatly facilitated their conquests. Oi\ the
contrary, iu the case of the crusaders, vft see two religions armed
against each other, which redoubled the hatred of the combntants,
and prevented all accommodation. No sooner did the flag of Mo-
hammed float on the walls of a city, than it gave the signal for
Christians to fly; while the standard'of the Cross presented a similar
notice to the Moslems* As must of the Mohammedan cities which
fell into the hands of the crusaders were deoerted, they were ob-
liged to repeoplc them from the provinces which they had invaded,
and to weaken their forces to establish a sort of coluny in the place*
where their arms had triumphed- No wars are so bloody as religiout
wars I and in none is it more difficult for the conoucror to extend
MUid preserve his conquests. This ob*i i^ oF importance in
^Bfiahring us to appreciate the result of le*
^P*^'* On all occasions which' called for briu'i) » nothing was to be
BPIompared with tlie exploits of the crusaders. When reduced to a
•irong. M. MicuAUD reports their loss in killed at ioo,oc?o : hal, as
exaggeration was the chaacter of tlie histunan i of the Hvly War,
«f« ppptrhcnd ibai these numbers far exceed tlie truth.
K k ^ smaU
5 CO RtymondV Picture df tht Rus^Uta Smfmwr.
imall number of combatants, they were not less iriuropliaii* - ^-
etiemics llian %vhcn ihcy liad itmamerablc armies* Fort:
crosses made themselves masters of Jerusalem* which wai c-
by a garrison of 60,000 Samcena; and scarcely 20^000 rcamtd
their flag wlieii tliey encountered all the forcei of the tmti (
plains of Asscalon.
* If Alexander effected greater things^ and coaqoercd 1 \^
cumber of countries, it wa» because lie commsmded a dbap
army, and was the absolute chief. All the miUiary ^SkA
operations vvf^re directed by the siimc mind, and hj an iodhridiil! viL
It was utht^rwise in the army of the crusader?, which wa» oosnposei
of many different nations, and commanded by a greal ii«dbersf
chiefs t a circumstance which contained tht; fatal gertn of tjcescewl
disorder^ The feudal anarchy, \vith which Europe watt ttvufaki
bad followed the defenders of the crobs into Asia ; maA the turiolst
spirit of the kntghidi who were incessantly appealing to thrsr fvirii.
was the very cause which arrested and narrowed their coQi|ticstv
M. MiCHAl D .ilso institutes a comparison between
dition of the Chnatians to the Holy Land and the att-
Greeks on the city of Troy ;
< Thsrse two wars, though differing in their motive, fuT-i :* • "^
results to an enlightened observer. Both present striktu^, l :. *
politics, and illustrious models in valour; both have gi*eo brrtii t>
new states and new colonies, and have established relatioas betwwi
distant countries: both have had a marked inftiirnce on the cif^ss-
tion of the agea which followed them ; both, in short, have drvilap^
great passions and striking characters, and have furnished i^.ffSiifl
besutiful subjects to the epic muse, which cannot procrrd t^Al^c
|he machinery of prodigies and miracles/
Propi these reflections, it will be seen tli;»t "' '
not a mere narrator. He has closely stiulie J
maybe classed among those who should be read in order tsj
ascertain the influence of the expeditions tn thf lii»lv l^vAtu
the state of mi^iwersand civilization in the cor pf»
— For some other recent French productions 01 , ^e 1
may refer to M. R. Vol. Ijc, N. S, p.466. ;ind ', ;«^
Art. Vnr. T(tllcau Hhioriquft $cc,; uf. Anil Gm^
phical, Mihtary, and Moral Picture of the K. '-■-'. bf
M. D AMAZE DE Raymond, formerly Ch^gt J\i \b:
R'-> jhlic of Ragusa, Member of the Electoral Cuiic^^r wi dr
ttm?nt of Lot md Garonne, &c, Bvo* 1 V^oU, pp* loi?-
jt rf u>» i6u- Imported by Dt-* Boffc, PHce il, toi. tewfd
\ I DR Raymond apjjcars to have takim adrant:i:-i- cf dn
-^'* • interest excited by the commencemeiit of i . k
1 8 1 2. between France and Russiij to compile 9 detcripnon oi tit
Jitter
ttcr countrr* He acknowleges, indeed, tlwt the desire of pro-
ting from trmt cause made him accelerate his publication^ but
ieadds that the plan was conceived before the occurrence of the
poiiticaJ circumstances in question. In compliance with the
Cractice which has of late years characterized the French press^
e has prefixed some general remarks expressive of admiration
of the French government, and of a confidence of its success in
all its undertakings ; and he is thus led to a parallel between
Russia and France, in which all the advantages are, in course,
on the side of the latter : but it is due to candour to remark
that, in other parts of the book, we meet with few deviations
from impartiaJity. — The autl.or expresses his obligations to
several \*Titers, particularly to M* Make Brun^ who is well
known as a statistical writer on the northern countries of
Europe, and whose report of Poland came under our observa-
tion a few years ago*. The printed works of German authors
and English travellers have also engaged his attention, and are
passed by him in review in a very explicit and summary nftan-
ner. The Germans, he says, were the first who taught the
Russians their true history : but the best book on the subject,
in his opinion, is that of his countryman, M>L*Evequi\ Among
^^le English, Swinton, he says, carries his pbn of panegyric so
^■far as to make an apology for the system of slavery \ Coxe is
^Beclared to be too partial to Catharine IL | while Dr. Clarke,
^Mvith still harder measure, is pronounced to be un deiracUur
passionne* Porter is dismissed with the mordfying appel-
lation of * juperfiae// and the praise of th« author is con-
fined to the Voyagt de deux FrangaU^ and to the recently pub-
lished letters of Count Fiignani from Pctersburgh in 1 8 1 1 • He
makes comparatively little mention of Mr. Tooke, whose account
of the Russian empire we reviewed, at considerable length, in
our xxxth and xxxist Vols. N.S*
In pursuance of the plan of making his work historical as
well as geographical, M. de R. appropriates two hundred pages
of his first volume to an historical sketch of Russia, bringing
down the narrative to the death of Paul L This is followed by
2 statistical report of the empire, under the several heads of
climate and physical circumstances ; population, manners, agri-
culture, and commerce i literature and literary establish tncnts*
In the second volume, we have a variety of observations on the
national manners of the Russians \ a description of Pctersburgh,
Moscow, and the intervening towns ; an account of Russian
Lapland, Siberia, Kamscliatka, and Tartary ; with the state of
society among the Cossacks, Calmucks, Ostiacks and other
rude tribes, who compose the heterogeneous population of this
5*01 RaymondV Pidurt ^fthi Russian Emplri*
vast empire^ We shall quote the substance of his ab$€mtioai
on the military department, and follow them with a SQodart
specimen of his manner of describing national cuscoms \ ta
as examples the Cossacks who are among the more drii
di%nsions of the Russian empire, and the fiaschkirs whondl
:tmong tlie more barbarous,
Russian Army. — ^The Russian troops were merely tetnponry
levies until the i6th century, when the Czar John II. formed i
Standing force under the name of Strelitzy or Strelitzes* Fife-
arms were at that time introduced, and military exercises wr»
performed in the season of peace. The number of the tioops,
during the course of that century, ia said to hare been ibow
40jO00* About the middle of the i ytfi century, the Czar Mtt\h
gi and father of Peter the Great, intermingled foreign oSiccn,
more particularly Scots and English, in his military serriet,
and organized his troops into regular regiments. Peter, akoi
succeeding to the crown towards the end of the century, bit no
time in giving an improved character to his military esiahtish'
ment. The Strelitzes having repeatedly acted the part of the
Prxtorian guards at Rome, and of their brethren th ^ flti
at Constantinople, the Czar found it necessary to r m,
and to substitute a force of a different disposition aiui cliiiacter.
Two foreigners. Generals Gordon and Lefort, accustomed his
troops to European tactics ; and Bruce, a native of Scotbndi
was the first who introduced into Russia a regular corps of en-
gineers. Peter, impatient to display the force of his ntv
engine, ventured to make war on the Swedes, and hazarded
battle of Narva against Charles XXL : the issue was a coni^
overthrow : but the relative numbers have been strangely tail-
represented in history, the Swedes amounting to i8,qco^ and
the Russians to 40,000 ; a disproportion sufficiently great, ti b
true, but much inferior to that which is commonly repotted.
After this failure, a cautious and retreating policy became tlie
alternative of Peter, until the operation of time i vbj
army, and the imprudence of Charles in adranri .^ hi
a wild country, gave him an opportunity of taking his l^vei^t
in 1709 at Pultawa. Here, at the cost of only 5000 men killM
and wounded, the Russians caused to the Swedes a ioss of douUe
the amount in the action, and succeeded in*' ' * ' rr-
ward in forcing the remainder, to the number^ i iij,
to surrender. At the death of Peter, the fniiicary force of
Russia might be calculated at 1^^0,000 men* The suh$ci)ticfit
changes were not considerable until the reign of the late txs^
press, who made very large additions to her army. To jodgt
from the returns on paper, the Russian troops appear to exceed
those of Austria, and to be second only to tbo^e of France : but
it is a matter of great difficulty to asccrtab their effeetin
number
RaymondV Pktare of the RMiUlan Emptn,
\ \ and we shall not be far wrong in putting llicm, at ihc
' UgfafSl^at 340 or350jOOo menj being about oue-fourtli less than
the troops in the pay of the French government tn time of war.
* The inmicnic distance which the Riusian recruits wr obliged to
marchi in order to join their regiments^ i« often very injurious to their
keftbh. On leaving their relation*, they receive preicnts li'hich enabk
them to indidge to cxcesa in the uie of ardent spirits ; z practice
which is the more immediately dcatri^ctive on accouDt of iheir being
unaccustomed to it in their early ytars. Their accommodAtlons when
PH service are eytremely indifferent ; they sleep more frequently on
the bare g7X)und than on stra^^v ; »nd» on mounting guards the cu«-
(om i« to continue the duty every night for a fortnight. Their hoft»
pitalsi though sufficiently supplied on the part of government, arc
badly-managed by the superintending officers: many of whom are
suspected of enriching themselves at the ex pence of the unhappy in-
Tabds, To these disadvantages, we must add the pernicious effects of
change of climate on youtlis arriving from Buch distant rcg^ions. We
need not, consequently, be surprized that the lower orders in Russia
■ Aave a strong dislike to the military service ; and they cannot flatter
ihemsclveswith any thing in the shape of promotion, the rise of a private
•cildier to high rank being more rare among them tlutn in any other
army in Europe, On obtaining a victory, it is common to give
medals to the soldiers engaged : but this premium lose« much of its
value from being very generally distributed, and from the distant
prospect of a return to those relations and acquaintances to whom it
IS most gratifying to display such tukena of approbation. On the
Other hand, from the simplicity of dress, the Russian i>oldier is much
Jess troubled than the German with keeping liis clothes in order, and
the infliction of corporeal punishment is not of very frequent occur*
reiice* From the practice of m:!rrTiiig youths at the early age of 16
or 17, it often happens that ilie Pvussian eoldier has the additional
mortification of having at home a wife, and perhaps children, — IIms
constitution of a Russian regiment is as follows, besides the commis*
. fioned ofiicers :
* Drummers, fifert, und mi^sicianSj
$1
Pioneers 2 -id sappers.
-
4»
Armourers,
-
Z
Regimental clerks.
•
7
Barbers, - -
•
TJ
Hospital stewards.
Regimental provost.
-
I
-
I
Beadles in the service of tiie
priest, -
1
Hospital overseers.
4
Waggoners and cartnen.
-
76
Servants of officers.
-
J 30
Non>coi«i»ts6i02)cd office.
» *.
120
privates, . - -
-
1740
2200
Kk 4
The
Raymond*! Puf&reefihe Rutsioft Empire*
Tht priests who perform thf^ rdigioti« fcrvicc of the regii
Tcry extraordinary charactcrR. Thou;jh extremely ignoranti
queotly loose in their deportment, they are regarded by the
men with the most profound veneration. This coitfidcocc ii okxt
turned to account by the priest in a very eel fifth mauner ; and if im
except their familiar acquaintance with the ceren>onial of the Gftdc
church, we shall be at a loss to discover in what the a?t "i of
these cccleaiafltics consist* The number of clerk « ii he
practice of transacting almost all military business in Russia or wrruig*
The still greater number of regimen tal barbers arises from tbf ph%
or rather the wish* to make tho^e humble operators act in the c«
of surgeon : which they eaercise with no small danger to the
the practitioner being sometimes unable to distingutih between
imd an artery.'
In time of peace, winter is a season of repose to the Rus-
sians, tlie military exercises commencing only in April or May.
Each regiment consists of twelve companies ; ami, itt forming i
new regiment, the pbn is to withdraw eleven disciplined coi&-
panics from as many standing regiments, replacing each widi i
company of recruits. — The Russians are of oiicidlmg staiDie,
and in general very healthy ; an advantage which they owt
partly to the steadiness of the climate, partly to the ^impliciCj
of their diet, and in some measure to the use of the warm batt
Their government proceeds on the scheme of mixing the Icrici
I of the different provinces, or rather different nations, amonf
each other ; because a collective cbbsification of the natives m
particular districts might be productive of serious attempts U
insubordination. Twelve years of service intitle a soldier wim
can read and write, and who has passed three years in a subocds-
nate station, to be made an ofBcer : a prolongation of iomCit
to twenty years confers an exemption from personal rhufiip j
ment, otherwise than by order of a court martial j and a fardMH
extension of service to twenty-five years gives a title to a ol^
charge, which^ however, is not often accompanied with a pen*
eion ; bat easy duties in garrison^estabiishments, and in tht
police olEces of government, form a provision fot the retired
soldier.
Russian Oficerj^-^iio service in Europe exhibits so raarfced
a difference between the respective descriptions of ofliccfi*
The men of family, and even those who, without posMSticig the
advantage of either property or ancestry, have had the benefit
of education, acquit themselves in general with tbehonottr and
propriety of gentlemen: but a third class, compoitd of the men
I vho have risen from the ranks after the itipuLated years of $ervicei
are strangers to those feelings, and discharge dieir doty chiefly
[ tfirouph Aq influence of fear. The contrast between CDdmnr
I f ittiations and their previous habits prcventa them from fitKng
1— n
RaymondV Pktun of the Russian Empiric 505
I Ac fonner with credit, or even with satisfaction to themselves*
The colonel of a regiment has, in time of peace, an ah nose ab-
lulutc power over his officers; and an inferior labouring under
punishment is not at liberty even to address a compl.iint to a
General : but the inJiction of corporeal punishment never takes
place in the case of one who is a gentleman by birth. Seniority
i* tJje basis of promotion in the Russian service; but, as the
captains of the guards enter into the line with the rank of
colonel, it often happens ihu the Field Officers and Generals
are youtig men» In other cases, a captaincy is seK^om obtained
before a service of fifteen years.
Couach* — ' The upper ranks among the Cossacks potaess a con-
siderable !iWe of infoniidtion. In visiting their capital, Tcharchas-
koy, the traveller is much stnick with the neatness of their gardent
md country-housL'S ; and they pique themselves on being an inde-
^>endt*nt people, as ihey are no farther subject to the Emperor of
Russia than in furnishing him with military levies : but it has lately-
become the practice to make them licrve with regular troops, so that
Coaiacks are in fact ujider the command of Rustian colonels,
"he Cossack country is divided Into Stanilzas or districts, each
governed by ao Attaman or chief. For several years, their warriors
are pledged to foreign service at the will of the Russian government,
but in the latter part of their career tliey may decline to go beyond
the limits of the empire. They are men of great bodily strength and
activity ; jealous in a high degree of their independence ; hospitable
to strangers, but cruel in the field ; and addicted (it is said) to plun-
der friend and foe, with little discrimination. They have m general
^rong passions, and cure capable at one time of the mo«t gallant conduct
and at another of the opposite extreme. Their attention to cleanli-
ness forms a striking contrast to the total neglect of it among the
Russians, and is apparent both in their dress and in their habitations,'
The Bauhiirs* — 'These men inhabit that part of Asiatic Russia,
situated between the Wolga and tlie Ural, which forms the northern
'i vision of the government of Orenburg- They have small eyes,
irge ears, flat noses, and broad faces. They pass the winter around
their fire-sides, and may be said to kill time in smoking and drinking
the Tartar liquor, koumis* It is only in summer that they discover
■ny exertion ; and even then they take no faith er trouble than to
hunt or to look after their flocks, leaving all domestic labour to their
i^fives-, The rich mines in their mountains arc allowed to remain ua»
touched and unexplored, and even the threshing of corn is perform-
ed, not by flails, but by the feet of horses or oxen. 'ITieir rchgion ii
Mohammedan, mixed with a number of Pagan traditions and practices;
since they are worshippers of the sun, and partake of no food that baa
fHJt been exposed for some time to his rays. Women are bought and
sold among them like mere articles of merchandise, and the manner
of payment is by the barter of so many head of cattle. Their armt
consint of a spear and arrows ; but muskets and sabres have been
lately introduced. Their mihtary coatingent to the Jlussian army n
in
|o6
Raymond*/ Pktun &fthi Russian Emp*rt*
m cavalry^, for ihfj are expert riders, andposseet good liorset. Thtf
have in a high degree the savage virtues of hospitalit}' and respect for
old age, but Bccompanied with the moat disgusting filth and habits of
gluttony. The supply of a military force constitutes their only
tribute j and in truth it would be difficult to extract any thing else
from a country in which the dwellings are only huts constructed of
logs with the bark on, and affording in the inside no apartment, but
a receptacle which serves at once for a kitchen, stable, and sleeping^
room. The chimney is of clay, and the light is admitted through
chinks or holes in the wooden walls, which are stopped with bladders
ciled to render them transparent.'
State of Commerce. — In this respect, Russia exhibits many
proofs of what may be called the infancy of civilization. The
public roads have been for several reigns under the direction of
governnnent, and receive annually a certain degree of improve-
ment and extension : but they are still far from having a re-
sembbnce to the high ways of England, France, or Germany*
Fortunately, the severity of the winter has the effect of making
travelling on sledges easy and expetiitious ; and in summer a
similar advantage is enjoyed in those provinces in 'vhich the
communication is carried on over a surface of turf, level, and
little worn by the passage of carriages. In other parts, how-
ever, and particularly between Petersburgh and Moscow, the
road is formed In many places by logs of wood laid parallel ta
each other, which require very frequent repairs. Since tht
year 1 797, the department of the post-office h^s been put on
an improved footing j and it is hoped that a similar attention
will be given to the extension of the internal navigation by
rivers and canals, for which no country is better situated, the
flatness of the ground making tlie rivers navigable for hundreds
of miles without interruption. Such changes, however, must
be the work of time % Russia being as yet very defectively pro-
vided v^ith eiilier capital or merchants. The limitation of inw
pons to particular towns, the impolitic augmentation of many
of the duties, and the excessive issues of paper-money, are all
obstacles to the progress of trade ; while the want of a title to
property, in the cultivator of the ground, leads often to the
unprofitable practice of hoarding the painful acquisitions of
former years. Unfortunately, too, Russia, like Poland, is plun*
dered by Jews, who contrive to obtain a monopoly of trade in
particular provincesi to keep inns, and even to fill the station*
of magistrates.
In considering tlie causes of the backward state of Rus«ia^
we must ascribe a large portion of them to its climate ard geo-
rgraphical situation. In that part of the empire, whether Mos*
cow or Petersburgh, which has hitherto been the seat of gorem-
meot| the severity and incensity of the winter are such as to
impede
I
Raymond*/ Picture of the Russian Empire*
pede materially the beneficial consequences arising from the
bbours of the summer. Although the southern half of the Rtt»-
sian empire is exempt from this disadvantage, yet it is remote
from intercourse with the civilized ,part of Europe, and haft
been governed by mQn who were wholly unacquainted with the
powerful considerations which call for an improvement of civil
administration, Tlic rulers of this vast region have always been
strangers also to the calculations wliich recommend peace to
the political economist, and have had no otlier idea than that of
extracting the utmost number of soldiers from their respective
provinces^ The limits of the empire have consequently been
enlarged without a correspondent addition in point of internal
improvement : but| whenever the Russian court shall alter its
politics, the public may be prepared for an accession of power
of much wider extent, and of a far more solid character, than
that which followed the conquests of Catharine. In the habit of
early marriage among tlie peasantry, and the simplicity of their
mode of life, we are reminded'of the circumstances which contri-
bute so rapidly to the increase of population in Ireland^ It will
remain for the government only to create a spirit of industry,
by affording security to the possession of its acquisitions. The
discouraging reasoning circulated in late years on the subject of
Population will be considered as inapplicable to the case of
lussia, where such extensive regions lie open to the cultivator.
The climate, too, from the 57th degree southwards, is suffici-
ently favourable to the progress of agriculture, and, conse*
quently, of other arts. From the 50th degree southward, the
country has all the advantages of a warm and fructifying atmos-
phere ; and we are induced to conclude that a more frequent
communication with other countries is almost the only impe-
diment to the advancement of this favoured region.
State of L'ttifrature* — In this as in other respects, Russia
refers to Peter the Great *i5 the author of important changes.
He was the first of her sovereigns who accounted it politic to
expend money in the collection of books or objects of art : he
was tlie founder also of universities and academies ; and he not
only patronized the translation of foreign works into the Russian
tongue, but attracted a number of German artists and men of
science to a residence in his dominions. Since that epoch, tlie
natives of Russia have made attempts to distinguish themselves
in various departments of literature. Like other rude nations,
diey have succeeded best in poetry and the imitative arts, such
as sculpture, painting, and architecture: but in studies of a
graver cast, m those which require reflection and continued
labour, thev remain at a remarkable distance behind their neigh-
bour4 in tne wesc« Scarcely twenty years have passed since
5^8
On the PrcgnJi ofihi Russian Power*
the appearance of the first philosophical work in their languagfp
•* Jhc Elements of the Law of Nature, by Sohczmiy /' and the
number of printing-ofBces throughout the empire in 1803 was
only 49. Some periodical works and news-papers have lately
appeared at Peteraburgh, Moscow, Kalouga^ and a few other
principal towns. Moscow has had a Review since 1805, and
might be considered the centre of the literature of the interior.
The language also is said to be better spoken there than eke-
where. PetcrsburghjOn the other hand, is the residence of lite-
rary foreigners, who have been induced to fix their abocle there
with a view to the improvement of the empire* The names of
Pallas^ Euiert and Storch^ are familiar to men of letters, and
sufficiently indicate the country to which the Russian court
chiefly points its attention. Two-thirds of the books printed
in Russia are translations, and consist principally of novels,
plays, and other hght productions. The total number of
native works on all subjects was computed in 1787 at 4000 ; a
stock which will not in fact be found to surpass the new pub-
licationsi that appear in England, France, or Germany, in the
course of a few years*
These volumes contain a considerable share of useful infor-
mation respecting the manners and .^►tate of society in Russia,
Without pretensions to originality, M< de Ratmond has the
jnerit of being a careful and judicious compiler; and he would
have deserved a liberal share of confidence, had he not allowed
his representations to have been influenced by a wish to flatter
his own government* This disposition in some degree aifectf
his historical as well as his statistical observations.
Art. IX* De$ Prcgrest &c. ; i* e» On the Progress of the Rustiai
power, from its Origin to the Commencement of the NinctecAth
Century. By M. L- . 8vo- pp>5i4* Pant. i8ia. Im-
ported by De Bofife. Price las*
VI7E have here another of the various publications which hare
' '^ been drawn forth by the war lately undertaken by Bofta>^
parte against Russia : but its object is less a history of Russia,
for which ita size would be inadequate, than an exhibirion of
general results with regard both to a narration of tlie past and a
description of the present* The author has attempted, he sayH
to study the < operation of the power of Russia on other na-
tions, and the re-action of the latter on her y and in the few
instances in which he has entered into more particular details,
his aim, he adds, has been to make the latter subservient to the
exposition of his general views. The historical part is com-
pres^eJ
I
I
\
I
Off the Prognsi af tht Ruisian Powtr, joy
irrested from the voluminous Ubours of his countrymen
' VEvique and Li Clerc ; while the report of the actual condi«
tion of the empire has been derived from a variety of sources*
German autJiors have been frequently consulted ; and among
our own writers Dr. Clarke is brought forwards as an authority
of special importance. — It is easy to trace the calculating
policy of the compiler of this volume. He publishes it be-
cause Russia was become an object of general attention ; and,
in order to keep up the imponance of his subject, he has no
objection to eihibit her as a power of the first magnitude : but,
in the true Parisian spirit, it is stated that the * Great Napoleon
is destined to reduce her w^ithin those limits that will prevent
her from being dangerous to the future tranquillity of Europe/
The book was put to press at the time of Bonaparte^s inva-
eion; and, unluckily for the author's proplietic fame, the im-
preat ion was struck off before the news arrived of the mighty
Emperor having retraced his steps.
It enters into the politics of this courtly vn-iter to testow lofty
encomiums on the Emperor Paul, » More disinterested than his
mother, he was worthy (we are told, p, 337.) to exercise tliat
protection which had now become necessary to the northern
powers./ His death is accordingly pictured not only at
unjustiiiaSJe in the manner of its accomplishment, but as pro-
ductive? of the worst consequences* * Instead of a lasting
haired between England and Russia, a hatred excited by the
misconduct of the former, we see a succession of mutual ac*
commodations. That which a powerful fleet and insolent
menaces were unable to accomplish was effected without delay
or difficulty after tlie sudden death of FauL Nothing was said
:tboQt giving Up Malta, or admitting the claims of neutrals :
but tlie English were conhrmed, wim very little difficulty, in
the possession of their property and privileges in Russia/
These observations are followed by a notice of the unfortunate
coalition of 1805, and of the campaigns of 1S06 and 1807.
The peace of Tilsit, and the wonderful friendship so suddenly
Gonceiv jd by Bonaparte for Alf>iandtr^ are tlien described with
the usual exaggeration of a Frenchman. The two Emperors
pledged themselves to conquer a maritime peace and the resto-
ration of the rights of neutrals : but unfortunately these fine
hopes were disappointed ; and the French were shocked by the
discovery that the Russian cabinet had throughout kept an eye
to its own aggTandisement in the arrangements profcssediv
made for the common cause, Bonaparte^ it seems, (p. 356.)
consented in the most indulgent manner, in 1S08, to a)lo«
Russia to prosecute her projects on Finland in the north, and
on Moldavia and Watlachia in the south ; and the«e sacri^c^t
Om ihe Progreu $fihi Russian Powir*
were made, we are told, with the view of promoting the re-
establishment of a general peace : but not a syllable is said of
their being conceded for the sake of allowing Bonaparte to follow
up quietly his designs against Spain. Russia, however^ wai
not faithful to her compact \ having, from the end of 1 809,
permitted the exportation to England of timber and naval
stores : articles for which she was paid by receiving English
merchandise into her harbours* Notwithstanding all this pro-
vocation, 5c?//rfi^^r// (P'3^-^') *Ii*d the tti^tlcrathn to offer peace to
England in 18 12; and, the overture being treated with neglect,
he had no choice but that of pouring forth his innumerable
legions on infatuated Russia.'
After having finished the historical detail, the author pro-
ceeds to make some comments on the Finances of Russia : but
he complains greatly of the difficulty of arriving at accurate
conclusions, in consequence of the general ignorance and want
of principle among the servants of government* It was com-
puted that die Russian revenue amounted in 1795 to ten mil-
lions sterling 5 arising principally from a capitation-tax, and
from farming tlie duties on brandy, salt, mines, stamps, and
foreign merchandise. Large as this sum is, in a country in
which money goes so far, it proved insufficient for the ambi-
tious projects of Catliarine ; and the consequences were thai
recourse was had to the borrowing of considerable sums in
RoUand, and to the issue of paper-money. The former bat
for a long time been impracticable : but the issue of paper has
been continued from year to year, until it has produced a se-
rious depreciation of the circulating medium j and it is said
that the present revenue, though apparently larger than tliat of
1795, does not in reality go so far in the way of expence, A
fimilar obscurity prevails with respect to the extent of the
public debt. We, who are familiarized with such sweeping
•urns in this country, may be disposed to smile on hearing
that a debt of twelve or fifteen millions sterling is a very serioui
affair for the Russian finances. Sudi is the difference between
a free and an absolute government, in the material point of
public credit !
We have taken occasion, in reporting the productions of
Dr. Clarke and Sir Robert Wilson, to qualify the common no-
tion of the magnitude of Russian Armies; for in fact the
iplendid victories atchieved by them have been due to the
energy of individuals like Suwarrowf and to the determined
valour of the troops, more ihan to the power of numbers.
-Some time ago, it was customary to represent the armed force
of Russia as equal to 5 or 600,000 men ; forgetting that, in, a
country of ^ much irregularity respecting documents^ it is easf
7 t**
1
I
On th Prtgrtss of thu Rmsian Power
I to keep names on TCgimental lists long after they have ceased to
teprcscnt effective combatants v and though the corps raised
ior the Russian service are large, they »re subject to miserable
Bimitiutions from other causes than the activity of an enemy*
The King of Prussia takes notice, in his Memoirs, of the great
proportion of men that were lost by his Russian antagonists
from sickness and neglect, in a comparatively short time :
•* After all that we are told,** says General MansUin^ '* of the
personal hcnltU of the Russiantt, we find ihem subject to varioui
maladies, such as scurvy, inflammatory fevers, dyseotery, &c. Out
of a given number of sick, we m;iy take it for granted that a third
ivill die in consequence chiefly of the want of medical attendance.
\ regiment has only a surgeon and assistant-surgeon, who are seldom
icn of capacity ; and a« for the ficld-surgcons, they are good for
othtng, being selected in a random manner from among the recruits,
fchc colonel merely fixing his eye on a peasant in the ranks, and rom-
manding him to act as surgeon. It is in vain for the unfortunate indi-
vidual to declare hi« dislike to the business, or his inability to acquire
dexterity in performing operationt : all excuse is fruitless ; he must
tet about it forthwith ; and if he be not luiHciently quick his talentt
arc enlivened by the appUcation of the cudgel,*'
*
I
On this point, as well as on the want of staff-officers, the present
writer has unfortunat?ly the concurrence of Sir Robert Wilson :
but they differ materially -as to the merits of the Russian
cavalry* Sir Robert alleges that this part of the Russian force
is the best mounted of any on the continent, and that the
whole of the interior economy is well regulated and adminis-
tered *: while the Frenchman, on the other hand, asserts that
tlie Russian horses are, with few exceptions, both originally bad
and subsequently ill managed. The avarice of the colonels de-
prives them, he say?, of a portion of their allowance of forage j
and the equipment of the dragoons is as much neglected as
I their instruction. The experience of the present campaign,
however, is in favour of Sir Robert Wilson's assertion, — In
another point, tlie author of the work under review treats the
Russians with much more complaisance ;
« Of all the departmenti of the fiulttaiy sysiem of Russia, the
urtillery is the least defective ; and it is the only kind of service for
which the natives discover predilection and aptitude. The extent of
srt^use is here much smaller than in other branches ; promotion beia^
confined to the corps ; and the officers, to the colonel inclusive,
B being ac«ounted higher by one step than those of a similar dcnonina-
V tion in the line. Still, however, the Russian artillery does not equal
the French m point of precision and rapidity. In the eugmeer de-
<" Sec M. R. Vol. Uviii. p. axg.
i'
partmentj
Sii
On the Pr&gnsf of the Rmnan Pifwmr*
partmenty the uront of education operates greatly ag^lntt the Rii^
lians ; so that in a siege, if we omit the tcrvice of asuoltt tliey aft
uiferior to almost any oth<*r Zurupeaii nation**
The nuthor regrets much that Russia has nor bcstlHired a
riarger share of attention on naval affaiis* Peter the Great»
he says, was aware that the Eurine, and not the Baltici formed
the proper sphere for the display cf the Russian marine^ the
supply of timber from the Ukraine being a matter of mudi
facility \>Y means of the great rivers : but his disappointi
the Pruth, and his desire of ruling the politics of the N<
iniluccd him to take the false step of directing his nafil
exertions to t]ie Baltic. Here again he trespassed tti makiDg
Peter sburj^h and Cronstadt his arsenals, instead of the port of
Reveh Petersburj^h has been called an «* tinde fj*
Tourite/' and has been rendered the capital of the l ; - x
painful waste of treasure and manual labour. The fie&liness
of the water In the Baltic is considered as prejudicial to the
duration of shipping; and the Russian emperors, amid all their
nnxietyto constructmcnof war, have comparatively nc/^ * -^ rW
fundamental part, the encouragement of a mercair ne.
The present Russian navy consils of thirty sail ot u.^ .
half as many frigates, otvvA about 200 small vessels, 0^.11*^1.
altogether by a force of 35,000 seamen. The Rui
liowever, have a great aversion to navigation \ and the meti
on land brave tlie rudest climate, and the greatest fatigues, ate
seen to shrink when ordered to go on board of ship and to face
the dangers of the sea. — In point of infernal communrcatioii|
(as we observed In tlie preceding article,) few emptrcs
mote fortuiutg ; the rivers in the interior being DaviL
throughout a great extent, and the level surface of the couotiy
being favourable to the formation of canals. Trader howcfef»
has been hitherto Httlc cultivated by the natives, and the
foreign part of it has been chiefly in the hands of the Briti^
« We must confess,' says thie writer, « that the higher claiia
discover a marked predilection for those islanders \ and it " ^
article in their commercial creed, that Russia cannot exist
' out an alliance with England.' The native merchants, few s
number, are divided into distinct classes in proportion lo tbdr
respective capitals -, and it is the highest clasi ottiy that cac
• ispire to the rank of nobility,
Neit comes the important topic of Education j and htre diff
[Gallic champion is equally animated with Dr. Clarke araiost
[ the Russians* The mass of the people, according to hun, ii
^as backward at the present day as the rest of Europe was tfi
twelfth century : the schools are so few in nmnber as to
A'c very little influeace s and nothing can be more ibockitif
15 iM
VoltaireV Unpuiiuhed Letters. 515
'thin the ignorance of the teachers and priest s. Families of
condition have generally foreign tutors, who are received after
very little examinattOTii and owe their success mbre to their
manner than their merit. It is in the art of imitation that
the Russian displays unusual aptitude \ but unfortunately ihij
talenti extraordinary as it is, seldom leads to important con*
sequences.
The conclusion of the volume is in strict conformity with
the impressions which Bonaparte's cabinet is desirous of
disseminating, Russia is exhibited as a power constantly on
the alert for additional acquisitions, and never satisfied with
the possession of present advantages, * She negociates,* it is
said, * for the purpose of deceiving ; she fights only to destroy.*
All this is affirmed with as much gravity as if France herself
were wholly guiltless. Nay, this writer has the modesty to
allege that France has long been desirous of promoting
the civilization of Russia, while England has laboured
to retard it : a contrast which arises, we are told, from the
mercantile spirit of England prompting her to keep the rest of
the world in a backward state, in order that foreigners may
remain incapable of providing themselves with finished mer-
chandise, and may be obliged to remain in the capacity of
consumers of British goods. — On the whole, however, this
volume is composed with ability, and supplies considerable
historical and statistical information in a moderate compass.
K
m
I Art, X. Lettret hiStei^ &<f . ; *. e. Unpiibliflhed Lettera of Vol-
[^ TAiRE, addressed to the Countess of Luixelhurg, To which is
■ added, a Fac-simile of Voltaire's Hand-writing, engraved by
Miller, 8vo. pp.139. Paris. 18 12. Imported by De Bo ffcv
Price 75* sewed,
'^^HE anonymous editor of this little volume introduces it by
*- a preface, or discours preiiminaire, in which he takes great
pains to acquit himself of tlie odium attendant on bearing a
part in the circulation of obnoxious doctrines. * These letters,*
lie says, * like the rest of Voltaire's correspondence, do more
lionour to his head than his heart. They discover that
uctuation of character which founds affection on momentary
caprice, and that Instability of principle which gives way in
an instant to the influence of flattery when skilfully applied*
The French Revolution has enabled the world to pass sentence
on the philosophy of Voltaire *, and a publication of his
♦ S«*fe also pages 462 — 464. of this Appendix.
Afp* Rev. VoU txxr. L I cor«
VoItaireV Unpublished Letttrs*
correspondence should be regarded in the light of in
I to the dangerous principles which he circulated in hii
I finished writings. — On seeing the real man before our eyet»
[ we lose our blind venemtion for the writer j and Volt Aims in
his private correspondence may be compared to an actor behind
the scenes/ These protestations, on the part of the editor,
are followed by a short parallel between Voltaire and Rmsstmt^
to the advantage of the latter ; and by an historical notice of
the political occurrences between J753 and 1764^ the period
^ comprized in the present correspondence.
Without disputing the propriety of the editor's animadtef-
\ tions on Voltaire, and without questioning the sincerity of
I bis dissent^ we cannot help remarking that he has said moch
more than was necessary. The letters are not altogether new,
1 portion of them having been already given to the public
\ in the edition of the author's works printed at Kell \ whilf
m still larger part of them might have been safely omitted ai
of very little importance. Madame Dc Lutzciburg was %
) contemporary of Voltaire, little distinguished except bj
her family^rank \ and his letters to her consist of almost per-
^petual complaints of bad health, mixed not unfrequently witk
* tftusions against the King of Prussia and other indiTidtKaia
1 less eminence. They bear all the appearance of authe ' __
I from the direct and sometimes careless manner in which they
I are composed. They were chiefly dictated to an amanuensii^
I agreeably to the celebrated writer's practice, and only a coo-
\ eluding sentence is said occasionally to have been written witk
[ his own hand. They discover, however, some happy strobei
I of humour, and some very animated illustrattons of
I favourite ideas of the author.^ We shall translate det
^passages, and arrange them under different heads as well at I
misceUaneous nature will allow.
His bad Health.
* Colmatt Oci^tr 17JJ
* 1 came here so ill tliati was not able to dehvcr in person your tm
duetoiy letter to the First President.' — * I have been cndetvouring ^
obtain in the mountains of the Vosges that health which ts do move lo
be fouad there than in other places^ 1 have known miifoftviMi rf
all kindii aud my conclusion is that bad health is the greatett of i!L
Take care of yourself, ^fadam ; support life, for when we hift
passed the season of illusions^ we no longer enjoy life | we mcfclf
[•.drag through it.' —
I • I am told, Madam, that you arc at the inland of lsrd| I
l^dways regret my absence fnim that residence^ though it b at^nlf
Itspoted to the nortlu During the«c three months I have not lO-
^tured to leave my apartment; — I should assuredly leave jc« WCfc I
within a short distance of you/
k
^
k
VoltaireV UnpubUsbed Letiirs* %i%
* GmfvOf April 1756.
* Tbe celebrated Tronchlmy who watched m j uo£[>rtuDate state of
iiealth m this placcp has left me for the purpo^ of overturning
prejudices in France* and inoctilating our princes with the small pox* I
na^e no doubt of his success^ in spite of the clamour against hinu His
patients were all doing well, according to the last accounts* Madame
De Vilierof is waiting for the neiLt Tacancy to be inoculated. The
children of M* 2> Rvchefoucauld and M. D^ Belh-lsU are contending
for a priority. We are beginning to adopt this practice from the Eng*
Ush. In Loudon, you never hear of a lady dying of the small pox>
InoculatioD preserrce them : but till of lat^ we had not the courage
to follow their example*^ — < M. De Btaufremsai ventured to do it some
dme ago in the case oi one of his children^ and was ridiculed. Had
I a son^ I would givtf liim inoculation before [ gave him a catechism/
* Laujamut January ^7^7*
* I keep my ro^m so warm, that I suffer from the 6ies in it«
while from the vuujows I see nearly one hundred miles of snow*
covered -ground, i have 6tted up a house at Lausanne which io
Italy would be called a palace* Fifteen windows look, to the lake
on tne right, the left, and the front. A hundred gardens lie lower
than mioe, and the great mirror of the lake reflects their banksu I
behold all Savoy on the other side of this small sea, and beyond Savoy
the Alps which rise like an amphitheatre ; and on which the rays of
the sua for^ a thousand tints of light* M. DtiaiUurt had not
a finer prospect at Constantinople. In so sweet a retreat I do not
regret Potsdam/
The Kjko op PausstA.
* Sepiember tj^p
' I am glad» Madam, that you believe in the eitistence of a Su*
preme Being, It is what £ endeavoured to impress on a King who
does Dot beliere in one, and who conduct 1 himseLf accordingly. He
will encounter misfortune, but will die impeniteot/ —
* The abridgement of Universal History , which you mention to me,
is a work ridiculously printed^ containing as many faults as lines.
The King of Prussia seems destined to prosecute me. I gate him
that manuscript more than thirteen years ajxo in a very imperfect
state. He said that he had lost it at the battle of Sohr, when the
Austrian Hussars pillaged his baggage ; but I have been told that
they gave him back every thing, even to his dog. It is his lihrarian
who publishes this manuscript in a mutilated and altered state. He
pretends to have made a purchase of it from a valet de chambre of
Prince Charles. All I know is that it has given great offence at oourt,
aod that I have had much trouble in appeasing the fermect which it
caused. This private bustnesii has come to plague roe at the very
time when the confusion of public matters causes me a Loss of pro*
perty. — My only consolation is in labour and retiremenL'
* Cofmar, Octoher 1754,
« t confcfi to you that 1 had no expectation of passing eight hours
successively with the King of Prussia's sister at Colmar, She loaded
one with kindnesfi, and made me accept a very handsome present. She
Liz iiisistsd
^^ <ne with
Voltaire'/ Ufipubluhed Lettm.
tost<ted positively on sedng my ntece, and in short did every tlan^
E>«sible to repair the miscmef inflicted on mc in her brother's mme.
et us conclude, then, that womeo are better than men,*
* Novemhr if $6*
I ' Ah \ Madam, I place little dependence on the Russians. Who
^ is to subsidize them ? If they will be contented with taking paymcot
I with their own hands, I will call them dear harhariant^ May God
assist and bless Maria Theresa ! But I see arrayed against her in the
I tpring 150,000 Prussians in short coats, dragging me Saxons after
ihem to dress their dinners* I see Hanoverians, He&sxans, and
Hnghsh guineas. The Austrians should have taken their measuin
1 better j yet I have still hope in Providence. The last mcinonal of
[sSolomon (the King of Prussia), accompanied by documents of juid*
L £ cation, is a ver)' imposing affair. His enemies tnust oppose actual
I luccess to him ; arguments do not give an inch of territorf .*
* Lausanne^ $lh January^ ^l^l*
'• You gire up Maria Theresa, then, since titc King of F^u^^sia ha
I defeated her troops, re*entered Breslaw, and taken 40,000 prisoncrt !
i Ah S Madam, do not change with Fortune. — ^ There was a tkne
when you were a determined Austrian.'
* 9*4 Fdruaryt iff 7*
* The King of Prussia has written to me rather an affectiooatc
etter from Dresden, dated the 19th January, — The Czarina wiihc*
ne to go to Pttersburgh, but I shall keep quiet in Swisserland. —
ft have Lad enough of courts.*
* The Russians are advancing into Prussia. — The public enemy
win be attacked on all sides. Long live Maria Theresa I Tike eve
of your bcalthj Madam, that you may see how these thing* lemrintie.'
* id February^ <759»
*' The approaching death of the King of Spain, the attrmpla 00 the
life of crowned heads, the friends of the King of Sweden perislisii^bT
the hands of the common executioner, and Germany swimming in bUodt
form altogether a frightful picture. However, people at P&rii ghe
themselves no trouble about these matters ; there the public «
foolish as ever } always complaining, always laughing ; ilH*ayi
ing of misery I and always plunged in luxury.'
< zdSMmhr, 17J9W
[This was written after the defeat of the Freocn it Mienden, and
lie defeat of the Prussians by the Russians at Cunersdorff.]
< I am as much delighted, Madam, with the behaviour of
Prince of Brunswick to your son as I am afflicted by the frital t%
which renders the Prince of Brunswick so great and the Frcndi 1
little. I am in hopes. Madam, that your son is by this tisi>e re
to you. If it were proper for me to write to the conquerori if <
circumstances did not prevent me, I should not fail to congrauJafel
not on his victory, but on the manner in which he has made use of i
The Kiogof Pnissia appears intitled to our sympathy; I consider I ~
as more surprised at being defeated by the RussianSythanM. DiC
tadei at being defeated by the Hanoveriaai.-
I
* Oetoher 175^.
* I am always surprised that the King of Pnistia holds out : but
you wiU confess that his affairs are in a worse state than ours* £x*
pelled from Dresden, and from the half at Icasi of his statei, surrounded
by enemies, defeated by the Russians, and unable to replenish hi«
exhausted treasury, I see nothing left for him but to come and
write verses with me at my country-seat, or to retire to Engbnd,
unless by some new miracle he hnds means to defeat all the armiea
around him. It seems, howevert that the present plan is not to fight
but to undermine him. In that case, the fox will be taken, but we shall
have to pay all the expcnces of this long hunt/
* Fernevf March 176K
• Where is your son at tliis time ? I pity his horses wherever
he is ; for I beheve that their retreats are precipitate and their
forage scanty. It is a pretty thing to have spent thirty millions
sterlmg for our travels up and down Hesse Cassel during the last four
years. We might have made the tour of the world for less money !-^
In my retirement, I have no news to mention except that my pay-
ments do not come in-*
The exchange of letters between Voltaihe and the Countess
of Lutxdburg was not merely a business of compliment. The
Countess carried on a very active correspondence with Madame
De Pompadaur^ m the hope of obtaining the influence of that
potent lady for her son's promotion in the army \ and Madame
De P* was accustomed to return the most obliging answers, and
to commission the Countess to execute various purchases for
her in the way of dress, but always lamented that promotion
was at the disposal of the ministers, who were too stubhorn to
attend to her applications. The consequence was that the
Countess obtained nodiing either for herself or for her son, who
unfortunately fell in the beginning of 17621 in one of the last
actions of the war. Voltaire is supposed to have been assi*
duous to the Countess with the view of obtaining her favour-
able report with Madame De Pompadour^ whose protection at
the French court was not a matter of indifFerence to him.
When Voltaire had private matters to urge, he was in the
habit of sending off two letters at the same time, to his cor-
respondents 5 one treating of the point in question, and the other
devoted to general topics, in order that the party addressed
might shew it about, or even get it printed, as a flattering mark
of attention from a great man, — ^The following extracts arc of
a very miscellaneous nature :
• Oc^her 175*5.
* I am remaining quietly in a soUtude, waiting the arrival of papers
on business. The dispatch of business of all kinds is tedious ;— .you
have a proof of it in your nephew's aifairs. Mischances come upon
Mfl with winged speed, and seem to go off with a limping slownoia.
•^To have patience is very insipid.*
1.13
About
I
I
jig VoltaiteV UnpuUiihtd Letterr.
About Sepemier tf^
^ I ain taking mj measures u well as I can to have itill tlie pki
«urc of paieing some day* with you : but I am become «o ^tM i _
faumer and »o downright a mason, that I hardly know woeo BjT
cattle and workmen will be able to do without me. Yoa and If
Madam, will leave the world as foolish and a$ wicked at we foandk*
1 am told that there is a Bt«nn brewing at court whici^ may fell tm ^
head of a person whom you lont^ and to whom I am attajched/
* Janwary 1761
* How do you find your health. Madam* during this north
wind ? It is, I believcy the only enemy that you have* Reflect i
the winter of life, so harsh and disagreetible to many persons,
which indeed it is rare even to attain, is for you a season that still ]
its Bowers* ^''ou possess health of body and mind* It is tftier
your writing resembles the scratching of a cat : but in your beti T
your hand vvaa not any oetter*' — « loth March* I met yettci
oa the road a man with one eye, and I congratulated myself on
ses^ng two. 1 next met a man with one leg, and I thanked my i
for having a pair, bad as they are. After having passed a certain agt»
this is our only way of enjoying ourselves ; there is nothing brflfilUDit
in it, but it affords us some consolation. Have yoti not beeo improf-
ing your garden ? That is a resource not to be neglected* — I gi»e
you notice, Madam, that I have been laying out the finest kfU&Ei^
gardens in the whole country,'
* S<pttmhr f76u
«i am not at present at my country-seat (the D^icu}* ^^"^^rf
tltink that the Duke Di FUlars occupies that small house whli V|H
whole suite, I have lent it to him in order that he mav be in tht
neighbourhood of Dr. Troachin^ who confers vigorous heaJth on every
one except me.'
« June 17^ ^
« We little thought that Madame De Pompadour would quit this
scene before us ; her dream has been brilhant, but it has beefi voj
short. Ours is less splendid, but it is longer, and perhaps ndit
trartquil ; for though she possessed the appearance of evrTy ecmtfoftf
she had her share of vexation^ and the perpetual restraint ot lier situi-
tion may have had a tendency to shorten her days. After alU w^aie
only butterflies, of whom some flutter a few hoursi and otiitn % fcw
days. I hav^ now remained ten years in my retreat, as yoa have doST
in yours. We are both of us constant, but I am not so wise as yoo |
io that you will live above a hundred years ; while I do not covot
on turning eighty/
* Auguii 1764.
• I regret Madame De Pompadour as you do| and 1 am sure that
her place will not be adequately iilk-d. She was food of confcrri
a favour, and had the power of doing so ; but my mierr*t hfts
concern with the rtgrtt which I feel atl ^ ' ti»<
every thing* and having no favour to a^- Lif the
htart ; and I weep for your friend wjtli&ut my GooMtkraUos llitf
bears reference to myaclf.'
The
\
MarchangyV PoetU Gaul. 5 '?
Tolume concludes with an essay by the editor, contain-*
ing some comments on the character and style of Voltaire.
This disquisition is agreeably terminated by a tale, in which a
travelling party is represented as being stopped at a small
country-town by an accident to tlieir carriage. While the
other travellers pass the tedious interval in amusement, one of
them leaves the town, and repairs to a small monastery on
the top of a neighbouring eminence. He enters, and converses
with the Fathers on divinity, on the history of the Order, on the
character of the Popes, and tells them a great many particulars
in their own line with which they were unacquainted. So
much knowlege, and such a complaisant manner, inspire the
reverend brethren with an ardent desire to attach this wonderful
theologian to their church ; and they were exhibiting to him a
flattering picture of the rank which he would attain, when
notice was brought that, the carriage being repaired, their guest
was about to be called away from tliem, and that his name was—
Voltaire.
A^T-XI. LaGauIe Pothque^ &c.; ui. Poetic Gaulf or the Hlatorr
of France considered in Connection with Poetry, Eloquence, ana
the Fine Arts* By M. F. Mabchangt. 8vo. % Vols. Paris.
1813. Imported by Dc Boffc. Price iBs. sewed,
TITe think that this book is well planned^ and deserves imitation
^ ' in the language of our own country. It contains a series of
of lectures on French history, dra\*Ti up for the purpose of dis-
playing the advantageous topics which the annals of France offer
to the artist. Whenever, among the celebrated personages of
national antiquity, a situation occurs which is adapted for tlie
painter, or an incident which is suited to the tragedian, or an event
which is worthy of the epopea, such theme is brought out, and
illustrated with notes and citations indicating where we should
look for the costume, for the manners, and for the religious
ideas of the personages concerned. Thus a general view of the
heroic ages of antient Gaul is sketched with impressive outlinei
truth of local colouring is taught, and that popular instruction
is promulgated which may suggest the enterprize, prepare tlic
success, or facilitate the criticism of future works of art.
Probably the author has personal projects of the epic kind,
and wishes for a specific invitation from the public, directing
which of the meditated achievements lie shall blazon on his
shield. During his narrative at least, he chaunts several ima-
ginary songs of bards, and declaims entire speeches of fabled
oratorSf as if he had begun different epopeas, and was anxious
LI 4 to
i
|M
Marchangy*/ Poetk Gaut*
to preserve the fortunate frAgments. « The Martyn^ rf
I Chateaubriand (see our Ixittl Vol. N. S. p* 54^*) seem piiiici*
^ pally to have tinged the cast of his ideas, and to have soppM
I the model of his style. This prose also is polished, picturesqifg
land pompous 5 and if less strangely rich in the spoils of IWing
I languages, it abounds with the neologisms of the antiqciaiy.
I The genius of M. Marchakgt delights in mythology; and|fe»
I lined as he is by taste and prepared by erudition for a compi^
[hensive polytheism, the gods of every religion live and moif
\in his imagination.
The work is divided into ten lectures, or recitals, whiA iB
I f elate to the period anterior to Charlemagne. Adiiitiofsal fO»
[lumes, no doubt, will direct similar attention to the somewlifl
I later adventures which are so repeatedly celebrated in popalsf
romances of chivalry. The subsequent and nearer period* wiB
not bear so much boldness of fictitious omamcni, and theiefort
[must belong to the dramatic rather than the epic nciuse^ Onlj
[the dawn of national existence projects those colossal shadowl
Ivrhich staJk in the epopea.
Antiquarian poetry is an expedient occupation for national
ffervility. The scrutiny of the leisurely inquirer into the ot
Mcurer primxval annals of a country can discover little tJut
i^vails as a lesson of experience, though much that amuses u a
[topic of celebration. " To point a moral, or adorn a tale^" is
all the use that can now be made of the earlier names at which
*< the world grew pale.** Accounts of the adolescence of natioos
should therefore be contentedly abandoned to the poet : thej
may inspire the young with an ambitious patriotism, but iliey
cannot teach the mature to guide the commonwealth.
After an introductory sketch of the general plan, which em-
ploys twenty-two pages, and recommends an extension of the
poetic age to the expulsion of the English by Joan of Arc, f^"
author opens his subject with a recital intitled * The C
He collects the intimations which the ciassical writers nave
preserved, and the fables which the legendary chroniclec of tile
monks have superadded, concerning the origin of the tribd
which first settled in Gaul. An interesting picture of Druidical
religion is given-, and a Bardic song is introduced, (p«56.)
which well condenses all that is known of the precepti of tbal
superstition*
The second recital illustrates the colonies of the Greeks and
Romans in Gauh The foundation of Marseilles is propose<f
as the subject of an epic poem ; and tlie scattered notices co©*
cerning the Phoceans who fled thither are asserobl-'V ^^^
visit of Marius and that of Julius Cxsar to Gaul are p
^s aibrding moments adapted for the bardih or chorus-ai
9^
MirchangyV Poetic Gaul.
511
I
nd an imprecation of the bards against the invading army is
iven (p. 100.) with much mythological learningi but with a
merely oratorical tone of inspiration, and not as in a choral ode
of Klopstock.
In the third recital, the invasion of Gaul by the Francs \%
illustrated. Here the Scandinavian mythology is xntroduccdi
and described i and fragments of a bardit (p»i49.) are given,
which contain passages out of costume, and various allusions
to classical sites tixiA traditions, of which the Skaldj could not
have heard, or which tliey would not have named with inte-
rest. For instdace, these Skalds, in the course of their song,
(P* 'S3') ^^^ address Calpe and Abyla ; *« Ye mountains
[Which a demi-god could not pass," &c*
As the fourth recital is in our judgment the most interesting,
and as it sketches the plan of an epopea on a subject already
recommended in a note of Gibbon, we shall be copious in our
abstract j generally condensing, but merely translating when-
ever tlie text is worthy of being presented entire. This recital,
which is called ' the Barbarians,' relates the invasion and expul-
sion of Attila,
Merovee, the successor of Clodion, reigned in Gaul when
Attila, having assassinated his brother Bleda in order to reign
alone, and having conquered the east, humbled three emperors,
and subjected tliirty nations and two hundred cities, marched
into France, In the details of his expulsion, the Muse may
discover a truly epic subject. She would have to open the
dwelling of the Caesars, and on the throne of the west to dis-
play tJie indolent Valentinian abandoned to the voluptuous
luxury of corrupted Rome. * The saloon, in which his throne
stands, offers audience only to the partakers of the banquet ;
where tlie flute and the lyre accompany the verses of Proper-
tius and Ovid, where beautiful slaves pluck from the rose its
petals to fling into sapphire cups, and pour on them Falernian
wine, for the ivy-crowned guests/
Interrupting his feast, a favourite of the jnonarch brings
word that the ambassadors of many nations are come to request
an audience. The Emperor then adjourns to the senate . First
appears the ambassador of Marcian, who paints the injuries in-
icted by Attila on the east, the desolation of Thrace, the fall of
aissa andSingido,andthe consternation of Constantinople; con-
cluding by solliciting aid from thesuccessorof Theodosius, — Then
comes the ambassador of the German provinces, who relates the
rogress of the Huns through Macedonia and Thessaly, the
Befeat of the Roman legions under Anargis, and concludes by
gsking succour for the garrisons along the Danube. — To hinx
lucceed deputies from Caul, who announce the approach of
AttiU
5^3t
MarchangyV Poetic GauL
Attila to the Rhine, and that his harbingers are felling the Her-
[.cynian forest to construct pontoons for passing their frontier.
— A last ambassador then appears. He is the enroy of Attila
himself, and dares to bring into ttie bosom of Rome the dictacei
of the conqueror* He requires the cession of certain promceti
and demands in behalf of his master the hand of Honorrai and
I her vast dower. Some senators are disposed to deliver up the
[ daughter of the Cxsars to the barbarian monarch : but Aetins,
tlie commander in chief of the Roman soldiery, opposes thSs
t hucniliation. His advice prevails ; and he is intrusted yclih Ae
[conduct of the army to be sent against Attila into Gaul.
I In a second canto, Attili has crossed the Rhine, and h tmh
I Iterating his foJIowers, The Vandals, the Quadi^ the Maieo-
I manni, and the Samatians are severally depicted. Among his
(followers, Genseric, the admiral, is distinguished ; who, wba
' he ordered his piratical fleet to undertake the conqocft of
I Sicily, said to the pilot, *^ Guide me to some nation wliici
God wants to punish."
In a third canto, the Gauls have sent ambass^ors to the
king of the Huns, to complain of the destruction of Auierre,
[Reims, and other cities* Tlie eloquent SaJvian, Prof^^pero*
[Paulinus, and Sidonius Apollinans, eminent ecclesiastics, (whp^
I while they waved the censer before the altar of Jehovah, sang
canticles of their own composition, worthy to charm the hiHl
of Ephraim,) constitute the embassy, Attila, affected by At
Gallic Orpheus, relents, and agrees to spare the city of Troycfc
The contribution, or ransom, hinted by the historiaji, of count
[escapes the epic narrator, who pursues the marvellotis.
Paris was in not less danger than Troyes. In a fourth canto,
[which forms a contrast witli the preceding by its soft scenery,
jthe deliverance of Paris by the female Saint Genevieve wiH bt
Mescribed according to the well-known legend. Saint Geoe*
Evieve was the most benutiful and pious of the young i»oiDfSi
[who walked on a Sunday into the grove beside the Seinei mJ
jthere joined in the dance under the porch of the Virgin Mary^l
hchurch. She collected alms for the needy, provided clotoef
jfor the naked, visited the sick, and prayH for the afflicted.
IThese prayers became so efficacious, that she turned aside ihe
[•course of the army of Attila ; and tradition, say« the an
|>(p. l8i») would justify the following fiction :
** The cherubs of tlie air, and the golden 4iaired seraiphlm, to whom
Kc Creator intrusts the urns of dew to fertilize the earth, were dctcenA*
\i2 to the Seine in order to enamel iti bank with flowers, when tlie?
leneld the virgin of Nanterrr kneeling on an altar of torf beneUn
||he willowv. Thry carried back with them to heaven her pflTcn
amgied with the perfume of flowers, and God wu plfMwd to procaiBi
Marchangy's PoHic Gaul
bis will respecting the iiritportal city* Immediately the cKerub« re-
dc'sccnded from heaven, and pushed down before them clouda of gold
and violet, with which they composed a radiant curtain that con-
cealed the walls of Paris ; so that Attila, when lie marched paatf
thought that he beheld only a void and uninterrupted horizon/*
' In the next canto, Aetiui appears on the Rhone, and con-
vokes by his henilda the kings of the Francs, of the Visigoths,
I of the BurgutuUanSj and of the other nations who then inhabited
1 Gaul. He represents to them the danger of their country, and
^kngages them to 2.hjure their separate differences and to con-
^Kederate against the common enemy. An union against Attila
^Bs formed, ratified at a grand feast, and messengers are sent
^about with the torch of insurrection, Merovec, Theodoric, and
Torismond, are among the distinguished allies.
The siege of Orleans undertaken by Attila forms the central
incident of the poem. A miracle wrought at the prayer of the
Bishop Aignan disappoints the intrusion of the king of the
Huns : he learns the approach of the confederates of Aetius;
and determines to meet them in Champagne. — A single combat
between the giant Widimir and Torismond, and an episode
detailing the loves of Childeric and Neliska, are embroidered
in this part of the poem. — At lengtli, the first battle is fought,
with doubtful success. The death of King Gondicaire forma
the most conspicuous loss of the Gauls; and in the eighth canto,
his funeral is described, and bards chaimt the death songj which
is thus given :
■ The chief of warriors has fought ; and ra^^ena feast along the
path of hi« sword. The shunner of battles may live long, but he
lives drspisied : happy he who falls by the sword, he dies in the bloom
of his praiee. In the midst of the battle, when the brave man feels
that he has met death, he laughs, and faUs. So fell Gondicaire | the
Scald shall sing his boldness, and the maids of Geneva * shall weep*
The chief of warriors has fought, and ravens feast along the path of
his sword,
< When the eyes of the hero are closed, he sees a sparkling star :
it guides him to where Hcimdal sits, on whose right is the road to
Valhalla ; on whose left, the deep of Niflcim. How bast thou fallen,
Gondicaire ? s^id Heimdal* The hero shewed his wounds. Then
Heimdal led him up the shining bridge of gods, and Iduna brought the
apples of 'eternal youth, which heal the wound but do not hide the
icar. Tlve portals of Valhalla unfold, and Oden beckons to the
banquet of the jrods ; the heroes of yore clash their weapons in sign
uf welcome. The chief of warriors has fought ; and ravens feast
along the path of his sword-*
I
524
Marchangy's Poetic Gauh
At length, the decisive contest approaches. Attilai QAeiffi
consults during the preceding might the witches of his cottiitry \
and they evoke the ghost of Hermanatic, who gives ill-boding
answers. The battle of Chalons then begins, Prodtgief j
valor are performed on both sides : but the troops of ^^
give way. He is compelled to fly \ and the tntelligence
he receives of the total discomfiture of his army induces him to
determine on evacuating Gaul.
This event has the neatnessi the importance, and cbe iisiiiy»
which are requisite to the epopea, and well desenres the
care of the poet : the history itself is admirably related in tk
thirty *fifth chapter of Gibbon. In the fifth recital, w^ "
minates the first volume* is described the settlement of the Fi
in the reign of Clovis, which the author considers as adiptl
for epic use. — The sixth is principally addressed to pa'intexH
and describes several situations among the successors of Clortii
which might be suitable for pictures. —The seventh, tntitled
* Fredegonda and Brunchaut,* is principally addressed to drama*
tistS) and notices several tragic incidents in which these heroioei
had a share. — The eighth records the foundation of vancmt
monasteries and hermitages in France, as proper subjects far
the ballad % which, by embellishing the original legend^ can
attach interesting reminiscences to the ruins that reoiain*
The ninth recital is interesting, and deserves the aiteiitiff
contemplation of the intended epic poet. It narrates the is*
pulsion of the Saracens from France by Charles Martel* Wilt
it not for the victory won by him near Poicriers, says the autbofj
(p. 156.) France, would have passed under the dominion cf
Islamism \ its name, its religion, its laws, and ie^ nvatineri,
would have been changed \ its cities would have been filled with
mosques, and minarets, and bazars, and seraglios % and its piD**
vinces would have been the seat of a proud ignorance^ sunai
cowers over the ruins of Palmyra and Memphis,
M. March AKGV then proceeds to dispose the historic effiOti
in a convenient order for the fabulist, so as to secure a progi»-
sive difficulty, an ascending interest, a climax of eflfbrt, id a
rapid and complete catastrophe. In the array of Charfei
Martel, he contrives to place Aymon, Doolin of MajeooTi
Oliver, Duke Naymes, and other popular heroes of the ro«
mances of chivalry ; and the institution of the earliest order of
knighthood, that of La Gefuttef or the bit, in honor of the
services rendered by the cavalry at the battle of Potcsicrs} la-
minates the poem.
The tenth and concluding chapter descrtbes the iDte A
manners, customs^ religion, and literaturei under Charks
iMartel,
ScoppaV TfUi PrincipliS of Vtrsificdtidn, 51J
In many respects, M* March angy has just ideas of the prm-
ttples of epic poetry. He utlmits, or rather he instinciively
perceives, that in the human agency should always reside a suf-
ficient reason for all the moral effort which occurs in the poem }
and that the mythological beings may only be allowed to produce
those physical accidents which influence the events. — Pans
lay too far west for the route of Attila* — How is the epic poet
to designate this fact ? Celestial agents prepare a radiant even-
ing skvf with which they conceal Paris from his sight ; and thus
the miracle related preserves the exact truth.
On the other hand, the author docs not display a skill of exe-
cution equal to his judgment in planning. His style is too
uniformly bloated, and fatigues both by its w*ant of variety and
its eifon* We recommend a rhimed diction, instead of this
heroic strutting prose \ and a rhimed diction modelled on
Lafontainf ; who, in the Chene et Roseau^ attains the highest
distinct sublimity, and quickly descends into easy, or picturesque,
or dramatic delineations* Homer and Ariosto vary their man-
ner much more than Virgil or Milton, and are the livelier for the
change : since the swing of expression, in which they indulge,
enables them to bring objects and incidents more dissimilar
before the reader.
Milton's Early History of England is full of hints to the poet
and the artist, but is not, like this work, drawn up for the pur-
pose of their instruction. Skilful poets are oftener made than
born \ and this is a good manual of poetic education.
^
Art. XII- Lti VraU Prmctpes^ &c. / u f. The true Prfnciples of
Versificatioi) unfolded, in the Course of a Comparative Examination
of the Italian and French Languages. The Objects of Examina-
tion and Comparison art, the Accent, which is the Source of Har-
mony in Verses ; the Nature, the Versification, and the Music of
these two Languages. The Analogy which subsists between them
is pointed out* Rules are proposed for the Composition of Lyric-
verses, and the Means of accelerating the Progress of Music in
France. Moreover, by pointing out the Beauties of the French
Language, which render it susceptible of edl the Charms of Poetry
and Music, it is rescued from the Imputations of those who deny
it the Graces of Sweetness and Harmony. By Ant. Scoppa,
Sicilian, Extraordinary Functionary in the Imperial University,
Author of several Works on Italian and French Literature,
Member of the Academy of Arcadians, of that of Bon Gutio^ of
Palermo, and of other Academies. 8vo. pp.000* Paris. i8it* ^
Imported by De BoSe. Price 14&. sewed.
TpROM a member of an academy of good taste^ we might rea*
^ sonably expect a more simple and more neatly-turned title-
page, a more luminous arrangement of the $ttbject» and more
classical
5^
ScoppaV Tna FrmtipUi tfVtrnfica
clasfiical purity of writing, than this extraordinary Functiontr
has bestowed on the lucubrations before us« He pleads, it
true, the privilege of a foreigner \ and it is no disparagement
his literary reputation that his style is, by many degrees, infer _
to that of Ftnthn or Voltaire: but M. Scoppa l>as not cond«
3ceoded to shew that he was obliged to compose a clums
irolume in a language difitrent from his own.
The prclimmary historical sketch of the Origin and Progrea
of Italian and French Poetry bespeaks both erudition and i
search : but it is too much abridged, and somewhat too cg
fused, to eatcite very lively interest, or to make us deeply in lof
with the gay science of the Troubadours, A few imports
circumstances, however, are connected with the rise of mode
poetry in the south of Europe, which are sometimes overlooke
even by learned uiqulrers, but to which the present writer i
disposed to allow their due degree of weight and influence
such, iu particular, is tlie early homage which the Saracens
Sicily and tlie Moors iu Spain paid to the Muses, and wliich t|
conjectured to have first inspired the native inhabitants of thes
countries with a taste for poetical compositions* The prioriti
of the Proven9al poetry to that of Italy is candidly admitted \
but we need not be surprized that the preference, in point
chronology, is awarded to the Sicilians, when we are told that
they are bom fn^ts ; and that, at this clay, the most unlettere
of their ploughmen pour forth their unpremeditated strains <
iove or gaiety * with an astonislnng facility, and with such
variable correctness of accent as never, even slightly, to oi
the most delicate ear. Travellers wlio have had the gc
fortune to direct their steps, for their instruction^ o^er i
happy country of Sicily, must doubtless Iiave admired, among]
the many wonders which the nature of the soil and climate pre«
sents, those groups of the k>west orders of the people who qaiil
their villages, perambulate the streets of Messina and PalennoJ
and, like mountebanks and adventurers, offer for money m\
harangue in verse, on any subject prescribed by those wt
are desirous of admiring the astonishing effects of their ima
nation.* — These Sicilian itinerants are, it should seeoi, hna
bardlings ; at least M. Scoppa is too patriotic, or too discreetf*
to insinuate any doubt of their honesty* He treats the
vagrant poets of the maiu-Iandf however, with far less reserre:
* The rage for being reputed an imfrovitatore infects alnoftt
jjl the petty rhymers of Italy ; few every body is conscious of t
certain faculty of uttering extefnporaneous verses, of some kind.
This confidence has generated a prodigious number of impoitert:
bold, but devoid of culture, tbey lay up id their meoiory a stofe af
dbue liuurt mfiromptm tndentioued by Mdiirt in his comedy of tKe
A
I
Scoppd'/ Trui PrindpUs of FersiJUathn,
PrrcitUiii Ridkules / and tb^y collect a magazine of common-placct,
which they very often borrow or purchase ^om others» to be used as
circumitances may require. They are attended by their civil friendft
who are known in Italy by the name of merry-felhtifs ; and, embark-
ing on this wretched capitalt they roam over Europe for the purpose
ofdecciviDg the people, and procuring a subsistence. Some of tnem,
allun^d by an appearance of success, are eagerly ambitiouB of pubhca*
lion i the few lines, which tliey «ported in the evening, eundQ crescuni^
and are on the next day expanded into a^ long poem, while tht
public are gulled by an assumed title of improviiation*'
In the course of his epitomized record^ this learned Sicilian
seldom molests his readers with very profound or philosophical
reflections. On one occasion, however, he talks of order atid har*
mony being the physical cause of pleasure : a position which, with-
out any father explanation, may be very intelligible to his acute
countrymen, (who, it seemsy are at no loss to fathom all the
depths of polemical theology,) but which, we fear, is not
sufficiently obvious to the cold and sluggish apprehensions of
the north.
On turning to the more immediate business of the book, we
find that it is divided into four parts. The first treats of the
accent and pronunciation of the antient languages, of the verses
of the vulgar tongues in general, of the division of time in
verses and music, of rhythm, &c* ^ — the second, of the theory
of versification, the nature and structure of different kinds of
verse, observations on the causes of their perfection and bn-
perfection, of the cxsura, elision, rhyme, &c. ; — the third, of
the different species of poetical compositions, musical dramas,
and poetical licences^ — and the fourth, of the principal points
of comparison between the Italian and French languages, of
their composing elements, the objections which have been
stated to the use of the surd and mute vowels, the peculiar
excellences of the French, the influence of climate, the causes
which have retarded the progress of music in France, and the
means of its acceleration. The first two parts constitute the sub-
ject of the present volume; and the entire publication is a matured
and very expanded form of a much smaller essay, which the
author published in 1B03, under the title of Traite de la Poesie
IlalienrtCf rapporiie k la Paesie Frangaist) which received a
flattering reception from some of the most competent judges
of its merits.
Part I. opens with definitions and explanations of eight dif-
ferent kinds of accent I namely, the prosodial, oratorical^ pathetic^
logical^ grammatical^ national^ musical ^ and typographicaL We sub-
mit, however, to the authored consideration, whether the ora;t^
ricali pathetic f legica/p national, and musical^ do net more properly
belong
s^«
Scdppa*/ True Principles of Versifie&iiofu
belong to the provinces of emphasis and intonmiion : andy in tMl
casC) a$ he allows that the mere technical marks or symbols of
accents are very different from the accents themselves, bis
chief business will be with the prasodiai and grnmfnaticaJ*
Though these have been often confounded, the fortncr pro-
perly denotes the quantity of time in a syllable, or the circum*
stance of its being long or short ; and the latter, the stress or
impetus of voice that is given to it. In the illustration of hii
definitions, M. Scofpa is somewhat tedious : bur, in the prac-
tical application of his principles to the Italian language, and
especially in his explanations of the terms ironcQ^ pianoy and
sdrucciQloy he is accurate and distinct. The existence of tli^
grammatical accent in the French, though strangely denied bj
some writers of name, is shewn to be fully as marked as tii th^
Italian ; and we cannot conceive any language whatever to be
destitute of it. The author is evidently of the same opinion $
since, in tl^e plenitude of his charity, he does not withhold it
« even from the English, that grating language, which in its
accent is condemned to imitate a perpetual hissing,* — With iti
true nature and influence in the French, he seems to be morr
familiariJy acquainted; and, though he details its history and
office through many dreary pages, we perfectly concur in tlw
justice, and even in the ingenuity, of most of his obser\'ationt
and reasonings. When Rousseau^ the Abbe D'O/ivet^ and
Martmnteif assert that the French language has no accent,
they obviously mean, none of a musical description, or notic
that consists in an elevation or depression of the voice: but,
in the pronunciation of each word, a stress or impulse of the
voice is communicated to one of the syllables, which is said
to be acute^ when all the others are termed grave. All the
words of the French language, therefore, according lo the
position of their grammatical or tonic accent, may be divided
into the piani^ trottchiy and sdruccmU^ of the Italians, the two
former being synonymous ^x^\ feminine and m<^ rounds;
and the other might be expressed by giiisans^ or \rortll :
but tlie only instances of their occurrence noticed by the author,
as gatde^k, dites-le^ &c. are at least doubtful, because each of
\ these expressions, notwithstanding the hyphen, ought mthcr U
be estimated as two separate worth \ and M. ScoppA waj( pet*
haps more correct when, in his first essay, he held the eptthK
jdrucci&lp to be inapplicable to the French language* In the
number of its truncated or masculine words, it greatly surpasses
jthe Italian \ a circumstance which contributes to it$ vivAcity and
hcnergy : but these qualities are duly tempered by a proper
i admixture of thej^ww, oxfemmim. The Italian, on the oiner
Ijband^ pos^s^es a great advantage over the Freodb^ in the Bie
1 ~i I ■ I ^ ■ '^"'
Scopp^V Trui P$ inctpUs of Versfjicaimu yap
of Us sliding words, which produce an agreeable variety in prose,
verse, and music. What a pity that we unfortunate English
do not manage this slippery part of our language with a little
more dexterity f for ii seems that we * always dactylize, by em-
ploying sJrucdoli words on a plan different from that of the
Italiansi and which, so far from being pleasing to the ear, is
extremely offensive to it/
W^ have not, however, yet done with the grammatical
accent, which the author regards as the fertile source of all
harmony in language ; and which he shews to have as important
functions in the Greek and Latin as in the modem languages of
Europe, Father Sacchi^ whom he frequently quotes with
merited respect, had maintained the same position j and, indeed,
the direct passages which are adduced from the wTitings of
Cicero and Quinctilian remove all shadow of doubt from the
matter oifact. The doctrine^ however, especially when coupled
with that of metrical quantity^ which was studied with such
scrupulous nicety by the most refined poets of Greece and
Rome, is not unattended with difficult^'; and M. Scoppa is
iatitled to no ordinary degree of credit tor the satisfactory and
I ingenious manner in whidi he replies to the principal objections*
He thus comments on the well-known remark of Cicero, •* in
Virsu quidem theaira tot a exclamant si fuit una syliaba aut briviof
mui longiQr^^ and others to the same effect :
* Cicero cannot be inconsistent with Horace, nor witli himself ; and,
in fact^ we learn from the context that lie does not allude to veraes
recited on the stage, but to such as were sungt Thus we shall find
that all the aiithoriticst which the grammarians allege in support of
their opinion, rt$t on false and inconsiderate interpretations ♦,
* Let U3 turn, for examplet to tliat passage of Cicero in which he
«eems to express the astonishing delicacy of ear by which the Romans
distinguished the pronunciation of long and short syllables, " Quid^**
lays he, '* in verbis junctis ? Quam icite insipienicm% non iniapientem / • • •
Jnclyfut dicimut brevi prima lit era f insanus product a ; inbumanU
b rev if infeiix long a - . * Consule veritatemf reprebendet^ refer ad
auretf probabutt/^^* — He is here speaking of compound words ;
and he shews the sensibihty of ear possessed by those who accurately
distingmiihed that, in many cases, the first i in such wordi
* • These clamours: of the people in the theatre need not surprize ui
when we reflect tliat the same causes would produce the same effects
in tiic French theatres at present. Suppose that, in the opera of Aiist
in declaiming or tingiug the verse,
** Fous vous eveillez si matin f**
the a in matin should be prononnced long, (an error ^hich the cele-
brated /.W/i very studiously avoided,) what cries and hisses would not
accompany thit actor who, instead of expresiinTT the tmrningi would
•uggc*t the idea of a maitijf?*
Apf. Rev. Vvl. lxxi. Mm U
}
530 Scoppa*/ True Principles of Versificatbn,
as those quotfd, which should haire a long quantit)r» on account of the
two consonants that follow, niust often be pronouaced as thort*
Then let u» apply it» tlie same Father Saccbh and we shall clearly
perceive that tliis setisationi v hich seems to be «o exquisite, is Oiily the
natural effect of the grammatical accent in the compound wards,
each of which has an accent ; and that this distinction ia perfectly felt
by the French in their prosody^ as I have already had occasion to
observe,*
In like manner, he analyzes the passage in St, Augustinin^
work on music, relative to the first verse of Virgil^s .^neid ;
and he shews that) in the fictitious linCi
*• Arm&t regemquc diio^ RMd't qui h^Svnj ah a^iar/*
the harmony is preserved, w^hile the quantity, though correcti a
in direct violation of the rules for hexameters*
* Ai often as we declaim Latin verses, we repeat St. Auguitine\
experiment- Like him, we are ignorant of the syllabic quant iiVt and
we know that such or such syllable is long or ehort, not because wc
really feel it to be so, but because we honestly believe that it for*
merly was so. We are constantly mistaking the pronunciation of thii
pretended metrical quantity, and yet the verses are not less harmonious.
* The nature of the pronunciation of the anticnt languages with
regard to accents being reduced to the terms which we have escplaioedf
1 have only to reply to the last difficulty which the grammarians arc
intitled to propose to me concerning the use of the prosodial quantity*
If, according to the system of Fatiicr Saccbif the theory of the
Greek and Latin versification was founded only on the value of
the grammatical accent, what end could be served by that midtitudie
of longs and shorts, so celebrated in antiquity, so uniform, so cunstantf
and so generally recognized ?
* This difRcuky is not, strictly speaking, an objection to the
•ystem proposed, but rather a call for an explanation of the use which
the antients could make of their prosodial quantity. The Romans wer^
in fact, very vain and jealous of it ; because, agreeably to thcif
character, they set a high value on their language, and vaunted and
improved all its possible properties, being ambitious of obtaining a
distinguished name by the culture of the arts, and by thetr wisdom ai
well aa their power.
* With the view^ to a direct solution of the proposed difficulty, it
will, I shoidd imagine, be proper to give some idea of the origin of
the prosodial quantity ; which, like the grammatical accent, it inr
herent in the genius of every language. From such an obvious expla*
matiout we may divine the motives which prompted the anticnts \a i
institute the rules of the metrical art, that enhanced the dignity^ har-
mony, and beauty of their verses,
« Whether we consult reason, or appeal merely to the testimony of the
«ar, it is certain that, in every language, more time ia required for the
pronunciation of two vowels than of one, and more for the pronunda*
tion of a vowel followed by two consonants tlian for the pronanciatioB
of tliat which ia followed by only one. The greater or less sonorous-
\ of the It'tters requires more or less time to pronounce thetn. On
thai
!
I
4
4
J
^
ScOppaV True PrindpUi of Ftrilficatiotu 531
99 principle, the antients, guided by reason and delicacy of ear^
nncd the rule of prosody, agreeably to whicli an unifurmity of
ronuticialion has been established among ali nationi *. Hence arf
lerivcd thc*e very old canons :
** yecalli hnga ni n c^fuona Una fiqumtur***
** Vocalim brevtant alia jtit^eunU Latint***
" Diphthonguj hnga at in GrMs atque Latimt** Sec*
« Each rnle, as I havt just observed, i& grounded on its competent
reasons. Thus^ a vowel which h followed by two consonants, one
f which h mute and the other liquid^ (that is to say, shding,) t»
ihorti or common :
*• ContrabU orntatf variant que in cdrmme valeif
Si mutam liquidamque limuf hrtvii una fr^lirif,*^
* The reason la, that, by the combination of these two consonant?,
one of which 13 sliding, the yoicc elides in effect, and seems to make
only a single impreRsion +.
* On the same principle, our Italian and Prench languages (with-
out troubling myself about others,) have alfto tlicir quantity, that it
to say, their short and long s^'Uables. The Abbe D^Olivti ha« dc*
icrved well of French literature, for having fixed its rules ; which|
Vfi\]\ much sagacity, he derives from nature herself, and from the
genius of Ills language : but the Italians ha%'e bestowed less atten-
tion on this subject, contenting themselves with those longs and
shorts which originate in the grammatical accent, a fertile and incx-
hauiitible source of as many beauties as the Greek and Latin language!
have been enabled to derive from it/
Tliis branch of the inquiry is prosecuted at still greatet*
length : but we must hasten to the following chapter, treating
of the versification of the vulgar languages^ by which are here
understood the Italianj French, and Spanish. The last men*
tioaed, indeed, is never separately noticed : but we are dis-
• This assertion is too wide and sweeping. Re^iK
• "f In French, the principal rule of the two consonants seems not to
take place, because, according to the prosody of that language, the
vowel is short. This is owing to the genius of the language, which
humours and takes the form of that vivacity which is natural to the
French.
* *« In France," says M. Durani^ *• the vowels that are fbljowed
by two consonants cannot be strictly quahfit d aa long, because our
organ?, having to surmount the oppositjon of tbetr consonants, may
be said to imitate the gen d wlilch clears the ditch or the
barrier in \\\% way, with a.i ^.tiy sufficient to carry him over
in gallant style * so we prououiice arhrt^ marhre^ fofte^ pumpe^
• The example of the mute^nd liquidi which do or may render
•hort the vowel that precedes tl»cm, will in some measure reconcile
ut to ii*h^t Durond says with respect to the French prontuiQiation/
M
m 2
Uxictl^
S^7 ScoppaV Ttut Prirtciphs 6/ FeriifcatUm
t tinctly Teminded that the same series of observations applies ta
^all the three.
An Italian verse is substantially defined ta be an assemblage
of a determinate number of syllables and of accents, so dis^
ktributed afi sensibly and easily to affect the ear with an agre*-
lable sensation. If either tlie number of syllables or the position
|cf the essential accent be altered, the peculiar harmony of thf
j verse is lost; a Convincing proof that its effect depends on
Uhe combination of both. In some cases, where both the r^
<^uisite number of syllables and the posirion of tJie es&entiil
accent are observed, the line m;iy nevertheless be scarcely dis-
tinguishable from prose : but this anomaly arises from some
accidental close adherence of the sense of two contigoooi
'words, which occasions their behig recited without a suffidesl
fitress or pause of the voice on the proper place, as in
** JS 1/ sgU avea desti i morta/i alP cfral*
^%here the first essential accent is on avia : but this aiiiiiltavy
is so intimately connected with </f/ff, that we do not readily
Separate them in pronunciation. If, however, without rrgard
Pto the meaning, we pause between them, the mere harmony ef
the verse is restored. With regard to any defect, either in the
number of syllables or in the distribution of the accents, the
ear is justly represented as the judge from whose tribunal m
appeal can be made v and the wonderful susceptibility of this
organ, in perceiving the requisite harmony, or the w^m of itp
is traced to the pleasure which we are constituted to recerre
from the alternation of different Sounds, within regulated
limits. The structure of French versi&catton is shewn lo
depend on the same principles ^ and the whole doctrine of ihi
csESura may be said to regard only the adjustment of the
lial accentuation. Although no examples of the slidtng
idruccioli verses occur in French ^ the feminine and ma
exactly correspond to the piani and tronchL The gr
proportion of tne latter in the French, and the exclu^ioyD of I
sdntcdoii^ (verses, not words,) are even maintained to be OKffe
friendly to harmony than the Italian models \ and, in '"^ u
the general cast of the verse is concerned, tins opin -
ceptible of demonstration : but, in th'* minor det^iU of the
ttructure of words, in a happy combination of letters \ and i^
mellowness and vocality of pronunciation, M. Scoppa wiU
we presume, be disposed to yield the palm to any tranmn
tongue or dialect whatever.
A whole chapter is allotted to the division of time to
wUch b ably traced to the same principle that prompts At
beating of lime in music : but ihiS| lud mofl of cbe Icadbf
ScoppaV True Principles of Vtriificatton,
Si'i
I
yleijrs contained in the chapter, particularly the definition of a
poetical foot, of metre, and of rhythm, are avowedly borrowed
from Sacchi ; to whom MarmmUl appears to have been under
great obligation^;, tliough he dispenscti with quoting his name.
Here, as on several other occasions, M. Scoppa's principal
merit seems to consist in stating and answering objections : but
we cannot, without greatly infringing our boundaries, pretend
to follow him through all his illustrations ; and, indeed, we are
less anxious to do this, when we perceive that bis sentiments have
been anticipated by some of the most eminent of his precursors-
In Part ii., which treats of the theory of versification, he states
the extreme dimensions that can be assigned to any verse* The
minimum^ it is observed, cannot be less than a measure of three
feet \ because, from the very definition of a verse, it ought to be so J
constructed as easily and sensibly to produce its impression on thel
car J otherwise, itwould be only prose j oXyvktvtrs^y all prose, and J
every word of it would be verse* Each verse is only a porriox^l
pf rhythm^ and the rhythm is only a continuous and indefinite
series of similar feet : but one foot cannot be a scries, and con-
sequently cannot constitute a verse. Two similar feet, placed
together, will form a metre, and the beginning of a series : but
the beginning is not the series itself; so that the union of two i
feet is not a verse. Besides, the junction of two feet forms a
metre : but a metre, according to the definition of the best pro-
fessors of tlie art, is not a rhythm *, antl therefore, also, two feet i
do not make a verse* If to two similar a third of the same
nature be added, the idea of scries is recognized in that of con* |
tinuation, and the existence of verse is determined. Verses^ '
properly so called, then, cannot have fewer than three feetf
^n^ any metrical specimens of shorter dimensions are strictly
to be regarded as only the commencements or elements of j
ycrse. Again, a verse of three feet requires the essential accent
only on the third, because that absolutely determines the ex-
istence of the verse* The harmony of a verse, moreover, con-
gists in the relation of one accent to another, or of one time to
another: but one foot h^s only one accent j consequently, it
possesses no relation; consequently, no harmony; and, conse*
quently, it is not a verse. It may, however, be said that two
similar feet produce accordance, harmony, and order.
• Let us reflect, then, on what I have just advanced relative to th*
nature of series ; for I maintain that th<?y dci not constiiute an order*
but rather the beginning of the order ; they complete a metre, which,
in poetry, should be considered as the first element of harmony.
Attend to the regular movement of the steps of soldiers, when at
drill — one itxiOf one two, one f^wo, one two, one two% &c* ; here we
have an order in the movement, which is precisely an example of
irhythm. Cai^ it be supposed thati in the firijt two steps, §ne ttvot
M m 3
which
534 ScoppaV True PrlncipUs of Verslficatkn^
whicli are only a hattuia^ (bealing») an order can be perceived? cer-
tainly not : but* if the same haiiuia be repeated, one itt/o, cnc iwa^
it i* obvious that the ear, when comparing them together, discovert
in them a beginning of order, which '\^ roanifejied in the passage
from the first to the second. If we pass on to the third, en^ ttvo^
one two, Ofif t'suot here are order, series, rhythm, — the decided forma*
tion, in short; of the musical verse. It requires, then, three feet. to
determine the genuine chanrcter of a verse*
' In the same manner I proceed to shevr what i» the maximum of
R verse^ I have atatcd that it cannot exceed the number of five feet :
for, in short, we must assig^n a term, fixed by the ear» in order to
ccniititute in a verse an individual whole. Now, in tlic idea of the
whole, we cannot reckon more than five feci. For the take of
argument, however, let ns suppose a verse of lits feet : as it may be
divided into two equal parts, each of which is of three feet ; and, ai
tlirce feet form a verse, it is evident that this pretended compound of
six feet is only the union of two verses* These two verses, whether
we consider them as united or as detached from each other, wFlI
neither acquire nor lose any of their natural prerogatives* The car
will always receive from tliem the same harmony. ^
• But the extent of a verse which is included in the number of ^y^
feet presents the image of a perfect whole. If separated into two,
the lar^rest portion will be of three feet, which are a verse, while tlie
imallest will be of two feet, which make only a metre ; and, since a
metre, of itself, is not a verse, it must be joined with the largest por«
tlon, in alliance with which it effects ihat harmonious resonance of
wliich it is deprived. It gives this harmony in fact ; and the ear it
the judge of it ; for though only a metre in itself, yet, when united
to the other portion, it contributes to form a part of that rhythm
which the car has already begun to relish with pleasure. Thus, of
these two parts is naturally formed an entire and rationally constructed
whole,'
An apparently ob%'ious objection to the preceding doctrine
arises from the hexameter and iambic verses of the antients, and
the Alexandrine of the French, which are held to consist of /m
feet. M. ScopPA observes, in reply, that the Greek and Latin
iambics correspond exactly to the Italian sdruccioli^ and consist
of only five feet, with two short superfluous syllables at the
end ; that the true measure of the Latin hexameter is ana*
festit^ really consisting of five feet, the first and the last syllable
being superfluous to the rhythm, and hence denominated by the
antients caialutic ; and that the Alexandrine, of six iambic
feet, is merely a compound of two verses, of three feet each,
separated by a caesura.
As the poetical feet, which enter into the composition of
Italian and French verse, are four in fmmber, (namely, the
ircchittiSf iamttiif dartyius^ and anapestus^) four species of verse
naturally arise out of them, and each containing three varieties,
according as they consist of three, four, or five, of their re-
spective
I
I
I
ScoppaV True PrinctpUi tf Vit/ificatlm
Ipective feet. This scheme, which U at once simple and con.
venietitjis particubrlv exemplified and illustrated in the review
of the different sorts of verse^i, both Itali yn and French; and to
this review are subjoined nuny excellent critical observations
on the French Alexandrines, with *n analytical reduction of Ita-
lian, French, and Latin verses, to the same standards* From the
greater prevalence of iiimbic and anape&iic words in the Fretich,.
the author infers th;it this hr -> really nioreadaptid thaa
the Italian to the purposes oi ir.nony ; and that French
poetry and mu?»ic mi^ht be grt^atiy improved, if poets and mu-
sicians were always c ipabie of apprcciatmg such advantages,
and of turning them to practical account.
The common hemLcasyllahk verse of the Italians, when com-
pared with the heroic^ or ht^xamcUr of the Greeks and Latins, is
found not to yield to it in sweetness, forc^; or gravity; qualities
which result from the extent and divisibility of the verse, and
the nature of its rhythm. Now, the extent of both is the
same, namely, five feet ; and, with regard to the other two
properties, the superiority is fairly awarded to the moderns^
because the hendecasyllabic verse admits of greater variety in
placing the pause, and its inmbic rhythm is preferable to the
anapestic which characterizes tlie hexameter. Yet few Italian
dr French poets have succeeded in imitating the hexameter and
pentameter models of antiquity j and their failure ia here
ascribed to two causes, viz. ist, a greater reverence for scholastic
rules than for the dictates of an unprejudiced ear, 7i\\6^ 2dly, the
different genius of the dead and the Jiving languages, the latter
requiring their full complement of articles and other minute
parts of speech. * The articles, if I mistake not,' (says the au-
thor,} ' often prevent literal translations of Latin verses that
retain the harmony of the original. For example, i translate
into Italian the following vers^ with its harmony :
** At rrgf/m gravi jamdudtfm saucia ctird ;*'
' Ma regina grave nel petto lacera cura :
but, owing to the want of articles, this Itahan verse, which
preserves the fiime accents, the same number of syllables, and
almost the same words as the Latin, is wholly destitute of
sense and meaning.* ^ — That the harmony of the Latin hexa-
meter, however, is capable of being perfectly transfused into
the Italian, is obvious from the following specimens :
** Regij sc/h erat subrtmlbui aha columms :'*
* Rcgia Sole n'era su* limiti d'alte colonne.'
♦* Tiitrif tu patuU feadbans sub tegminefmgi .***
• Titiro, tu pavida turbine sul talamo fago.*
M m 4 Witli
I
5 3 fi Archhii 9f Discsvef'its^ fffc. for 1 8 1 o and 1 8 1 r .
With respect to pentameters, even the Sicilian imfr&^isisri
can imitate them with the greatest ease.
Many pages are occupied with judicious and useful ob$em-
tions on the effect and proper management of the c^sura, rli*
sioTi, rhyme, blank verse, lines imitative of sounds, Sec. : but
we must forbear to enter into a more prolonged analysis of
this first volume \ — which, though in some respects inelegant
and cumbersome, bespeaks much candour, and the result of
much laborious study \ and which we may safely recommend
to tlio attentive consideration of all those who are desirous of
cultivating an mtimate acquaintance with the genius and niceties
of Italian and French versification.
Art. XII L Archives da DecoaverUi^ &c. ; ue~ Archives of
Discoveries and New Inventions, made in the Sciences, Arts,
and Manufactures* both in > France and in foreign Countries,
during the Years l8io and l8i r ; with a brief Indication of the
principal Productions of native French Industry, Notices respect-
ing the Prices proposed or decrted by different Literary Societies,
French and Foreign, for the Encouragement of the Sciences and
of the Arts ; and the List of Certificates of Invention granted by
the Government during the same Years. 8vo. Paris, — Imported
by De BotTe. Price 12s. sewed, each.
rpHE second volume of this publication was announced In tlie
^ Appendix to our Ixivth Vol. N. S. p. 524., and we havfl
now to report its continuationp For the most part, we thin|
that all the ohservations wliich we before otfered apply in
present instance, since these volumes seem to possess the sa
merits and the same defects which were displayed in the formerjl
The merits, which considerably overbalance the defects, are
those of clearness, accuracy, and brevity ; while, on the con-
trary, we meet with some examples of want of method* of
improper arrangement, of a disproportionate attention to the
difierent subjects, andof rai undue partiality to the productions
of the French* As the arrangement of the two volumes ia
very nearly the same, we shall consider them in conjunction,
ind briefly go through the different sections \ pointing out
those articles which are the most new and interesting to uSj
or such as seem to lead to the most important conclusions*
We begin with Natural Hiatory ; and the first article consista.^
of an abstract from a valuable paper, by Delarccki^ on the Caus
by which the Cooling of Animals is effected at high Temperatures*
The conclusion derived by the author is this : * The develop*
ment of cold, which is manifested in animals exposed to grea
heat, is the result of the evaporation of the matter of transpi*'
ration \ which, in proportion to the increase of the action of
^
*
I
AreUvti of Daconferieip Effir. ^r 1 8 to ofid 1 8 1 1. J3 7
the cxhalcnt system^ is as much more considerable as the e%*
ternal temperature is devatcd. It is at the same time the result
of phyMcal and of vital cau&cs/ — An account h given of a
paper by CuvUr on the Swimniing-blatider of Fishes| in which
he relates the opinions of those who have treated of this sub-
ject, and seems to doubt whether the proper use of this organ
has yet been discovered. —The description follows of a variety
of new animals and plants, chiefly taken from the French na-
turalibts ; and the analysis of seveml new minerals, (among
which are introduced Dr. Thomson's sodalite and allanite,) and
mineial waters. — In the botanical department, the labours of
our countrywoman, Mrs. Ibbetson, are noticed with due ap-
plause.— A sketch is added of an apparently interesting paper
by Hituyt on the Electricity of Minerals j in which this ingenious
philosoplier seems not only to have carried his observations
much beyond his predecessors, but to have deduced from them
some curious and important consequences with respect to the
classification and diagnosis of minerals.
In the department of Natural Philosophy, among other topics
of less importance, we have some observations by CofU, so
well known for his laborious application to the science of me-
teorology, on the appearance and disappearance of the ylttrora
Bortalifi by which he renders it probable that this ph:]eno<-
menon occurs more or less frequently during alternate periods
of a certain number of years : at present, it is much less fre-
quently visible than it was about twenty years ago, — We have
also an abstract of a p;iper by Volta on the Fcrm^ition of Hail, of
papers by Biot on the Refr.iction of Light, and by Dt/saigntj on
the Phosphorescence produced iti I^odies by the Compression
of their Particles. The experiment:, of the latter induce him to
conclude that even water may become luminous by com*
pression ; and that it is not an electrical effect, but that it
depends on the particles of the wat^r being brought nearer to-
getlier, by which the light is, as it vvere, squeezed from ber
tween them, which is the case with caloric in different instances.
The disengagement of light is supposed to be wholly independ-
ent of combustion. — Prcvast has been lately occupied in some
experiments on the Transmission of Heat across Water. He
supposes that, when a film of water is become saturated with
heat, it can tranamit a certain quantity through its substance j
but this operation appears to take place in a slight degree, and
only with minute quantities of the fluid. -^The English pro-
ductions which are noticed are Mr. Burney's Observations on
Floating Bodies, Kirwan^s Anemometer and Wollaston's Go-
niometer, Sir H. Englefield's Portable Barometer, tlie Electric
Column of Mr. Deluc» the Experiments on Electricity and GaU
Archivis 9/ Diicoveriers ^^* for \%\o mnd \Zi%*
vanism by Davy, Children, Cuthbertson, and Stn-r^r
[fessor Leslie's Discoveries on the Production of
Under the head of Chemistry, we have a rather :
• of the discoveries and hypotheses of 8ir H* Dnvy, .
I analogous researches of MM, G^i; Ihtn&rd: t
^6ul>jecta are treated in a perspicuoti > d on the wi
[nvith great impartiality* — Also, an abstractof a judicious paper
by DthmUherti on Chemical Affinity ; of G&y*Luiia/% £xpe*
rimcnts on Triple Saks \ of those of $trtime^tf on the New
Metal from Silex ; of Vmtqueiinh Comparative Etperimrnis on
Gum, Common Sugar, and the Sugar of Milk ; and on the
[ Proportions of Sulphuric Acid in its difterent Mixtures with
I Water. Then follow papers by Saussure on the Componrionof
Olifient Gas, from which we learn that he agrees very iiearJj
with Dr.Thomson; by Boulhy oi\ the Formation of an Etlicr from
, Arsenical Acid ; and by Bcrard on the Alkaline 0?f^!^tes aod
I Buper-oxalates, in whicJi someof theconclusioii fbi ~
8OU are controverted, and the facts are rendered 1 \^rci
to the hypothesis of BtrthoUef, These compose some of the
most important articles that arc contained under the cbw of
Chemistry* in which we cannot but remark the very little shaft
that is assigned to our countrymen. Sir H. Davy is the onJy
[•English chemist vvho^e labours during the years 18 to and tSti
rare deemed worthy of being recorded.
The departments of Medicine and Surgery arc bsuren of m^
formation ; a defect which we conceive must be, in part at leait,
imputed to the scarcity of medical writers in France. In
Bome branches of knowlege, it would not be ea^y to decide tk
which of the two rival nations the palm of superioritT sh<
be decreed: but in medicine there can be no doubt that
i'udgment would rest in favour Jof England. Every fact that wt
lave been able to ascertain on this point leads us to that co«»
elusion, and ilie volumes now before us, as far a» their erMeooe
I 4s of any weight, confirm the opinion* Of the articles mentioned
in this section, very few belong to practical medirine or hit*
I ^cry J some refer to physiology, and some to pharmacy, which
seem to be interesting. In ihe latter departmenf, u*e ob»
serve that the active geniua of the French has been called forth,
by the circumstances of the times, to endearotir to fiiid a sub*
stituie for Peruvian bark* One writer recomm^ruld irery
wrongly the leaves of the olive trcei another, v coSre;
l-ft third, the bark of the tulip tree ; and a foyr: rind of
I4he pomegranate. We may with confidence predict that theR
l^wiH be found very iropertect substitutes 1 the will*^— ^—^ ii
iTtTobably much superior to any of them, but we pt lat
" rirtucs are not known in France. -^ In die section 00 Thar*
1 nacyi
Jrchives^of Discoveriis^ isfe.for l8lo and l8l1. 539
tnacy, is an account of the analysis of several plants that belong
to the Materia Medica, which had not before been examined ;
the root of the liquorice, the graiiolay nux vomica, Colombo,
oppoponax, assafaetidai and some others :'•— pharmaceutical che-
mistry has been cultivated in France with much assiduity.
Hydraulic Architecture and Navigation form one of the sec-
tions, and we find in it several inventions or proposals for im-
provements : but we apprehend that they are rather to be con-
sidered as ingenious, than as likely to be of any substantial
advantage. We were amused with an account of an apparatus
called a Submarine Nautilus, which is described at full length,
and which is said to have been approved by some of the learned
members of the Institute. This Nautilus is a vessel which, as
its name imports, is to sail below the surface of the water, and
is to be capable of containing a considerable number of
persons. It appears to be of an oval form, and divided into
three apartments; the centre for the reception of the pas-
sengers, and the two ends to contain the apparatus for raising
or sinking the machine, and for supplying a change of air. A
particular account is given of the method employed for direct-
ing the machine, and for causing it to rise or sink ; of the fea-
sibility of which we can scarcely form an opinion. In all such
contrivances, the greatest difficulty is to afford a supply of re-
spirable air, and in this respect the Nautilus is evidently defective.
After an account of two mechanical contrivances, one of which
is a system of flexible tubes, intended to reach to the surface
of the water, the author adds, * the navigators provide for the-
imperious necessity of breathing by an ample stock of com^
pressed oxygen, which is kept in reserve, and which they use
with the economy imposed on them by the interest of their
own preservation.' We have seldom seen a more complete
instance of scientific trifling.
We shall conclude this notice by some account of the Manu-
facture of Sugar in France. It appears that the French are still
extremely assiduous in their endeavours to procure this sub-
stance from their indigenous plants ; and although it is highly
improbable that their exertions will ever succeed so far as to
produce any thing which can become a proper substitute for
the juice of the cane, yet it is not uninteresting to observe the
result of their attempts. These volumes contain an account of
many experiments, some on the beet-root, others on the maple-
juice, and on honey, but chiefly on the syrup of grapes. An
account is given of the proportional quantities, as well as the
peculiar qualities, of the sugar that can be procured from these
diflFerent sources ; with a detail of a set of experiments per-
formed by BerthoUft, Cbapta/, Parmentier^ Vauquelin, and Proust,
{40 Breton'/ Cbha in Mim^ture^ Vpls* V* and FI,
on the Comparative Virtues of tlie Sugar from Gmpes and from ]
the Cane. This Icanied body proce^ed to taste creams, icc$|
marmahdesi &c, &c. made with the two kinds of sugar^ mdj
to report the effects produced on their palates \ and this report,]
it seems, was regarded as of sufficient importance to be inserted
in the Moniteur- In connection with the same subject, we
may add that attempts are now making to cultivate cotton in die '
southern parts of Italy; and, as far as the climate is concenietit
we think that they may have some degree of succe*^ : but wc j
have no idea of any thing being accumpli^ihed iri :^tj
which can at al) diminish the importance of the fci ^,
of the article.
Art. XIV* La Chine en Hftnlature^ &c, ; i« ^. China in Mlakr
turc, &c. By M. Breton- i2mo. Vols, V* and VI. Pirii^
1812. Imported by De Buffc. Price 128, aevvcd.
PICTURESQUE geography is in high vogue in France j vaiA}sh
deed more is learnt in a few minutes conccrninij the drew
of a people, the appearance of their edifices, and 0 Till-
ing character of tlieir occupations, by means of adn; r-
ings, than could be acquired in as many hours from
A book of plates on the Manners of the Othomans w
m our Ixxth Vol. p. 542. ; it was an imitation of tiie 6nc
four volumes of the present work, which were noticed to the
Appendix to Vol. Iwiii, p, 538. Their great sixcoess hm
tempted the editor again to look through his Mock c '
and to select this supplement from the uncopied dr
the omitted remarks. The sweepings of a literary closet aft
seldom equal to the picked papers : but, on this occasion, the
neglected paintings had been precisely those which ircre mo
large and complex to be reduced easily by the engraver. TItff
are now given in folded prints*, and the text of M, Nepvm^
being every where accommodated to the design i, and n
on a daily increasing familiarity with the travels of M;
Huttner, Barrow, and Guignes, is not less instructive or dsto>
datory than before.
In the fifth volume are thirteen plates. The fir»t three Wf
present the manner in which the heir- ' ' (^inpim
of China appears in public. Two rui ih ^
whips precede to disperse the croud ; and n cavalcade
tweuty-four horsemen, with long pig-tails, sttrrounds
horse, or palankin, or vehicle of the prince. P(at8 4. fih
presents ilie c;miel which carries the tent of the Emperor.
Plate 5. a bonssess with l»er crown shaven. Plate 6* 1
: ffuit-glth TlsLict 7« and 8* walking public cooks. This profd-
Breton*/ China in Miniature^ Vds. V. and VL 541
iion deserves notice, because it is applicable in every large
awn* A man carries with him, suspended like two milk-
pails, a brazier containing a charcoal fire, and a larder of stakes,
ioups, bread, and other victuals of ready sale. He stopa in a
public walk, or under the porch of a temple, or wherever he
can find a bench, and dishes out a comfortable dinner in the
open air. Plate 9* is a pigeon-merchant* Plate 10. contains
various figures in mourning. Platen, Mandarins, Plates 1 2-
and 13. Tattars, At p. 79. the author tells a marvellous story ;
• To the we«t of Ha-Mi are entire fields of ^vaier-melons. When
they are ripe, and ready to gather, tlic people sent for that purpose
are forbidden to speak ; because, if any one by mistake talks loud,
the rtpe melons begin to crack and burst.'
Thb sensibility to sound, this auditory faculty of the melon,
is an obsen'ation peculiar to Chinese natural history.
In the sixth volume, tlie plates 14. and 15. exhibit a pro-
gress of Cong-Tshu j they are prolongations of one another,
each including half tlie original Chinese picture, which is a
companion to the plates i. and 2. In plate j6, the suite of
the princess is given. No, 17. represents a Thespian car, a
travclhng theatre of the Chinese. The waggon expands into a
stage, and contains the warehouse of masquerade \ the specta-
tors assemble in a pit of clay, strewn with rushes. The dramas
have all the indecency and improbability of diose of Aristo-
phanes. A Chinese author says ;
* Plays are fire-wdrks of the wit, to be viewed only during the
night of leisure- They degrade a«d dirty those who let them ofif;
they fatigue the delicate eyes of the sage ; they supply dangerous
ruminations to idleness ; they stain the women and cliildren who
approach too often and too near \ they make a smoke and a stink more
losting than the gaiety of their light ; they dazzle but to mislead ;
^vnd tiicy often occasion ruinous conflagrations.'
Some literary anecdotes occur in this chapter. During the
ear 17 So, a plan was laid before Kien-Long for reprinting a
^complete collection of the Chinese writers ; it was calculated
at six hundred thousand rolumes : but a Chinese volume is
^vhat we should call a pamphlet. Their drama forms a very
minute proportion of this compilation. The French stereotype
drama (the plays in common demand) amounts \q twenty-
leven volumes, octavo. Among the works reprinted at the
cxpence of the state, was a book of Father Ricci the Jesuit, in-
titled A true Idea of God, Wlien a work is published which the
government disapproves^ death is sometimes inflicted, of which
an instance is cited* — Plate i3. exhibits a rcligioua proces-
•ion of the Boodhists. 19. A charcoal waggon t the form of its
wheel descn^ei notice^ being of cheaper construction than the
spoke*
54^ Salvage'/ jfnat^my of the Fighthtg GlaJiaii^r*
spoke-wheel. The Chinese light tlieir coal-fires with charcoaO
by which means they escape the incipient smoak. They do nc
make their tinder of rags, which they sell to ih^ paper- makerJ
but of a sort of white grasi, which ihcy beat with a mallet, anif
steep in salt»petre ; their matches are made of hemp-stalks
70, A fueUporter. ai. Toy*meo. The liu-li, a flexible sort of
glass, is described tn this chapter* 22. A seller of aniseed com-
fits, 23. A dog-merchant, 24. Chinese Highlanders. 25- Mos
lems. 26. Method of building in China^ 27. Plan of
Chinese house. 28. Method of constructing a tower in China]
»uch prospect-towers are called Ta in Chinese.
Tliese volumes contain many inedited portions of ihe cor^
req>ondence of Father Atniot^ and other French missionarieM
'With the minister of the interior, M- Btrtin^ and are valuably
for communications respecting the arts and manufactures of thi
Chinese, to which he had especially directed their attention.
Art. XV- Jlnatomie du CladiaUur comlattantf &c- ; 1. 1* Tli
Anatomy of the Fighting Gladiator, adapted to the Fine Arts
or a Treatise on the Boncs> Mu&clcs, Mechanism of the Motiotti
Proportions, and Characters of the Human Body, Illustrated b
22 PlatcE. By John -G ALBERT Salvage, Physician of the Factdtj
of Montpellier. Imperial Folio. Paris, 1812. Imported by Di
BofFe. Price 81. in Boards.
t^ITe here announce not only a very splendid and very useful
^^ work, but one which is new in its design, and higbl
worthy of imitation* It is of little importance to inqut
whether the statue now called the Fighting Gladiator was
termed by the antients, or whether it be not a representation
Chabrias or Akibiades : alt agree that it is an exquisite piei
of sculpture, constituting in itself a study for the modern artisl
M* Salvage is so enraptured with his subject that he dedicate!
this superb volume * To the Manes of Agasias, the Son
Dosltheus, Citizen of Ephesus, the Sculptor of this Statue
apostrophizing him in the following strain, which may suit t
meridian of France, but is too extravagant for us cold-bloodei
islanders :
* Agasiai ! awake> quit the unknown tomb where thou reposcj
to preside over our labours, to instruct 113 in the secrets of thy arti
and to trace the route which we ought to follow ] Divine etatuar}', aid
our views, enlighten us w^iih the torch of thy genius, and if I have
so completely studied tliy grand chef d^auvre as to have been able
analyEC it« action and to penetrate its mysterious beauty, if mf\
painful and persevering efforts have any merit in thy sight, deign to ai
cept of my homage ' May the work which I this day ccneccratc t
thee render me worthy of bciiag iu future the disciple of such a master
To
I
Cassas and Bence — Picturesque Views in Greeee, Igc. 543
To this high-flown dedication, the Manes of Agasias will
make no reply : but the commendation of artists of the present
day will compensate to M. Salvage for the silence of the
antient statuary. The plates are very accurately and finely
executed; and the pains which have been taken to shew the
bones and muscles, within the exterior outline of the statue,
cannot fail to assist the young artist in obtaining that knowlege
of the human figure which is essential to excellence in his pro-
fession. We are sorry that we can do no more with this very
capital work than merely announce its object, and recommend
it by a general eulogium, as calculated to afford the greatest
utility and highest gratification to those for whom it is designed.
Besides the plates of the Gladiator, are four displaying the head
of the Apollo Belvidere, and others. A delineation of the whole
of the ApoUoj) similarly executed, would be a desirable under-
taking.
Art. XVI. Grandes Vuex PUtoresaueSi &c. ; i.e. Large Picturesque
Views of the principal Sitetf and Monuments of Greece and Sicily,
and also of the Seven Hills of Rome ; designed and etched by
MM. Cassas and Bence, with an Explanation of the Monuments
by M. C. P. Landon. Imperial Folio. Paris. 1813. Imported
by Do Boffe. Price 7I. 7s. Boards.
^/j" Cassas is well known for his superb and entertaining
picturesque tour in Istria and Dalmatia, and for his
still more expensive tour in Syria, Phoenicia, Palestine, and
Lower Egypt. The present work is larger with respect to the
size of the plates than either of the foregoing, but it is not exe-
cuted with equal elegance. The views are little more than
sketches boldly etched ; and though they possess the merit of
general fidelity, the artist does not appear to have selected his
points of view with judgment : a circumstance which may con-
siderably lessen the value of a drawing, by rendering the repre-
sentation so confused that the spot can scarcely be recog-
nized by those who have visited it. These outline-engrav-
ings, which are indeed on a magnificent scale*, represent
Athens and the surrounding Country, — the Portico and Ca-
ryatides of the Temple of Pandrosus, at Athens, • — the Monu-
ment of Philopappus, — the Fa9ade of the Great Temple of
Concord, at Agrigentum, — a Side View of the same, — the
Remains of the Temple of Juno-Lacinia, at Agrigentum,— a Por-
tion of the same Ruins, — Ruins of the Temple at Taorminiumy
— Remains of the Theatre at Syracuse, — and a View of one of
the quarries of Syracuse, called Dionysius's Ear. These are all
the views taken in Greece and Sicily, in the other department
* Oie of them measures nearly ci^ht feet in length.
M.
^
J44 NeergaarJV Piduretque Tour in the North tf Italy,
of the work, intitled the Picturesque Itinerary of Rome?, we
have six plates exhibiting the seven hills of Rome^ with the
various buildings which decorate them.
This seriesj of plates, we are told, will njake % proper supple-
ment to the plan of AW/, and to the large view of Rome by
Vasu A description of the engravings forms the only letter-
press part of the volume.
Pittoresque du Nor J dc Z>*lraliet &e, ; L e.
Voyaje
Tour in the 'North of Italy, By T* C. Bhunn-
I
Art. XVII
A Picturesque
Neergaaro, Gentleman of the Chamber to the King of Den-
mark, Member of several learned Societies, Sec. — The Designs by^
Nandet ; the Engfivings by Dehrtcouri^ Associate of the c't-devant
Royal Academy of Painting, Folio, ist Li^raisoQ. Pari^*
1812, Imported by De Bofte, Price 183,
T>ERSUADED that a work of this kind, illustrative of the pic*
^ turesquc beauties of the nortli of Italy, was much wanted^;
RL Neergaard, accompanied by M, Naudfiy twice explored
that district ; the latter taking a variety of designs, out of which'
the former selected those that were best calculated to afford a
correct idea of the characteristic features of the country.
Though architecture as a science is not made tlie chief object of
this work, the architect is apprized that he will often find matter
in it that will gratify his curiosity v since buildings that are inte-
resting as monuments of historyi viz. convents, palaces, castles^
and ruins, being also picturesque objects, generally find a place in
tliese sketches. M, Neergaard commences his excursion by the
road over the Simplon, and visits Lake Maggiore an u its enchant-
ing isles : hence he passes to MUan, and 10 the little lake of ComoiH
which, though not so well known as the gr^^at lake, is equally ™
picturesque- F»via, Placentia, Parma, Bergamo, the lake
Garda, and the little rivers which run by Verona and Vicenza»
are next explored. Padua and Venice aiso fall under ob-
servation.
It is rernarked that the isles which cover the Lagunes present
a most striking spectacle even to experienced tourists ; for here
are to be found buildings erected in a style worthy of the
Romans. Travelling through a country presenting landscapes
of the most striking character, M. Neergaard was happy ift
having for his companion such an artist as M. Naudet ; and he
was equally foitunate in finding M, Debricourt for an engraver,
who has executed tlie plates in a forcible and spirited style,
effecting much w^ith little efFort, The work is intended to
form sixteen or seventeen numbers, to be published monthly.
3ix acqua-tinta pIateS| ' besides letter-pressj are given in each
number-
INDEI
I
f N i:) E X
To the Remarkable Passages in this Volume.
N, B, 21? find any partkulftr Book, or P^mphlcf, see the
TabJe of Contents, prefistdu iht Velnmt,
I
I
aBER^QWILI, m South
*^ WalcR, account t)f» 40H*
Aher'Tii^ah^ in 8oulh Wales,
de script ion of» 409-
Aectnis^ obi* on, with reference to
Italian, Latin* and French
Prtclry, 5x7— 536.
Actdt, njtric and sulphunc, obs.
on the directions fur preparing^,
in lliela^t Phaimacopoela, 162*
jfcqua-tlnta^ Sec HoitflL
jf^asiajf nculptor of the fighting
Gladfaior^ Invocation to hi^
manes, 541s.
jfgrigentum, observation 00, 338*
-^/r, transparency of,tn Spain, 387.
Albcrofih Cardinal, lit* succesbfel
intrigue to overthrow the Prin-
cess Ordtni, 361, His origin,
Akedo, account of that genua of
btrdsy 3 1.
Alexander the Great, his Jovaslon
of A^a, compared with that of
the Crusaders, 499.
A(im^ Mr*, his dividing engine,
and reflecting circle, 251.
Anderson t Dr., co nun un teat ion t
from, at St. Vincent*^, 401.
Andrews^ Mr.* hU plantations in
Lincolnshire, 244.
Annuiileu obs. on, and on the
Annuity-act, 426 — 419*
Afopiexy, remark^; on, 276*
ArutQcracy , t* Ss, on , 196.
Armiesy rclrtaiing, their irrcgnla-
ritits, 3*^9 ThoBc of the Bri-
tish in Spain, /^. 390.
Jrmy of Russia, ace, uf» 502. 0 1 .
Aictepiasi two species of, tafd to
produce indigf.», 400.
Athburtun, Lord, Sec Dunning,
Atiaf on the treatment of women
in, 191,
Aiheniam^ ob», on their trettment
of cmincot men, 197.
hff* Rev. VoLt LXTLU
k;
tbent^ recent acct>uftt of, 344.
Atiiidf Wih. invajjion of Gaul de-
picted, ^fi.
Aubrey ^ Mr,, onequalizlngleaiher-
straps, 2ji.
Aurora Borealh^ oba. 00, 537,
D .
Badajozt account of, 386.
BajHoid^ Capt,, his invention of a
carriage gun, 394.
Bain^ Or , his plantatlonsof forest-
trees, 243,
Bahr^ Mr, hts extirpator, for
docks and thistles, 243. Hti
inkprovcment in tirc-arms, 392.
Ball's t Mr., bia new plough, 243.
^arit East India, recommended,
400.
, Peruviatty subslistules for,
proposed In France, 538,
Barrett^ Mr., his new method of
calcubling Annuities, 222.
L'aiMirs, or Astatic RussiRna,
account of, 505.
Basque^ See liiucay.
Bayiej Peter, character of, 461.
Bedjf in Europe, unpleasant to
a Pertiian traveller, jB8,
, for persons with fractured
limbs, 395,
Bee'eaterip those birds described,
Beresford family, their influence
in Ireland, 3.
Bihf€*tockty, CaibolJc, their re-
fusal \i) co-operate with the
Proithiaot Society for dis-
tributing Bibles to Catho1IcS|
323 — 32^J.
Biscay, language of, r^bs. on, itj,
Blairt Mr., his concapondencc
with Mr Gandolphy, 325.
Boccaces^^ obs« on, 208*
Boelh'tutt obs. on the treatment
of, by Theodoric, 473,
Bogs^ of Ireland, accouHt of, 15,
Bmiift, Sec fVebslcr.
30nnel,M. and Mad,, ihcircharm*^
ing conduct towards Mulkr,
the Swt:}6 hlitonan, 459.
Bcok^kecping, improved mode of^
33'-
Bo^d^ Mr. Hugh Macauley, im-
probability o*h IS ha?ing written
the letters of Junitis^ 575.
^rrmnrr, Mr., his iife-boat, 249.
H 18 ga 11 -locks, 1 jio.
Bricks, for closure*, 5c c, method
of makiiiji^} ^^'j-
Bridgffh Mr., hjfi preaerTAtive for
watcr-gildcr*, J96.
Brock/fy'Coorfilufdt^Qrlpi. of, 507 »
Brunton% Mr , his improved
pump, 394.
BuLeroSf account of that jge[»us
- of bi'rds, 18. ^
Bulgaria^ ub^crvations on, 3^9.
Bi^haga^ dc;:jcription of, 20.
Buricj Mr., UW ftiippoeed right
lu the liikmc of Junius d\^
cumtd, 375.
Butkr^ Bi&hop. denied to Have
been Jumtu^ 37^.
Buikrjly^ of Kashmecrj he^iUltfu!
poclic comparison of iisaUuic-
mtul^ to those of teroale beauty
on die heart of maiT| 203,
C
C^sarea Phiiippi^ that a n t i e a t c 1 1 y
reduced to a few hut», 405*
Canada f observations on the fur-
trade of, 231.
Canalif Set Nar&oitrs*
Carts, See Smiih^
Cartiand'Crmgi} descript. of, ^67.
C^J/iWo^w/5 a good edition of his
worktt aiil wanted, 47 1.
Caihery^ Mr., on preparing Ox-
gall, 243.
Catholics f defended against the
Bishop of Lificoln, 177. Coii-
vertB to the;r religion iiot nu-
merous, x8o. Tracts relaiive
to, 316. 32 J — 3*6,
Cerim^f Sec Creepers^
tkucromaf vjiit to, 346.
ChannelMi/f^cc. of that bird, 2B.
Character^ naiionaly of the Irish,
148. 18$.
'- 1 of the Irish,
the £iUg,liii\i) wA tHe Freuchf
^
drawn by a Persian traveller^ J
185. 187. 189.
CharUt I,, apptaraiTccs on opeil«
l\^\r hisj tomb and coffijj at
Windsor, 334,
Charles 1 1, ^ of Spam, curious in- 1
cidcncs on annouuciiig his wtllj
284.
ChurUs II I, his mournful triumph
on entering Madrid, 36c.
Charles AlarteU hie expulsion of
tht Sa/acens celebrated, 5^4.
Chemistry i noilce of several papers
in, by French chemists, 538,
Chinese^ obscrvat jonfi oo ihcir iitet^
aturc, 108.541.
Christ t hln life and conduct well
puurtrajcd, 417.
Clrh/ians of St* John, tCCOUat of
thdt sect, 478.
Christians of i'alatinef I heir ill-
treatment a cause of the Cru-
sade^, 494«
Chromate of Iron ^ ace. of, 491*
Chrytostomp Saint, spccimcna of
hi£ eloquei ce, ^ 74*
Church- Belh , \x t\ ec i io n » on , 4 1 6.
Clarntdon^ Lord, his mi&-«tafe-
iricnt respecting the intermeot
of Charles I. corrected, 333^
.735-
Ckcks. Sec Reidi See Prior 4.
Coait Set' Cook,
Cmi'mines^ m Ireland^ account off
Cocksf bra&s, on boring, 251,
Coimhra^ account of, 3 Ho. Con-
vent of Sta* Cruz, 384.
Commerce of Ru&i^ia, 6tate of, 506*
Compass f See Hodgson,
Congrcv£f Mr., his plantation of
Larches* 244.
Connaughty habits of the people
in, 144.
Constantinople^ obs. 0U| by a Per*
Man, 190.
Convatiencciy payment by, ex-
planation of that custom, in
Ireland^ 1 1 . Contrast of pay-
ment in money, 12.
Cmvmis, MaronitCt described^
416.
Cookf Mr., on pf oducing hcatt &lq»
from pit-coaij 147*
■
I
I
I
I
I
I
i
INDEX.
Cidihtg^appst'Ghttf portabte, iiatd
Coo^mjf oi Ammak, obs* oi>, ^ j6»
Cork, miinncrf of the people m
that comity, T46,
Cor/tt ^h*. un the price and tx-
poftation of, 111 Ireland, 10,
— — , Sec yonet.
Cots^chp account of, 505.
CotU, M*, on the j^urora^Bxt-
ConvU haw, Mr,, hiiplantatfonof
Larchea, 244,
Creeftrff obs* on that genus of
birds, 24.
Crotopkaga, that r«oc of birds
described, 28.
Crujadeiy summary of theorigtn of,
494. Fatal fsstieofthefim,49H,
CntUhei^ Sec Priiiey.
Cryttalllne forms, obB« on, as a
ttai of tpecscs in mineral?, 487.
Cuppings See Fuller,
Cur wen ^ Mr,^ on ttall- feeding
cattle, 241,
Cuvier, M*, on the swimming-
bUdder of fishes, J37.
D^AIemhert^ obs. on his character
and writings, 4<J5.
Dante* & descnpt. of HcH recom-
mended, in a work on the
Beauties of Chrittianiiy^ 4 1 4.
Davii, Mr,, his Ftrc- Escape, J50,
Deaei Sea, recent visit to, and
analysis of ita waters, 405.
Death* obs. on the punishment
off 3K^. 3«7-
Deaih'song^ of Gondicalrc, a king
of the GauLs StT^*
Dthrttche^ M., on the cooling
of animals, 536.
Democracy * obs* on, 196*
Denmark^ King of, Chrisiem II,,
remarkable ctnidnct of Cardinal
Wuhey towards him, 47.
Destatgnet, M»# on phospho-
rescence, %\1 '
D'Mie^ improved, 14$*
DiMkrieu '" Ireland, account
of, 136.
Dividing- Engine f tmprofcmcnts
in, z^%.
Mtiiditu Mr. yhisTachetoetcrt 25 1 .
Dsntfifle family, ttietrtftfrs 6f» jdf .
Draw -boy ^ improved, 248.
DuUtn , Tti a n ne r» o f, ( 47 *
Dunhld^ acconnt of, i^ip.
Dunning^ Lord A'lhburton, obi.
on the supposition that he was
Junius , 576*
Earif, Mr , hts beds for personf
with fractured limb^, ,^95.
Earth speech of, from the story
of Phaeton in V^id, new trans-
lation of. 254.
Ecmomy, rural, of Irelandf 9.
, political, remarks 00, by
M. Oanllh, 420.
Education^ in Ireland, rem,on^ 137.
i national, new plan of,
29W— 305.
^,inRussta,ob9.on, $12*
Sfixaiiefh, Empress of Rtissia, so
dratii for fifteen days that her
ministera could not tm&iact
bu«inees with her, 460.
Eiixabeih ParnesCf marriage of,
36 ^. Hercharacter» 365.
Emhanimeni^ in Lancashire, aC"
count of, 243.
Engiith, character of, as a people,
by a Persian traveller, l87»
and French, their na-
tional character contracted, by
a Frenchman, 415,
Envy^ cave of, Ovid*3 description
of, newly translated, 255*
Extirpator J for docks and thistles^
F
Feld-Fpalhy and Felspar, obs. oti
those denommations, 492.
Femalet, in Ireland, general state-
ment of their condition, 1 51.
Filtering' Hones ^ See MouU*
Finance^ general principles of, 6§,
J'fnancett of Ireland, account of
the state and management of, 5.
' ■ ot Russia, obs* 00, 510.
Fircri^rifts, improvement in, 3y2*
Fire' Escape^ DeW const mction of,
250.
Floodi Mrv, impossibility of his
having been juniutf 376*
Fortune^ Kfr,, on curing ncrtinge,
401.
^u % Fo;tsr,
I N D E X,
Fmttr^ Mr., his family- inftuctice
in Irelaod, 3.
Fractures t »*>ce Earkt
France^ poetry of, obs. on its ori-
gm, and comparison of, with
that of Italy, 526, kc,
Francis, Dn, and Sir Phiii'p, sup-
posed to be the authors of the
Letters of Jimiuj, 446.
French f their national character de-
picted by a PcrBian traveller,
189.
' >hat red of, by t h eSpa n lard s,
3B7. Their outragei to Spain,
388.
• and Engh'sh, their national
character cotitrasttd, 415.
Fitei, in Ireland, acconnt of, iG,
Fuikr^ Mr,, on the ctjpping-in*
itrument, 595,
/W-ZTtft/r, of Canada, obs. 00,23 '
G
C^Uam, ace of that secti 479.
Gafiiee, bca of, visit to the country
on the borders of, 405.
Gandoifhyf Mr., hh correBpond-
encc with Mr. Blair, 32^.
GanUhf M* , his ideas on political
economy, 420.
Garrkk\ Mr , hih aeverc reprehen-
sion by JunuM, 369, ^*iq,
Gau/j the invasion of, by Atlila,
Genesis^ chap, x, oba, on, 167.
Ciaourf See InfiJeL
Gilding f See Brhfgen
Giadiutor, fight mg, the >an atomy
of that statue beaut ifiiUy de*
Ifneatcd, ^42
Gevtrnmcnft national, obs. on dif>
fercnt fornis of, 1*6 — 200.
Granite y specimens of, 2^6.
Greece f Sicily* and ItaS^', pic-
turesque views in, 543,
Qregnry^ Saint* examples of his
pulpit oratory J 1 74,
Cwff, Sec Bagnoid, See Fire-s^rms.
Gim4ocktf ioT cannon, said to be
^ invented by Mr. Bremner, 250.
H
Namihortf Mr. Gerard, hh alleged
identity with Jvnws disputed,
374*
I
Hands t the loss of^ lupplied hf '
instruments, 394.
Harhourt and Canals of Irelaodf
account of, 153,
harrows, expanding, invert ion
of, 243.
//jj/r//,Mf .,on acqua-lintinM48,
Hauy^ M., on the electricity of
niinerals, 537.
Healths general rulei for pre*
serving, aij.
Heoi^ Sec P recast.
Hcmmatty Mr., his improved moor'
ing-blocks, 150.
Hemp^ on the culture of, 24 j^.
Henderson^ John, his great aliam> ^_
meniSj 310. ^|
Hercules, head of,anantient Greek ^^
aculpiure, described, 172.
Herrings t improved method of^^n
curing, 401. ^1
History t recommended to be ^*
written wiih a view to the
employment and in^^t ruction of
the painter and the poet, 519,
Hodgson f Mr* Juhu, on correcifng
the variations of the compass,
394^
Horn-btlU^ account of that genus
of birds, 18.
HorseSf vast herds of, 111 New
Mexico, and method of taking
tlicm, 237.
Humming-birds, history of, 25*
Hut tort t Mr., hi« new reapirg-
hook, 243.
- — ' , Dr„ Sec Vlajfmr,
I and ]
Idra^ account of, 350.
/driots^ their character, ^»
y^fff^ty* Mr,, his expanding
hamiws, 245,
y^wif rcmarkj* oti their conditu>n
under the Gothic kings of
Italy, 472*
Imfirovisaiari of Italy, and Sidly,
observations on, 526
InSans^ of North America^ par-
irculars relative to, 226—^40.
/pus/i^a, obs. on the produceof,397*
Process of making, from the
Nerium tree, 398* From other
plantSi 400*
I
h^ikU poetic description and
story of, 204.
Intercity paid for money borrowed >
ofos. on the rate of, 429.
yodJi of ArCf particulars of her
life, 127 — 132.
_ Jtytmt Saint t Cifrutians tf^ sLccount
■ of, 479, Fine prayer aacribed
I to him, 4^0.
I Johnii, Mr.p his gremt planta-
" lions, 242*
Jon€s^ Mr., his temporary rick,
»fot coin, 345.
JMng, Mr,, on quarries of
British marble, 246,
Jordan^ river, fisit to, 404*
Ilnlandj itattstical particulani of,
4 — 18. 132— i 55 Obs- on
the mua»c of» 114. On the
Irish rticiodies, 12 1. National
character of the people, 14B.
1 85 . Condition ot the femalesi
151.
iroivt chromace of, accountof|49 1 .
Iren-Jirmgs, Sec Ron*
Itah, obs. on its mugfc, by a
Persian traveller, 190. Poetry
of, obs. on its origin, and on
m laws of versiification, 526 —
— ^, North of, picturesque
view I in, 544.
yuniujf the celebrated political
writer, new edit, of his works,
remarks on ihcm, and on the
probabilittet) of hts real name,
367—579, 4a6.
Keel-hilh^ description of tbo^e
birds, 38.
KreftCf Sir Benjamin, his papers
IcoUecced, and his high diploma-
tic character, 2i^o,
K'mgjtihertf those birds described,
I"- ^ .,
Language^ obs. on the origin and
progress of, 164. 168. Made
the baiiii of a classi£cation of
£uFOp. oationa, 474. Frtnch^
obs. on, 475. Consanguinity
of, recommended as a ground of
poh'tkral arrangements, 48 1 .
itauhiff plantationt of| 242. 144.
k lot
Leoitj in Ireland, account of the
nature and terms of, 12* Cus-
tom of giving premiums for new
lea^eB to agent, r4,
Leather straps t implements for
equalizing, 251.
Lee^ General, improbability of his
having been author of the
Letters of Juniuit 57 :*
— , Mr*, on a new tlireshing ma-
chine, 242.
LeinUer, late Duke of, anecdote of
himandof hi&Iand^teward» I4.
LiheL remarks on the law of, 507,
/.j^f-^otf/, made fro many boat, 249.
L'iUrature of Russia, state of, 507 .
Livadia, account of, 546.
Liverpool^ its political divisions
and iningues^93.
/#oc^ Calbarin/f descript, of, 273*
Lt>cket^ Mr., his manufacture of
damaak napkins, 249.
Lovt*t Toung Dream, a ballad, 1 1 8,
Louis XtV., his sliilful project for
securing the succession of the
Spanish crown to a Bourbon
prince, 285. 286. Folly of his
attempt to govern that king*
dom, ^^6,
Lut%elkurg^ Countess de, letters
to, from Voltaire, 513,
M
Madrid^ entry of, by the allies in
the reign of Philip V., 359.
Afaina^ account of, 341.
Manners^ national, in Irebnd, de*
scribed, 141.
Marble^ British, on exploring
quarries of, 246.
Marshall^ Mr,, on constructing
sash-windows, 392,
Mayaice* last Elector of, deserving
of a better fate, 455. The
patron of MuUer, ih,
Maynwth College, its establish*
mcnt and rules, i 40.
Medea, her incantation, new ver-
sion of, from Ovid, 263.
Melodies^ Irish, specimens of, and
remarks on » 116 — 126.
Memory t artificial, account of a
system of, 36- 326, 327*
Meropit description of that family
ofbirds, 23.
itftnrrafit
INDEX.
Minerabt ob«. on their external,
pliyslcal, and chemical char.ic-
tcr8» 487. On the electricity
of, ?57' ^ .
Mlnft, on vent Hating, 59^,^
fkajmn^ Danish, to the Nicobar
leUs, lamentable inuc of, 312.
iJfi/Wx/iy^^j voyage down th:it river
f r om S t . Lorn" Bt o i t a so ur ce, 2 2 6«
MisfrM , d t scrip 1 10 a o f » 541.
MitcbelL Mr., his specifliens of
Granite, 2 j6.
Montesquieu y observations on his
character and writings, 464.
Mooring *irhc hi inn proved, made of
cast-iront 250-
Moref Sir Thomas, his great cha-
racter questioned, 49* His
anecdote of Card. Wulscy, 52.
Moritonf Mr., his inventions for
persons without hands^ 594^
AJot/iit Mr., on fillcring*8tones,
393*
Mountain, h Louisiana, iS»ooo
ftet above the sea, 234,
Afif/Zfrt the hifitorian of Swisscr-
land» memoirs of his life^ and
ipccimens ofliia correspondence,
450—460.
Music f of I re! and, obs» on, 1 14.
On t lie Irish melodies, 121. Of
Italy, eulogy on, by a Persian
traveller, [90,
MuiQphaga^ ace. of that bird, 20,
N
Napkintt damask. See L&cht.
Narcissus f btory of, from Ovid,
new translation of, 257,
Nautiius^ submarine, account of
an apparatus so called, 539.
Nmjt of Russia, state of» 5 12,
Needksj machine for pointing, 396.
Neriumf new species of, described,
397. Process of making indigo
from it, 598,
NetikSf m^de to produce tbread,
&c„ ^48.
Nictihar isles ^ ace of, 3 1 2 , 313,
Nighty invcfotion for telling the
hour in the dark, j 93.
iVi/jwfrfl/f ,iu dent and modem, com-
paribons of, and rem. on, 1 6^*
If ut 'hatches^ dcgcnption of thoie
bkd&tlU
Nutmeg-trm, brought to St, Via-
cent's from Cayenne, 401,
O
Orsinh Princess, her extraordinary
character and career, 292. 355
— \6\^
Ottimtt ne«r Tcrston of, preparing,
271.
Ox-gallt mode of pieparing» 248*1
Ox*pecker^ descr. of that bird, 20.J
P
J*aisley^ account of, 266.
* Palermo^ its population, &c. 339«|
Palestine^ remarks made in a recent
journey to, 403 — ^406.
, See Chrttiiani,
Pii^^f Hrr«iry,sta t eo f, in I rclan d,5,
Parnatsus^ viait to, 346.
ParrotSf description of, 29.
Persian^ native of, travelling ia
Europe, bisrcmarks on manneri
and custom?, &c. 183 — 192.
Peter the Hermit, his instigation of
the Crusades, 496. lifs dli*
grace as leader, 49S.
Pette^ Mr,, on planting pmaitcrSi
245-
Phitip v., King of Spain, portrait
of^ on assuming the crown, 285.
Sinks into indolence, 29 u Go-
verned by his Queen, 292,
Obliged twice to ffy from hti
capital, 359, His second mar-
riage, 36 i. His contiDoed in-
dolence, 364.
Phosphorescence^ obs. on, 53 7*
Pigeonst vast multitudes of, in
Louisiana, 232.
Pinasters^ hints on plan ting, 245,
244.
Pfasttaitt'eater, detcripDon of that
biid,20.
PlantationSf large, in Cardigan-
shire, 242.
, in Dorsetshire, 243.
-, in Lincolnshire, 244,
^ in Berkshire, iS.
Phyfairf Mr, geologic J con-
troversy between him and M*
Dehic, ]5^«
Plays, dcnoimccd by a Chme£e,54l *
Pkughy new*inventcd, 243*
Poetry^ Italian and French, sketch
ofthe origin and progress of, ji^.
fi Ptmm^i
i
I
I
I
I
I.
Ponsonliy famflyi their influence in
pQort in Ireland, ouaexablc state
of, 6.
Papulation 1 o f Palermo, 359. Of
CaUfjia. '540.
Partocarrero, mmt»tcr of Fhilip
V. of Spaiiii his power* con duct y
and character, 286, 287. 290,
Portugal f &kctcf«C8 of different
parts of, and of the people, |8o
Prayer t itnpressive, ascribed to
St. John, 480*
Prtvost^ M.) on the tranamtsaion
of licat across water, 5^7.
Priest^ Spauiih, in New Mcitico,
his efid«;avoura to induce an
Anicticau officer to become a
Catholic, 236*
Prior ^ G. & J*^ oa improvements
in clocks, 395.
Prhlgy, Mr., 011 spring- c rut chef,
394-
Prumcrofiit an cleg in t race of
bird^i 2v
Prujtia. King of, his reception of
MuUer the historian, 4x4. Pas-
sages respecting, in ptivate let-
ters from Voltaire, 515,
PihtaatSf Sec Parrots
Pump, improved, 394*
Pyramus and Thule, new version
of their story* 259.
R
Ramphastott See 7oMcant,
Reatmg-hook^j[itvi invent, of, a 43,
Pe/lectinj^ircle, improved, 251.
ReUt Mr^t on a clock pendulum^
Edjtrif produced from a tree
in Bengal, 400.
Rkhard^ Friar, his influince over
Joanof Arc, 127*
lUck^ temporary, for corn, ac*
count of, 145.
RoMdi in Ireland, and travtlliag,
described, 134-
Rosjf Mr*, &n separating iron-
Romscau, J. L the key to all his
excentriciues of character,
468, 469.
Roxlntrghf Dr.yoa a specica af
Nerium, 397. Oo variout
other subjects , 400.
Russia^ BonHparte's invasioa of,
poetically depicted, 435, 436.
Military, poittical, and statis-
tical pfifticalars rch to, 50J —
513. Empress qU^<^ EftxaUib*
S
Sahbathf obs. on the u^e of» 328*
SmkvUle^ Lord George, obs. on
the probability of his having
written the lettersof /k«i4i/,376»
Santa Cruz, convent of, in Cotm*
bra, account of, 384*
SanJiaia, present state of, 338.
School f, endowed, in Knglaud and
Ireland, obs, on, 296.
Scotland, manners and habita of
the cvmn try-people, 268.
Scythropj » accou ni of that bird, 28.
Sca^cale^ on the growth of, 245.
Serptntf, instance of the fatal bite
of one, 314,
Settkrst ifl an uncleared country,
advice to, 238.
Shakerjf an American sect, de-
scribed, 444,
Shl/f Mr, his improved Dravr*
boy, 248.
Sicily, oby, on the governoieat of^
&c., 339.
Siniing*Jundf obs. on, 70.
SiV/if , See Nut'hatches.
S/a^Sf in the Wcitt Indies, obser-
vation* on thetrratmeatof,a 18.
Slavonian peoprlc and dialect^ ob*
servationson, 47^.
bleavinf Mr,, on curing herrings,
40 u
Smith t Mr , on making thread
from uettles, 248,
— — -, Mr. B., on raising loaded
carts, 593.
Sp^iH, particulars relative to the
courts pohtics, and sovereign
of, during the i8th century,
183—294, t»53^367, Obser-
vatious on diBcrcnt parts of, aud
on the people, 3^5— 391.
Spaniards, their antipathy and cru-
elty to the French, 387, Their
iahospitality to the British, 3 9 1 .
5/tfnf, Mr., his apparatus for tell-
ing the hour in the night, 393.
INDEX.
Spariiif obs.oA the gorcrnrocut of» U and V
J99. Viiit to the ruins of, 34^. VaUameyt Gen,, his sptcimeni af
Squirrthf villages of, in JLout- Iri&h marbles^ 246.
P^ase, anticntp description of, 1 yo.
Vtlociiy of raach»ne«, initruioent
for mcaf^unng, 2^1.
FenttltrnQn^ Sec Tayl&r,
VitmtM the To wnki'aii collect 1011^
dcsctipt. of that fine statue, J 7 1 .
yene, obs. on the laws of> 527—
SB'S-
y illegal, a Spanish poet, account
of, %o6.
UUterth^hiU of the peopleioi 141,
£/iiiwr/i/ff/,£ngligb,obi. on, J95,
Foaaire, rem. on the character of,
462. Specimens of his lctters«
5i4^5'«^
Upupa^ ace, uf tboBC bfrdg, 25,
Unins, Madame drs, See Onmi*
W
fFaUtelf,Mr.,hh new dibble^ 24^.
/f^ffy, Mr,, on the culture of hchipy
and of sea-calc, 245, On cjt-
tracting tui pec tine from the
Scotch fir. 247 On a cheap
stucco, 248.
JVcbtter^ Mr,, on conveying steam
from bodtrs, 396.
fVkiiffooriitMr.iSomc ace. of, 140*
IV hit/or d, Mr., hi6 trusses, J94*
IViikii, Mr,, not likely to have
been Junius, 37^.
IVUllams^ Mi\, on bonng brass
cocks, i^i,
Wihofii Mr*, on stereotypes, 401 .
fVint,owff Sec ManhalL
kVine^ of Portugal, ob». on, 384.
IV obey,, Cardinal, his conduct to-
wards the King of Deamark,
47. His fipltndour, 50. Hii
echeme of eccJesiaiiiical reform,
51. Other pfirticulars and gc»
neral character of, 52^-63.
Women, condition of, in Irejand,
1 5 ( • Character of, by a Per-
sian traveller, 185. Of the
French women, 189* Treat-
ment of women in Asia, 191.
Wuod^ Mr., hia gnnd«siooe for
pointing needles, 396.
OF THE N£W SERIES.
stana, 253.
Stall'/eeiimg^ of cattle, cxpcrf.
merits on, 242.
Stifhen/» Mf.» on making bticks
for closures, 244.
StereotypeXi a d va n tag cs o f , 40 1 *
Sto€kdaie^ Mr., bis account of an
embankment, 243.
Stoeh, public, ohs. on, i8.
Sittico, cheap and durable, 248*
Svcceukn^ s*Br of, its origin, 357.
Sugar ^ experiments tn France for
the production of, 539<
Sun^ palace of, translation of
Ovid*s description of, 252-
Surgery, miaerablc stale of, in the
Rus^sian armies, ^11.
Sm/aihiirit Nicobar, account of^
and of their nests, 3^4,
S^vedcftf curious anecdote ret to a
successor to the throne of, 459.
Swtdenhorgy Faron, specimen of
his doctrines, 440.
Swimming 'if ladder, obs. on, 537*
Synonyms^ specimens of, 483,
Tachcmeiff* See Drnkin.
tannin, produced from the Myra*
hhnut Intiicai 4O0.
T^r, pitch, &*^, on the extraction
of, from pit-Coal, 247.
Tartar-emeiict oba. on tlic mode of
preparing, ^6^.
Taylor, Mr,, on ventilation, 393 .
Tdymouiir,:iccom\toff 270.
Temper, vale of, recent visit to, 348.
'heodorki, King of the Goths, obs.
4
I
Theodork^ Jxrng
on his government, 472. On
his ircaiment of Bocthins, 473.
Thread, made from nettles, 248,
Threjhing maehine, new, 242.
Todies, account of, 2 2 -
Toucans^ ace. of those birds, 27.
Towers,Mr, ,hi3 embankment ,143 .
7>of/j*jit> history of those birds, 25.
Troisachsi description of, 272.
Trusses, See Whitford,
Turpentine, Sec Wny^ See Cook,
• END OF VOLt LXXl*
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