during the awful events of the prefent crifis. Thefe topics have been fo often and fo fully debated, that it would be unreafonable to require abfolute novelty in any writer, that enters at this late period on the difcuffion. But his statements are, for the most part, perfpicuous; his reflections appofite; and fome of his arguments fuch as it would, in our opinion, be no eafy talk for the admirers and advocates of the Hon. Gentleman attacked fuccessfully to answer. ART. 42. Mr. Piti's Democracy manifefted; in a Letter to him, con- "Quem virum, aut heroa, lyrâ vel acri The queftion is foon anfwered. The immaculate and virtuous Thomas Paine is the Magnus Apollo of this Mufe; and it is faid that his doctrines neither have been, or can be refuted !!! As to Mr. Pitt, upon whole "beaven-born afbes" Clio has written a miferable parody on Gray's well-known Epitaph, his talents are boldly pronounced to be "below mediocrity"!!! Clio's name-fake (the Mufe of Hiftory) will, we apprehend, give a fomewhat different account of these two perfonages. But the income-tax is rather a favourite with this writer; he ironically commends Mr. Pitt for that meafure, in the hope (vain we truft it will be) that the unpopularity which may attend it, will produce a revolution a la Fran çaife, or, which feems to be Clio's favourite object, an equalization of property. If this be not his object, why is there fo much labour to prove, that many rich men are undeferving of their lot, and many worthy perfons are in circumftances inadequate to their merits? We need neither "ghoft" nor Mufe" to tell us this." But we have feldom if ever met with a man in his fenfes, who would not admit that the remedy propofed (or indeed any direct remedy) would be worse than the difeafe. This writer however feriously propofes, "in the name of God and his truth," that " if upon enquiry a fair inveftigation" (who are to be the enquirers, and who the fair judges?)" it appears that there are fome who acquire improperly g at property, who have infinitely more than is neceffary for the elegancies and fuperfluities, as well as the comforts of life; who wickedly hoard, or wickedly mifapply, the riches they have, &c. fuch fuperflux be awarded to the needers and defervers of it." What a bleffed fyftem of plunder and iniquity! And this, Clio tells us, is "New Teftament and Bible doctrine;" becaufe, forfooth, the New Teftament and Bible cenfure, in fevere terms, the mifapplication of riches! This, he declares," is doing to others as you would they fhould do unto you; it` is making fociety what it fhould be, a focial compact, a state of fraternization and brotherly love," &c. &c. To the man who can make fuch a propofal, and justify it in fuch a manner, we would not apply, as he seems to apprehend, "the terms of leveller, Atheist, or Jacobin,' although two of thofe terms may not be wholly unappropriate; but we we leave the fate of his mind to be determined by those eminent critics of the human understanding, Doctors Willis and Monro. ART. 43. A Letter to the Right Hon. William Windham, on his late Oppoficion to the Bul 19 prevent Bull-Baiting. By an Old Member of Parliament. To which are annexed, fome Letters and Extracts on the fame Subject. Alfa fime Verses on Hunting; sub an Address from a Salpian Bull, and the Author's Apology, attempted in humble Rhyme. Second Edition. 8vo. 47 PP. 15. 6d. Cadell and Davies. The refpectable Baronet by whom the bill ag inft bull-baiting was introduced, is the reputed, we believe the acknowledged, author of ths fingular publication; in which ferious expoftulations with Mr. Windham are blended with fantastic, and rather clumsy attempts at humour and ridicule. On the merits of the bill in question it would not become us to decide; but we perfectly recollect that fome of the arguments against it (as detailed in the public papers) made a strong impreflion on our minds. No man of the leaft humanity would, for a moment, justify the fport complained of. Yet it may furely be questioned whether a cultom now difufed throughout the greater part of the kingdom, and wherever it fill exits certainly on the decline, called for the peculiar interpofition of Parliament. It may perhaps be more politic to fuffer fuch a cuftom to die away of itself, than to interdict it by pofitive laws; which are likely to be regarded with jealoufy when they interfere with the habits and manners of the people. We conceive indeed, notwithstanding what is afferted in this Letter, that the power of Magistrates to difperfe routs and unlawful affemblies, is fuffici nt to reach the prefent cafe. At all events, it may fufficiently anfwer the purpofe to include it in the intended bill for "preventing cru Ity to animals;" a meature loudly called for, by all humane perions who frequent our streets and roads. Of the worthy Baroner's poetry, fubjoined to his Letter, we cannot fay any thing very favourabl The lamen.ations over a hunted hare ate in the true Narby Pamby style; the bull's expoftulation with Mr. W. is a little better, though we cannot agree that the Right Hon. Secretary's heart has ever appeared to fail when attacked by Mr. Sheridan. I he toy's detence of himself, though no great effort of genius, is the bett competition of the three. ART. 44. Reflections on the relative Sinations of Mafter and Servant, biftorically a a political y confidered; the Irregularities of Servants; the imployment of Foreigners; and the general inconveniencies refulting from the Want of proper Regulations. 8vo. 52 pp. 1s. 6d. Miller. 1800. There is, it is generally admitted, no branch of our law that stands more in need of parliamentary regulations, than the domestic relation of matter and fervant. The laws that refpect fervants in husbandry. and trades, it is now understood, extend not to thofe of any other defcription; and there are, we believe, few mafters of families who, have not, a fome period of their lives, reafon to regret the want of a fummary tribunal, where the difputes in which he may be involved by the the unjuft claims, infolent behaviour, or difhoneft artifices of a bad fervant, might be speedily and equitably determined. A bill of this nature was, if we miftake not, lately brought into Parliament, and is intended to be refumed the next feffion. In the mean time, they who defire to fee the fubject perfpicuoufly and judicioufly treated, will be gratified by a perufal of this little tract; which, to our apprehenfion, very clearly fhows the neceffity of new regulations, and proposes fome that feem likely to prove effectual. MISCELLANIES. ART. 45. The Travels of Antenor in Greece and Afia; from a Greek Manufcript found at Herculaneum: including fome Account of Egypt. Tranflated from the French of E. F. Lantier. With additional Notes by the English Tranflator. In Three Volumes. 8vo. Longman and Rees. It is difficult to appreciate any imitation of a popular work, merely by its own merit; we are almoft unconsciously led to make comparifons, the recollection of what we have read accompanies us in the perufal, and if an author has not equalled his model, we are apt to think of him lefs highly than he really deferves, and to refufe him juftice because he has been excelled. Under this disadvantage many will perufe the Travels of Antenor; but to be aware of prejudice is to counteract it; and though, after every allowance, we are obliged to place them confiderably below thofe of Anacharfis, we are ftill inclined to rank the work among the higher claires of light literature. The plan of thefe volumes being a fecondary object, and fubfervient to the detail, much invention or novelty is not to be expected, and the author feems to have propofed no more than to connect his materials, and by affociating them with the perfon of his hero, to create a more lively intereft, than is often produced by detached anecdotes. Antenor, the mysterious offspring of a prietefs of Diana, after receiving his first education at Ephcius, goes to purfue his studies at Athens, where he conceives a paffion for Latthenia, the female difciple of Ariftippus. While engaged in this amour, fome imprudent remarks uttered in the Temple of Bacchus, occafion his being arrested and conveyed to prifon; by the zeal and addrefs of Latthenia he is released, and with a view both to his fafety and the cultivation of his mind, the perfuades him to quit Athens, and to devote two years to travelling. From Athens he proceeds to Leucadia, where he meets with Phanon, a lively youth, whom a disappointed paffion has brought thither to try the Leucadian leap, a remedy at that time, we prefume, as fashionable as bathing at Brighton, or drinking the waters at Cheltenham. The example of Sappho, however, which he arrives in time to witness, appears fo little inviting, that he determines to abandon the project, and to feek relief by tharing in the lefs hazardous adventures of Antenor, They then vifit Delphi, Sparta, Babylon, &c. together, and af er varius dangers and escapes, they meet with Ariftides in exile, and Pha поп hon marries his grand-daughter. Antenor on his return to Athens; finding Lasthenia devoted to a philofophic feclufion, and no longer difpofed to renew their former intercourfe, confoles himself in the modern French fashion, by an union with her fifter. This outline is filled up by defcriptions of Heathen ceremonies, fyftems of fects, mythological hiftories, and characters, fayings, and anecdotes of the moft diftinguished heroes and fages of Greece: The author has anticipated, in a Preface, the very just objection which may be made to his total difregard of chronology, and though he appears to laugh at fuch criticifms, an error is not the lefs fo, for being defended with conceited plea fantry. In a collection of anecdotes, we know that an adherence to chronological order is not requifite; but when a variety of perfons, who exifted in ages diftant from each other, are brought together, and interwoven in a regular ftory, we cannot confider fuch a work as an accurate delineation of manners. Anecdotes of Alfred, Becket, Wolfey, and Lord Clarendon, however connected, would only be perfonal, and could scarcely convey an idea of the manners of the English at any particular period. The Spartans are defcribed from the primítive inftitutions of Lycurgus, not as we may fuppofe them, when their country was on the eve of its fall. The French in the reign of Pharamond, would not be a just reprefentation of them in the reign of Lewis the Fifteenth; and when we find the hero of a tale one day a gueft with the cotemporary of Semiramis, and another converfing with Stilpo, we are at a lofs whether we are to apply what we read to the age of Babylon in its meridian, or to that of Greece in its decline; exclufive of these anachronisms, we have noticed fome mistakes of a different kind, such as that in p. 192, vol. iii, where a faying of Xenocrates is attributed to Ariftides; in p. 349, one of Cato to a Greek philofopher; in p. 204, vol. iii, an anecdote in the life of Cicero is related of Ariftides; and though we are always happy to meet with our Countryman Shakspeare, yet we were fomewhat furprised to see him in company with the fair pupil of Ariftippus (p. 43, vol. iii.). Many of the notes appear defigned only to encrease the volume, but we fufpect fome of them may be imputed rather to the principles of the revolu tionist, than the policy of the author. Of this defcription is the note to p. 186, vol. ii; there feems no reafon for comparing the death of Ariftippus with that of Lewis XI, any more than with that of any other prince. We condemn entirely the ridicule of the Jews and the Jewish hiftory, in the 80th chapter, however palliated by being af cribed to an Heathen obferver; for though an author is not accountable for the hiftorical facts he relates, he is fo for invidious comments, which we must confider as his own. Libertines and eoxcombs are probably the fame in all ages and countries, otherwife we should conclude the character of Phanon to be drawn from the Palais Royal, rather than the Prytaneum; that of Lafthenia bears a great refemblance to Niron del'Enclos, and we are not partial to female philofophers; but the perfonage of the story who excites the leaft intereft, is the hero of it; we fee him in none of the common relations of life, neither as a fon, brother, father, or husband, fcarcely as a member of fociety; and a citizen of the world who performs no duties, makes a very flender claim on our affections. With all thefe deductions, and very confiderable they are, Antenor may may ftill be pronounced an amufing work; the anecdotes are well felected, often appofitely introduced, and generally related with fpirit; they who have little learning or bad memories will find information, and the learned those reminifcences of their youthful lore, which are fometimes not lefs grateful than novelty. Yet while we willingly recommend thefe volumes as an agreeable amusement, we mult add, that we do not think them calculated for young readers; the anachronisms with which they abound may mislead, and they are not quite free from opinions which may corrupt; and there is much in the manners of ancient nations, that it might be preferable to contemplate through the veil of a dead language. We object alfo to the introduction; tales of manufcripts found by chance, whether in old trunks, or Herculaneum ruins, are trite and puerile; and as Sterne's benevolent hero obferves, a ftory does well enough without these niceties, unless one were fure of them." ART. 46. A Method of making Abridgments; or eafy and certain Rules for analyfing Authors. Divided into Two Parts, the first containing preliminary Explanations, and the Rules for making Abridgments; the fecond, the Application of thofe Rules to various Selections from the bft Authors. By the Abbé Gualtier. Part I. 4to. 96 pp. The Price to Subfcribers 11. 1s. for both Parts. Bremner, Strand. 1800. . The author of this method very extensively known to the principal families of this country, for his ingenious and fuccefsful contrivances to facilitate feveral branches of learning to children. In teaching his young pupils to diftinguish the principal and fubordinate parts of fentences by marking them with colours, he was led to obferve, that the most complex paragraph might in general be reduced to a very few leading ideas; and confequently by compreffing thofe ideas, and retrenching fuperfluities, might be abridged. His method is clearly and fatisfactorily explained; it is novel, and leads very directly to the habit of completely understanding an author, and detecting all inac curacies of reafoning. Such a work cannot fail to be useful, ART. 47. Obfervations on Agriculture. 8vo. 29 pp. 13. Morgan, Lichfield. 18co. Thefe Obfervations are of the plain and practical kind, and are addreffed to the Secretary of the Board of Agriculture, evidently with, a very patriotic defign. The author, Dr. Falconer of Lichfield, ftates that having been rector of a fmall parifh upwards of forty years, and naturally averfe to indolence, he has employed his leifure hours in making obfervations and experiments in agriculture, and has had opportunities of comparing the different fytems practifed in Staffordthire. He therefore gives the refult of his experience for the benefit of the public. As the perufal of thefe remarks cannot occupy many minutes, we recommend the confideration of them to all practical farmets, to whom they will perhaps be further recommended by a very familiar and conversational style. Ꮓ BRIT. CRIT. VOL. XVI, SEPT. 1800. ÀRT. |