to fupply. We pretend not to account for this: but we are perfuaded it is a fact; and from that perfuafion, would most earneftly recommend the ftudy of the Greek and Roman claffics to all who are defigned for a learned profeffion, or for genteel life nor let them flatter themselves with a hope, which is chiefly fupported by indolence and vanity, that they can acquire a fufficient stock of knowledge to qualify them for their stations in life, without fubmitting to the drudgery of confulting the originals. This prefumption is the general refource of the lazy and the fuperficial, whofe understandings are of a flimfy contexture, and whofe acquifitions in fcience and literature are the unmellowed fruits of a vacant hour. Our great predilection for the Greek and Latin claffics hath drawn from us this warm atteftation to their excellence and utility. And yet, we cannot help lamenting the wrong methods of education which prevail at moft fchools,-efpecially those which have been established on endowments. Boys are fhackled and hampered by words. Their ideas are left by the mafter to shoot at random, and to open of their own accord. The memory is loaded, and the mind uninformed. The great objects of life are totally difregarded, and the boy is fent to college, or placed out for fome other employment in life, with a heap of words on his head, or the fables of antiquity, ill understood, floating in his imagination. This is all the mafter hath accomplished after fix, feven, and fometimes eight long years, of lecturing and flogging. Glorious acquifitions! How well prepared is the pupil to add a luftre to profeffion in life, where knowledge and found judgment are requifite! If, indeed, he is defigned for any profeffion, except the pulpit, his infufficiency will be a bar to his reaping any confiderable advantage from it. We fay, except the pulpit for this is too frequently an afylum for dunces. The parfon may be nothing more than a fchool-boy run to feed; and what through ignorance and fuperftition among fome, and infidelity and indifference among others, there is now no abfolute neceffity, that what is fown in weakness should be raised in power.' 6 ART. VII. Scelta di Lettere familiari, &c. i. e. A Selection of familiar Letters, for the Ufe of Students in the Italian Tongue." By Jofeph Barretti, Secretary for foreign Correspondence, to the Royal Academy. 12mo. 2 Vols. 75. 6d. Nourse. 1779. THE HE Author obferves in his preface, that the prefent felection will, perhaps, be deemed fuperior to every other in the beauty and variety of fubjects handled in the different letters, as well as in the correctnefs and elegance of language with which thefe fubjects are adorned.' He infifts much on the time and pains which he has bestowed, in order to give his performance these two advantages, and to render it completely deferving of the public approbation.' The task of felecting the fineft paffages from the works of agreeable writers, requires attention, tafte, and judgment, but is not commonly confidered as a work of much labour. Mr. Barretti, however, is of a different opinion: and as he has toiled through what appears to him a very arduous undertaking, with so much Chriftian patience *, it is pity he does not perfevere a few minutes longer, and gratify his reader, by fubjoining a table of contents, with the titles of the various subjects treated in his eighty-fix letters. At prefent, his publication has neither index, contents, nor mottos, prefixed to the letters, expreffive of the fubjects treated in them: fo that, partly on this account, and partly from the long-winded, round-about manner, familiar to the Italian writers, we muft proceed a confiderable length in each letter, before we difcover the fubject of it. Nor is this the only inconvenience arifing from fuch carelefinefs. A book fent into the world with fo little regard to the patience of the reader, produces a continued feries of difappointments. Seeing a letter from Captain to Colonel you expect obfervations, perhaps, on the art of war, but are wearied with a common-place lecture of morality. You may hear of battles and fieges from a bishop, when you expected a fermon. A duke or earl entertains you with a difcourfe on the parts of speech; and a learned academician talks to you of the culture of pineapples. We mean not, by these obfervations, to difapprove of the selection itself, which contains a great variety of letters equally entertaining and inftructive, and which, we are perfuaded, will be found far fuperior to any thing of the kind in the Italian language. We wish, however, that Mr. Barretti had taken the trouble to inform us, how he came poffeffed of the manufcript letters which he publishes, and from what books he extracted the printed ones. By this means, we might be enabled to learn what alterations he has made, and whether we are reading the works of Annibal Caro, or of Giuseppe Barretti. This is left doubtful in the Author's preface, in which he only faysE chi s'intende di fcrivere, vedra ch'io non mi fono ne'feguenti fogli lafciato andar foverchio all' infingardia.' And whoever is acquainted with the art of compofition will perceive, that in the following fheets I have not allowed myfelf to be influenced by laziness,' *Se foggiungeffi, che, per procacciarle quefti due pregi, io mi fono criftianamente fconcio quanto doveva, & fenza il minimo rifparmio di fatica, &c. Ff3 The The most valuable letters in this felection are thofe which treat of the Italian literature, and explain the character, the virtues, and defects, of the Italian poets and hiftorians. We cannot, however, agree with Mr. Barretu (for we prefume, the opinion is his own), that Algarotti, Goldoni, and Beccaria, are rude and barbarous, and foolish writers.' If we except the greatest poet of the age f, the three names above mentioned are, perhaps, thofe which do moft honour to the lift of the late 1, or living authors of Italy. Their works are read and efteemed in their own country, and they have had the good fortune to pafs the feas, and to meet with much applaufe from foreign nations. * Vol. II. p. 248. + Metaftafio. Algarotti is dead, and has a magnificent monument at P'fa, erected to his honour by the King of Pruha, with this infeription, Ovidij Emulo, Newtoni Difcipulo.' ART. VIII. The Widowed Queen: or, Elizabeth, Dowager of Edward IV. delivering up her Second Son from San&tuary: and, hiippa to Edward II. in favour of the Burghers of Calais. Being a Poem, and Oration, to which Prizes were adjudged by the Provost and Senior-Fellows of Trinity-College, Dublin, in Hillary Term, 1777. Written by Jerom Alley. 4tɔ. 1 s. 6d. Wallis. 17-8. HE establishment of literary prizes for the young students at our univerfities, is an improvement on academical education, which does great credit to the prefent age and it is attended with advantages too obvious to escape the notice of the moft inattentive obferver. THE There is one circumftance refpecting thefe literary contefts, which ought, in our opinion, to have made part of the plan of their inftitution; namely, to have the fuccefsiul compofition printed, at the public expence of the particular feminary where the prize has been adjudged. It is true, that the Poemata Seatoniana, which are annually printed, do not feem to favour our opinion; but it must be confidered, that the cafes are by no means exactly fimilar. Among those who have taken their Mafter of Arts degree, and who alone are qualified to be candidates for Mr. Seaton's prize, the few, who are capable of diftinguishing themselves with credit, have generally, before that time, an established reputation, so that academical honours and rewards are no longer objects of ambition. But with the young ftudent, who has a name and reputation to acquire, the cafe is totally different. And, indeed, facts prove that it is fo: of those who have obtained early academical honours (we confine ourselves to the English univerfities, of of which we speak from experience), there are not a few whose maturer abilities have juftified the decifions that were then made in their favour. With respect to the prize compofitions of Mr. Alley, if it be confidered, that they were written at the age of feventeen, they cannot but be thought to have confiderable merit. The Widowed Queen is not without her beauties: we could with, however, that the poem had been written in any other measure than blank verse. To write blank verfe, requires not only great powers of language, but alfo a confummate knowledge of its harmony, together with that nicety of ear, which, though nature muft beflow it, can only be perfected by great and conftant practice. Hence it is, that fo few young poets have fucceeded in blank verfe. If verfe be but divefted of its rhyme, it is rarely that any thing farther is aimed at; confequently, the tedious monotony of the couplet remains, without any thing being fubftituted in the place of what it has loft. The Oration of hilippa is well written, and contains many paffages that would not difgrace a more experienced writer: fuch is the following, with which the Oration concludes. If, fir, I folicited any thing unreafonable-if my petitions were not fanctified by justice, and founded on truth-if it was a Nero, or a Dionyfius was entreating, my foul might bode a refufal! but, when the equity of my wishes cannot be denied-when Edward is my judge, am Ito fear for the further miferies of the diftreffed? can you who have been half an age feeking occafions to do good and performing it! can you-who, even Envy muft confefs, were never the enemy of justice-who added luftre to dignity by humanity and compaflion-whofe generous fympathy extended to all mankind-can you, I fay, with a fordid littleness of mind, forget yourself in a truggle to overcome that fpirit of philanthropy which ennobles every action-can your thoughts be a moment poifed, when you reflect, that even the prerogative of conqueft gives but a power over the freedom and property of the captive? Yes, my lord, they have a right to the fecurity of life-they have a right to more, much more, than upon an occafion of infinitely greater provocation, you performed without folicitation: when Philip, the haughty Philip facrificed his British captives to a fanguinary revenge-did Edward retaliate-no! with an heroism, worthy of himself, he fubdued his refentment he left the murderers to the vengeance of heaven, and was rewarded with that fabbath of the mind, which is the constant enjoyment of the truly virtuous. Still, my lord, my fears inform me, you are riveted to your purpofe-If it be fo-if your generofity cannot determine you-if, in this imaginary plenitude of power, you fcorn adhering to that fyftem, you fo gloriously begun-if the wishes of your people, the prayers and intreaties of your child, and your wife, are unavailing The King of France. if you disregard the confequences of fuch an action-the hatred and contempt of France-the difaffection of England, taught no longer to esteem what he once adored-at leaft deceive not yourself with imaginary hopes of advantage; let not the gleam of a momentary thought give colour to fuch a deception-and, though you difregard the imbecility of a woman's arguments, difregard not the reproaches of the injured, or the feelings of a man; thofe feelings which yonder profpe&t might aroufe, methinks, to tenderett fympathy-See Calais, how fallen!-fee her pride humbled to the duft!-Here, Grief, fitting like an hermit, folicits forrow to himself-there, gentle as a dove, Affection fixes her eyes on the beloved object-here, Age, in the bitterness of his heart, laments the tardiness of death-and there Infancy fmiles at its mother's woes -But look! my lord, 'tis Patriotifm in the perfon of Vienne! his neck bound with a halter whofe brows fhould be wreathed with everlasting laurel! Hark! he cries to his illuftrious companions-" Is this the meed of an honourable refiftance? is it thus the gallant Edward deems of valour? and are we to perish for being men? But, be it fo-he fhall fee we are not to fall unrevenged! and, even in our laft agonies, we will look with contempt on the merciless Briton-fmile in a confcioufnefs of our own glory-and convince him that virtue is happiness, even in death; and guilt, at beft, but fplendid mifery!"-if this profpect cannot excite, or this language command your feelings for fuch diftrefs! proceed on your purpofes-emulate the cruelty of Carthage! and while Envy exults in the ruins of your fame, enjoy the certainty of having obtained an immortality of difgrace-- Will you not proceed?-Will you not perform the decd?-and, having tri umphed over the feelings of nature, take Shame and Remorie for your eternal guests?-Nay, rafh man, you fhall not ftir-Crush me! torture me in every nerve-but rufh not upon your own difgrace! By all that is gentle and generous-by all that is merciful and forgiving-by all that is interefting and precious! I conjure you defiftfree thofe captives-fubdue your paffions-and return to yourselfBut, what do I fee! a tear in my Edward's eye! and compliance fmiling on his face! Yes! bountiful heaven! I am not deceived! Pierre is free-Philippa has fucceeded, and Edward is the hero: For Edward hath conquered himself!' ART. IX. A Difcourfe on Commerce; which obtained the Premium in the Academy of Marseilles, in the Year 1777. By M. Liguier, Merchant of Marseilles. Tranflated from the French. 12mo. 2 s. DodЛley. 1779. WE 7E have here a very melancholy picture of the evils that flow from extenfive commerce. Whatever exaggeration can lend to eloquence, or mifreprefentation can borrow from facts, and pieces of facts artfully put together, is displayed in this Difcourfe. That opulence is the parent of luxury, and that luxury is the fource of corruption, are fome of the standing maxims of almost every common-place-book. Our Readers, therefore, have only to confider commerce as the fource of wealth, and they will poffefs the whole chain of reasoning, |