moment. They proved however the pofition of metaphyficians, that a momentary belief attends even the vivid conception of an object. The principal orators were, according to the phrafe of the Poet Dante, Poets of Evidence. They framed a theory, fupported it with genius, and impreffed it with the boldeft imagery Magna tamen eft veritas et prævalebit. Mifs Hamilton proceeds Rochilcund), directed his arms toward the extirpation of those Rajahs whose vicinity excited his jealoufy and alarmed his pride. He fucceeded but too well in the execution of his unjuft defign, and did not fail to make the most tyran nical ufe of the victory he had obtained. Some of thefe Chiefs he banithed for ever from the long-enjoyed feats of their ancestors, fome he removed to the other fide of the Ganges, and from the few he fuffered to remain he ftipulated the payment of an annual tribute, and the immediate depofit of an exorbitant fine. who were permitted to remain in their antient territories, while the family of his friend and correspondent, Maandara, appears to have been banished from the province, and to have taken fhelter in the neighbourhood of Agra. This fhort sketch, imperfect as it is, may ferve to give fome idea of the ftate of Hindoftan, not only when the Letters of the Rajah, which are now to be laid before the public, were written, but antecedent to that period." "The change which has been effected in the character and manners of the Hindoes, during fo many years of fubjection and fo many convultiors in their political State, is not by any means fo "The Rajah Zaar-milla, who will great as fuch powerful caufes might foon be introduced to the acquaintance have been fuppofed to have produced. of the reader, appears to have beep In wandering through the defolated defcended from one of thofe petry iflands of the Archipelago, or even on Sovereigns who were obliged to put on the claffic hores of Italy, the enlight the galling yoke of their unfeeling ened traveller would in vain hope to conqueror, He however must be fuprecognize, in the prefent inhabitants,pofed to have been among the number one remaining lineament of the diftinguishing characteristics of their illuftri ous ancestors. There the mouldering edifice, the fallen pillar, and the broken arch, bear alone their filent teftimony to the genius and refinement of the States which produced them. But in Hindoftan, the original features that marked the character of their nation from time immemorial are still too vifible to be mistaken or overlooked. Though they have, no doubt, loft much of their original purity and fimplicity of manners, thofe religious prejudices which kept them in a state of continual feparation from their conque. ror, have tended to the prefervation of their originality of character, and all its correfpondent virtues. In the few diftricts which, fecured by their infignificancy, or the inacceffibility of their fituation, retained their independence, the original character 'till remains apparent. Such, til about the middle of the prefent century, was the fate of thofe whofe territories were fituate along the mountains of Rummaoom. The inhabitants of this lofty boundary of the rich and fertile province of Ruttaher, continued to enjoy the bleflings of independence and fecurity, till that province was brought under the fubjection of a bold and fuccefsful Rohilla adventurer, who chablishing himself and his followers in the poffeffion of Ruttaher (which from thenceforth took the name of The The Rajah Zaar-milla conceives a high idea of the wifdom of England and other European countries. Bramin Sheer-maal, who has been in England, writes to the Zemindar Maandara, his correfpondent, and a friend of Zaar-milla's, that the accounts which the Rajah had received of the wildom and happiness of the European nations, and particularly of Great Britain, had been greatly exaggerated. He endeavours to diffuade the Rajah from perfevering in a refolution he had formed of visiting Eng land; a land, as he had conceived, of fuch wifdom as well as wonders. Zaarmilla's refolution is not to be fhaken.. He fets out for Calcutta, vifits in his way the British Camp, and renews his acquaintance with certain English offi. cers, by whom he is furnished with proper letters of introduction in Lon. don. He has at Calcutta a foretafte of thofe fentiments, manners, and cuf toms, which he afterwards fees dif played on a more extenfive and various feale in England. The plan then, on which this very ingenious, amufing, and really inftructive fiction is conducted, is that of a correfpondence between those three perfonages. The Bramin, Sheer-maal, writes to the Rajah Maandara-the Rajah Maandara communicates the fentiments of the Bramin refpecting England to the Rajah Zaar-milla-Zaar-milla, notwithstanding the remouftrances of the Bramin, vifits England; from whence he writes a series of letters to Maandara, in perfect unifon with thofe of the Bramin. As we do not often meet with a production fo amufing, fo pure in morality, fo faithful to truth and nature, and written at the fame time with fo much delicacy as well as justness of sentiment and tafte, we fhall, in our next Number, prefent our reads with fome extracts, and then conclude with fome oblervations. (To be continued.) The Adventures of Telemachus, the Son of Ulyffes. Tranflated from the French of M. de Fenelon, Archbishop of Cambray, by the Author of the Differtation on the Parian Chronicle. 2 Vols 12mo. 8s. B. Law, Johnson, &c. NO modern publication has, perhaps, been more generally read and admired than Archbishop Fenelon's Adventures of Telemachus. It was firft published at the Hague in 1699, after it had been prohibited at Paris. The fame year it was printed at Rouen, and feveral other places, but no where in France, by permiffion, during the life of Louis XIV. In 1717, after the death of the Archbishop, his heirs gave a new edition, which, they faid, was the only one that was conformable to the original manufcript. Since that time this excellent work has been often reprinted, and tranflated into almost all the languages of Europe. In English we have it in eight or ten different verfions, viz, by Ozell, Littlebury and Boyer, Kelly, Smollett, Des Maizeaux, Hawke worth, Proctor, &c. yet it never appeared, perhaps, to fo much advantage es in the prefent tranflation. The Editor has avoided all mean and vulgar phrafes on the one hand, and all fantastic embellishments on the other. The fentiments of the original author are expreffed in clear, eafy, natural, and unaffected language, or with that gracefu fimplicity which is the greatest beauty of ftyle. The following extract, in which Fenelon defcribes the transformation of Meator, may ferve as a fpecimen : “As foon as the facrifice was ended, he followed Mentor into the darkeft part of an adjoining grove, where he perceived a fudden alteration in the appearance of his friend. The wrinkles of his forehead immediately vanished like the thades of night, when Aurora with her rofy fingers opens the gates of the east, and illuminates the whole hori on. His eyes, which were hollow and auftere, were changed to a celeftial blue, and sparkled with a divine radi ance. His grifly and neglected beard difappeared, and an afpect of nobleness and grandeur, tempered with sweetness. and grace, dazzled the eyes of Telemachus. He faw a female countenance, with a complexion more foft and delicate than a tender flower juft opening to the fun. He beheld the pure luftre of the lily, blended with the vivid bluf of the rofe. Eternal youth bloomed in her face, and unaffected majefty appeared in every attitude. Her flowing treffes diffufed an ambrofial odour. Her robes fhone like thofe lively colours with which the fun, when he rifes, paints the vault of heaven, and irradiates the clouds. This Deity did not touch the ground with her foot, but glided through the air like a bird in its flight. In her powerful hand the held a glittering fpear, capable of terrifying whole nations, and causing Mars himfelf to tremble. Her voice was sweet and gentle, yet ftrong and penetrating. Her words were like darts of fire, that pierced the foul of Telemachus, and made him feel a kind of delicious pain. Upon her helmet appeared the folitary bird of Athens, and the tremendous ægis glittered at her breast." Bk. xxiv. The tranflation is accompanied with the life of Fenelon, and a confiderable number of useful notes. This produc tion of the amiable Fenelon, as exhibited in the prefent verfion, is, we will venture to fay, one of the moit inftruc tive and entertaining publications that can be put into the hands of young people. It is calculated, at the fame time, to charm their imagination, to improve their talte, and inspire them with the love of wisdom and virtue. Elays Effays by a Society of Gentlemen at Exeter. 8vo. gs. in Bo ris. Cadell. IN the volume before us we are prefented with profe and poetry jumbled together in a strange contufion. We have hiftorical, moral, philofophical, and critical effays, odes, fonuers, and tranflated verfe, all incongruous.Among the hiftorical cifays (for we hall purfue fome degree of order in our Review, though the Editor feems to defpife arrangement) there are feyeral curious cifquifitions. The Remarks on the early population of Italy and Europe difplay much acutenefs of inveftigation. The II ftorical Outlines of Falconry difcover both ingenuity and learning. The only moral effay in the Collection is that on Benevolence and Friendship, as oppofed to Principle, where the fentiment is fo well worthy the attention of our younger Readers in particular, that we fhall indulge ourfelves in making a pretty large extract from it: "The Tales of Marmontel," fays the ingenious Author," are very commonly put into the hands of young people; but they have furely a very bad tendency. Not a fingle ftory, perhaps, is fpotlefs-not one is un tainted by fome indelicate allufion, fuch as a young lady, poffelling the genuine modefty of her fex, could not read without a blush. The diciples, indeed, of Mrs. Woottoncraft might boldly challenge us to point out the fighteft impropriety in the mott indecent of the tales in queftion; but they who have been yet untaught to mention every part of the human frame with the fame indifference as we notice our heads and our hands, muft often, in peruling Marmontel, discover an emotion by the check's fit crimfening. Next to the Shepherdefs of the Alps, which is full of romantic improbabili ties, perhaps no production of Marmontel is more impreffive than that of Annette and Lubin. Speaking, indeed, as a critic, I confider it as a perfect piece. It is drawn from nature; the outline is fine; the colouring is delicious; yet, as a moralift, I muft condemn it. I have frequently heard it mentioned by women as a tale exquifitely well told. What is it, how ever, but an infidious appeal of nature to our appetites and paihons, in favour of the unreftrained indulgence of love? What is it but a fpecious apology for criminal intercourfe? Does it not throw the veil of innocence over the features of vice? Does it not lend a new charm to amorous voluptuoufnefs, as it diffi pates the blushes of guilt? Who can blame either Lubin or Annette And what fimple girl, too fond in love, might not unwittingly follow the example of her heroine? The Author's aim is, doubtless, to perfuade us that the free commerce of the fexes is right, because it is natural, and that all our ideas to the contrary originate in nothing elfe but inftitution or habit, the policy of states, or the refinements of fociety." The Philofophical Effays contain fuch novelties as will, doubtlefs, excite a very general attention; and the Critical (particularly that on the Shields of Hercules and Achilles) are marked by the original conceptions of a mind independent on authorities. Before we difmifs this article, we feel ourselves under the neceffity of performing the lefs agreeable part of the Critic's office, that of noticing defects. In the Addrefs to the Society we read, "Our minds would be fubfervi. ent to that bond of politeness, which confecrates the intercourfe," &c. How minds can be fubfervient to a bond, or how a bond can confecrate any thing, we cannot divine. In " Lines read at the Second Meeting of the Society," the Poet thus ftumbles at the threinold: "A theme invites-a rugged word the "theme, "That ne'er was heard by the Cafta"lian fream." Such a poct deferves to be pilloried. The vindication of the character of Pindar, from p. 16 to 52, is a heavy, dry, and uninterefting performance. All the Remarks on the British Monu ments in Devon, from p. 106 to 13% might, in our opinion, have been spar ed, particularly thofe on the Cromlech, which is defcribed already by Mr. Pol whele in his "Hiftorical Views of De vonshire." If these remarks were written by Mr. Polwhele (which however does not ftrike us as being the cafe), they are here out of place, and his Sub. fcribers have juft reafon to complain of him;-if they were written by Mr. Swete (as the accompanying engravings feem to intimate), there is fomething of a hoftile appearance in thus obtruding an account of Devonian monuments on the public, without a reference to the "Historical Views," where the sub. ject is already exhausted; or to the great work, 44 The Hiftory of Devon, where a very ampie, defcription of thofe thofe monuments, we apprehend, will the poetical part of this curious, and, be introduced. upon the whole, valuable work. In our next Review we fhall notice W. Mifcellaneous Works of Edward Gibbon, Efq. with Memoirs of his Life and THE materials of what remains to be related of Mr. G.'s life are furnished partly by his letters during this period, and partly by a fhort occafional narrative fupplied by Lord Sheffield. In one of the former of thefe he thus fpeaks of a vifit to M. Neckar: "Ipaffed four days at the caftle of Capet with Neckar, and would have wished to have fhewn him, as a warning to any afpiring youth poffeffed with the dæmon of ambition. With all the means of private happiness in his power, he is the moft milerable of human beings; the paft, the prefent, and the future, are equally odious to him. When I fuggefted fome domeftic amufements of books, buildings, &c. he answered with a deep tone of defpair, Dans l'état ou je fuis, je ne puis fentir que le coup de vent qui m'a abbati.-How different from the careless cheerfulness with which our poor friend Lord North fupported his fall Madame Neckar maintains more external compofure, mais le diable n'y perd rien." We have the fatisfaction of informing our readers, that it appears from fubfequent epiftles, that this deep and dark cloud of melancholy gradually difperfed. In the year 1791 Mr. Gibbon received a vifit from Lord and Lady Sheffield, of which a brief account is given by his vifitor. Among other particulars is mentioned, what we have already had occafion to remark and lament, that Mr. Gibbon from early youth had contracted a partiality for foreign manners and foreign habits of life, which made him lefs a ftranger abroad, than he was in fome refpects in his native country. His next and laft journey to England displays our Author in a very amiable and interefting light. He had engaged to pafs a year there with his friend, but the war had rendered travelling exceedingly inconvenient, and, together with his increafing bodily infirmities, had induced him to lay afide the undertaking. But the unexpected death of Lady Sheffield removed every difficulty and delay. In spite of increafing impe. diments, he haftened to England to foothe his afflicted friend by the most generous fympathy, and to try to allevi ate his domestic calamity. Neither his great corpulency, nor his extraordinary bodily complaints, could prevent him for a moment from refolving on an expedition that might have deterred the moft active young man. With an alertnefs by no means natural to him, he undertook a long circuitous journey by the frontiers of an enemy worse than favage, within the found of their cannon, within the range of the light troops of the different armies, and through roads ruined by the enormous machinery of war. He arrived fafely in England about the latter end of May; and, excepting a vifit to Lord Egremont, and Mr. Hay ley, was not abfent from Sheffield Place till the beginning of October, when he went to Mrs. Gibbon at Bath, the widow of his father, who had early delerved, and invariably retained, his affection. From Bath he proceeded to Lord Spencer's at Althorp, and continued in good health and in excellent fpirits during the whole fum mer. But in a letter dated the 11th of November 1793, Mr. Gibbon thus de◄ fcribes to his friend the alarming change: "I muft at length withdraw the veil before my state of health, though the naked truth may aların you more than a fit of the gout. Have you never obferved, through my inexpreffibles, a large prominency circa genitalia, which, as it was not at ali painful, and very little troublelome, I had strangely neglected for many years? But fince my departure from Sheffield Place, it has increafed (most flupendously), is increafing, and ought to be diminished. Yesterday I fent for Farquhar, who is allowed to be a very skilful furgeon. After viewing and palping, he very feriously defired to call in affistance, and has examined again to-day with Mr. Cline, a furgeon, as he favs, of the fift eminence. They both pronounce it a bydrocele (a collection of water), which must be let out by the operation of tap ping; Immediately on receiving the above letter, Lord Sheffield went from Brighthelmftone to London, and was agreeably furprized to find that his friend had dined that day at Lord Lucan's, from whence he did not return to his lodgings till eleven o'clock at night. "Thofe," fays his Lordship," who had feen him within the aft eight or ten years, must be furprized to hear that he could doubt whether his ditorder was apparent." When he returned to England in 1787, his friends were greatly alarmed by a prodigious increafe, which was fuppofed to proceed from a rupture. Lord Sheffield could not understand why he, who had talked with his friend on every other fubject without referve, hould never in any fhape hint at a malady fo obvious and inconvenient; and on mentioning the circumftance to his valet de chambre, he replied, that Mr. G. could not bear the leaft allufion tothe complaint, and never would fuffer him to notice it. We have inferted this anecdote as an extraordinary inftance both of the imbecility even of a vigorous mind, and of its skill in concealing from itfelf what it does not chufe to inveftigate. Had the intelligent hiftorian tried in earnett to conquer this foolish bathfulness, had he converfed freely on the matter at an earlier period with his friends, his life might have been protracted, if not abfolutely preferved from this perilous difcafe, and he would not have added another fatal example to the multitudes that may be found in the ftory of mankind, of the danger as well as the weaknefs of human vanity. On the Thurflay following the date of the letter quoted above, Mr. Gibbon was tapped for the first time, and four quarts of a transparent watery fluid were difcharged by the operation. He was abroad again in a few days, but the water evidently collecting very fit, it was agreed that a fecond puncture fhould be made a fortnight after the first. This accordingly took place at the time propofed, and three quarts of the fame fluid as before was dif charged. Soon after this fecond operation, Mr. Gibbon went down to Sheffield Place, "and his difcourfe," fays his friend, "was never more brilliant nor more entertaining than on his arrival. There wer however, on the whole, a very con fiderable change in his appearance and his habits. That ready, cheerful, various, and animating converfation, which had been admired in him be fore, was now not always to be found in the library or the dining-room. He moved with difficulty, and retired much fooner from company than had been hitherto his cuftom. On the twenty-third of December his appetite began to fail him. He obferved, that it was a very bad fign with him when he could not eat his breakfast; this was the ftrongest expreffion of apprehenfion which he appears to have utter. ed. A confiderable degree of fever now made its appearance. Inflammation arofe from the weight and bulk of the tumour. Water again collected very past; and though the fever went off, be never entirely recovered an appe tite even for his breakfaft. Towards the end of the month Lord Sheffield became very uneafy at his fituation, and thought it neceflary to advise him to fet out for London. On his arrival there, remedies were applied to abate the m flammation, but it was not thought proper to pierce the tumour for the third time till Monday the 13th of January, when no less than fix quarts of fluid were difcharged. He feemed much relieved by this evacuation; his fpirits continued good; and there was no apprehenfion that his life was in dinger, though it was feared that he might not be restored to a comfortable fiate, and that motion would be always troublefome; but he himself talked of a radical cure. On Tuesday the 14th, when the rifk of inflammation and fever was fuppofed to be over, as, his medical attendants expreffed no fears for bis life, Lord Sheffield returned to his feat in Suffex. The next morning he received a good account of Mr. Gibbon, mentioning that he gained strengthi every hour: but in the evening a letter came by exprefs, dated at noon that day, which acquainted him that his friend had fuffered a violent attack the preceding night, and that it was nog probable he would live till Lord S.'s arrwal |
