of the year, which they confecrated to Janus, and paid particular attention to the ceremony of withing a buppy new year. Before the day was pent, they not only visited and congratulated, but prefented Aren, and offered vows to the gods for each other's prefervation. Although the year among the many different nations of antiquity was not begun at the fame period, the Roman † January, which was their firft month, falling, like ours, in the depth of Winter; the Arabian in the Spring; the Macedonian at the Autumnal Equinox; the ancient Athenians at the Winter Solstice, the more modern at the Summer, &c. yet we have reason to believe, that, at what ever feason the year was begun, it was always ushered in by fome religious ceremony, fomething, whether it was facrifices, games, donations, good wishes, or, of whatever nature it might be, fuitable to the genius of the people; fomething that impressed upon their minds the awful reflections arifing from a renovation of time, and caufed them not only to take a retrofpective view of that period which had elapfed, but to draw uterul inferences from paffed events, to serve as a guide, or monitor, in future. Pythagoras, or whoever was the author of the Golden Verfes that país under his name, doth not only recommend an annual or monthly examination, but particularly advised his fcholars, every night when they laid themselves down to relt, to call themselves to an account for the actions which had paffed that day, and enquirė in what they had tranfgreffed, and what good they had done. If fuch was the advice of an heathen philofopher, advice which numerous fects, whofe religion is founded, in a great meature, upon his principles, follow to this hour, would it be too much to hape, that Chriftians, who have, in the illumination which the Scriptures have diffufed, lights fo fuperior to the erratic and uncertain gleams of the ignus fatuus of the Schools, would proceed upon this felf-examination at least once a year, and that they would chufe the prefent feafon, which religion and reafon feem to point cut as the most proper one to begin that work th It may not here be totally irrelevant to remark, that not only the fage I have just mentioned, but Plato and the Chaldean philofophers, more ancient than either, have adverted to the period at which all nature feems to be upon the point of renovation, as a time that demands our particular devotion, our praises of, and thanksgivings to, the Firit Great Cause, but have alfo perfonified the seasons, whom they call by feveral glorious names, and all of them by the general appellation of Eons or Ages. The rifing age they termed Zan, which is the life; and fo they proceeded to the other emanations and powers, derived from the dawning, and continued to the maturity and decline, of the year, each of which they cele brated with particular folemnity. The Jews, in addition to their annual feftival, had what they called a fabbatical year; a period when it was fuppofed that all nature was at reft, when the land was left untilled, and the people devoted themfelves to particular acts of humiliation, contrition, and repentance. The fame folemnity might be faid to prevail at every return of the Mahometan Hegira, and at every revolution of the Roman Indi&tion. But to return to modern times and to European countries. The dawnings of the New Year, as I obferved in the begin ning of this speculation, was in all; and fill is in the much larger portion of them, a season of far greater folemnity than in our own. Without enumerating particulars that are fo well known, I thall only observe; that in every part of the continent, ex cept one nation, whether the inhabitants are under the influence of Catholic of Proteftant doctrines, the first day of the year is confidered as a feafon peculiarly adapted to felf-examination and repentance for the follies and vices of the past, and joy and hilarity that a term is ftill allowed them for amendment in future. On the unhappy country to which I have flightly alluded, a country over which a malignant star has ihed its bales fui influence, "and drizzled blood upon the Capitol," it is impoffible to fay what effect a new æra, ariling from the afhes of the laff, On which account it has been faid they reprefented him with two faces. In this I adopt the Calendar, as reformed by Numa from that of Romulus ; Julius Cæfar and Pope Gregory VIII. in this refpeét left it as they found it. 1 Pythagoras. Vide Eufebius de Præparat. 1 This, I that! on a suture occation obferve, bears a ftrong analogy to the Mythology of the Centoos. will have. If, in its courfe, it draws down that vengeance upon the heads of the remainder of the regicides which the few that have preceded have up. on a large portion of the affembly of thofe allaffins, it will be lefs to be wondered at (for the avenging bolt, the' for a time fufpended, is certain to fall) than the crimes which produced fuch punishment are to be deplored. It muft, to every thinking mind, be attended with horror, if it refects upon the enormities that have been crouded into the years that have elapfed of the last decade of the Eighteenth Century, and by turning our eyes upon the unhappy country that has been the fcene of them, ought to make us not only thankful, that, by the prudent and wholesome meatures which have been saken, we have avoided the contamination which might have enfued from a collifion, but render us more attentive to thofe duties which religion and benevolence point out, and which the prefent period, and the prefent feafon, render peculiarly neceffary; fo that devotion and hospitality, which have, in fome degree, lain dormant, may revive among us, and lead us, by adopting thofe fentiments which were fo well practifed by our ancestors, and by following thofe examples which they have left us, to confider the clofe of the year as a feftival intended to draw. the bond of union clofer amongst Chrif tians, and to prompt them to acts of friendship and philanthropy; and the renewal of it as not only the renewal of our exiftense, but of our gratitude to God, our affection toward our country, and our general good wishes to each other. CARICATURA, "Tis doubly vile, when, but to prove your art, BROWN's Eay on Satire. BY GULIELMUS PASQUIN, ESQUIRE. EVERY Nation calling itself Enlight ened and Polite should, on all occafions, do its utmost to facilitate the progrefs of the Arts; in doing which, the Itrictest attention should be observed, that morality and virtue be kept facred and inviolate, and he who, loft to every fenfe of moral duty and fhame, can, un der the title of an Artist, profitute his abilities at the thrine of licentioufnefs and corruption, deferves to be discountenanced by every lover of juftice and virtue. The preceding obfervations refult as a conference from obferving in the windows of many fhops in this great me tropolis, thofe difgraceful prints denominated Caricatures. Often have I beheld with fenfible regret the avidity and apparent felf-fatisfaction with which they were by the croud perufed. Some little confolation, however, I derived from the reflection, that this species of exhibition is food alone for the vulgar and unenlightened. There is a wide difference between the Satirift and the Libeller: the former, by daring to tell the truth, materially affifts to retard the progrefs of vice; the latter is prompted by leis ingenuous principles, no other than des ftroying the reputation of the man, who and, and, by well-timed admonition, reclaim to the path of virtue the individual who had deviated from it! It is palpably evident, that the Caricaturift is eminently calculated to widen the breach of civil or political fociety. When, unfortunately for this country, the prefent war created fuch violent diflention with statefinen, individuals, and indeed with all classes of fociety, which was confiderably frength ened by infufing into the bofoms of the vulgar an impracticable and dangerous fpecies of philofophy, how often have we been infulted by an exhibition of our firft political characters in the most ridiculous forms that can be conceived! Is this calculated to conciliate party animotity? No; but it aflifts, combined with the harangues of factious demagogues, to fan the blaze of commotion, and ultimately may terminate in the ruin of our country. His Majefty has alike been infulted by thefe defpicable artists, by descriptions of him in fituations he never was, and of his perfon, as has been his feraily, all which are egregioutly untrue: they appear defigned to alienate the affections of faithful fubjects from one of the best of Kings, therefore call loudly on justice to overtake them in their mad career. Religion and virtue have not been exempted from the invidious lafh of the Caricaturift. This is a fericus point, and requires ftrong language to enforce the neceffity of adopting meatures to refeue thefe godly attributes from fuch impious hands.-The lafcivious and libidinous fcenes which are exposed in the windows, and elsewhere, of our Carica ture merchants, are a palpable infringe ment on every rule of medetty and decorum, and call loudly on the exertion of the magistrate, and of every one impreffed with the welfare of his fellow-creatures, to discountenance fuch vicious and im SIR. moral practices. I am inclined to fufpect, that no man of real claffical abilities ever took up this infamous profeffion. It appears likely, that difappointment from being difqualified to pursue the eller art, has implanted in the bosom of the Caricaturift a dæmon-like envy, and has rendered him callous to the voice of reafon and humanity. I may be mistaken in the affertion; but to me it appears true, that the reason why Caricaturifts are not folicitous for the reputation of another, is, that they muft, by lome fpecies of iniquity while in the bofom of fociety, have blatted their own characters, after which they endeavour that their obnoxious friends shall be in the fame predicament. Who are thefe ob noxious characters? Men perhaps poffeffing virtues and abilities to which they can never attain, and, like the Gallic regicides who have equallized property, they wish to fubject a good name to the fame deplorable fyftema 46 He that filches from me my good name, "Robs me of that which not enriches him, “And makes me poor indeed. " To minds not infected with prejudice, enough has been laid to convince them of the truib affèrted to thefe alone do I write and I am persuaded by will do their utmost to annihilate thefe vipers in the bo fem of fociety, and that they will exclaim with me, that it refies no honour on the British nation to fanétien fuch productions, to which fo often I have allu ded, while fo many artilts of the most dif,. tinguished abilities are fuffered to pine in obicurity and indigence, while the Caricaturift, with frontlers impunity, falks in the finfbine of affinence and populari ty: but it must be a confolation to the. moral arcift, to know that the beams are. reflected from the contaminated fource of venality and corruption. To the EDITOR of theEUROPEAN MAGAZINE. THE CARDINAL of YORK being lately deceafed, the following Account of himand his Brother the PRETENDER, may perhaps prove acceptable to the Readers of your Magazine, The DESCRIPTION of the P of W and D of Y—, drawn by Mr. MURRAY's own Haso, and tent by him to a certain LADY, who had defired it of him for the GRATIFICATION of her CURIOSITY. CHARLES-EDWARD, the eldeft for of the Chevalier de St. George, is tali above the gununon itature; his limbs are caft in the most exact mould; his complexion has in it fomething of an uncommon delicacy all his features are. perfectly perfectly regular and well-turned, and his eyes the ineft I ever law. But that which fhines molt in him, and renders him without exception the molt furprizingly handsome perfon of the age, is the dig nity that accompanies his every gefture. There is indeed fuch an unspeakable majesty diffused through his whole mien and air, as it is impoflible to have any idea of without feeing; and ftrikes thofe that do with fuch an awe as will not fuffer them to look upon him for any time, unless he emboldens them to it by his exceflive affability. Thus much, Madam, as to the perfon of the Prince. His mind (by all I can judge of it) is no lefs worthy of admiration. He feems to me, and (I find) to all that know him, to have all the goodnature of the Stuart family blended with the fpirit of the Sobieskis. He is, at leaft as far as I am capable of feeing into Bien, equally qualified to prefide in Peace and War. As for his learning, it is extenfive beyond what could be expected from double the number of his years. He peaks most of the European Lan guages with the fame cale and fluency, as if each of them was the only one he knew, is a perfect mafter of all the different kinds of Latin ;-understands Greek well, and is not altogether igno rant of the Hebrew, Hiftory and Philo fophy are his darling entertainments, in both which he is well verfed: The one, he fays, will inftract him how to govern others, and the other how to govern him felf, whether in profperous or adverte fortune. Then, for his courage-that was fufficiently proved at the siege of Gaieta, when, though carce arrived at the age of fifteen, he performed fuch things, as in attempting made his friends and cremies alike tremble, though from different motives. What he is ordained for, we mult leave to the Al mighty, who difpoies all; but he appears to be born and endowed for fomething very extraordinary, ́ HENRY BENEDICT, the fecond fun, has alto a very fine perion, though of a ftature fomewhat lower than his brother, and his complexion not altogether to delicate he is, however, extremely well made, has a certain agreeable robustness in his mien, and a more than commen sparkle in his eyes. Many of those per fections I have (though faintly) defcribed as appertaining to the one, are equally the due of the other. It is hard indeed to fay which of them has mot applied himielf to the branches of thofe kinds of learning, which enable a man to be nfe-ful to his fellow-creatures. The difference I make between their tempers is this: that the one has the agreeable mixture of the Stuart and Sobielki (as I have already faid), and the other feems actuated more entirely by the spirit of the latter: all the fire of his great ancestors on that fide, feeins collected in him; and I dare believe, that fhould his arm ever be employed in fo warrantable a cute as that which warmed the breast of his glorious progenitor, when 150,000 Turks owed their † defeat to the bravery of a handful of Christians led on by him to victory, this warlike young Prince would have the fame fuccefs. His martial ipirit difcovered itfelf when, being no more than nine years old, at the time his brother accompanied the young King of Naples to enforce pollellion of his dos minious, he was fo much discontented at being refufed the partnership of that glory and that danger, that he would not put on his word, till his father threatened to take away his Garter too, faying, it did not become him to wear the one withcut the other. I am told, the parting between these young gentlemen and their father was very affecting, and drew tears from the eyes, of mott who were prefent at it. The Regent (as he was called) faid, amongst other remarkable things, "I go (Sir) in fearch of Three Crowns, which I doubt not but to have the honourand happiness of laying at your Majesty's feet: If I fail in the attempt, your next fight of me fhall be in my coffin." At theie words the Chevalier became unable to preferve, that moderation he had affumed on so trying an occation: the grief his heart was big with, in fpite of his endeavours, difcovered itfelf in his coun tenance, and he burit into this exclama tion "Heaven forbid that all the Crownsin the world fhould reb me of my fon!! Then tenderly embracing him, “Be careful of yourfelt, my dear Prince (added he), for my take, and I hope for the lake. of millions." King John of Poland. + Siege of Vienna. THE An Enquiry into the Foundation and Hiftory of the Law of Nations in Europe from the Time of the Greeks and Romans to the Age of Grotius. By Robert Ward, Efq. 2 Vols. 8vo. 16s. Boards. Butterworth. THIS arduous undertaking, which might have been expected to come from the pen of fome public Minifter retired from the world, and communicating to it the refult of long experience in the diplomatic line, we find executed in a matterly manner by a young Author, a Barrister-at-law; and we may venture to declare, that this firft fruit of united genius, ability, and industry, affords a rational ground to expect that he will rife to eminence and distinction in his profefhon. The fubject itself is of the first importance, and its investigation could not have been better timed; for fuch infractions of the Law of Nations, by fome of the Chriftian Powers of Europe, have taken place of late years, and itill fubfift, that it may be found indifpenfably neceflary, whenever a general Pacification takes place, to infert in the Treaty a fpecific article, binding all the States of Europe to a due obfervance of the eftablished Law of Nations; and to guarantee it to each other. If this is not accomplished, Peace cannot be permanent; for the principal lines of diftinction be tween what were called Barbarous and Civilized Nations, without it, are likely to be almoft totally effaced. A fingle inttance will fuffice in this place to explain our meaning. Uncivilized nations, fuch as the favage inhabitants of Asia and Africa, the Moors, and the Turks, acknowledging no Law of Nations, always commenced hoftilities, and carried on wars, against thofe whom they considered as their enemies, without any previous notice of the approaching calamity, fuddenly laying wafte their territories, and purfuing the unfortunate inhabitants with fire and fword. But civilized nations, on the contrary, regarding certain principles of the Law of Nations as binding and obligatory, did not go to war without first attempting every pacific mode of obtaining fatisat. tion for the injuries complained of; by prefenting memorials, through the medium of their Minifters refiding at the Court of the offending State; or by feuding Envoys-Extraordinary, for the exprefs purpofe of bringing about a recon ciliation; and while fuch amicable ne gociations were pending, the subjects of each nation, having timely notice of the probability of an open rupture in cafe of their failure, could withdraw their per fons and effects before a war commenced ; and were likewife prepared to be on their guard not to hazard large mereantile adventures on the high leas, as in times of profound peace. The negociations proving unsuccessful, manifeftoes ftating the grievances, the refufal of redress, and a juftification of the hoftile measures intended to be purfued, either preceded or accompanied a folemn formal Declaration of War. But, unfortunately, modern Statesmen and Politicians have deviated from the principles of religion and morality on which the Law of Nations was originally founded, and have introduced a fuperfeding principle, called the Law of Po litical Neceffity; and more recently, that of exifling circumftances, the fatal effects of which have been, and now are, feverely felt on the Continent of Europe. Under |
