anecdote is of too curious a nature to be here omitted:He lately captured a veffel from South America which, amongst other articles of great value, contained a ftatute of the King of Spain in gold, defigned as a prefent to his Majefty. The gallant tar, with a spirit worthy of himself, and honourable to his country, forwarded the ftatute to Cadiz; and in a manner which may greatly enhance the value of the gift, folicited his Majefty's acceptance of it. Thus have we given in the Numbers of our prefent Volume sketches of four celebrated Naval Characters, to whose unremitting exertions our country is eminently indebted. We are perfuaded that the information ref. pecting them and their atchievements has imparted a degree of fatisfaction to our Readers. On the fea, that rude and boisterous element, are to be found characters by no means inferior to the tranquil landsman, whose life is generally marked by a more steady uniformity. Merit is confined to no ftation under heaven. In every department of human life is it to be met with, and its more prominent features fhall be by us faithfully recorded. We fhall clofe this account, with a lift of the Naval Stations of our Fleets and Commanders on the first of July, 1798. By fuch an enumeration curiofity will be in a measure gratified : COMMANDERS. Bridport, Lord STATIONS. French Coast. Bligh, R. R. Efq. Curtis, Sir Roger Duncan, Lord West Indies. Lisbon. Chriftian, Sir Hugh C. Cape of Good Hope. North Seas. Lisbon. Cruizing. Weft Indies. Cork. Lutwidge, S. Efq. Plymouth. Sheerness. Nelfon, This lift exhibits at one view the diftribution of our naval power. So ftupendous a force muft excite our aftonishment. From the ability and skill of the several commanders, we have reafon to hope that the enemies of Britain will be humbled, and our fears of an invafion put to flight. These fleets are truly the wooden walls of Old England. Whilft we maintain a fuperiority at fea, it is next to an impoffibility that the landing of any confiderable number of men on our fhores can be effected. May our naval fuperiority, therefore, continue to the latest pofterity! This, our dominion on the ocean, however, fhould be exercifed with mildness and humanity. When victories are obtained, may they be accompanied with little bloodshed, and may they accelerate the arrival of PEACE, that moft diftinguished bleffing, which fhall at fome future period extend its balmy wing over all the nations of the earth. THE THE REFLECTOR. [No. XVIII.] ON CRITICISM. First follow nature, and your judgment frame THE POPE. HE term Criticifm conveys a degree of terror to vulgar ears. It is imagined to be a myfterious fomething, fevere in the extreme. Many perfons fhrink away from it, as from the ghofts and apparitions of former days. Its look fcarifies, its touch is death. But wherefore thefe terrible ideas of an art, innocent in its nature, and useful in its operation? By no one should true criticism be feared. Her province is to enlighten and reform human genius. She prefcribes rules of writing dictated by wifdom, the obfervance of which enables the author to inftruct and meliorate mankind with a more fovereign efficacy. Criticism, divefted of its technical notions, and applied to the estimation of good writing, is founded on experience. It is not the refult of arbitrary determination. It is not the product of caprice and whimsicality. No; true criticifm confifts of rules legitimately afcertained, from contemplating the works of others which have borne the teft of public opinion. Feeling that propriety and beauty arose from certain arrangements and combinations, this difpofition of things paffes into an established rule not to be violated with impunity. This is the moft natural account of Criticifm under whatever forms it may be confidered. Let this reprefentation of its origin be carefully remembered. It will affift us in forming a juft idea of a fubject, poffeffing no mean rank in the republic of letters. Το To illuftrate the preceding obfervation, an inftance has been taken from "Ariftotle's rules concerning the unity of action in dramatic and epic compofition. They were not rules first discovered by logical reafoning, and then applied to poetry; but they were drawn from the practice of Homer and Sophocles; they were founded upon obferving the fuperior pleafure which we receive from the relation of an action which is one and entire, beyond what we receive from the relation of scattered and unconnected facts." But it may be afked concerning the rules of Criticifm, Is an author to keep them conftantly in view? Muft they be to him what the beacon is to the mariner? Is he never to lofe fight of them? To thefe queries it is replied, That this fervile attention is by no means neceffary. We wish not to load a writer with trammels. We want not to hamper his genius. But in compofition, we expect that he will not overleap the boundaries which experience and good fenfe have wifely prefcribed. An eminent genius will write intuitively according to these rules, though with an irregularity that is oftentimes the parent of blemishes. The diverfity of the human mind is aftonishing. Some intellects will at once perform what other intellects can never be brought to accomplish. Writers of ability launch forth into their fubjects with fuch energy, that they will not fuffer any rules to operate for the regulation of their excurfions. Many beauties, therefore, are thus fnatched beyond the reach of art. Yet as to thefe writers it must be confeffed that an attention to the established canons of criticifm would prove highly ferviceable to them. It would heighten their beauties, diminish their blemishes, and fling over their whole production an inimitable grace, eafier to be conceived than defcribed. Shakespeare, it has been often faid, pleafes in fpite of his irregularities. And for what reafon? Because his beauties are fo exquifitely charming, that they compenfate for his other defects. We are enraptured with him, not on account of his blemishes, but because they are greatly outweighed by the beautiful parts which accord with those found rules of writing which criticism hath prefcribed. The juftnefs of his fentiments, the fimplicity of his language, the ftrokes of paffion, and the lively delineation of character muft imprefs every mind. From fuch compofition no reader of difcernment can withhold his tribute of applaufe. The imperfection of human genius renders rules highly neceffary for the perfecting of compofition. Without fome ftandard we are at a lofs how to form an equitable judgment of what is prefented to our attention. Except fome guide be held forth to us, we are out at fea, wandering in the wide and tracklefs ocean. But with a chart and compafs we know our fituation, and can afcertain the port whither we are deftined. It is with literature as with every thing elfe, fome fettled laws must be established. What has moft generally been found to please, and amongst perfons moft capable of making a juft eftimation, is the only rule which can be laid down for the production of fimilar beautics. The firft writers could have no fuch rules, but when once they had exhibited to the world thofe beauties generated by the native energy of their minds, which have charmed mankind, then their fucceffors gathered from their productions the rules neceffary to be obferved. It was a work of time and labour. But once ascertained, let us feriously attend to it. Every thing in nature and art must be judged by the rules of good fenfe, aided by the advantages of a welldirected education. Avoiding, however, fervility in the imitation of others, we should never fuffer taste to prevail at the expence of judgment. Of the diverfity of opinions refpecting literary topics, we are apprifed. For a time, compofitions may be popular where there is no juft ground for approbation. Parties in religion or politics may impart to certain productions an importance which otherwife could not have been obtained. But when |