fifting, in fo many inftances, to raife junior officers over the head of the Major, in oppofition to his prior claims, and in prejudice of his just pretenfions ?"-We come now to the developement of this mysterious conduct on the part of the noble Duke. According to the account here given, it was a difference in their political fentiments, that first prompted the noble chieftain to a thirteen years' perfecution of an officer, fo unexceptionable (to all appearance, in the eye of the public,) as Major C. That this oppofition was really one, if not the fole caufe, of the mifunderstanding that has fo unhappily arifen between the Lord Lieutenant and the writer of this addrefs to his Grace, feems to be fufficiently proved, by the facts and circumstances here brought under review.-The fubftance of the cafe appears, as far as we are able to conclude, to be this:-Major C. is a warm Whig, ready, on all occafions, public or private, to manifeft his ftrong attachment to his principles, and his zeal for the maintenance of that conftitution of government on which he fuppofes the freedom and happinefs of his country to depend. Among the offences unintentionally given by the Major, through his regard for the univerfal interefts of LIBERTY, the following recent inftance is flated: it was his misfortune. to partake, with his Whig friends, of the famous revolution dinner, July the 14th, 1791. Although this teftimony of his approbation of the French revolution could not legally difquaJify him for promotion in his regiment, yet the circumftance. having certainly operated to his prejudice in that refpect, it has afforded him an opportunity of making fome pertinent and' fpirited remarks on the fubject, and of afferting and defending thofe principles which led him to the Crown and Anchor on the 14th of July,-Among other paffages, the following will ferve to evince that the fpirit of this patriotic officer remains yet unbroken: Hitherto, my Lord, I have purpofely avoided any obfervations on the French Revolution. But as my rejoicing in that event has, by your Grace, been imputed to me as a crime, it is not fit that I fhould be filent. Miftake me not, however, my Lord. I am not going to labour a defence. I am not about to plead in excuse of my cnduct. No: It is with other feelings that I fhall speak of the French Revolution. Being a phenomenon in human affairs of fuch extraordinary magnitude, and involving in it confequences of fuch infinite importance to our fpecies, it has, in all its stages, been an object of anxious attention to the citizen, the ftatefman, and the philofopher. To behold a gigantic and horrible defpotifm, in a feafon of profound peace, ficken and fpeedily crumble, by mere natural decay, to its diffolution; while from its afhes, with erect mien, and a heavenly dignity of afpe&t, was feen rifing the fair and 4 enchanting enchanting form of a free ftate, was a fpectacle truly calculated to command the admiration of men, to excite inquiry into its true origin, and to intereft the wife and the good in the completion of a vifion fo delightful. Seeing many millions of my fellow creatures fuddenly redeemed from a cruel fervitude degrading to the human fpecies, my heart leaped with joy, and the tear of extatic gratitude to the Difpofer of events glistened in my eye. Revolving in my mind thofe flow but certain advances of reason, that progrefs of science, that extenfion of thought, thofe jufter notions of man's rights, and the irrefiftible power of truth, which, maturing by imperceptible degrees the feeds of renovation, had fo long Been preparing France for a change; and referring all fuch fecondary caufes of events to their true original, the First Great Cause of all; HE it was that I confidered as the true and proper author of a revolution in human affairs fo beneficent, fo grand, fo aftonishing. Acting, my Lord, under fuch impreffions, I have no apology to make, for peaceably meeting like-minded men, focially to enjoy. fatisfactions fo pure and exalted. Did I not fincerely rejoice in the French revolution, I fhould not dare to call man my brother, nor God my heavenly father.' This is a fair, open, and honest avowal of our author's fentiments with regard to that aftonishing event which has effected fo total a change in the form of government in France. We now turn from the matter in difpute between the Lord Lieutenant of the county, and the Major of the Nottinghamshire militia; and fhall proceed to take fome (though very brief) notice, as already promifed, of thofe points of conduct on which Mr. C. may reft his claim to the character of a good citizen, who has, with unremitting zeal and activity, employed his beft attention and talents on fubjects refpecting the interests and profperity of his country. The title-page mentions, efpecially, the Major's plan for providing navy timber; oppofed to the dangerous and unprofitable fyftem of cultivating the public forefts under the management of officers of the crown.' The proposals, observations, and estimates, contained in this plan, feem to be the refult of much thought and extenfive inquiry. Several propofals of a fimilar nature have, within these few years, been offered to the confideration of the public: but we do not hear that any of the fchemes or ideas fuggefted by their feveral authors have been adopted. Perhaps we may fay of them all, what the prefent very worthy Bishop of Sarum faid of Major Cartwright's plan, when it was fhewn to him, many years ago:-"I fear we are not, now-a-days, honeft enough for fuch plans *."-For The author fays, that he has invariably communicated his plan to every fucceffive adminiftration, from 1771 to the prefent time. What they thought of it, we are not to fuppofe: but a great deal of meaning feems couched under the good prelate's obfervation. the the particulars of the Major's public-fpirited proposal, we must refer to his prefent publication. Other fchemes, intended for the benefit of the public, have, we here find, been formed by Major C. of which proper mention is made in this letter; viz. - A plan for the best defence of our most important fea-ports, &c. formed at a crifis of no fmall alarm,- when the combined fleet was in the channel, immenfely fuperior to 'Sir Charles Hardy this great force between him and Portfmouth-Spithead open to their entrance-the Ifle of Wight at their mercy; and in other refpects a fhameful want of fecurity in that quarter being visible, &c. &c.' This plan was fhewn to feveral of our admirals and commanders by fea and land; and the Duke of Richmond's fenfe of its merit was expreffed in a letter dated November 1779; viz. I am very much obliged to you for the very ingenious and noble plan you have fent me for the defence of Portsmouth, which, for the most part, as well as your reafonings on the fubject, intirely coincide with my ideas. Portfmouth, as well as Plymouth, will be bett defended by, &c. &c. &c.' Major C. likewife propofed a mode, explained by drawings, for the taking, in a few feconds, at any time of the day, plans of two hoftile fleets, while manoeuvring or engaging, fo as to be able to lay before government or the public, a state of facts fufficiently correct for every neceffary purpose, particularly on the trials of admirals. The great confufion and uncertainty thrown over the trials of Byng, of Matthews and Leftock, and of Keppel and Pallifer, have fufficiently fhewn the want of fuch a plan.' The Major has followed up his declaration in favour of the French revolution, by fome obfervations on his Britannic Majefty's royal proclamation of May 21. These obfervations must be allowed, by candid men of all parties, (whatever may be their fentimental differences on the general fubject,) to be very acute and fpirited: but they are no more calculated to fmooth the author's way to the Colonelcy of the Nottinghamshire militia, than is the retort courteous which he has given to the great perfon to whom this expoftulatory letter is addreffed. Mr. C. however, does not appear to be a man that is to be overawed by the apprehenfion of confequences that only refpect himself. There are, certainly, fuperior fpirits, even in this degenerate age, as many deem it, who are romantic enough to prefer the public welfare, or what they confider as fuch, to their own private advantage, when both are incompatible. G. Fitted out by France and Spain; confifting of about 60 fail of the line, and 30 frigates, &c. ART. ART. XIV. Painting: a Poem, in Four Cantos. With Biogra phical Notes. 8vo. PP. 74. 2s. Dangerfield. 1792. THE HE rife and progrefs of painting is certainly a very proper theme for poetry; and the prefent writer feems qualified, both in point of information and poetical abilities, to do justice to his fubject. From the mafs of facts which are known, relating to the ftate of painting among the ancient Greeks and Romans, and in the various modern fchools, fuch particulars are here felected, as are most interefting, and beft fuited to poetical defcription; and the whole narrative is embellifhed with lively imagery, picturesque fcenery, brilliant allufions, and other poetical ornaments, fufficient to entitle the author to praife, from the admirers of the fifter arts of poetry and painting. Befide the general poetical merit of this work, which is confiderably above mediocrity, it will be particularly acceptable to painters, on account of the diftinctness, and, as far as we are competent to judge, the juftnefs, with which it marks the characters of the different fchools, and of the more celebrated mafters. We select, as fpecimens, a few paffages; and, first, the following animated lines in praise of Raphael and Angelo: • Chief of the Roman School, defcend and fing; Loud, and yet louder, ftrike the brazen string, Till the ftrong tones from heaven's high arch rebound, And earth reverberates the bursting found: Strains all divine great Angelo inspire, Thy hand of iron, and thy foul of fire; Whose nervous line with fkill profound combin'd * From thee first Raphael feiz'd the glowing flame, The author has given the following account of this great artift: Raphael, who was ambitious of being confidered by the latest pofterity as unrivalled in his Art, took infinite pains with his ftudies, and fent to ranfack Greece for models of elegant forms of all descriptions, which having made his own, by frequently copying, he destroyed, to bar the fame path to any future rival. From his friend Bramante he procured the key of the Pope's Chapel, to fee what Michael Angelo was there doing, which, like a flath of lightning, awakened every latent power, and from thence his ftyle received its highest pitch of improvement. His picture of the Tranf figuration, which is efteemed his mafter-piece, was painted for France, but on his death detained at Rome, and placed in the church of St. Pietro in Montorio. He was to have married the niece of Cardinal Bibiena, who revived the decoration of theatrical reprefentations by fcenery, in a play performed before Leo the Xth; but his excelfive debaucheries put a period to his existence at the early age of 37, in 1520.' Raphael! Raphael! whofe more than mortal Pencil caught The Spanish fchool of painting is energetically as well as harmoniously characterized;-after glancing, with no enraptured eye, on The ftudious labours of the fons of France,' the poet thus proceeds: More ftrong, more pure, more fraught with living fire, • See from Le Sueur what melting scenes appear, The fog-crown'd rock, and dafh the foaming wave. Whole |