Графични страници
PDF файл
ePub

the Parifian Literati. He liftens to himself with great complacency, and always fpeaks flowly, because he first confiders with care every fentence that he utters. He preferves the fame unaltered mien in all circumftances, whether pleasant or unpleasant, and hears with a like fteadiness of feature, a tale of joy, or a story of the deepest woe, nor, while I was with him, did his countenance once vary into a smile, notwithstanding that the conversation led him to relate a very humorous occurrence. The most exceffive punctuality and order reigns throughout his houfe, his fervants muft difpatch their bufinefs to a minute, or they run the hazard of being difmiffed. Of this exactness he fets them the example himself, for his day is divided like that of the Anglo-Saxon King Alfred; he goes, at the ftriking of the clock, to work, to table, or into company, nor continues at any of these employments one minute longer than the unalterably established order of the day allows. A hair-dreffer was difcarded because he came a few minutes after the time appointed; his fucceffor in order to be perfectly fecure came a few minutes too foon, but he shared the fame fate, and the third only who entered the house-door as the clock ftruck was retained.

"Gibbon is at present employed in making a catalogue of his library, in which are many choice and expenfive works, particularly excellent editions of the claffics; and in general it is confidered as one of the best private libraries ever collected. His first work that he published was written in French, while he was very young, and he told me it was become so scarce, that a copy was lately fold at an auction for two guineas, although it was only a fmall pamphlet. It was among the ruins of the Capitol that he first planned writing "The Hiftory of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire ;" and he has with manly perfeverance run the most laborious career ever purfued by any historian.

"Our converfation foon turned from the ancient English literature, wherein he fhewed very great knowledge, to the German. Gibbon, one of the greateft fcholars' of our age, whom nothing worthy of attention which has been produced in England, France, Italy, or Spain, almost in every branch of human learning, has escaped, yet betrays an extremely confined knowledge of the hiftory of our language and literature,

nor

nor had even heard of the German imitations of ancient me.. tres. He mentioned Algarotti's Treatife on Rhyme, in which the author, entirely paffing over the Germans, only enumerates the unsuccessful attempts at hexameters made by the English, French, and Italians. I was induced by this to enter on a hort sketch of the hiftory of our language: I recounted the rapid improvement made in it within a few years, and concluded with mentioning a German Odyssey, in which the tranflator has not only preferved the metre, and number of verfes in the original, but in many of the hexameters retained the very feet. My memory was faithful enough to enable me to repeat both the Greek, and German, of the two celebrated verfes on Sifyphus rolling his ftone, from the eleventh book of the Odyssey.

times over.

"Notwithstanding his ignorance of the German language, he could not but be convinced, merely from his ear, of the masterly conftruction of both thefe hexameters, nor can I defcribe his aftonishment, as he made me repeat them many He immediately conceived fo high an opinion of the improvement of our language, and of the gigantic progrefs of our literature, (as he expreffed himself) that he declared his refolution to learn German as foon as he fhould be fufficiently at leifure.

"I hope you will feize the first opportunity of becoming perfonally acquainted with this celebrated man, whofe house is the refort of the moft felect fociety, and of all intelligent foreigners that come into these parts. I embrace you with my whole foul."

In our next Number will be given the Three Letters of Mr. Gray, replete with fenfibility.

Poems on various Subje&s, by R. Anderson of Carlisle. 38. Clarke.

THIS poet is felf-educated, and therefore his productions must not be feverely fcrutinized. We, however, are pleased with many parts of this little volume, and can recommend it to our readers. In his Preface he profeffes himself, with modefty, to be defti

tute

tute of learning, and is occupied in a department of the calico-printing bufinefs. His lines may, on the whole, be read with pleasure; and the following, taken from his piece entitled the Soldier, breathes an amiable and affecting strain of fenfibility:

"O ye! who feel not poverty's keen gripe,
But loll with luxury on beds of down;
While the poor warrior on the fun-burnt heath
Or frozen plain, in fleepless anguish lies!
Think, think of him, the victim of your ease;

And when he 'scapes the gore-ftain'd field where death,
So oft a friend, the HERO frees from pain;
Attentive hear the wounded wanderer's tale,
Nor mock, with fcorn his honourable scars;
But let compaffion pour soft pity's balm
Into the wounds which only death can cure !"

A Sermon occafioned by the Death of the Reverend Jofeph Towers, L. L. D. delivered at Newington Green, June 2, 1799, by the Reverend James Lindfay; to which is added the Oration delivered at his Interment, by the Reverend Thomas Jervis. Johnfon.

MR.

Lindfay (the fucceffor of Dr. Fordyce) and Mr. Jervis (the fucceffor of Dr. Kippis) have here paid a handfome tribute of respect to the memory of a man whose talents and virtues enfured to him no inconfiderable degree of approbation. Of the late Dr. Towers we have already given ample memoirs in our Mifcellany for last June; we have therefore only to add, that this publication does much credit to its refpective authors. The fermon is eloquently written, and the oration was every way fuited to the melancholy occafion.

In the fermon the preacher has ably stated the doctrine of our immortality, and thus burfts forth in a

ftrain of exalted piety: "Infidel cease! tread not with daring ftep and cruel purpose that hallowed ground, which upholds, and upholds well whatever wildom or affection values moft. Refpect at least the fenfibilities of a wounded fpirit, and leave to the mourner in Zion, O! leave him that faith which alone can reconcile him to the death of others; which alone can fortify his courage in the profpect of his own, which alone can fill his heart with peace and joy in believing.

"But why befpeak the forbearance of infidelity, when we may fecurely defy its most inveterate enmity? We are covered with the armour of God; we wield the weapons of everlafting truth. We stand upon that rock against which the gates of hell fhall not prevail. We know in whom we have believed, and that he is able to keep the good thing which we commit to him till the fair dawning of that morn, which fhall give us back all that has been excellent in wifdom and in virtue; all that has been pleafing to the eye of fancy, or dear to the heart of affection."

Strictures on a Work, entitled an Effay on Philofophical Neceffity, by Alexander Crombie. Thefe Stri&tures are comprifed in Three Letters, addreffed to the Reverend T. Twining, to which is added an Appendix, fhewing in various Particulars, the Affinity there is between Neceffity and Predeftination. By John Golledge. Johnfon and Dilly. Price is.

IN

defence of thefe abstruse subje&ts, Liberty and Neceffity, writers of the greatest ability have appeared; and it is almoft impoffible to understand all their intri. cate fpeculations. Mr. Crombie wrote an able vindi. cation of Neceffity; and now Mr. Golledge has come forward with no fmall ingenuity to refute it. He deems it to be nearly allied to predeftination, and therefore preg

nagt

nant with mischief and abfurdity. Mr. Golledge difplays great fhrewdnefs in moft of his remarks, and has evidently paid confiderable attention to the controverfy.

It is not for us to determine where the truth lies on fo profound a subject; and it is remarkable that the perplexity of the theme feems to have troubled angelic minds, according to the reprefentations of the great Milton :

"Others apart fat on a hill retir'd,

In thoughts more elevate, and reafon'd higħ
Of Providence, foreknowledge, will, and fate;
Fix'd fate, free-will, fore-knowledge abfolute,
And found no end-in wand'ring mazes loft!"

To us fhort-fighted mortals, therefore, the fubje& muft appear dark, and we refer the folution of thele difficulties to a more enlightened sphere of being.

TO CORRESPONDENTS.

Eleanor and Mary, the Effay on Poetry, Music, and Dancing, and the Effay on Riches, fhall be inferted; alfo Civis's Communications. We fhould with to know to what length his Tale is to be extended. The Letter, by Triftram, is under confideration. Lines to a Lady playing on the Piano Forte, and on the Falling Leaf, fhall have an admiffion. The Lines on Buonaparte are a wretched compofition. Evening and Corydon are under confideration.

To the proffered obfervations on the Tragedy of Pizarro, we fhall pay due attention.

« ПредишнаНапред »