miftrefs, they can perceive in it nothing but excellence, while the neceffary imperfection of every human inftitution feems to be loft fight of. Not in this dazzling light does the judicious Mademoiselle de Keralio view the fubject; its excellence is not regarded as abfolute, but merely as relative, when compared with other inftitutions.

After the reader has been informed of the nature of our conftitution, fo as to be able to comprehend the meaning of the feveral terms relating to that fubject which perpetually occur in reading the hiftory of Britain, our fair conductress prepares to enter on the fubject fhe had appropriated for difcuffion-the history of Elizabeth ;-and here the with great justice obferves, that the reformation of the church of England having been the principal fource of the troubles, the dangers, and the glory of Elizabeth, it is neceffary to go back to the beginning of that event, under the first years of the reign of her father. This Hiftory, therefore, properly commences with the reign of Henry the Eighth, and a general view of the ftate of Europe at that time. The origin and progrefs of the Reformation in Germany; the ftruggles which those who profeffed that religion were there obliged to undergo; the zeal of young Henry in defence of the faith; the competition of the Kings of France, Spain, and EngJane, for the Imperial crown; the intrigues of Wolfey; the unfortunate expedition of the King of France into Italy, and the confequences of his captivity on the general fystem of politics in Europe; the fteps by which Henry VIII. was unintentionally impelled to deny the authority of the Pope; the circumftances which led him to perfift in his oppofition to that authority; the caufes and confequences of the fupprefion of monafteries, and other arbitrary tranfactions of that long and eventful reign, are here difplayed with a diftinctnefs and brevity that will afford fatisfaction to moft readers, but will be particularly interesting to youth, as the incidents felected are not so numerous as to perplex, while they are fufficient to give a very diftinct general view of the tranfactions of the times.

That nothing might be altogether wanting to give the reader a juft view of the hiftory the treats, Mademoifeile de Keralio has introduced a brief epifodical account of the English hiftory, from the earlieft period; tending chiefly to mark the progrefs of religious innovations, and the encroachment of the Pope on the civil rights of England. Thele notices are very fhort, but diftinct and fatisfactory, and ferve to explain the reafons for many of those charges, efpecially with regard to church-government, which afterward took place during the adminiftration of Henry and his children.

The reign of Edward VI. and that of Mary, fucceed to that of the redoubtable Henry. In the former, the character of the regent

(Somerlet)

(Somerset) is prefented to the reader in the moft engaging and interesting point of view, not by a laboured defcriptive harangue,. as hath been of late much the fashion among hiftorians, but by a ftriking detail of his actions, in which way, chiefly, our Authorefs chooses to draw characters. Of the young and amiable Edward, however, it was scarce poffible to avoid faying. fomething after his death; for time had not been allowed for his actions to difplay his character; and his difpofitions were fo amiable, and his acquirements fo uncommon, that it must have appeared an unpardonable omiffion to have allowed them to be buried in oblivion. We fhall here felect a part of what he has faid on this grateful fubject, as a fpecimen, at the fame time, of the style of writing, and the manner of thinking, of this pleafing and refpectable hiftorian :

• La clémence & l'humanité furent les principales vertus d'Edouard ; il ne pouvoit fuffrir l'idée des fupplices, & ne fignoit jamais les arréts de mort fans une violence extrême. Les pauvres étoient l'objet principal du plan d'administration qu'il propofoit d'etablir. Il ne manqua jamais, ni à fa parole, ni aux engagements qu'il prenoit pour payer fes dettes, difant que "lorfqu'un roi perd fon credit, il perd ce qu'il ne peut jamais recouvrir, & s'expofe à la défiance et au mépris." Il etoit d'un accès facile, & dans la familiarité, montroit l'enjeument & les graces de l'extrême jeuneffe, joints à la maturité d'un âge plus avancé. Lorsqu'il falloit reprefenter (quere? fe prefenter) en public, il favoit, fans devenir ni auftère ni impérieux, joindre la gravité de fon rang à la douceur naturelle l'on étoit furpris de fon air de majeftet. Depuis que les lumieres

les connoiffances s'etoient répandues en Europe, aucun prince ne promit un regne plus glorieux pour lui, & plus heureux pour fes peuples. Sa mort Jeroit devenue pour l'Angleterre un éternel fujet de regret, fi après cing années des plus grands malheurs, la main bienfaifante d'Elifabeth n'eut élevé la gloire de la nation fur des fondemens qui fubfiftent encore.'

Les Anabaptiftes étant venus apporter en Angleterre leurs erreurs infenfées, après la révolte de Munster, Cranmer s'occupa de leur converfion; la refiftance opiniâtre de plufieurs de ces malheureux, entre-autres d'une femme, les livra aux vigueurs de la loi contre les hérétiques. Le primat demanda l'ordre de les condamner au dernier fupplice. Edouard lui repondit que c'etoit imiter les excés qu'on avoit reprochés à l'églife Romaine, que de faire périr des hommes pour des chofes dont il falloit laiffer lejujement à Dieu à leur confcience. Les raifons politiques de l'archeveque lui firent garder le filence, mais fans le perfuader; & en fignant l'arrêt de mort aprs un longue réfiftance, il s'écria, les yeux baignés de larmes & s'addrefant à Cranmer: Si je fais le mal, que le mal retombe fur votre tete; vous en répondrez devant Dieu." Burnet, liv. ii. part i. Ann de Godwin. Hume, tome iii. p. 211.

66

+ Burnet, liv. i. part ii. Portrait d'Edouard VI. par Cardan. Après l'enumération de fes excellentes qualités, des lumieres de fon efprit, & de l'inftruction qu'il avoit acquife, Cardan ajoute qu'il étoit d'une trèsbelle figure; mais fur-tout que l'éclat de fes yeux jembloit une image de l'éclat de la pureté des étoiles. Enfin réunifant tout ce qu'il aamire en lui, il l'appelle un miracle de la nature! Hayward, p. 71.

Q9 4

In

In a fucceeding Number we fhall endeavour to give fome idea of the H ftory of Elizabeth herself, with a short account of the original papers that are now firft publifhed. In the mean time, we cannot help congratulating France on the acquifition of this valuable Hiftory of England, as favourable to the principles of humanity, and the natural rights of mankind.

As we have no doubt but that a tranflation of this work into English will be attempted, it may not be improper to remark, that we have taken notice of feveral typographical errors, which, being of importance, fhould be adverted to. Those that appeared to be of moft confequence relate to dates and proper names, which, by being fometimes erroneously printed, may lead those who are but little acquainted with the subject into great confufion and perplexity. A few of these errors that catched our notice, on a curfory perufal of these three first volumes, are marked in the margin *. A tranflator would do well to verify all the dates, and to attend particularly to the proper names as he goes along.

[To be continued.]

A 3 T. XII.

The Heetepades of Veefonoo-Sarma; in a Series of connected Fables, interiperfed with moral, prudential, and political Maxims; tranflated from an ancient Manufcript. in the Sanskreet Language. With explanatory Notes, by Charles Wilkins. 8vo. 6 s. Boards. Nourfe. London. 1787.

THE

THE apologue is undoubtedly of very high antiquity. Like other things of which the utility is obvious, and the invention eafy, it seems to have exifted at a very early period, and to have held, in many inftances, no inconfiderable rank among thofe compofitions which mark the gradual progrefs of a people from barbarism to civilization. This has been frequently the cafe even in countries where the powers of the imagination droop beneath the rigours of the climate. In others, therefore, where thefe powers are moft active, a fpecies of writing which blends fiction with truth, and fancy with inftruction, may be fuppofed to have been cultivated with enthufiafm, and confequently with fuccefs. If we add to this, that the dread of

*Vol. I. p. 170, 1613 is put for 1513.-P. 305, Wrielbefely for Wriothefly.-P. 365, note, Hen. VIII. is put twice for Hen. VIIVol. 1. p. 55. Ifith for Leith.-P. 149, 1602 for 1562.-P. 245, Henry VIII for Henry VII.-P. 356, note, Maniana for Mariana.— P. 404, Ville de Nenther bow for Port de Netherbow -P. 449. revolution for refolution. - P 539, inftruction twice for inftrument. Vol. III. 29th for 19th Aril.-P. 103, Leifs for Leith.-P. 207, Kirkentbright for Kirkudbright. Many other lefs errors of the prefs occur. fpeaking

Speaking offenfive truths has induced many to exchange the preceptive and fatiric ftyle, for the fafer and lefs invidious language of parable, it fhould feem to follow alfo, that in defpotic governments, where fuch caution is moft neceffary, men of the greatest talents and erudition would make it the vehicle of moral and political philofophy; and thus neftow on it all that correctnels of defign, and beauty of ornament, which every kind of writing receives from the finishing hand of a mafter. Upon thefe principles we might naturally confider Afia not only as the parent of fable, but as its moft liberal benefactress That the apologue, however, received its most perfect form in the warmer climates, and in the defpotic governments of the Eaft, were at leaft a dangerous affertion; nor would it derive much support from the character of the work before us. Common fenfe, as well as good tafte, requires eafe and perfpicuity, as effential to a perfect apologue. Elegantly fimple both in its defign and execution, it effects the great purpose of inftruction by a judicious selection of natural incidents, all tending to the fame point; and by that chastity of ftyle and language which is best adapted to didactive narrative. The ftyle, indeed, of the Heetopades is not, like fome Perfian imitations of it, loaded with epithet and metaphor. In this refpect the work is not deficient in fimplicity but from its general plan, and from the conomy of its feveral parts, we must withhold even this share of negative commendation. We are constrained to do this, even though the arrangement and connection of the feveral fables has been confidered by fome writers as one of the peculiar excellencies of the work. It profeffes, indeed, to be a series of apologues, arranged under four general heads; "the acquifition of a friend; the feparation of a favourite; of difputing; and of making peace." That the fables have all of them fome relation to the fubjects they are intended to illuftrate, cannot be denied. There are inftances, however, in which this relation is too remote. The mode in which they are connected is frequently inartificial; and fometimes the different parts feem rather to have been jumbled together by external violence, than to have coaJefced upon any regular principle of attraction or fimilarity. There is a kind of order preferved, which we know not how to defcribe, but by placing it in oppofition to the lucidus or do of Horace; while the frequent, nay almoft perpetual interruptions, which arife from the infertion of moral maxims, ferve only to render the darkness more vifible.

Many of the fables, taken feparately, are fufficiently neat and perfpicuous but there are also many, in which the incidents are felected with little judgment, and combined with as little fkl. We might add, if we were indulged in the expreffion, that the

characters

characters and manners of the feveral animals, are not always confiftently preferved. Dialogues on the authority and doctrines of the Shafter found awkwardly from the mouths of jackals and cats. Dryden, it is well known, transformed his hind and panther into polemical divines; but it is obvious also, that much just cenfure has fallen on this metamorphofis, and that European criticifm will with difficulty forgive in an Indian fabulift what it has fo loudly condemned in one of its most deferving favourites. But whatever our opinion may be of the merits of the Heetopades, confidered as a compofition, we readily admit its claim to a very confiderable antiquity. It is undoubtedly the original of thofe fables which, under various forms, have appeared in almost all the known languages upon earth, as the Fables of Pilpay, an ancient Indian Brahman; though, from the title of the work before us, and from the total ignorance of the modern Brahmans with refpect to the name of Pilpay, it may reasonably be doubted whether any fuch philofopher ever exifted. The fame of these fables had reached Perfia fo early as the latter end of the fixth century, when Noufchirvan, the fovereign of that country, is faid to have dispatched a physician of h's court, who was eminently fkilled in languages, to India, for the fole purpofe of obtaining a copy of a work which was fuppofed to contain the choiceft treasures of Eaftern wisdom, and the most perfect rules for the government of a people. In this attempt, various and stubborn were the obftacles which the learned Perfian had to encounter; for the book was preferved by the Rajahs with the utmost care among the most facred arcana of government, and concealed from the inspection of the natives as well as of foreigners. At length, however, after a few years refdence in India, he returned to his own country, and soon after prefented Noufchirvan with a Perfian tranflation of this celebrated work. From this verfion, which was written in the Pehluvi, or ancient Perfian dialect, various translations, both profaic and poetical, were afterwards made into the modern Perfian and Arabic, and thence into the Turkish, and even the Greek languages. Thefe tranflations have fince been followed by others into Latin, Spanish, Italian, French, German, and English, with various alterations, however, to accommodate them to the tafte and genius of thofe for whofe inftruction or amufement they were defigned. The immediate original of the English Inftructive and entertaining Fables of Pilpay, feems to have been the French verfion, made from the Perfian of Abul Mala

*Simeon Sethus tranflated the Kalilah ve Dimna into Greek, in the year 1100, with this title, Ta xarà separitno nj izvaním. See Fabricii Biblioth. Græc. lib. v. cap. 42.

Naffer