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Of the river Nile, which has furnished fo much controverfy, we have a full and clear defcription, on the authority of Father Lobo, who fpeaks from his own knowledge. This mighty river is called by the natives Abavi, the Father of Waters. It rifes in Sacola, a province of the kingdom of Goiana, one of the moft fruitful in all the Abyffinian dominions. On the declivity of a mountain, in the eastern part of this kingdom, the fource of the Nile has been difcovered. It fprings from two holes,. each about two feet diameter, and diftant a stone's caft from each other. One of them is about five feet and a half in depth, Lobo not being able to fink his line farther: a line of ten feet did not reach the bottom of the other. Thefe fprings are fuppofed to be the vents of a great fubterraneous lake. As to the courfe of the Nile, its waters, after their firft rife, run to the caftward, about the length of a mufket-fhot; then turning to the north, they continue hidden in the grafs and weeds for about a quarter of a league, where they again difcover themselves among fome rocks. The Nile receives large increase from other rivers, and in the plain of Boad, which is not above three days journey from its fource, it is fo broad, that a mufket-ball will scarce fly from one bank to another. Here it begins to run northward, deflecting a little towards the eaft, for the space of nine or ten leagues; it then enters the fo much talked of lake of Dambia, and flows with fo violent a rapidity, that its waters may be diftinguished through the whole paffage, which is no less than fix leagues. Here begins the greatness of the Nile. At a place called Alata, fifteen miles farther, it rufhes precipitately from the top of a rock, and forms one of the most beautiful waterfalls in the world. Lobo fays, he paffed under it without being wet, and refting himself for the fake of the coolness, was charmed with a thousand delightful rainbows, which the funbeams painted on the water in all their fhining and lively colours. After this cataract, the Nile collects its fcattered ftream among the rocks. A ftone bridge of one arch was here built over the river by Sultan Segued. At this place the Nile alters its courfe, and vifits various provinces. To pursue it through all its mazes, and accompany it round the kingdom of Goiama, is a journey of twenty-nine days. From Aby finia it paffes into the countries of Faculo and Ombarca. Of thefe vaft regions, Lobo fays, we have little knowledge. In the year 1615, Raffela Chriftos, Lieutenant General to Sultan Segued, entered these regions with his army, but not being able to get intelligence, re turned, without daring to attempt any thing.

* From this officer, Johnfon, it is probable, took the name of Raffelas, for his philofophical romance,

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As Abyffinia terminates at these deferts, Lobo adds, that he followed the courfe of the Nile no farther. Here, fays he, I leave it to range over barbarous kingdoms, and convey wealth and plenty into Egypt, which owes to the annual inundations of this river its envied fertility. I know not any thing of the reft of its paffage, but that it receives great increase from many other rivers; that it has feveral cataracts like that already defcribed; and that few fifh are to be found in it; which scarcity, doubtless, is to be attributed to the river- horfes and crocodiles, that deftroy the weaker inhabitants of these waters. Something, likewife, may be imputed to the cataracts, where fish cannot fall far without being killed.'

As to the causes of the inundation of the Nile, Lobo fays, fome theorists have been of opinion, that they are occafioned by high winds, which ftop the current, and force the water above its banks. Others pretend a fubterraneous communication between the ocean and the Nile, and that the fea, being violently agitated, fwells the river. Many afcribe it to the melting of fnow on the mountains of Ethiopia; but I never faw fnow in Abyffinia, except on mount Semen in the kingdom of Tigre, very remote from the Nile, and on Namera, which is indeed not far diftant; but there never falls fnow enough to wet the foot of the mountain, when it is melted. To the immenfe Jabours of the Portuguese, mankind is indebted for the knowledge of the real caufe of thefe inundations. Their observations inform us, that Abyffinia, where the Nile takes its rife, is full of mountains, and, in its natural fituation, is much higher than Egypt; that all the winter, from June to September, no day is without rain; that the Nile receives, in its courfe, all the rivers, brooks, and torrents that fall from those mountains; these neceffarily fwell the Nile above its banks, and fill the plains of Egypt with inundations. This,' fays Lobo, is all I have to inform the reader of concerning the Nile; which the Egyptians adored as the Deity, in whofe choice it was to bless them with abundance, or deprive them of the neceffaries of life.'

With this curious account of the Nile, and its inundations, we imagine the Reader will not be difpleased. We find it in the Literary Magazine, or the Works of the Learned, for March 1735- Father Lobo gives a copious account of the progress of the Catholic religion, to the time of the expulfion of the Jefuits, which happened on the death of Sultan Segued. Le Grand, the French tranflator, has added a curious fequel to Lobo's hiftory, wherein we are informed of the many fruitless attempts which have been made to introduce again the Jefuit miffionaries into the Abyffinian empire, in order to bring the Emperor and his subjects under obedience to the See of Rome. There are many

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other curious differtations added by M. Le Grand. It is to be regretted, that Sir John Hawkins did not reduce the life of Johnfon to one fourth of its prefent quantity, and fill the reft of his volume with a tract which teems with important matter.

Of the tragedy of Irene, which has been long in every body's hands, we intended to give a full and critical analyfis; but this we find has been already done in the Gentleman's Magazine for February 1749. By this account it appears, that the tragedy was firft acted at Drury Lane on Monday, February the 6th, 1749, and from that time reprefented without interruption to Monday February 20th, being in all thirteen nights; fince that time it has not, as we believe, been exhibited on any stage. The cause of this failure may be imputed to the bad contrivance ' of the fable. The action is cold and languid. There is not, throughout the piece, a fingle fituation to alarm the paffions of terror or pity. Irene may be added to fome other plays in our language, which have loft their place in the theatre, but continue to please in the clofet. Johnfon's diction is, at once, nervous, rich, and elegant. The verfification is harmonious throughout; but fplendid language, and melodious numbers, though they may form a fine poem, will not conftitute a tragedy. The fentiments are beautiful, always happily exprefled, and often with a full comprehenfive brevity. As it is the drama of an eminent writer, we should wish to fee it revived. For this purpose the opportunity is fair. No monument is erected in Weftminfter Abbey to a writer, whofe genius and learning are held in the highest efteem. The managers of our theatres would do themselves honour, if they would order Irene to be prepared for representation, and appropriate the receipts of the night to the erecting of a monument to this great Author.

-The Vanity of human Wishes, was published January 9, 1749, a few months before the commencement of our Review. Sir John Hawkins fays, it was after Irene, and therefore he concludes, that the profits arifing from that tragedy were inconfiderable. This inference is not warranted. The Gentleman's Magazine calls it "a fatire long wished for, being an imitation of Juvenal, by the author of London ;" and at the fame time adds, "We hope to be able foon to give our readers a fpecimen of a tragedy, intitled Irene, by the fame ingenious author, Mr. Garrick having it now in rehearsal." The poem of London, we find from this account, was univerfally admired, fince it whetted the public curiofity for another by the fame hand. The Vanity of human Wishes was therefore published, and, as it fhould feem, fent forth as a pfcurfor to difpofe the minds of the public in favour of the tragedy of Irene, which followed in lefs than a month. The tenth fatire of Juvenal has been always juftly admired; and though tranflated by Dryden, Johnson's imitation approaches nearest

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nearest to the fpirit of the original. The fubject is taken from the fecond Alcibiades of Plato, with an intermixture of the fentiments of Socrates concerning the object of prayers offered up to the Deity. The general propofition is, that the favours prayed for by mankind are, when granted, ruinous and deftructive. This is exemplified in a variety of inftances, fuch as, Fiches, the honours of ftate pre-eminence, the powers of elo quence, military glory, long life, and the advantages of beauty. Juvenal's conclufion is admirable! Let us, he fays, "leave it to the Gods to judge what is fitteft for us: Man is dearer to his Creator than to himfelf. If we must pray for any fpecial grace, let it be for a found mind in a found body. Let us pray for fortitude, that we may think the labours of Hercules, and all his fufferings, preferable to a life of luxury, diffipation, and the foft repofe of Sardanapalus. This is a bleffing within the reach of every man; this we can give ourselves. It is virtue, and virtue only, that can make us happy." Johnson has fucceeded wonderfully in giving to his imitation the air of an original. The Chriftian had to ftruggle with the Heathen poet, and though we cannot fay that he has furpaffed him, he has, at leaft, entered into a noble competition. For the characters, which Juvenal has chofen, to illuftrate his doctrine, Johnfon fubftituted others from modern hiftory: for Sejanus, he gives Cardinal Wolfey, the Duke of Buckingham ftabbed by Felton, Lord Strafford, and Lord Clarendon: for Tully and Demofthenes, Lydiat, Galileo, and Archbishop Laud: for Hannibal, Charles XIIth of Sweden; and to fhew the confequences of long life, he fays,

"From Marlb'rough's eyes the ftreams of dotage flow,
And Swift expires a driv❜ler and a show."

The whole of the English poem is in a ftyle that rivals the vigour and the harmony of Pope.

LYDIAT was a very learned divine, and mathematician, fellow of New College, Oxon, and rector of Okerton near Banbury. He wrote, among other things, a Latin treatise, De natura cæli, &c. in which he attacked the fentiments of Scaliger and Ariftotle, not bearing to hear it urged, that fome things are true in philofophy and false in divinity. He made above fix hundred fermons on the harmony of the evangelifts. Being unfuccefsful in publishing his works, he lay in the prison of Bocardo at Oxford, and in the King's Bench, till Bishop Usher, Dr. Laud, Sir William Bofwell, and Dr. Pink released him, by paying his debts. He petitioned King Charles I. to be fent to Ethiopia, &c. to procure MSS. Having fpoken in favour of monarchy and bishops, he was plundered by the parliamentary forces, and twice carried away prifoner from his rectory; and afterwards had not a fecond fhirt in three months, unless he borrowed one. He died very poor, in 1646.

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We shall now proceed to give, as fuccinctly as we can, the works of Johnson, as they are arranged in the edition before us.

The fecond and third volumes, and one half of the fourth, contain the Lives of the Poets, in the fame order as in the edition of 1781. Thefe biographical pieces were originally publifhed in 1779, as prefaces to the works of the English poets, which were printed in fixty volumes fmall 8vo. Our Readers will find a particular account of that work, in feveral detached articles, in the 61ft, 65th, and 66th volumes of our Review.

Sir John has added feveral notes to thefe lives, confifting of ftories about characters and perfons, wholly foreign to the life of the poet.

The remaining half of the fourth volume contains the lives of feveral eminent men. Ift, Father Paul Sarpi, author of the Hiftory of the Council of Trent, from the Gentleman's Megazine for 1738, p. 581.-2d, Boerhaave, from ditto for 1739, p. 176.-3d, Admiral Blake, from ditto for 1740, p. 301.4th, Sir Francis Drake, ib. p. 389.-5th, Baratier, ib. p. 612. -6th, Morin, for 1741, p. 375.-7th, Burman, for 1742, p. 206-8th, Sydenham, prefixed to a tranflation of Sydenham's works by Dr. Swan, published in 1742.-9th, Cheynel, first publifhed in the Student, 1751.-roth, Cave, This life,' as we are informed in a note, firft appeared in the Gentleman's Mag. for 1754, and is now printed from a copy revised by the author, at the request of Mr. Nicholls, in 1781;' we find it the fame as in the Mag. for 1754, P. 55. with no other alteration than the addition of a note, containing the epitaph on Cave, and a fhort defcription of his monument.-11th, The King of Pruffia, first printed in the Literary Magazine, 1756.—12th, Sir T. Browne, prefixed to the fecond edition of Sir Thomas's Chriftian merals; fee Monthly Review, vol. xiv. p. 448.-13th, Ascham, first printed with Alcham's works in 4to, of which we gave an account in our Review, vol. xxxviii. p. 147.

The 5th, 6th, and 7th volumes contain the Rambler, and the 8th the Idler. Thefe works are fo well known, that we need not here add a fyllable in their praise.

The 9th volume contains the effays written by Johnfon in the Adventurer; and a collection of tracts, chiefly philological. Thefe are the plan of, and preface to, his English Dictionary.Propofals for printing Shakespeare's works. The preface to Shakespeare, and notes on his plays.-An account of the Harleian Library; this differtation was noticed in our Rev. vol. 1. p. 147. -An effay on the origin and importance of small tracts.—Some account of a book called the life of Benvenuto Cellini *.- A view of the

Of this work we alfo gave an account, from Nugent's tranflation. See Rev. vol. xlv. p. 148. REV. Aug. 1787.

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