what they mean, collectively-" that the "villa of Mergillina had folitary woods; "had groves of laurel and citron; had grottos in the rock, with rivulets and "prings; and that from its lofty fituation "it looked down upon the fea, and com"manded an extenfive profpect." It is no wonder that fuch a villa should enamour fuch an owner. So ftrong was his affection for it, that when, during the fubfequent wars in Italy, it was demolished by the imperial troops, this unfortunate event was fuppofed to have haftened his end. Vauclufe (Vallis Claufa) the favourite retreat of Petrarch, was a romantic scene, not far from Avignon. "It is a valley, having on each hand, as you enter, immenfe cliffs, but clofed "up at one of its ends by a femicircular "ridge of them; from which incident it "derives its name. One of the moft ftu. "pendous of these cliffs ftands in the front "of the femicircle, and has at its foot an "opening into an immenfe cavern. Within the most retired and gloomy part of this cavern is a large oval bafon, the pro"duction of nature, filled with pellucid and "unfathomable water; and from this re"fervoir iffues a river of refpectable mag"nitude, dividing, as it runs, the meadows "bencath, and winding through the precipices that impend from above.” This is an imperfect sketch of that fpot, where Petrarch spent his time with fo much delight, as to fay that this alone was life to him, the reft but a flate of punishment. In the two preceding narratives I feem to fee an anticipation of that taste for natural beauty, which now appears to flourish through Great Britain in fuch perfection. It is not to be doubted that the owner of Mergilina would have been charmed with Mount Edgcumb; and the owner of Vauclufe have been delighted with Piercefield. When we read in Xenophon, that the younger Cyrus had with his own hand planted trees for beauty, we are not furprifed, though pleafed with the ftory, as the age was polifhed, and Cyrus an accomplifhed prince. But when we read, that in the beginning of the 14th century, a king of France (Philip le Bel) fhould make it penal to cut down a tree, qui a este garde pour fa beautè, which had been preferved for its beauty; though we praife the law, we cannot help being furprifed, that the prince fhould at fuch a period have been fo far enlightened, Harris. 214. Superior Literature and Knowledge both of the Gresk and Latia Clergy, whence-Barbarity and Ignorance of the Laity, whence-Samples of Lay Maxner, in a Story from Anna Comnena's History. -Church Authority ingenuously employed to check Barbarity-the fame Authority enployed for other good Purpofes-to fave the poor Jews-to stop Trials by BattleMore fuggefted concerning Lay Manneri Ferocity of the Northern Laymen, subence -different Caufes affigned. - Inventions during the dark Ages great, theagh the Inventors often unknown.-Inference arif ing from thefe Inventions. In this number we have felected from among the Greeks the patriarch of Con ftantinople, Photius; Michael Pellus; Euftathius and Euftratius, both of evifcepal dignity; Planudes; Cardinal Bettario from among the Latins, venerable Bede; Gerbertus, afterwards Pope Silvefter the Second; Ingulphus, Abbot of Croyland; Hildebert, Archbishop of Tours; Peter Abelard; John of Salisbury, Bishop of Chartres; Roger Bacon; Francis Petrarch; many Monkish hiftorians; Eneas Sylvius, afterwards Pope Pius the Second, &c. Something has been already faid concerning each of thefe, and other ecclefiaf tics. At prefent we fhall only remark, that it was neceffary, from their very pr feffion, that they should read and write; accomplishments at that time ufually cofined to themselves, Thofe of the Western Church were obliged to acquire fome knowledge of Latis; and for Greek, to thofe of the Eaftern Church it was ftill (with a few corruptions) their native language. If we add to thefe preparations their mode of life, which, being attended moly with a decent competence, gave them in menfe leifure; it was not wonderful that, among fuch a multitude, the more meritorious fhould emerge and foar, by dint of genius, above the common herd. Similar effects proceed from fimilar caufes. The learning of Egypt was poffell by the priefts; who were likewife left from their inftitution to a life of leifure. From the laity, on the other fide, who, from their mean education, wanted all thefe requifites, they were in fact no better. than what Dryden calls them, a tribe of Iflachar; a race, from their cradle bred in barbarity and ignorance. A faniple of thefe illuftrious laymen may be found in Anna Comnena's history of her father Alexius, who was Grecian emperor in the eleventh century, when the first Crufade arrived at Conftantinople. So promifcuous a rout of rude adventurers could not fail of giving umbrage to the Byzantine court, which was ftately and ceremonious, and confcious withal of its internal débility. After fome altercation, the court permitted them to pafs into Afia through the Imperial territories, upon their leaders taking an oath of fealty to the emperor. What happened at the performance of this ceremonial, is thus related by the fair historian above-mentioned. "All the commanders being affembled, "and Godfrey of Bulloign himfelf among "the reft, as foon as the oath was finished, "one of the counts had the audacioufnefs "to feat himself befide the emperor upon "his throne. Earl Baldwin, one of their "own people, approaching, took the "count by the hand, made him rife from "the throne, and rebuked him for his "infolence. "When all things were dispatched, the emperor fent for this man, and demand"ed who he was, whence he came, and of "what lineage?-His anfwer was as fol"lows-I am a genuine Frank, and in the "number of their nobility. One thing I "know, which is, that in a certain part of "the country I came from, and in a place "where three ways meet, there ftands an "ancient church, where every one who "has a defire to engage in fingle combat, "having put himself into fighting order, "comes, and there implores the affiftance "of the Deity, and then waits in expectaCL tion of fome one that will dare attack him. On this fpot I my felf waited a long time, expecting and feeking fome one that would arrive and fight me. But the man, that would dare this, was no "where to be found." 61 This was one of thofe counts, or barons, the petty tyrants of Western Europe; men, who, when they were not engaged in general wars (fuch as the ravaging of a neighbouring kingdom, the maffacring of infidels, heretics, &c.) had no other method of filling up their leifure, than, through help of their vaffals, by waging war upon one another. And here the humanity and wifdom of the church cannot enough be admired, when by her authority (which was then mighty) the endeavoured to fhorten that fcene of bloodshed, which she could not totally prohibit. The truce of God (a name given it purposely to render the meafure more folemn) enjoined these ferocious beings, under the terrors of excommunication, not to fight from Wednesday evening to Monday morning, out of reverence to the myfteries accomplished on the other four days; the afcenfion on Thursday; the crucifixion on Friday; the defcent to hell on Saturday; and the refurrection on Sunday. I hope a farther obfervation will be pardoned, when I add, that the fame humanity prevailed during the fourteenth century, and that the terrors of church power were then held forth with an intent equally laudable. A dreadful plague at that period defolated all Europe. The Germans, with no better reason than their own fenfeless fuperftition, imputed this calamity to the Jews, who then lived among them in great opulence and fplendour. Many thousands of thefe unhappy people were inhumanly maffacred, till the pope benevolently interfered, and prohibited, by the feverest bulls, fo mad and fanguinary a proceeding. I could not omit two fuch falutary exertions of church power, as they both occur within the period of this inquiry. I might add a third, I mean the oppofing and endeavouring to check that abfurdeft of all practices, the trial by battle, which SpelKk 4 man man exprefsly tells us, that the church in all ages condemned. It must be confefied, that the fact juft related, concerning the unmannered count, at the court of Conftantinople, is rather against the order of Chronology, for it happended during the firft crufades. It ferves, however, to fhew the manners of the Latin, or Western laity, in the beginning of that holy war. They did not in a fucceffion of years, grow better, but worse. It was a century after, that another crufade, in their march against infidels, facked this very city; depofed the then emperor; and committed devastations, which no one would have committed but the most ignorant, as well as cruel barbarians. But a question here occurs, eafier to propofe than to anfwer-" To what are we to attribute this character of ferocity, which "feems to have then prevailed through the "laity of Europe?" Shall we fay it was climate, and the nature of the country?-Thefe, we muft confefs, have, in fome inftances, great inRuence. The Indians, feen a few years fince by Mr. Byron in the fourthern parts of South America, were brutal and favage to an enormous excess. One of them, for a trivial offence, murdered his own child (an infant) by dashing it against the rocks. The Cyclopes, as defcribed by Homer, were much of the fame fort; each of them gave law to his own family, without regard for one another; and befides this, they were Atheists and Man-eaters. May we not fuppofe, that a stormy fea, together with a frozen, barren, and inhofpitable fhore, might work on the imagina. tion of these Indians, fo as, by banishing all pleafing and benign ideas, to fill them with habitual gloom, and a propenfity to be cruel-Or might not the tremendous fcenes of Ætna have had a like effect upon the Cyclopes, who lived amid fmoke, thunderings, eruptions of fire, and earthquakes? If we may believe Fazelius, who wrote upon Sicily about two hundred years ago, the inhabitants near Etna were in his time a fimilar race. If therefore thefe limited regions had fuch an effect upon their natives, may not a fimilar effect be prefumed from the vaft regions of the North? may not its cold barren, uncomfortable climate, have made its numerous tribes equally rude and favage? If this be not enough, we may add an other caufe, I mean their profound ignorance. Nothing mends the mind more than culture; to which thefe emigrants had no defire, either from example or edu cation, to lend a patient ear. We may add a farther caufe ftill, which is, that when they had acquired countries better than their own, they fettled under the fame military form through which they had conquered; and were in fact, when fettled, a fort of army after a campaign, quartered upon the wretched remains of the ancient inhabitants, by whom they were attended under the different names of ferfs, vaffals, villains, &c. It was not likely the ferocity of thefe conquerors fhould abate with regard to their vaffals, whom, as ftrangers, they were more likely to fufpect than to love. It was not liklely it fhould abate with regard to one another, when the neighbour hood of their caftles, and the contiguity of their territories, must have given occafion (as we learn from hiftory) for endless altercation. But this we leave to the learned in feudal tenures. We fhall add to the preceding remarks, one more, fomewhat fimilar, and yet perfectly different; which is, that though the darknefs in Weftern Europe, during the period here mentioned, was (in Scripture language) "a darknefs that might be felt," yet it is furprifing, that during a period fo obfcure, many admirable inventions found their way into the world; I mean fuch as clocks, telescopes, paper, gunpowder, the mariner's needle, printing, and a number here omitted. It is furprising too, if we confider the importance of these arts, and their extenfive utility, that it fhould be either unknown, or at leaft doubtful, by whom they were invented. A lively fancy might almoft imagine, that every art, as it was wanted, had fuddenly started forth, addrefling thole that fought it, as Eneas did his companions VIRG. Coram, quem quæritis, adfum. And yet, fancy apart, of this we may be affured, that though the particular inven tors may unfortunately be forgotten, the inventions themfelves are clearly referable to man; to that fubtle and active principle, human wit, or ingenuity. Let me then fubmit the following query If the human mind be as truly of divine Prefent. Every paft age has in its turn been a prefent age. This indeed is obvious, but this is not all; for every pait age, when preient, has been the object of abufe. Men have been reprefented by their contemporaries not only as bad, but degenerate; as i.ferior to their predeceffors both in morals and bodily powers. This is an opinion fo generally received, that Virgil (in conformity to it) when he would exprefs former times, calls them fimply better, as if the term, better, implied former of course. Hic genus antiquum Teucri, pulcherrima proles, Magnanimi heroes, nati melioribus annis. En. vi. 648. The fame opinion is afcribed by Homer to old Neftor, when that venerable chief fpeaks of thofe heroes whom he had known in his youth. He relates fome of their names. Perithous, Dryas, Ceneus, The. feus; and fome alio of their exploits; as how they had extirpated the favage Centaurs. He then fubjoins - κείνοισι δ ̓ ἂν ἔτις, Τῶν οἱ τῶν βροτοῖ εἰσιν ἐπιχθόνιοι, μαχέοιτο. JA. A. 271. with thefe no one Of earthly race, as men are now,-could fight. As thefe heroes were fuppofed to exceed in ftrength thofe of the Trojan war, fo were the heroes of that period to exceed thofe that came after. Hence, from the time of the Trojan war to that of Homer, we learn that human ftrength was decreated by a complete half. Thus the fame Homer, · ὁ δὲ χερμάδιον λάξε χειρί Τυδείδης, μετα έργον, ο κ δύση άνδρα φέξειεν, Οίαι τῶν βροτοί εἰσ· ὁ δὲ μιν ῥία πάλλε και οίος, JA. E. 302. Then grafp'd Tydides in his hand a ftone, Virgil goes farther, and tells us, that not twelve men of his time (and thofe too chofen ones) could even carry the stone which Turnus flung: Vix illud leti bis fex cervice fubirent, Qualia nunc hominum producit corpora tellus: 1lle manu raptum trepidâ torquebat in hoftem. Æn. xii. 899. time was leffened to half, in Virgil's time Thus human ftrength, which in Homer's was leffened to a twelfth. If ftrength and bulk (as commonly happens) be proportioned, what pygmies in itature mult the men of Virgil's time have been, when their ftrength, as he informs us, was fo far diminihed! A man only eight times as ftrong (and not, according to the poet, twelve times) must at least have been between five and fix feet higher than they were. But we all know the privilege claimed by poets and painters. It is in virtue of this privilege that Horace, when he mentions the moral degeneracies of his contemporaries, afferts that "their fathers were worfe than their grand"fathers; that they were worse than their "fathers; and that their children would be "worse than they were;" defcribing no fewer, after the grandfather, than three fucceffions of degeneracy: Ætas parentum, pejor avis, tulit Hor. Od. L. iii. 6. We need only ask, were this a fact, what generated in this proportion for five or fix would the Romans have been, had they degenerations more? Yet Juvenal, fubfequent to all this, fuppofes a fimilar progreflion; a progreffion in vice and infamy, which was not complete till his own times. Then truly we learn, it could go no farther: Nil erit ulterius, noftris quod moribus addat Omne in præcipiti vitium ftetit, &c. But even Juvenal, it feems, was mistaken, bad as we must allow his times to have been. Several centuries after, without regird to Juvenal, the fame doctrine was inculcated with greater zeal than ever. When the Western empire began to decline, and Europe and Africa were ravaged by barbarians, the calamities then happening (and formidable they were) naturally led led men, who felt them, to eflcem their own age the world. "imported, without our confent, from fo "reign countries." Should the fame reafonings be urged in favour of times nearly as remote, and other imputations of evil be brought, which, though well known now, did not then exift, we may still retort that-" we are no "longer now, as they were then, fubject to "feudal oppreffion; nor dragged to war, "as they were then, by the petty tyrant of " a neighbouring cattle; nor involved in "fcenes of blood, as they were then, and "that for many years, during the uninte refting difputes between a Stephen and a "Maud." The enemies of Chriftianity (for Paganim was not then extinct) abfurdly turned thefe calamities to the difcredit of the Chriftian religion, and faid, the times were fo unhappy, because the gods were difhonoured, and the ancient worship neglected. Orofius, a Chriftian, did not deny the melancholy facts, but, to obviate an objection fo dishonourable to the true religion, he endeavours to prove from historians, both facred and profane, that calamitics of every fort had exifled in every age," as many and as great as thofe that exilled then. If Orofius has reafoned right (and his work is an elaborate one) it follows, that the lamentations made then, and made ever fince, are no more than natural declamations incidental to man; declamations naturally arifing (let him live at any period) from the fuperior efficacy of prefent events upon prefent fenfations. There is a praife belonging to the past, congenial with this cenfure; a praife formed from negatives, and beft illuftrated by examples. Thus a declaimer might affert, (fuppofing he had a with, by exalting the eleventh century, to debafe the prefent) that "in the time of the Norman conqueror we had no routs, no ridottos, no Newmarkets, no candidates to bribe, no voters to "be bribed, &c." and thing on negatives, as long as he thought proper. What then are we to do, when we hear fuch panegyric?-Are we to deny the facts? That cannot be.-Are we to admit the conclufion?-That appears not quite agrecable. No method is left, but to compare evils with evils; the evils of 1066 with thofe of 1780; and fee whether the former age had not evils of its own, fuch as the prefent never experienced, because they do not now exift." We may allow the evils of the prefent day to be real-we may even allow that a much larger number might have been added-but then we may alledge evils, by way of return, felt in those days feverely, but now not felt at all. We may affert," we have not now, as "happened then, feen our country conquered by foreign invaders, nor our pro"perty taken from us, and diftributed "among the conquerors; nor ourselves, "from freemen, debafed into flaves; nor "our rights fubmitted to unknown laws, Should the fame declaimer pafs to a later period, and praife, after the fame manner, the reign of Henry the Second, we have then to retort, "that we have now no "Beckets." Should he proceed to Richard the Firft, "that we have now no "holy wars"-to John Lackland, and his fon Henry, " that we have now no barors "wars"—and with regard to both of ther, "that, though we enjoy at this inftant al "the benefits of Magna Charta, we have "not been compelled to purchase them at "the price of our blood." A feries of convulfions, bring us, in a few years more, to the wars between the houfes of York and Lancaster-thence from the fall of the Lancaster family to the c lamities of the York family, and its final deftruction in Richard the Third-there to the oppreflive period of his avaricious fucceffor; and from him to the formidabe reign of his relentless fon, when neither the coronet, nor the mitre, nor even the crown, could protect their wearers; and when (to the amazement of pofterity) thole, by whom church authority was denied, and these, by whom it was maintained, were dragged together to Smithfield, and burnt at one and the fame stake. The reign of his fucceffor was fhort ard turpid, and foon followed by the gloomy one of a bigotted woman. We ftop here, thinking we have inftances enough. Thofe, who hear any portion of thefe paft times praifed for the invidious purpose above-mentioned, may answer by thus retorting the calamities and crimes which exifled at the time praifed, but which now exift no more. A true eflimate can never be formed, but in confequence of fuch a comparison; for if we drop the laudable, and alledge only the bad, or drop the bad, and alledge only the laudable, there is no age, whatever its real character, but |