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depends on the arbitrary decifion of an abfolute monarch; in fhort, when we confider what little care is taken to fecure public freedom, we cannot but look on this Code as a mere effay of genius, and as a vain system, to which fome weak or vicious prince hereafter may pay as little regard, as Oliver Cromwell did to the English Magna Charta.

We must not conclude this article, without taking notice of the tranflation, which abounds fo much in Scotticisms, that the language, in many parts, is almost as foreign to an English ear as the original itself.

R-d

Letters to a young Nobleman. 8vo. 4s. 6d. Millar.

HE public is here prefented with eight Letters on the

Tfollowing ufeful and entertaining fubjects: Study in

general; the Study of Hiftory; Biography; Tafte; the InAuence of Liberty upon Tafte; the Age of Auguftus and that of Lewis XIV. Thefe fubjects are treated with perfpicuity and judgment; and though few of the Author's obfervations are new, yet he discovers, through the whole of his performance, an enlarged and liberal turn of thought, and writes like a fcholar and a gentleman.

In the four firft Letters, we meet with many pertinent and judicious remarks on the ftudy of Hiftory and Biography; but nothing that renders a particular account neceffary. In the fifth Letter our Author treats of tafte, and of fome diftinguishing circumftances of London and Paris. It must appear evident to any one, he tells us, who, without prejudice, examines the figure which this country has made in its moft admired periods for learning and politeness; that a depth of judgment, folidity of understanding, and a power of expreffing ftrong paffions with remarkable energy, have been far more its diftinguishing characteristics, than delicacy or refinement of taste.

A BACON, a NEWTON, a LOCKE, have an indifputable title to the palm in profound and rational philofophy; Mil ton and Shakespear have conceived the nobleft ideas, feen through every winding of the human heart, drawn the characters of men, and described every object in nature, with a force and expreffion equal to the greatest mafters of antiquity, and beyond any of their modern rivals; but with regard to exactness, or refinement of tafte, it will hardly be faid, our

Author

Author imagines, that we do not oftener meet in Milton and Shakespeare with what appears extravagant and improbable, than in Corneille, Racine, or Voltaire.

Our Author enquires into the reafons of this difference, and endeavours to fhew whence it is, that the English are more remarkable for depth of understanding and fublimity of genius, the French for a certain gentility of manner, and accuracy of tafte? As the taste of the metropolis must always have the greatest influence upon that of a whole country, the character of a nation, with refpect to this article, he obferves, will commonly be found to be what might be expected from the peculiarly favourable or unfavourable circumstances of its capital. By comparing, therefore, the circumftances of London and Paris, and the opportunities of improvement which they afford, we may form, he thinks, a probable conjecture, as to the caufes of that difference of tafte which prevails in them.

"London and Paris, fays he, the capitals of two rival kingdoms, the two largest cities, and the principal feats of arts and sciences in Europe, no lefs famous in modern, than Rome and Athens were in ancient times, are governed by tuftoms, and diftinguished by circumftances more different than those which took place in the capitals of the Athenian and Roman Republicks.

"London is the greatest trading city in the world: Paris has no trade but that of its elegant toys, and ingenious manufactures. Paris is the feat of a famous and great univerfity, and of societies for the improvement of the Belles Lettres, and the Arts; there are no fuch focieties established in London, nor is it the feat of an univerfity. Paris is well provided with public libraries, and with collections of pictures, ftatues, &c. open to the study and infpection of every one: there are few public libraries, &c. in London: London is the metropolis of a free, Paris of an abfolute government. These are fome of the principal circumftances which diftinguish London and Paris. By reflecting a little upon each of them, we may perhaps be enabled to account for the difference of tafte in these two cities.

"Commerce, which is attended with fo many advantages, and which diffufes plenty, independence and happiness among the bulk of a people, is, however, lefs favourable to certain accomplishments, and lefs conducive to an elegancy of tafte and manners, than to perhaps more folid and general blef

fings. By turning the attention of men chiefly to gain, and by continually employing them in purfuit of this object, it leaves them less time to ftudy the arts, and to admire the productions of genius and tafte.

"Nor, confidering it merely with respect to the influence it may have upon tafte, can it be fuppofed a circumstance favourable to that of the British netropolis, that London is the greatest fea-port in the world. The intercourse which this must create between vaft numbers of its inhabitants and fea-faring people, may even be thought to communicate a little of that roughness which is more the characteristic of the common run of failors than politenefs and refinement. Hence, perhaps, by attributing it to a complaifance to the prevailing humour of their audience, we may account for the low scenes and vulgar wit we meet with in fome of our dramatic writers, and for that odd drollery which diftinguishes the performances of a neighbouring maritime nation.

"Every advantage is attended with fome inconvenience: let the Parifians, who live in a city which is no fea-port, which has no trade but that of fome elegant manufactures, and is alone fupported by a paffion for living perpetually in the capital, fo univerfal among the French nobleffe; boast of the politeness and refined tafte of their metropolis: the citizens of London may glory in what is more fubftantial, and contributes more to the happiness of its inhabitants, a share of wealth and independence, diffused by liberty and commerce among all ranks of men, which prevents the meaneft individual from being enflaved by the greateft, and enables vaft multitudes to enjoy those bounties of heaven, which in other places are confined to a small number of mankind. But certainly if we confider commerce only fo far as it may have an influence upon tafte, it can never be thought to be an advan-. tage; nor can it be fuppofed a very favourable circumftance to that of this country, that a confiderable part of the trade of England is tranfacted in the metropolis. That of France is carried on in her provincial towns, and the inhabitants of Paris chiefly confift of the nobleffe, and of thofe, who, living on their fortunes, and not being hurried by business, have leisure to improve their tafte, and to cultivate the fine

-arts.

"Univerfities, I believe it will be denied by none, are the principal feats of Learning and Knowledge in every county, Even in those ages, when univerfity-learning was of

the

the most ridiculous fort, foppifh and bewildering as it must be confefled to have been, it was, however, the best the world then had, and the members of universities were more enlightened and lefs ignorant than their countrymen. Tho' there is a certain stiffness and pedantry that sometimes attends men of great erudition, and which gives their manners, an aukward look to the people of active life; yet ftill we may, without being thought partial, affirm, that they muft in all probability have a more correct tafte; and, by being accuftomed to study the nobleft models, be more readily ftruck with the irregularities of works that deviate from the rules obferved by the best writers, than other perfons can be fuppofed to be, whose way of life has not led them to improve their tafte, or to correct it by thofe rules, which were obferved by the best geniuses of all ages, but efpecially by the antients. We may even fuppofe that conversation with men of learning must be of advantage to others; that in places where there are great numbers of men of letters, a certain proportion of learning muft by them be communicated to the people; and that there must be a greater chance of meeting with perfons who have taken some pains to correct and improve their taftes."

Whether it may be of advantage, upon the whole, or not, that young gentlemen fhould be educated in great cities, or in places retired, and confecrated to the Mufes alone, our Author does not take upon him to determine; he is perfuaded, however, that the University of Paris has had a mighty influence in correcting and improving the taste of the French metropolis, and in diffufing a fort of critical accuracy among its inhabitants; while, at the fame time, the members of the Univerfity, by living in a great city, and converfing with people of active life, have many opportunities of improving in politeness, and a knowlege of the fine arts, which can be met with no where but in the capital of a kingdom.

The Univerfity of Paris is a great body, and endued with very ample privileges: it confifts of about ten colleges, which enjoy the full rights of the University; and about thirty others, whofe rights and privileges are not fo great. Now it can hardly be fuppofed, that fuch foundations, confecrated to the arts and fciences, will have no influence in communicating a tafte for the Mufes to a City, whose inhabitants must have fo much intercourse with learned men. But, befides the University, there are feveral Societies established

blished in Paris, exprefly for the improvement of taste. The French academy for the improvement of Eloquence and Poetry;-the royal Academy of Infcriptions, &c. for cultivating the Belles Lettres, explaining ancient monuments, and tranfmitting to pofterity the remarkable events of the monarchy by medals, &c.-The royal academy of painting and fculpture, under the government of a director, who is appointed by the King; a chancellor, four rectors, one of whom attends every quarter, and twelve profeffors, who attend each of them a month by turns, direct the ftudies of the pupils, propofe models to them, and correct their designs; --and a royal academy for the improvement of Architecture, in which inftructions are given gratis, and prizes annually diftributed to incite the emulation of the ftudents.

Our Letter-Writer goes on to obferve, that among the different circumstances which distinguish London and Paris, none is more remarkable than this, that the latter is well fupplied with great public libraries, with large collections of pictures, ftatues, prints, and every curiofity of nature or art, open to the infpection of every one. This, he justly thinks, must be of great advantage, not only to give true geniufes an opportunity of discovering their talents, but to improve the taste of those who have no extraordinary capacity. By being accustomed frequently to look at what is excellent, one becomes in fome degree a judge, and is apt to be difgufted at the fight of what is unnatural and bad; as by often hearing good mufic, even those who have no remarkable taste that way, acquire a delicacy of ear, which is fhocked with what is difcordant and unharmonious.

In his fixth Letter, our Author treats of the influence of Liberty upon Tafte, and of the Age of Auguftus. He endeavours to fhew what influence the different degrees of freedom, enjoyed by England and France, may naturally be imagined to have upon tafte and the Belles Lettres. It has become a pretty common opinion, he tells us, that the ftrongest efforts of genius will probably be made by those who enjoy liberty, and are inspired by its animating influence; but that juftnefs and refinement of tafte will generally be found to be more improved among the fubjects of an abfolute, than among thofe of a free government. That the first of these propofitions is true, he readily owns; that the fecond is falfe, he thinks, may be proved from history, and from the nature of the thing. It may be laid down as a certain maxim, he says, that, in every country, not only genius, - Rav, Jan. 1762.

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