the station which you now fill, but one more particularly, the pride of his University and his country. Yet I may safely affirm that had you acted in the manner I have described, your Professorship would have been more illustrious even than that of Porson. What would he, the friend of every description of liberty, have given to see this day, upon which you seem to look with such cold and sullen insensibility?

I shall not, however, proceed to condemn your conduct, without considering if it be possible to devise any plausible matter of excuse or of palliation; for be assured, Sir, that all my prejudices would lead me rather to applaud, than to censure, a person in your situation. I hope I shall never do either at the expense of truth. It is asserted, then, by those, who contend that the Greeks have no claims upon our compassion, "that they are to be considered as subjects in rebellion against the rightful sovereign; that their mad attempt is only calculated to throw into confusion the whole of Europe, and to disturb the existing state of things, which approaches as nearly as possible to perfection; and they darkly insinuate that their revolt is no more than an explosion of democratic principles, which pervade more or less every country, but are concealed in many till a more favourable opportunity offers of hurling down monarchs from their thrones, and reducing the human race to a state of savage and lawless equality.

Alas! the wretched objects of this invective are unable to comprehend its meaning-they understand not its mysterious import-they are equally ignorant of Jacobins, Reformers, Liberales, and Carbonari; they feel, indeed, that they are subjected to a despotism of intolerable weight, and they presume to inquire by what right it is imposed upon them? The stern answer is ready,-by the right of conquest ;-but instinctive reason then convinces them, that what has been torn from the owner by brutal violence, may be, and ought to be, recovered by the same means, if there be no other possible method; and they reject every argument which is inconsistent with this first law of nature, as the hateful offspring of abject and trembling servility.

It is possible, Sir, that you may be under the influence of that morbid fear of democratic encroachment, which has bound with its spells so many of the spirits of the wise and good, and has forced the firmest friends of Freedom by its baleful delusions, to plunge their daggers into her heart. But the time is nearly arrived when the incantations of this blood-stained hag must cease; her abominations are become the scandal and execration of the world,

Canidia, parce vocibus tandem sacris,

Citumque retro solve, solve, turbinem!

It is true, indeed, that a knowledge of the real principles of government, those principles which England was the first to practise, is rapidly diffusing itself; and shall we be so incredibly selfish, as to endeavour to impede its progress? Base as the attempt would be, it would be still more vain and fruitless. The devouring blaze of legitimacy is rapidly sinking into a pale and flickering flame; and wo to those who continue to guide their steps by its faint and ominous light! We may hope to see the absolute monarchies of the earth subside, one after the other, into representative governments, equally removed from the despotism of the one and of the many-and the tranquillity of the world may be secured upon the basis of the admirable maxim lately laid down by an enlightened statesman, "that to rebel against freedom is the greatest crime-to rebel against tyranny the greatest virtue !"

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But I believe, Sir, I must be mistaken in supposing you to be moved by such pitiful arguments: is it possible, then, that you can fear the snarling growl, or the venomous bite, of the creatures that use them? It is certainly probable that you would not entirely escape their malice-some peculiarity of your person or manner would be served up the weekly appetite of malignity as a delicate morsel, after its more substantial repast upon insulted honour or traduced chastity. All I can say is, that, if you dread such attacks as these, you must never think of attempting any public good-it will be dangerous to be too active even in private charity.

Though I have selected you, from your office as Professor, and from the high dignity which you hold in the

church, as the most proper person to address in behalf of Greeks and Christians, yet I am far from meaning to assert that you are culpable, alone, or even more so than Professor Gaisford, and the other eminent scholars of both Universities. Why do we hear nothing now of the heroes who appeared to the world to have devoted their lives to the service of Greece-do they shrink in the hour of need? Will they tamely see some inferior warrior, some Menelaus of literature, risk his reputation in a cause worthy of the noblest, and in which they were sure to have triumphed ? If this be really their intention, I feel convinced that that generous champion, whoever he may be, will not fail to dismiss them with the humiliating, yet appropriate wishΑλλ' ὑμεῖς μὲν πάντες ὕδωρ καὶ γαῖα γένοισθε, Ημενοι αὖθι ἕκαστοι, ἀκήριοι, ἀκλεὲς ἄντως.

The age of Dr. Parr, that veteran, who has seen more than one generation of critics, may well excuse him from mingling in the conflict; but I am convinced that it has not so far deadened the feelings of his ardent and patriotic mind, as to render him insensible to the degeneracy of his feeble successors. He may, probably, wish, like Peleus, to take refuge in the grave from the painful and degrading spectacle.

I have now, Sir, to perform the more pleasing task of paying a sincere tribute of applause to some individuals of less celebrity, who, though they have not organized any comprehensive plan of assistance, have, at least, made isolated efforts in behalf of distress deserted by its natural protectors. I shall single out one who was early in the field, a member, I believe, of your own society; his generous conduct may have clashed with the rules of an antiquated institution; but I must be allowed to hope, for the sake of the eminent individuals engaged in it, that he acted in a manner conformable with its spirit. I am happy to say, that while I am writing, the number of such men is continually increasing; but I am yet unable to find in the honourable list the names of those who stand foremost as scholars. The inhabitants of an inconsiderable town petition parliament to protect Greece from being made a desert, and her inhabitants hunted like wild beasts from the earth-the Professors, the Commentators, though called upon to raise their voices by every tie of gratitude and en

thusiasm, are silent. What can you expect us to answer, then, when you claim, by the dignity of your situations, and the splendour of your attainments, our respect and reverence? That you are unworthy of the double share, which we, imitating the example of the ancients, were willing to allow the learned in our feasts*-that your external appearance of taste and refinement conceals sordid and interested dispositions-that instead of inspired worshippers in the temple of genius, you are mere hirelings, that swell the pomp of the procession, and partake in the spoils of the sacrifice. Are you, after all, nothing more than a band of συνδεσμῶν θηρήτορες, whose hearts are benumbed and contracted by the painful and barren toil? I will never believe it-I am confident that you will yet shew by your actions the falsehood of such outrageous aspersions, and make us cast to the winds ideas which are equally injurious to you and to ourselves.

But even should this be the case, I shall only feel myself called upon to retract a small part of my censure. Should the slumbering virtue of the nation arise, and ultimately, as it must do, drag you with it, your situation will still be far from glorious-you will be a weight, a drag, an díx poλxis upon public opinion, instead of being the spring which sets it in motion-instead of leading the van of the army, you will be goaded on in its rear like forlorn and overwearied captives-you are too late to acquire fame, but it is something to prevent your characters from becoming irretrievably infamous.

We are necessarily so ignorant of many of the circumstances of the war, and its features are so rapidly changing, that it is impossible to speak with any certainty as to the termination of the contest: it seems but too probable, however, that unless speedy and effectual assistance be afforded, the desolation of Scio will be extended over the whole of the most lovely of countries; that the greater part of the inhabitants will perish, and the survivors be reduced to a state of slavery that might justify the melancholy

* Lucian. Chronosolon. τοῖς πεπαιδευμένοις διπλάσια πάντα πεμπ πέσθω, ἄξιον γὰρ διμοιρίτας εἶναι.

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custom of the ancient Thracians, the mourning over the new-born, and the rejoicing over the dead. There can be no doubt that, if this be the close of the bloody scene, we shall be devoured by bitter and unavailing regret-we shall look back with the deepest horror and remorse upon our incomprehensible apathy-we shall bewail the memory of patriots, whose labours we ought to have shared-we shall adorn the tomb of a nation which we ought to have rescued from death.

Innubet tepido pellex Cornelia busto.

ON HUMBUG, PRO AND CON-AND THE ART OF PUFFING.

THE present age is par excellence the age of humbug. There never was a time when it was more prevalent; or when its prevalence was more universally understood. Lord Byron has said, that the primum mobile of the present day is cant his Lordship might have added, that there is as much cant talked about cant itself, as upon any other subject. It is a very fertile topic; interesting to all; and perhaps peculiarly so to literary men. It gave rise to a very animated discussion, a few days ago, in a company where the writer of the present article was a silent listener. Among the rest, a gentleman, whom he well knew as one of the most honest and disinterested of human beings, delivered a plain, hearty, and straight-forward panegyric upon humbug, as Erasmus and Crichton have written, and spoken learnedly in praise of ignorance.

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"However people," said the orator, " may declaim in theory against humbug, we must all allow its practical necessity. I should be much obliged to him who can point out to me any age in which it has not existed; any country, or any state of society, or any class of men, in which it does not exist. The soil, perhaps, in which it shoots up and flourishes with most luxuriance, is the artificial mould of polished life. But was it never seen, do we suppose, and never suspected, in the milk